The Difference Between a Writer And An Author

I've reflected a few times over the years on this blog about whether or not I'm a writer. In fact, it was one of the first posts I ever wrote, and I've re-examined the issue periodically. But now, looking back, I realize my focus may have been wrong. It could be that the proper question doesn't ask whether I'm a writer. Instead, I may need to ask myself whether I'm an author. I'm not a hundred percent sure they're the same thing.

I believe lots of people can call themselves writers. Bloggers, people who write poems or short stories or even novels are all writers. Literally the only thing that is required for you to call yourself a writer is that you do it relatively regularly, whether for publication or just because you want to.

But I think maybe an author is a little different from a writer. I think it has to do with a few ways in which the two diverge, such as how seriously you take your craft (or even if you see what you do as a craft), how much time you put into it, and what you do with your writing when it's finished.

Writers write. That's all it takes. But I believe to become an author, I must take it beyond the simple placing of words on a page (or screen). Authors craft their words so that they do and say exactly what they want them to do and say. They closely examine all aspects of their writing, from word choice to sentence structure to character development to story arc. They see what they are doing as both an art and a craft. Truly great writers have a way with words, a facility for creating memorable characters and stories, but a writer who isn't an author won't spend the time and effort to make those words, characters, and stories have the maximum impact on the reader.

Another way in which not all writers are authors has to do with how much of a time commitment one gives to writing that the other doesn't. I believe I was a writer when I wrote my first book. I'm pretty sure I wasn't an author. I wrote a book, but I certainly can't say I crafted it. And that's the difference. I proofread it after I wrote it. But I didn't put in the time and work to make it approach the level of art. I'm not saying it's terrible, but I'm definitely not saying it's good. Actually I am saying that ugly brown thing I first published really was terrible. It wasn't good in any way. The cover was ugly and it just wasn't ready for publication. The process I go through now when I write a book is much more thorough and contemplative than it was then.

The final way in which the two things are different in my view can be illustrated by something a friend told me. He's a bookstore owner who carries a small section of local writers. He told me that I'm one of only two local authors who actually sell any books. He said a lot of folks have this feeling that they'd like to write a book, so they do, and they even go so far as to self-publish it. But then they stop. They don't write more books and they don't publicize the one they did write. I'd say I spend at least as much time on the non-writing half of writing as I do on the actual writing. I maintain my online presence daily. I enter writing contests. I do readings and signings. I go to book events like the WV Book Festival. I travel and meet with bookstore owners trying to get my book into as many stores as possible. I think that, as much as the actual writing, makes me an author.

Let me finish by saying that I didn't write this to exclude anyone or make anyone feel like less. This is purely a personal reflection. It's a reminder to myself that if I want to call myself an author, I need to take my writing more seriously. More seriously than I used to when I first decided I wanted to write books and more seriously today than I did yesterday. Otherwise, I'm just a writer. And I want to be an author.

Loving New Orleans

Greetings from the Big Easy! I've been visiting friends here since Wednesday and what a visit it's been. I've done more and eaten more amazing food already than one might expect to do and eat in a month. Each day has been completely full. And the best part is that I get to do all these things with my beloved friend Jenna, who is graciously taking time off from work to play host for my adventures. Here's a rundown of the week so far.

We hit the ground running with a New Orleans Zephyrs baseball game. Actually, half a game. My flight into NOLA was delayed for so long by weather that we ended up missing the first five innings. But we got in a good hour of baseball, with the home team coming out on top. But most of all, it was a nice chance to sit and visit with Jenna and her husband Mitch.

The next day got a bit of a late start because Jenna had to get some last-minute things done at her work. I took advantage of the time by getting a couple thousand words written on the first draft of my new book. More on that in coming weeks, but it's coming along quite nicely. But once she got back, we were off for a driving tour of much of New Orleans, ending with dinner in the French Quarter that was beyond my meager ability to describe it. The city is known for its amazing seafood, so I chose a jumbo lump crab cake after a peach and blueberry salad with goat cheese and candied pecans. The salad was delicious, but nothing compared to the heavenly joy that was the entree. It was impeccably prepared and, simply put, elevated the crab cake to the level of culinary art.

