Didn't get a chance to write much at all last night. I did get a tentative outline down for Chapter 2 of the book I'm working on. No post though. Responsibilities at my real job interfered. Because of that, I'll do a double post today.
Wednesday is the day I've set aside for discussing subjects aside from writing. I don't guess there's a lot on my mind currently. I could lament more about how much I wish I didn't have to be gone from home to make a living, but that's a sore subject. I could flagellate myself for my many shortcomings, including but not limited to laziness, scatter-brainedness, the inability to finish projects, et cetera, but what's the point? Instead, I'll just say that I'm looking at changing some things about myself. I don't know when I'll get things under control, but I know there are definite changes that need to be made and I'm working toward resolution on all of them.
Thursdays are for my reading list. Pretty much the same as last week, but I've finished The Books of the South and have started on Heroes Die. I like it so far, but it's not a book for kids.
Later.
CL
Friday, August 21, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Scheming
Tuesday's the day I get to tell about all my plans and projects. Currently, I'm working on an urban fantasy that's set in Las Vegas. I don't want to give too much away of the magic system, but it's something I've seen only a few times before. I'm having some good fun writing it. So far, I'm finished with the first drafts of the prologue and chapter 1. I figure if I can do a thousand words a day, I should be able to finish it pretty easily by the end of the year.
I have also been reviewing some of my older ideas and beginnings. I'm excited about most of it, but I'm particularly intrigued with an opening line I wrote down about two years ago.
"In 1991, I sold my soul for a pair of acid-wash jeans."
That makes me chuckle every time I read it. I'm going to have loads of fun getting that story down on the page.
On a slightly different note, I have approached one of my friends from high school to do some editing and proofreading for me. He is a pretty sharp guy, but even more importantly, he's pretty blunt and honest. That's what I'm looking for in an editor. While I like praise as much as the next guy, I'm not interested in having my ego stroked as feedback. He has done some editing for other writers in the past, so I'm hoping he'll give me some good input.
CL
I have also been reviewing some of my older ideas and beginnings. I'm excited about most of it, but I'm particularly intrigued with an opening line I wrote down about two years ago.
"In 1991, I sold my soul for a pair of acid-wash jeans."
That makes me chuckle every time I read it. I'm going to have loads of fun getting that story down on the page.
On a slightly different note, I have approached one of my friends from high school to do some editing and proofreading for me. He is a pretty sharp guy, but even more importantly, he's pretty blunt and honest. That's what I'm looking for in an editor. While I like praise as much as the next guy, I'm not interested in having my ego stroked as feedback. He has done some editing for other writers in the past, so I'm hoping he'll give me some good input.
CL
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Family Day
First off, I apologize for missing yesterday. It was supposed to be my free write day, and I didn't feel like coming up with anything.
Consistently inconsistent.
Well, I have had some surprises from my oldest in the past few months. He's really growing up. He's starting to come out of that grumpy pre-adolescent stage and move into full blown teen mode. So far, much less angst than I would have suspected, but it's early in that game, so I'm not sure it won't get worse. But really, I keep getting reports from various sources that he's coming around in areas I didn't suspect he would be interested in. He still wants to spend all his time playing, but that's what kids do. I was the same, and I expect it. I'm proud of him, though. He's a really good kid. All of them are good kids.
Once again, I won't be home for a birthday. The 20th of this month is my youngest daughter's birthday and I'll be in North Dakota. I hate that, but it's happened so many times that the kids are used to it. I think it's getting a little too late for me to make it all up to them, and that has me depressed a lot of the time. I think that's why I'm so tired so often.
Ah well, life sucks and etc.
Well, gotta get packed up. It's almost shift change and I don't want to hang around out here in the middle of nowhere any longer than I absolutely must. I hear a nice warm bed calling my name.
CL
Consistently inconsistent.
Well, I have had some surprises from my oldest in the past few months. He's really growing up. He's starting to come out of that grumpy pre-adolescent stage and move into full blown teen mode. So far, much less angst than I would have suspected, but it's early in that game, so I'm not sure it won't get worse. But really, I keep getting reports from various sources that he's coming around in areas I didn't suspect he would be interested in. He still wants to spend all his time playing, but that's what kids do. I was the same, and I expect it. I'm proud of him, though. He's a really good kid. All of them are good kids.
Once again, I won't be home for a birthday. The 20th of this month is my youngest daughter's birthday and I'll be in North Dakota. I hate that, but it's happened so many times that the kids are used to it. I think it's getting a little too late for me to make it all up to them, and that has me depressed a lot of the time. I think that's why I'm so tired so often.
