Congratulations, Grandpa . Your writings are adventures in new lands. They deserve to be in your trade publication.
A little of my stuff
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Congratulations on your column!
I should have put a disclaimer and saved you browsing time. I'm sorry.
It's my understanding that the association doesn't put the most recent issue online until the next one comes out. I have a picture of the cover that a complimentary colleague sent me, but Android isn't being kind in letting me forward it from her text to my picture collection. And the picture contains her subscription info anyway, so I'd have to edit that out before I posted....
Sometimes it seems that nothing seems easy, and then I think back to the villagers I saw in Nigeria, I read the thread by 80sFan, and I shut right up.
...good job man!....better than being buried in the back between ads for pecker pills and log splitters.....
In the writing domain, good news and bad news.
Good news: At a colleague's urging, I wrote a short story for a contest. It just came to me full-blown and dashed out my fingers in just a couple days. Immodestly, I think it's one of my better stories. For anyone who reads (and remembers) my stuff, it's up there with the short story "Story of the Fall" and the short-short "Abraham Lincoln." It has tones of the novella "Chance Encounter." Whether it wins, places, or gets ignored, I'm pretty proud of it.
Bad news: I can't share it. One of the requirements of the contest is that the story be previously unpublished. So I can't.
But when I can, I'll upload it to the blog and letcha know.
Good news: At a colleague's urging, I wrote a short story for a contest. It just came to me full-blown and dashed out my fingers in just a couple days. Immodestly, I think it's one of my better stories. For anyone who reads (and remembers) my stuff, it's up there with the short story "Story of the Fall" and the short-short "Abraham Lincoln." It has tones of the novella "Chance Encounter." Whether it wins, places, or gets ignored, I'm pretty proud of it.
Bad news: I can't share it. One of the requirements of the contest is that the story be previously unpublished. So I can't.
But when I can, I'll upload it to the blog and letcha know.
The sausage-making part of writing a book.
I have a story ("Hidden View") that's almost literally 20 years in the making. Two decades. By some standards, a generation. Much less than the life cycle of a star, but worth 140 generations of the fruit fly Drosophila, which means one strain could have evolved into a different species in that time. Anyway. I started it last century, and it was my Big Important Story. Then I hit an impasse, and it went fallow for a while. A long while. Especially by fruit fly standards.
In between then and now, I've written a plethora of short stories, a couple novellas, and a couple actual books, not to mention the various trade articles, bloggings, and blatherings that have polluted my personal outgoing bandwidth. Hey, some people gotta write. It appears I'm one of them.
And then I got past the impasse, and the rest of the book just flowed. I reached those glorious and thrilling last two words. I sent it out to the first tier of review (at least one of whom is on this very forum). They liked it. I brought it back and went through a final editing pass before sending it off to my nearest and toughest critic.
Well, she's in the same business I'm in - heck, she's in the same HOUSE I'm in - and we've been quite busy lately. Plus it's my longest story yet, and it looked intimidating sitting there on the table. So it took her a while to get to it. And when she finally did, I would hear appreciative murmurs here and there, which is always good, but also frustrated grunts and muted questions, which is not so good. And then she was done.
We had a chat. She said she got lost in the characters. Too many names. We agreed that for the minor characters, I could replace their one-off names with descriptions, like, "arresting officer," or, "teammate," and not muddy up the character waters with too many names for forgettable people.
She made another suggestion which I wasn't sure of but it led to an epiphany that if I changed the whole ethnic background of one secondary character, I could use that to make some stunning societal comments. Brilliant, really. That will take a couple days or so of revisions, but it'll be worth it.
And then... what about friends of one poor schmoe in the book? Where are they? We talked about it, and I realized that there was a chance for a huge dramatic swell that would punch up the final climactic path of the story. Like, wow.
So the house is built, but it isn't quite ready. It's back in for some final items on the punchlist, some minor, some needing some real attention. But it's coming. Really.
And now I can't wait. Not because I think it's so wonderful, although I hope it has its place, but because it's been struggling to get to the surface for almost 20 years. It feels like it's about time.
I have a story ("Hidden View") that's almost literally 20 years in the making. Two decades. By some standards, a generation. Much less than the life cycle of a star, but worth 140 generations of the fruit fly Drosophila, which means one strain could have evolved into a different species in that time. Anyway. I started it last century, and it was my Big Important Story. Then I hit an impasse, and it went fallow for a while. A long while. Especially by fruit fly standards.
In between then and now, I've written a plethora of short stories, a couple novellas, and a couple actual books, not to mention the various trade articles, bloggings, and blatherings that have polluted my personal outgoing bandwidth. Hey, some people gotta write. It appears I'm one of them.
