I remember when I was a teenager, just having become a James Bond fan (from watching the movies), I had just heard that the movies were not the first creation of James Bond. A fellow by the name of Ian Fleming had created the character in a series of 12 novels and two books of collected short stories in the 1950s and 1960s. I later found out that Fleming had also written a very famous children's story called Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang. On top of all of this, he had also written a couple of non-fiction works. Needless to say, the author of James Bond apparently stayed very busy.
But at the time, I never realized just how busy.
The truth of the matter is that many people -- I used to count myself amongst these -- always think that the life of a novelist cannot be all that bad: being able to stay at home and create fun stories from his own mind, going to various book signings and meeting very many cool people (many of them, devoted fans of his work), being able to set your own hours and not have to work directly for anyone else other than himself, being able to just sit back and watch the money roll in, being able to travel to all sorts of cool places with your laptop computer, etc.
But having really focused on the completion of my 2018: An Uncivil War novel has truly opened my eyes to the endeavor: It is anything but easy; it is one of the most arduous tasks I've ever accepted in my entire life. Adding to this the fact that I've also been working a full-time job really complicates the whole process as well.
Here is the truth of the matter: First I spent a good part of my life being influenced by the topic at hand, which was not really work, but natural inspiration. The work did not come until I began to figure out how all of this inspiration and influence would translate into an intriguing story acted out by (hopefully) realistic characters. Next, I had to spend countless hours trying to put together the framework, a working outline of what my story would be -- not knowing that the plot would countlessly change as I began to tell my tale.
Next came the writing of the story. I could only go so far before I hit a wall, not knowing what I truly needed to know to make my story authentic. Thus came the very next difficult part of my endeavor: researching subject materials and scheduling and conducting interviews with people who could help me establish the much-needed authenticity. In a perfect world, it would only take one contact with each person. But as the story unfolds, I now realize that there were questions I should have asked originally, but never even realized would ever become an issue. I'm still daunted by the fact that I have to contact some of my interview sources again.
Then came the process of creating my own book cover. Some people hire this out. But either way, it takes time and sometimes money. Then came the research it took to figure out the best way to present my novel. At first, I was only going to publish it on Amazon Kindle. But my wife and I figured my novel would be worthy of being published in printed form.
Next, I had to find creative ways to start getting the word out about my novel, ways that I hope have been very exciting to my friends, family members, and complete strangers whom I have told about my novel.
And then came one of the biggest bears to fight in the whole process: countless, upon countless revisions. Thankfully, my aunt is helping me with this task. But the extra set of eyes for which I am truly thankful does create more work and additional revisions of the text.
Finally, I have not even figured out how much work is going to be involved in successfully uploading my novel to Kindle, since this is my first flight in being a novelist. And I am not entirely sure what to expect from AuthorHouse Publishing, who will bring my novel into a tangible printed form. And it took a major investment in order for them to commit to this. I will be pleasantly surprised if my novel sellswell enough to give me back the investment alone, much less any profit off of it.
In short, if being a writer is glamorous, I have yet to see it. All I have seen thus far is a daunting amount of work. Though I am not complaining! I really enjoy the work. But I just thought it would be very interesting to share with you guys the overwhelming amount of planning and implementation involved in publishing a novel. Hopefully, 2018 will be a bestseller, and I will finally be able to enjoy some glamor for a change. But who the heck knows?
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Sunday, May 26, 2013
When Hazard Becomes Opportunity
Nothing is more annoying than when you intentionally choose not to save a file, yet Microsoft Word saves the file anyway. In this particular case, I lost four days of work on my novel. I write my novel from two different computers: my home desktop and my mobile laptop.
As I have been running crazily behind deadline, I have been pulling all the stops to write wherever and whenever I can. I have been writing while working at my temporary job, which gives me plenty of leeway and downtime to do so. And I have also been writing at home, even though I am really tired after a long day of work having pushed several veterans to different locations of a wide, expansive hospital.
So imagine my dismay at having lost four days of work in spite of intentionally taking steps to not do so.