Ah well, life sucks and etc.
Well, gotta get packed up. It's almost shift change and I don't want to hang around out here in the middle of nowhere any longer than I absolutely must. I hear a nice warm bed calling my name.
CL
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Saturday
Supposedly, today's subject is exciting news. Well, I don't have any. The most exciting thing happening to me currently is naptime.
I'm working these days in North Dakota. Still based out of Rock Springs, but traveling up here to work. I stay at a mancamp much like the camp I lived at in Oman while I was over there. Far less hot, what with being on the border of the Great White North. It's worthwhile because of the pay, but I'm here for two to three weeks at a time, and that part isn't so cool.
For my Lovely:
I know this is hard some days. This life we have been dealt wears on me, too. But I take my solace in knowing that you miss me every day, which means that you love me and want me to be around. I know it isn't fun for you to be a single mom, and I never meant for that to be the case. I'm sorry for the necessity, but not for the life that we've built that I've never really been able to partake of fully. I miss out on so much, and I'm jealous of your closeness to all the things I wish I were a bigger part of. I love you and miss you every day, too. I can't wait to come home.
CL
I'm working these days in North Dakota. Still based out of Rock Springs, but traveling up here to work. I stay at a mancamp much like the camp I lived at in Oman while I was over there. Far less hot, what with being on the border of the Great White North. It's worthwhile because of the pay, but I'm here for two to three weeks at a time, and that part isn't so cool.
For my Lovely:
I know this is hard some days. This life we have been dealt wears on me, too. But I take my solace in knowing that you miss me every day, which means that you love me and want me to be around. I know it isn't fun for you to be a single mom, and I never meant for that to be the case. I'm sorry for the necessity, but not for the life that we've built that I've never really been able to partake of fully. I miss out on so much, and I'm jealous of your closeness to all the things I wish I were a bigger part of. I love you and miss you every day, too. I can't wait to come home.
CL
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Words
So, I have heard from a number of sources that a good goal for a fledgling writer such as myself is to write a thousand words a day. I have decided to challenge myself to meet that goal. So far, it's going well enough. I don't make it every day, but I usually get more than halfway there. It's actually easy to get close. Some days, if I really get in a groove, I might be able to get four or five times the goal. I know I have done it in the past. Also, I don't count my blog posts or spot revisions toward the goal. On my spreadsheet, I have two slots for each day. Any new writing on my current project (whatever my stupid adult ADD decides that is…) counts toward the goal, and is recorded under the heading "New Words" while the rest of what I write in a day goes under the "Other Words" heading.
On another note, I have gotten the go-ahead from the family financier to grab a copy of Dragon Naturally Speaking to help me improve my production. I have been practicing speaking what I intend to type to gauge how easy making the transition from the keyboard to voice recognition is going to be, and I have to tell you, it's going to be quite a different process. I have really never contemplated before just how much my brain relies on the delay my slow sausage fingers create in order to form complete and coherent thoughts. Regardless, it shouldn't take a horribly long time to adjust, but it's a bit harder than I had anticipated.
Current project progress: Prologue finished, first chapter about halfway written.
More later.
CL
On another note, I have gotten the go-ahead from the family financier to grab a copy of Dragon Naturally Speaking to help me improve my production. I have been practicing speaking what I intend to type to gauge how easy making the transition from the keyboard to voice recognition is going to be, and I have to tell you, it's going to be quite a different process. I have really never contemplated before just how much my brain relies on the delay my slow sausage fingers create in order to form complete and coherent thoughts. Regardless, it shouldn't take a horribly long time to adjust, but it's a bit harder than I had anticipated.
Current project progress: Prologue finished, first chapter about halfway written.
More later.
CL
Friday, August 14, 2009
Current Reading List
The Books of the South; Glen Cook – The second set of books of the Black Company. I really enjoy Glen Cook’s character driven stories. If you like fantasy, I highly recommend the Black Company books.
A Dictionary of Superstitions; Edited by Iona Opie and Moira Tatem – This is probably the best book I’ve ever found at the library. My Lovely just bought it on Amazon. The origins of various superstitions are really fascinating. I’m using this one for research for some of my stories.
Fantasy Encyclopedia; Judy Allen – Another research book.
The Great Encyclopedia of Faeries; Pierre Dubois – Yet another research book.
Atlas of the Mysterious in North America; Rosemary Ellen Guiley – Another one for research, and quite interesting as well.
