To Be a Writer

This may seem (and sound) strange, but it struck me the other night...I mean, it hit me. It became clear, that I am now an author. I mean, I wrote a book. It was "picked up" by an established publisher, and it was published. It is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and I actually have a publicist working to market it.

OK, I said it may sound strange, especially in the light of the fact that I had already written a book with two coworkers a couple of years (almost to the day) earlier. That was a good book. A very good book. I read it over again from time to time, and I really like the writing. We (Don, Mike, and I) made a really good team.

But, well, the latest work (that's what the publisher's call a book) was done solo. Not that I didn't have a lot of help. My brother, Mac, Danita, Leah, Marin, Don, and Michael all helped. As did my daughter. But, I wrote it on my own. It's my book. Wow. I actually am a published author.

So I updated my LinkedIN profile. I added "author." I also updated my resume - not just listing the books under "publications" but I also added the job title of "author."

I look back and realize I'm not sure how I actually got it done. How did I manage the time?

So, now the next question is..."what's next?" I want to write another book...this time a novel. I also want to "get back" to my artwork. My daughter continues to impress and inspire me with her artwork. I want to get my hands back into it. So, I found old artwork, 35mm slides I had taken of my portfolio when I was younger than my daughter...and found the piece I was telling her about on the way home. I had remembered the prose I had added to the unoriginal art I had "created" - the prose I still remembered to this day.

That (the fact that I remembered it) may not seem strange or even interesting...but if you know of my poor memory you would understand why I am impressed that after all of these years, the passage I wrote has stayed with me. What you might not find at all surprising (even if you do know me) is that I remembered it incorrectly.

I was only a little disappointed that I didn't remember it correctly. I say that because I like the incorrect version better than the original. I credit that to my years of experience and improved writing ability. So, my new focus is now on accomplishing one of two things...a series of artwork I have been "planning" for over then years OR a novel. I can rework, rewrite, market, or self-publish the Time Warp King OR I can start (restart) working on my art series.

Or, I can do both.

P.S. I think it unfair that I don't share my prose which I referred to...although I'd really like to share the art also (but it being on a 35mm slide - and my lacking the equipment to scan it to my computer - makes that impossible at this moment).

"And on that day, Man, himself, submerged beneath the waters of his sins, held above the deadly tide, the answers t the world."