After dinner, we were off to Preservation Hall, which is a true hole in the wall. It has no air conditioning or restrooms, serves no food or drinks, the floors and walls are in varying states of decay and disrepair, and there is usually seating enough for roughly half of the people who pay the admission fee for one of the three nightly sets. But no one cares about any of that. Its name refers to the fact that it's dedicated to the preservation of the pure art of jazz music. The music was unadorned by any microphones or anything electronic. There was barely even any lighting. It was just an hour of six dedicated musicians plying their craft lovingly. It speaks to how transporting the concert was that it seemed to last only about fifteen minutes. I was genuinely flabbergasted when they said they were finished because I was convinced we had just gotten started.

Yesterday was even busier. It started with a trip to Honey Island for a tour. We were piloted in a great long flat-bottomed boat with the biggest outboard motor I have ever seen (250 hp!) by a skilled and personable man named Gary through the sometimes narrow and seemingly impassible waterways of the Honey Island swamp. Along the way, we encountered several alligators, which were drawn to our boat by the promise of hot dogs and marshmallows. We didn't get to see the biggie, though. Our pilot said Brutus, who is about fourteen feet long, is a little more cautious of the tour boats than the relatively smaller ones we got to see. We also saw a pack of feral pigs, many turtles, a raptor of some kind and a lovely crane. We also saw the devastating effect of Hurricane Katrina. Even all these years later, it can be seen in the industrial wreckage and empty pilings where houses once stood. Gary told us that some houses were picked up and carried more than a mile. It was a lovely, exhilarating, and humbling experience.

Back in town, we stopped off at a place called Mahony's for po' boys. I learned that the main attribute that makes a sandwich a po' boy is the bread. It's a French loaf that's super crusty on the outside and light as air on the inside. Mine had shrimp and a spicy remoulade sauce. I remarked to Jenna that my mouth was going to be so sad when I went home. Then we trekked across town to the banks of the mighty Mississippi and a visit to the Audubon Aquarium. Dedicated to showcasing and preserving the unique flora and fauna of the Mississippi delta and Gulf, it was a seemingly endless display of fascinating creatures. Plus, it was cool and dark--a nice counterpoint to the heat and humidity of the morning's swamp tour. After going home to shower (and take a two-hour nap), we were off again. Stopping by a cool joint called the Pita Pit to pick up dinner, we headed to the aquarium's sister, the Audubon Zoo, for movie night. We watched Jurassic World under the stars, accompanied by a highly curious and extremely loud peacock who seemed to know just when to squawk. He had apparently seen the movie before.

Today, after stopping for beignets for breakfast, it's off to Gulfport, Mississippi for a walk along the beach, some shopping, and a tour of a local brewery. I forget what Jenna has planned for us this evening, but it will undoubtedly be equally fun. Tomorrow, we're scheduled for brunch at a beautiful historic restaurant followed by a tour of the World War II museum. Sometime before I leave, we're touring a plantation and going to at least one more concert. I know I'm going to need a long, long nap to recover from this vacation and is it ever going to be worth it.

I have many more picture on my Facebook page if you would like to see them.

Happy July 4th!

It seems like my summer break from school has just begun and here we are, almost to Independence Day Eve. That's not an actual thing, but you know what I mean. I always thought of July 4th as kind of the midpoint of summer vacation. In no time, we'll start to see youth and school football, soccer, and volleyball teams practicing; gardens and yards start to die out; and that faint but unmistakable scent of the approaching-faster-than-seems-possible autumn. I don't mind as much as I did when I was a kid. I was always a worrier and, sadly, I didn't enjoy the part of of summer after the Fourth because I spent a lot of time counting down how many days of "freedom" I had left before I had to go back to prison. The irony of how much I hated school is not lost on me at all.

But I digress. The Fourth of July is a great day to contemplate the meaning of being American. I'm a patriotic guy. I believe that, when we're at our best, the US is an amazing place to live as well as an outstanding global neighbor. How often we're at our best is a question to be answered by people much more thoughtful and political than I. We are a place where you are free to do and be what you believe in, as long as whatever you do and are doesn't infringe on the right of other people to do and be what they believe in.

