The Extreme Regime That Will Lead to My Dream

It's been two years since the release of my last book Justice In Time. Monday 18 February 2019 - I had an idea

I had an idea for a TV series but figured it'd be best to start off with writing the book version first. It's more marketable and easier to sell a book than a TV series, even in this day and age. In the United States alone, $675 million print book unit sales were recorded for 2018 with a global e-book publishing revenue of $12.32 billion.

So I started writing my first novel and in five weeks, I wrote 562 pages, based on my thematic idea. I trimmed off 172 pages that I could develop in the future if I was to write a sequel/second season. Weeks ensued, filled with tightening events and action scenes, editing at the same time. Slowly and rigorously, even at this early stage. The ending constantly changed, so did the conflict and the character motivations. I didn't want to go to bed because I wanted to know what was going to happen next and only until I continued losing myself in the flow of writing, did the surprising twists and turns emerge in ways I had no idea I could imagine.

But I wanted more! I've always written my books, had them edited, graphics designed, published... DONE! This time around, I want my readers to FEEL. I want them to be immersed in the conflict, tension and emotion. Make them part of the journey that leaves them feeling so involved, they'll remember it for a long time to come.

Pages and pages of flow, a story that creates

It turns out there's so much I don't know about writing. Even after writing some 15 books and publishing three, what a joke to think I knew how to write! On researching and studying conflict, tension and emotion... the whole literary world opened up before my eyes.

Five months and 21 days later... I've learnt the ins and outs of dialogue structure and tags, grammar, slang, idioms, similes, metaphors, paragraphs, how to create a character sheet, internal and external goals, internal and external conflicts, self-concepts, motivation, setting, descriptions, how to prevent info dumps and instead, involve the reader into helping them form their own interpretations, link up events, how to show and not tell... AND so much more! Who would have thought there was so much more to it? Since the day I started, I've gone hard. Up to 19 hours a day in one sitting. Some days it's too hard to want to stop and get something to eat. I'm so involved. Reality is lost, too HARD to separate this story world from my existence. Although there's always an exception when my little bogan felines are hungry and they don't stay hungry!

Roadie keeping me company for hours on end!

Recently I did a second edit and changed every page from first perspective to third and boy, did that take a long time! A good three weeks of working long hours everyday, every minute I possibly could. In the process of this project, I've downloaded 1506 newspaper and journal articles, research papers, annual reports, reviews, inspections, investigations, policies, statistics, gazettes, legislation ... and the long process of learning everything there is to know about the subject of my book has started. My first work of fiction. The original deadline was September but who am I kidding? It'll take at least to the end of the year to implement everything that I've learnt about professional novel writing and there's still so much more to learn. So much to do, plan, write, research, think and edit.

BANG! It's already August. Where has my time gone? Never in my life have I been able to focus so well. A lifetime spent flitting from project to project, idea to idea. But I've done it this time.

I finally know my WHY

I don't know a single person who knows their WHY... which leads to life fulfilment, happiness, passion, dreams and goals. It's the why you get up in the morning to keep going, why you remain so enthusiastic, passionate, goal-focused, maintaining a strong belief in your abilities to finish what you've started. And that last part... HA! Yeah... I've never been an expert at finishing a project I start. Now I need to learn how to slow down and enjoy the journey. Inhibit the impulsivity and impatience. Turns out it just can't be rushed. The majority of what I'm learning, regardless of whether this project succeeds or fails, can always be implemented in a huge range of industries... or my next book.

The energy in a book can change lives

Never been so obsessed and I feel blessed My passion is my reason, the why that I try Few let a goal take control of their soul Five months and three weeks of improving my techniques Research and writing whilst time I’m fighting Learning to edit to my credit Up to 19 hours a day, awake that I stay even all through my holiday Easily 1000 hours as my life it devours I’ve never worked as hard in this regard If I don’t try I can’t fail If I don’t fail I can’t prevail I know what I want and I’m so confident That if I believe I can achieve This extreme regime will lead to my dream #CellDoors2019