Another Writer’s Life...and A Writer’s Spouse

Every author’s journey is unique... this is mine.

The same old new thing.

Welcome to my new web log. I’m Austin Camacho and I’m a mystery and thriller writer. After maintaining a blog for three years I decided to do this, which I’ve never done before. Confused? Me too.

When a publicist told me I needed to have a blog in 2005 I replied that I didn’t have anything to say. I figured I said my piece through my fictional characters, most often through Hannibal Jones my Washington DC private eye. He always expressed strong opinions. As his girlfriend Cindy has been known to say, “That’s my Hannibal. Often wrong, but never in doubt.” So I had Mr. Jones begin a blog and post to it every two weeks. That effort evolved into a place for the character to mentor his teenage friend, give his views on current events, and occasionally share a short mystery. Yes, the blog was my training ground for flash fiction.

So, if you define a blog as a website where a person comments on subjects of interest to them, or a site that functions as someone’s online diary, then in fact I have never done this before. This raises the question, why do it now? After all, it’s not like it hasn’t been done before. Wander the web and you’ll find no shortage of these sites, with titles like A Writer's Life, The Writer's Life, The Writing Life, A Brave Writer’s Life, Living the Writer's Life, and Lovin' The Writer's Life. Best of show goes to a particular “A Writer's Life” penned (or typed) by screen writer Lee Goldberg, television writer.

I’m here because, after too many years in this business I find that I DO have something to say after all. I maintain a full time job and push my fiction hard, so people often ask me, “How do you find the time to write?” People often comment on how hard I market my stuff so I also hear, “How do you do it?” a lot. Well, as I make my plans for a future writing career I figure I’ll answer those questions here. I also a have pretty broad experience as a “beginner.” I’ve published Print-On-Demand, self published, been published by a small press and have a New York agent hawking my stuff to the big boys. That gives me a unique perspective on the publishing world.

You will have noticed that the title also refers to a writer’s spouse. That’s because you can expect my lovely wife Denise to be posting here frequently too. She is the Writer’s Spouse in the title and as the primary support for my efforts she has her own different perspective on this crazy business and her often overlooked role in it. She will be speaking to, and for, those of you who are not writers, but know and love one. She’s shared this long strange trip with me from the beginning and is responsible for a good share of my modest success.


When I think of all I think I should be doing this year - marketing, reading new fiction, reading magazines for writers, being active in writers’ organizations, and of course working on my next novel, I wonder myself how I’ll do it. I have big plans for 2008, and you, dear reader, are invited to follow that journey, watch the decisions I make and see which ones pay off.