On Writing Archives - Page 14 of 29

Edits and Shiny New Toys

October 28, 2015 By JPMcLean 10 Comments

Half of me is thrilled to be going full tilt on the editorial review of The Gift Legacy books for WindStorm Press. The work invigorates me and the view from my writing desk inspires me. The other half of me is champing at the bit to get back into the new material. Four exciting projects stamp their feet at the gate. It’s shiny new toy syndrome, and it tempts me.

But I know my limits and the review requires my full attention. The shiny new toys will have to wait. Besides, the more hours I devote to the review, the faster I’ll get back to the shiny new toys.

The opportunity to revamp the books and their covers came with the new publisher. Over the years I’ve grown as a writer, so I jumped at the opportunity to re-visit these early books.

The edits:

The goal is to ensure the story and language are as tight as they can be. Here’s a sampling of what I’m doing (the crossed-out words are gone, the underlined words are new):

Better and active verb choice:

There was a lot of laughter cascaded around us and I welcomed the change from the gloom that Cassandra cast over us moments earlier.

Removing unnecessary dialogue tags that can slow down the pace.

Oh, god, no. I knew what this was. I had to stop him. “No! Don’t go!” I shouted.

Tightening the prose:

If you missed the sound of waves, you might just smell the briny air or catch a whiff of briny air or pungent seaweed in the ocean breeze.

The changes are small, but powerful. I’m halfway through the review and excited with the results. I can’t wait to share them with you.

Meantime, enjoy the sunset.

All of The Gift Legacy books are available with one click right here. And if ebooks or Amazon aren’t your preference, you can choose another purchasing option on the Bookstore tab.

New Publisher for The Gift Legacy

October 6, 2015 By JPMcLean 8 Comments

In my last post I referenced some exciting news that I am now able to share. It gives me great pleasure to announce that I have a new publisher. The first three books of The Gift Legacy will soon be re-released by WindStorm Press.

In the coming days, Awakening, Revelation and Redemption will be temporarily pulled from the market. It’s a necessary step as the books change hands from one publisher to the next.

When the books are re-released, they will have updated covers. So if you’re looking for first editions, get them while you can. Awakening’s first edition is on its way to the vault. Editorial review on Revelation and Redemption is still incomplete, but I expect they will also undergo a nip and tuck.

Revisiting these books has been an interesting experience. It reminds me that every writer is a work in progress. Each offering improves our craft, and The Gift Legacy will sparkle with the effort of the editorial review.

I can’t wait to share them with you!

Update: A work in progress indeed. The books underwent a major rebranding in 2018/2019 to better position them in the market. You can read about the series of events as they unfolded under the Media>Fast Facts Tab.

And here are the latest covers:

On Festivals and Readings

August 19, 2015 By JPMcLean 5 Comments

On Festivals and Readings . . . When you don’t hear from me for ages, you can assume the writing is going well, but even so, where did August go?

JP's luggage inside the Vancouver airport I’m at the Vancouver airport on an extremely long **yawn** layover to Toronto, and thought I’d take the opportunity to catch up with you.

In July, at the Denman Island Reader and Writer Festival (DIRWF) I had the great pleasure of introducing award-winning author, Eliza Robertson. She read three short stories from her book, Wallflowers. I also had the opportunity to introduce eight of Denman Island’s local writers to the stage, and I then shared a reading from Penance (now titled Lethal Waters).

I also attended the DIRWF writer-in-residence program with Steven Price. You might remember that I’ve got a few writing projects on the go. One of them is a companion piece to Secret Sky. It’s the story told from Jackson’s perspective with the working title Sins of the Father. I took Sins to Steven Price’s workshop and the participants’ feedback improved and inspired the story. Can’t wait to finish it.

A New Story is in the works

Dinosaur hanging inside the Comox airport I also have a new work in progress tentatively titled Witness. I’ve worked out most of the outline and even written a number of chapters. Interestingly, because I’m writing Witness from the third person point of view and Sins from the first person point of view, I’m finding it a challenge to work on both at the same time.

Last week I attended When Words Collide in Calgary and had the opportunity to meet the extremely personable Diana Gabaldon and hear her read from the as yet unpublished ninth book in her Outlander series. What a treat.

Which brings me to now . . . waiting to board a plane to Toronto and from there, points north. In addition to visiting family, I’ll be doing a reading at McKellar Public Library on Monday, August 24^th at 1:30. If you’re in the neighbourhood, please stop by (701 Highway 124, McKellar, Ontario). I’ll be reading from Lethal Waters and offering a few other surprises. Come and check it out, and then check out a fishing rod and head down to the river to catch your dinner.

See you there.

The Gift Legacy books are available to borrow from the McKellar library, but if you’d like your own copy, you can pick up Lethal Waters for Kindle with one click right here. And if ebooks or Amazon aren’t your preference, other purchase options are available under the Bookstore tab.

What’s Next?

June 30, 2015 By JPMcLean 6 Comments

Since finishing the fourth book in The Gift Legacy Series, I’ve given a lot of thought to what’s next. Which trail should I traipse down? There are a number of tantalizing story lines in the gift series I could follow up on, and a number of dormant ones that would roar to life with a poke in the right place. But is this the right time to tread that path?

After all, I’ve been on that merry-go-round for a while now. The Gift has been a great ride, but perhaps it’s time to develop the other story ideas that vie for the limited space available in my head? After all, the new characters look interesting—the story lines are suitably dark and mysterious. The promises they whisper are compelling. Maybe it’s time for a change?

I’m sure I’m not the first series writer who has wondered if readers, who enjoyed the initial series, would be interested in a new, unrelated story. Are the new protagonist and story line suitably distinct and interesting enough to hold their attention?

Sometimes I even fantasize that what’s next involves writing both stories simultaneously. But then I trip on my exuberance and remember that for me, multitasking only extends itself to autonomous functions like breathing while pumping blood. Interfering in those processes inevitably leads to capsized canoes, broken unicorn horns and soggy underwear.

If you have an opinion on the subject, I’d love to hear it. Otherwise, I’ll just stand here awhile and savour the crossroads like an early riser at the bakery counter contemplating the tasty options.