What I hope to accomplish as a writer

Morning everyone,

Hope everyone else’s Fourth was as full of food, fun, and family as mine was.  I’m going to talk today about what I would like to accomplish as a writer, and the strengths and weaknesses I will have going forward.

Goals:

-To write engaging novels with strong characters and dangerous villains that deliver interesting plot twists and moral dilemmas

-To compliment my leading characters with a cast of supporting characters that is each capable of supporting a novel in their own right

– To create detailed and complex story worlds that enable my characters to reach their full potential

Strengths:

-I am a lifelong reader with very good instincts on what works in a novel and what does not

-I spent four years at a military academy in order to practice my chosen profession; delayed gratification is not a problem for me

-I will not be discouraged if I only ever achieve modest success; the fact that people enjoy my writing and care about my characters will be more than enough

Weaknesses:

-No formal training in creative writing

-No experience in the publishing world

 

Plan:

-Develop a stable of completed, well edited manuscripts with ample feedback from readers

-Network with readers and writers both in person and online

-Begin attending writing conventions and seeking representation

-Publication and promotion

 

So, basically, I find myself in the same situation as a fifteen year old kid who just spent the summer listening to old Clash records and wants to start a band…

The good news is that I’ll have a nice, long two-month training exercise in Louisiana to work on the first draft of my planned novel on a Greek city state in southern Italy reaching the industrial age in 500 BC thanks to the infusion of some good, new-fashioned monotheistic theology thanks to a stranded smuggler from Judea.