March was an interesting month. It wasn't as productive as I hoped, but sometimes the real world gets in the way of writing. Here's what I did get done:
From the novel front, I entered the NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, which is a contest that can score you a free query critique or even an introduction to an agent. I wasn't one of the lucky (randomly selected) 25 picks, but that's totally okay. It was nice to see yet one more opportunity arise.
I did get my query letter to the point where I'm no longer embarrassed by it and I met my initial goal of sending out three letters. Of those three, one responded with a form letter and the other two remain pending. My synopsis, is still a mess, but I'll get it finished in the coming month. I'm about half way through a final final final final revision, but that doesn't really affect the querying process since the current version is perfectly acceptable if I'd score a full request.
For short stories, I wrote no new stories since I was working on other stuff. Two new short stories hit print, and one was reprinted in a collected volume. I made eight submissions for unpublished or reprinted short stories, receiving one new acceptance, one personal rejection, and five form rejections. There were also three previous submissions that I finally gave up waiting on an marked as "no response." I received one form rejection for a non-fiction essay as well.
Counting this post, I made 29 blog posts, missing only a day for my Grandma's funeral and a day for the flu. Pretty close to my goal of blogging ever day.
I also finally set up my Amazon Author Site.
I think that covers everything. Like I said last month, I'm posting this mostly to keep myself motivated by tracking my progress in a public place and also, if you're an aspiring writing such as myself, it might help to see we're all going through the same thing.
I'll be back tomorrow with my writing goals for April.
March 31, 2014
March 30, 2014
A sample workout plan for busy people
Like I said in my previous post, exercise is something that is important to me. While there are times that I would like to dedicate more time to keeping in shape and (in theory) looking good, but there's just too much going on right now.
I know I'm not the only one in the world with a long commute. I know I'm not the only one with young kids. That's why I wanted to write this up. For all of us busy people out there, we need to squeeze in as much exercise as we can.
It's not about doing the bare minimum in a week, but about doing the maximum you're allowed in the time you have.
The first thing I learned was to give up the idea of a training split. That's where you train a specific group of muscles (or an individual one like chest) each day. I got my best results from a four-day split, but if I can't be guaranteed to make it to the gym four days a week, that type of workout is a bust. Same things for 3-day or 5-day.
What I do instead now is just a simple full-body lifting routine. I shoot for lifting twice a week and doing cardio twice a week. With no fixed schedule, it doesn't throw the entire system off if I miss a day.
Here's what my current full body plan looks like. The type of exercise doesn't matter so much as the body part I'm training. For example, sometimes I'll use machines and sometimes I'll use free-weights. The order of lifts doesn't matter too much, with the exception of keeping the isolated, smaller muscles at the end (biceps & triceps.)
I either do 1set of 15 or 2 sets of 12 pending on how much time I have. This is the order I prefer.
1. Chest: Barbell, dumbbells, or a machine.
2. Legs: Leg press or squats.
3. Back: Lat Pulldowns (wide grip or close grip), pull-ups, or chin-ups.
4. Hamstrings: Lying leg curls, seated leg curls, RDLs, or Good Mornings.
5. Shoulders: Press with dumbbells or machine.
6. Quads: Leg extensions.
7. Rows: Machine, cables, or bent-over barbells.
8. Calf raises
9. Flys, either dumbbell, machine, or cables.
10. Shoulders: Dummbell or cable lateral raise
11. Biceps: Any variety of curls.
12. Triceps: Any variety of triceps extensions.
13. Crunches (sets of 25) or leg-lift.
14. Lower back extensions.
And that's it. This workout takes about 30 minutes. I also do a little bit of cardio for warm-up and cool-down.
This is really just a sample. What's most important is finding some exercise you like to do and making sure you do it at least four times a week.
I know I'm not the only one in the world with a long commute. I know I'm not the only one with young kids. That's why I wanted to write this up. For all of us busy people out there, we need to squeeze in as much exercise as we can.
It's not about doing the bare minimum in a week, but about doing the maximum you're allowed in the time you have.
The first thing I learned was to give up the idea of a training split. That's where you train a specific group of muscles (or an individual one like chest) each day. I got my best results from a four-day split, but if I can't be guaranteed to make it to the gym four days a week, that type of workout is a bust. Same things for 3-day or 5-day.
What I do instead now is just a simple full-body lifting routine. I shoot for lifting twice a week and doing cardio twice a week. With no fixed schedule, it doesn't throw the entire system off if I miss a day.
Here's what my current full body plan looks like. The type of exercise doesn't matter so much as the body part I'm training. For example, sometimes I'll use machines and sometimes I'll use free-weights. The order of lifts doesn't matter too much, with the exception of keeping the isolated, smaller muscles at the end (biceps & triceps.)
I either do 1set of 15 or 2 sets of 12 pending on how much time I have. This is the order I prefer.
