Not An Event Writer - Writing Update by Greg Luti
- Greg Luti
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
A writing update that offers an honest look at how one writer approaches publishing. In “Not An Event Writer,” Greg Luti explains why he prefers a low-key way of sharing new work over building hype, and shares his current focus on finishing *Little Fires* and returning to *Hit of Henry*.
Not an Event Writer
I learned an important lesson about my writing this past week, and that is I am not what you would call an event writer. There will not be a time when I write a book and then spend the next few months getting you all excited for it. I will probably just give you a link to the book, a summary of it and then just move on. That’s how I prefer it. If you want something that’s already out, here it is
I know there are some writers who like to make a big deal when they write up a new book. And for good reason, they are popular writers with large fanbases. I am thinking about John Green and George R.R. Martin and how every time they write on a napkin people stop and ask if that will be the beginning of their next book. And when they write something it feels like they take a world tour promoting the thing. As though they are a band like U2. If they are going to go around the world to promote their next release, can they at least go to Antarctica and clear up that nonsense about the ice wall and maybe give us some insight on dragons. (The Ice Wall Dragon does sound like a name of a George R.R. Martin) Anyway, I digress….
If you are one of those writers who makes a killing with this approach, then good for you, because that is one way of going about it. But as for me, I don’t like sitting on one book, and then promoting it everywhere. Can you imagine me going on a tour for the book? I would probably make a joke about Van Halen doing this too, but with more guitar and tighter pants.
The Other Kind of Writer
Luckily for me, there are writers that have a different method to their success. Those are the writers who glue their hands to the office desk, and don’t stop until the words are done. That or they take some Adderall to stay up for crazy amounts of hours…. Either way, there are writers who value the productivity of their stories rather than business aspect.
I look up to them for their persistence with their stories and how even after they write a hit, they go back to the typewriter, or laptop, or whatever it is they use. They just keep writing, and son of a gun, some of those words are not half bad either. I tam talking about Stephen King, and James Patterson here. Sure, that one book they wrote was loved by a lot of people and new readers are being introduced to the writer through that book now, but the writer wrote a book in the meantime, and it is now available too. I like that approach. I actually know more about how they write, more than what they write, if that makes sense.
Learning from King and Patterson
Stephen King writes, count it, 2K words a day for his daily writing. That is about 8 pages, if you consider the modern novel contains about 250 words per page. Patterson is all about formula. He finds a story, probably one with a crime, and then develops the story more than the words themselves. His outline may be longer than the book he is writing (which I have some disagreement with, but that is for another day) Both have a clear plan for how they write so much, and I try to learn from both.
The major lesson is not everything will be a masterpiece. Heck, not everything will be even good. But that doesn’t mean the enthusiasm towards the craft should change. King didn’t stop once he wrote a bestseller. Patterson is still outlining stories with guest writers as we speak. The dedication to the craft is worth more than any sale amount, and I respect that about them.
What I’m Working On Now
Now let’s get to what I am actually writing, once I am done with my flash fiction collection, which only needs a proofread, I am stuck between finishing a book I have been on for awhile, or working on other more recent works, that are more in my head.
I will probably go with current novel, and get it over with already. I already discussed here my theory on story development and creation. I don’t think the story stays in a person’s head the same way over time. The creation is sudden, and that moment the writer feels as though they really have something. Then a week goes by, maybe two, and the writer is still feeling pretty good about the book. By the end of the first month, the book is just there, a project to complete. The emotion behind it is all but gone. It is best to grab the inspiration when you have it, and when it leaves, use your expertise as a storyteller to trim the fat and refine the tale.
I heard some writers talk about inspiration for their pieces be very sudden, and almost as though they were given it by some un-seen force, but no one ever focuses on the moment the feeling is gone. I think that happens to writers all the time. I know it does to me. I will be honest, I am at that point with my novel Hit of Henry. I have been with it for so long, that I just want to get the damn thing done with already.
Where Are the Stories?
I gotta admit a weird trend happening on this site, and I just noticed it. There are no freaking flash fiction pieces or poetry here recently. What is this nonsense, with only writing updates and advice? Where are the stories? I…. I don’t know. I guess I had one, didn’t decide to write it, then had another, chose sleep instead, and then had another and for some reason didn’t write it up either. I don’t particularly like that I have not been writing any of those on the site. I will try to get back into doing it. I want to blame the publication of my flash fiction book coming out, but that is a lousy excuse.
Good news this week; I did not miss any writing contests. I didn’t apply to any of them, but hey I can’t say I missed any deadlines. It is kind of like the off-season for a sports team. I didn’t lose any games, but that is mostly because I didn’t play any of them.
Upcoming Books
I would expect Little Fires, which is the name of my flash fiction book, to be coming out in the next few weeks. After that, it is Hit of Henry.
Overall, I have been using this past half week to get some rest. I have been kind of run down lately and I just needed a few days to not write or do much. Did you know that you cannot write a story while you are asleep? Yeah… that is a fact. It turns out that you can get the story idea, but there is no way for you to write the words down. Also, the sleepier you are, the more minor mistakes you make. The words you would never put into the sentence are there, and nonsense is added for no apparent reason.
Get Some Rest
You probably know what I am going to tell you to do this week, as something to take with you. Get some rest brother. My god. I can see the black under your eyes. You are falling over at the table. Don’t tell me about Redbull or coffee, or some ingenious way you are fighting the exhaustion. You need sleep. I need sleep. We all need some sleep. So do yourself a favor, and go get some. Come back to me when you are fully rested and ready to give your all. Don’t worry, the stories will still be there when you get back.
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