Letter to the editor Dec

They published me Letter this time.

It's political, which probably isn't surprising and about tax cuts. Which, with the discussion in the NEWS these days may not be that surprising either.

PS update Dec 22

I finished the story for onthepremises.com contest 19   More here  on that contest.

It's over 1,000 words but I want to go back over it. I added some at the end to have the MC change and I want to make sure it fits and some of it seems too long to me so I might try cutting some of it. I have a month to get it ready.


The Online workshop is going good. I'm going to miss it when it is over. The third week we had to do an outline. I hate them. But Dean had instructions on how to do one. It wasn't the A;a,b,c B; a,b, C; a,b,c,d, type so it wasn't as hard as I expected. He showed us a pic he wanted the outline from. We didn't have to do the book just come up with an idea, character, setting, problems. We shall see how well I did.


I expect to be receiving a bunch of rejections in the next few weeks. I've sent out ten plus stories in the last couple of weeks. A Great Christmas present would be a sell, at least one.

If you read this one make sure you go back and read the Why Christmas? note under this one if you haven't, even if it's way after Dec 25.


Now is the time to decide which story to do for Q2 of WotF.


The one I started and am about half way through even though I'm tempted to start it over again as I said before, or the one I just have an opening for and a vague idea of what it is about.

One is SF and the other probably is but not for sure, UF and/or paranormal.


Unless I decided to send in a pure fantasy story I am revising that is. I might be able to put in some more emotional angst and one or two more tries even though there might be enough of those. The only humans are in the background. It's longer than I set out to do--about 7,500 words--so it could work. Of course shorter stories can work too but this one seems about right.

WHY CHRISTMAS--why celebrate it?

            I’m late with this message but it’s still not Christmas yet, First let me say that it looks like I won’t be getting my PC Christmas story up this year. Kinda late to say It’s okay to say Merry Christmas and any store that doesn’t is biting the hand that feeds them because it’s Christmas that brings in so much money. The few people who read this may have red it last year. In either case:

      But the real message is about Jesus being born. God’s love was shown that day even if it wasn’t DEC 25. Jesus the Creator took a turn as a human being for two reasons. One was to be the second Adam and to do what the first one didn’t do--obey God, live a perfect life. The second reason was to later die in our places. Our sins can now be totally forgiven, not just covered but completely done away with. We can have a full relationship with God our Creator. With all the Joy-Unspeakable, Peace-Inner, and Love-unrestricted...not to mention hope and justice, that brings.

    My pastor spoke on Christmas today speaking of the need for us to be Seekers---The Bible says if we seek him with all our being He will let us find Him. In some of the books I read and mention on my blog there are seekers after other types of spiritual beings or themselves or power but in the Real Life, Actual World, we seek God. The power to live a good life comes from Him. Even though finding ourselves isn’t necessarily bad, He can help us with that too. My Pastor--Bill Chaney--mentioned how those in the US are Seekers-looking for something good. I add that yes many are but they are looking for the exotic and skip over that which has been around-staring them in the face-for a long time. In fact I think that is why some skip over Jesus because He is something they are too used to and my consider too simple. But the hard part has been done already. It is simple because it has to be.  

   The second thing My Pastor said was that we shouldn’t leave any gifts from God unopened. It’s His birthday we celebrate but Jesus gives us presents. Salvation being the best and biggest. Saved from judgement and hell but that includes wrong choices in our life and who we have become because of bad circumstances in our life. 

That is all for now even though a lot more could be said but this is why we celebrate Christmas, why it is so important. 

Update Dec 22

   Updating my writing. A rather long one this time

And some of this is venting so please excuse it.

   Quarter four of WotF was a bust. Maybe I spent too much time on the story. Even though I didn’t revise everything, I rewrote much of it. Still what I did do could have been too much.

Sent that story to F&SF Saturday. I will see if the knew guy there uses the same rejection comment each time or if the first one he sent me was for the little bit better stories. Other assistant readers at F&SF have three comments. Each one shows you got a little bit further. 

Sent in a WotF HM to Lightspeed but even though it took him a day longer than usual, nothing. I thought it could have gotten his better rejection--he does the same as the editor at F&SF-- at least but of course not even that. Looks like he’s not impressed with my latest credit. Of course it’s not a very big one but it’s still something.

I finished the story for the next quarter over at WotF. Not as many revisions even though I did rewrite some smaller parts of it. I sent it in Sunday. We shall see how it does. 

I want to send a story to onthepremises.com contest on holidays. Could be any or even a made up one but has to be a strong part of the story. I have one that could fit what they want. But I decided to rewrite one I want six years ago at least. It was an exercise but still it didn’t come out too bad. A different take on Labor Day. But I can’t find it. I did find one story I thought I had lost but not the one I wanted. However as I said I wanted to rewrite it and I believe I can recall most of it. I started it Sunday night. If I don’t get it down I will send in that other story. I do have a story about New Year’s Day 3,000 but it needs a rewrite and its a whole lot longer so I don’t think I will do that one. 

As to Dean’s Online Workshop, I did better than expected on that 300 word opening. He agreed with me. He thought it was powerful and just needed two commas. Wow, I really didn’t expect that it was as good as I thought it was. Now to write the rest of the story. I will and I think I have a basic premise for it. This week’s lessons dealt with attitude,  learn and accept failure, protect your story by not letting anyone read it ‘till it’s done, do not be critical of other writers--your tastes may not agree with their writing but that does not make it bad--,do not read critics of your writing--if you need a couple of good ones for sells let someone else find them for you. There was a lot more but that was some of the highlights. Also at least look over books that do not go along with your tastes. Those writers know how to tell a good story and you can learn from them. 

