Ken Fite

January 2019

I’m not ready.

I’ve had plenty of time since the last novel to relax… to enjoy the holidays with the family… to work on advertising and think up the plot for the next story I want to write. Too much time, really. I released THE HOMELAND, Blake Jordan #5, in September. Looking back, I should have started #6 in October. I should have, but I didn’t…

Taking a break in between projects is important. It gives you perspective. It gives you inspiration. It lets you refill the creative well so you can dip back into it and (hopefully) come back with something just as good if not better than the last creative thing you did.

So tomorrow’s when I’m supposed to start writing again. But like I said, I’m not ready…

I’ve had this feeling before. The night before I took the SAT. The night before I took the GMAT. The night before a big job interview. I needed just a little more time to get ready.

The truth is, we’re never really ready. We could always use one more day to prepare.

People say that writer’s block isn’t real. They say that people don’t get talker’s block. Or plumber’s block. You can’t call your boss and say you won’t be in because you have a bad case of worker’s block. But I’m here to tell you, writer’s block is real and it’s alive and well… it’s more of a mental block, convincing yourself that you can’t do something.

But to make any dream come true, we have to ignore The Lie and listen for The Truth.

Because The Lie is that everything has to be perfect before I can begin. That fancy new keyboard I just ordered this week that won’t be here until sometime next month… The Lie is I have to wait for that to arrive before I can start. But The Truth is, any old keyboard that works is good enough for me to use. The Lie is I have to have my new story completely planned before I start. But The Truth is my best work comes when I write into the dark and even surprise myself with the ideas I come up with as I write. The Lie is I need more time, maybe another month or two to outline an amazing story. The truth is if I wait, it will be harder to start and I’ll get behind on my goals for the year.

I have big plans for 2019. I want to write two novels and my first short story this year. January 31st is when most people give up on their dreams and vow to try again next year. But I can’t do that. Because I planned to start on 2/1 and finish by the summer.

And you know how I am with goals.

So tomorrow when I wake up, I’m starting. I’m not ready. But I’m starting, anyway.

Because even though The Lie is telling me I ‘need more’ before I can start my work… The Truth is, just like you, I have everything I need to work on my dream right now.

December 2018

I hope you had a great Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Festivus, and spent time with family and friends. I’ve enjoyed having a few days off to throw the football with my oldest, wrestle with my youngest, and just relax for a change before life gets busy again.

Besides Christmas, New Year’s Eve is my second favorite day of the year. Not only because it’s my wife Missy’s birthday, but also because of the hope that a new year brings to us. The possibilities seem endless…

Tomorrow, I’m going to start working on the next Blake Jordan novel. I hope to write two in 2019, plus a short story. Seems like a lot, right?

I’m hoping I can get it all done. But as they say, hope is not a strategy…

So while writing even one novel seems impossible, I have to keep reminding myself that I’ve already written five. I’ve been thinking a lot about that and how success works. And this quote keeps coming to mind: “Eighty percent of success is just showing up.”

If that’s true… then what makes up the other twenty percent? Ever wonder about that?

I’ve been thinking long and hard about this the last few days and I think I figured it out… if eighty percent of success is showing up, I think the twenty percent is following up.

The truth is, I’m good at showing up. I’ve started a lot of things in my life. I’ve started about 30 jobs. I started classes for countless majors in college (I had so many credits when I graduated instead of a double major they awarded me a double bachelor lol). I’ve started a lot of businesses, too. But I’m starting to realize that what matters isn’t just showing up. It really is following up. It’s having laser-like focus on one task, be it a writing project or an exercise goal or anything else… and hitting it hard until it’s DONE.

People won’t remember what you started. But they will remember what you finished.

I have to remember that…

So while I’ll be ringing in the New Year tonight and making crazy goals for 2019, there’s just one resolution I’m going to make and will try my very best to stick to all year long…

…to finish what I start.

November 2018

Just a quick update to let you know what I’ve been up to lately. If you got my October newsletter, you read where I mentioned that I was going to take a few months off from writing so I could ‘sharpen the saw.’ You know, spend more time with the kids, sleep in, rest, focus on improving myself. I love it when I come up with a plan.

