≡ Menu

It Started Like This…

First outline for The Telling, Spring 2010

First copy received, May 3, 2012

Today, I was surprised to receive my first actual print copy of The Telling. I tend to downplay such events, the perpetual wet blanket that I am. But holding the finalized, physical product reminded me how very hard, and very rewarding, this journey’s been. Anyway, I rummaged through some stuff until I located the very first outline I ever developed for the story (pictured above). It’s a patchwork of names and places and scenes, some of which remain, scrambled about in apparent incoherency. (Make sure to zoom in for full effect!) You’d think in an age of digital notebooks, cellphones, and PC’s that one needn’t scribble notes on a legal pad. But, hey, that’s how it fell out. Who woulda thought that from those ragged notes a novel would be born. Thank you, once again, to the folks at Charisma House for making this happen; to Debbie Marrie, Debra Moss, Alton Gansky, and all the wonderful people who have made this possible.  I’m forever indebted. Now I can hear my agent in my head encouraging me to stop and savor this moment. I think she’s right.

{ 13 comments… add one }
  • Linda May 3, 2012, 7:47 PM

    The name alone sounds intriguing. Can you give a little blurb about the book?

    • Mike Duran May 4, 2012, 4:15 AM

      Linda, you can find a more detailed description of The Telling HERE.

  • Nicole May 3, 2012, 7:52 PM

    Such a great cover, Mike.

  • Brandon Clements May 3, 2012, 8:29 PM

    Congrats Mike! Such a good feeling. Looking forward to checking it out.

  • R. L. Copple May 3, 2012, 10:07 PM

    Funny, Mike. I just read your agent’s blog post about savoring it before reading yours. lol.

    Congrats and enjoy it!

  • Jessica Thomas May 4, 2012, 5:37 AM

    This is so exciting! It’s like Christmas x 10 (or more)!! Great job!

  • Tim Ward May 4, 2012, 7:21 AM

    Congratulations, Mike. Maybe sleep in tomorrow, you’ve earned it 😉

  • sally apokedak May 4, 2012, 7:46 AM

    Love that rough first outline. It’s wonderful to see what it becomes when you plug away a page at a time.

    Good job!

  • xdpaul May 4, 2012, 9:38 AM

    Can’t go wrong with a crow.

    Well, not unless you get on his bad side…

    Congratulations, Mike! Will it be available at the same time electronically?

    • Mike Duran May 4, 2012, 8:23 PM

      Last year the publisher did not release the ebook right away. I haven’t heard yet it it will release simultaneously.

  • Aubrey Hansen May 4, 2012, 1:26 PM

    Awesome. Thanks so much for sharing the pictures – they are fascinating to see! CONGRATS many times over!

  • Skadi meic Beorh May 4, 2012, 8:18 PM

    Very cool to see your process. Makes me wish I had a scanner.

    I have used outlines in the past, and I guess they still would work for me, but presently I use chapter titles and then write to them (somewhat) in stream of consciousness.

  • matt mikalatos May 8, 2012, 6:47 AM

    Congratulations, Mike!

Leave a Reply to Mike DuranCancel reply