Guest Blog by Lee Thompson!

If you don't know who Lee Thompson is then you should take the time to learn who he is. Lee is a helluva writer who has been all over the digital world promoting his inaugural novel Nursery Rhymes 4 Dead Children from Delirium. Today, he stops here at The Obituary and discusses the importance on forming a plan, and sticking to your guns no matter what outside voices tell you. And now, my good friend, Lee. 

On Forming a Plan (and more importantly, following through)

By Lee Thompson

When I first started writing in 2005 my plan was simple: Write a great book, find an agent to sell it to a big house for a sizeable advance and retire from regular work and just write. It was a nice dream and one that has morphed into another simple (and more realistic) plan.

The last few years my plan became not so much about ‘an agent’ and ‘a big house’ but the forging a reputable small press could offer, one where my heroes have published, one where quality means something and originality is valued. I had a good long think because my new plan was so different from what I’d originally wanted. Having an editor who really digs your work and believes in you is amazing. My publisher gives me that. He’s easy to talk to and works as hard as anyone I know so there’s a lot of respect that stems from that. It’s interesting to hear what goes on behind the scenes, to be privy to the inner workings of the book industry and just sit to think about it all, how it mirrors any other decision, any other relationship.

I’m not one for keeping the work simple (I want to challenge people’s imaginations and intellect) but my business plan is something a child could understand. I want to sell novels and novellas to Delirium, a collection to Chizine or Cemetery Dance, and short work to magazines I love like Shock Totem, Dark Discoveries, Apex, Black Static, etc. I receive an intense amount of pleasure from sharing pages with my heroes. I get off on proving to myself that what I create is worth people’s money and time. Simple. And though I’ve had friends and peers tell me I should get an agent, I don’t want one. Me and my buddy Shaun talked about ‘pandering to the reader’ not too long ago, and that’s not something I will do. I’m not going to spoon-feed anyone or spell things out. I’m not that kind of writer and never will be. My path is my path. I’m stubborn because I know what I want. I’m always very specific (I think that is one of the keys to finding happiness and satisfaction.)

Your plan with writing, or life, is yours. But do you really know what you want? Does it waver? Is it rock solid even in the midst of people you care about and respect telling you that you could make better choices?

Knowing where you want to go is super important. Knowing your motivation is important, discovering your personal truths essential.

Following through is where the real work begins. I love writing “The End”.

To me, following through is simple because I know this: I love creating and if I want to sell another book to Delirium I have to write and edit it first.

I have to challenge myself to grow so even if it’s not accepted at least I’ve learned something about myself and the craft. I have to push distractions from the path; they’re nothing more than obstacles, or things that can wait, or fear of failure.

Once the work is out there it’s everybody’s not just ours anymore. Some people might handle our children roughly, some people aren’t going to think they’re as precious as we do. Some people might not like them at all. It’s the way it goes, just like not everyone thinks you’re witty or beautiful or rich. Tastes vary. But connecting with your audience, that’s something special. When people you don’t know send you emails and tell you that you shook them up, maybe even haunted them a little, that’s wonderful.

Figure out what you want in life and go get it. Write and edit. Get the work done. It’s what professionals and satisfied people do.  Having a specific plan will force you to focus like no one’s business (but your own), which is always a good thing.

-Lee Thompson


Thanks to Lee for stopping by. Continued success, my friend!


To order a copy of Nursery Rhymes 4 Dead Children go HERE.

To learn more about Lee you can find him at the following sites:

http://alongthispathsodarkly.blogspot.com  (Website)

http://www.facebook.com/ScaryAndSlightlySadStories?ref=ts (Facebook Fan Page)

http://twitter.com/#!/LeeThompsonFic (Twitter)