Life is demanding...Ain't that great..."

“Life is demanding…

I have noticed lately that I spend a lot of time worried over the things I have not a chance in Hell of changing. As more and more copies of “Down from the Mountain” are sold and the marketing plan continues to grow I continue to put off the beginning of the sequel. I’ve written the outline, checked out all of the facts and factoids that I assume I will need to complete this new story about Bandit, but for the life of me I can’t sit down and begin.
I didn’t have the same problem with the first iteration. I was full of vim and vigor and charged ahead just as if the writing of the story in my head and heart was going to be a couple of day’s worth of work. It turned into two and one half years…and now three years later I seem to find other busy things to do instead of setting aside a couple of hours a day to work on the new story.
I play with the story line in my head; imagine scenes and their placement in the over all story. Dream of new characters I constantly fret over the old friends and whether or not I will ignore them or at least not give them the credit they deserve.
Back when I was chasing agents hoping for their approval I worried about all of the ramifications of a Query Letter and like a pleading child hoping someone would count me worthy. That was long before I started realizing what the business is all about. Books like "Down from the Mountain" will never find favor with today’s type of literary agents. Read their blogs on PMP and you will see that most are more interested in capturing an already popular and money making writer that they can hopefully bounce into a higher level of royalties (read here advances because most agents don’t have the financial resources to wait for the big payoff of royalties).
Self Publishing isn’t what it was years ago, truthfully its not what it was a year or a day ago. It opens to all a chance to be heard if a person applies the good ole American format of “putting your own money into your own idea”. I am astounded how many agents on this publishing organ try to discourage self-publishing but wouldn’t sign a new writer for love or money. Well maybe if the money is enough.
Back to my original statement…why my fingers aren’t tripping across the pads pounding out Bandit’s new story could be in the fact that I spend too much time trying to analysis a section of the market that for the most part told me to take a hike. I just didn’t have the knack of writing Romance, Politics, Vampires or Thrillers. Yet daily I am finding a growing audience that still loves an old fashion dog story…If you are one of those check out www.thebanditproject.com. My thought for the is week is simply…If you believe something, try it. Try it with all of your heart. Even when you get bogged down..plow ahead…Like I intend to do tomorrow…JMK

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Tools and Inspiration..what a ride......

“About the Author”

I have to admit that the novel Down from the Mountain and the “Bandit Project” are the most satisfying accomplishments I’ve enjoyed in over 50 years in show business.
I’ve had a wonderful time in television and movies, on radio, and by writing, but nothing compares with the sheer joy of writing this novel, and the enjoyment of the book’s success.
If you would like to know more about me I urge you to visit the website IMDB, (Independent Movie Data Base), where there is a list of my movie and television career. Just search for “Jim MacKrell”, and let me add, while you’re there look up your favorite movie or television star. They are all there.
All that aside, last week I had a chance to visit with six people who recently read Down from the Mountain. Their comments and praise filled me with such joy I nearly burst. As the Bandit Project grows so does my appreciation for all of you who’ve made this a success. The comments and letters I’ve received thrill my soul. In the near future I am going to make autographed photos of my star, Falen, and myself available to certain buyers. We are going to have an ongoing contest and promotions that will enhance the enjoyment of all of you who are members of the Project. How do you become a team member and participate in upcoming Bandit Projects? Just visit the link www.thebanditproject.com to buy a copy of our book at a greatly reduced price. You’re in and on your way to helping spread the word about this wonderful dog and his adventurous life. What was your inspiration for writing your book or beginning it. The best email will be published on our website.
Sincerely
JMK

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If tools make the craftsman, then ideas make the poet