1. Chest: Barbell, dumbbells, or a machine.
2. Legs: Leg press or squats.
3. Back: Lat Pulldowns (wide grip or close grip), pull-ups, or chin-ups.
4. Hamstrings: Lying leg curls, seated leg curls, RDLs, or Good Mornings.
5. Shoulders: Press with dumbbells or machine.
6. Quads: Leg extensions.
7. Rows: Machine, cables, or bent-over barbells.
8. Calf raises
9. Flys, either dumbbell, machine, or cables.
10. Shoulders: Dummbell or cable lateral raise
11. Biceps: Any variety of curls.
12. Triceps: Any variety of triceps extensions.
13. Crunches (sets of 25) or leg-lift.
14. Lower back extensions.
And that's it. This workout takes about 30 minutes. I also do a little bit of cardio for warm-up and cool-down.
This is really just a sample. What's most important is finding some exercise you like to do and making sure you do it at least four times a week.
March 28, 2014
Five Links Friday 3/28/14
Time again for Five Links Friday...
1. Write Nonfiction Now has 10 Twitter Tips for Nonfiction Writers. Great advice if you're trying to market a nonfiction book.
2. On a similar note, while I may think Facebook marketing is basically a dead thing, I suppose some people/companies still find value in it. Either way here are 7 Facebook Marketing "Tips" and "Tricks" That Don't Actually Work
3.If you're a fiction writer, Writer.ly has an article to help you get started on choosing a web platform for your website.
4. Here's an article on BlackGate.com looking at time travel in modern and classic fiction: Do You Have the Time?
5. Finally here's a guest post at thechangeblog.com from our good friend Allen Taylor of Garden Gnome Publications: How I Overcame Fear of the Unknown.
And that's it. I'll be back tomorrow with a long post. About exercise!
1. Write Nonfiction Now has 10 Twitter Tips for Nonfiction Writers. Great advice if you're trying to market a nonfiction book.
2. On a similar note, while I may think Facebook marketing is basically a dead thing, I suppose some people/companies still find value in it. Either way here are 7 Facebook Marketing "Tips" and "Tricks" That Don't Actually Work
3.If you're a fiction writer, Writer.ly has an article to help you get started on choosing a web platform for your website.
4. Here's an article on BlackGate.com looking at time travel in modern and classic fiction: Do You Have the Time?
5. Finally here's a guest post at thechangeblog.com from our good friend Allen Taylor of Garden Gnome Publications: How I Overcame Fear of the Unknown.
And that's it. I'll be back tomorrow with a long post. About exercise!
Gas Lamp flash ficiton
My new flash fiction story "Premonition" is published today at Gas Lamp. It's a little different than my usual stuff, so give it a look. You can read it free online at Gothic City Press.
Gas Lamp: Premonition by Jason Bougger
Gas Lamp: Premonition by Jason Bougger
March 27, 2014
10 "writing" things we need to do that aren't actually writing
I write every night. It's a good habit to have, but most of the writing time isn't spend actually writing fiction.
Here is a list of 10 things writers should be doing that isn't actually writing.
1. Blogging. Yes, I try to blog every day and that is a good thing. Forcing 300ish words every day whether I feel like it or not is great character building.
2. Submissions. You'd think that sending off a short story is not big deal, but it really does take up a pretty large chunk of time. When a rejection comes in, I have to find a place to send it to, check over some of the stuff they publish (if available) to see if mine fits, check their guidelines, properly format the story, and then finally send it off.
3. Networking. A writer's platform is a must. And there's no better way to build a writer's platform than to build a fan-base online. That means interacting with people on twitter, facebook, message boards, and other writing blogs.
4. Querying agents. This is similar to submitting short stories, but different enough that it gets its own listing. You have to find an appropriate agent who is not only currently open to new clients, but also represents similar authors and stories (but not too similar). And like short story publishers, every agent has different requirements. Some want just a query letter, others want a synopsis, which will vary between 1 and 10 pages, so you might need to write/rewrite one of those as well.
5. Revisions. Revision is my writing "four letter word." I hate it. But you know what they say: Good writers write. Great writers revise. Or something like that.
6. Critiquing other writers' work. I'm not a huge fan of this, but sometimes it's necessary. Especially if you belong to an online critique group like Scribophile or Critters. If you want other people to critique your stuff, you need to critique theirs.
7. Researching. Writing fiction may not be the same as writing a research paper, but if you don't get your facts straight, you look like a novice or even worse: lazy. And nothing will turn off an editor quicker than a lazy writer.
8. Marketing. Yeah, no one likes to do this either, but you need to plug your stuff and make people aware of it, especially if you've go no name recognition. (I should know; I have no name recognition either.) There's a couple of things you can do, but at bare minimum you should have an Amazon author's site and a GoodReads author page. There are also many "real life" ways to promote your work. Take a stack of contributor's copies and go hang out in a coffee shop and try to sell some autographed copies, for example. See if a local library would let you give a talk. Find some local or online places that interview authors.
9. Brainstorming. Sometimes writing isn't writing at all, but just sitting down and taking notes or writing down any random thoughts hoping you'll find an idea worth exploring.
