Apology

I'm sorry. Really. That wasn't fair.

I'm talking about my posting (on Friday) that first page of a new story I'd thought about.

But thank you very much, all you who chose to comment, email me privately, or even call me on the phone(!). You were uniformly supportive, and I appreciate it.

Trouble is, many of you are wanting to know what happens next. And although I'd LOVE to tell you all my whole story outline (if I had it ALL worked out, which I don't -- it's just kind of a bare-bones outline at this point) I really don't want to reveal my core idea on this public blog.

Why -- am I afraid someone might steal it?

Well... Yeah, a little.

I REALLY like the idea, and I don't think it's been done, exactly. I'm going to need some help with the technology; but it's not science fiction, so anybody could use it the way I'm planning to.

I've learned that I'll need a good first page that grabs the attention of (first) an agent, and (then) an editor at a publisher. Books that don't grab you until page ten have little chance these days of ever getting past an agent's slush pile.

Why? Well, selling books is a business. If people pick up a book at a bookstore while browsing and flip to the first chapter, they're going to put it right back on the shelf if they aren't interested in the first page or so.

At least, that's the theory. Under that theory, a LOT of classic, good literature would NEVER have been published. But it's the way things are today.

So, that's my excuse for Friday's post. And my excuse for not posting the next pages, and then the next, is that I hope to offer a finished book for sale (or for representation by an agent) by the end of the year, and if it's already been put "out there" for public consumption on my blog, it's not considered sellable.

So, readers, I apologize. I won't "tease" you like that again.

Well... Maybe I will tease you with OTHER stuff, but not with something I can't later offer you gratification on.

Deal? Apology accepted?

I hope so.