Writing Is A Journey

In case you don’t know already, I have two small presses: Wolfmont Press and Honey Locust Press. Wolfmont was the first, and actually was called Wolfmont Publishing at first (so if you see an older book with that imprint, it was one of mine.) Wolfmont has been around since the end of 2005, and Honey Locust Press started in late 2006. I recently blogged in more detail about both presses for Jean Henry Mead's Mysterious People blog.

Wolfmont is focused primarily on crime fiction, while Honey Locust has a broader focus and (dare I say it?) more family-friendly selection. My February 2009 release, in fact, comes from Honey Locust instead of Wolfmont, and is a book of true animal stories written by a retired Zoo Director, Jack L. Throp. (Check out NOT-SO-WILD ANIMALS I HAVE KNOWN.)

The next release from Wolfmont is a book designed to help writers, and is titled THE WRITER’S JOURNEY JOURNAL. I’ve had this book on my mind for over a year now, and finally got off my duff to do something about it. I wouldn’t dare have the hubris to assume *I* know everything about writing, but I am smart enough to know that I can get knowledgeable, experienced authors to write about various topics, wherupon I then put those things together in a book.

My idea for this book comes from my own personal experiences, as well as conversations I’ve had with other writers. Here is the basic premise: Writers are explorers, and writing is a journey.

Every author with whom I’ve had conversations about the writing process, has agreed with me that the writing of a story is like a journey. Sometimes it’s well-planned: the map is all laid out and marked, with the schedule chiseled (more or less) in stone.

Others treat writing as a spontaneous sort of thing, like the road trips many of us took when we were younger. (The price of gas makes spontaneous road trips a little more painful now!) Even though not all travelers go about the journey in the same way, knowledgeable travelers/writers can often give you information that is invaluable simply because it comes from their own experience.

If you are going to a country where you’ve never been, wouldn’t you like to know how to get through customs without a hassle? If you are going to a new city, wouldn’t it be handy if someone could recommend some good restaurants or perhaps hotels to avoid? The streets with lots of potholes? The roads with beautiful scenery? Where the speed traps are?

The thirteen contributors are experienced authors and know whereof they speak. Many are award-winners and/or have been nominated for prestigious awards such as the Agatha, the Anthony, the Edgar, Derringer, Macavity, and others.

Here is the list of contributing authors: Austin S. Camacho, Beth Groundwater, Bill Crider, Carola Dunn, Carolyn Hart, Chris Roerden, Dorothy Francis, Evelyn David, John M. Floyd, Robert W. Walker, Radine Trees Nehring, and L. Diane Wolfe. Oh yeah, and me—Tony Burton. You probably know most of these authors. (Fellow Acme bloggers Austin Camacho and Rob Walker are champing at the bit to see the final product!)

We are shooting for a mid-May release, if everything goes well.

Drop by the Wolfmont Press website and take a look. We’re pleased with this book, and believe it will be of great help to novice and experienced writers alike.

Tony Burton
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