Richard Writes - A Blog by Children's Writer, Richard Carlson Jr.

My blog is being written while I have been recovering from my illnesses, therefore it has been influenced adversely by my condition. I apologize in advance for any confusion.

I deleted the last several chapters because I was too ill when I wrote them. I wasn't thinking well for some reason. I was feeling better in the afternoon today, but then my thinking went back and then better again.

I will have to be more conscientious of what I am doing, as I wasted time writing garbage, which wasn't unusual as I wasn't being assertive in what I was doing verses thinking, meaning I have to be careful what I do. After assessing what occurred I felt much better.

Maybe I'm too ill to ever be a published author, I worry. The first few chapters are very good in that they are what people like! I continued writing during the times I felt well enough to and am up to chapter 7, which I am in the process of finishing. My manuscript is about 1,825 words.

I received an e-mail from someone who I assume is very mentally ill, late today which I gladly replied to as I was concerned about him. I hope he is doing well. Best wishes to all of you!

Yesterday and today I began writing my children's novel. I didn't need to develop an outline first. Perhaps I am on a roll! I am very enthusiastic about my novel being completed soon, of course, but it will take time and I will be patient about it.

I have been taking notes which might prove to be helpful, listing possible foreshadowing and symbolism, which are only two of a number of literary elements I will incorporate into my work which will be a classic work of literature when complete.

So far, I've written eight basically unrevised rough draft chapters which vary quite a bit in length from each other. My manuscript word count is at about 2,000 words, which includes chapter titles and the like which isn’t to say I'm stuffing words in to get a higher word count. I'll be revising what I've written for a long time, I already know as I am going to make a superior work in literature that I anticipate will be in every, or at least the majority, of bookstores around much, if not about all, of the world.

I also revised my children's picture book manuscript about mental illness (paranoid schizophrenia to be precise) a bit recently making one area clearer. It is probably ready for submission to the U.S. Copyright Office, however I plan to wait until I completely recover, assuming there is such a point with my illness. I should ask my psychiatrist as he would know more about it than me. Should I be at or about the point of me getting as much better as I will with the medications I presently am prescribed, I will seek someone's opinion of my children's picture book manuscript who is a professional in the editing field.