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Showing posts from April, 2016

Questions 3

Okay, here's some more questions on my mind.  Why do companies on Twitter add you and then immediately IM you with their service? Don't they know how it looks at this point? Pretty much like a spam phone call. Which brings me to the next question.  Who are the people using these services?  I say this because when I need or want to try a new product or service I research and go to the store and do a lot of other things to make sure it's the right one for me. But the places advertising in this social media manner (aggressive, if I can add), feel someone is going to go, "Oh, yeah! That's JUST what I need. Let me go and use their service." I mean, some might, and I guess these services prey on those people.  I just don't get it, though, because there are other ways they could, if they were legit, possibly garner customers through legitimate posts and experience.  I usually follow back real people on Twitter, unless they post extremely offensive thing

Questions 2

A few more questions that are more thoughts.  Where do writers get the time to actually write when they are on social media all day? I know coming on here when you need some inspiration, or just a jump off point, can be helpful with starting your writing session, but unless they hired someone to post and comment and stuff for them, when are they reading and writing?  I happened to read this one writer post about starting on their next book, but they were so involved in their advertising and social media aspect that they were worried they didn't have any content yet  for the next book.  This social media thing can really ruin creativity sometimes. But I guess it's like anything, too much can be a bad thing. Everything in moderation. (Sorry for the old saying).  A funny one: Why is it when you tell someone you write horror they look at you as though they are trying to remember if they left the stove on at home?  Now this one can go both ways, because there are a lot of p

Questions

Questions  All this content. Everywhere. Are writers just selling to each other? I know writers are readers, too, but where are the "just readers" out there?  Do writers/editors/etc try to scare the novice by showing how complicated things are? When a "newbie" sees all the hoops they have to supposedly jump through, they probably wonder how they could ever accomplish those things. Then they might send their manuscripts out to a self-publish place and bam, lost them. Then again, maybe the fact that they gave up was the test from the beginning?  Why do beginning writers think everything they write is gold? They think their first attempt is going to make them best selling authors. I have even tried to help a couple of writers, but they took it as I was criticizing. I told them where they can go to get information. But they got offended. I know because I was once in that situation, but I would have taken any advice.  I had another question but I forgot it as they

Scooping Out Thoughts

Friday again. Still keeping up the fight. Still sneaking in some writing/editing every chance I can. In the cafe now, working on something. I've been in a different location at work the past few days, so less immediate stress and constant direction. I can take a few notes here and there.  I like writing at night, but there's something about the morning. When everything is starting up. When barely anyone is out and about, or if they are it's just to grab a coffee and scoot off to work. Seats are all available and waiting. The puffy eyes and yearning stomach asking to fill it's void.  Don't forget the coffee...  Ah, just like in other jobs I've had years ago that didn't pay all too well, there were those perks. Not saying this endeavor isn't going to pay off one day, but for now I stay to the shadows, looking out and planning my action.  It's important to keep a decent day job, or as I've read other writers say, to have a spouse who has a d

Tomorrow Is a New Day

Fear The Walking Dead is turning out to be okay, but not like The Walking Dead. Some people at work are ready to write it off, only going to give it a couple more episodes, but I'll give it more. It's filling a void between the original, and it would really be interesting to see how/if it eventually ties in with the original story. They are, after all, in the same universe.  No new news on the submission front, had a lot to do over the weekend and didn't get much done. Tomorrow is a new day, and i'm looking forward to getting to it--at least the writing part...not the day job part (wink).  Well, that's all for now, talk later.  WCM

Another Day

Ah, another day. That's about all I can think of. It's been a crazy week at work. Set me back a bit with regards to writing.  Now I feel exactly how I don't want to feel. Lost. Not knowing where to pick back up. I will pick back up, but I don't like that feeling. I keep up with the blog and social things, and that helps with keeping the doorway open; so I guess that's another thing good about the social aspect, I guess.  Well, I'm going to try and get to this. Oh and I just remembered, yesterday morning I was working a bit. Guess my inner mind feels it wasn't enough. Either way, keep at it.  WCM

Friday morning? Cafe? Must be writing!

Okay, warming up. I'm in one of my favored spots close to my job for writing. I've got the coffee. I'm ready.  Going to put the anxious noise on the back burner (hopefully it burns there), and just write. Anxiety and stress are the biggest killers of creativity. I hate them, they try to get the best of me often. But you have to just say they wont. Lately, and I've been very happy about this, I've just grabbed my work and got to it. No matter how small. I just looked at it and took a bite here and there. You have to do it. Like I said before, if you don't do it it will never get done, and then the thoughts you had waiting will fizzle out. Now you may get similar ones, you may get the same ones, but sometimes you're going to miss out on something that could have been very special.  So do it. Now my fingers are warmed up and i'm going to get to some writing.  Talk later.  WCM

Dreams Happening

Quick post before I get to bed. Look to the right (it should be there). Pretty darn proud to post this banner. I am an HWA supporting member right now, but that will change soon.  Okay, good night.  WCM

Balance

Didn't really get anything done yesterday, a little editing, but nothing much. Today is shaping up for the same. Though lunch hasn't come yet, so let's see.  Things are moving faster now since I joined the HWA, like a fire was lit...you know the rest. I have also been learning to shut off the job side and turn on the creative side. Not an easy task, at least not in the beginning.  I used to get a ton of great ideas just flowing into my head, but this particular occupation has blocked that. Long story, maybe one day.  So basically I'd go home exhausted and not able to go into the world to create.  Luckily I have a lot of ideas and partially created stories to fall back on. But now, with some techniques I've been trying, I've been getting ideas once again.  So it's lunch time, I'm going to get going.  WCM

Force Yourself!