Several people have written to ask how I started my novel and what process did I use in writing it.
“Down from the Mountain” started with a dream. Not one of those “wishful” dreams that are mostly hopeful thinking, nor a vision held since childhood about being an author. This daydream was a real story. You lay down to sleep and your mind starts fabricating all sorts of delicious imaginings. Being a person partial to naps, one sunny afternoon here in southeast Texas I curled up on the bed with a gentle breeze drifting through the window to get an hour’s worth of shuteye.
As a semi-state of sleep slowly encompassed me, a story played out in my mind’s eye as real as watching a movie. Totally engrossing, it was complete, a hero, an anti-hero, dramatic movement and what’s more, fraught with suspense and adventure. The story centered on a wonderful dog. An Australian Shepherd working for his master, a Basque herdsman in the gorgeous Absoraka Mountains of Montana. When “The End” scrolled across my imaginary screen, I jumped up, ran downstairs where my wife Cathy was and hastily spilled out all the details before I could forget them.
Excitedly, Cathy urged me to go and write the story down before any of the fine points were lost. After my fingers danced across the keyboard of my Apple and the story came to an end, I sat and reread the material several times. The only problem was the best problem I ever had. I didn’t know anything about what I was talking about. Never visited Montana and I knew nothing about sheep. Having only a passing fancy about Australian Shepherds, Basque or any thing else central to my “dreamed up story” I charged ahead. All of these problems and their solutions added up to the greatest experience of my creative life. In the days up-coming I will explain how these factors that seemed insurmountable at the time forced me into relationships, knowledge and information I would have never deemed possible.
If you have any questions about this blog or my story I urge you to click on the comments link below and I assure you that I will answer each and every inquiry promptly. Thanks jmk

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"Tools make the craftsman...."

Lately, it seems most people are engaging their thinking around the letters, B. C, W, and P. Let’s take them one at a time. Start off with the most used letter and that would be B. B stands for Bitch. You know I am not talking about a female dog here…this is a Bitch in the vein of, “everything is wrong” “No one knows what they’re doing any more.” “Everyone is against me”: well you get the idea.
C is for Complain, much like its former letter Bitch and W of course is for Worry. I don’t think you need examples of that. The big one is Procrastinate. No explanation needed. Here is the good news.
Yet today there are more tools to help writers than ever before. Take Publisher’s Marketplace. Do you think F. Scott Fitzgerald had a daily source of publishing information at his fingertips? How much faster could the greats have worked with that tidy little tool, spell check? With out spell check they would have just stared at their computers, what…? No computers? I don’t even need to get into the research tools available to us, and the speed of communication. Off all these tools one has helped me more than anything else.
I can now check my work for and here is an abbreviated list:

* Overused Words & Phrases
* Repeated Words & Phrases
* Slow Pacing
* Dull Sentence Structure
* Clichés & Redundancies
* Incorrect Homonyms
* Incorrect Readability Levels
* Overused Dialogue Tags

In short, this tool aids in the writing process as you are writing. I couldn’t do with out it. Go visit my friend Nina at www.autocrit.com She even gives you a free evaluation to see if AutoCrit works for you.
You’ll thank me later. So stop your bitching, complaining and worry, Don’t put it off…try Autocrit. You’ll love it. A reader of this blog emailed me to say..the artist (writer) was the most important tool. I believe that what allowed us to escape from the den of the cave was our ability to use and make tools...Good intentions just wouldn't make it with a saber toothed tiger.

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Your corner store is on the corner of the world......"

What is your passion? If you are a writer, and, especially if you are working on or have published a work of fiction, have you ever ask yourself if you are truly passionate about your subject and your characters? The whole world is asking, and they are most interested. The w’s in www stand for something that an awful lot of us have forgotten. World Wide Web. That’s right, By opening your doors on the internet you are opening your door to the world.
I am again reminded, when I look at the analytics for our website, www.thebanditproject.com. All of us have a opportunity to reach the world. Canada, UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Bahrain, Italy, Spain, Finland, Mexico, India and Germany to name a few countries whose folks visited our website just last month. That is a list of countries that have visited us at the Bandit Project. People who are interested in a story about an extraordinary Australian Shepherd and his trials and tribulations on a sheep ranch in Montana.
Every time I receive another report from a reader, especially a reader from one of the aforementioned countries, I am flabbergasted about the passion they have for this story. It’s a passion ripped from the pages of the novel. You see, all of the characters in the book, both human and canine, are passionate about their lives, their work and their story.
My passion for this whole endeavor grows daily. Don’t find a reason to fail. Don’t get caught in the game of rejection. I remember several years back when I belonged to a group of writers in Los Angeles how puzzled I was that this group of hopefuls would congratulate each other for rejection slips like they were badges of courage. As I have matured over the years I began to understand that celebration that I often mocked. Congratulations for doing something, anything, just do it as Nike says. Keep at it. Work on your story and your book. Show some passion, especially to yourself.