About four days ago, I had finished updating my novel to that particular point. However, I have always left the file open on my desktop as a constant reminder that I need to be proactive in working diligently toward my July 4 self-imposed, yet tentative deadline. All work was saved on a USB memory stick that I constantly switch between my desktop and laptop as I flexibly work from both computers.
But I actually had worked on my novel this past Thursday and Friday (today is Sunday) utilizing my laptop PC. I had saved the work after both writing sessions were completed. Then yesterday I went to the House of Java, my favorite coffeehouse, to complete a key romantic scene between two of my main characters. Again, I saved my file before coming home.
Then when I got home, I went ahead and prepared to bring the file back up on my desktop, which still had the previously saved data up on the screen. Naturally, I closed out the file without saving. I even observed to see if it was going to ask me whether or not I wanted to save, and it didn't. Next, I opened the file (which should have been the up-to-date data). To my horror, I realized that Bill Gates' amazing Office program somehow saved the old data over the new, hereby setting me back three days toward the completion of my novel.
I was LIVID! I did everything I could to see if there was a way that I could retrieve the old data. And apparently there was nothing I could do. I even wasted time trying to chat with Microsoft tech support (which ended up being about as useful as tits on a bull).
So here I sit, attempting to psych myself up to reapproach my novel. I understand that the most successful people somehow manage to turn catastrophe into opportunity. And this proactive nature is something I need to adopt for myself. So instead of looking at this as time lost and effort wasted, I will instead look at this as an opportunity to rewrite what I have already written in a better and even more edgy fashion! Here's to opportunity!
As I have been running crazily behind deadline, I have been pulling all the stops to write wherever and whenever I can. I have been writing while working at my temporary job, which gives me plenty of leeway and downtime to do so. And I have also been writing at home, even though I am really tired after a long day of work having pushed several veterans to different locations of a wide, expansive hospital.
So imagine my dismay at having lost four days of work in spite of intentionally taking steps to not do so.
About four days ago, I had finished updating my novel to that particular point. However, I have always left the file open on my desktop as a constant reminder that I need to be proactive in working diligently toward my July 4 self-imposed, yet tentative deadline. All work was saved on a USB memory stick that I constantly switch between my desktop and laptop as I flexibly work from both computers.
But I actually had worked on my novel this past Thursday and Friday (today is Sunday) utilizing my laptop PC. I had saved the work after both writing sessions were completed. Then yesterday I went to the House of Java, my favorite coffeehouse, to complete a key romantic scene between two of my main characters. Again, I saved my file before coming home.
Then when I got home, I went ahead and prepared to bring the file back up on my desktop, which still had the previously saved data up on the screen. Naturally, I closed out the file without saving. I even observed to see if it was going to ask me whether or not I wanted to save, and it didn't. Next, I opened the file (which should have been the up-to-date data). To my horror, I realized that Bill Gates' amazing Office program somehow saved the old data over the new, hereby setting me back three days toward the completion of my novel.
I was LIVID! I did everything I could to see if there was a way that I could retrieve the old data. And apparently there was nothing I could do. I even wasted time trying to chat with Microsoft tech support (which ended up being about as useful as tits on a bull).
So here I sit, attempting to psych myself up to reapproach my novel. I understand that the most successful people somehow manage to turn catastrophe into opportunity. And this proactive nature is something I need to adopt for myself. So instead of looking at this as time lost and effort wasted, I will instead look at this as an opportunity to rewrite what I have already written in a better and even more edgy fashion! Here's to opportunity!
Saturday, May 18, 2013
...About Bad Language
I am very blessed to have my Aunt Brenda Morgan acting as editor on my novel, 2018: An Uncivil War. She has always been a favorite aunt of mine and has always helped to keep me on a good and moral path, even as a hyperactive child that many went so far as to even call me a Hellion. Luckily for me, she was never one who stooped to such name calling. She is now one of the most upstanding Christians I've ever known.
As my editor, she has already read the entire first part of my novel and penned in corrections. Now she is ready to tackle the second part, which I am still heavily revising on my own, first. However, she did express one major concern in my first part: the bad language therein. And I expect to see many alternatives to some choice cusswords I have included in the text.