I am working on the story for Q2-’13 WotF and adding to my Santa Claus NaNo novel. Plus I have an opening to use in a story and an idea from the cover of an anthology I am reading, to do.  More on that in the next post. 

That’s it for now as usual it;s possible I will add a PS or three. 

A PS already

Looks like NaNo is doing something to help the revision process along in January . Good I could use some of that...depending exactly what they say. 

I am going to need a first reader when I finally get mine all the way done--I'm adding chapters and an epilogue. It might be around 70,000 but probably closer to 63,000 unless I can come up with an idea for a yet another chapter. 

And I am working on that Labor Day story for OTP it's now about 886 words. Only hundred and forty words more to get it over the minimum, which take it a few words over.

My reading Dec

I'm reading a short story collection--a UF anthology edited by P.N. Elrod Titled "Hex Appeal".

It has all of the favorite UF writers including the start of a new series by Jim Butcher. I say new series but I'm not sure if it will be books or short stories. Hope it has another noir style story with a certain vampire bar owner. 


I also bought John Joseph Adam's rather large Epic Fantasy anthology, I won't get to it for a while but it's waiting for me.


I came back to add that my muse perked up her head at the cover, A lady, probably of the evening, wearing a low-cut minidress is standing on a street corner while leaning against a building. To me--I'm sure some will disagree--her face shows she doesn't belong there. Not you usual hooker. So my muse told me a story, most of it anyway. She is a police officer undercover but it's not a police story it's a relationship story between a husband and wife. A rather short story--right now anyway--with a vampire and magic.

Here's a link to the cover

update Dec 16 '12

Updating my writing.

And some of this is venting so please excuse it.

   Quarter four of WotF was a bust. Maybe I spent too much time on the story. Even though I didn’t revise everything, I rewrote much of it. Still what I did do could have been too much.

Sent that story to F&SF Saturday. I will see if the knew guy there uses the same rejection comment each time or if the first one he sent me was for the little bit better stories. Other assistant readers at F&SF have three comments. Each one shows you got a little bit further. 

Sent in a WotF HM to Lightspeed but even though it took him a day longer than usual, nothing. I thought it could have gotten his better rejection--he does the same as the AE at F&SF-- at least but of course not even that. Looks like he’s not impressed with my latest credit. Of course it’s not a very big one but it’s still something.

I finished the story for the next quarter over at WotF. Not as many revisions even though I did rewrite some smaller parts of it. I sent it in Sunday. We shall see how it does. 

I want to send a story to onthepremises.com contest on holidays. Could be any or even a made up one but has to be a strong part of the story. I have one that could fit what they want. But I decided to rewrite one I want six years ago at least. It was an exercise but still it didn’t come out too bad. A different take on Labor Day. But I can’t find it. I did find one story I thought I had lost but not the one I wanted. However as I said I wanted to rewrite it and I believe I can recall most of it. I started it Sunday night. If I don’t get it down I will send in that other story. I do have a story about New Year’s Day 3,000 but it needs a rewrite and its a whole lot longer so I don’t think I will do that one. 

As to Dean’s Online Workshop, I did better than expected on that 300 word opening. He agreed with me. He thought it was powerful and just needed two commas. Wow, I really didn’t expect that it was as good as I thought it was. Now to write the rest of the story. I will and I think I have a basic premise for it. This week’s lessons dealt with attitude,  learn and accept failure, protect your story by not letting anyone read it ‘till it’s done, do not be critical of other writers--your tastes may not agree with their writing but that does not make it bad--,do not read critics of your writing--if you need a couple of good ones for sells let someone else find them for you. There was a lot more but that was some of the highlights. Also at least look over books that do not go along with your tastes. Those writers know how to tell a good story and you can learn from them. 

I am working on the story for Q2-’13 WotF and adding to my Santa Claus NaNo novel. Plus I have an opening to use in a story and an idea from the cover of an anthology I am reading, to do.  More on that in the next post. 

That’s it for now as usual it's possible I will add a PS or three. 

My online workshop

I am taking--finally--a workshop. It's online so it's not quite the same as live but a whole lot better than nothing.


These are put on by Dean Wesley Smith, here's a link to his online workshop page. If you check it out remember a lot of them are filled already, check to make sure which one's might still be open.


It's a six week workshop with videos that he recorded and an assignment to do each week. The first week had four teaching videos, each on a different subject dealing with the Essentials of writing.

I can't list a link to any of the videos but a lot of what he said he has dealt with on his blog over the years. Heinlein's Rules of writing, using all five human senses every two pages, that we need to write.

For those who haven't heard of them Heinlein's Rules go thus:

My paraphrase of them.
Write
Finish what you start
Only rewrite if an editor asks you to.
Send out the story
Keep sending it out until it sells.

That third one is the hard one. Dean says that for many the first two are hard and I can see why but have those two down.


I even have the fourth one down, the fifth one is a bit hard right now on some older stories and most new ones because I keep forgetting to set aside time to send them out.

The Five senses thing I've been working on for over a year. I doubt I get each one every two pages but I do put them in a lot.

And I do write.

I finished the assignment.  Actually, I made the mistake of feeling proud of it. I didn't want to or set out to but I think it's good. But usually when I feel that way the story or in this case opening gets torn to pieces and it's not half as good as I feel. Thus the mistake part of that sentence.

I don't know if I will be able to post it here when he gets done with it, I will have to see if he wants us to do anything else with it.

More later

Not enough words for publishing

Kinda of hate to do another NaNo post but whoever read about my desire to publish this one in the traditional way may have noticed a flaw in that idea.   Novel's 51,000 and some. I can add a 1,000 and some with the epilogues. That leaves it some 30,000 words short. I have some ideas that will add a few thousand words but not half that many. A new character and a couple of new whole chapters, more emotional angst for my MC, a fight or three but still not even 15,000 words more.