But I hate it when I don’t follow it…

I think my November started like many people’s Januaries. They have big plans on how they’ll take on the world. They’ll hit the gym. Lose weight. Read 50 books. Then they get to February and give up because the motivation they had on January 1st is gone by January 31st. So then they decide to just try again next year…

To my credit, I did sleep in more… and I spent more time with the kids throwing the ball.

But I also had a few other personal goals I wanted to do that I never got started on.

It’s easy to look back with regret, whether it’s the last 30 days for me, or maybe the last year for you. We had big plans on how we were going to spend our time. We were going to do great things. And maybe we did, but not as much as we thought we would.

The year’s not over yet. We have 31 more days to love more, to spend time with those who matter, and to keep the promises we made to ourselves on January 1st this year.

So tomorrow, I’ll try again. And I’ll keep my eyes on what’s ahead, not on my regret…

Because it’s okay to look at the past. Just try not to stare.

October 2018

What a whirlwind these last 30 days have been. Thank you so much to all of you who downloaded my new Blake Jordan thriller, THE HOMELAND. The Amazon reviews coming in have been incredible along with the hundreds of emails pouring in as well. If I haven’t responded to yours yet, I promise I will reply back soon!

The most common question I’ve been getting is this: When will Blake Jordan #6 be ready?

I just have to smile. It’s amazing to me how it can take eight or nine months to write a new story that can be read in a sitting or two and then readers are ready for the next one.

I have some ideas on how I can write faster to come out with new stories, both with the planning/outlining process as well as the actual writing. And I’m pretty excited about it.

But first, I’m going to rest. Why? Let me explain…

One of my favorite nonfiction books I’ve read over the years was The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I remember reading it years ago while in college. I wanted to learn how to be MORE effective. How to get MORE done. And how to be MORE productive.

But I remember that I stopped reading when I got to the last chapter.

It was called “Sharpen the saw,” the last habit that author Stephen Covey wrote about.

If you haven’t read the book, you should. But I’ll explain what this last habit means…

Sharpening the saw is about devoting time to renew yourself physically, spiritually, and mentally. It means eating well, catching up on sleep, exercising, and resting. It means taking the time to get your head right and put first things first so you can be more effective with the other six habits.

The habit reminds me of the Lincoln quote I’ve read many times over the years: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I’ll spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

I remember rolling my eyes the first time I read that quote. Just like I remember skipping that last chapter on sharpening the saw when I read the book in college.

But eventually, I went back and reread the book and read through that last chapter…

I could be wrong, but I think a lot of people are like me. They skip the last chapter. Who wants to ‘sharpen the saw’ when you can just go out and get started on the next big thing we want to accomplish? We need to be MORE and get MORE and do MORE!

The world demands more of us. And we demand more of ourselves. It’s the way it is.

Right?

Well… I’m starting to believe that this is a mistake.

I see a lot of writers cranking out a new novel every couple of months, one after another. I want to get faster and like I mentioned earlier, I have some really good ideas.

But right now, I must sharpen the saw.

Because I have five fairly good novels out in the world. But most of the world doesn’t even know that they exist. I’ve spent so much time working on the next big thing, I’ve never taken the time to learn how to find new readers to share my stories with them.

But I also need to rest, exercise, and spend a little more time with my family…

Because the truth is, the most important chapter in most books is the last chapter. That’s certainly the case in my books. It’s the chapter that brings it all together. The last chapter is what the story is really about. It’s the truth the writer wants the reader to know.

If I’ve learned anything, it’s this: Don’t ever skip the last chapter.

So I’m excited to start writing #6. But right now, I’m more excited to sharpen the saw.

September 2018

I’m excited to be done with Blake Jordan #5. This was the hardest book I’ve ever written, in so many ways.

I was supposed to start on January 1st after publishing my last novel the day before my birthday last year (my goal was to have 4 novels done before I turned 40).

But January 1st rolled around and I wasn’t ready. A week went by. Two weeks went by. Three, then four. Finally, second week in February, I started writing without a full outline and decided to outline a few chapters along the way as I moved forward, step by step.

