It begins again.

And so yesterday I put pen to paper and began writing the first chapter of what I'll call for now, Not for Nothing. It felt good. Very good. I accomplished the basic goals I had and made up some other stuff on the fly which I can flesh out more later if I choose. I then moved on to the second chapter today. If I can do a little a day I can a very simple draft done rather soon.

It's good to be back at it.

Family Man

So I skipped the apple crepes and went with pumpkin-filled donuts instead. I then followed that up with cinnamon raisin twists. I am now thinking of doing pancakes every Thursday and an alternating dish every Friday. Not only has this been fun, but it's become a point of pride. On top of that, I'm getting good feedback and learning more about what it takes to prepare family meal and how the restaurant is run. This is all good news for the book - the outline for which I continue to flesh out.

I also continue to work on the outline for the revamped Not for Nothing.

There's a voice in my head that says if I can put together detailed outlines for these books, Family in particular, that I could bang out first drafts in good time. With baseball and softball over, the onset of winter upon us and the major holidays almost out of the way, I should be able to ramp up productivity between January 1st and Opening Day (April 4th). That's the plan. I plan to set goals for 2010 over Christmas and to put myself in a position to attain those goals as well. It should be a good year.

Marco Polo Pancaked

As I mentioned earlier, I was considering the idea of drawing on the travels of Marco Polo to China as a parallel to one of the main characters in Not for Nothing. Thanks to a good friend in academia, I just finished reading "Marco Polo and his 'Travels'", an academic essay by Peter Jackson of Keele University.

For several reasons given by Jackson, I have decided it best to drop the idea of a parallel with Polo. What I may consider in his stead, though, is a broader idea that I've considered from time to time over the years. That being, the commercial sun's dawning and dusking on the port powers of Venice, New York (Chinatown & Little Italy conveniently being neighboring 'hoods) and Beijing over time. Some, of course, could argue that before Venice there was Beijing and I will consider that. Along these lines the story may be told with pasta, not beer, playing the role of local product - that being debatable. I will have to talk to my chef about that one as we make our own pasta by hand in Manhattan when the same process could be done in Queens, in Iowa or in Antarctica.

This added element of empire, on the one hand, risks spreading the main story of quality versus quantity too thin. At the same time, it may add depth if done right. If I can't make it work, then I can spin off the empire theme into its own story, one that moves from a bowl of pasta to one of noodles over three continents and a 1,000 years.

In other news, I'm enjoying Jonathan Fenby's Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850 to the Present.

I have also made progress in fleshing out the non-research based story, but many questions remain.

Lastly, I made another batch of pancakes this past Friday for family meal at work. I tried a different recipe and will continue to tinker. I'm thinking of apple crepes next.

Putting Pen to Paper

As I've learned, writing a book doesn't always include writing everyday. That's where I am right now with both Family and Not for Nothing (which may undergo a name change) as I gather research for both. Pancakes on Friday went well and I've started reading modern histories of China. I'll pick up a couple Akwid CDs from the NYPL tomorrow. While this is all progress, I'm itching to write in the same way that I itch to escape the city every few months.

Part of me just wants to write silly songs, but another part has an idea I'd like to explore which I don't think would need much research, just imagination. I'll probably go with the latter as it's hot in my head and throw in the occasional tune when the spirit moves me.

Marco Polo & Pancakes

I've been able to make a little progress with both Family and Not for Nothing (NfN) this week. For Family, I've started re-reading Michael Ruhlman's The Elements of Cooking to brush up on my technical kitchen terminology. I have also told the chef de cuisine at work that I want to help prepare family meal once a week. This first hand experience should serve me well and help me improve my cooking. This Friday we're shooting for pancakes.

I've also requested a couple CDs from the library by Akwid, a Mexican hip hop group that we occasionally listen to at work in the mornings. These boys are tight. They've got a nice flow, but what I like most is how they sample classic Mexican beats into their music. In each song they celebrate their past while embracing their future. Pretty cool.

I've also started a preliminary outline for NfN and have requested a couple books from the library which I look forward to reading. One is a modern history of China since 1850. I'm thinking of setting the story there. To that end, I see a potential parallel with the story of Marco Polo. The other book I've requested is about him.

You're speaking too loud, I can't hear you

In high school I played left bench on the varsity basketball team. We had an assistant coach who was a good player, but had a hard time getting his point across. He once told a player that his passes were too crisp. Maybe he wanted the kid to slow the pass down a bit to entice a defender into committing. He also told someone once that they were speaking too loud and that he couldn't hear them.

To that end, sometimes I come up with ideas that are either so obvious or so intricately convoluted that no matter how loud I make them, no one can hear them. For as much as I adore the premise of Not for Nothing, the story was too loud. Last night, though, I think I found a way to deliver the story without making anyone deaf.