10. Reading. Stephen King put it best: "If you don't have time to read, then you don't have time to write." To learn to be good at something, you need to experience it firsthand. There's no better way to get better at writing than to read and learn from the greats.
Hope this list covered everything. Feel free to leave a comment if you think I'm offbase, or left anything out. I'll be back tomorrow with Five Links Friday and hopefully another publication announcement.
Here is a list of 10 things writers should be doing that isn't actually writing.
1. Blogging. Yes, I try to blog every day and that is a good thing. Forcing 300ish words every day whether I feel like it or not is great character building.
2. Submissions. You'd think that sending off a short story is not big deal, but it really does take up a pretty large chunk of time. When a rejection comes in, I have to find a place to send it to, check over some of the stuff they publish (if available) to see if mine fits, check their guidelines, properly format the story, and then finally send it off.
3. Networking. A writer's platform is a must. And there's no better way to build a writer's platform than to build a fan-base online. That means interacting with people on twitter, facebook, message boards, and other writing blogs.
4. Querying agents. This is similar to submitting short stories, but different enough that it gets its own listing. You have to find an appropriate agent who is not only currently open to new clients, but also represents similar authors and stories (but not too similar). And like short story publishers, every agent has different requirements. Some want just a query letter, others want a synopsis, which will vary between 1 and 10 pages, so you might need to write/rewrite one of those as well.
5. Revisions. Revision is my writing "four letter word." I hate it. But you know what they say: Good writers write. Great writers revise. Or something like that.
6. Critiquing other writers' work. I'm not a huge fan of this, but sometimes it's necessary. Especially if you belong to an online critique group like Scribophile or Critters. If you want other people to critique your stuff, you need to critique theirs.
7. Researching. Writing fiction may not be the same as writing a research paper, but if you don't get your facts straight, you look like a novice or even worse: lazy. And nothing will turn off an editor quicker than a lazy writer.
8. Marketing. Yeah, no one likes to do this either, but you need to plug your stuff and make people aware of it, especially if you've go no name recognition. (I should know; I have no name recognition either.) There's a couple of things you can do, but at bare minimum you should have an Amazon author's site and a GoodReads author page. There are also many "real life" ways to promote your work. Take a stack of contributor's copies and go hang out in a coffee shop and try to sell some autographed copies, for example. See if a local library would let you give a talk. Find some local or online places that interview authors.
9. Brainstorming. Sometimes writing isn't writing at all, but just sitting down and taking notes or writing down any random thoughts hoping you'll find an idea worth exploring.
10. Reading. Stephen King put it best: "If you don't have time to read, then you don't have time to write." To learn to be good at something, you need to experience it firsthand. There's no better way to get better at writing than to read and learn from the greats.
Hope this list covered everything. Feel free to leave a comment if you think I'm offbase, or left anything out. I'll be back tomorrow with Five Links Friday and hopefully another publication announcement.
March 26, 2014
Mad Scientist Journal: Winter 2014 issue released
Here's the latest Mad Scientist Journal ebook. It collects three months worth of stories published on the site and three new pieces. My short story "A Bad Case of Rabies" is reprinted here as well.
March 24, 2014
It's more fun to just write it
I'm still working through the first novel, although it is at a place where I'm comfortably sending out queries, meaning it's a complete and "finished" novel, but there is always tweaking to be done.
As soon as I come up with a synopsis I'm happy with I'll start cleaning up novel number two while I wait for query replies.
But still, writing a novel is hard work. In the process of stalling...er, researching, I mean...I was reading some blogs from a couple of other writers and just browsing around for some general tips on novel writing.
One thing I found is that there are a lot of writers that don't write a novel the same way I do, which is to basically sit down and come up with it as I write it. I might do some loose outlining as ideas come, but for the most part, it's some much more fun to sit back and watch the novel take on a life of its own as the plot develops.
Quite a few sites recommended coming up with a complex outline or synopsis before you even write the first word. I can honestly say that that sounds like a really boring way to write, and for me, it would take all of the creativity out of it. I've tried this on a few short stories and instead of writing and creating I only found myself forcing my writing to stay within the confines of the outline. Boring.
Another somewhat common (surprisingly) suggestion was to use the "note card method" that my college English professors spoke so highly of. That one I still don't get. You write down bits and pieces of your plot on 3x5 note cards and then for some reason arrange them on the floor (apparently in a random Tarot card pattern) and then somehow develop an outline from that. Like I said, I don't get it.
I only know what works for me. Again, I'm not against outlining. I have a basic page-long outline for the next novel I plan to write. Just what works for me is to know as little about the story before I begin so that I can have fun watching it develop. It keeps me interested and I can often surprise myself when things happen that I didn't plan for. After the first draft is complete is when I draw up the detailed plot outline and use it to find any problems with the story as I tighten up the plot.
As soon as I come up with a synopsis I'm happy with I'll start cleaning up novel number two while I wait for query replies.
