Back to the Keyboard

 It's been quite a while since I've posted something here. My apology. 

I could use the excuse that sometimes life gets in the way, but that would be a cop-out. A writer should write, regardless. I have been writing, but not on this platform since last May.

First, I had the sixth book in my John Ross Boomer Lit series, Cradle of Conflict, published on Dec. 1. Anyone who has written a book knows that there's a lot of writing that goes into the final product, from drafts (I had seven), to edits, to rewrites. So that took up a lot of my time until I wrapped it up in early November with my editor and graphic artist. It's also available, in ebook and print, from Amazon.

In Madrid 

I also traveled to Spain, spending two marvelous weeks in September and October, starting in Madrid and ending in Barcelona. In between, there were stops in Seville, Granada. Valencia, and Ronda. My wife, Mary, and I even made a day trip to Gibraltar. More about marvelous Spain in a future post.

My wife and I also drove to Greenville, S.C., in August. It's always nice to discover wonderful places near home. I can see why Greenville is a hot destination in the American South. It's a walkable city (we're urban hikers) with lots to see and do, from baseball to museums. And more about Greenville in a future post.

Since November of last year, I've taken on the position of marketing director for Wings ePress. I put together a monthly newsletter and manage social media, trying to attract attention to a talented group of authors. Check out the newsletter here and subscribe.

I'll be getting back to regular posts, revisiting my trips, revealing future travel plans, and pontificating about music, photography, and writing. 

Until the next time... 

Alive and Well, and Writing

 I haven't posted a blog in about three months. That's a long time in cyberspace. It was my plan at the start to have a minimum of one post per week and usually exceeded that number.

 But sometimes life gets in the way of intentions. It's not like I've been in a vegetative state, even though I'm a vegetarian. 

I'm still working on the third rewrite of the sixth book in my "John Ross Boomer Lit Series." It hasn't come along as smoothly as the previous entries, but still, there's progress. I'd like to finish it in a few weeks to submit to my publisher for publication later this year. It might be wishful thinking on my part. I hope not, but we'll see.  

I've also taken on some responsibilities with my publisher, Wings ePress. The primary job is marketing coordinator. I promote the authors, books, and the publisher through Facebook, Twitter, website, and other venues.

 I also handle the monthly newsletter that made its debut in April. Check it out here, and if interested, subscribe. 

Also, query the executive editor at Wings at executive-editor@wingsepress.com if you have a complete or near-complete manuscript. You should visit the website to see various genres and submission guidelines. Tell them I sent you! 

That's it for now. I do hope to get back to posting on a semi-regular basis. 

Until the next time . . .

 

The Writing Life: Difficult Restart

A week ago I returned to a manuscript that had been in a file folder for nearly a year.  I had put it aside for various and sundry reasons. 

For those who don't follow my blog, I'm working  on the sixth book in the John Ross Boomer Lit series. 

I confess that it's been a rocky return to the manuscript. I work on a chapter each day with edits and rewrites. The problem is that I'm still not sure I like where the story is headed.

I originally thought I could build on the 40k words and finish the first draft in a couple months. Perhaps that'll happen once I get into a groove. 

My big concern is that I may be developing a case of writer's block with the manuscript. I've wondered if:

• Maybe I was away from the story for too long to get back into it? 
• I should simply put it away and come back when I can devote more time to it?
• I'm putting too much pressure on myself to complete the manuscript with my self-imposed deadline? 

The one solution I see right now is to quit fretting about rewriting, editing, and word count and simply read!

So that is what I plan to do. I'm going to re-read the manuscript, take a few notes along the way, and then get back into it with renewed energy and focus.

Don't you like reading thought processes of a writer? Kinda crazy, huh?

I'll let you know in a few days how things worked out.

Until the next time . . . 

The Writing Life: Back to the Keyboard

 It's been nearly a year since I saved the manuscript for my next novel on the hard-drive. I put it aside for reasons that I'll keep to myself. 

But on Feb. 1, I reopened it to begin work on the sixth book in my John Ross Boomer Lit series. It's my hope to have a complete draft finished in two months. 

I've written more than 41k words so my first task is to read what I've already written and go from there. So far it's been almost like going over another writer's words. That's good because I'm giving a reader's eye to the story.