Am I giving up on Family? Hells no. If anything, I'll probably work on both. I can't wait another two years to start another project.

Done...again.

I just put the finishing touches on Any Color You Want. I also sent it to a writer I know and an old friend who is an agent. It's in their hands for now. If any of you want to read it, holler.

I now look forward to moving onto new projects. Amen. Hopefully I can make significant progress before Spring Training starts in 90+ days. ;)

Final Read (11/09 edition)

Just because it's been a couple weeks and because a certain team from the Bronx continues to play ball into November doesn't mean I'm slacking over here. No, sir. I successfully got the new printer cartridge before the rain, printed the fucker out and have re-read it all making notes along the way. I am now making the corrections and hope to have it tied up by week's end. Then I'll pass it along to some folks and start the next project.

That's a Smith and Wesson and you've had your six.

Once the pen I'm using runs out of ink I put it in a drawer with all the others I've used up. Along with various notebooks, I take pride in the pens I've gone through and the ink I've poured over the last 11 years or so. I take an empty pen as a sign of accomplishment.

An empty printer cartridge, on the other hand, drives me fucking bonkers. Such is the case today. I have finished all the latest corrections and just want to print the fucker out so I can read it over again. But nine pages into printing there goes that blinking light signaling a trip to the store. Wish me luck making it there and back before the rain hits...

Mush

I've made good progress in typing up the latest round of corrections and edits, but figure even once that's done that I'll give the whole thing another read from start to finish to make sure 2+2= something around 4. While the furniture I assemble at home routinely ends up with a bunch of extra screws and pieces laying around, I need to make sure that the moving pieces of the novel all jive. Because frankly, the more I think about this book the more my brain turns to mush.

It ain't over till it's...

There are a few words I refuse to use in writing; always, never, perfect and my own personal tetragrammaton, l-v-, among others. Why? Because I sincerely doubt the first three exist. And the fourth? Well, Robert Frost once said that a poet should never use the word "beautiful" more than three times...and that he now had two opportunities left. Well, Bob, I'm Italian and we can't get enough of beauty. (I truly believe that Italians' morality hinges on that which is beautiful versus that which is ugly as opposed to the old good versus evil dichotomy.) Rather, as Yehuda Amichai described in his poem, Stewardess (below for good measure), I more often than not vote with the conservative party of l-v-rs and I pretty much refuse to dole the word out like it might feed the starving. But that is all material for another book.

As for this blog and this book, I'm tempted to add "done" to this list of words. Yes, I edited the final 8 pages and smoothed out the ending, but there are many ts to cross, is to dot and many more eyes to read it all before anything is "done."

Stewardess by Yehuda Amichai

A stewardess told us to extinguish all smoking materials

And did not detail, cigarette, cigar, or pipe.

I answered her in my heart: You have beautiful love material,

And I did not detail either.

And she told me to buckle up, bind myself

To the chair, and I answered her:

I want all the buckles in my life to have the shape of your mouth.

And she said: You want coffee now or later,

Or never. And she passed by me

Tall to the sky.

The small scar at the top of her arm

Testified that she will never be touched by smallpox

And her eyes testified that she’ll never fall in love again:

She belongs to the conservative party

Of lovers of one great love in their life.

Thank you, Twins & Tigers!

Thanks to the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers, the regular season and my deadline get one more day which should work out perfectly as I have 8 more pages to edit. I can do that before work manana. Then I just need to type the shit up, iron out a couple small items and decide on an ending before the playoffs which start Wednesday in the Bronx at the earliest. While I tell myself I'm just going to relax and veg out on the playoffs for the rest of the month, I reckon that won't happen.

ACYW's old ending segued into Not for Nothing which was to be my next book, starring a couple characters (Mack Brown & Houston More, dudes I first wrote about 5 years ago) who had cameos in ACYW. But now that I'll work on Family next, there is no longer a need to retain that ending. Continuity is nice, but not necessary. I'll catch up with Mack and Tony when the time is right.

Once I'm done with ACYW, I'm sending it off to an agent and a writer who have vowed to read it and work with me on it. The writer's already read it and in some ways I'm going to try to slip a fastball by him. I've taken most of his advice, but rather than completely 86ing one aspect of the story that I find pivotal and he does not, I've tried to bring it in through the back door, if you will. I won't fool him with this approach, but hopefully I can make the aspect more palatable to him.

Lastly, because so much of the story is car-driven, I figured it might be cool to publish ACYW in the form of a Ford car manual. Either that or a hybrid marketing pamphlet-manual. A little Arabic-looking font over other traditional U.S. images could also work. But that's waaaaaay down the road.

Grazie tutti

The chip on my shoulder typically provides enough motivation. Recently, though, a few friends have stepped up in small ways to show their support which has meant more than I thought it would.

