I doubt I'll ever be a good blogger. I never know what to talk about on these things. And I feel hypocritical telling people my process, my thoughts, my practices. I'm a nobody in the literary world. Sure I have a few fans who ask me what's up and what I'm working on, but not one person I'm aware of is waiting with bated breath for my next piece of fiction. But that's what happens when you're the new kid on the block. You have to struggle to make a name for yourself. To prove to the masses you're someone you want to be listened to.
Will I ever be a mainstream author? Maybe, but I rather doubt it. I'm just a little too bizarre to be considered mainstream. But when it comes to indie stuff, I'm probably pretty tame. Oh, sure, I have some fun ideas, but I know when to compromise on the story. Like my story 'DigitalAcquisitionss,' for instance, I would want to half write, half make a comic book. But we're talking almost fifty pages of comic book art. Which entails inkers, pencilers, letterers, editors, and the whole nine yard. Instead of just writing a book, I'm working on a digital media project that would have a select audience. How many people will want to read a few chapters in a book then go to a comic book in that same book?
The formatting would be a hassle as well. No, something like that is much better as a film. While I'm not a huge fan of Inception, this is a movie that took place in their real world and a digital construct. Meaning it's easier to do. I learned my lesson after watching the Dune Documentary. If you've not seen it, I highly recommend watching it. It's a fascinating look at what we could have had. But it highlighted, to me, how sometimes you must compromise on your dreams to make the story as a whole. Now, the differences between my idea and the idea proposed in this movie aren't nearly so grand. I'm not looking to contact famous actors, artists, and musicians for a specific dream. Sure, I have visions of having individual voices for my characters, of absolute music control. Who doesn't?
But, having a vision and following it when it comes to mainstream success is vastly different. You have the Kubricks out there who have the chops for money to take a risk on. When we hear about a new director whose first film was an indie flick or a movie that only netted a tiny amount of money, everyone wonders if they can cut it. It's the same for writers. We, newbie writers, are often considered a risk. Would you rather have me? Or Stephen King? Most studios or publishers want the sure bet. But luckily, the process of self-publishing gets your name out there easier. You might never get mainstream success like the two guys who wrote The Expansion; you may never get an agent.
But then, why are you in this business? To entertain? To make money? Authors, unless you're big names, don't earn tons of money. In fact, for my three novels, I'm still officially in the red on them. Probably will be for a long time because I give away more than I sell. Marketing is another topic for another day, but you best believe it ties into your dreams of success.
So, like I said. I feel hypocritical as a nobody giving any advice. But here's where I do it. Work your butt off, but make sure to have fun in the process, aim for the stars but be realistic about the world you're getting into. Like winning the lottery, having the dream of being Bill Gates is fun, but you need to realize that you need planning and foresight to accomplish your goals.
I wish you the best of luck in your adventures.
Incorrigibly yours,
J.E. Flint