tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32770492472308275842023-06-20T21:24:37.162-07:00Derrick Gingery: Self-Published AuthorDerrick Gingeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09830235827643585016noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3277049247230827584.post-60930739034062666722012-01-07T13:36:00.000-08:002012-01-07T13:59:18.002-08:00A New Year and a Resolution<div><span style="font-family:arial;">While the NFL playoffs beckon today, I did manage to get some more writing done on my novel. It feels good to be working on it more frequently, although I sometimes wish I could devote my full time to it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I often wonder how much I would enjoy being a full-time novelist. Some days I think it would be nice to set my own schedule and work from home. But until I write a best-seller that will pay off all my debts, I think a commute is in my future.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Working on the book is an escape from that daily commute and sometimes an excuse to day-dream about living the life of a novelist. It also can function as motivation, not just to get the book finished, but to continue devoting a regular amount of time to the project.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">My resolution for 2012 was to finish the novel this year. It was about half finished on Jan. 1. While not an overly ambitious goal, it is one that I believe is reasonable and will fit in with my work schedule. I need a <a href="http://derrickgingery.blogspot.com/2011/12/still-here.html">deadline</a>, but it has to be one that I can realistically hope to meet.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I'm making good progress and I'll continue marking it here. Here's too a great 2012! </span></div>Derrick Gingeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09830235827643585016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3277049247230827584.post-41621061566554644442011-12-17T11:12:00.000-08:002011-12-17T12:01:28.556-08:00Still here...<div><div><font face="arial">This blog hasn't been updated in a really, really, really long time. So here are some thoughts as we approach Christmas:</font></div><ul><li><font face="arial">I seem to be more interested in baseball in the off season. Now that winter is approaching, it seems spring already is tugging at me. I find myself watching old World Series films and following free-agent chatter. And my team, the </font><a href="http://www.chicagowhitesox.com"><font face="arial">White Sox</font></a><font face="arial">, is likely will be rebuilding next year. I suppose it is the hope of something great on the horizon. It is hope that draws us to Opening Day each year: the hope of a new start, the hope of October glory.</font></li><li><font face="arial">The prospect of working on my novel also should be attractive, but alas remains elusive. The ideas and potential for the story continue to dance in my head. The challenge is finding inspiration outside the workday. It's not a question of motivation, it's a question of exhaustion. It's a matter of putting it into my schedule as a daily priority. Some day I'll figure it out instead of feeling the pull of finishing it and hoping it will happen.</font></li><li><font face="arial">I think the answer may be to consider writing my novel as work, as part of my job, instead of just a fun side project. If I give myself a deadline, maybe I can finish it in a reasonable time. I need to push myself, kind of like the authors who won <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/winners">National Novel Writing Month</a>.</font></li></ul><div> </div><div><font face="arial">I'll be back soon, hopefully on a regular basis, with a schedule and maybe some progress to report.</font></div></div>Derrick Gingeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09830235827643585016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3277049247230827584.post-46653885866421956882010-11-25T11:47:00.000-08:002010-11-25T11:54:36.925-08:00Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!<span style="font-family:arial;">Among the things I am thankful for:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1. My wife and family</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2. Our ancestors who created the alphabet</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">3. The ability to write as much or as little as I chose and publish all of it</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">4. Football</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">5. The Internet</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">6. Books</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">7. My soon-to-be-completed novella</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I'm also thankful for the drive to complete my book. While I still have a lot of work to do on it, I continue to find ideas for plot twists to include. For those of you out there racing to finish </span><a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/"><span style="font-family:arial;">National Novel Writing Month</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, good luck. I respect anyone who can complete a book, let alone one in a single month.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Cheers fellow writers! Enjoy the holiday!</span>Derrick Gingeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09830235827643585016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3277049247230827584.post-87859500812661123922010-07-10T12:09:00.000-07:002010-07-10T12:30:34.322-07:00Back to WritingI have been away from this blog a while and it's because I have been away from the book for a while.<br /><br />I work as a writer in my day job, so while I experience the enjoyment of putting words to paper every day, I don't always have the energy to write my novel when I get home from work. Today is different. I found myself with some available free time -- my wife is out with friends -- and able to strike at the many thoughts I've had about additions I want to make.<br /><br />The primary, or maybe the first, storyline has been written for many weeks. After some editing, I came up with the idea to add another plot line to intertwine with the primary story. And it seems I've come up with a lot of good ideas at work. It's almost like a daydream of sorts. If I'm getting a cup of coffee or drink of water, all of the sudden my mind shifts to the book.<br /><br />Today I was able to get it started, essentially getting the storyline set up. It feels good to finally get back in the saddle and the good news is I've been able to retain most of those ideas in spite of everything else on my mind at the moment.<br /><br />I'm enjoying those moments of creativity.Derrick Gingeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09830235827643585016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3277049247230827584.post-88914898626083535002010-05-31T16:47:00.000-07:002010-05-31T17:29:16.501-07:00The Writing ProcessIt's my first book and I've already realized that even though I feel finished, I'm not.<br /><br />I'm reading <a href="http://www.ken-follett.com/bibliography/the_pillars_of_the_earth.html">The Pillars of the Earth</a> -- and I like one of the techniques he uses to write his story, starting characters out on separate paths that merge later. It would work well with my idea, so now I want to add another section to the story and develop some new characters that can interact later in the main story.<br /><br />It feels like I'm going to be writing another book, starting from the beginning. But this time I have to fit it into the existing story. The first draft was decent, and I already have tweaked it several times. What's another few weeks of work for some more improvements?<br /><br />It looks like I have a long way to go. But the story will be much better in the end.Derrick Gingeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09830235827643585016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3277049247230827584.post-39870408639757118072010-05-08T08:51:00.000-07:002010-05-08T09:04:57.425-07:00Coming SoonWelcome to the new website for Derrick Gingery, an aspiring author. My first book is nearly complete and soon will be available.<br /><br />Check back soon for more information.Derrick Gingeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09830235827643585016noreply@blogger.com0