The Golden Cord

The Golden Cord

I woke up at 1:30 A.M. and started working on the The Golden Cord, Book One of the Iron Dragon Series. Many hours later I finished going through the corrections from my editor. The final 100 pages weren’t too bad, but these things take time. I was giddy going through the book for the last time. These great moments were tempered with pain and drudgery as I suffered through what has to be the fiftieth time I’ve read this damn book—all 326 pages (105,000 words for you writer types).

I love the book, but it’s a pain in the ass to edit the thing so many times. But this is my first novel and it needed a lot of work. It’s been a journey that started at least six years ago. Since then, I’ve become a better writer and the book has improved a lot—thank God! I’ve already written the other four books in the series, but they need to be rewritten with my new level of skill. Looking over those manuscripts is going to be so much fun. [grin]

I couldn’t have done this without help from my writer friends, Patrick Tracy and Brad Beaulieu. They made the manuscript so much better—as have some other people over the years, namely the SLAG Writers group here in Salt Lake City. Now my editor, John Helfers, has done a great job and helped sharpen it up to the finest point it’s going to have. He came up with some great ideas and I’m eternally grateful to him. A fabulous editor is a wonderful thing and I feel so blessed to have found John. He’s a good writer to boot, so find a copy of Siege of Night and Fire, a cool fantasy that I would describe as Helm’s Deep with a kick ass love story.

So, now comes the final tasks before I send off the manuscript to the publisher. I need to finish the author checksheet which includes a lot of stuff. I’ve already done the front cover flap copy, the author bio, and selected an excerpt for the back of the book. I just need to write catalog copy, the dedication page, and the acknowledgement page. No problem. My author photo is going to be taken next Friday.

Here’s some cool news: the publisher agreed to use the painting by Ciruelo Cabral called Moon Dragon, featured in his 2007 Dragon’s calendar. It’s going to be awesome.

I still have a little more work to do on the manuscript, but the big task is over. For all of you who want to get a novel published I say go for it. Just keep in mind that it’s more work than you can imagine. Would I still do it if I knew then what I know now? Yes. But I would’ve been more hesitant.

My wife and I don’t have kids, by choice, and this book—and all of my writing—has ended up being like my kids. My first baby will be born in April of 2008. That’s seven damn years of being pregnant! And yes, we’re going to have a birthday party. You’re all invited!!!

Have fun writing!

Paul Genesse

Author of
The Golden Cord
Book One of the Iron Dragon Series
Releasing April, 2008

Website: www.paulgenesse.com

Shadows, Pirates, and Pages

Hello,

It's been a little while since I posted and I have no good excuses. However, I've been busy with writing stuff this week. Three big things happened:

1. Brad Beaulieu sent me his short story, Shadows In Mirrors, which will be in the Dimension Next Door anthology from DAW Books. I'll be in that one also.

2.The galley pages from Pirates of the Blue Kingdom came--my story, The Pirate Witch is in it.

3. The big news: My editor sent me the edited manuscript for my novel, The Golden Cord. He's had it for almost four months, but once he started reading it took him less than two weeks to finish.

Wow, what a week. I read Brad's story, which was amazing, and gave him a critique. Not much to fix there. Brad is such an amazing writer. I've also been invited into the same anthology and I have an idea for it--supplied by my buddy Glenn. I'm not spilling the details yet . . . The deadline is months away, luckily.

I managed to read over the galley pages for my pirate story, The Pirate Witch, and found no errors. The bio was fine too. I'm really excited about it coming out and it could go to press around May 15. Life is good. This summer is going be great.

So, the big job, working on my manuscript. I had one night of fear when I saw my editor wanted a new first line/opening paragraph. This news kicked me in the nuts. Hard. The first line had been green-lighted before, but it could always be better--I knew it then and I know it now. I couldn't face rewriting it that first night (Wednesday) when the MS came, but managed to rewrite it Thursday. It turned out well, but the opening will have to be read over by Brad and Pat before I call it done and send it to John.

Now I'm up to page 87 of 323. The comments from my editor, John, are fine, but I have to read through the whole MS and work on a few things. No major changes, thank the Gods!

This whole process is very time consuming, but I'm not too stressed about it. So far, reading over the MS hasn't been that painful. Perhaps I'm excited because this might be the last time that I have to read this entire manuscript. I still like it, but after you've read something so many times it becomes a little tiresome. I'm being generous, it's a big pain in the ass. But, the book is getting better and I think I'm improving the work. John's comments were excellent and now I just have to get it to him by May 18. No problem there.

Once this task is done, I'm back to Medusa's Daughter. I want to finish it by November 1, plus two short stories this year. One short story is due in August, the next in November. I have all the time in the world . . . I just have to believe the affirmation posted next to my computer. It reads: I release all that is unlike love. I have time and space for everything I want to do.

I repeat it in my mind, but now I should really start believing it.