We shall see, I might come up with a whole new plot twist or some such but not at the moment. I will revise it and see what happens.

Christmas blog & It's okay to say Merry Christmas

As I warned, I changed the blog. The colors are the best I could find for red and green. I will change it again after Christmas. There really should be snow but this is the closest pic I could find for this template. And I don't want to spend too much time working on it.

My PC Christmas story soon.

Then a message on what makes Christmas good.


Anyway here is a Letter to the editor they printed a while back. Pretty much says it all even in just 200 words.
A very small handful of people really take offense to the greeting Merry Christmas...I'm sorry for that but it's still a good thing to say.

About Christmas vs Happy Holidays. Wishing someone Merry Christmas, rather by voice, on a window or by song, is not forcing a religion on anyone. It’s a wish for happiness during a certain holiday season. Some who don’t practice it recognize this. 

    Christmas is less exclusive than some people think. Americans have incorporated elements from various cultures to make our own celebration. On top of that people from other religions and even some atheists celebrate the secular version of Christmas. After all Christmas is by far the largest celebration in the USA and perhaps in the world.
    Stores who, to be politically correct, change Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays are biting the hand that feeds them. They will offend significantly more people by not saying it than the small handful who are really take offense by it. Since stores are going to offend no matter what they do they should do the right thing and say Merry Christmas. After all Christmas, not  the Holidays, is the reason we buy so much this time of year. The combined sales for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, winter and the Muslim holy day do not come close to equaling what is bought for Christmas.

Yet another NaNo post with teaching

I don't know how many of those who are followers or lurkers did NaNo but if you did and didn't make it 'till the end:

Even though November is over and your didn't finish, go for it, it would still be good to write 'till the end.

Some of this next is a repeat. It includes a bit of how to write well in it:

I'm working on a couple of epilogues for my novel. I wanted to make sure I finished so I sent it in to be counted before I did those.  I figure they--yes more than one--will add to the word count but probably only 4,000 to 8,000 words. And I will add a few more when I revise it. I added one or two things toward the end that I need to go back and suggest earlier.--it is not nice to surprise you're readers with an ongoing problem or ability that comes out of no where. Sometimes it seems to work but it's still not a good thing to do.  And it didn't hit me 'till almost the end but my MC needed to change some how or another--another thing editors expect and I've been told readers also expect. It can by large or small. At least in short stories I assume it's the same in novels. So my MC did go through a ty[e of change--shocked him to when he realized how much he had to the dark side he had slipped.  It's not Star Wars I'm talking the dark side of human nature. And now I have to go back and show what led up to that change. I included a couple of hints without realizing it but I need to go into a bit more detail. 


As I said this one I want to try to get published the regular way. After I revise it--which I want to do this month maybe next too since I have other writing things to do--I will need someone to check for nitpicks. As I've said on other projects I've decided that the writing will take care of itself or not, I could spend months on trying to get it just right. 

My reading "Ghoststory"

Reading, Finally, "Ghoststory" by Jim Butcher.

I say finally because I waited 'till it came out in paperback--actually I think it'sTrade--and it's been sitting on my pile of new books for a couple of months. I decided to read it out of order.
Jim has some good writing in this one...he does know how to turn a phrase.  And he knows how to punish his character, to make him feel unsure and not be a superman. When I go back over my NaNo Novel that is one thing I will be looking for. Even though my hero is hundreds of years old and has abilities above that of mortal man he is not perfect nor should he be. I need to make him doubt more, get more bruises almost get killed more. I did that a couple of times but in other fights he might be just too perfect.   

Without writing any spoilers with this one or the previous book, I just want that there's something in that previous book me and my wife and probably a bunch of Butcher fans, suspect. If what we suspect is true Butcher is being very coy about it as you would expect. Even though right now there was something that, could say it ain't so. But we shall see.


But in either case I am reading the book way too fast. About half way through already. Of course I've been reading it for a week.

Did it update NaNo

This sounds like the last NaNo update for '12 but it may not be. Most probably no more for a while but there still could be one to five of them over the next few months.


Okay, its verified at 51,387 words. 

Writer's Digest has a webinar on how to end a novel. I can say not like I did, even though it's only the last paragraph or so that is really bad.  Some of the last scene needs some work but it's only that last little bit that was rushed too much.... or so I think. 
Oops, that is a free worksheet not webinar Free



  No epilogues yet and they will add estimated 2,000 to 6,000 words plus I need to go back and add a few sentences on two things I added toward the end, all will add words but I'm not sure about getting it to 80,000 plus. For some reason I want this one to be traditionally published. So I may do a revising month if they do one. 

I also need a better Title  "His Other Job" may not cut it even though it might. It's close. 

One more thing I have two more computer things to do, one is to watch a video for the Dean Wesley Smith online workshop that starts next week and to download a free book critters.org is giving one away about writing and reading SF. by Norman Spinner. 

Yo one more mini update

Well, well I did it.


But I mean I got over 50,000 but I still need to quickly finish two scenes before I feed my novel to their computer for a double check.  Well, I guess I don't really have to but a novel does need an ending to be complete and I want both scenes at least done even if I have to go back and add some to really clarify things.

Don't think it will be over 55,000 as I hoped but still over 50.  And hey I thought Thursday was the 30th but the Status page said I had two days, wow when I send it in tomorrow night I will be two days early not one.