At least we were. It feels like what it means to infringe on someone else's rights has been changed in my lifetime, and not always for the better. It used to be that we didn't have the right not to be offended by someone else because not being offended isn't a constitutionally defensible right. It's something you get over, not something you go to court to get redressed. Yes, there's bullying, which is reprehensible and shouldn't be tolerated, but being offended by someone's simply being who they are is a completely ridiculous concept. Even if that person is a horrible, horrible person, as long as what they do and believe isn't in itself illegal or harmful to others, that's not something that you legally force the to change. Disagree with them? Sure. That's your right. It's almost your obligation. It's what we should do here in the United States. Discuss. Hash out. Disagree. Agree to disagree. But to have the law intercede because their ideas are "dangerous" in that they don't match yours--well, that's un-American.

So this weekend, as we approach Independence Day, let me encourage you to consider your rights, but also to consider your obligation to protect the rights of others. Please consider the possibility that, even if you think someone's opinions or beliefs are un-American, they have the right to have those beliefs and opinions right up until the moment they actually do something to bring down our country. And if you feel like someone else's opinions or beliefs make you feel like less of a person, you have the right to disagree with those beliefs, vocally. Speak out. Stand up. Prove them wrong.

But please don't try to squash that other person's opinion. You're not going to change their minds by being louder. There's a really good chance you aren't going to change their minds at all. Human beings aren't really great at that. But if you do have a chance, it's going to be by proving through calm words and consistent actions that your beliefs are right. Every racist or misogynist or xenophobe who changed their mind did it because they were taught, through words from those they respect and through actions of others that show the error of their attitudes, that categorizing people by one attribute is narrow-minded and wrong, not because a bunch of the people they want to oppress yelled at them and got their rights taken away.

That got a lot closer to political than I usually go. Mainly because I believe in your rights to be who you are so much that I hesitate to push my beliefs on others. But because I believe in that inalienable human right so much, I thought I should take the time to defend it.

I hope I didn't offend you.

Busy Summer

My first week back from Louisville has been a busy one. I've written two articles for Clutch, started writing the rough draft of my newest book, led a writing workshop, and been all over the  MOV setting up readings and signings. Here's a rundown of all the events I have coming up in the next few months. This schedule is subject to change and I hope to add more, so go to my website and click on the News & Events tab to see the newest information.

June 25 (That's today!): I'll be at J&M's Used Bookstore from 11am to 2pm signing books. They're in the old Blockbuster store near the Southside Kroger. Note--buy the book from the bookstore and then I'll sign it. That's not how it works at the library.

July 5: Vienna Public Library from 6pm to 8pm. That will include a reading and q&a time at 6:30.

July 16: Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library on Emerson Avenue from 11am to 1pm. PLEASE NOTE: That's a change from the original announced time. I changed it so I could attend a personal event of great importance.

July 23: South Parkersburg Library from 10am to 2pm. This too will include a time for readingsfrom Dawn of Grace and q&a. The reading will take place at 11am.

chamberdata.net

July 30 (this is tentative): Point Park Marketplace. Times TBA, but I plan to be there sometime early in the day. This coincides with Market Vendor Fair, so come down even if you don't want to buy a book! BY THE WAY: You can now purchase all my books at the Marketplace. Same great price.

September 30-October 1: Pullman Square in Huntington. I'll have a sale booth at the Ohio River Festival of Books. Exact times are TBD.

October 28-29: West Virginia Book Festival at the Charleston Civic Center. This is a huge event with dozens of booths, along with big name authors doing readings. There are also always activities for kids, lots of giveaways, and a gargantuan used book sale.

Hope To See You June 25!

I'm glad to be back in Parkersburg, though I really enjoyed my week in Louisville. I met some new friends and had a lot of fun. I hope Kansas City is just as fun next year. But now that I'm back, I can start promoting my new book in earnest.

Toward that end, my first big event is a signing next Saturday, June 25 at the new location of J&M's Used Bookstore on Division Street. It's just a few doors down from Kroger, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding it at all. I'll be there from 11am to 2pm, and I hope to see you there.

I'm also planning to do signings at all the local libraries and anywhere else that would be interested. I'll let you know when I get those set in stone.

I also plan to have an online launch party in the next couple weeks. That's where you come by and visit me cyber-style. It'll be on Facebook and you just drop by my author page during the designated time and check in. There will be trivia games and giveaways. Unfortunately, the only refreshments will be holographic meatloaf, but you can show up in your underwear and no one will care.

