Hello,
this is Frank Dunn back again continuing our question session and conversation
with Rob Cummings. I want to change things up a bit so let’s begin.
Question
eleven: What are you working on now?
I’m
currently editing my NANO book from 2013 titled Dual Sight. I hope to have it ready to publish before October of
this year. This is my first attempt at writing a series. The remaining two
books will be my NANO books for this year and next.
Question twelve: Is
there some of that work you could share
with us?
Sure. I’d love to share.
Ten
minutes into her drive, she was sitting on the shoulder of the road with a flat
tire wondering who to call when a car pulled to a stop behind her. The
headlights blazed white and penetrating into her car the intensity near
blinding. The old Maria wouldn’t have even considered accepting help from a
stranger, but when the guy got out of the car and made his way up beside her
window, she began a focused deliberation. Dave’s words rang like a bell in her
head. What could it hurt just this once? If she planned to change she had to
start somewhere. So she decided to take a chance by letting this Boy Scout earn
a merit badge. Once the door was open, she got out and joined her Good
Samaritan. Unfortunately, this would turn out to be her next-to-last mistake.
In just a few short minutes she would commit her last mistake bringing her life
to an end. Contrary to her belief that bad things always announced themselves,
at this moment, there was no sound to warn of her life’s imminent end.
Question
thirteen: Going back to Moonlight
Sacrifice, is there some significance to the length of the book?
As
a matter of fact, there is something. When I started writing the story, I
didn’t intend for it to be seventy seven chapters, but as the story progressed,
and the number of chapters increased, I figured I could end the story by that
number. The significance being, that when I played football in high school that
was my jersey number, and since Rocky’s story is about football, I thought it
would be fitting to have seventy seven be a part of the story.
Question
fourteen: Are there any authors that have
grasped your interest recently and why?
One
author comes to mind immediately. I’ve read the first two books by Douglas
Preston in his Wyman Ford series. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a
love of science and Preston’s use of science in his books is a wonderful spice
that flavors the books. I look forward to finishing the series and starting
another. His storytelling prowess is stellar.
Question fifteen: Do you
already have a project idea for once Dual Sight is finished?
In
addition to editing Dual Sight, I’m working
on a novel I started years ago but left orphaned until recently. The working
title of that book is Trio. I’m
looking forward to spending time with the characters. They have been with me
for a long time, but I’ve not felt comfortable writing the story until this
year.
Why is that?
Since
this story has so many subplots associated with the main plot, I’d really like
to do the story justice. Until now, I haven’t felt my abilities worthy of that goal.
Question sixteen: What one thing about self-publishing do you find most disappointing?
Well, to be honest, I’m happy with the physical
product quality CreateSpace provides as well as the Kindle experience for
ebooks. So I’m not disappointed in the self-publishing experience per se. However,
there is one thing I find deflating.
And
that is?
I don’t know if I’m speaking for all authors here. I
suppose when an author is selling millions and millions of books, be it print
or ebook, it doesn’t really matter what people think of your work. Still when
you boil it down to the smallest particle, I think a writer wants to know what
people think of what he/she has written.
Why
does it matter? I mean you’re presenting a story right?
That’s
true, but still it’s nice to get feedback on any aspect of the story regardless
if it’s a scene, a character, a conflict, etc. It feels good to find out the
effort wasn’t wasted. I guess the bottom line for me is, did the reader enjoy
the story and did it entertain them? Also, if there’s a flaw in the story it’s
good to know that too. The best way to convey this to the author is by
reviewing the book. So the one thing that disappoints me is the number of
reviews I’ve gotten versus the number of books that have been downloaded as
ebooks.
Question
seventeen: Why are reviews so important
to self-published authors?
Reviews
are important to any author. The fact is, no matter how much effort a publisher
or author does to promote a book, reviews by readers do more to move a book off
the shelves than anything. Actually a review is a personal announcement to read
or not to read a book. When someone tells a friend they should read a book it
becomes an endorsement of the work. People generally respond to personal
endorsements and buy books. Also you can use a review to give the author a pat
on the back expressing to them how much you enjoyed the book.
Is that important to you?
