Everything Has to Have a Beginning

Hmm. but how?

I guess with a short introduction. My name is Jim Drew and I've been writing as a hobby since I was in early elementary school and have always wanted to write. At that young age, I had no idea if people could make a career writing, since I barely understood the idea of a career. I guess as far as I got was imagining that being paid to write was a good thing, like Edgar Allen Poe or Stephen King or Mark Twain or all the others I loved to read. I spend money on books, so I assumed at least a good portion went back to the authors. And I spent a lot of money on books. I was one of those kids who'd order so much from the Scholastic Book Club in school that teachers or whoever handled these books would have to borrow a box to put my collection of paperbacks inside, with a big rubber band holding it together. I knew how to spend money on books and I spent hours inside the worlds these authors created. How wonderful to be able to do it myself!

As it turns out, I've been at it now for a while now. I've written plays, screenplays, short stories and novels. I've been paid $500 in toto so far to do a draft of a screenplay for a couple of friends. Like most screenplays, they mostly die, forgotten and alone except on the screenwriter's computer or on a pile with others until dumped with the other paper trash. Such ignoble ends!

Now, I did have two short screenplays made into short films, so that's something! If you're curious, they're on IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0487272/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Neither would've happened without the support of my good friend and occasional partner, Rick Fisher. The process was great fun and taught me a lot along the way.

So now, here I am, working on a novel and I thought it might be interesting, after working on it so far for over a year and a half, to provide a glimpse into the journey and see where it goes. My current novel is called Sojourners (for the moment, at least) and is an epic SF novel. Those of you who've patiently read so far have probably just broken into two camps - those who read SF (maybe now a little more interested), and those who don't (who I suspect may want to give up this blog right now.) But wait!

Here is my goal: I want to write about the process of writing, critiquing, editing, maybe even publishing, so some of you would-be authors (not writers - see below) can glean what I'm learning as I'm learning it. Hopefully, this should apply regardless of genre. This isn't about creating a How-To - though I'm sure I'll pontificate on various subjects on occasion - but rather to get a sense of one-man's journey off the familiar shores and into a much more frightening gulf, rife with possibilities.

So, that's a beginning, isn't it?

P.S. Writers vs. Authors

If you've ever written solely for your own enjoyment, whether fiction or non-fiction, you are a writer.

If you want to publish what you write, you are a would-be author.

If you get published, you're an author.

If they pay you to publish your work, you're a fortunate author.

If you can make a career being an author, you are blessed by God and the Muses.

This blog is for would-be authors wanting to become published authors. If you're a writer who sees no interest in being an author and dare ask me this question:"Why do you care if they publish your work? Why can't you be happy writing only for yourself?"

My answer: You're either lazy or a Zen Master (and no, you can't be both!)

So if you're that person, move on. You have to be hungry to be an author, probably arrogant, likely uncertain, certainly crazy, deluded, have to find a soapbox or desperate to leave your imprint on the world (and yes, you can be a combination of these traits!) If this describes you, then come join me on this journey. We were meant to sail together in our dinky dengue as we head out into the waves. Let's get wet together! (Ugh, that wasn't intended to sound sexual... Stop being a perv!)