Tiny NaNo update

Well, well the status page says I can finish tomorrow but I doubt I will quite get that last 2,666 words. Especially with that number.  :)

Anyway, 2,200 maybe. but it's going to be close because I have to finish it. I can get the words by Wednesday  but not sure about the conclusion. I did want at least 5,500 but I would have to do that amount Thursday. We shall see, my MC is about to fight the bad guy who will tell him what this was all about. I know the ending...most of it but it's going to be rushed.

'nother mini NaNo update--and stories out

Last night I had to leave my MC in a cliffhanger, I don't know the answer to. 


Parts of this book has been like reading one...I didn't know where it was heading until I got there.

Almost made 40,000 if I had known I was this close I would have written 14 more words tonight. 


And I would have had it and more if I hadn't had to revamp a story I sent out tonight. 

Four out today, one needed some work when I ran it through my proofreader.

My MC overcame a bout with panic from a Phobia of Trolls he got while a Teen and killed the Troll that was after him.

Oh yes, I have an idea of why the bad guys are attacking everyone...better devolp iit I only have one week to be sure of the reason.

And for some reason I want to get this novel up in the traditional way. Last year's is an Indie book maybe...the year before is for sure. A Non NaNo Novel (Say that one five times real fast) is going up the Indie way if I ever get it back from the reviewers. 

Warning, Blog will change

This is just to give a warning that in the next week or so I'm going to see about changing the blog to look more Christmasy. It might be just the colors or I might change the whole thing around.

And I will putting up my yearly Christmas story and hopefully a Christmas Musing early this year. I have a habit of waiting until almost the last moment but not this year.......




Unless I totally forget this and it takes way long than it should.

Another Short NaNo update

Around 35,800 words. With what I wrote so far today it is probably 36,000 now.

Something I meant to say at the beginning but finally getting around to it--nice prograstination activity too--today.

Three years ago when I did this I made a new file for each day of writing. At the end I had to put them all together to turn it in and later to start revising it. When I sent one chapter to someone they found a missing space. I had fogotten to add one day’s file. I thought I was being careful and I thought I read through it.

Last year I decided not to do that and add a --- at the beginning of each new day’s writing. When I would go back to add something to a previous day’s writing I counted how many words and added them to the --- for the new day’s writing. thus 7---or 123---. I would delete the previous days line each new day even though when I started the revision process I discovered I skipped a day here and there. To count a day’s writing I scrolled back up until I found the --- and highlighted from all the new stuff. 

This year I’m doing the same. I debated going back to the original method but decided it was too bulky so I’m doing the lines again. That can be a pain when I have to go back five plus pages to find it so I can count the new stuff. Sometimes I miss it and have to go back and try again. I stop and read sentences along the way to see if I wrote that one today or the day before but sometimes it’s hard to recall when I wrote something. 

  I may have tried spaces inbetween the old stuff and new writing the first time I did NaNo years ago but that took time to find the spaces and to join the two parts and if I recall correctly I missed some of those too.  

Happy Thanksgiving

If you celebrate it do have a good one

Especially if you have family members you have to put up with or not having much. The spirit of the day can still sustain you. Thanksgiving to God is never bad no matter the circumstances. Sometimes that is all we can do because there is nothing else. So think of his Great Love, Mercy and Salvation if need be. Even if you have stay in your room or on a corner all day.


But may everyone have a Good Thanksgiving 

Short NaNo update

I'm a bit over 30,000 words.

Got one short and one long crit done.  I also need another word for Fea-fae or Fairy, Never-Never is taken. I used Otherworld but that is Cliche and maybe overused. Today at a book store I saw two different novels that used Otherworld or OtherWorld. I really need a new one. I kinda would like something with Oz in it but that could be problematic.

Update again NaNo '12

Still going strong. 28,300 and a few less words.  Three days ahead by their graph.

But I will slow down tomorrow and Sunday. Got four crits to do. Two quick short ones and two longer more in-depth ones. The last two I will probably just start. And I need to read each story first. 

Slight problem though:
I need a good reason for a group of people--of various types--for attacking my MC's friends. So far, even though he's been caught at the wrong time and place no one is after him specifically. But I'm not sure why the other attacks. This is well organized and probably taken years to plan but...why?  I want to try think of a reason that is different. I know of a couple of the usual reasons but they are all cliche-ish or over used. 

My reading "Lies And Omens" Lyn Benedict.

Been trying to remember to add this for at least two weeks but finally:


Read "Lie & Omens" by Lyn Benedict. Part of a series--Shadows Inquiries.

I have mixed feelings about this series.

It's not my favorite, it's darker than usual even for UF, I don't like where Lyn goes all the time with the plot and I'm not totally sure I really like the MC. But Lyn is some writer, she knows: how to do suspense, how to put her MC in danger time after time and how to do the Try and Try again thing. One could learn to write better by studying her writing.  Yet with all that said I still enjoyed the book and I would recommend it. 

And It's the model and half the inspiration for one of my WIPs. The way it's going it could take another year to finish that WIP and when I do I will have to go back over it since I'm adding characters and background as I go along. I usually don't do that with novels but this one I am.  It's interesting I thought I had added a certain character on my own but as I read "Lies" I realized that character might be my version of a character in Lyn's work. Oops, I hadn't wanted to do that even as the MC is inspired, as I said, by Lyn's work. I thought that character would add an element Lyn doesn't have. In one way it still does but not as big a difference anymore.  I add here that I don't want to copy her work, I want to make it mine even with some basic similarities with her MC. 

And I wonder if Lyn is related one way or another with another writer. The other half of the inspiration. Both writers use a character with the same problem, and both names the bad guy side of magic users and mythical creatures. Maybe they are the same person or have read the same how to book on plotting

Veterans Day '12

A couple of statements here,

I never served but I honor those who have not only in war but in peace time or in non-harm's way.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter who has given us freedom of press. 