And then I got past the impasse, and the rest of the book just flowed. I reached those glorious and thrilling last two words. I sent it out to the first tier of review (at least one of whom is on this very forum). They liked it. I brought it back and went through a final editing pass before sending it off to my nearest and toughest critic.
Well, she's in the same business I'm in - heck, she's in the same HOUSE I'm in - and we've been quite busy lately. Plus it's my longest story yet, and it looked intimidating sitting there on the table. So it took her a while to get to it. And when she finally did, I would hear appreciative murmurs here and there, which is always good, but also frustrated grunts and muted questions, which is not so good. And then she was done.
We had a chat. She said she got lost in the characters. Too many names. We agreed that for the minor characters, I could replace their one-off names with descriptions, like, "arresting officer," or, "teammate," and not muddy up the character waters with too many names for forgettable people.
She made another suggestion which I wasn't sure of but it led to an epiphany that if I changed the whole ethnic background of one secondary character, I could use that to make some stunning societal comments. Brilliant, really. That will take a couple days or so of revisions, but it'll be worth it.
And then... what about friends of one poor schmoe in the book? Where are they? We talked about it, and I realized that there was a chance for a huge dramatic swell that would punch up the final climactic path of the story. Like, wow.
So the house is built, but it isn't quite ready. It's back in for some final items on the punchlist, some minor, some needing some real attention. But it's coming. Really.
And now I can't wait. Not because I think it's so wonderful, although I hope it has its place, but because it's been struggling to get to the surface for almost 20 years. It feels like it's about time.
Grandpa, please forgive the impertinence, but I don't have time at the moment to go through the whole thread, but have you been professionally published yet? I was thinking the length of the thread might mean that you made a breakthrough. Hope that is the case (although self-publishing is also a great thing to do, I do it myself). I did read your recent post about the long-in-the-making book and the analogy of the geneticist's friend...that in itself is a publishable essay!
Thank you! That is most kind.
No, not professionally published. I've sent out a number of query letters to agents, but I haven't broken through the imposing numbers game on that one.
I'm currently at a convention with colleagues. I brought some of my print books - five each of both titles. I figured I might sell one or two. I've already had five or six people asking me about them, so hey, I could see a bump in sales in these next couple days.
Oh, I didn't follow up. I brought ten books with me to that convention, didn't promote them but had people come up to me, and sold nine of them.
In more recent news, I uploaded a new fiction piece to my blog. It's right out of my imagination running loose within my own profession. And it's not butterflies and cupcakes, but I don't believe that the Constant Readers here are looking for that.
The Power of Truth - Grandpa Tells Stories
In more recent news, I uploaded a new fiction piece to my blog. It's right out of my imagination running loose within my own profession. And it's not butterflies and cupcakes, but I don't believe that the Constant Readers here are looking for that.
The Power of Truth - Grandpa Tells Stories
Thank you, Grandpa . Will be my read for tonight!!
Rest between chores and what an enjoyable piece of work! The build up was perfect and I think you grabbed me when the witness said--"
she was accosted by an assailant who strangled her, put her in the trunk of a car, and drove off." Foreshadowing to the max.
The title you chose was ideal-- The Power Of Truth, as your story unfolded one does see the meaning of that title!! I can see you as Hayden.
delete finger in action.
Spidey, that is most kind. Thank you so much!
New blog post. Short story, fiction. Also a legal theme base.
The Right Thing - Grandpa Tells Stories
The Right Thing - Grandpa Tells Stories
Held my complete attention. They get better and better!
I was given a challenge to write a certain kind of story. Not really my type of tale, but it made for a good exercise of the creative muscle.
Not for everyone, but if you read it, I hope you like it.
Unlucky In Love - Grandpa Tells Stories
Not for everyone, but if you read it, I hope you like it.
Unlucky In Love - Grandpa Tells Stories
Whoops, on that last one, my writing group very firmly and generously insisted that I take it down so that I can submit it somewhere without it having the burden of already being published. So I did, and I have.
Meanwhile......
The aforementioned "Hidden View" is indeed out. I finally got it published after I got to Seoul and before the serious work of this trip kicked in.
Here's the bulk of my Facebook post on it, slightly edited:
Literally 20 years in the making, and it's more topical now than it was when I started it.
Folks, this isn't like my other stories. It's not a, "Wooooo, wait for the twist," or, "What's going to happen to this guy/girl next?" (Okay, well, there is some of that.)
Nope, compared to the others, this is a Serious story. It has its lighthearted moments, to be sure. And one of its subtexts is a great primer on the American legal system. But overall, it's bigger in theme. It's Serious.
It's also bigger in volume than my other stories. Like half again as big as "Tomas" or "Death Hangs in the Balance."
