Thursday Update
The lack of recent posts, as well as longer (i.e. more interesting) posts is due to my going pedal-to-the-metal to complete my second novel THE REGULATOR, which will be turned in to my publisher and agent on Monday. I'm not the first person to say this, but writing a second (contracted) book is a very different experience from writing the first.
When you write your first novel, it's an act of passion. Unless someone in your immediate family runs a publishing house, chances are you can't be sure it will find a home. So you write it with a minimum of expectations. You hope for the best, prepare for the worst, but in the end you write the book because you simply want to write it. There are hopes, but likely no expectations.
When THE MARK sold last March and my euphoria simmered down, suddenly I realized I had two more unwritten books under contract, as well as deadlines in which to write them. Thankfully the plot for the book that would become THE REGULATOR was already a seed in my mind. While I waited to see what fate had in store for THE MARK, I began sketching the idea for my next book, which would have been a stand alone had THE MARK failed to sell. When it did, I took many elements from that embryonic idea and used them for the second Henry Parker novel. And while it felt great to again be putting finger to laptop, writing a novel during a year in which:
1) I changed jobs
2) My wife changed jobs
3) My wife studied for the third level of her CFA exam (and passed!)
3) We planned our wedding
4) We bought a house
5) I agreed to co-chair the 2007 ThrillerFest conference
got a little touchy at times. (and yes, I do hear the world's smallest violin playing for me).
In fact I'd say I wrote the vast majority of THE REGULATOR over the past 3 months, once the wedding had passed and our lives began to settle down again. My favorite writing time became 10:00 at night, when our apartment was quiet, and I could write and then go straight to bed. And just like THE MARK, I wrote THE REGULATOR fairly quickly because, as a reader, I too wanted to know what would happen next.
Thankfully things are quieter now--though our new puppy Wilson is hard to ignore--because my third novel is due right around the corner. No rest for the weary. But I wouldn't have it any other way.
Plus I just informed my publisher of the title for the third Henry Parker novel:
THE STOLEN
Most importantly this keeps up my theme of two-word titles that begin with 'The'.
The lack of recent posts, as well as longer (i.e. more interesting) posts is due to my going pedal-to-the-metal to complete my second novel THE REGULATOR, which will be turned in to my publisher and agent on Monday. I'm not the first person to say this, but writing a second (contracted) book is a very different experience from writing the first.
When you write your first novel, it's an act of passion. Unless someone in your immediate family runs a publishing house, chances are you can't be sure it will find a home. So you write it with a minimum of expectations. You hope for the best, prepare for the worst, but in the end you write the book because you simply want to write it. There are hopes, but likely no expectations.
When THE MARK sold last March and my euphoria simmered down, suddenly I realized I had two more unwritten books under contract, as well as deadlines in which to write them. Thankfully the plot for the book that would become THE REGULATOR was already a seed in my mind. While I waited to see what fate had in store for THE MARK, I began sketching the idea for my next book, which would have been a stand alone had THE MARK failed to sell. When it did, I took many elements from that embryonic idea and used them for the second Henry Parker novel. And while it felt great to again be putting finger to laptop, writing a novel during a year in which:
1) I changed jobs
2) My wife changed jobs
3) My wife studied for the third level of her CFA exam (and passed!)
3) We planned our wedding
4) We bought a house
5) I agreed to co-chair the 2007 ThrillerFest conference
got a little touchy at times. (and yes, I do hear the world's smallest violin playing for me).
In fact I'd say I wrote the vast majority of THE REGULATOR over the past 3 months, once the wedding had passed and our lives began to settle down again. My favorite writing time became 10:00 at night, when our apartment was quiet, and I could write and then go straight to bed. And just like THE MARK, I wrote THE REGULATOR fairly quickly because, as a reader, I too wanted to know what would happen next.
Thankfully things are quieter now--though our new puppy Wilson is hard to ignore--because my third novel is due right around the corner. No rest for the weary. But I wouldn't have it any other way.
Plus I just informed my publisher of the title for the third Henry Parker novel:
THE STOLEN
Most importantly this keeps up my theme of two-word titles that begin with 'The'.
posted by Jason Pinter at
9:58 AM
2 Comments:
Holy crap. That's one heckuva year! Congratulations on making it through! And with two novels written, no less!
You deserve a BIG violin for that list. :-)
The Sandwich.
It's what's for dinner.
Just mention me in the acknowledgements, that's all I ask.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home