Five years on, a self-review

It's hard to believe that it's been five years since I first wrote and published The Buddy Wayne Chronicles.  At the time I finished it in late 2007, I had high hopes for it.  I thought I would sell enough books to pave the way for me to become a full-time author.  At the very least, someone would have noticed my book who would be able to nurture me and improve my work.

Unfortunately, neither happened, as only five books were sold and my royalty check was less than $10.

In 2010, I wrote a "followup" volume, My Ideal World.  At that point, writing had become a hobby and I didn't care if I never sold a copy of the very thin book.  As it turned out, I didn't sell a thing.

So what went wrong?  Actually, my failures were both financial and critical.  On the financial side, my attempts to sell the book to the NASCAR community was a failure.  I wrote drivers, teams, even media, and no one bit.  As for family and friends, only a few were interested.

Then again, my book could have - and should have - looked a whole lot better.  Yes, I've said it, and I'm willing to critique my work.  That's because I want to point out the mistakes I made, which I could learn from and apply if I ever write another book.  (In fact, some of those lessons have been applied here.)

So, chapter by chapter, here's what I think:

• Table of Contents - Thought of including one, but I forgot.  Bad start there.:(
• Introduction - Here, I laid out the final climactic scene, B.W.'s last auto race, and then launched back to what brought about this point.  Pretty well done.
• Chapter 1 - In "An Awakening," I detail how and why B.W. left NASCAR.  Good, but then I described Idealia, and that was my first big problem.  My description made it look like a second-rate theme park instead of what it really should have been - a community of Southern farm families, based loosely on a map of Ireland I saw at a pub in Long Beach, CA which details the places of origins of various Irish families.  I've drawn one, and if I knew how to upload it here, I would do so.
• Chapter 2 - "A New Beginning" better describes where B.W. lives and tells his detailed backstory.  This should have been improved with a description of the 12 other family members who live with him in his new abode.  You'll meet them in detail in future posts.
• Chapter 3 - "Starting Over" describes the My Ideal World TV show (which I later reorganized into the "reality show" Buddy Wayne: Coming Home), as well as the farm house and one-room schoolhouse.  Maybe the last two items better fit in chapter 2.  The story about poop in the water may have been gratuitous, but it did introduce a character similar to Bryson.
• Chapter 4 - "Going to the Mat" describes a wrestling match B.W. went to.  It represents my desire to wish things were different, and nostalgia for a past love of mine.  No change.
• Chapter 5 - "A Down-Home Life" can best be described as 10 pounds of stuff in a five-pound bag.  First, I introduced a character I have since renamed La'BooTeasha Littlebridge, one of two strong black characters.  I felt I needed such characters, not only because I'm African-American, but also because of the tortured history of the rural experience (first as slaves, then as sharecroppers).  The homemade milling machine was one of the best parts of the book for me. Then, I fleshed out "cousin Bunky" by describing his TV show, his favorite hangout (modeled after Universal CityWalk) and even his lingo.  This should have been two separate chapters.
• Chapter 6 - "Lead Us Not Into Temptation" is my introduction to Blinky Blink.  Since then, I have remade him into a clog-dancing, rapping hybrid instead of the controversial figure in the book.  It gave me an excuse to publish my lyrics to "Southern Rhapsody," however.
• Chapter 7 - "Plotting a Return" describes B.W.'s farewell race and the track he was to compete on.  Except for dropping the Bowling Hill Speedway banking to, say, 26 degrees from a ridiculous 36, I'd keep everything as is.
• Chapter 8 - "Finding Time for a Friend" is about Bubba Ray Lumpkin, the second strong black character I made up.  He's had a diminished role in my life since then, as I don't talk about racing anymore and he's still a race car driver.  Oh, and the lyrics to "Bluebird" are interwoven into the chapter.
• Chapter 9 - "Jillbilly in the Barn" is the introduction to "Bluegrass" Brittany Spears.  This is my favorite chapter, and I plan to read it again when I have the time.
• Chapter 10 - "Riding Shotgun" returns with Buddy Wayne, Bubba Ray, and marital advice.  Most, if not all, of this chapter is unnecessary.   Anything I kept should have been in chapter 9.
• Chapter 11 - "Cold Feet and a Cold Heart", B.W. "divorces" Shayla McLamb and wants to marry Spears, but is denied.  This is due to the "marriage of the lamb" in the Book of Revelation being the only one allowed.  Later I realize it's only symbolic and I change it in the epilogue.
• Chapter 12 - "Cousins at the Crossroads" provides pre-race coverage and some background information.  The title implied a B.W.- Bunky rivalry that I unfortunately played up a lot.
• Chapter 13 - "Race Day" is just what it says - a complete review of the Heritage Cup, climaxing with the incredible move that won the race for B.W.
• Epilogue - Shows the post-race celebration and describes a fictitious Daytona 500 to symbolize the NASCAR world he left behind.

I also wrote a followup on some aspects of the book, including B.W. being allowed to marry Spears.  Unfortunately, I have been unable to find it, either in the PDF file or any of the four hard copies I have.  Maybe Lulu lost it somehow.:(

So there's my self-review.  A pat on the back in some places, some self-criticism in others.  What do all of you think?