In March 2015, on a walk through Chinatown, something astonishing happened. And here's hoping you've known such a moment yourself.
Having written and published a dozen novels, I'd learned how to line up my ducks in a row. The time had come to start work on my fourth Boss MacTavin mystery after months of researching and planning. But first I decided to take a short trip to San Francisco. There, I met with an online friend and fan. And in our walk through Chinatown, Rob said that he really liked the MacTavin mysteries—my intended bread and butter—but that he loved the quirky series I called The Fast and The Furies. He felt that in these short stand-alone novels (each less than 40,000 words) I seemed to have written from far closer to my center.
After our walk and lunch, I still had a couple of days to myself. The first day I spent brooding, for I'd come to a Rubicon that I had to cross or evade. Already I had the ghost of an idea for a new Fast and Furies entry...a thriller starring Caesar's Ghost, on the comeback trail at last. To my surprise, the ghost idea began to flesh out quickly. And soon my brain was teeming. But...But...But...What of all the months of planning for the new Boss mystery? What of my career game plan inspired by Clint Eastwood: three projects for his fans and one for himself? Wouldn't it make more sense to finish the new Boss book first, providing fans a solid base of four completed novels before proceeding with quirky little Caesar's Ghost?
To this day I'm still not sure if I crossed the Rubicon or if Caesar's Ghost dragged me across. I began to write, with no outline—and with more passionate commitment than I'd felt since I started to write, way back when. Nothing existed for me but the Ghost and my need to do it justice. Not a thought in my head about agents or editors or Amazon ranking or reviews.
Looking back, this seems appropriate for a tale about a spirit faced with still more Rubicons...and five people enlisted to help, all faced with tricky decisions. I've never written a thriller like Caesar's Ghost before. And I doubt you've read anything like it. But I'm confident that, once you've read it, you'll cross your next Rubicon with fire in your belly.
Cheers!
_______________________
ABOUT REB MACRATH
Under the name Kelley Wilde, I published four horror novels for Tor and Bantam Doubleday Dell. And in the past three years I've published 10 ebooks on Amazon as Reb MacRath. A new name for a new style, twenty-five years in the making.
For my more about me and my work, please visit my Amazon Author Page.
OTHER LINKS
Southern Scotch blog:
Authors Electric blog (guest spot each month on the 12th):
http://authorselectric.blogspot.com
Direct link to Caesar's Ghost:
http://www.amazon.com/Caesars-Ghost-Mhistory-Furies-Suspense-ebook/dp/B019S0HQTA
Direct link to Caesar's Ghost:
http://www.amazon.com/Caesars-Ghost-Mhistory-Furies-Suspense-ebook/dp/B019S0HQTA
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you. Your comment has been submitted for moderation.