I grew up with the notion that the novelist was a solitary sort,
tucked away in a drafty garret, composing literature for yes, a decade or more. Then, through a process never very clearly explained, this solitary creature would be FOUND. A great editor would become friendly; publication would follow. And another iteration of the Great American Novel would be visited upon an adoring public.
Right …
The other day, I was looking for an article on podcasting. I found the article, but it was slow to load, waiting for <<pop>> a window exhorting me to publish NOW. For a mere $4,000, I could have that great editor…and publicity…and reviews. NOW. I closed the window.
DInner was near, and I was to be the cook. What temperature to use for roasting vegetables? Sure enough, Google provided several options. And the first one said…hmmm, loading slowly…<pop> Publish your work NOW. Different unusually discriminating small publisher. For only …
Maybe that garret was a better way.
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Author: John Rogers
I have thought of myself as a writer for most of my adult life. In 2011, I became a fiction writer full time. I studied creative writing as an English major in college. Then came family and career. I worked in finance and biotech and did a wonderful stint in Vienna. Now, I have the opportunity to use those experiences as the substrate for my stories. My first novel takes on the world of Big Data and the very timely issue of cyber war. The second uses the manipulation of financial derivatives as impetus for attempted murder during a trip from Vienna to Budapest on the Danube.
I have taken writing instruction at the Cape Cod Writers Conference and from The Loft in Minneapolis. I am finding writers’ groups to be very helpful as concept editors, as well as practical advice from the published authors. I am in three such groups. I have taken writing instruction at the Cape Cod Writers Conference and from The Loft in Minneapolis.
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