Hey folks, I was surprised to find out today that November is National Novel Writing Month (also known as NaNoWriMo). A creative writing project held annually in November in which participants attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. Despite the name, the project is now international in scope. SO if you’ve got a book itching inside, this might just be your motivation to GET IT OUT!
As for me, I am making great progress on my final draft of Flashpoint and though I have not managed to work on it every day, I have been much better at balancing my life and setting aside at least an hour to write several times a week. I have to be flexible of course, but it is a priority. If I want to live my life as a successful author, I may as well start acting like one!
On a harder note, someone recommended I read the book The Lost Symbol. Because of the friend who suggested it, I had assumed it was another obscure book written by a scientist, so I looked it up. I was surprised to find it’s the new best seller from Dan Brown. It is another action-suspense, but geared all around current day Noetic sciences (a branch of metaphysical philosophy concerned with the study of mind and intuition, and its relationship with the divine intellect), conscious universe and one of the lead characters is a female scientist at the Institute at Noetic Sciences!!! I felt a bit punched in the gut. I have been beaten to the finish line -by a better writer and a hugely famous one to boot.
Not only is my book action-suspense riddled with current day quantum physics and rooted in Noetic sciences… but I too have a (minor) character based on an IONS scientist: Senior Fellow Dean Radin. I was hoping to bring much national attention to IONS… and Dan B. has multiplied their numbers 10 fold in the 3 weeks since his book was released….
I have not read his book yet, and though I am very interested, I think I’ll hold off for a while. From what I can tell, it’s a sort of “Davinci Code” formula around Conscious universe science instead of religious history. I’m sure it’s a great book. Dan Never lets us down 🙂
…But wait, Does this mean I should give up? … Although I am discouraged… and my once unique book now looks like a follower (even though I interviewed Dean Radin -see our photo on the research page- and wrote Flashpoint long before I heard about The Lost Symbol), could it be that Dan has opened up a huge door for me? Being an International bestseller has put him as a safe bet for publishers to take what might otherwise be considered a huge risk -venturing into “metaphysical” territory for a big seller. The world already knows he’s a great story teller that packs a huge amount of intellect into his books. He broke comfort zones and expanded minds every where with The Davinci Code… Now he’s doing it with even more powerful concepts -rooted in science.
Will Dan’s big name success with this “new thought/science” entertainment make publishers much more open to taking on a story like mine written by an (as of yet:) virtually unknown author?
I think it will. Although I may have lost the new-ness edge of noetic science/new thought/action-suspense, I still have a different angel than Dan. Again, I have not read his latest book yet… but it’s description depicts his tested formula of secret/threat/intense pressure/revealing major revelations to mankind/this-could-change-the-world amazing finish. Again, I have no doubt he delivers the goods as usual.
Where I think my story differs is, I bring the reader experientially THROUGH these concepts with my character rather than just conceptually from the outside view. What does it feel like to EXPERIENCE a consciously connected world? And, what are some things we can do with it? I take what Noetic sciences is proving, then take it a few steps further based on my own experiences, experiences I’ve heard of others having and the beginning of what I believe we truly can do with this powerful knowledge. -Plus, I have a very unique and powerful love story in Flashpoint demonstrating how completely we are connected in the fabric of consciousness -it blows Dan’s love stories out of the water 🙂
A friend asked me recently; “…what do you do when you hit moments of discouragement?” I have been discouraged several times in a variety of ways on this journey writing Flashpoint… Am I a good enough writer? Do I have enough story content? Are my characters real enough? Is this too “out there”? Did I miss my window?Did The Lost Symbol beat me to the punch?(ouch :(… ) … but I feel so deeply in my core that this is my purpose… I can’t help but keep looking for the silver lining, keep working at it -and never give up!
Have you read The Lost Symbol? What did you think?
Below is an excerpt from Flashpoint -a little taste of what love and the power of thought, can do…
With Love
Jamie
P.S. as always, please feel free to comment below. Let me know what you think:) Do you like my blog? Is there something more specific you’d like to see? more/less?
Enjoy…
“…Grayson shook his head… fool he thought and turned back to his work and tried to focus. Suddenly she was in his mind again. That beautiful woman from the park. The woman he could barely stop thinking about but had not been seen since that day. He leaned back in his chair, put his hands behind his head and let himself be taken away by his memory of her. The glow of her skin, the intensity of her green eyes. The way he admired her as he watched her better the world one little piece at a time. This woman… this captivating beautiful woman, had been on his mind a lot lately. Maybe too much to be considered right. But he couldn’t help it. She tugged at him in a way he’d never felt. He was drawn to her. He didn’t understand it … but he liked it… immensely.
As he replayed the day he saw her in the park over and over in his mind, his heart swelled with the thought and feel of being near her.
Suddenly he saw something different.
He saw her as if she were right in front of him. She had her eyes closed and her soft pale hair was loosely bundled back. Instead of the brilliant sunlight of the day in the park, there was darkness and a warm glow as if surrounded by candlelight and he swore he could smell a faint scent of rose and lavender. He was suddenly overcome with a brief wave of deep sadness, and thought he saw a flash of her with tears streaming down her beautiful stricken face making him suddenly ache deep in his heart.
Still he could not look away. He felt the need to stay with her… he wanted to soothe away her tears, hold and comfort her. Reassure her that she was not alone.
Now her face looked so serene. He wanted to touch her, to feel her silken hair, to caress her soft cheek. He was surprised at himself. He had never felt this way about a strange woman before, but he had such a desire to kiss her he could almost feel her soft full lips.
He didn’t realize he had closed his eyes and leaned in as if to taste her more deeply. This woman felt so incredible, he didn’t even know her name and yet he could feel her in his depths in places he never knew he had. Depths that had been touched and awakened when he first saw her smile at him.
Feeling as if his lips were truly pressed against hers, moving and gently tasting, he felt lost from everything he’d ever known, but so blissful he could have been kissing a divine angel. How could such a magnificent creature live on this earth? She didn’t seem to belong here.
Shocked at himself he shook his head again and quickly rubbed his face. What was he thinking? Feeling such a soul shuttering kiss when the woman was no where to be found… was not possible. He convinced himself he must have some how imagined it or was simply experiencing strange effects from exhaustion. Looking down at his computer with firm resolve he managed to stay focused on his work till the early morning hours, doing his best to keep her from invading his very soul and every waking moment. He tried desperately to keep her out… but it was futile. Somehow he felt from then on, he could never be without her.
Avlyn, still soaking in her bath, her eyes closed and her head turned as if someone had just kissed her deeply, passionately, suddenly opened her eyes and looked around the room. She thought she felt… someone. Someone kissing her with such passion she could feel her lips tingling and her soul stirring…. but no one was there. She sat up and searched the room further. There must be someone here… how could she have felt…?
She stopped.
She closed her eyes. I must be VERY tired… she thought.
Reaching for her towel, she climbed out of the tub and readied herself for bed….”