It is the Soldier, not the poet who has given us freedom of speech. 

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer who gives us freedom to demonstrate. 

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag. 

Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC 

And something that has been going around the last couple of years, we are the land of the free because of the brave. 

Not sure who first said that, according it a film shown at my church An Unknown wrote something very much like that.  

NaNo update '12

NaNo update.

     I’m a bit late with this, I should have had two updates at least by now:

Anyway: I started off behind, had a couple of slow days. The NaNoWriMo site has a new chart that shows up when you update your word count. I would link to it but I’m not sure how to get it up without updating the count or if you have to sign on to see it. But they now predict the day you will reach 50,000 words. My final date was Dec 2 or even later with my second update. Third one had down to Dec 1, last time it was Nov 29. By that you can see I have been doing more than minimum amount per day. They say it should 1,660 words a day If I recall correctly.  My first few days were barely over a 1,000 words a day. But I’ve gotten way over 2,000 words a day for three days straight even though Last night--Friday the Ninth--was only 1100 words.

If I can do the 3,000 a day for Saturday and Sunday each, I will still be ahead. If I keep up with my speed and do the 3,000 words a day again next weekend I may be able to take the Friday after Thanksgiving off and work on typing up stories that I have on paper. I have four to six stories I wrote out during a period of time a couple of months ago. Most are short short.

I will also have to spend some time on critting three stories it looks like. And the Day after Thanksgiving is the traditional time we put up Christmas decorations outside. If it’s not raining and if my wife doesn’t have to work. We shall see this year how it works out.

Okay, President Obama stays

Warning another political blog so close to the last one.

       So pardon me my venting here:

  Now we are going to have more laws, regulations, and rules--less freedoms, businesses. More broken Constitution. Longer Recession--if anyone thinks Obama knows  anything about the economy prove it. Reagan could have had us at least half way out of it by now. Media reports--I don’t mean Fox News either--about a year and half to two yeas ago showed that a good sized portion of the jobs he created lasted two weeks to two years, some were counted twice and one certain business lied about using money they were given to hire new workers. 

President Obama is a bigger liar than Bill Clinton and Nixon put together. Recently almost everything he said about Romney was a lie and he lied about what he knew about what happened in Syria. It was his people-if not the President’s himself whose lack of knowing what to do led the rape and murder of our Ambassador and three others. If it wasn’t for at least two heroes--one of which was killed--there would have been thirty more deaths. 

So more debt for the US and most probably less water for the Calif farmers and more punishment taxes to get us to do what he wants to do. There's nothing to stop him. He's a hard core liberal. Statest .

   

Update Nov 5

Been writing new stories, have half a dozen to eight that need revising plus another three to five left over ones from one I did a while back. Not sure when I will get them or be able to send out any.

Speaking of that I had wanted to send a story to Fantasy and Science Fiction Saturday but by chance I heard Sandy got to Hoboken--where F&SF have their HQ--so I think I will wait awhile.

I'm behind with my NaNo novel but I should be able to catch up, hopefully in a week or three, but I'm getting excited about the tale. I'm still not sure where it is all going but it's going.  :)   I think it might be one of my better ones. A bit different for me and for publication. I say a bit different because it's more who the MC is than the plot. Speaking of that as I write I'm trying to not use cliche phrases which many  times isn't good. Some people say that can wait until I revise it but that isn't the way I like to write. I want it as well done as possible the first writing. Of course I still find things that need work during a revising but I try to get it right first time. And I'm also working on making things more active instead of passive and adding the five human senses. Taste is a real problem at times. But I've been noticing when pro writers use the five senses and hopefully I can use some of their ideas.


Still need to spell check and proofreader check my second six chapters of Two Struggles so I can send them to a couple of people who would like them now. I keep forgetting. And it looks like out of the four people I sent the first five to only two are getting g back to me. The others suddenly got busy.


And I need to revise my next story going to WotF. I receievd two crits for it and it looks like the writing is in worse shape than I thought. It shouldn't be because I've had a couple people critique it already but it needs WORK. So I need to do that and write the NaNo novel and send out stories. The revising can wait 'till next month. Oh yes I got a complete rejection for Q3 I think I will send that one to IGMS. If one set of letters=WotF--didn't like it maybe another set will. :)

That's it for now but there could be a PS .

The Presidential Race. Who should be President

In case anyone needs to know this is one of my political posts so be warned.



This is a bit late, probably not many people will read it between now and Tuesday but here is a letter to the editor I wrote--they didn't print it but here it is anyway:

        I’m voting for Romney because I like liberty and prosperity. 

        From what President Obama has said, done and what the people he, on purpose, hired, do he doesn’t support liberty. The Secretary of Health would violate the Constitution to put in place a personal, PC agenda. One that can be handled by other means.

      Romney knows more about prosperity. Even if he personally ordered jobs overseas-evidence supports that he didn't but even if he did I don't blame him, more on that later- and sick businesses to shut down, he will create jobs for everyone. That will be one of his responsibilities as President-if it should be or not is another matter. He always carries out his responsibility. From what he says he knows how to fix the economy. Bill Clinton was wrong, Reagan could fix it because he did. People say our problems today are different than his, true he had very high inflation, interest rates along with high unemployment to deal with. Plus this idea has worked for Four Presidents and at least a couple of Governors. The same fix would work now. No reason to think it won't.

    Of course Romney doesn’t hate 47 percent of the population. I don't the real numbers but he was correct some of Obama’s voters will never vote for him under any circumstances.The President lied when he said he saw no victims. People of his mindset see victims in true and imagined racism, the Occupy Movement' s supposed victims of the One percent and the invented War On Woman, etc. And many of these believe they are victims, I've heard and read what they say.

