Welcome to Thunderdome

It's sort of amusing... These people I have reading it said, "I'm a little afraid to do this.... If I don't like it, I don't want to hurt your feelings."

But we aren't having that problem.

You're wrong and you're poking at a sensitive spot but I dont feel the need to defend myself so gfy.

I'm going to name a shitty character after you.

It's hard to not to tease you when you soft ball them in there like that. (The comeback should be blatantly obvious, but since you appear to be acting all thin skinned...)

Now maybe you're goofing around, maybe not, but let me get this out there.

If you think anything I've said is malicious, that's on you. Can't help you there. You should know by now I support your endeavors and wish you nothing but success. However, that doesn't mean I'm going to blow smoke up your ass or treat you like you're special or better in some way. You're not.

I don't care if you get as rich and successful as JK Rowling or just become another of the thousands or tens of thousands of people who publish a book and never find that fame and/or success. I will always treat you the same. I will mock you when you need mocked and I will give you credit and respect when you earn it. Both things you have earned in the time I've known you.

And this all goes both ways. If any of my films take off, the last fucking thing I ever would want are people I already know changing how they act around me. Fuck those types of people and fuck the people who want those people in their life. I would fully expect my family and friends to keep my dumb ass grounded by continuing to act the same.

So if you're looking for "Yes Men", you sir, can GFY.

And I do want to remind you that you're about to put your creation out into the world where strangers are going to judge it and will have free reign to say anything they want about it. If some teasing from a friend who wants you to succeed is tough to take...well, the road might get a bit bumpy. Remember, you could be writing the great American novel, and somebody out there is going to think it sucks and you suck for writing it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

EDIT: I wanted to add that I am absolutely envious of you that you had the discipline and time to get this book/trilogy written. I'm also proud of you that you are so confident in it that you're getting it published.

I absolutely look forward to reading it.

This is the "I wrote a huge book in a year in secret and finally wanted to talk about it" thread, not a "it's probably only family who will think it's good" thread. I get being honest, but you don't have any ground to be poking at me, yet. This shit is nerve wracking enough as it is. I suddenly became a sensitive artiste and it isn't easy exposing myself like this.

Phrasing.

Chicks dig me because I rarely wear underwear.

GORDON wrote: I considered initials, like JK Rowling.

Or D.C. Fontana

G. G. Gordon.

Not to hijack your thread, but... my wife finally got a nibble from an agent. They didn't request the whole book, but did request 30 pages... we'll see.

Been there. Even though you know ahead of time to expect 50 rejections before you get accepted, it still ruins your day when you get a "sorry, not a good fit" letter.

But good luck.

Pen name: currently leaning toward S.G. Song. No particular reason, I just don't want to use my real name.

Update?

Had some personal things going on, haven't been able to get to this. Soon, though. It's all but done.

Slowly getting my brain back into a good place to wrap up book 1.

Still contemplating the pen name.

Today I realized I should go with Steve R. R. Gordon. There's a good track record for peeps with those initials.

Not enough people die in your books.

That is incorrect. Without putting too much thought into it... about 20% of the characters die.

On the pen name thing... I don't know that you really need to sweat it too much. Just do what you feel like doing. Dean Koontz used other names because he was pumping out so many novels, he used different pen names with different genres. Do you have prospects for other novels that you think would be hurt by this one? Or is it more likely that any future prospects for novels will be spurred by this one? In which case you'd kind of be stuck with the pen name. I'd lean more towards go with your real name. You've never been one to much give a shit if someone were offended that you might have a viewpoint.

I'm still waiting for my advanced copy. What's the point of being friends with someone unless you get to rub it in people's faces like it somehow makes you superior.

When the book becomes a show on HBO I know just the part for.you.

I'm sure it's meant to humiliate, but giving me fame and financial security wouldn't hurt my feelings.

Actually I was just making that up, I don't know what part you'd fit. There are plenty of evil men in book 1, and what made them successful is that they're charismatic. So.... yeah. I don' tknow.

Submitted for the copyright back in 2017, and they finally got back to me... they said my book wasn't a single work, but a "collection." I responded back politely and said, "Nuh uh," but now I have to wait for the response to THAT. That was 4 days ago and I just tried calling the number they gave me, but they said, "No... you have to wait for the email."

So... yeah. It's nice to have that big loose end dangling out there and I can't do anything about it.

On the editing front, it is really hard to get my head in a good place for editing. But I'm doing my best.