My Creative Process...
The IDEAS...the BOOK COVERS... the E-BOOK.
I have been creative all of my life, and that's over half a century worth of time. In regards to my writing, while on my journey through life, ideas pop into my head for stories, most of which simply get written down on an index card and filed away. When certain ideas pop into my brain however, they keep growing, never letting my mind take a break from them until, before I know it, I have not only an index card filled with information about that particular story idea, but I have brought out my trusty notebook and am full into "outline mode".
And yes, I know that was a very long sentence, but that's just what happens.
What could possibly be happening for these ideas that I believe would make for an interesting story, to just pop into my head? Well, it could be something as simple as hearing a squeak of a door after walking into an antiques store, being intrigued by a simple piece of furniture, and then encountering an unruly child.
That sequence of events is exactly what prompted me to develop the story line that eventually became A SECRET WITHIN.
The IDEAS...the BOOK COVERS... the E-BOOK.
I have been creative all of my life, and that's over half a century worth of time. In regards to my writing, while on my journey through life, ideas pop into my head for stories, most of which simply get written down on an index card and filed away. When certain ideas pop into my brain however, they keep growing, never letting my mind take a break from them until, before I know it, I have not only an index card filled with information about that particular story idea, but I have brought out my trusty notebook and am full into "outline mode".
And yes, I know that was a very long sentence, but that's just what happens.
What could possibly be happening for these ideas that I believe would make for an interesting story, to just pop into my head? Well, it could be something as simple as hearing a squeak of a door after walking into an antiques store, being intrigued by a simple piece of furniture, and then encountering an unruly child.
That sequence of events is exactly what prompted me to develop the story line that eventually became A SECRET WITHIN.
I say, eventually, because over the years that story line went through its share of formats (book, then screenplay, then back to book) and let us not forget the rewrites! I stopped counting after 15 when it was in screenplay format. I eventually published it as a soft-cover book, under the title of, For The Sake of Appearances. And then I eventually completed the sequel to FTSOA, which I titled, The Secret Keepers. Dare I say that all of that took over two decades of my life to get accomplished? Yes, it did, and there, I said it.
At some point in the past couple of years, having the two titles didn't make sense to me, as The Secret Keepers was a much shorter story, so I combined them, and I felt as if I had to retitle it also, and I eventually published A SECRET WITHIN.
A SECRET WITHIN is about a secret within a family, a secret within a house, a secret within a bureau, a secret within a journal...secrets that would change several lives forever.
From this point forward...William thought, the past...at least as we all have come to know it...
Will never be the same.
- William Stephens - from A SECRET WITHIN
A SECRET WITHIN is about a secret within a family, a secret within a house, a secret within a bureau, a secret within a journal...secrets that would change several lives forever.
From this point forward...William thought, the past...at least as we all have come to know it...
Will never be the same.
- William Stephens - from A SECRET WITHIN
Next Comes The Cover...
Most often, immediately after coming up with an idea for a book, whether or not I end up outlining the entire idea, an image for a book cover pops into my brain. Being a graphic designer, and a photographer, is anyone surprised that I do my own book covers? Just a foot or so from where I'm typing this, are two areas where I work on my book covers. One is an antique roll-top desk, and the other is another wooden surface that sits a few inches from a wall, below a window where I set up my still life of sorts to make up my book covers. I snap the shots, go back to my computer and add the text. For years I ignored the technology of the digital camera, and various software programs, but now I have a love and appreciation for them.
Most often, immediately after coming up with an idea for a book, whether or not I end up outlining the entire idea, an image for a book cover pops into my brain. Being a graphic designer, and a photographer, is anyone surprised that I do my own book covers? Just a foot or so from where I'm typing this, are two areas where I work on my book covers. One is an antique roll-top desk, and the other is another wooden surface that sits a few inches from a wall, below a window where I set up my still life of sorts to make up my book covers. I snap the shots, go back to my computer and add the text. For years I ignored the technology of the digital camera, and various software programs, but now I have a love and appreciation for them.
The cover for A SECRET WITHIN shows a leather-bound journal that I purchased at an arts festival. The key on top went to my grandmother's house in Detroit, Michigan. Oddly enough, that same key opened a door in a house that I rented in college, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I've always been fascinated with keys, and so of course I put a very special key on the cover.
The cover for STEALING BACK THE MOON is comprised of a piece of sandstone from the palisades near my ranch in New Mexico, and I honestly can't remember where the leaves came from. The shiny gold round object was part of a very special gathering that can never be recreated and took place over a decade ago. It always reminded me of the moon and that special gathering, so when I wrote the story I kept it on my desk to remind me of how special certain things and times can be.
The cover for NEXT TIME...was an image I took back in the early 1970's of my grandfather's watch, experimenting with a lens attachment I had in my bag of camera equipment. Oddly enough, the lens attachment, amid a plethera of other camera equipment, plus camera bag was something I had purchased from the person I had dedicated the book to; without whom the story never would have been written. The camera, the lens and insect eye attachment, and even my grandfather's watch are long gone, but the photo slide of that image and the memories are fortunately still with me of those people, those things, and my place in time when I took that shot. I knew it would come in handy someday. And when I came up with the story line for Next Time...I knew exactly the image that I would use.
The cover for HIS VESTED INTEREST is of a sketch I made back in the early 1980's. Some folks think it's a self-portrait, but heck if I can remember, and I'm not sure why I would do something a bit risque like that. The woman in the picture, whoever she might be, does somewhat resemble the actress that I would like to see play the character of Jordan Haines, and that actress is Emily Rose. The Ray Ban aviator glasses and case are my father's. While he wasn't an aviator himself, he maintained the planes so the WWII pilots could keep them in the air.
Creating The E-Book...
It's been a long road, through some unusual territory.
The first thing I would like to say about the journey is...
Thank God, the Powers That Be, and certainly last but not least...Mark Coker of Smashwords. Without that troika of sorts, I would not be writing, let alone publishing my ideas in such a wonderful manner. Without the means to be a published author, my scribblings would be destined to sit in dozens of file folders, which would be gathered together in a box, and said box would then be shoved in a closet.
However, because of Mark Coker and Smashwords I am able to publish, and as the case may be, unpublish, my e-books, so that anyone who might be interested can read all the stuff that has been swirling about in my brain over the decades. Even though my dream of being an author came true in 1997, after publishing my first novel (thanks be to Dad, and my Editor, Jan Jackson for her friendship, editing skills and the gentle pushes when I needed them most!), the dream now continues thanks be to Mark Coker and his fabulous team, and wonderful e-book distributors such as Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo and others.
Thanks to everyone...for just reading, whether it is my book or any other indie author's book!
It's been a long road, through some unusual territory.
The first thing I would like to say about the journey is...
Thank God, the Powers That Be, and certainly last but not least...Mark Coker of Smashwords. Without that troika of sorts, I would not be writing, let alone publishing my ideas in such a wonderful manner. Without the means to be a published author, my scribblings would be destined to sit in dozens of file folders, which would be gathered together in a box, and said box would then be shoved in a closet.
However, because of Mark Coker and Smashwords I am able to publish, and as the case may be, unpublish, my e-books, so that anyone who might be interested can read all the stuff that has been swirling about in my brain over the decades. Even though my dream of being an author came true in 1997, after publishing my first novel (thanks be to Dad, and my Editor, Jan Jackson for her friendship, editing skills and the gentle pushes when I needed them most!), the dream now continues thanks be to Mark Coker and his fabulous team, and wonderful e-book distributors such as Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo and others.
Thanks to everyone...for just reading, whether it is my book or any other indie author's book!