And one more update

Okay, I am working on chapter two of New Mage. Making headway.

Working on revising those mini stories that aren't. :)   One is up to 2,300 plus words. That one will be going out soon after I send it to be critted by a couple follow hatrackers. Mostly checking for nitpicks even though I probably will make some changes.

One story is still out, or is it two?

One story is at Baen's Universe Annex slush forum over at Baen's Bar. It's a way for them to check out new writers and help them make a story better, before they buy it. It's been critted and I can't believe what I let get by. I mean nitpicks. (Shakes Head) I just don't see them and it makes my frustrated. I should be able to find most of them.

There's another story I want to send out.

But there are four to six stories that are 500 minus words that are more general fiction and I'm not sure where to send them. Very simple tales that still might entertain... for a few seconds.


Seven of the 13 I sent out just before Christmas are still out. And I should be sending out another six but I can't remember to get them ready. Here by ready I mean formatted correctly and all that.

Me a Storyteller?

I mentioned this in my last post and thought I would explain it. I've referenced this before one or three times and probably will another one or three times... at least.  :)

But for those who are new, at least two of my followers and maybe- hopefully-- some readers, a few years ago Dean Wesley Smith called me and said among other things that I am a natural born storyteller. He said it more than once-maybe if I recall correctly more than twice. I had to learn something first but I should be soon selling. Well, even though I think he got part of that wrong-- of course that is supposing that I have learned at least some of what he said I needed to-- I still take what he said seriously. Especially that the story telling part has been supported by what a few others have stated about my writing. Not quite the same words but still along those lines.

So I call my self a natural born story teller.


Hmmm, maybe I should change my name to the trails and tribulations of a StoryTeller.  :)


Oh a side issue, could some of you readers but not followers make a comment or three? It would be neat to know you are really out there, not to mention having some comments too.  :)

Book I'm reading

Started-- finally, I don't have to hold out anymore-- reading "One Salt Sea" by Seanan McGuire. Yippy.

Some how I've gotten a stack of books to read. Usually I've only two or three books inline to read but it's like ten and it has stayed that amount for four months at least. So I had to wait to get to this one even though it's one that has been calling me. In fact I did skip one book to read this one now.


And I got here earlier than usual I just started it today. I usually don't get to this until I'm at least half way through a book.

McGuire  http://www.seananmcguire.com      is one of my top favorite writers. I want to be a story teller-and I have been told I am a storyteller-- on her level. And this series is one of my favorites of all I am reading. Well, there's one small thing McGuire introduced last book that took the series down a quarter notch. But still it's up there. 

If you like mysteries in an UF adventure setting with twists where you never know what will happen next, you will love this series. Sometimes not so happy endings for everyone too. 

Well, again there is one thing I wasn't sure why McGuire introduced at the beginning that I'm not sure about the why of, she doesn't really do much with it so far. I know one reason why it is there but still as a helpless old romantic I wish it wasn't and as I said it is used very little. But I can overlook it.


And whoa looks like she has a new series coming out. A light hearted one by the title. Hope it doesn't take the place of Daye or even slow them down. But I will look it over. 

Writer Vs Author

Dean Wesley Smith has an interesting post on the difference in being a writer and in being an author. Besides the fact that one is a name that is.  :)

http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?p=6190#comments

Basically we need to keep on keeping on... in this case writing.

WotF update

 No on the story they are looking over however.


But on the one I am doing for their next quarter contest, otherwise known as Q2-'12 or with the '12 first.

I belong to two groups on Hatrack that will be checking it over, hopefully it won't need too much work I really don't want to go over too many more times... it's sad.

Maybe I shouldn't say it yet but I'm proud of this story, it might be one of my best with the writing and the story. But we shall see about the writing, I've thought that before. I've noticed a couple of little glitches, hopefully they are not really bad. WotF doesn't seem to mind one or two little writing or story telling mistakes. Commas are another matter but I feel like they better be better then usual for me but we shall about that too. 

And Yes I think story telling is different from writing even though they are intertwined.

Partial writing euphony and an almost contradiction

This comes from a discussion on Hatrack the Orson Scott Card's writing forum

I know Dean Wesley Smith and other pros talk about no rules to writing but at the same time we need to learn how to write. So I wrote this at hatrack:

"Even though I haven't thought it in these words I've wondered if that is what happened to me a few years ago. I lost my voice. To a certain degree I believe that did happen when I tried to force my writing into the shape I thought editors wanted but at the same time I have learned a few things since then so my voice may not be quite what it once was. I see the idea that there are no rules but that you have to learn as an almost contradiction but I might be beginning to understand it. "

I have stated that I have forgotten how to write but maybe I just forgot what my voice is.
I don't know if this is thee problem that I have a tendency to think I have, since that time a few years ago that I did better, but it is something to work on.

Slight update on books

Went to Barnes and Noble to see about a couple of calenders. nothing of course but while I was there I found the latest M.Y.T.H. book by Aspirn. Very light hearted hearted fantasy good stuff.


And I found a couple of others including a new UF and a new SF that sounded good. But I decided I needed to buy those with my Nook. I've said that before. Now if I could remember a pencil and paper to write down what I wanted on the Nook.

Guess I try online again but that usually takes a while there are so many books on the list. Even just SF and Fantasy. They don't list just he last one or two months and they list some that are just e-books.

Slight update on New Mage

Well, for those who are new. "New Mage On The Block" is a novel I started and finished last year. Mostly. I say that because I just added a couple of hundred words to it. Of the three Urban Fantasy novels I did, and a fourth I started, I think it's the best story. I think I will change the title because it's not quite what I wanted for that title but it's still a great story I think. A world inspired by Laura Anne Gillman but a character inspired by her, Seanan McGuire, Rounld and one or two others.  


Update:
So far the novel is 73,860 words long. Longer than I thought it would be. I say that because I do need to redo chapter two and three. Plus revise the whole thing. so it's possible that I will add a thousand to five thousand more words. We shall see.