Summer's Wane (Late-August Update)

The mercury in our thermometers has begun to retreat.  Thank goodness, too.  It has been a hot summer here in the southern United States.  We topped 100 degrees on numerous occasions, and that doesn't even take into account  the humidity.  Take one step outside and you are wearing it like a wool sweater.

Fall is right around the corner, just under one month away.  I've been so busy these past few months that updating my blog has taken a back seat to getting things done.  For years prior to my starting this blog, friends told me that I should start one. I fought the temptation of being able to communicate something in an instant for a long time.  Everything changed when I decided to write a novel.  Almost everyone I sought advice from as I began preparations to self-publish talked about building a platform.  They advised that non fiction writers had to have a platform, while fiction writers--it couldn't hurt.

For any of you who keep up with my blog, or follow me anywhere else on my online "platform," I will be sending Amazon the updated version of Monarch this Friday.  It will contain stage three.  This update will be made available at Amazon's discretion.  Whichever comes first, the Amazon update for Monarch, or September 21st, will dictate when everyone else will be able to purchase their copy of Monarch: Chrysalis.

I chose to establish the twenty first of September as the default release date for stage three because:  a) It's three weeks from the day I will have sent the update to Amazon, and their rules stated a three week potential wait time; b) I promised to have Chrysalis out this summer, and the 21st is the last day of summer; and c) I promised the owners of an Amazon eBook of Monarch that I wouldn't release stage three until it was available to them first.  This was as fair as I could think to make the release of Stage Three.  If it doesn't work, I'll try and remedy the situation as quickly as possible.

Zoiks!  I've just pre-apologized.  Can you tell I've had "release" issues recently?

Ok, you're up to date.

Thanks for Reading!

-aap

100th Blog Post (What's Next?)

December 5th, 2010.  That was when I started this blog.   The first blog was very brief, nothing more than an introduction, as you can see for yourself below.

  

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.

I've done so much reflecting recently that I'll try and avoid it here.  I want to thank those of you who have kept up with my blog during the past year and a half.  If anyone has any questions for me, I gladly welcome them.  Whether it is about Monarch, writing, movies, science, technology, sports, or any of the other subjects I commonly write about here, I'm hoping the next 100 blog posts can be more interactive.

I'll make even more effort to post here once I've released Stage Four of Monarch.  It will likely take less time to reach 200 posts than it took to reach 100.  The focus of this blog over the past year and a half has been primarily on the process of self-publishing my first book.  The focus will change by the New Year.  While I will always be glad to answer questions about Monarch, my attention will be on the vast expanse of other subjects that I have an interest in.  After two and a half years, I will be ready to stretch my mind.  

Screenplays, Short-stories and the potential follow-up to Monarch will be topping my mind come 2013.  I can guarantee you that any follow-up won't be anywhere near 700 pages in length.  

A follow-up to Monarch?    

Yes, I have one in the works.  It was first written as a screenplay three years ago.   The story ties in with Monarch.  Not as a follow up, though there are two characters carried over from Monarch.  I feel it is one of the best screenplays I've ever written.  What happens with Monarch over the next few months will decide what happens with the follow-up.   While I would be thrilled to adapt it into a book, I'd love to see it as a film.  

I likely won't be giving too many details about the potential follow-up until October or November.  But if you are interested in this next project and would like like to voice your opinion about it's prospects, please feel free to let me know.  

At a party the other day, a friend asked about a story idea I had told him about, as well as nearly a dozen others, over two years ago.  It's a twist on reality TV--it could potentially draw interest in several different formats.

People think their opinions don't matter, but they do.  I hadn't thought about that "reality TV" story for almost three years, but my friend had remembered it and told me: "you've got to write it." It might be the next story I publish because it resonated with my friend more than twelve other stories I told him about nearly three years ago.  That's powerful feedback that has stayed in someone's memory.  While someone who lingers longer than their welcome is a bad thing, an idea that lingers in someone's memory is one of the goals of creative writing.  

Who knows... I may go on a screenwriting binder.  Could try and pump out a couple of the new ideas that I have had since starting the novel, but haven't had the time to do anything about.  I hope to have a better idea of the path ahead come October.

As always, your input is welcome.

Thanks again for reading.  

-aap