Well, I still don't have any news to report about my novels. 65 rejections seem like a lot, but when other authors tell me about their journeys to traditional publishing, some of them receiving hundreds (yes, plural) of rejections, my plight doesn't seem so bad. So I trudge on. Meanwhile, I have 7 short stories out to publishers and contests. Hopefully I'll have good news to share about those,soon. I'm also embarking on a new adventure.

Several of my buddies in the music industry have suggested that I take up songwriting. They say I'll be a natural at it. I don't know about that, but I'm finally giving it a try. In two days I will attend a workshop hosted by an award-winning songwriter from Nashville. It sounds fun, and a little intimidating. But hey, if I can persevere against publishing agents and editors I can handle this. Even though I'm as green as anyone can be in this field. And I'm sure I'll be surrounded by accomplished professionals. So there will be a wealth of information to absorb. That's a good thing.

Who knows? This workshop may lead to some worthwhile connections. And may be the beginning of a hit song or two.

The one thing all writers share, in spite of creed or experience, is rejection. There is not a writer yet who has not been turned down, sometimes with prejudice, unless that person has failed to submit their work. Let's face it, being turned down hurts. And it's okay to feel bad about it. Why feel good about not succeeding? But don't let it stop you. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again. And again. And again...

One very important lesson I've learned about rejection is that it allows me to review that particular manuscript with a keener editorial eye. It give me the opportunity to make it better. Because, come on, how many of us are perfect? The first time. And for writers, the second, third, fourth and tenth times. But eventually we get it right.

Even when our stories seem just right to us, editors may not see it that way. That's okay. They're entitled to their opinions. The next one may be more like you and love it as much as you do. The only way to know is to keep trying. Submit, submit, submit.

Through a fellow member of the Chattanooga Writers' Guild I just discovered a great website. It lists contests, many of them free to enter. Categories include poetry, non-fiction and fiction. Need a boost to your resume or a boost to your confidence? Winning one of these contests will do it. I encourage you to check it out. The name of the site is Cathy's Calls and Comps.

Good luck!

While taking some time off for the holidays, winter quarters, if you will, I spent some time reading "The Glorious Cause" by Jeff Shaara. Mr. Shaara is my favorite historical fiction writer, my favorite writer period, by the way. In this particular novel, he writes about the Revolutionary War and the idea that was America. It is fascinating, and terrifying, to be taken inside the battles, both on the fields and in the camps of the soldiers. The winter of 1777/1778 was perilous. The Colonials defeated the British in New Jersey at Trenton and Princeton, then somehow survived the brutal elements of a raw winter with scant clothing and rations. But survive they did!

When spring arrived, General George Washington marveled at the morale of the troops, strong men who were now energized by a Prussian and a Frenchman to become more than a mob of fighters. They were molded into an army that knew it could face up to the British on any field, any time. They were now soldiers. It was the struggle and the endurance that gave them confidence. They knew they would defeat their foes.

That same kind of thinking applies to me, too. Dealing with heart disease, setbacks and monumental struggles has tested my endurance. But I have survived, and now as the new year begins, I look forward to the challenges of finding an agent and having my novels traditionally published. I've worked hard, writing short stories and beginning other projects, learning from experienced authors, so that now I am more than just another writer. I am an author, and hopefully many people will soon find that out - and love my work.

Happy New Year.

It has been said (and written) that the art of writing is in the re-writing. Well, that being the case, I'm an established artist. I have written more this past year than I have ever written before. Now that doesn't mean that I have made it in the writing industry; who really does - save for those super successful mega-selling few. But I have certainly grown as an author.

This has been a tough year of rejections. From literary agents to magazines to newspapers. If I concentrate only on the negative, it's been pathetic. BUT...the year has not been a total disaster. I have had some articles published, and I won my first award as a writer. The award certainly helped my confidence level, as it confirmed what I firmly believe: I am a good writer. It was also great to see a copy of my front-page article being held by a fan at a Sweet Tea Trio concert. The girls themselves told me they loved the piece I did on them, calling me very talented.

