September 2005
Ok, so it's a few days late. I was in Japan for my brother's wedding, and then off for some touring in Beijing. And if any IRS folks are reading this newsletter, I was doing research for future books. Come to think of it, shopping at the Silk Road Market was quite an experience, I think I'll add a little bazaar haggling shopping scene to A Clockwork Murder. Can I write off the purchases too?
The big news for the month is the launch of the website (http://zookterpin.com). I put the biotech thriller on the back-burner so I can focus my effort on the Zook Terpin Mystery series, and the web site will be a big marketing tool when I sucker in an agent. So tell your friends and get them to sign up for the site, and the newsletter as well. Post on the forum and all that good stuff. Once I'm famous I'll remember all the little people. I promise.
Writing-wise, I read/edited the manuscript twice this month. The first time I read it quickly so I could get a feel for the pace. I quickened the slow spots and added some breathers in the heavy action areas. Overall I'm happy with the pace now. Or at least I will be once I actually type in the changes. I shifted a few scenes around as well. On the second read, I polished up the writing and noted where I needed some new scenes. I've started typing, so I hope to have a final draft ready in October.
I also started work on books 2 and 3 in the series. I have the basic ideas worked out, as well as the back-stories, so next I'll sketch out the plots. I'm toying with the idea of writing one as a short story, which I can hopefully sell and then use as another marketing tool.
Time to get back to writing,
--Todd