But still, writing a novel is hard work. In the process of stalling...er, researching, I mean...I was reading some blogs from a couple of other writers and just browsing around for some general tips on novel writing.
One thing I found is that there are a lot of writers that don't write a novel the same way I do, which is to basically sit down and come up with it as I write it. I might do some loose outlining as ideas come, but for the most part, it's some much more fun to sit back and watch the novel take on a life of its own as the plot develops.
Quite a few sites recommended coming up with a complex outline or synopsis before you even write the first word. I can honestly say that that sounds like a really boring way to write, and for me, it would take all of the creativity out of it. I've tried this on a few short stories and instead of writing and creating I only found myself forcing my writing to stay within the confines of the outline. Boring.
Another somewhat common (surprisingly) suggestion was to use the "note card method" that my college English professors spoke so highly of. That one I still don't get. You write down bits and pieces of your plot on 3x5 note cards and then for some reason arrange them on the floor (apparently in a random Tarot card pattern) and then somehow develop an outline from that. Like I said, I don't get it.
I only know what works for me. Again, I'm not against outlining. I have a basic page-long outline for the next novel I plan to write. Just what works for me is to know as little about the story before I begin so that I can have fun watching it develop. It keeps me interested and I can often surprise myself when things happen that I didn't plan for. After the first draft is complete is when I draw up the detailed plot outline and use it to find any problems with the story as I tighten up the plot.
March 21, 2014
Five Links Friday 3/21/14: Free fiction sites
We're going with a theme this week. Here are five sites where you can get some free short stories.
1. Gothic City Press publishes a weekly flash fiction story in the Gas Lamp section of their site. Give it a look if you like short, dark fiction.
2. Story Shack Magazine is an online site with daily flash fiction and art. I'm a little partial to them, since they published one of my stories last year.
3. 69 Flavors of Paranoia is an interesting site to say the least. They've got short stories, reviews, and art, in addition to a unique look that is really worth checking out.
4. Pseudopod is a horror podcast site that adds a new short story every week. It's good for writers to listen to fiction every now and then.
5. And finally, you've got to check out this awesome archive of free horror short stories from classic authors such as Lovecraft, Poe, H.G. Wells, and a ton of authors you've probably never heard of: Classic Horror Short Stories
All good stuff, especially when it's free.
1. Gothic City Press publishes a weekly flash fiction story in the Gas Lamp section of their site. Give it a look if you like short, dark fiction.
2. Story Shack Magazine is an online site with daily flash fiction and art. I'm a little partial to them, since they published one of my stories last year.
3. 69 Flavors of Paranoia is an interesting site to say the least. They've got short stories, reviews, and art, in addition to a unique look that is really worth checking out.
4. Pseudopod is a horror podcast site that adds a new short story every week. It's good for writers to listen to fiction every now and then.
5. And finally, you've got to check out this awesome archive of free horror short stories from classic authors such as Lovecraft, Poe, H.G. Wells, and a ton of authors you've probably never heard of: Classic Horror Short Stories
All good stuff, especially when it's free.
March 17, 2014
Surviving Captain Trips
Well, I'll tell you what. I had the plague.
And it was bad. It was so bad that I was seriously looking out my window Saturday night waiting for Randall Flagg to appear (because you know I'd have to be on his side when it all hits the fan.)
Somebody brought the flu to my Grandma's funeral, and at last count no less than twenty of my relatives were violently ill over the weekend. My kids have yet to show any symptoms, thankfully, so here's to keeping our fingers crossed that they avoided it.
Anyhow, with everything going on in the last couple of weeks, not to mention that the baby still isn't sleeping all too well, this month has been horrible for writing.
So without beating myself up over it, or making any excuses, or passing any blame, it's time to once again re-focus and get back on track. St. Patty's day is always a big day for me, and there is never a better day to start fresh.
With only fourteen days left in the month, it's time to set some specific, tight, and reachable writing goals to hit before April 1. Here they are, in order:
1. Finish final editing of the novel. I'm about half-way there and it doesn't need a lot of rewriting at the moment.
2. Submit three agent queries. Ones that don't ask for a synopsis up front yet because (see below)
3. Write a compelling synopsis of the novel. Actually write a long one and a short one, just to be safe.
And that's it. After taking a couple of days off with the flu, I'll be back blogging every day as well. So see ya tomorrow, and if the big one does still hit, I'll see ya in Vegas with all the other bad guys.
And it was bad. It was so bad that I was seriously looking out my window Saturday night waiting for Randall Flagg to appear (because you know I'd have to be on his side when it all hits the fan.)
Somebody brought the flu to my Grandma's funeral, and at last count no less than twenty of my relatives were violently ill over the weekend. My kids have yet to show any symptoms, thankfully, so here's to keeping our fingers crossed that they avoided it.
Anyhow, with everything going on in the last couple of weeks, not to mention that the baby still isn't sleeping all too well, this month has been horrible for writing.