Absolutely.
The last thing I want is for a reader to finish a book and feel the time
they’ve spent with the characters in the story wasn’t worth their investment.
I’ve been there. I consider myself a slow reader, so for me to put days into
reading a book isn’t uncommon. When I finish reading a book, I want to be
richer for the experience. What I don’t want is to regret giving the author my
time by experiencing disappointment. As an author, I don’t want a reader to
have that feeling after they finish one of my books. If they do, then I’ve
failed them. But if I did and they don’t tell me how will I ever know?
Question eighteen: What is your favorite review thus far?
My favorite review is one that isn’t published on
Amazon, Goodreads, or anywhere. A lady told me she loved reading The Hurting Place. I told her I was glad
she enjoyed it. Then she told me she doesn’t usually read books, but found the
experience a good one. Hearing that made me feel great, because I love to read,
and giving someone a pleasurable experience is worth the hours it takes to
write a story.
Question
nineteen: Do you ever suffer from the
dreaded writer’s block?
I guess I’d have to answer that with a yes and no
response. I think most authors that have spent any amount of time writing have
come to a point in a story where the story doesn’t move forward. At that point,
the effort of writing feels like slogging through the swamp compared to a point
when writing the story was like driving in the Indy 500. That is when writing
is fun. The story is moving, and the characters are interacting.
What
do you do when the story slows down?
If
I’ve got something else going on, it helps me to step away for a while and work
on something else. Writing a short story or a chapter for another work frees up
the creative juices and helps me get things rolling again. That is the yes I do
answer. Now, for the no answer. Once I get started on a story, it’s amazing to
me how the characters stay with me. It’s like they are pushing me to finish
their story. What I mean by that is, even when I’m not writing they’re still
talking and interacting in my head. I could be driving down the road, mowing
the grass, working in the yard, etc. So ideas are coming and going in my head
all the time. Some make it to the page, while others don’t. It’s like listening
to a group of people at a party talking about a hundred different things. Some
are interesting while others don’t do anything for me. But when something
really strikes me as good, I return to writing the story. Without fail, we
begin moving forward.
Question twenty: What
is your least favorite part of the writing process?
Each tab is an active edit. |
That’s
easy. I dislike the process of editing. Writing the first (rough) draft is fun
for me. I enjoy watching the story unfold and move toward the conclusion. Once
it’s finished, a writer has to step away from the creation and see the flaws in
the writing. The harsh truth is that the story isn’t as good as it could be and
should be after the initial writing. So the process of making the story better
begins. The hard part is trying to find the sweet spot in the editing process.
While the story may read fine, there are always going to be tweaks, cuts,
additions, changes, etc. that will enhance the flow of the story.
So do you think it’s possible to
edit a story death?
Yes,
I think that’s the case. It’s sort of like plastic surgery. You start with a
little nip here and a tuck there. You step back and are amazed at how better it
looks and reads. So if a little is good more should be better. You cut first
one scene then another. You rearrange this chapter and that chapter. A little
more here and a little less there then finally you don’t know where your
original story stopped, and the edited story started. In over editing you might
just edit out the thing about your story that made it uniquely yours. Film
directors sometimes say the best parts of the movie are on the editing room
floor. Years later the studio releases a director’s cut version of the film
with the statement: “This is the director’s vision for the film.” So I think
sometimes you just have to stop and let it go. It will never be perfect in
everyone’s eyes. So it’s important for a writer to accept the work for what it
is and move on to the next tale.
Question
twenty – one: What is the story Trio
about?
Like
I said, Trio is a story that’s been with me for a very long time. It’s a story
about a tragic day that altered the lives of three families. I’ve set the event
of the story in West Virginia in the early seventies with the beginning of the
story set in the present. Three grade school friends reunite to deal with the
pain of the day each has been unable to overcome in forty plus years.
Are there any facts associated with
this tale?
No.
This is pure fiction crafted from the mind of Rob Cummings. It’s a story I hope
the reader finds entertaining and worthy of reading.
And reviewing?
Of
course.
Thank you Rob for your time and I
look forward to our next visit.
As
do I. Until our next visit. Keep reading. : )