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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

My Reward

Something has been tugging at me, pulling me down the last several days. I haven't felt myself. I tried to sit down last night and couldn't. Today, I figured out what it was. You see, I'm a thinker, a planner. If I see X and then Y, then together they must add up to something. The analytical side of me has this subconscious calculator that says I spent such and such amount of time writing, plus such and such amount of money to publish, that must equal less than so many book sales x so much royalty dollars per sale. Or something like that. The thinker in me expects a return on the investment I made.

That's not why I wrote ON FALLEN WINGS. It isn't.

A friend at work sent me an email today. She was at home and her message to me said something like this. "I'm sitting here bawling. I just finished your book and it was wonderful. You better not make me wait very long for the sequel. I'm so proud and amazed that you created this. I felt like I walked and lived with the characters. Thank you."

I made my friend cry. My book made my friend cry.

A couple days ago, my wife's sister emailed her and said that she had yelled at Rhiannon at one point in the book. Yelled. She was so caught up in the story and could see what might happen next, that she was telling the character in my story to stop.

I don't think I'm that different from anyone who wants to be successful as a writer. My book is out so I keep checking back to see my rankings, to measure how I'm doing against other works like mine. I want to be at the top. I want to be the best. Who measures the best? Amazon? NO. As an artist, my reward is knowing that I stirred something in my audience. To see their tears; to hear their yells; to discover that what I did inspired them to react is better than any amount of money I'll ever make in this adventure. Today, I got my reward. Thank you.

It's time to write.

10 comments:

  1. Okay, this makes me want to read your book more. But I still take paperbacks when I travel, like now, because I don't have to turn them off when the captain announces all electronic devices must be shut down. And I have a big backlog of e-books and taxes to do besides rewriting my own book in 1st person. I hope I can do as great a job as it sounds like you did.

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    1. You should enter my contest to win a paperback copy. Only one entry so far. The odds would be even!

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  2. That is the best feeling, when people get into your story and find connection. It definitely speaks to a job well done!

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    1. It's a fabulous feeling, yes. I,m still buzzing from it.

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  3. Ooooh, that sounds like my kind of story. I should get me a copy and read it. :)

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    1. One reviewer on amazon said it surprised them, in a good way. It's fantasy, yes, but On Fallen Wings is full of heart. I think so.

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  4. Your book just moved up my kindle app :-)

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  5. I have to confess, I"m not an e-reader type. I have the kindle app for my laptop and tried reading it in bed- just not the same. BUT, your story about readers is amazing and there is nothing like hearing that you made a reader laugh, or cry, or think. What a gift. How do I enter the contest to win a copy of your book??? I'm willing to try the kindle app again. :)
    A2ZMommy and What’s In Between

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    1. Tracy, send me an email and I'll get you a signed copy. I love readers! onfallenwings @ gmail.com

      For everyone else: here's the link to that contest: http://jamiemchenry.blogspot.com/2012/03/read-and-reward-giveaway.html

      There's also a contest here: http://thiswritersworldplotbunnies.blogspot.com/2012/04/spring-into-reading-contest.html

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