So without beating myself up over it, or making any excuses, or passing any blame, it's time to once again re-focus and get back on track. St. Patty's day is always a big day for me, and there is never a better day to start fresh.
With only fourteen days left in the month, it's time to set some specific, tight, and reachable writing goals to hit before April 1. Here they are, in order:
1. Finish final editing of the novel. I'm about half-way there and it doesn't need a lot of rewriting at the moment.
2. Submit three agent queries. Ones that don't ask for a synopsis up front yet because (see below)
3. Write a compelling synopsis of the novel. Actually write a long one and a short one, just to be safe.
And that's it. After taking a couple of days off with the flu, I'll be back blogging every day as well. So see ya tomorrow, and if the big one does still hit, I'll see ya in Vegas with all the other bad guys.
March 14, 2014
Five Links Friday 3/14/14
Hey, let's do Five Links Friday!
1. Here's a guest post from Matthew Kressel at SFWA.org giving some advice on Finding a Place to Write. Good post. My places are either my first floor library/computer room with the lights dimmed or Scooters on a weekend afternoon.
2. If you're a self-publisher, you should check out this article on ISBNs from epublishabook.com.
3. Here's an interesting post from Think Ink Psychology for Writers giving 3 Habit Building Apps for Writers.
4. Show AND Tell? Here's a new look at an old idea from WriteIntoPrint.com.
5. And just for fun, here's an interview with Lee Spiegel and Aaron Sagers at ParanormalPopCulture.com discussing extraterrestrial activity and journalism. Personally, I think the extraterrestrials ARE the journalists, but nobody asked me.
And that's it. Now back to the novel editing.
1. Here's a guest post from Matthew Kressel at SFWA.org giving some advice on Finding a Place to Write. Good post. My places are either my first floor library/computer room with the lights dimmed or Scooters on a weekend afternoon.
2. If you're a self-publisher, you should check out this article on ISBNs from epublishabook.com.
3. Here's an interesting post from Think Ink Psychology for Writers giving 3 Habit Building Apps for Writers.
4. Show AND Tell? Here's a new look at an old idea from WriteIntoPrint.com.
5. And just for fun, here's an interview with Lee Spiegel and Aaron Sagers at ParanormalPopCulture.com discussing extraterrestrial activity and journalism. Personally, I think the extraterrestrials ARE the journalists, but nobody asked me.
And that's it. Now back to the novel editing.
March 13, 2014
And Everything Keeps Moving Forward
I just wanted to throw out a quick post today, mostly for therapeutic reasons, if anything.
We had Grandma's funeral today and rosary last night. It's just so crazy to think about what it would be like to be over a hundred years old. In the sermon, Father talked about everything she would have witnessed in the last century. Everything from World War I (as in ONE) all the way to GPS and the internet.
It's just so amazing to think that she lived through both September 11 & Pearl Harbor. That she could remember FDR, JFK, Watergate, Reagan, the moon landing, the Challenger, Vietnam, the Great Depression, and more popes than I could even attempt to name.
It makes me wonder how many things we live through now that history will consider huge world-changing events that we just consider "the news."
I'm from generation that was there for the internet's coming out party of the middle '90's. Someday my kids and grand kids will be asking me what life was like before the internet. When phones were plugged into walls and we only had three channels to watch plus PBS. I feel like we like we should all be keeping diaries to remember this stuff, but now we have facebook to do that for us.
I know this is all kind of random. Funerals mess with my head, I guess. In the end, it was a nice day and great to see my family, but of course it was hard. Saying goodbye always is.
So I guess that's it. I'll be back with a Five Links Friday post tomorrow and try to get back to the novel in the next couple of days after my head clears up. Thanks for reading.
We had Grandma's funeral today and rosary last night. It's just so crazy to think about what it would be like to be over a hundred years old. In the sermon, Father talked about everything she would have witnessed in the last century. Everything from World War I (as in ONE) all the way to GPS and the internet.
It's just so amazing to think that she lived through both September 11 & Pearl Harbor. That she could remember FDR, JFK, Watergate, Reagan, the moon landing, the Challenger, Vietnam, the Great Depression, and more popes than I could even attempt to name.
It makes me wonder how many things we live through now that history will consider huge world-changing events that we just consider "the news."
I'm from generation that was there for the internet's coming out party of the middle '90's. Someday my kids and grand kids will be asking me what life was like before the internet. When phones were plugged into walls and we only had three channels to watch plus PBS. I feel like we like we should all be keeping diaries to remember this stuff, but now we have facebook to do that for us.
I know this is all kind of random. Funerals mess with my head, I guess. In the end, it was a nice day and great to see my family, but of course it was hard. Saying goodbye always is.
So I guess that's it. I'll be back with a Five Links Friday post tomorrow and try to get back to the novel in the next couple of days after my head clears up. Thanks for reading.
March 10, 2014
So I lost my Grandma today...
My Grandma turned a hundred a few years ago. It was pretty neat to see the longevity on that side of the family. Here older sister is still here at 105 and was able to make it to the party.