On three separate occasions at work lately, I've mentioned "meetings" I had after work without going into much detail. In each case, independent of each other, three talented and sweet co-workers with far more on their plates than an underling's side project, have asked, "About the book?" "Unfortunately, no," I'd reply, but the fact that they remembered and perhaps hoped that for me, was very cool.

And just the other day an old friend (howdy, Kurt!) told me that he followed this blog. I had no idea. This made me wonder who else looked on from afar.

While this blog originated to shame myself into writing consistently and into completing the projects I started, the added bonus of support, of people rooting for you, certainly helps and is greatly appreciated.

Thank you all.

Now back to editing.

Progress Report, Writer's Cut

I'm now over half way through editing the latest draft. I've done a better job of bringing the lead female character, Besat El-Reeh, to the fore. The rest is hard to tell. Fucking with any of it is kind of like handling melted chocolate. It's sticky, it's gloppy, it can make a mess quickly and for all to see, but if you get it right, it's delicious.

What I know if nothing else is, the next time I meet a published author the one question I want to ask him or her will be, "So, how much did you have to compromise to get published?" Never mind the understood follow up question, "And how does that make you feel?"

May there one day be a writer's version of the "editor's cut."

Plugging Along

Just a quick update. I'm getting up an hour earlier than usual to edit. Am making progress little by little, day after day. There are no quick fixes here, just gotta stick with it and see it through.

September Call Up

Assuming the Yankees avoid a Mets-like collapse in September (...), they should be headed for the playoffs in October. While I will continue to keep tabs on my team, I figure setting an October 4th (last day of the regular season) deadline for the next draft of ACYW is doable.

I've identified all the editing I need to do and have already knocked off the small stuff. The big stuff remains. Most notably, I've decided to tell the story from the point of view of Besat El-Reeh, the young Arab American reporter, more. It'll still be third person omniscient, but with a good helping of Besat.

For Family, I've written two versions of the first paragraph and continue to jot down notes about characters, voice and scenes. I reckon, in general, though, that the project will get pushed to the back burner while I focus on ACYW.

Taking the Fork in the Road

As I had hoped, Dr. Z has spoken and I have listened. It seems that for all the folks that think there are two distinct stories in ACYW, there is still a vocal minority that believe the two can and should be reconciled. I agree with the minority.

So what of my last post? I think the conclusions I drew are still sound, but I also see the reconciliation option which I will explore first as I think it will take less time than researching all things Brazil and then re-editing.

That being said, I picked up all things Brazil at the library yesterday and will continue to read, listen, watch and experience the culture and language for shits and giggles if nothing else.

Tonight, between pitches and innings in Boston, I'll continue to flesh out Family a story I'm eager to start simply for the fact that I'll get to write a food fight scene.

Next Steps? So Danco Samba

While I would like to just jump into fresh edits of ACYW, I need to learn more about Brazil, its culture, its people and its language first. I have a slew of books, CDs (Gilberto, Jobim et al) and DVDs (the World Cup's greatest moments) waiting for pickup at the NYPL this Saturday. On recommendation from a friend, I have also joined a local Meetup group for Brazilians (or those interested in Brazil, its culture and language) in NYC. They watch movies (Orfeu on 8/31), they give rudimentary Portuguese classes and set up dance classes. All sound good to me! Needless to say, it may be a month before I put pen to paper on this project.

That being said, I'm going to start Family in the meantime. Not writing is making me cranky, even with the Yankees playing beautiful baseball.

The Rejigging of ACYW

I finished re-reading and making notes on ACYW this morning before work. I have made some decisions, others loom.

Decisions Made
1) I have decided to change the names and nationalities of two of the main characters. Rather than being from Botswana, they will be from Brazil.

2) I have decided to focus on the story of the soccer team of Arab American kids in Dearborn, Michigan rather than the story of two Batswana bringing the Peace Corps to the U.S. This helps explain #1. Who would you rather have for a soccer coach, a Brazilian or a Botswana?

While the idea of the "reverse Peace Corps" may disappear, it will not in spirit. Part of the beauty of Brazilian characters is the history of Brazil, its multiethnic/racialness, its auto industry and the greenness of its auto industry. All these attributes jive better with Dearborn and its challenges than two entrepreneurs from Africa who made their money off of diamonds.

Decisions Ahead
1) Do I continue to tell the story from the third person, or do I focus on the perspective of the young female journalist, Besat El-Reeh, who people seem to like?

2) How much of the story do I hand over to the team and how much rests with Besat and the Brazilians? I'd like to think I can make it all work, but I've already been told once that it doesn't.

Those are the broad strokes.

Funny enough, there's a scene in the book where Besat tells an AP reporter that this is the story of a team and their community, not the Batswana because people wouldn't get them. And now here I am, finally listening to my character's advice.

