October 23, 2009

Anne McDonald: I'll open in prayer, go over protocol and then we'll get started.

Lord, thank You so much for Your grace and mercy. Please be with us tonight as we learn more about the writing craft. Bless each of our participants as well as our special guest. Be with those who cannot be with us tonight. Meet them at their need. Let our conversation tonight be a blessing to You and to others. in Jesus' name, Amen.

Protocol reminder. When the floor is open to questions, please type ? for questions, ! for comments, and wait to be called on in turn. To keep us from stepping on each others' toes, please type ga when you have finished entering your text. Ga = go ahead 

Tonight, I'm pleased to introduce my favorite cowboy. Give a warm welcome to Steve Bly. Steve, glad you could come tonight. 

* Annie leads the applause 

* Lukedamouse applauds 

* JacquiM23 yells and claps obnoxiously... 

Anne McDonald: Steve, could you tell us a bit about your latest release?  

Steve Bly: Yes . . . my latest book is called Creede Of Old Montana. Just came out the first of October and my publisher told me today, that the first printing is sold out . .  and they are going to a second printing already. 

Anne McDonald: w00t! 

Steve Bly: It's a fun story about a retired soldier .   meeting some pals in Ft. Benton, Montana Territory in 1886. 

Anne McDonald: Steve, my hubby wants to know how publishers determine how many books to order for a second run. 

Steve Bly: Good question . . . I don't know for sure . . . the normal deal is that the first printing covers all there costs, so the second and subsequent printings start to make them a profit. They must have some bean counter who looks at sales and determines the second printing. They don't leave that for authors .  . after all . . . we don't know anything about books except how to write them. 

Lukedamouse: How did you first get started writing? 

Steve Bly: I didn't want to be a writer. it's all Janet's fault. She thought I had some talent telling stories and using my own parables in sermons. So, she took them and cleaned them up – you know, copy edit, spelling, etc. – and sent them in to magazines . .  and they got published. So I decided I liked to write. 

Anne McDonald: (you blessed man) 

Spitfire: How has your writing style changed over the years? 

Steve Bly: Well, I've gotten better with detail . . . both in writing and in research and I think I'm more focused with purpose of each book, and I use a whole lot fewer adverbs. 

Anne McDonald: Where did you get the idea for Creede of Old Montana? 

Steve Bly: Have you ever been to Ft. Benton, Montana . . . above Great Falls? 

Anne McDonald: No, sir. 

Steve Bly: I was up there and had supper with some friends at the old hotel that has been restored. Ft. Benton has a great history . . . as the furthest point on the MissouriRiver where you could take a steamboat. For years I wanted to set a story there,  and out in the Missouri River Break . .  east of there, so I pondered on a story about a re-union of soldiers where only one showed up (instead of 4) and the one who shows up has to figure out what happened to the others.