My Guest Book
J. Michael Blumer writes, “Becoming published happened by mistake." He comments, "Funny how, doing everything wrong led to a five-book contract."
A teacher asked him to write a young adult chapter for her sixth-grade class to rip apart. Knowing it would be critiqued to death and never used beyond that, Mike tossed something together. He created three wizards who came to Earth from some un-named place and landed in the middle of a forest. With an un-named place and a forest, he wouldn't need to do any research. After all, this was a disposable chapter.
The wizards would hide a magic book, but Mike had no idea what the book was, what it did, or why the wizards wanted to hide it. Each wizard said part of a magic spell to conceal the book. Mike couldn't rhyme the third wizard’s part of the spell. Reminding himself the chapter was to be ripped apart and discarded, Mike used the line, "A girl with an overbite." It rhymed and the spell was done. The Wizards said a second set of spells. Mike had the same problem rhyming. He used, "A boy who ain't too tall." His grammar teacher would be horrified, but he was done and the class would really have something to find fault with. Finishing off the chapter, Mike had to give the hidden book a name. He was rushed. The class needed the chapter the next day and Mike wished he had a second chance to fix those spells. That gave him an idea. He found another lazy solution and named the magic book, “The Book of Second Chances.” Finished, he pressed the send button on his computer.
He posted the chapter for the teacher on the Internet, but a day late. Mike admits he has little sense of time. The class missed the chapter but a surprising thing happened. Mike received emails from friends at an Internet writing group he belongs to. They had reviewed the chapter and thought the wizard who couldn't rhyme was creative and hilarious. They guessed that someone from Earth would discover the hidden book and it would be a girl with braces and her brother. They took guesses about how Mike would portray “A boy who ain't too tall.” They speculated about all sorts of things you might do with a magic second chance in life. They coaxed Mike for the next chapter.
Mike had never considered any of the things the reviewers were curious about. He had no idea what the plot was, what the magic book did, who the wizards were, where they had come from, or why they came to Earth. Urged on, he kept writing chapters until he eventually reached the end of the story.
Mike sent his manuscript to several publishers and agents. On a whim he included a publisher who only accepted submissions for a 5-book, or longer, series. They required one manuscript and detailed outlines for four more books. Mike sent his only manuscript and skipped the rest. Six months later, he received a letter from a publisher, Windstorm Creative. They wanted to discuss contract terms and asked Mike to call them. Over the phone, Windstorm asked Mike the name of book two in his series. It was then he remembered this was the publisher who required a series. Thinking fast, he made up a title, “The Book of Broken Promises.” They asked about book 3. He made up, “The Book of Twisted Truths.” They ask about the series. He made up, “The Secret Books of Gabendoor.” They ask about books 4 and 5 and he told them he only had sketchy outlines. They said, everything was fine and they would mail out a contract. Their ending comment was, “They enjoyed the wizard who couldn’t rhyme.” When Mike hung up the phone, panic set in. He had to search for a pencil and paper to write down the names he had made up before he forgot them.
It all worked out. Windstorm Creative released “The Book of Second Chances” in September, 2006 (ISBN 1-59092-317-0).
