Out with the Old and In with the New

The end of one year and the coming of the next are an exciting time - wedged in between Holidays, stuffed like pigs in a blanket.  It is a time of reflection, but more importantly, forward thinking. 

Thankfully, some years end better than others, as was this year of 2010.  Keeping in mind that there are years that are tinged by tragedy, when reflection is not so easy and the prospect of any future is difficult to fathom.  So, it is nice to have a chance to reflect positively on what has transpired over the past 365.

It has been a year of transition, much like that of  many others.  I once thought myself the next Jack Nicholson, chasing my dream as an actor out in LA.  While that time was filled with great experiences, I gradually lost interest in the process.

Moving back East I set out on a journey to transfer my passion for performance into that of screenwriting.  And I count myself fortunate, because in doing so I found that the creative hole between gigs was easier to fill by moving from one script to the next within a matter of hours to days as opposed to the weeks and months with acting.

For the next ten years I slipped back into the "normal" world, all the while honing my skills as a screenwriter.  It's amazing how similar the creative processes are if you allow yourself to become fully immersed.  The creative juices are there, and, unfortunately, so are some problems.

The problem with screenwriting these days is that there isn't that much being made that hasn't already been made.  Remakes, while sometimes good, are a cork in the creative flow of the now.  No zeitgeist can run free among the world if we're stuck in the past. Hey, maybe that is where we are. So be it.  But as much as I like movies, I have no intention of writing what someone else has already made.  I'm sorry, I can't stand it.  No creative juices.  No Thanks.

That is why I began the transition to writing short stories and novels a few years ago.  This year I made the leap; it was the first year in ten years that I did not write a screenplay.  This particular transition was completed when I finished the first draft of my first novel in November. For that I am grateful, but now comes the tough part. 

The year ahead shall be one of exciting new challenges as I move towards the publishing stage with a number of works.  Who knows, maybe by this time next year you will have read me.  We'll see.

Happy New Year!

-aap

Self-Publishing in 2011

As I was falling asleep last night, I had an idea about what to do with this blog: Detail my self-publishing plan for the next year and keep it updated. 

When I finished the first draft of Monarch in November and began doing a little research, it became clear that self-publishing my novel may be the  best way to go.

Here's why: Much of the book centers around the counting down to the end of the Mayan Sacred Calendar on 12/21/2012, and I need to get it out there once, not before, but once it is ready.  This means my time-sensitive novel will be strapped for time (I couldn't help myself), if I hope to get it to a market place that might find it of interest.

In doing my research I found that traditional publishing models currently take about one year - from the time you sign a contract to actually getting your book out in print.  I heard that and was horrified, that means there would be less than a year of having the book out on the market before December of 2012.  (No, no, no, we don't like that at all.)  Then I read up on both the success and horror stories of self-publishing.  There are an ever-increasing number of writers who are making a dent in the marketplace, and there are also endless lists of books that have been skewered for their lack of quality.  So, let's keep improving, shall we?  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/boyd-morrison/my-publishing-journey-fro_b_614788.html

I first heard of a Kindle when my friend's daughter was reading on her favorite Christmas present last year. I remember saying, still unsure if I would be able to, but knowing that I was planning to write my first novel the next year, "Maybe you'll read me on there someday."

Here we are one year later. The market for e-books is at a place that is growing so fast I, or anyone in a similar situation, must stop and think about self-publishing.  And I mean stop, and take account of what it will require to find any sort of success.  The market is waiting, but the work must be put in.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/45451-new-survey-on-e-book-trends.html
 
-aap

First Blog

Hello and Welcome!  My name is Aaron Pitters.  Over the next few months I shall go into detail about a few things (my first novel, the other writings, a few observations from the "writing" trenches)  that I hope some of you might be interested in.  I know I have enjoyed creating them.   Until then, I bid you all a Happy Holidays and a Healthy New Year in 2011.

-aap