Just when I think I'll quit writing forever, some nugget of good will surface. So I keep at it, all the while reading and writing - and getting better. My first novel is on hold. It will probably remain on the shelf for a while because that genre (Civil War) is not currently selling. So, my next novel is ready to submit to agents, and that will be a primary focus in the coming weeks. I've also completed several short stories that I'm excited about, and those are being edited and submitted as well.

While researching, I've come across some tips that my writer buddies probably already know, but might find helpful. If you write suspense, here are some things you need to consider: 1) Include hints about worrisome things - for the main character and therefore your readers 2) Incorporate callbacks for these things 3) Have the payoff be unexpected: revenge/action/consequence of abuse.

For novels, ask yourself these questions: 1) What is the story really about? 2) Who does the book help? 3) What lesson do I want readers to take away from the book? 4) What transformation does your information provide for people?

Writing is so much more than simply sitting down and doing it. There are a lot things to consider. But like anything else, the more it's done the easier it gets and the better one becomes at doing it. Here's hoping all of the hard work of 2016 pays off in 2017.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Inspiration can come from lots of different sources. For me, and I would suppose many writers, people watching is one of the best ways to gather information for character descriptions, both external and internal. And this comes from being in any public place.

For instance, I recently needed a line, just one line, for a query letter that best described what my main characters were feeling. It is their "A-ha" moment. I was struggling with it until I saw someone run through a park during a festival. The girl was with one friend, left that friend, ran back to someone who called to her and began to talk to them. She waved the first friend away, but the girl stayed put and waited on the friend who had left her to return. That simple act was what I needed to see. My character had left his wife to fight in a war, came home broken inside and was distant, even abusive. To the wife's credit, she didn't run away, even though her husband was basically waving her away. She waited for him to want to return to her.

Presto! Problem solved.

I also went to a concert to see some friends perform. Since I've seen them several times, I know their set list about as well as they do. I know they saw me in the audience (we made eye contact and smiled), and so they may have noticed that I did not pay strict attention to them during their show. I was looking to the right and left, making mental notes about the physical appearances of men, women and children in the audience. How they walked, talked, and reacted to certain songs and comments. Describing these traits will come in handy later in future stories. In fact, I wore a T-shirt that read: "Be careful or you will end up in my novel". After the concert, while talking to my friends, they laughed at the shirt and said they were going to make up shirts that read: "Be careful or you will end up in my song".

So watch out. You've been warned.

Writing is a solitary job. The writing. But once you're ready to submit your work, it's a very good idea to have others listen to it, read it and critique it. A writers group can be a big help, and here are some of the ways they do it.

1) Just when you think you are the greatest author ever, they let you know that you are not.
2) Just when you think you are not a good writer at all, they let you that you are.
3) In other words, they keep you grounded.
4) They are great content editors.
5) They are great line editors.
6) They are great sources of information.
7) They are a pillar of support, and they expect the same from you.
8) They can be your best literary friends.

These are just a few examples. What others can you list? 

I've always enjoyed going to the library. When I was small, my mom enrolled me in the summer reading program at the downtown library. It was fun checking out different books and then telling the librarian about them we I checked them back in. Of course, back then, I'd choose thin books, sports biographies and history stories, things that still interest me today. I've always liked to read, but I had no idea then that I would grow up to be an author. I thought I'd end up in the broadcast booth, a play-by-play man or analyst.

But fast forward a few decades and I'm convinced that being an author is my true calling. It's a play-by-play man of a different sort. And my stories are much longer than those few thousand word books I used to read. But they are on the shelves of libraries, and it's always exciting to hear librarians telling me they are being checked out regularly.

Today, I experienced an even bigger thrill. I went to the library on the campus of Northeast Alabama Community College with my mom to view a collection of Civil War artifacts that were housed in the reference room. I've said many times that history and haunts go hand in hand, and my ghost story collection, Hollers from the Hollows, is not only included in this special collection, it was being used for research by patrons working on a project. Research! My book!

Now that's rewarding.

