Comments on: Made It Moment II: Douglas Corleone

By: Suspense Your Disbelief » Made It Moment III: Douglas Corleone

Suspense Your Disbelief » Made It Moment III: Douglas Corleone — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:03:11 +0000

[...] Doug Corleone is one author whose evolution I’ve followed, cheering all the way. And it’s been quite a way–Doug is the only Moment-er to have shared three Moments. His first appears here; and his second here] [...]

By: Douglas

Douglas — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:13:08 +0000

Thanks so much for the wonderful comments. Seems we all agree, it’s all about the journey, even if we’d prefer it to be about the destination.

By: Savvy

Savvy — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:21:44 +0000

Interesting perspective! I love that you said:

“So few aspiring novelists realize that the real challenges begin only after you sign your first book contract. The anxiety that accompanies waiting for your first review, your first royalty statement, is far worse than the stress inherent in the original submission process. Because by this point, you’ve come so far and experienced so many minor Made It Moments that failure now would be devastating.”

But I think that’s true of EVERY phase throughout, even just getting an agent and so on.

By: Thomas A. Knight

Thomas A. Knight — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:44:20 +0000

Amazing stuff. I would love to see that day. Keep up the great work.

By: Becca

Becca — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 23:20:41 +0000

Congratulations, Douglas, on the journey you’re taking in navigating the lifestyle of a regularly working author. Your comments resonated with a number of fears I’ve had over the idea of finishing a novel that has occupied my life for almost a decade–what happens next? Can I really write something different and do it just as well (or ideally even better)? Seeing as this WIP is a standalone novel, I’ve even worried about what my next character’s voice would sound like, and how I could make it distinctive from my current mc. But I think the whole process of becoming an author comes in stages, peppered with various milestones and setbacks along the way. Your post here reminds us all of that, and helps us remember why we’re doing this in the first place–because we love it, and we want other people to love our work, too. Ultimately that’s what really matters. (Although a decent paycheck sure means a lot, too, especially these days!).

By: Douglas

Douglas — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:52:00 +0000

Thanks Johanna! Yes, it helps when your agent and editor offer encouragement, too. Glad you enjoyed the post!

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:45:03 +0000

That is wonderful! Reading this brought tears to my eyes. Sometimes the best reward is in the impact made by what you have written!

By: Johanna

Johanna — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:12:48 +0000

What a great Made it Moment II. Congratulations on your successes. I loved this piece and it just confirmed my suspicions that like Sally Fields, most authors (aside from wanting to earn a living) really want to know that their readers “like them, really, really like them” Nothing feels as good as knowing that, except maybe a decent paycheck!

p.s. good luck on the Hawaii bar exam.