Overview

When I began my writer's life officially, in 2010, a goal took form in my mind about where I wanted it to go. Writing one hundred books over the next ten years seemed like a reasonable venture, so I began. Eight years later, two years ahead of schedule, I have achieved this publishing-writing goal. It is now time to re-evaluate the progress that this means to me. This book, "The Writer's Life," is my effort to put this all in perspective, or retrospective, and look at the next ten years, for what to expect. In my writing so far, I have taken the roles of: Storyteller, Poet, Psychologist and Mystic. Each of the 100 books was written in one of these four voices. As you read this book you will recognize these four voices, or categories of endeavor. The writing style is journal-like, personal and spontaneous. It is filled with insights gained over a life dedicated to the written word. An appendix or Postscript will give an overview of all my published works to date, and put them in context.My immediate goal in this project of "The Writer's Life, ' is to promote and develop the body of work so far produced. There are three avenues for this task: a local group here at the Lake Community. A course in Writing/Publishing at the adult education center, and expanded promotional effort with my website, Creative-Publications.com. Over the past ten years, my book sales have gone from 50 books sold a month, or just less than two a day, to as high as 100 books sold a day in the month of September, 2015. That was when the Sam Ogden Mountain Man Series was fresh and going like wildfire. Somewhere in between those two extremes, is what would feel reasonable. But, writing in series format has been the best way to engage readers to follow my works. This book, "The Writer's Life," will serve as a template for my future outreach, my promotional work. It will begin with my Website, doing updates and refinements. From there, creating a group with the Lake Community, with the same basic agenda, set forth in the present small volume. This same template will serve as coursework for the local adult education program, to put together a short writing course through their marketing. The purpose of these marketing plans will be to eventually establish a program for writing and journal work. This will help promote personal growth and excitement during the years of retirement.I anticipate doing this same process of reflection ten years into the future, hopefully looking back from another writing milestone!