The other day an acquaintance I had not been in contact with in quite some asked me if I had time to read, or was I just writing all of the time. Well, as any self-respecting author should know, if we have time to write, we have time to read. So, "yes", I responded, and then I went on to list the books I'm currently reading. There are four, to be exact. They are all for pleasure, but two are also for research on one novel, while a third is for research on another novel - yes, I'm writing two at the same time. One is completed enough to garner an additional read by an agent, while the other is in its second edit and is now up over 80,000 words in length. I am convinced that reading helps me improve as much as a writer as writing does. The more of both that I do, the better I become.

My favorite authors right now are Jeff Shaara, Liz Vaccariello and Karen Abbott. They are all great storytellers that hook me right away and keep me engrossed in the plot all the way to the end of the book or article. While I'm not specifically studying their use of plot points, character relationships and development, dialogue and story structure, by reading their multiple works I'm absorbing their work; learning by being entertained. That, to me, is what makes them wonderful teachers. It's easy and fun to learn and grow.

Just as history is better absorbed when told in the form of stories, so, too, is learning how to be a professional writer. Bland lectures and tutorials, while very helpful, can be overwhelming and boring. Dealing with agents and editors can be downright scary. But sitting by myself, engrossed in a story that transports me to a different place while also teaching me something about the craft I've decided to pursue, is magic.

Oh, Happy Independence Day! 

Me!! That's right. This has been a great week for me as I not only had two articles published by two newspapers, but I also won my first award for writing.

My short story "The Ballpark in my Backyard" took third place in the Chattanooga Writers' Guild Spring Writing Contest in the creative non-fiction category. I'm really excited because it's my first award, and because it's from such a prestigious organization. Some of the winners in the other categories of fiction and poetry were from as far away as New York and California. So to be included in that list with those great writers is truly an honor. All of the winning stories will soon be published on the Guild's website, chattanoogawritersguild.org, and will also be included in a paperback anthology to be available later this year.

And . . . I finally heard some very positive news from an agent in New York City. She asked to see a partial manuscript of my Civil War drama "Burning Cotton". The title used to be "Strength and Survival", but in tweaking the story I decided that the new title was a better fit. The new opening scenes are also much more dramatic, and since she responded to the old title and another version of the manuscript we shall see how she likes the new pages. Fingers crossed that she asks for the complete story. If not, well, I've sent out more queries and there's always the possibility that someone else will also be impressed. 

In the meantime, I'm enjoying being able to describe myself as an award-winning author. 

We've all heard the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade". Yeah, yeah. Easier said than done, and very cliche, which is something writers avoid. Still, the thinking is sound. Lately I've been a little on edge. Rejections from agents, even though they are personal, kind and very complimentary of my work, are still rejections. Publishing insiders tell me that a personal reply is striking gold. Using my own baseball analogy, it's like popping a ball straight up at the plate instead of driving it out of the ballpark. The hitter just missed something special.Close, but not quite.

The other day, while editing the query for the umpteenth time, I got very frustrated while trying to condense the essence of the book into one paragraph. Try doing that for a 100,000-word novel and see how you feel. Anyway, I slammed down a paperback reference book into a plastic lawn chair and the darn book went right through it. I didn't think that was possible. But, it served as a stress reliever, though the chair was an unfortunate casualty. And then the magic words came to me!

Also, after one very successful festival with lots of book sales, the next two were duds. I was just mad after the first one, but this weekend I took a different line of thinking. I met some fascinating people which may lead to some very important contacts. One was a gentleman who said he admired writers because his daughter is also a writer. I looked her up, and turns out, she's an award-winning writer. Another lady I met today is on a library board and wondered if I would be interested in speaking to them. So, I made some possible business advances. To top it off, I received an email from my favorite author wishing me good luck in my quest for a traditional publishing contract, and I found out that some of my tweets were liked by two Major League Baseball Network analysts, and one of those tweets was retweeted by a former big league ballplayer. Nice!

The thing about lemonade, it tastes best when the person drinking it has been in a little discomfort.