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Showing posts from September, 2015

Back on Track

So I am there, writing, trying to get back into it. Lost it for a bit, as usually happens from time to time. But I realized that this is something that happens often and figured out how to combat it.  I sat at the cafe, wondering why I felt strange, something just didn't seem right. And then I kept my eyes on the screen, thinking, editing. That's when I felt it. Something inside my mind was turned on. The only way I can explain it is like this: imagine a cold morning, you know you have to go to work in about 2 hours. You don't feel like eating. You want to vomit. And you don't want to go running, or get on the treadmill. But you force yourself, you get on and just start moving. Maybe you put on some music, maybe you watch a video on your phone, or TV. All of a sudden you feel it, and it keeps going, and you wonder why you hadn't wanted to get up and do this all this time, and you think about all the other times you're gonna get your butt up and get on this

Sporadic Thoughts

As I get better at this blog thing, I know my writing will get better, too. I think of this blog as an evolution. A way to monitor that evolution. And, ultimately a sort of resume. I am used to writing fiction, but this social stuff is a necessary evil. It lets you connect with peers and with the readers who want to get a bit more info on their favorite author. I'm not exactly there yet, and this blog, I feel, will be a documentary as I move along. Aspiring writers can see the steps and process getting into this. And we can talk. I will post experiences I've had, and maybe some other writers have had, to hopefully try and stop a writer from getting burned by crooks in the industry. I also look at it this way, I am very busy throughout my day, and the best way to keep your skills fresh is by practicing them constantly. My cell phone has been a very big part in keeping up with this, as I can edit while on the subway and have revisions ready for me, or a post to edit for

Lost Dreams and Haters

     I was talking to a musician friend of mine about "haters," as it's commonly referred to these days. How people who are jealous because you are holding fast to your dreams. Some of them have already given up on their dreams. They ridicule and belittle those who are following their own. Some of them even leach onto you and follow along for the ride, while some show up when you have created success. They see the success and wonder why it's not them, they deserve it, don't they? These people can be dangerous. They are different from people who never really cared for a dream. They once had the same yearning like me and my buddy and probably had been trying to pursue it, but for whatever reason, they gave up. The dreamer rekindles something inside them, but instead of it having a positive effect, these people attack and try to bring you to their "reality." Kids, marriage, a job taking up spare time after hours (gak!). But these people, the ones

Plan of Action

     Finished my second novel and now it's back to editing the first. This is my current plan: to edit the first three chapters on the first novel and start sending it out. Then, as that's making the rounds, I'll continue editing the rest of it. All the while I'll be finishing up a short story I'm about to submit to a few places.      I've also been messing around with this social media stuff--got a Facebook page going with Twitter and Instagram up and running. Even bought a domain name and connected it to my blog, what you're currently reading. I've been reading that social media is essential for writers today. Sort of like a resume, or something. It's also a way for fans to read what their favorite author is up to, or for writers like me, a place to talk about writing. Though the cool writers don't forget where they came from ;) I'm pretty good with technology, so these things went pretty fast, though I do notice that the time I

A little rant and writing freelance?

Hey. So it's been awhile. Been trying to write steadily, but a few personal things have prevented that for the most part. I have tried to sneak a few minutes here and there, and did a little minor editing, but no writing. I can see how time can destroy some writer's flow, where thoughts become old and stale and you come back to them and have to clean them off and carve them down and pretty much start over with a core that is bland and tasteless. Blogging is even harder when you don't have readers as of yet, you feel a bit discouraged--where is any of it going--because you don't know if it's worth it. It is, of course. And there will be readers. Being positive is a big part of it, and if you don't have that, don't even bother. The stress from worrying and not knowing if you are good enough can cause a huge strain on how you view yourself and how you write. You second guess yourself and you will never be productive. I've been looking into free