I've noticed that lately I have got to the point where I realize if you don't just do it it won't happen. I used to just say oh I'll get to it, but that never  comes--or it comes very late and nothing gets done. I find I sort of force myself, but not in a negative way. I know that if I don't get the pages open before me I won't do anything, but I also know that once I'm doing it (editing, or writing), I'll be happy. So I am only really forcing myself to start. The rest just comes naturally.  I also have been working on a method that I've come to really like, but I know it will have to develop. But it's exciting how much you can get done just getting into it and starting. Like a writing inertia. I used to look at the work and have this energy and no what I had to do, then put it off, get back to it and don't remember. And then I say to myself, "how the hell am I supposed to do this there's just too much!" And that's the thi

HWA Supporting Member!

So I am a member now of the Horror Writers Association. Supporting for now, but will be moving up very soon. I am now looking for places for my short stories. So far a few have said they are not open for submissions for now. Makes me feel a bit down, but I'll keep looking. And during the interim it's the best time to keep on writing and editing.  I have the next story I'm going to start editing, it's written mostly in longhand--because my job took away the ability to send Office documents to external email accounts. And there is a lot of foot traffic going past my desk. So I was forced to use this method of writing. That and using my phone and Word. But it's okay. Necessity is the mother of invention.  Guess that's it for now. Time to sleep.  WCM 

Wishful Thinking

I usually tell people at my job that I wish it was Miller time (time to clock out for those who don't know that saying), but then I thought about it. What am I doing by asking for this all the time? I'm basically wishing my life away.  Even though time at work can be harsh (thinking about that next scene you want to work on), you can still use this precious time here and there to do little things, even if it's at our day jobs.  Hey, how about if we didn't skip the whole day, just had a feature on those video player apps on our electronic devices. Skip--skip--skip. You know? 30 second increments. So a part of the day comes you don't like, you can skip 30 seconds, maybe a minute, maybe five. But you don't miss out on the whole day.  Wishful thinking.  Either way, you can still use those snippets of time between agony. I've said it before, mobile phones are so useful with social matters and even with word processing now, it's insane.  So consider y

Sneaking In Some Writing. Shhhhh!

Good day! Today I'm still editing. Was a very busy day at work, couldn't get my tablet or phone out too much, so I couldn't edit too much. But this is almost done.  Waiting for approval email from HWA, very excited about that.  So now time to get back to the grind and sneak in some writing on my phone. Shhhhh!  WCM

Spoiler Alert, Sort Of

So I'm a big fan of The Walking Dead. Sort of a spoiler alert coming up.  That said, I will just come out and say I figured they were going to do something like this, not showing who died until next season. If you think about it, it's genius. It doesn't get anyone angry if it's (ahem, Glenn, cough cough) and keeps the fans eager to know who it was that got their head bashed in--like in the comic...where it was Glenn.  I was talking to a guy at work about the possibilities. He was saying Maggie was getting it, I said Glenn, like the comic. And then we sort of came to the conclusion that they'd do what they did and killed the person and saved it for next season. Still good stuff. I almost thought they weren't going to do that, and that felt weird because I didn't know what was going to happen--but I like when a story can do that to me. One thing about being a writer is you sometimes know what is going to happen, what the writer is going to do. When they su

Update

So just joined the Horror Writers Association as a Supporting member, until I sell what needs too be sold to move up the ranks.  Pretty excited right now. Finishing up the short story and getting ready for The Walking Dead season finale tonight.  OK, going to get back to some editing before it starts. Later.  WCM

Action Packed Weekend

I'm not usually this opinionated, actually I'm a bit non-social. But I figured I'd type out the things I'm thinking about from day to day and see what it looks like later when I reach my goals.  That being said I can change my opinions and thoughts as I learn new things. That's the great thing about writing and life. Learning.  So, this weekend is an action packed one. First, i'm going to finish this short story I've been toiling over for weeks, and hopefully submit it. But if not this weekend, surly next week. I feel after this story is finished the subsequent ones should be easier. I say this because I feel (at this point) that novels are a bit easier to write.  The other thing is Walking Dead's season finale. Very exciting stuff.  And finally, i'm going to join the Horror Writers Association as a supporting member--for now.  Once i'm published I will upgrade that level.  So that's it for now. Talk soon.  WCM