Grillin' & Chillin'

For many people, August means that summer is winding down. It won't be long before the kids are returning to school, the days start getting shorter and the weather begins to change. And the end of the summer is just over the horizon. I don't regret this month. Festivals and shows continue to fill my weekends. There are people to meet, books to sell, stories to share. If the weather continues to cooperate, I'll find several evenings each week relaxing on the patio, enjoying a meal fresh from the grill. So in between all of that activity, there must be time to write. Here's the latest on my writing efforts, works in progress, events and of course, music. Must have music.

WRITING

During a recent festival, a guy approached my table, barely able to contain his excitement. At first glance, I thought he was a mystery lover, someone thrilled to discover new books to add to his collection. But there was something shaky about him. When I asked if he liked reading mystery or crime stories, he waved off the question.

"Nah, I don't read much. But I got this really great idea for you. See, I'll tell you all about it. Then you write it up, get it published and do that promotion stuff. We'll make big money. HUGE money. And we can split it right down the middle! See, this idea is..."

I raised a hand to stop him. "No offense, but that's not the way I work. Everything I write is my own. I develop the idea and do the research. It has to start with me."

"But this idea is a great one!" he argued.

"That may be the case, but my lawyer has advised me not to discuss such ideas with anyone. He doesn't want me to be caught up in a frivolous lawsuit. So I'd suggest you find someone willing to collaborate on your idea, maybe a ghost writer."

Reluctantly he turned and hurried away. A young lady whose booth was next to mine witnessed the exchange. "Your lawyer is pretty sharp."

"Actually I don't have an attorney. One suggested that during a conversation at a legal seminar I attended years ago."

"Still pretty sharp," she said.

I agreed. This wasn't the first time someone has approached me this way. Back in February at another event, a man wanted me to write his non-fiction story, claiming to have been arrested and jailed for more than a year for a crime he didn't commit. I gave him the same response about legalities.

All the stories I write stem from my imagination. One can be triggered by something I've seen or overheard while out in public. That can be merely the starting point. I can't picture someone accusing me of stealing their ideas to create a story. Once I begin working on a project, I keep the details to myself. Part of this is to protect the integrity of my work. The other part is because, since I don't use an outline, I have no idea which direction a story may take, let alone where it will end up.

The stories are all mine.

Works In Progress

One of the challenges for me during the summer is to carve out some time to write. Outdoor activities, festivals and teaching all demand my time and attention. When the opportunity presents itself, I will grab the keyboard and put some ideas down.

I have been able to spend a little more time with Jefferson Chene on the foundation for the fourth book in the series. The 10,000 word mark is behind me, which is a great start on a first draft.

The Young Adult novella keeps calling me. 5,000 words have been written and the story is slowly coming together. I'm hoping to put more energy into this one over the next couple of weeks. We'll see how that goes.