Full disclosure: It's also more expensive than my other books. $9.99 in Kindle, $17.99 in bound form. Immodestly, I believe it's eminently worth it. Realistically, you may not agree. I accept that.
If you do order it, don't do so because you're expecting a thrill ride. But I hope you're tense coming up to the conclusion. And by the time you hit "The End," if it has made you think, if it has opened some perspectives or insight or empathy even a fraction, then those 20 years of sweat and angst will all have been worth it.
Meanwhile......
The aforementioned "Hidden View" is indeed out. I finally got it published after I got to Seoul and before the serious work of this trip kicked in.
Here's the bulk of my Facebook post on it, slightly edited:
Literally 20 years in the making, and it's more topical now than it was when I started it.
Folks, this isn't like my other stories. It's not a, "Wooooo, wait for the twist," or, "What's going to happen to this guy/girl next?" (Okay, well, there is some of that.)
Nope, compared to the others, this is a Serious story. It has its lighthearted moments, to be sure. And one of its subtexts is a great primer on the American legal system. But overall, it's bigger in theme. It's Serious.
It's also bigger in volume than my other stories. Like half again as big as "Tomas" or "Death Hangs in the Balance."
Full disclosure: It's also more expensive than my other books. $9.99 in Kindle, $17.99 in bound form. Immodestly, I believe it's eminently worth it. Realistically, you may not agree. I accept that.
If you do order it, don't do so because you're expecting a thrill ride. But I hope you're tense coming up to the conclusion. And by the time you hit "The End," if it has made you think, if it has opened some perspectives or insight or empathy even a fraction, then those 20 years of sweat and angst will all have been worth it.
I finally got "Trifection" out in print.
It's a repackaging, of sorts, of other titles that I've had out in e-format only: "Up and Down," a collection of short stories; "Out of Time," a novella, my most perfectly titled story; and "Chance Encounter," another novella of suspense and thrills.
I can't do just a mindless relabeling. So I've added four new stories, one of which is personally intense, edited all the stories to tighten them up (because any story can endure more editing), and added the ever-popular "author's notes" to each and every one.
I'm going to my trade convention next week sometime. It's not about writing, but for my enthusiastic colleagues, I've got about 20 books (so far) preordered that I need to bring with me to sell and sign. So I've got that going for me.
It's a repackaging, of sorts, of other titles that I've had out in e-format only: "Up and Down," a collection of short stories; "Out of Time," a novella, my most perfectly titled story; and "Chance Encounter," another novella of suspense and thrills.
I can't do just a mindless relabeling. So I've added four new stories, one of which is personally intense, edited all the stories to tighten them up (because any story can endure more editing), and added the ever-popular "author's notes" to each and every one.
I'm going to my trade convention next week sometime. It's not about writing, but for my enthusiastic colleagues, I've got about 20 books (so far) preordered that I need to bring with me to sell and sign. So I've got that going for me.
Thank you for the update Grandpa . Much success !
And another update.
My book "Death Hangs in the Balance" is rebranded. I never really liked the title but was stuck on it.
Soooo... I was writing a sequel, and since it's post-apocalyptic, and since there's issues to be resolved, I titled it "Remains to be Seen." Get it? Remains? And to be seen?
Anyway, it was with that title in mind for the sequel that I got the idea of rebranding the first one as well. So it is now "All That Remains. The Remains Series - Book One."
And the sequel is published and available. "Remains to Be Seen. The Remains Series - Book Two."
Never tried a sequel before, and I'm quite happy with this. My best endorsement came from my first-line reader, a/k/a Grandma. She said, "I can only spend so much time on this today," and sat down to read. A few hours later, I came down and said, "Are you okay?" She looked up and replied, "This is your fault, you know." I'll run with that one.
Anyway, it's up and running on Amazon, and I'm liking this series so much that I'm 27,000 words into the next one.
My book "Death Hangs in the Balance" is rebranded. I never really liked the title but was stuck on it.
Soooo... I was writing a sequel, and since it's post-apocalyptic, and since there's issues to be resolved, I titled it "Remains to be Seen." Get it? Remains? And to be seen?
Anyway, it was with that title in mind for the sequel that I got the idea of rebranding the first one as well. So it is now "All That Remains. The Remains Series - Book One."
And the sequel is published and available. "Remains to Be Seen. The Remains Series - Book Two."
Never tried a sequel before, and I'm quite happy with this. My best endorsement came from my first-line reader, a/k/a Grandma. She said, "I can only spend so much time on this today," and sat down to read. A few hours later, I came down and said, "Are you okay?" She looked up and replied, "This is your fault, you know." I'll run with that one.
Anyway, it's up and running on Amazon, and I'm liking this series so much that I'm 27,000 words into the next one.