David Lawrence Morris | Inspired to Write

Besides announcing my new book THE TIME SHIP, my first time travel novel, I wanted to talk about what inspired me to write.

I’m a man who never wrote for fun. I didn’t study writing in college. I literally remember one time when I covered about five pages more than 20 years ago. When I retired I found I had a great deal of spare time even though I had a really full social schedule. I started spending time at my computer writing my personal history. I’ve had an interesting life filled with wonderful characters. I just wondered what it would be like to put it all on paper as it really was. Two hundred and fifty pages later I was through the age of 27. I was less than half done!

That exercise put me in touch with a magic place in my being that I was previously unaware of. I think of it as "The Zone". With the encouragement of my partner I started to write my very first novel, SPOTS. I found I could lock into that zone and because I’m a very good typist my hands would just do all the work as the story flowed. I wrote for story first then when I was completely done with the story I went through and cleaned it up. I submitted it to five publishers and within a few weeks got my first contract with Hartwood Publishing.

Hardwood’s editors were great. With their instruction I learned about writing issues I had. I rewrote sections and learned not to use certain words too often. By the time the edits were through I was almost done with my second novel THE TIME SHIP. I submitted that novel to them first but found that they weren’t interested. I was kind of hurt but shortly after it was accepted by my other publisher Ex-L-Ence Publishing.

When I started the edits, it became obvious to me why Hartwood had declined my work. I had written and edited THE TIME SHIP prior to working with Hardwood’s editors. I learned a big lesson. When preparing a book for submission, a single edit or even two simply will not do. As I edited the new book I found the same things that Hartwood had trained me not to do all over again.

I was able to fix all of that prior to the book being published. My third novel was a different story. I ran it through personal edits half a dozen times. It was accepted by Hartwood but it still is going to be edited. Now they will improve my ability to write a sequel that stands alone. I thought I did that but they knew to send it to readers that had not read SPOTS.

Now I work differently. When the zone comes to me I create. If the zone isn’t playing nice that day I edit. I don’t work eight hours a day. I probably work two to three hours four days a week.

I have learned that when I’m in the zone I write good story. All of the issues Hartwood warns me against re-appear. I’m not quite positive where the zone comes from maybe someday it will learn to write better the first time. I like to know where my novel is going but honestly sometimes I don’t have a clue.

What I want you to take away from this is that editors are worth their weight in gold and writing is very personal. Listen to your editors and don’t be defensive. Learn from them. Finally, what works for one writer might not work for another. Sometimes I can’t stop writing and sometimes I can’t write at all. Do what works for you.

About THE TIME SHIP

“Hello? Is this Dr. Miller?” the voice said. It sounded American. As a matter of fact it sounded southern. It was a female voice. The area code on the incoming number was 713. “Wasn’t that somewhere in Texas?”

“Yes...” He answered cautiously.

“Is this Brian Miller, the Physicist?” came a second query.

“Yes,” he said not wanting to give the voice any more information than absolutely necessary.

“My name is Carol Norris and I am calling you from NASA.” …

So started a chain of events that would lead Brian Miller backwards and forwards in time - helping solve a mystery that had the potential to destroy mankind...

Time travel and time paradoxes and most of all good and brave ordinary people who will do what it takes to keep what they cherish.

About David Lawrence Morris

I grew up in Phoenix, AZ. Having lived in Southern California and Arizona my entire life, I retired to Palm Springs from Flagstaff in 2010. The lifestyle of Palm Springs proved to be an inspiration. Being a storyteller and an avid reader, it just felt like a natural move to sit and write. It was here that I wrote my first novel, SPOTS and my second novel THE TIME SHIP which became available on Amazon January 31st.

THE TIME SHIP is a unique time travel novel. Compared to many novels dealing with time travel, this novel is more about time travel and its effects on the present and less about characters in a distant time period.

The sequel to SPOTS is completed and has been accepted for publication by Hartwood Publishing. Contact me at [email protected] or visit my website. I love hearing from my readers.