The underlined words are ones I added to the letter for this blog. 

Now more on businesses going overseas. As I said I don't blame them...not only to save on payroll but for two other reasons. One is the growing number of laws and regulations dealing with employees. Second is related, the increase of  environmental laws which in many cases costs businesses a lot more money and paperwork and taxes. This goes for large and medium businesses--some of the last have moved to other countries also. 

And please notice I said Growing and Increasing number. There's no end in sight to use a cliche. 

NaNo 2012

Okay, it's about that time.   Time to write a 50,000 word novel in one month, November.

I signed up and all that for this year so it's official.


They want you to title and describe the novel.  Oops, hadn't even thought of a title. After a few seconds of thought I came up with one that sort of fits. But it's not in concrete so I might change it.

For more info go here,   NaNo


A copy of my synopsis


I placed this in Fantasy but I believe it might be considered a cross genre novel. All related though. Urban Fantasy, paranormal, and myth. 


It's a story of what Santa Claus does during the rest of the year. It's not making toys. More of an adult novel which doesn't mean he chases girls and smokes stuff but there will be fighting, chases, evil bad guys, death, magic, some adult beverages and a few other related ingredients that I will come up with as I write...and no long sentences.  :)

Oh yes, not all bad guys are evil. Some think they are doing good, some know they are evil and like it or don't care. 

Updates along the way. 

How to Write

I do this type of post so rare that I forget what I've called the others or how many I have.
I'll try to remember this title.


Anyway:

For at least a couple of years I've known that you are suppose to make your hero work at solving problems, situations and dangers. There have been times during the first revision I decide oops that is too easy, so I make it harder. Now there I seem to be doing it even more.

The reason for this is something that David Farland said. I can't find the exact quote right now, thought it would be easy to find but I looked through his web site and I couldn't find it, I apologize for not having a link to it.

But he said to make your MC work. For some reason that seems to have gotten inside of me and as I said up above I find myself making my MC work even harder not to mention putting him or her or it in danger.

So the place he said could be in

http://forum.writersofthefuture.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1499


Or in one of his Daily Kicks--Short for Kick In The Pants. A note he sends out saying something about writing. It says Daily Kick but it's not...daily. Sometimes it is, a time or two he has sent out more than one in a day but when he's super busy it could be two to five days between kicks.

More on that here or if you want to subscribe to them.

http://www.davidfarland.net/writing_tips/?p=3

Another quarter for WotF

I submitted a new story for the Fourth quarter of Writer's of the Future.

For those of you who may not know what that is, it's a contest, four times a year, been going nigh onto 28 years.
Yes, their quarters are not the same as everyone else's :)

More info here:  http://www.writersofthefuture.com


A week or more ago I started feeling not so sure about this story. A couple of days ago I realized why I was unsure of this story all of a sudden. 

I've never done so much reconstructing on a story before. It's an older one that I decided to resubmit since they allow you to do that.  I set out for a trim and ended up with a complete shampoo-color, conditioning, cut and styling with hair extensions. 


I'm afraid I created a Frankenstein monster even though in this case I haven't added any bits from other stories so it's more like a clay figure. I cut some off, added bits of new clay, scrapped more off, reformed some parts, added more clay, moved parts around. So I end up with something with three shades of clay and even though certain parts look more like they are suppose to I'm not really sure about how it fits together or the whole effect. 

The forehead and horn of the unicorn--there's no unicorn in my story--look great, maybe even award winning but the flank and the tail, well I tried. You know what it's suppose to be but beyond that I can't say. 

But on the good side, with the final go over I found few nitpicks, which may not mean much, and it seems to be mostly seamless, now. I found a couple of places that were not seamless but I fixed those. 

But it is still my writing when all is said and done.

I changed the title when I decided to make it a whole new story.

Good News Bad News on the Reading Front

Just thought I would share what to me is Good News and Bad News on the reading front.

I finally checked out Lisa Shearin's web site. http://www.lisashearin.comHer Raine Benares has come to an end.  That part is Bad News. It was very well done, an exciting world and a great hero. But the Good News is that she has started a new series. A Urban Fantasy The SPI Files.  The Bad News is that won't be done until next year, which means it won't be published a few months after that--maybe the year after?.  Seems like she is going slower on this one.  Oh she may also be doing a spin off of the Benares universe. I may know which character she might use. And I want to say it's a world I would like to write in.

Some so so News.
Checked out Margaret Ronald's blog. A while back she came out with a "Wild Hunt" series. Great stuff even though darker than usual even for UF. I've been trying to find out if she is doing any other brooks. Over a period of months it sounded like she was revising a book but when I went backwards through her blogs to try to find it, I found nothing that would indicate she was. She's doing great with short stories, probably not but it almost sounds like she is selling every third story she sends out. Which is one reason I seem to have a bit of writing envy with her. The second reason is who she is selling too. Most of the markets I am trying at. But I will at least check out whatever book she puts out next...if she does. 
Checked out Margaret Ronald's blog. A while back she came out with a "Wild Hunt" series. Great stuff even though darker than usual even for UF. I've been trying to find out if she is doing any other brooks. Over a period of months it sounded like she was revising a book but when I went backwards through her blogs to try to find it, I found nothing that would indicate she was. She's doing great with short stories, probably not but it almost sounds like she is selling every third story she sends out. Which is one reason I seem to have a bit of writing envy with her. The second reason is who she is selling too. Most of the markets I am trying at. But I will at least check out whatever book she puts out next...if she does. 



There might be a PS to this since I need to check out laura anne gilman's site and C. E. Murphy's Gilman has evidently ended another great series so I need to see what she is planning next. 