The strange thing about my work is that it is ALMOST like a Christian fiction novel, but with flaws. I consider myself a Christian, but I also have flaws. Any other person out there claiming to be a Christian without flaws is either deluded or lying (hopefully the former!). Even though there are people cussing in my novel, there are also people who are worshipping and praying.
My novel is meant to be ultrarealistic. The bottom line is that war is a messy subject. When people are dying all around you, the last words out of your mouth will be "heck", "darn", and "shoot" (unless you are talking about a tactical command, of course!). This is not Harry Potter, this is more like Tom Clancy and James Bond.
In editing my novel, I am trying to eliminate cusswords wherever possible...but only under realistic parameters. So to those of my Christian friends and family, I value your support more than ever. But please know that my story is not one about flowing rivers and expansive fields underneath a beautiful sun. It is more of a story about betrayal of the government, abuse of power, and fiery landscapes. I will try to tone the cussing down as much as possible, but not at the expense of telling a true-to-life story.
So to those who are offended by bad language, please accept my most sincere apologies up front. If you choose not to purchase this novel, I do not judge and persecute you. I actually understand and respect your decision. God bless all of you!
As my editor, she has already read the entire first part of my novel and penned in corrections. Now she is ready to tackle the second part, which I am still heavily revising on my own, first. However, she did express one major concern in my first part: the bad language therein. And I expect to see many alternatives to some choice cusswords I have included in the text.
The strange thing about my work is that it is ALMOST like a Christian fiction novel, but with flaws. I consider myself a Christian, but I also have flaws. Any other person out there claiming to be a Christian without flaws is either deluded or lying (hopefully the former!). Even though there are people cussing in my novel, there are also people who are worshipping and praying.
My novel is meant to be ultrarealistic. The bottom line is that war is a messy subject. When people are dying all around you, the last words out of your mouth will be "heck", "darn", and "shoot" (unless you are talking about a tactical command, of course!). This is not Harry Potter, this is more like Tom Clancy and James Bond.
In editing my novel, I am trying to eliminate cusswords wherever possible...but only under realistic parameters. So to those of my Christian friends and family, I value your support more than ever. But please know that my story is not one about flowing rivers and expansive fields underneath a beautiful sun. It is more of a story about betrayal of the government, abuse of power, and fiery landscapes. I will try to tone the cussing down as much as possible, but not at the expense of telling a true-to-life story.
So to those who are offended by bad language, please accept my most sincere apologies up front. If you choose not to purchase this novel, I do not judge and persecute you. I actually understand and respect your decision. God bless all of you!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Novel Progress, Physical Regress
I have been hard at work on my novel for the past five months and have already completed 18 chapters. Not bad considering that I work full-time (though the job is only temporary), have recently moved in the past month, and have sometimes battled fatigue in order to force myself to sit in front of my laptop and start typing even though I would have rather been in bed napping.
Unfortunately, I had to make some very valuable sacrifices:
Luckily, my wife and daughter have been somewhat supportive about my novel. They could certainly be a lot worse about it. So I am very fortunate in that regard. :)
The second sacrifice is the one I am most worried about right now. My weight has gone up from 240 pounds to 260, ever since I started writing 2018: An Uncivil War. And I feel easily winded while pushing veterans around in wheelchairs in my job as volunteer at the VA. Maybe I should call my novel: "20 Pounds Later: An Uncivil War". :(
An old friend of a Marine officer I once served under used to be a fairly popular writer in his own right. His name was Asa Baber. Some of you out there may know him as the former editor of the Playboy Men's column. I once read an article by him that mentioned the importance of working out regularly. He stated that his mind was always so clear and that he literally wrote better when he'd had a good workout the morning prior. I hate to say that I have let him down. He passed away several years ago. And it broke my heart.
I actually arranged for him to be a guest speaker at the Defense Information School. I wish that I could have been there to see him give his speech. But my class had graduated months before. The funny thing is that his appearance at the famed school of military photojournalism caused quite a controversial stir! Women government employees and officers alike picketed his arrival, I heard. But in spite of the controversy, Asa was a great guy! I'll never forget him.
