Last month, a coworker popped over to my desk to announce she was reading my book. This was a shock, because, how did she get inside my house?!
Oh, wait. I was working in the TobacCo office that day. Whew! Actually, it was a surprise because I hadn’t told anyone at work that I’d written a novel. As far as they were concerned, I was just some schmoe guy with an eagle eye for proper grammar and a lava lamp in his cubicle, a/k/a, the life of the party.
(I had to strike “schmoe” because it doesn’t mean what I thought it did. Apparently I’m not Yiddish enough to realize a schmoe is either a jerk (Merriam-Webster) or, even worse, A man who pays money to wrestle with a woman who is often more muscular and stronger than he is, for sexual gratification (Urban Dictionary). I am neither of those things! Well, maybe one of those things…)
Anyway. Tina wanted to let me know she had bought a copy of No Time for Kings and was thoroughly enjoying it. So much so, she recommended her partner introduce it to her book club as a 2024 read. Well, hot damn! My favorite kind of marketing has always been the kind where I don’t have to lift a damn finger. Still, she was only halfway through it, so my normal insecurities kicked in: would I stick the landing? It had been a good 10 years since I’d read my own book, so I figured I should dive in and make sure it hadn’t turned into a total embarrassment for me. Luckily, it had not. Sure, there were some minor mechanical issues here and there. Like unnecessary apostrophe’s and, an, overreliance, on commas. If I were writing it today, I’d word things differently in places, maybe have a character pay money to wrestle with a woman more muscular and stronger than he was for sexual gratification, little things like that. But overall, I’m happy with the plot. For a newbie who wasn’t even a professional writer yet, I told a pretty good story. I was impressed enough to sort-of promise a sequel. Maybe, possibly.
Last night, I finished my re-read. And was so inspired, I immediately dashed off a four-page prologue for the follow-up novel. And while I told Wynne and Vicki “when a character dies in my book, they are dead forever” on their podcast, I managed to find a loophole and resurrect a couple of ghosts by simply turning back the clock 12 years, using a flashback as a plot device to bridge the action between Then and Now. I have to admit, it was a real blast to once again step into Drake’s shoes, a villain so ruthless and egotistical I couldn’t resist giving him a brand new scene. It even helps to clear up a few unanswered questions in the original. I am stoked.
So, I can now at least say I have begun work on Earth Fights Back, the sequel to NTFK, instead of just thinking about it. This doesn’t mean I’ll be sitting down every night dashing off page after page. The prologue was the easy part; now I have to figure out little details. Like a plot and characters and all that jazz. Maybe the prologue’s all I’ll ever do. Perhaps I’ll come out with a third edition and stick it in there as a bonus scene.
All I know is, it feels good to write again. Maybe when I retire I’ll crank out books every year like Stephen King. In the meantime, once every eight years is more my speed, I guess.
I promised you another post about Milwaukee. After breakfast but before visiting Jeffrey Dahmer’s killing grounds on Saturday morning, we squeezed in a stop at the Mitchell Park Domes, a botanical garden that features a trio of domes devoted to different biospheres: floral, desert, and tropical. Being the plant lover that she is, Tara was jazzed to visit.
I have to admit it was pretty cool. And because we have an Olbrich Botanical Gardens membership, we got in for free thanks to their reciprocal program. Even if we hadn’t, it would have been worth the $9.00 admission each.
There are nearly 2,000 plant species in the Domes. Hard to pick a favorite, though the “future tequila farm” deserves a shot.
Get it? Deserves a shot?
They were advertising a Day of the Dead celebration next month, which includes live music and cocktails. Maybe harvested from the agave? I’ve also been told they’re a must-stop in December for the Christmas lights and decorations.
Milwaukee, man. We’ve gone there more often than our beloved Madison as of late. Who knew it was so cool? Besides The Fonz, of course…
Mark My Words 
Leave a comment