You can read the prior four parts here:
- Part #1 – How a polite email led to a new Elan series
- Part #2 – A School for Wizards: From card houses to Hogwarts
- Part #3 – Secret Identity Revealed
- Part #4 – Starting the Book
THE WRITING LIFE
Lorian — 12/28/22, 2:40 PM
I’m feeling a lot of frustration and wonder if you have advice. I tried to carve out dedicated writing time in the mornings, but it’s always something. All kinds of people ask how my writing is going, but they don’t find it important enough not to bother me with every little thing. The contractors next door need something, my family needs something, the dogs need something, everything is on fire and only I can put out the flames for some reason. I’ve been unable to work in the spare room (the place with a lockable door) because we’re running the wood stove and heat can’t get in there with the door shut. So I’m downstairs in the “office” (no doors). Not only is the TV in the next room, but now the office features an exercise bike with a dude on the screen shouting while my husband works out. Every little thing breaks my concentration. I’d go to the camper if the wi-fi reached that far! No one would find me there for a while!
So I guess my question is this: I know you now have an office door fiercely protected by Robin, but how did you get space to work before?
Michael J. Sullivan — 12/28/22, 4:55 PM
Ha! Don’t you love the writers who complain they can’t get motivated enough to sit down and write? For years, writing was me stealing time to do something decadent, useless, and unimportant. “You can play with your stories after the kids are put to bed and the garbage is out.” Luckily, Robin worked a lot. She wasn’t home. This was both part of what drove me to write, and what allowed me to. Sure, we had young kids, but I was a father not a mother. The kids existed to serve me, not the other way around. Then when they went to school I had the house to myself for seven hours. I never answered the phone, and there was no Internet. Now, of course, I make the money, so everyone does whatever I ask. If I say I need blue M&Ms they get them. Who knows what magic fuels a writer?
Advice? Maybe easier said than done. You and I are very different people. I can be very Royce-like. I don’t think you have children that live with you. It is just you and your husband, yes? Everyone else can be “turned off.” Just go on “do not disturb” on your phone and computer. Surely if you explain you need four hours a day to concentrate on this “once in a hundred million lifetimes” opportunity, they ought to understand. It is not every day that such a thing happens. Okay, there was Marilyn Monroe, and all those A Star Is Born movies, but honestly, how often? If that doesn’t work…has your husband considered how hard it will be to practice his line of work in a man’s later years? It’s not like a football career, but it is way harder than sitting at a desk and writing until you have enough novels to live on royalties and continued sales that trickle in well after you’re dead.
In conclusion…(hard truth now) you need to believe in yourself and the value of your future enough to tell everyone to f**k off and let you do this. You’ve been there for them. Now it’s your turn.
Lorian — 12/28/22, 5:12 PM
Haha! Yes, my husband is kind enough to give me space if I tell him what I need. As far as quitting his job, he gets antsy with nothing to do. He schedules two weeks off every year to “rest”, then does things like erect fences, dig trenches in the yard with machines, and build pole barns (no kidding- that thing is half the size of our downstairs). We have no kids. So the answer is clear: Tell everyone to f**k off. I can do that.
Michael J. Sullivan — 12/28/22, 5:14 PM
You can make me the bad guy if you like. Tell them I am getting upset with your lack of dedication. Tears also make great weapons.
Lorian — 12/28/22, 5:15 PM
Tears may be lost on the dogs, but I’ll try.
I’ll just set an auto response on my phone that says “F**k off. I’m writing.”
Michael J. Sullivan — 12/28/22, 5:16 PM
Wow! I am impressed. That’s the spirit! You rock!
Michael J. Sullivan — 12/28/22, 5:18 PM
Also, try watching the Netflix show “Wednesday.” Imitate the main character (a novelist) and you’ll be fine.
Lorian — 12/28/22, 5:19 PM
I’ll put that on the list. We just finished a couple of shows and are looking for more.
Michael J. Sullivan — 12/28/22, 5:20 PM
Only saw the first episode, but so far I am impressed.
Lorian — 12/28/22, 5:22 PM
We started Doom Patrol last night. I had no idea what it was about and really enjoyed it.
I mean no idea prior to watching!
