Polishing the Work

It can take time, writing anything worth reading. It takes more time trying to get it published.

I've gone to conferences, talked to other authors, pitched to agents from New York to Los Angeles.

All trying to find the key to getting my work out into the public.

Which was easier when I was building cars. I would slog through the rough, nasty work of cutting, patching, repairing bodies and engines. It's rewarding, turning junkers into jewels. Jumping into the driver's seat, firing it up for the first time and driving down the road.

Even if you customize it, it's still not completely your car.

I've built cars that were socially unacceptable as an expression of my vision. Visually jarring, they made more of an impact on people than the car-show-smooth road kings. Still it was the reworking of someone else's work.

So I've gone back to writing, taking photographs and making videos.

When writing a story I've found that I can get closer to the true act of creation.

Nothing we do is pure, as there is always the element of structure, previous work or movement that carries on the history of the format.

When it's done, going back over it, tuning it up, polishing out the last little rough spots.

That's when you know if it's labor or love.

I'm polishing "Glitch".

It will be out this year, if I have to publish it myself.