Distracted.

The catch for writing in volume is making time, and then to make that time count. I think that I can pump out a thousand words in about an hour, if I have a pretty good idea what it is that I am about to write. And that is the trick. Having in my mind's eye what it is that I am about to write.

Now, I am really good at daydreaming. As a child, I daydreamed my way through life, ignorant of the people and places around me. As an adult, that sort of inner-brain dwelling is not a desired attribute among employers and friends. So, discipline is utilized to make sure that happening at appropriate times. It can be excellent for writing, however. I have been practicing writing under some pretty distracting circumstances. I will write, for instance, in family common areas. Talk about interruptions. Among the loud discussions, the clamor and my youngest one's desire for me to chase her through the house, I find that I am able to keep my train of thought focused on the writing at hand. More and more. Whether it is any good will be up to the reader to decide.

The next part is what happens between writing sessions. How I think and what I think about during the down time. That has been more of a challenge. Sitting still and simply breathing is conducive to the idea process. A phrase simply preempts a larger idea and turns character focus in a new or more interesting direction. Those phrases typically develop within the context of these silent times. I highly recommend them.

I am looking into primitive functional movement (Not necessarily the guy in the video) for health. I have only begun to research this so, I'll shut up about it for now. However, physical health, good eating, rest and exercise are essential to mental and emotional well-being. And that is from where so many great ideas come.

And now, back to writing.

Steven Pacey Versus My Book Dysfunction.

I am an agonizingly slow reader. I think that I may actually write faster than I read. That is why it is with certain vulnerability that I tell people what I am reading when I am reading it. Because I will probably still be reading it by the next time we talk about it. This makes Audible that much more valuable to me. Not a commercial here, just a fact. Despite this, understand that I love the feel and smell of a new, or even a used, book. I like being the first person to break the binding, and, truth be told, the feel of the pages... Against my face. (Don't act like you have never rested a cool book on your face, your nose nestled between the pages.)

 So, it is no surprise when I keep books around. Instead of taking my post-read books to one of our wonderful used bookstores, I often keep them much longer than I should. Some, I keep for good reason, as I have several voracious readers in my house. Others, however have no purpose but to make me happy when I look at them. On top of that, I have a stack of books that I have yet to read, fiction and non. There is no logical order to what I will read next, though at one time I did: Fiction, non-fiction, fiction, non-fiction, etc. Since I have no real process, I often just read whatever strikes my fancy.

I do have a trend when deciding what to read versus to what I will listen, however: I will read non fiction 90% of the time. With fiction, I like reading larger tomes myself, whereas, I enjoy listening to shorter books. Another factor is the narrator. One of my faves is Steven Pacey. Were I wealthy enough, he would read everything to me at my behest.
"Mr. Pacey, would you be so kind as to read the morning paper to me, sir?" I would say.
Or, "Mr. Pacey, would you please read my utility bill aloud?"
He would, of course, answer in the affirmative and I would continue to happily pay him his due.

The moral of the story: Between Steven Pacey reading things to me and reading a good-smelling book slowly, Steven wins hands down, I guess.

Freedom is a Place at the Unexplored Reaches of the Sea

The subtle rasping of life's little industrial-grade file seems to be doing it's darnedest to clear the tougher spots on my thick skin. I have written very little in the past week; maybe a thousand words. I have been in the market for some good ol' fashion CHANGE and I believe that I've been dealt it in spades. So, I guess I do not write well in the presence of spades.

The long view is that change will make me better. The short view? "This sucks." Despite all the melancholy, I am struggling to guard the inward part of me. The part that feels and the part that develops my world-view. I am working hard to take a path unpaved, and maybe, "unblazed". This is the path crowded by many of these rasps, all reaching to break-off callus and calcification. Making soft what was hard, and making me free.

I read an article recently about "Wealth vs. Anything Else" in which you have two options: Freedom or Comfort. Guess which one it recommended?

So, I am hopping back into the writing saddle and riding that Freedom pony into the sunset.

Sorry about the mixed metaphors.

VOTE for my NaNoWriMo Story!

