The Flyer is Published

When I was a young fellow, my brothers and I would hike up on the foothills above town on property that my father owned.  We would let our imaginations run wild.  We would act out everything from western battles to space exploration.  Our minds never seemed to lack for a new scenario.  I guess I never really grew up.  My mind is still conjuring up imagined scenarios and stories of make-believe.

Each time I finish writing a story, I feel a sense of accomplishment.  After that I have a feeling of great relief.  Sometimes I marvel about the fact that the story actually came from me.  Next, I begin to think about all the ways I should improve it.  Then I take a breath and pick up the next sketchy idea.  I begin to wonder how I will be able to write that idea into a story that will entice me to read it more than once. 

I’m glad to introduce you to the next book in the Dominion series.  The book is available as an ebook or paperback.  As I wrote it, I found that the Dominion story became more enjoyable with each new addition.  If you decide to read the series, I hope you have the same experience that I had.

Well, onto the next sketchy story idea.
Until next time,
Jene

Dominion 4: The Flyer, a book by Jene Beal

Jethro Abel has become one of the best pilots in the colonial military. He is conscripted by General Asher into a high-stakes assignment. His piloting skills, and his ability to think outside the box, attracts the attention of General Harrison, who invites Jethro to fly for the prestigious Red Squadron. Jethro is made captain and assigned to lead the covert team named the Stingers. He and his people are expected to accomplish the impossible. Jethro and the Colonel finally speak to each other and the lines between them are drawn.

The Flyer is the 4th full length novel in the Dominion series. The Flyer is a fast paced futuristic Science Fiction / Action Thriller.

4 Goals, 4 Months, 6 Books!

After a difficult month, I am happy to say that my new year’s resolution is still holding.  In years past, I allowed so many things to stand in the way of my new year’s resolutions and my goals.  Publishing is always a little intimidating.  It is not the easiest thing to put a creation out for public scrutiny. 

I mentioned this to an artist friend, who feels the same about his paintings.  However, he pointed something out that I hadn’t considered.  Every piece of art, no matter what form, is criticized.  Each piece gathers critics, a few who hate it, fewer admirers who love it or the greatest number who are completely indifferent to it.  Once the creation is out there, the only thing an artist can do is to start the next project. 

Perhaps we can use the criticisms to change how we do that next creation in order to grow the numbers of admirers.  I suppose the lesson is, try to target your market, satisfy the creator inside, present it and then move on.  It’s the Printing business all over again.  I’m always learning from the truths of past lessons and experiences.

Well, I need to get to work so I can reach the next goal.

I hope your goals are working out even better than mine for the year.

Until next time,

Jene

3 Months, 3 Successes, 4 Books

It feels great.  I've kept one more deadline and one more goal (to publish a book a month).  I am looking forward to making the next goal too.  I am feeling hard pressed to finish my next book, but I know I will be able to make it.  Of course, next month's goal is to publish two books.

The characters in The Cadet are just getting prepared for all the books that come after it. For those who read it, I hope that you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it.

So, until next time,

Jene Beal


 

  Dominion 3: The Cadet, a book by Jene Beal
As the forces of Dominion gather against him, Jethro Abel sees the need for more training. He is sent to the academy to receive it. Because of the advice of a friend, Jethro learns to fly masterfully. He learns a great deal more than to just fly. Though they continually search, the Colonel and his people are slow to find Jethro. Once they do, Jethro’s life becomes very complicated.

The Cadet is the 3rd full length novel in the Dominion series. It is a fast paced futuristic Science Fiction / Action Thriller. 

(Relieved) Second in the Dominion Series

I am so relieved to have the second book in the Dominion series published and available.  I'm already finishing details for the publication of The Cadet, the third book in the Dominion series.  I can hardly wait to have them all available.

This book was another short one.  It is a faster read than the first one, or at least it was for me.  I learned a few things from writing this book.  The bad guys are key.

I hope your writing and publishing goes at least as smoothly for you.