Finally, I want to share that I've figured out the general outline of my next book. The big news on that is that it will not be a Shalan Adventure. It won't be a detective book at all. It's all about a 16-year-old girl name Elizabeth Janeway, known as EJ to her friends, who loses her mother in a freak accident, only to discover that, despite what her mother had told her all her life, her dad is not only alive, but he is a powerful businessman and the mayor of a nearby city. I worked out the plot last week and I have to say I'm excited. I think it has potential to be a book of note--if I can just write it. I will definitely be shopping it to agents and publishers rather than publishing it independently, as I do with Harry and Dee. For Shalan fans, have no fear--I plan to continue their story. I'm just taking a break to work on something a little more literary in nature.

So what can you expect from Harry and Dee? Well, the plan is to release a new e-book-only novella. I believe this will be a second prequel that tells the story of their wedding and his hanging up his shingle in Parkersburg. It will pick up where "Harry and the Redheaded Angel" left off and tie into the beginning of Harsh Prey. After that, I have a vague idea for a spinoff series for Jenn.

So that's all the news that fits from here in the land of Joe. I hope to see you on June 25 or some other venue soon. I'd love to sign your copy of Dawn of Grace.

Dawn of Grace Is Here!

I'm in Louisville, so this will be a short post. I just want to let everyone know that my new book, Dawn of Grace: A Shalan Adventure is out and now available to order in paperback and for Kindle. To order the paperback from Createspace (the best way to order is directly from the printer), go here. If you would prefer to read it on Kindle, just go here.

The first place you'll be able to buy it in person will be at J&M's Used Bookstore on June 25, where I'll be doing a signing from 11am to 2pm.

Have a great week and thanks for your support!

PS--in case you missed it, here's the trailer for the book:

More DAWN OF GRACE News!

It looks like we're in for a rainy day today, which is okay with me. Yesterday was busy outside and inside both. I went target shooting with my pistols in the morning with my fellow enthusiasts. As an interesting side note (well, interesting to me), the two pistols I own are the same two that are owned by Harry and Dee Shalan. That's obviously not a coincidence. I own and am familiar with these two partly so that I can write about them and not sound like an ignorant rube. But anyway, after I got home, I finished draft four of Dawn of Grace and began the final proofreading read. I didn't get far, though, because then it was time to help my dad with the yard. So I slept well last night.

But since today is going to be quiet, my goal is to finish my final polish and start the submission process with Createspace. I won't be able to finish it because I don't have the cover photo yet, but by the end of today, literally everything else should be complete and ready to set up. I've already done all the formatting--I put it in the correct format two drafts ago so I wouldn't have to worry about it. The acknowledgement page is finished, as is the end-of-book stuff. So once I get the cover art, it will be one step and the book will be ready for final proofing and then ordering.

This is the original location of J&M's.
The new, huge store is in the Kroger/
KMart plaza in south Parkersburg
and will open June 11.

Why am I telling you this? Because it means that you'll soon be able to pre-order Dawn of Grace: A Shalan Adventure. And it means that, assuming no major disasters between now and then, you'll be able to put your hands on a copy for the first time on June 25 at J and M's Used Bookstore, where I'll be doing a signing from 11am to 2pm. And it finally means that you'll be invited to my launch party sometime in July.

I have to say that, even on the fifth thorough reading, I'm still finding proofreading and typographical errors. I know that the previous four drafts were not done primarily for the purposes of proofreading, but it still amazes me that areas that I hadn't touched in subsequent drafts and therefore have been exactly as is since I initially wrote the manuscript have words missing, wrong words, etc. So, as I get deeper and deeper into this writing thing, I'm realizing more and more just how important multiple drafts, each for a different reason, are vital. If only I had known then what I know now, my first book might have been a lot better. But the past is past and I'm excited about the future. I hope you are too.

Hopefully, this will be you reading my
new book and trying to decide what
glowing words to say about it in your
review on Amazon.

So it's sincerely my hope that I'll be in touch as early as tomorrow to ask if any of you would be interested in a pre-read in exchange for an honest review. If you agree to do that, I'll send you a signed copy of the book absolutely free. This offer is open starting now and I'll take the first twenty people. All you have to do is comment on here or send me an email. Or you can wait until I officially announce it in the next day or two. Thanks in advance for considering it.

PS--Don't forget that if you've read and enjoyed my previous three books, two of the greatest things you can do to help me are to tell your friends and to write reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. As an independent author, all the ads and events in the world don't do half what word-of-mouth and reviews can do to help me be successful.