I actually started writing because of my brother. He's always had an interest in film-making, scriptwriting, and the creative process associated with those two pursuits. Seven years ago he first started mentioning writing as a way to break the shackles of the full-time job.
It was a trip to Washington D.C. that cemented this idea. While I was touring the monuments and museums, I had the idea of a Civil War novel with a detective and his sidekick. When I got back home, I started clumsily writing my first novel. The work was harder than I expected and the end results did not meet my standards of quality either. I obviously had some learning to do. So I continued to write - churning out two more novels with these characters and settings. Submitting this work to a handful of agents and book publishers resulted in no takers so I filed this work away for another day.
Instead, I worked on the books that eventually became Murder at Zero Hour and Of Ghosts and Gunpowder. I not only changed my writing style, I was also able to write with better results.
A few months ago, I started on my 6th book which is departure from my 'normal' historical fiction. With a self-imposed short deadline, I've been working furiously to complete this new science-fiction book. But with the arrival of summer and my various (real world) work schedule, I've been pushing myself too hard. I've hit a wall of creativity and I've realized I have to take a step back from this new book. A short rest will allow my imagination to start flowing again.
So in the meanwhile, I will be revisiting those earlier books and see if I can make something good out of them. Really, I find editing easier than creating new material. So with any luck, I can push out my first book but have some much improved writing and character development. Stay tuned!