Once someone reaches 100, you always know in the back of your mind that every time you see them, and every conversation you have might be the last. I figured that when her time did come that it would be a little...I don't know, easier, I guess. I hate to use that word, but you know what I mean. I've always been so proud of my family heritage, and I respect my Grandma so much that I assumed when she passed we would celebrating her life more than mourning her death.
While that is true in a sense, I underestimated the mourning part. No matter what, it still sucks when people die. No matter how emotionally ready you might think you are, it still hurts.
For me, that immediate grief that hits comes in the form of regrets. I regret that I only came to visit her a few times a year. I regret that my son didn't get to know her better. I regret that I never made it out to the farm with my daughter. I regret that I never asked her what she though about the Pre-Vatican II Church, even though I've wanted to for a decade.
I know that's normal, and maybe even in some ways healthy, but I think it's best to let go of those regrets and instead remember the better things over the last year couple of years. I had a great chat with her on the phone last Easter. My two-year gave her a really big hug on Christmas. The little guy likes Batman, so I shared stories with him about when Grandma would were a blue robe and I would wear a little yellow blanket and we'd run through the hallways playing Batman & Robin. I remember playing "Hide the button" with her and Grandpa. And I remember her and my aunt Kathy laughing at the TV ads for Friday the 13th Part 4. ("Jason's unlucky day") Don't ask why I remember that one, but it's always brought a smile to my face.
She didn't suffer much at the end, and I'm grateful for that. And even more so, I'm grateful knowing we don't need to worry about her at this point. I know she's with our Lord in Heaven. I know she'll be reunited with my Grandpa.
And I hope she'll be able to look down on me and my family every now and then.
And I hope we make her proud.
Once someone reaches 100, you always know in the back of your mind that every time you see them, and every conversation you have might be the last. I figured that when her time did come that it would be a little...I don't know, easier, I guess. I hate to use that word, but you know what I mean. I've always been so proud of my family heritage, and I respect my Grandma so much that I assumed when she passed we would celebrating her life more than mourning her death.
While that is true in a sense, I underestimated the mourning part. No matter what, it still sucks when people die. No matter how emotionally ready you might think you are, it still hurts.
For me, that immediate grief that hits comes in the form of regrets. I regret that I only came to visit her a few times a year. I regret that my son didn't get to know her better. I regret that I never made it out to the farm with my daughter. I regret that I never asked her what she though about the Pre-Vatican II Church, even though I've wanted to for a decade.
I know that's normal, and maybe even in some ways healthy, but I think it's best to let go of those regrets and instead remember the better things over the last year couple of years. I had a great chat with her on the phone last Easter. My two-year gave her a really big hug on Christmas. The little guy likes Batman, so I shared stories with him about when Grandma would were a blue robe and I would wear a little yellow blanket and we'd run through the hallways playing Batman & Robin. I remember playing "Hide the button" with her and Grandpa. And I remember her and my aunt Kathy laughing at the TV ads for Friday the 13th Part 4. ("Jason's unlucky day") Don't ask why I remember that one, but it's always brought a smile to my face.
She didn't suffer much at the end, and I'm grateful for that. And even more so, I'm grateful knowing we don't need to worry about her at this point. I know she's with our Lord in Heaven. I know she'll be reunited with my Grandpa.
And I hope she'll be able to look down on me and my family every now and then.
And I hope we make her proud.
Goodbye Grandma B.
March 8, 2014
Time-out for time management
Every now and then someone will ask how I have find to write.
I'd like to think my life is about as busy as it can possibly get. (I'm sure most anyone with young kids would say the same thing.) So when people ask, my answer is simply, "I just do."
It's obviously more complicated than that, but "I just do" seems to make the most sense. The most important thing to realize is that you don't really find time so much as you make time.
For example, I know a lot of writers make time in the morning. They wake up early and write until they need to go to work. I love the idea behind this and fully support getting up early. If this worked for me, I'd do it. Unfortunately, it's just not feasible at the moment. I've got an hour-long commute to work and already get up at 5:30 every day, assuming our baby doesn't wake up before then (she usually does.) and getting up any earlier than that might add a little more danger than I'm comfortable with to my interstate drive.
But there are plenty of other options.
First off, lunchtime. If your workplace allows this, take advantage of it. I take a 30 minute long lunch. That's not enough time to write new fiction, but it is just the right amount of time to write a first draft of a blog post. Or if I don't feel like doing that, it's also just enough time to research publications to query, read and comment on other blogs, or even proofread a short story.
During the week, I can also usually squeeze in an hour or so to write every night after we get the kids to bed. I can usually get a good 300-500 hundred words done during that time, or write a blog post if I haven't had one done yet for the day. The only drawback, is that sometimes if I'm writing fiction, I'll get a little too worked up and either forget to stop and go to bed or have trouble sleeping once I get there.