Update Sept 9

First an update on what I wanted to do last weekend. Got my Q4 story sent to some critters--got two back already--but only managed to get two to three hand written stories typed to the computer. I played around too much. I have finished that third story.


Was ready to send out my next story to F&SF but I blew it. No brown envelopes...I knew that and just plain forgot to get more. Which reminds me I forget again today but I have time to get some during the week.

That means I skipped two weeks. I had a run of ten to twelve weeks in a row. Oh, Well, this story needed further work anyway so a delay of one week was good.

Started two stories at work. I couldn't make up my mind if I wanted a SF or Fantasy next so I started one of each. The Fantasy is a bit different, the MC is a leprechaun and he is dealing with gnomes. What gnomes again!!???  Well, hmmm yes. That one music video I've seen three or four times at the gym must have imprinted on me----more than likely it's my wife's gnomes. She sells them. Tried to find a pic on her Esty site but she doesn't have any up at the moment. Anyway,  I think I could make the fantasy into a novel but when would I work on it. I'm already seriously working on two and sort of, kinda of working on two more plus a number of stories.


Found a couple more mini stories on paper I need to type up some time.


Rats, I know there were two other things I wanted to say but can't think of them right now.

I have reached 110 stories in this Group. The ones I'm sending out trying to get published. Some are general fiction, two are westerns--there's a third one I need to revise. If I can do two more I could sell all five in a set online. I do have an idea for a second tale with my first one and I could come up with one for the second....hmmm come to think of it I might be able to come up with a second one with that third story. When though.  :)

That wasn't what I wanted to say so more than likely there will be a PS.

Not that PS but as I posted this post I saw I had four readers already for the previous post on "Blue Home". Wow, that was in 23 minutes. Some of my posts don't have four readers in four days.

Speaking of that I'm praying for four more followers. Oh, I prayed for the HM on that story...now if God would bless me with at least a Finalist with my current story at WotF.

Added PS to this one too.
When I can, I think I will add 200 or so words to Blue Home and send it to EscapePod, they still want flash even though their new guidelines does not have a minimum, with a notation that a shorter version was published.

"The Blue Of Home"....Nice placing

Not a huge or even big win but I'll take it.   :)

To misquote a movie line straight to the sun and the right,  No, no, I mean all the way down to the bottom.  Won't take no time at all to read all six.


Blue Home


I can see why the first place got First but not the third place story...it seems on the same level as the three HMs. Oh well, I'm not the editor and/or judge.

And I'm working on a story for their regular contest--about half way through the first revision. It's about Time.  Deadline 28th of this month. 

Not sure what to do with it now.

Eventually I'll place it on my web site.
Actually, I have a longer version in mind...200 some words. I know a couple markets who want less than 500 words but I'm not sure if it would be considered the same story though.

When I can, I think I will add those 200 words to Blue Home and send it to EscapePod, they still want flash even though their new guidelines does not have a minimum, with a notation that a shorter version was published.

Update on two stories

I started a story today, just started with a scene with no idea of where it would go, it looks like it will be another flash alchemy story, with the same alchemist as two previous stories. 

Tonight I also spent some time revising my new steampunk in outer space story. I had to look some stuff up though and glad I did. Arthur C. Clarke's group came up with steam steering jets in 1930 or so. Just what I needed. Learned a few things about the control room for the Hindenburg too. With all the real stuff I added I'm not sure I will be able to finish the revising and double checking, in time to send it out Saturday though. See how much computer time I get tomorrow night. 

Man imagine that hard SF fused with steampunk... :)

Goals this weekend

Labor Day and all that.

I have some chores to do but I want to:

 First: Finish my Q4 story if I haven't and send it to the critters who said they would look it over.

Second: type up three of the mini stories I've hand written the last few weeks, which includes my third general fiction very short story.

Third: start my Q1-13(WotF) story. I think I know which one that will be. A totally new story. I've had the opening in mind for a few months but I wasn't sure about the rest of it. But as I hand wrote out the last three days, I've gotten a tiny bit of a basic idea. I'll see if I can get the rest of it. Actually it started as a story for OnThePremises.com but I decided to add more emotional angst, more tension and struggle and send it to WotF.

 Fourth: If I have time I will either start the revision of an older story or do a new one. Or spell check and proofread the last six chapters of Two Struggles. Which is still at the critters. I have two crits for chapter one, that's all.

And if I have time I'll send out some stories. But most probably not to F&SF. So my record streak will be broken.

100th anniversary

No, not my marriage that is only 34 years about two weeks ago.


This is for F&SF, the other day I realized that my latest rejection could very well be rejection number one hundred. To be on the safe side I say anywhere from 98 to 102.   I've sent more stories to them than any other market. That includes a number of sub-genres in both SF and Fantasy. At least four different assistant editors have read my stuff--one personal rejection five years ago. Could be five assistant editors but I might be counting Lisa Rogers twice with that number. Lately it's been Stephen Mazur. He used to read my stories every now and then but the last six to ten it's been just him. He's as tough as they all are.

So what do they want...a good story with at least good writing. Could be my stories aren't that good but somehow I don't think that's it. Which leaves my writing. 

Dean has online workshops

Dean Wesley Smith that is.

Online

Some of them have been filled already

He decided to do some online workshops this year.  Not as good as being there but a whole lot less expensive, no flying-searches-no room and travel expenses either.

Got in...Number ten Essentials For A Fiction Writing Career, Dec workshop.

Obviously Dean does remember me even though it's been a while. It will be good to get some feedback on my writing and see what areas I am strong and weak in. I have some ideas but it would be nice to know if I'm right. See if I can find my voice again and where I have forgotten how to write. 

Even with it being Online that is going to be a hard week. I probably won't be getting much other writing done. 