For those who aren’t writers, that’s like walking a high-wire without a net! Blindfolded! Exciting if you know what you’re doing and you’re careful. Very messy if you don’t.

I moved forward anyway, even when I didn’t think I was ready. Because you can’t always control the outcome, but you can control the process. My process was to beat writer’s block and show up every day with faith that I’d figure out what to do that day.

So that’s what I did, day in and day out, for eight long months.

I battled so many dragons along the way…

Self-doubt. A harsh critique at a writer’s conference in NYC which made me take a long hard look at myself in the mirror and decide if I wanted to be bitter or really get better. Procrastination. The dragons were all different, yet they were all the same. They said, “You can’t do this. Turn back and go home. You don’t belong.”

It was so grueling. There were times when I wondered if I was going to make it to the end of the high-wire. I could hear the cheers from the crowd far below (thanks for all your encouraging emails!) which made me want to keep going, slowly, step by step.

I learned a lot along the way. Lessons that are helping me become a better writer.

Believe me when I say, while it was hard, this new novel is the best book I’ve written.

I’m so proud of this new story and I can’t wait for you to read it.

If you have a dream and you’re stuck and scared to walk that high-wire, do me a favor.

Stop hoping for everything to line up for you. Take some time to plan your work the best you can, then start working your plan. Take a step in faith. See what happens.

Because hope is praying for rain. Faith is bringing an umbrella.

August 2018

Good news! I finished the second draft of Blake Jordan #5 a few minutes ago and I thought I’d take a quick break to let you know.

This was the hardest book I’ve ever written, but I’m so proud of it.

I’ve been working on the things I learned while at that writer’s workshop in New York.

The criticism I received from the pros up there was pretty direct. There were a few things I needed to work on if I wanted to become a better writer. I’ve taken all the feedback to heart. I even started the second draft over again when I got back home.

If you want to become better at anything that really matters to you, you have to be willing to listen to feedback and then be brave enough to do something about it.

That doesn’t mean you change everything about you

And it doesn’t mean you become someone you’re not.

But it does mean taking a good hard look at yourself in the mirror and admitting you’re not as good as you want to be and then doing whatever it takes to improve.

Starting from scratch was hard. I didn’t want to do it. I just wanted to get through the manuscript and call it done so I could relax for a while before starting the next project.

But I knew I was better than that. So, I said a little prayer, stepped through the fire, and came out the other side a little bit better than I was going in.

Here are the next steps:

I’ve already started line editing the novel. I’m about halfway done. I’m going to continue with that and need to have the manuscript to the editor on 9/17. I should have it back a few weeks after that. Then I hope to share my new story with you a short time later.

P.S. I’ll be sending you updates a little more frequently for the next few weeks. I’m excited to reveal the title and book cover with you as soon as they’re ready to share.

July 2018

Hello from New York City!

I’ve got some pictures to share with you, but first let me give you a quick update on my trip to NYC this week. On Monday I arrived and the first thing I did was head downtown to revisit the places I wrote about in my 3rd Blake Jordan adventure, In Plain Sight.

I walked by the secret government spy building at 33 Thomas (yes, it’s real). Saw cameras watching my every move. A couple of guys stepped outside and watched me. I could imagine a character like Morgan Lennox, the computer genius in my books, tracking me as I passed. It was a little creepy, but interesting watching New Yorkers pass by totally unaware of what’s really going on inside the building with no windows.

But I know. And if you read the book, you do, too.

Then I went down to Dona Bella to have a slice of pizza. This is where Blake and Jami got something to eat at the end of the novel. The guys were super cool and the pizza was amazing as usual. After that, I walked by Federal Plaza, where the Bureau has their New York field office, and where the last scene in the novel takes place.

So that was Monday. On Tuesday, I was in an all-day writing workshop called Master CraftFest where I got to critique other writers’ work and they critiqued mine. Good news: I learned A LOT to improve my writing. Bad news: I need to start at the beginning of my second draft for Blake Jordan #5. We’ll see how it goes, but I’ll probably have to tell my editor to give me another month. That was really the whole point of the trip, to become a better writer. So a minor delay, but it’ll give you a better story to read and it’ll help me sleep at night knowing I gave you my very best.