Turn Coat; Jim Butcher – Finished this one a few days ago. Jim Butcher is my current hero.
Heroes Die; Matthew Woodring Stover – This one is on my Read Next list. Perhaps by the weekend, but more likely next week sometime.
And that’s what I’m reading as of right now.
CL
A Dictionary of Superstitions; Edited by Iona Opie and Moira Tatem – This is probably the best book I’ve ever found at the library. My Lovely just bought it on Amazon. The origins of various superstitions are really fascinating. I’m using this one for research for some of my stories.
Fantasy Encyclopedia; Judy Allen – Another research book.
The Great Encyclopedia of Faeries; Pierre Dubois – Yet another research book.
Atlas of the Mysterious in North America; Rosemary Ellen Guiley – Another one for research, and quite interesting as well.
Turn Coat; Jim Butcher – Finished this one a few days ago. Jim Butcher is my current hero.
Heroes Die; Matthew Woodring Stover – This one is on my Read Next list. Perhaps by the weekend, but more likely next week sometime.
And that’s what I’m reading as of right now.
CL
Thursday, August 13, 2009
We Now Resume Our Regularly Scheduled Programming
Hello again. It’s been a while.
Wednesday. Off-the-writing-subject musings today. Fortuitous.
Well, let’s catch up on what’s been going on in my world for the past half year plus. I have completely reintegrated in Rock Springs, Wyoming, after my transfer with Big Red. Some of the old guys are still around, and we’ve had a good time catching up, I think. Some of them still don’t really appreciate my sense of humor, but I’m just like I always have been, so they’ll just have to gut it out. There are a bundle of new guys, but that’s to be expected in the industry whence I toil. Anyway, since the transfer, I’m home way less often, have way less opportunity to write, and am generally about as miserable as I was over in Oman. This is really just something of a pit stop on my way to finding gainful employment in the same zip code where Home is. On the good side, I can make a bit more money monthly in the Rock, depending on how many hours I put in.
Best part; everyone speaks English! No more language barrier! Now if I could just summit Mount Moron, all would be right in my work-world.
On the home front, Sweetness and I have weathered a pretty rough patch. Mostly weathered it, anyway. I’m working on some stuff, she’s working on some stuff. We’ll pull through. I’m still just beside myself that I have her, and I miss her every day.
Since I’m on night shift, this Wednesday post won’t actually go up until early Thursday morning, but that’s just tough.
Talk to you tomorrow.
CL
Wednesday. Off-the-writing-subject musings today. Fortuitous.
Well, let’s catch up on what’s been going on in my world for the past half year plus. I have completely reintegrated in Rock Springs, Wyoming, after my transfer with Big Red. Some of the old guys are still around, and we’ve had a good time catching up, I think. Some of them still don’t really appreciate my sense of humor, but I’m just like I always have been, so they’ll just have to gut it out. There are a bundle of new guys, but that’s to be expected in the industry whence I toil. Anyway, since the transfer, I’m home way less often, have way less opportunity to write, and am generally about as miserable as I was over in Oman. This is really just something of a pit stop on my way to finding gainful employment in the same zip code where Home is. On the good side, I can make a bit more money monthly in the Rock, depending on how many hours I put in.
Best part; everyone speaks English! No more language barrier! Now if I could just summit Mount Moron, all would be right in my work-world.
On the home front, Sweetness and I have weathered a pretty rough patch. Mostly weathered it, anyway. I’m working on some stuff, she’s working on some stuff. We’ll pull through. I’m still just beside myself that I have her, and I miss her every day.
Since I’m on night shift, this Wednesday post won’t actually go up until early Thursday morning, but that’s just tough.
Talk to you tomorrow.
CL
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
I'm back!
Short and sweet. I'm back behind the keys. I'll try to get back to the daily schedule soon.
FYI, I'm absolutely abysmal at finishing projects, particularly large ones. I'm on a new book now than I was when I went on hiatus. Some of that is because I had a bundle of files on the flash drive I was using turn to so many wasted bits. Oh, the irritation. Luckily, I think I have most of it squirrelled away some other place.
Anyway, talk more soon.
FYI, I'm absolutely abysmal at finishing projects, particularly large ones. I'm on a new book now than I was when I went on hiatus. Some of that is because I had a bundle of files on the flash drive I was using turn to so many wasted bits. Oh, the irritation. Luckily, I think I have most of it squirrelled away some other place.
Anyway, talk more soon.
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