Babbling into the vacuum of cyberspace. I love that phrase, which is not original with me, but appeared in an online article written by Caitlin Dewey and Abby Ohlheiser about some guy who used to blog about his strange views on women. Maybe two people read his posts. Babbling into the vacuum of cyberspace. I just love it. What else am I doing here?
The Knowing Ones advise us writers to keep a blog and post to it regularly, at least weekly. Maybe even block out what you’re going to be talking about for the next year or so. And yet here it is Friday, and I haven’t anything really to say. So I’m sitting here thinking about my writing career. Did you ever notice how much embarking on a writing career is like climbing a cliff? You can’t just hang there on the side of the damned cliff. You have to keep going.
Where am I right now? Still struggling up the cliff. Here’s my blog. (Everybody says you need a blog.) Here’s my web site (www.kategallison.com). The new spy thriller, FIREBOMB, needs a tiny tweak or two and then it’s set to go. I need an agent, because although I can always put up an ebook, I don’t want to. I mean, both of you are reading this for free. Probably only one of you will shell out money for the ebook. So I would make something like $2.50 for a year’s work, because I am absolutely no good at promoting my own work.
I love my friends, but not all of them want to read my stuff. Somewhere out there are readers who are strangers to me but who would be pleased to read a novel about a ring of German espionage agents in New York City in 1915, and how an out-of-work movie stunt girl brought down their network. It’s just a matter of getting it in front of them.
And now I’m starting in on a sequel about the spies who came here after the United States actually got into the war. The newspapers of the day were full of amazing lurid stories, some of which might actually be true. Seductive beauties with connections in high places. New York society ladies secretly supporting the Fatherland. Amazing stuff. All grist to my mill.
Enough babbling for today. Back to work.
Kate Gallison, Writer 