So as a wrap to this blog entry, never let writers tell you that writing is easy. Time is a commodity that writers always have to manage well in order to keep their lives in good balance. Maybe this is why there is a lot of single writers out there. But I don't expect to be one anytime soon. :o
Unfortunately, I had to make some very valuable sacrifices:
- Time with my family
- Time away from exercise
Luckily, my wife and daughter have been somewhat supportive about my novel. They could certainly be a lot worse about it. So I am very fortunate in that regard. :)
The second sacrifice is the one I am most worried about right now. My weight has gone up from 240 pounds to 260, ever since I started writing 2018: An Uncivil War. And I feel easily winded while pushing veterans around in wheelchairs in my job as volunteer at the VA. Maybe I should call my novel: "20 Pounds Later: An Uncivil War". :(
An old friend of a Marine officer I once served under used to be a fairly popular writer in his own right. His name was Asa Baber. Some of you out there may know him as the former editor of the Playboy Men's column. I once read an article by him that mentioned the importance of working out regularly. He stated that his mind was always so clear and that he literally wrote better when he'd had a good workout the morning prior. I hate to say that I have let him down. He passed away several years ago. And it broke my heart.
I actually arranged for him to be a guest speaker at the Defense Information School. I wish that I could have been there to see him give his speech. But my class had graduated months before. The funny thing is that his appearance at the famed school of military photojournalism caused quite a controversial stir! Women government employees and officers alike picketed his arrival, I heard. But in spite of the controversy, Asa was a great guy! I'll never forget him.
So as a wrap to this blog entry, never let writers tell you that writing is easy. Time is a commodity that writers always have to manage well in order to keep their lives in good balance. Maybe this is why there is a lot of single writers out there. But I don't expect to be one anytime soon. :o
Sunday, May 12, 2013
The Horror of Writing a Near-Future Thriller
Many who have found out about the general concept of my novel have all asked me the same question: "Do you feel that this could really happen?". My answer to them: Anything is possible.
If you would have asked a Southerner in 1855: "Do you think that slavery will ever be abolished?", many would probably have answered: "No way in hell!". Yet there were probably some who took the time to imagine different scenarios, much the way that I have done, and realized that anything WAS possible. And when it finally came to pass, they probably loved the fact that they had been right all along (depending upon how they essentially felt about slavery).
Is it possible that our government would repeal the 2nd Amendment? Most likely not. I think they KNOW that they would have a Civil War on their hands if they were ever to do so. However, given good reason (as I have included in my novel), I feel that it wouldn't be a far stretch of the imagination to see something like this happen. The government, after all, sometimes has to answer to how this terrorism (domestic and abroad) happened on their watch. It would not be too unlikely for them to repeal the 2nd Amendment in response to a big enough terrorism event, in which hundreds or maybe even thousands of American lives would be lost.
The whole goal of my story in 2018: An Uncivil War is to share a glimpse of what I feel America would possibly look like if the government took away our right to bear arms. Some of you may have a different idea of what it would be like. And I completely respect that. But I have researched history as well as talked to key people in key positions of government in order to come up with my own personal idea of American chaos, which I proudly plan to publish on Kindle this Summer (maybe even as soon as July 4th!).
However, I am truly horrified by what I have discovered about how such an event would affect all of us. And you may be too after you get a chance to engage upon reading my story. God bless all of you. And join me in praying that our government will lead us the way they were meant to, in a highly Constitutional manner.
If you would have asked a Southerner in 1855: "Do you think that slavery will ever be abolished?", many would probably have answered: "No way in hell!". Yet there were probably some who took the time to imagine different scenarios, much the way that I have done, and realized that anything WAS possible. And when it finally came to pass, they probably loved the fact that they had been right all along (depending upon how they essentially felt about slavery).
Is it possible that our government would repeal the 2nd Amendment? Most likely not. I think they KNOW that they would have a Civil War on their hands if they were ever to do so. However, given good reason (as I have included in my novel), I feel that it wouldn't be a far stretch of the imagination to see something like this happen. The government, after all, sometimes has to answer to how this terrorism (domestic and abroad) happened on their watch. It would not be too unlikely for them to repeal the 2nd Amendment in response to a big enough terrorism event, in which hundreds or maybe even thousands of American lives would be lost.