On weekends, since I can stay up later, I'll try to write for two or three hours after the kids go down and I usually make an afternoon trip to the coffee shop for a couple of hours of editing during the day. Occasionally I'll work on something during the morning coffee, but lately that's been when we hang out with the kids and watch cartoons.
So there's my writing schedule in a nutshell. I won't lie; it's hard. But keeping my sights on the end goal and watching the daily progress I make helps keep it bearable for both me and my family.
I'd like to think my life is about as busy as it can possibly get. (I'm sure most anyone with young kids would say the same thing.) So when people ask, my answer is simply, "I just do."
It's obviously more complicated than that, but "I just do" seems to make the most sense. The most important thing to realize is that you don't really find time so much as you make time.
For example, I know a lot of writers make time in the morning. They wake up early and write until they need to go to work. I love the idea behind this and fully support getting up early. If this worked for me, I'd do it. Unfortunately, it's just not feasible at the moment. I've got an hour-long commute to work and already get up at 5:30 every day, assuming our baby doesn't wake up before then (she usually does.) and getting up any earlier than that might add a little more danger than I'm comfortable with to my interstate drive.
But there are plenty of other options.
First off, lunchtime. If your workplace allows this, take advantage of it. I take a 30 minute long lunch. That's not enough time to write new fiction, but it is just the right amount of time to write a first draft of a blog post. Or if I don't feel like doing that, it's also just enough time to research publications to query, read and comment on other blogs, or even proofread a short story.
During the week, I can also usually squeeze in an hour or so to write every night after we get the kids to bed. I can usually get a good 300-500 hundred words done during that time, or write a blog post if I haven't had one done yet for the day. The only drawback, is that sometimes if I'm writing fiction, I'll get a little too worked up and either forget to stop and go to bed or have trouble sleeping once I get there.
On weekends, since I can stay up later, I'll try to write for two or three hours after the kids go down and I usually make an afternoon trip to the coffee shop for a couple of hours of editing during the day. Occasionally I'll work on something during the morning coffee, but lately that's been when we hang out with the kids and watch cartoons.
So there's my writing schedule in a nutshell. I won't lie; it's hard. But keeping my sights on the end goal and watching the daily progress I make helps keep it bearable for both me and my family.
March 7, 2014
Five Links Friday 3/7/14
Five more links after a great week...
1. Let's start with an older, but still very relevant, article from Success magazine, The Head Games of Happiness. Darry Hardy shows three traps you might fall into that can lead to major unhappiness.
2. Stuck dealing with rejections? Here is Susan Defreitas giving 10 Reasons You're Work Might Be Rejected.
3. Karren Rowe has a great article from November looking at What Distinguishes the Most Successful Authors…from You?
4. Here's a tip on character development from Victoria Grefer: DON’T shelter your characters.
5. Finally Writer's Digest has a great article on 3 Things to Set You on the Path to Publishing Success.
Good luck to all of us in the publishing process. Have an awesome weekend.
1. Let's start with an older, but still very relevant, article from Success magazine, The Head Games of Happiness. Darry Hardy shows three traps you might fall into that can lead to major unhappiness.
2. Stuck dealing with rejections? Here is Susan Defreitas giving 10 Reasons You're Work Might Be Rejected.
3. Karren Rowe has a great article from November looking at What Distinguishes the Most Successful Authors…from You?
4. Here's a tip on character development from Victoria Grefer: DON’T shelter your characters.
5. Finally Writer's Digest has a great article on 3 Things to Set You on the Path to Publishing Success.
Good luck to all of us in the publishing process. Have an awesome weekend.
March 6, 2014
I'm sure there are some good self-published books out there, but...
I think every writer can remember that first magical moment where they were reading something and said, "Somebody published this? This is awful. I can write better than that."
The book I was reading was...you know what, I don't want to pick on the poor guy any more than the Amazon reviewers already have so I'm not going to mention the title. But needless to say, it was awful. It was so awful that I wrote my first short story immediately after reading it.
I suppose it's strange that it took seeing terrible writing to motivate me to finally start writing, but it had been a long time coming and that book was simply what pushed me over the edge and got me started.
What's interesting is that when I looked up that book again a year later I realized that I was wrong when I thought "Somebody published this?" It turns out it was a vanity press, therefore nobody published it.
I don't want to bash on self-publishing; that's not my goal here. But I do want to point out that books like that are a great example of why self-published fiction has such a bad reputation. Now that literally anyone can write a book and "publish" it, the market is overrun by some awful fiction that should have never left the nightmares of the writers.
This is a big part of the reason I choose not to self-publish. Due to the sheer volume of terrible self-published novels out there, it's hard to shake that reputation off, no matter how well-written your book may be. I still think that self-publishing fiction makes you look like a writer who just couldn't make the cut. I don't personally believe that, but I'm afraid the marketplace still does.
That might change in the coming years, but for now, I still think that with novels, traditional publishing (including small press) is the way to go in the vast majority of cases.