I'll be making edits and rewrites along the way as the story comes back to life. Of course, I know the story in my head; just not the details from what a wrote a long time ago. I've put drafts aside in the past, but they were completed. I've never returned to a partial draft after almost a year. 

I've made mental notes and a few physical ones about the novel. I'm sure there will be more notations in the coming weeks. 

My editor at Wings ePress has reserved a spot to publish the book later in the year so I'm on somewhat of a deadline to get it to her in plenty of time for the edits, copy edits, proofreads and everything else entailed in transforming a manuscript into a novel.

Until the next time . . .

No More Thinking About the End

It may seem odd to many boomers and other old folks, but I don’t fear death.

Now in my mid-70s, I’ve reached many of the goals set many years ago. I never expected life to go on forever — and wouldn’t want it to. After so many trips around the Sun, it can get kinda boring.

But have you ever considered a few of the positives about kicking the proverbial bucket?

• No more filing state and federal income taxes. That means no longer have to keep track of everything you do during the previous years before filing.
• No more having to replace vehicles, appliances, and other devices.
• No more grieving over the passing of relatives, friends, and pets.
• No more visits to various doctors for whatever procedures to keep you from dying.
• No more telephone calls from spammers trying to sell you a car warranty, medicare supplement, or life insurance.
• No more worries about political polarization, climate change, and pollution.
• No more concerns about the price of gasoline, groceries, and prescriptions.
• No more reading about mass murders and senseless gun violence.
• No more worrying about getting rid of the clutter collected over the years.
• No more upgrading smartphones, computers, laptops, and tablets.
• No more having to deal with toxic people.
• No more seeing and reading about the atrocities of war.
• No more having to take your vehicles in to be serviced or repaired.
• No more thinking about home security.
• No more contending with those who have road rage.
• No more having to face rude, disrespectful, and pretentious people.
• No more answering the front door and seeing religious missionaries, political aspirants, or strangers collecting money for various fundraisers.
• No more deadlines because you’re finally dead.

There’s more I could add to the list, but you get the idea. I bet there are a lot of things you would include.

In the meantime, I’ll wake up each morning and do those things I find challenging, worthwhile, and fulfilling. And then go to bed each night, hoping I accomplished something. But I won’t lose sleep over it — unless it’s getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.

Maybe death is a final blessing from the pain, the mundane, and the insane we’ve encountered throughout our lives.

Until the next time . . .

(This post originally appeared at Medium.com)

Looking Ahead

 Embarking on another year, it's my intention to make it better than the previous one. 

It's not always the case because most things are beyond my control. So, in that case, I simply try to go with the flow and encounter things as smoothly as possible, although bumps along the way can snap one out of a stupor. 

So here are some of my goals, not resolutions, for 2023:

• Get back to my novel, the sixth book in the John Ross Boomer Lit series. It's been sitting dormant for about eight months. I've written more than 40k words so I need to read and rewrite from the get-go.
• For many years, I've planned to work on short stories. For those who know or follow me, I've intended to do a follow-up volume to Laments, a collection of short stories published in 2012. I may not do a follow-up on the same theme, but plan to write a few stories that have been lingering in my head for the past several years. 
• As noted in my previous post, I want to delve into poetry. I'll let everyone know how that goes.
• I want to get back on the road to places I've never seen. Travel invigorates me with the sights, sounds, and tastes that one encounters at destinations. I'm considering Spain. Maybe Machu Picchu. Of course, there are places within driving distance that I'd like to experience. Perhaps Key West? Philadelphia? Boston? Washington, D.C.? Oregon, Idaho, and Washington are the only states in the lower 48 I haven't visited, so they are a possibility if gasoline prices stay somewhat reasonable. I hope to see a few friends along the way.
• While not necessarily my goals, my wife has some things on her list she'd like to see for the house, such as a bathroom remodel. Depending on how much that will cost, it could have an adverse effect on other things, such as travel. And you never know what appliance is going to need to be replaced in the house. We also have some outdoor projects to complete this year. These are on the "honey-do" list.

At my age, time is of the essence. I may not have three or four years to do these things—give or take a year or two if I'm fortunate. It's not like when I was in my 30s and 40s and had 30 or 40 years ahead of me, which seemed almost like an eternity, to reach goals. However, a few things I made plans for back in the 1980s and '90s, I accomplished as I got older. It just takes time and determination and savings and luck. 

I hope you realize your goals this year.

Until the next time . . .