Until next time,


Jene

The Guerrilla - Done!

https://www.amazon.com/Dominion-1-Guerrilla-Jene-Beal-ebook/dp/B078XLY6NH

/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1516160815&sr=8-2&keywords=jene+beal

















lDominion 1: The Guerrilla

Can you believe it?  I finally published the first book in my new science fiction series, Dominion.  I’m getting ready to publish the second book in the series next month.

In the meantime, in just a few days, Fixing Love will be available on amazon.com also.

I’ve got a lot happening this year.

Over the next several months, I will be sharing a few things that I’ve learned about writing over the past few years.  Some are simple small things and some are life changing.  Don’t worry, I’m not selling any of that.  It will all be for free.  The only thing I’m selling is my stories.

Until then, Jene

Getting It Done

http://www.jenebeal.com/

What is the most important aim when you start writing the story?  Yes, you want to tell a story.  Yes, you may have a point to make.  However, the most important part about starting a story, is to finish it. 

When I wrote my first novel, it took me ten years to put an ending on it.  I worked on it at least 3 out of the 7 days of the week.  When I wrote, I would be writing for 3 or 4 hours at a time.  I almost never had any problem coming up with something to write, though I did have some days when I didn’t like what I wrote or couldn’t think of anything worthwhile to write about that particular story. 

So, why did it take so long to write that first story?  In the beginning, I would write 10 - 50 pages, then I would read and re-read what I had written.  I could never make it perfect, though I kept trying.  I would change, rewrite, change and rewrite, until sometimes I lost the story I had started with.  Eventually I got frustrated.  I nearly gave up. 

Then I found out that my father was going in for an operation.  I suppose that it caused me to look at my life and the temporary nature of it.  It occurred to me that unless I focused on the work, I would never get anything done.  The weekend before my father was to face the knife, I went camping with my family.  While there, I set my mind to write as fast as I could.  I wrote during the daylight hours.  I wrote by lantern light after dark.  I worked well into two nights of my four-night camp, and finally I finished the story. 

I timidly presented my handwritten work for my father to read while he was recuperating.  I knew that it was far from perfect.  He seemed to think that it was as good as anything else he had read, perhaps even better than most.  I later sent it off to a sister-in-law who typed it.  She also enjoyed it.  Since then, I have edited, rewritten and adjusted the story slightly.  It is pretty much the same story now, as it was the day I finished it. 

The point is, you will never have a story, until you write it to the end.  Once you finish it, you can spend all the rest of your life changing, adjusting or rewriting it if you choose, but the important thing is the story will be written. 

I have met several people who get a good start, but spend the rest of the time starting over again.  Or they fret over the fact that it is not perfect.  Guess what?  I’ve written over 40 80-100,000 word stories now, and every time I read through one of them, I find a billion things to change.  The fact is, an artist is never really satisfied.  Art is subjective.  Our minds see it differently, as we look at it from different angles.  At some point we need to decide to move on.  We have to call the work done, and get started on the next project that will drive up the wall.

Starting and ending a story is easy for me now.  The hard part is the editing and deciding between the point where I’ve created art or have gone too far or not far enough and created a distortion of my art.  Most times I have found that the original inspiration is the closest to what I want.

Whatever you want to do is up to you, but for me, once I start, my goal is to finish.

I hope someone might find my experiences helpful.

Until next time, Jene

Purposeful Interruptions

I have a friend who tells me that writing is a lonely job.  Though I really never feel lonely, I will say that my days are quiet and sometimes I find myself making calls to family members, even when there is nothing pressing to call about.  My wife thought I might get lonely during the day, so she got me a dog.  The dog is deaf and she does a lot of what she wants to.  Most of the time she is trying to force me to play ball with her, just as I find myself right in the middle of the most important parts of the story.  (Of course, each paragraph seems to be equally as important.)  She only does this about three or four times an hour.  Needless to say, she spends more time outside than she would like to.   

That being said, I find myself eating better, making regular trips to the restroom and even doing some of the other things from my "TO DO" list during those interruptions.  I suppose we all need some way to stay on track.  A timer or alarm clock might be easier to take those breaks, but if you are having trouble getting away from your writing before it’s past your bed time, then you might consider getting a dog to drop her ball on your keyboard from time to time.

Until next time,

Jene.