Wednesday and Thursday was CraftFest. I learned about story structure, creating better villains, and other topics. Yesterday kicked off ThrillerFest. I met R. L. Stine (Goosebumps), George R. R. Martin (Game of Thrones) and Lee Child.

I SAID LEE CHILD, PEOPLE!

We talked about my thrillers and he took my card. So who knows, the guy who writes Jack Reacher might read one of Blake Jordan’s adventures. A guy can dream!

Thursday ended with me pitching the Blake Jordan series to countless agents and acquisition editors from the top New York agencies and publishing houses. I got six No Thanks, but the last person I pitched to liked the idea and asked me to send Blake Jordan #1 (The Senator) to read. I’m not sure if it’ll go anywhere, but it goes to show that you should never give up and never stop believing in yourself. And if it doesn’t work out, I’ll stay self-published because I want to keep writing more Jordan stories.

Today, ThrillerFest continues. I need to get ready and head downstairs so I can learn about outlining, creating compelling twists, and hear James Rollins interviewed by Steve Berry. Then I’m headed back home to Orlando at noon. I can’t wait to see my family and be back in my office. This was a fun trip, but overwhelming for an introvert.

Here are a few pictures from this week. I’ll keep you updated on Blake Jordan #5. -Ken

June 2018

I did it! I just finished typing the last chapter of Blake Jordan #5 a few minutes ago. What a relief to reach my goal of finishing the project I started on 2/1 by the end of June. I have to tell you, there was a little while there where I didn’t think I was going to make it. I kept looking at my “Seinfeld calendar,” as I like to call it, where I place a big “X” on each date I hit my daily word count goal, and saw so many empty squares.

Forty-four of them, to be exact.

You know, when you have a big goal, a big dream you promised yourself you’d achieve, it’s so easy to notice the empty squares. They almost stare back at you. Haunting you. Taunting you. Forty-four empty spaces, telling you to give up. Showing you all the days you failed, all the days you didn’t make progress on your dream.

It’s so easy to focus on the empty spaces. But that’s not where we should look.

Because all around those empty calendar dates are Xs. Lots of them. A hundred and six, to be exact. Days where I pressed forward, determined to win that day’s battle.

I’d love to say we should focus on the Xs and not the empty spaces. That sounds good and feels like the right thing to say. But it’s not true. We really should focus on both.

The reality is, I sat down at my desk all 150 days. I had some losses, days where I wrote nothing. But I had even more wins. So it’s not the 44 or the 106 that really matter.

It’s the 150.

Because both numbers matter. In life, we have to enjoy the adversity and the success. Because the truth is, if you look hard enough, you can learn something from both.

Just an update on what’s next: I’ll take the next 30 days to write the second draft. I’ve asked my editor to be ready for the manuscript on 8/1. I hope to have this in your hands to enjoy on your Kindle in September. I can’t promise I’ll make that date, but you know how I am with goals. 🙂 Thanks for all of your encouraging emails–they’re helping!

P.S. I might send the July newsletter a little early. I’ll be in New York City for ThrillerFest in a few weeks where I hope to meet the greats like Lee Child and just as important, I hope to learn something from all of the writing classes I’ve signed up for. I’m sure I’ll find some insight I can’t wait to share with you. Until then, enjoy the weekend. -Ken

May 2018

I’ve been heads down working on Blake Jordan #5, the next book in my thriller series, and I don’t want to stop the momentum so I’ll keep this update short and sweet this time. I’m happy to report I’m on chapter 43, two away from the end of Act 2, one of my favorite parts of a story.

It’s the part where the hero has failed. All is lost. There’s no way out. Disaster has struck, and it looks like there’s no way to win and come out on top anymore. It’s over.

Ever feel that way? Like everything’s wrong and it seems like things won’t get better?

I’ve felt like that a lot lately, especially with writing this new novel which has proven to be a lot harder than I thought it’d be. But the thing is, you can’t judge your story’s ending by its first and second acts. If you think about it, that’s what makes stories so special. There’s always something the hero didn’t see. A silver lining in their Act 2 failure that gives them one last shot to make things right as they move into their Act 3.