Now, I know it has its place and sometimes self-published writers can find a lot of success. There are novelists that, for whatever reason, just can't get published in the traditional way, so they end up going into business for themselves and seeing if they can make it self-publishing. For that I wish them well.
And who knows, if I can't find an agent this year, maybe I'll be joining their ranks.
The book I was reading was...you know what, I don't want to pick on the poor guy any more than the Amazon reviewers already have so I'm not going to mention the title. But needless to say, it was awful. It was so awful that I wrote my first short story immediately after reading it.
I suppose it's strange that it took seeing terrible writing to motivate me to finally start writing, but it had been a long time coming and that book was simply what pushed me over the edge and got me started.
What's interesting is that when I looked up that book again a year later I realized that I was wrong when I thought "Somebody published this?" It turns out it was a vanity press, therefore nobody published it.
I don't want to bash on self-publishing; that's not my goal here. But I do want to point out that books like that are a great example of why self-published fiction has such a bad reputation. Now that literally anyone can write a book and "publish" it, the market is overrun by some awful fiction that should have never left the nightmares of the writers.
This is a big part of the reason I choose not to self-publish. Due to the sheer volume of terrible self-published novels out there, it's hard to shake that reputation off, no matter how well-written your book may be. I still think that self-publishing fiction makes you look like a writer who just couldn't make the cut. I don't personally believe that, but I'm afraid the marketplace still does.
That might change in the coming years, but for now, I still think that with novels, traditional publishing (including small press) is the way to go in the vast majority of cases.
Now, I know it has its place and sometimes self-published writers can find a lot of success. There are novelists that, for whatever reason, just can't get published in the traditional way, so they end up going into business for themselves and seeing if they can make it self-publishing. For that I wish them well.
And who knows, if I can't find an agent this year, maybe I'll be joining their ranks.
March 4, 2014
Night to Dawn (Volume 25) Released
My short story "Road Trip to Cedar Creek" is in the latest issue of Night to Dawn.
I've got to say, this is a really cool horror magazine. Lots of great art, reviews, and short stories.
I've got to say, this is a really cool horror magazine. Lots of great art, reviews, and short stories.
March 3, 2014
March Goals
I've got a lot of long-term writing goals for the year, but haven't put enough thought into my short-term goals. Really, it's just as important to set short-term goals as is it to set long-term ones, so I'm going to start setting some specific monthly goals starting right now. I'll post them here with the idea being that if I have them in writing for the world to see, then I'll be more likely to get them done.
So with that said, here are my written, short-term goals for the month of March, listed in order of importance:
1) Finish current revision of novel. My query is ready. The novel is nearly ready, and could even be considered ready, but I made a few changes to the overall story arc and one of the subplots and need to finish cleaning them up. I'd hate to have a full request and then have to rush through the final edits to send it off.
2) Send a query to an agent that doesn't require a synopsis. See goal # 3.
3) Rewrite the synopsis. This isn't as pressing as the query and the final manuscript, because quite a few agents never ask for one, but it definitely needs to be done because there are still quite a few agents that do ask for one. Also, most publishers taking non-agented submissions will want a synopsis. I need to make mine a little more reader-friendly. At this point, I feel like it strips all of the personality out of the story and reads more like a book report.
3) To be done if and only if goals # 1 and 2 are done, I have a short story called "A Reunion in Cloverbrook." I think it's written pretty well, but has one huge problem that I've always known about and have had at least two rejection letters mention that specific problem. I need to fix it and get it back into the slush piles.
4) If (by the grace of God) I can get goals # 1, 2, and 3 completed, there is a short story I have that is about half-way done. It's about space pirates and I think I owe it to the fans to finish it and get it out there.
So there you have it. The top three goals will be the focus of my writing in March and I'll post an update on this at the end of the month.
So with that said, here are my written, short-term goals for the month of March, listed in order of importance:
1) Finish current revision of novel. My query is ready. The novel is nearly ready, and could even be considered ready, but I made a few changes to the overall story arc and one of the subplots and need to finish cleaning them up. I'd hate to have a full request and then have to rush through the final edits to send it off.
2) Send a query to an agent that doesn't require a synopsis. See goal # 3.
3) Rewrite the synopsis. This isn't as pressing as the query and the final manuscript, because quite a few agents never ask for one, but it definitely needs to be done because there are still quite a few agents that do ask for one. Also, most publishers taking non-agented submissions will want a synopsis. I need to make mine a little more reader-friendly. At this point, I feel like it strips all of the personality out of the story and reads more like a book report.
3) To be done if and only if goals # 1 and 2 are done, I have a short story called "A Reunion in Cloverbrook." I think it's written pretty well, but has one huge problem that I've always known about and have had at least two rejection letters mention that specific problem. I need to fix it and get it back into the slush piles.
4) If (by the grace of God) I can get goals # 1, 2, and 3 completed, there is a short story I have that is about half-way done. It's about space pirates and I think I owe it to the fans to finish it and get it out there.
So there you have it. The top three goals will be the focus of my writing in March and I'll post an update on this at the end of the month.
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