I'm a creative person.
That's not exactly a shock, considering the number of songs I've written. But there was a time in my life when I pursued another interest; writing fiction. Granted, it was back in high school, and what I wrote may not have been all that original, but it was a start. Then music took over just about all my creative energy.
But, I've had impulses to do other things, and have explored some. My short lived podcast is a good example.
It feels like "The Eyes In My Dream" took forever. Part of the process was learning to write a book. But, I started with a thought. What if a kid found and bonded with a dogman pup? If you don't know what a dogman is, feel free to Google it. Briefly, It could be a large, intelligent wolf that can walk on two legs as easily as it can on four. There's lots of mythology around it; I covered some on one of my podcast episodes.
I took that germ of an idea and started writing. Progress was slow for any number of reasons, including no outline of any kind. I suspect I'll never do that again. I believe things will move along better if I take the time to plot things out in advance - have high points and a story arc in mind, that sort of thing. That's not to say that I'll stick to it or be inflexible, but I think it will be better to start the journey with a destination in mind, along with some stops along the way.
Once I thought I was finished the first time, the editorial process began.
Sort of.
I did not pay anyone to help me edit the book. I did seek feedback from a few people, including my now ex wife and her mother. My ex was more helpful, but not nearly as much as an online acquaintance who is a published author. He liked my first chapter, which is all he wound up reading, but talk about an eye opener. Have you ever submitted a paper to a teacher and had it returned with all kinds of corrections, probably in red ink? That's what it felt like. He recommended a book called "Editor-Proof Your Writing: 21 Steps to the Clear Prose Publishers and Agents Crave (Great Books for Writers)." It was exceptionally helpful. But, it meant rewriting what I had. Rather painfully.
Ultimately, I think the book and I are better for having gone through the the process. I wound up rewriting at least twice, and maybe three times, if you count going through and making changes while recording the audio book.
I expect to write more, and possibly revisit one of this book's characters.
Enjoy.