At any given moment, it’s so easy to look around and believe we’re nowhere close to being where we want to be. We feel so far away from our goal. But this isn’t the time to panic. Because maybe all isn’t lost. Maybe there’s a way out that we didn’t see before. And maybe we’re really just at the end of our own Act 2, the moment right before we realize that we have one last shot to do what we need to do to make things right again.

Your journey isn’t over yet.

And where you are today does not define you.

Because while the hero in my story thinks it’s over, it’s not. As the author, I know that. Your story’s not over yet, either, because our Author says so. My hero won’t be judged by the mistakes he’s made so far in the middle. And neither should you judge yourself.

Because our story’s true ending has yet to be written.

I’m off to write Act 3. And I hope you’ll see that it’s not too late for you to do the same.

April 2018

I’m a little late getting the monthly newsletter out, but I was focused on meeting an important goal: getting to chapter 30, the midpoint, of my next novel, Blake Jordan #5.

You’d think it would get easier writing another novel in the series when you’ve already written four of ’em. After all, the story world already exists. The main characters exist. I just have to come up with a new story to tell. But it isn’t getting easier, and I’ve been struggling to understand why every new book in the series seems to be harder to write.

So why is it becoming so hard? And why do I feel so much self-doubt about my story? And why am I getting writer’s block when I sit down at the keyboard and try to write?

I recently listened to a podcast by Seth Godin who says plumbers don’t get plumber’s block. They don’t show up at your home and say, “I don’t know, I’m feeling kind of stuck today. Maybe if you lit some candles and put on some Beethoven I’d be able to unclog your drain for you.” No, plumbers don’t get plumber’s block just like nobody else that does anything worthwhile gets blocked. So why should writers get a special exception?

Seth argues there’s no such thing as writer’s block and says the real reason why we feel stuck when writing is because we don’t have any ideas that are perfectly formed. He says when you don’t have something you’re sure will work as your reputation increases at the same time, it becomes even more difficult to overcome this problem.

And that’s so true.

Because when I wrote The Senator, my first Blake Jordan novel, nobody knew who I was. It was my first attempt at fiction. I had an email list of about 100 people. I had no reservations about putting the book out there because there were no expectations.

But the book did extremely well. So I wrote another, which did better than the first.

So I wrote a third book.

Then a fourth.

Each novel I wrote outdid the prior book in the series. My following grew, and along with it grew my own expectations to try and outdo myself with every new book I’d write.

And that’s dangerous. Because if we’re not careful, we’ll start censoring ourselves. We’ll want our streak to continue. And we’ll focus on the problem of trying to write something that’s perfect instead of taking creative chances and exploring new ideas.

The midpoint of a novel is an interesting place. It’s a moment of revelation for the hero. Everything that didn’t make sense in the first half of the book now becomes clear because of new information the hero gets. He didn’t understand before. He does now.

And now I know why I’ve been struggling. I understand that I don’t have to be perfect anymore. I can only do my best and if it’s not great, I can rewrite it and make it better.

Whatever you’re working on, stop trying to be so perfect at it. Allow yourself to make some mistakes. The first draft of anything you create is just that: a draft. It’s a place to explore and mess up and find out what your work of art could become if you let it. No one should ever see a first draft except for you, anyway, so stop applying unnecessary pressure. Have fun and see what happens if you allow yourself make mistakes and be imperfect. And understand that nobody ever achieved greatness by playing it safe.

So today, I’m starting on chapter 31. The first chapter in the second half of the novel. The chapter where my hero now acts, understanding full well what he has to do to win.

And his writer will press on, too, with the understanding that just like my story’s hero, I don’t know how everything will work out in the end. But that’s part of the fun of going on the adventure. I just have one job to do: write the story and stop trying to be so perfect.

Writer’s block isn’t real. What is real is fear. Fear that the next thing we write won’t be good enough. Fear that we only have one more shot and the next thing we do better be good or else. Fear that our fans will go away and everything we’ve worked so hard for will go away with them. Seth argues that as writers, our profession is to create something that matters. Whether others think it’s good enough or not doesn’t matter. Our job is to sit down each day and give the world the best we’ve got to offer right now.

So here goes.