gmatics wrote:
I've been writing professionally for 16 years and running competitively for almost twice that time, and I've begun to have some success in placing my fiction with publishers, but it's been mostly horror pieces, not the literary sports fiction I feel is more in my wheelhouse. I actually posted a couple of stories on here awhile back. Search for "Sweat Brothers" and "Weak Leg" and you should find them, if you're interested.
Anyway, after a lot of thought and deliberation, I have decided to make the manuscript of my running novel, "Coming Back, Coming Up," available on my Web site for free.
"Coming Back, Coming Up" is my first novel-length manuscript. I started writing it at least 12 years ago when I knew much less about the craft of writing fiction than I do today, but I continued to revise it after each round of publisher rejections. Despite those rejections, I continue to believe I have written a quality story -- and believe me, I'm a harsh critic of my own work -- and that it's probably more a function of publisher tastes and needs than anything else. (BTW, without this attitude no author would get past the first rejection, and we'd never have heard of writers like John Grisham, whose first novel, "A Time To Kill," was rejected at least 28 times. Not saying I'm Grisham or anything, just saying.)
A few caveats: First, in the interest of clarity and the hope that casual runners and non-runners might enjoy reading the book as well, I have taken some liberties with certain things. A prime example is the labyrinthine Olympic Trials selection process. I tread as lightly as I could around A and B standards; in my world it's the first three across the line, period. That is, unless...well, you'll find out if you decide to read that far.
Second, in my world there are some runners you'll recognize by name instantly, some who are made up, and some who are glaringly (for LetsRunners, anyway) absent. Again, please trust that it's not necessarily ignorance on my part but the needs of the story that decide who "made the cut" and who didn't.
Third, I know many of us are obsessed with times and training techniques and what workouts are best at what times of the year. My characters might train the way you train, or they might not. I don't mind hearing about this, but once more, I tried to let the needs of the story dictate how fast, how far, how long they run.
Fourth, some might notice a passing resemblance to "Once a Runner" at a couple of points; looking back, I see I used the word "demons" on the front page, for instance. No, I didn't "steal" anything from Mr. Parker, who I have a lot of admiration for, but he sort of defined the genre so some similarity is probably unavoidable. I can only think of two instances where the language might be similar, and any others are coincidental and should be taken as a tribute.
Finally -- and this is obviously a total coincidence -- a lot of your enjoyment of or disgust with the book will depend on what you think about a topic I've seen discussed on these boards lately: whether someone can take substantial time away from running, get significantly out of shape, and then come back and rise fairly quickly to the level he or she was before, or close to it. I'm not giving away anything by telling you my main character does this, and if you don't believe it's possible, or you can't suspend your disbelief for the length of the book, I tell you now you'll be wasting your time reading it -- and any feedback I get from you will probably begin and end with how impossible it is to do.
So what are the two favors? Simple. (1) If you like what you read, let me know and tell me why. If you DON'T like the book...let me know and tell me why. I've been at this long enough to know that along with a lot of useless, offensive feedback, I'll get a handful of thoughtful critical comments I can really use, and I always appreciate that. Leave me feedback here or on the Contact page of my Web site. (2) No matter whether you like the book or not -- tell someone about it. The reason I decided to do this in the first place is to have the book read by as many people as possible. I don't know if a publishing deal will ever come out of it, but even if it doesn't for this book, well, I've made a lot of progress on the sequel already, and you just never know....
As a last attempt to entice you, I give you here the dust-cover copy:
"VINCE TAGGERT used to be the king of American milers, until a badly timed injury and a failed marriage put him out of action. Three years and thirty extra pounds later, he meets a woman who makes him want to run again -- a woman he finds himself literally chasing after -- and launches a quixotic comeback aimed at making the U.S. Olympic team.
RYAN SANDY is on the brink of becoming what Vince once was: the fastest man in America over one mile. He’s undeniably talented, tenacious, and focused on his goals. He’s also brash, cocky, self-absorbed, and standing in Vince’s way -- and he’s hiding a painful secret.
JIM BROOKS is the cagey old coach who brings the two together and watches the sparks fly as they try to run each other into the ground. But Brooks is keeping a secret of his own, one that will ultimately change all their lives forever.
Now Vince and Ryan must find a way to work together for both their benefit. It’s far from easy, as Vince discovers how an aging athlete’s body can betray him and Ryan learns the value of hard-won experience. And they don’t have time to waste, for one of their dreams could die in less than four minutes..."
So now, if you're still reading and still interested, I will be posting "Coming Back, Coming Up" in parts, probably four altogether. Here's a link to the home page of my Web site, where you can download a PDF.
http://geraldcmatics.webs.comI hope you enjoy it, and I hope to hear from you.