The whole goal of my story in 2018: An Uncivil War is to share a glimpse of what I feel America would possibly look like if the government took away our right to bear arms. Some of you may have a different idea of what it would be like. And I completely respect that. But I have researched history as well as talked to key people in key positions of government in order to come up with my own personal idea of American chaos, which I proudly plan to publish on Kindle this Summer (maybe even as soon as July 4th!).
However, I am truly horrified by what I have discovered about how such an event would affect all of us. And you may be too after you get a chance to engage upon reading my story. God bless all of you. And join me in praying that our government will lead us the way they were meant to, in a highly Constitutional manner.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Is the U.S. Government REALLY hoarding weapons and ammunition?
One would probably have to be living underneath a rock to have not yet heard the rumor about the government hoarding weapons and ammunition so that it is no longer accessible to the general public. The supposed reasons for all of this hoarding vary according to whichever rumor you are hearing about. One rumor says that the government is arming soldiers to prepare for a situation where martial law will be declared in various cities.
A few weeks ago, I ordered some ammunition from Ammo.net and took the time to chat with one of their salespersons. I asked them if there was any truth to this rumor, and they informed me that there was no substance whatsoever. "More people are buying more guns and ammunition," the sales professional told me.
Backing up what he said, I just read an online article that states just as much: http://news.yahoo.com/case-against-rumors-government-ammo-stockpiling-charts-184539661.html
According to the article, the recent mass shootings, which have been occurring in various locations within our country, have sparked a demand for people to begin arming and protecting themselves (or quite possibly preparing for their own Fruit-Loop-inspired mass terrorism attacks).
However, I am curious as to what you guys think. Please feel to state your comments below.
A few weeks ago, I ordered some ammunition from Ammo.net and took the time to chat with one of their salespersons. I asked them if there was any truth to this rumor, and they informed me that there was no substance whatsoever. "More people are buying more guns and ammunition," the sales professional told me.
Backing up what he said, I just read an online article that states just as much: http://news.yahoo.com/case-against-rumors-government-ammo-stockpiling-charts-184539661.html
According to the article, the recent mass shootings, which have been occurring in various locations within our country, have sparked a demand for people to begin arming and protecting themselves (or quite possibly preparing for their own Fruit-Loop-inspired mass terrorism attacks).
However, I am curious as to what you guys think. Please feel to state your comments below.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
2018: An Uncivil War
With the families of hundreds of dead victims demanding answers, Congress decides to repeal the 2nd Amendment -- our country's proud right to bear arms. Naturally, many in the United States do not accept it. Furthermore, some decide that our government no longer has the right to call itself such. And even worse, many decide to rise up and take arms against tyranny for the first time since the American Revolution.
Within all this chaos and turmoil, two best friends who feel quite differently about gun control do their best to maintain their friendship and hold everything together while trying to do their own parts to make a difference to their different causes.
2018: An Uncivil War will be released this Summer on Amazon Kindle, and this Fall in print via AuthorHouse Publishing. I hope you will honor this excellent story with a place on your physical or digital bookshelves! God bless you, and God bless America!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Who is Phil Sanderson?
I am a former Marine Corps photojournalist who took a long break from my writing. Throughout the years, I have dabbled with fiction. But only recently have I decided to get serious about it and attempt a go of becoming a (hopefully) bestselling author!My mother, my wife, my aunt, and various others are supporting me in this exciting endeavor as I write my very first full-length novel: 2018: An Uncivil War. I plan to release the novel on Amazon Kindle by Summer 2013, preferably by July 4, if at all possible. And I also plan to publish the printed book under AuthorHouse by (hopefully) September 2013.
I have started this blog in an effort to keep everyone posted as to my progress in completion of this project which is most dear to my heart! From time to time, I may even feature certain subjects pertinent to the material I will be writing about. If you have any questions whatsoever, please feel free to drop me a line or two! ;)
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