One reader was not happy with my proposed changes. He thought I had made my case and that the two stories worked well together. God bless him. Hopefully I can do the same for the next version. Any thoughts from other readers? Dr. Z, perhaps?

Back to the drawing board

While I continue to draw up an outline and do research for Family, I have recently received additional feedback on Any Color You Want that has given me pause. What was once the opinion of one person, then two, has become three or four which I can no longer ignore. The consensus has become that ACYW is two stories, not one and that one of those stories is far better than the other. To this end, I have decided to lop off the weaker story and to concentrate on the stronger one. This means a lot of work and time, but I believe it's worth it in the long run.

I have started re-reading ACYW with an eye for what to keep and what to cut. I have also started to do research in the areas that will change (the nationalities of the two main characters, for one). While this is all a bit frustrating - having thought I was so close to completion - as I go along and see new opportunities I become more excited about the new version's prospects.

When I have a better feel for the better defined and new focus of ACYW, I will share it. Till then, it's back to the drawing board.

Now Serving Family

For the second time in the past two years, I've decided to put Not for Nothing on hold to work on another project. I had a bit of an epiphany the other day about a new novel and tonight I fleshed out its broad outline. I'm excited about the new project, Family, a reference to the meal a restaurant's kitchen staff prepares for itself before lunch and dinner service. Unlike NfN, I can see how Family develops clearly. I look forward to picking up a new journal on Monday and filling it shortly thereafter with daily helpings of Family.

Meanwhile...

Howdy folks, been a while. As literary agents review my query letter for Any Color You Want, I figured I'd start the next project, Not For Nothing, a Wall Street romantic comedy. I wrote a novella version of NfN years ago, but I'm going to start fresh and flesh it out more. I wrote the first half of the introductory chapter Saturday night and tonight I'm going to tighten up the broader outline and hopefully, finish the intro.

I will get into the premise of NfN in the coming weeks. Just wanted to post an update tonight before putting pen to paper.

Done

The latest draft is now done. Hallelujah.

Big thanks to all those who read earlier drafts and provided criticism. This final draft responds to many of your comments and is much more readable than before.

I will now review a cover letter I drafted a few months ago regarding the book to potential agents and get that ball rolling.

Amen.

The last 3%

223 pages down, 7 to go. Tomorrow's the day. Amen.

Gunning for the last 19%

81% percent done with a new projected completion date of Monday, March 9, the morning of the 10th at the latest. I swear to god.

You see where this is going.

61% done editing. 135 pages of what is now 220. Projected completion: 3/10/09. Projected length: 230 pages.

G'night.

About 44% Done

Editing of version 4 continues. I'm through 85 of the first 200 pages and have already added 15 pages. Thanks to great editing suggestions from friends and family, I have concentrated on adding a sense of place and visuals to the story. As I do this, I find ways to play with the visuals/details to make the story richer throughout.

That's the latest. Back to the grind.

Rejection #1

Well, I just got off the phone with a friend who is a long time literary agent. He has turned down the book saying that he didn't get it and that it wasn't for him. I've been waiting for this.

This is not only the book's first rejection, but is its first out and out negative review. Other folks have given it broad positive reviews before providing various criticisms. While I've worked hard to make this book accessible short of holding the reader's hand, I knew not everyone would like it and not everyone would get it. Now I have proof. Things were going a little too well there for a while. At least that's out of the way. But as my Mom likes to remind me, "Dr. Seuss was rejected 80 times before he got published." Thanks, Ma!

In other news, editing of version #4 is going well and I'm on track for a March 1st completion. I typically work best with a chip on my shoulder and well, now I've got one.

Picking Up The Pen

Thanks to several friends, I have now received enough feedback to build a consensus on what improvements the book needs most. While I look forward to receiving more feedback from others (I'm looking at you, Brittany), I'm ready to pick the pen up again.

Next steps:

1) Ideally, I'd like to finish the next draft by March 1st. This will mean editing 8-9 pages a day.

2) Read the book aloud. One of the great ways to edit one's material is to read it aloud. While my eyes have read the book over and over, I haven't heard it, I haven't pronounced it. Reading aloud should expose me to mistakes I've made (grammatical and story-wise) and help me see gaps to fill.

3) Embrace criticism as opportunity. Reviewers have noted various short-comings and have cut my work out for me. What I have to do is see these short-comings as challenges and opportunities to prove that I'm not just good at dialogue or just good at word-play, but good. Period.

That's the plan.

Back to school

Since my last post in late December, three people have read Any Color You Want and have provided excellent feedback. While I wait to hear from more readers to get a more well-rounded and consistent view of the book, a couple booboos in particular have become apparent. I have decided not to start editing again until February 1st (to give other readers time to respond), but I am going to pick up a couple classics to see how the pros addressed the mistakes I'm making. In particular, I'm going to read Vladimir Nabokov's Pnin and bits of Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote (Edith Grossman's translation).