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"What a difference, a word makes......"
originally posted: January 29, 2010

Since I started to develop my idea for a story about a heroic Australian Shepherd working in the beautiful Absorka mountains of Montana, over two years ago, I felt the need to avail myself of the wisdom of agents, writers, publishers and other storytellers. I chose to subscribe to Publishers Market Place as a one-stop for information, criticism and inspiration. My choice, as far as I am concerned, was correct. From Automat to Daily News, I believed I was learning all that was important in this business of writing for profit and publishing. Through these pages I became friendly with one agent in particular, not because he represented me, but because of his generous effort of extending sound advice. Chip MacGregor and I have become friends. We’re the type of friends who communicate through emails, his blog and an occasional phone call. I greatly appreciate him and I would have never known of his generosity without discovering him on the pages of PMP. What I am trying to say is that up until a couple of days ago, I would have argued that I was firmly planted on the whys and wherefores of self- publishing, writing and how to carve out a niche for myself in this vast industry. When my novel, Down from the Mountain was released and I could hold a copy in my hands, I assumed the excitement and joy of following through was at its peak. What more could there be? Sales? Those would come. Acclaim. I had already had over 45 years of, what I choose to call "minor celebrity" and found it fleeting and mostly meaningless, but also satisfying in a strange way. It’s nice to be known and noticed. But I never really understood the overwhelming joy of writing until I read a non-solicited comment about my book.

A reader wrote on a blog, “ I was totally infatuated from the first page of Down from the Mountain. I loved the characters; especially that wonderful dog, Bandit, and I must admit I cried nearly for two hours. The story really moved me.”
I was stunned. I grew a new appreciation for what we all do. The power and joy of simply “Words”. A word’s power to move emotions, ideas and passions creates in us all a dutiful obligation to be careful with these powerful objects, and when we do commit them to paper to tell a story or move a mountain, we are most privileged to be a part of the power of words.
I mentioned earlier my long distance friendship (acquaintance) with the Literary Agent, Chip MacGregor, and I would add that I admire his dedication to the written word and the results it can engender.
Speaking of words, I have been blessed with a grandson who is autistic. I say blessed because this remarkable non-verbal young man is struggling with the very act of speaking, forming words so that he can express his wishes and needs and emotions. I love each minute of helping him through his speech therapy and I marvel at his advancement. Through my Matthew I have learned…words, and the ability to speak and write them cannot and should not ever be taken for granted.

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Jim MacKrell - Biography

Birthday: October 12, 1937

Jim MacKrell’s broadcast career has spanned decades and has included every aspect of communications.

For the four years of its run, Jim was the star of the hit NBC game-show “Celebrity Sweepstakes.” He also hosted “The Game Game” (CBS), “Quiz Kids” (Columbia Pictures TV), plus numerous other shows.

Jim’s theatrical credits include such memorable films as Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall,” Albert Brooks’ “Defending Your Life,” “Semi-Tough,” “Gremlins,” “Harry’s War” and “Teen Wolf” with Michael J. Fox. He has had guest starring roles on television in “Dallas,” “Soap,” “Moonlighting.” and “Golden Girls,” amongst over 40 others. His Made For TV movies include “Miracle in Caulfield,” “Walk don’t Run” and “Reason to Live.” Jim was also a regular on “ General Hospital ,” “Capitol,” and “Days of our Lives.”

With acting, hosting, writing and producing highly motivating sales films and to having most of his life laid out in Video Rental Stores across the country, there is not an avenue of entertainment or marketing in which Jim MacKrell has not excelled.