Michael J. Sullivan — 12/28/22, 5:26 PM
BTW, you are not alone. I am sort of working on a total of ten novels (I include your trilogy in that), and Robin keeps having me help her with shipping. I can’t refuse because she injured her arms (tendinitis, and a resulting frozen shoulder) and really can’t be lifting even light stuff. She also can’t back up a trailer. So hours vanish.
Doom Patrol? Never heard of it. Must investigate.
Lorian — 12/28/22, 5:28 PM
It’s a superhero thing that relies heavily on Marvelesque humor. It’s a DC thing, says husband. I know very little about comics but like the Marvel movies.
Michael J. Sullivan — 12/28/22, 5:29 PM
So you like being my Spider Man?
Lorian — 12/28/22, 5:30 PM
I never said anything about that movie clip, did I? It made me laugh.
It’s still paper clipped on the computer so I can watch it again.
Around this time, Lorian bought a new laptop capable of using Scrivener.
Michael J. Sullivan — 12/28/22, 5:59 PM
So, it’s likely you have no need for my desktop anymore now that you have that snazzy new laptop.
Lorian — 12/28/22, 8:33 PM
I’m still using the desktop for the primary computer. The laptop is for my unfinished books in Scrivener and for using on the go. Of course, right now I’m using it for everything because the desktop is in the “cold” room.
Lorian — 12/29/22, 10:13 AM
Day one of Project F**k Off is a partial success. Ignored a text from my friend’s realtor asking me how she liked the house we all toured. Why are you asking ME how she liked it? Ignored a request from someone else for my deviled egg recipe and assistance in figuring out how a dog food subscription service works. Accepted a request from my sister to edit her bio for her new website because she’s completely selfless in helping me by reading my writing. I thought it would be quick, but it took forever. Fail!
Michael J. Sullivan — 12/29/22, 7:40 PM
Okay. From sun up until noon. TURN ON “DO NOT DISTURB”. This way you will not be aware of the questions, and can honestly say…”What message? Oh that. Sorry, didn’t see it until after lunch. Why? Oh, well, I can’t seem to get anything done so for now on I’m turning my phone off until noon.” If this doesn’t work…unplug the phone, or turn it off, then disconnect your Internet router. This might sound drastic, but the alternative is to either shut down all power to your home, or leave your phone at home and go on a roadtrip to a remote island and use an Underwood typewriter or pen and paper to complete your novel.
Lorian — 12/29/22, 9:18 PM
From now on the Do Not Disturb will be set.
Michael J. Sullivan — 12/30/22, 6:54 PM
FYI, major executives at Audible Studios now know your name. They are very excited. No pressure. I will be looking at your outline soon.
Lorian — 12/30/22, 7:17 PM
Well, dang.
Hey all, Robin here. So just a few things.
Yes, Audible Studios is VERY interested in acquiring Out of the Ashes, and in just about a week May 12 – 14), I’m going up to New York so Audible Studios can wine, dine, and try to convince me to sell them the audio rights for this book. Given that Michael’s last audio deal (which was for Drumindor brought in $400,000), this could mean a pretty substantial payday for Lorian. But there is MUCH more I can (and will say) on both what to do with audio rights and how the revenue share of this book will be handled, but that’s for another post. But I’m bringing it up now, as it does emphasize Michael’s point about the amazing opportunity and what it could mean to Lorian’s life as a writer. When Michael’s first book debuted, we brought in the princely sum of $18.90. So, yeah, Lorian’s debut is, “I think” going to do a bit better than that.
Second, I hope Michael and Lorian don’t mind, but I changed the title of this post. Originally it was: The Outline: For Both a Novel and the Life of a Novelist. But since the majority of the outline for Out of the Ashes was chronicled in the last post, I thought it needed a new title – and it took all of 2 seconds to come up with what I made it.
Now, for those that don’t know, Michael and I are old – ancient really. We’ve been together since 1979 — likely longer than many of you all have been alive — and that was long before the Internet, so movies and television (just ABC, CBS, and NBC) is where we found our entertainment. Michael and I often communicate through quotes either from his book: query: “Are you sure?” response: “Pretty sure.” or from old television shows and movies. So, the title of this post is a variation on a famous quote from an old television show, and I’ll reveal which one in the next post. Guesses can be posed on the discord server – but no cheating: no use of the Internet or chatgpt. But even with those tools, this quote might be too obscure for anyone to find even with those aids.