Okay. I now have the two choices for my 30 day writing excursion with NaNoWriMo. I am going to choose according to comments on this blog. The two choices are as follows:

1) I want to write about a life coach in a high level business environment. At once, he takes on three highly successful and scary/messy clients. The Life Coach thinks that these three individuals simply want to get to the next level in their careers, family, etc. "He ends up with more than he bargained for." Thriller, I think. Darkly humorous, maybe? Certainly comical themes.

2) Steampunk fantasy set in the old west starring none other than the highly capable and secretive Dr. Lee from my short story/ ebook, Brimstone Deep.  Dr. Lee uncovers a secret plot to crush the Taiping Revolt that has now migrated to the Manchu-Chinese Territory in the American West during the American Civil War. Political intrigue/ adventure.

There you have it! Please vote!

The Catharsis of Hidden Things

Accountability is normal. Or should be. When I do not make my inner issues known to someone to which I answer, those inner issues often go ignored or abandoned, misinterpreted or wildly out of control. The exposed intrigues of individuals with high influence, the moral failings of role-models and leaders, and the all-too-public collapse of much beloved entertainers, can often be traced back to the lack of a support community with which it is safe to make a mistake. But, in this day and age of the war on privacy and the zeal of many to retain it, we often forget that we indeed, need to be completely open and exposed to a faithful few, so that our unseen struggles can be seen by us for what they are: Completely normal. Our issues only become aberrant without this level of vulnerability.

This is why writing can be so much fun. In character development, we can show the vulnerabilities of our protagonist and create the story arc of their rise, fall and rise again (and fall again if we choose), in context of community and relationship. In the Hero Story, the  the Mentor exposes and equips the hero to deal with their inner issue. The protagonist's failure is often seen by those closest in the end of the Second Act. Even in the Hollywood Formula for film (Lou Anders gives a brilliant explaination of that here), there is a provision for this, as the protagonist is escorted or goaded into maturity by the 'Relationship Character'.

But, writing is not enough to deal with my issues and vulnerabilities, personally I must have people in my life that will push me to be the best me.

Hey! Check out Paul Green's Weird Western blog over at Wordpress. He gives me a generous review here.

Nanowrimo Choices!

For those of you who have read my short and sweet blog, you know that I am prepping for NaNoWriMo. Honestly, I have still never hit the 50,000 word goal in a month. However, I will be prepared for November 1st for my intial installment of 1,667 words, but probably more like 2500 words, as that will be my daily goal for November. I have my first book idea and will be divulging it as I settle my second book idea. Then, I will blog it and let the people vote! All five of you!

To outline the story, I will use the 7-point story structure that author Dan Wells (of Writing Excuses) talks about here. It is a great balance of structure and creative and keeps me focused without making me feel stifled. I highly recommend it.

I have been truckin' along nicely with Sky Rift. I am expanding the way the story is to give a view of what is actually happening in the rest of the world at the time, and not just the alternate American west during Civil War times. I am adding some baddies that will also be part of the bigger world in general. I really want to make the American west what it really was: A high carnival for a world of opportunists and risk-takers. Also, I really want to write it with the discovery viewpoint that is outlined in the book 1421 by Gavin Menzies. It is believed that the Ming Dynasty actually discovered the American continent well before ol' Cristoforo Columbo. So, I'm building it from there. What if the Chinese stayed? Even expanded in what is now California? Throw in a little fantasy, some steam and gearpunk, and viola! A novella o' fun!

A Vision for BLOGGING. Or whatever.

In this blog, I am trying to accomplish a couple of things:

1. Be interesting, but only briefly. I am not exposing my life's work here. Only random thoughts, in bite-sized nuggets. Because time, y'know?
2. Open a subject for your opinion. If I write a lengthy post, chances are you are getting my opinion shoved down your maw. It would be great for me to quickly tell how I'm feeling and leave plenty of room for you to leave yours.
3. Draw the readers into a type of relationship. People are rarely vulnerable when they say they are. Vulnerability is found over time, intimately. Interdependently. However, anyone that is paying attention will begin to see what I never intended, but will be glad they have. 
4. Create group enthusiasm. About my books, what we eat, genre fiction, yada yada. These are things that I care about, and I would love for you to care about them as well.
5. Creative Outlet. It's fun, healthy (so far), and helps me continue to write when I am not, in fact, writing.

And there you have it! Now, go buy my ebook or review it! (That was to create Group Enthusiasm)