Louis

New Letters to the editor

Warning this is a political Post

200 words is hard to do. Some of my sentences are not good for a writer to make but I had to compromise. :)






Here is a link to my latest letter published in the Fresno Bee Sunday, the Fifth of August.

Letter


And here is one they didn't publish. I promised it a while back and kept forgetting to post it.

A few comments for the Health care debate: To those people who say their health care was saved. You could have had health care anyway. Something new would have come about. We don’t need a 2,000 plus page monstrosity to help those without insurance. Especially one that gives hundreds of new powers directly to the Security of Health and indirectly to the President. Powers that break the spirit of the Constitution--freedom and restriction on government.

       As to the ruling by the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Roberts is officially half a statist now, he gave the government the power to tax behavior going against the spirit of the Constitution. Those in government now will take advantage of it. We know from experience President Obama and his people do not care for Freedom of Religion nor the Second Amendment especially when it comes to something politically correct.

     One last statement, There is nothing in the Constitution that gives the Government authority to force people to be responsible, to save money or to do what’s smart. Or that only certain people-liberals-can decide what is responsible and right to do. You want to change the Constitution do it the correct way. 

Mars video

Mars

Update Aug 4 PS

Already a PS to my last post.

I worked on a story I hand wrote. And as I did something interesting happened.
It turned into my second alchemist story...no sign of any steampunk though. That actually happened yesterday or the day before and isn't the something from today. But today I may have accidentally ended up with a character for a novel. I sat and thought up an ending for what might be a novel using this guy who is a secondary character in the story I am doing now. A UAL novel.  

I know he likes to dress in clothes with lots of pockets, including a full length leather jacket with hidden pockets inside and out as well as a few visible ones. No staff for this guy though. And I know what type of mini-truck he like sot drive in and what type of even smaller vehicle he has. And he has a very unusual pet. A dog but not quite one.


I decided that I have been wanting to do an alchemist novel---not sure when though. Working on too many other novels at the moment. But I may do another story or three.

Update Aug 4

A few things here this time:

First of all Dean Wesley smith and wife are having online workshops now...more here http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?p=7470 .  I want to take the Cliffhanger, the Pitches & Blurbs and Essentials of A Fiction writing Career. I might be able to take two of them if I can get to reserving a spot or two.


Today I sent in number seven to Fantasy and Science Fiction. That is seventh in a row. Years ago I would send in five to eleven in a row. But it's been a few years since I've done that. This time around Stephen Mazur seems to be reading them all. It used to be Lisa Rogers who read most of my stories--wonder if she quit. Of course all have been rejections. I seemed to have moved up one title level, from "Couldn't grab my attention" to "Couldn't Keep my attention" but that was after a bunch of help from various people. I can't even get that far on my own anymore. Stephen has been spending up, maybe he knows my writing by now therefore knows what to expect so he it doesn't take him as long.


Time to send something to Analog and IGMS as well as a few others. Most of those have decreased the time it takes for them to respond. IGM cut off about half. It took them only one month and four days to reject my story. Asimovs though is still out.


Worked hard last weekend and finished a story for a certain market whose deadline was the First of Aug. Got it done in time to revise it a bit but turned out to be 700 words too long. So decided to rush another story through my typing fingers for another market deadline the 31st of July. I had most of the story in my mind and it would be short so I hand wrote half out at work on the 31st. I managed to get more computer time so I finished it that night..1700 plus words. Spell checked it, proofread it(a software) and tried to find the market. Emphases on Tried. Couldn't find it...ugg. So it was late so after half and hour I gave up and went to bed. That is the story I sent to F&SF today. I revised it and added three hundred or so words. It's a bit better now. Next week I send in that other longer story. And since I'm nearing 1,000 rejections with only one almost sell and one comment to show that's it.  I have to do a complete count so I might be wrong but I counted 920 and some rejections. 923 and some now, so it's possible I will reach 1,000 by the time I get Q1-13's rejection.

And that is only that batch, I don't count the batch for Strange New Worlds. But that is another 30 to 35 rejections even though it had one sell, a good enough to sell and one almost. If I get the same statistics for the 1,000 That will be enough.

John Levitt

Hey everyone who loves Urban Fantasy. If you have not you need to read "Dog Days" by John Levitt.  Jon is the Hurry Dresden type of UF hero. And Levitt knows how to write. He's good at descriptions, adding humor and coming up with adventures and danger for Jon and companion.

RIP Encyclopedia Brown author

This one is a bit late, took me a while to get it posted here.

When I was knee nigh high to a grass hopper and all that I loved these books. They were one of the set of books that got me to love reading so much. I read everyone I could get.  Looks like there may have been some I missed. And it almost makes me want to read them again.  He will be missed. 
Along with what was at that time known as Alfred Hitchcock presents the Three Investigators . And a few others. 

Article

My reading July 22

I read "Singularity" by Ian Douglas. The last book in a trilogy.

If anyone has noticed my comments it's the book I said was both hard SF and Space Opera. I think Ian fuses them in an entertaining way. He is great at action scenes, emotional turmoil and setting events up. But one thing though he tends to repeat things more than necessary. If it's been a while since he described how a law of physics effects a ship under a certain condition maybe he could give a short reminded but he goes back and restates the whole reasoning. I wanted to shout I know that already after the third time. 

But that is my only main problem with his writing. There are a couple of points in the story I wasn't too thrilled with but most readers may not care. The futuristic world he developed is pretty much a liberal's dream for society when it comes to sexual morals, marriage, health care, and one or two smaller expects but not in war...but it's possible society could develop along these lines the way things are going at the moment. Which doesn't mean I expect it to. 


Anyway, good reading and and exciting adventure.