Short Story...ok

So is ornery really a word? I guess it is since it pops up in my Microsoft word program as one...isn't that a better source than Webster?



Even so I went home yesterday and told Nat I was in a bad mood, she smiled and said why. I told her because I have to work at work…I know poor baby right?.

Well today was no better. Here I sit and the only word that fits is ornery. Here it is late Thurs afternoon, I have to give a talk this Sunday and have no idea on how to approach it. I have tons of yard work and it is all wet and cold, I have a section of my latest story stuck in my head, and not sure how to fix it, I can’t seem to turn around at work without someone having a new personal problem that impacts the job and I am old and feeling it today…ok I fell better now, thanks for listening!



So since my last post I have adjusted just a bit. I do not always get the set amount of writing time but I am finding more of it.

I have decided to work out 2 short stories so i can enter them into a contest by June as well as submit one to the round of mags that might take it.

This has been fun revisiting old friends and updating very little as I go through the rereads.

I have toyed with an idea of a collection of short stories all centered around a main place or theme.

Much like the old "Thieves World" books.

In fact I remember working on a collaboration with others around the country way back in the late 80's when the main internet thing was Prodigy and we were excited to be able to connect with a 512k dial up modem.

Well on the short stories, contests and submissions.



Fun fun fun.

Start again

I am at the very end of Mr. Kings "On Writing". In this, as in all the other books on writing I have read, the number one reccomendation and the only thing they all have in common is: Read a lot, write a lot.
So where do I find the time to write daily(except Sundays I think)
I will start a new idea in the morning to see if it will work:
6-6:30 wake up breakfast
6:30-7:30 write
7:30 -8:15 study
8:15-8:45 shower dress family study
9-arrive at work and the bore begins.
Then at night, I will try to read when I can and write when I can (all depends on a very active 3 year old.

I know I can find time to read during the day, the best thing about my ebook reader is it goes everywhere.

Well, we will see how it goes this week...

Telling it like it is

I have read this before but I just got a copy of the audio from my local library. It is read by the author himself.

I just started listening to it this afternoon while shopping with my wife and Boo. One of the lines in the forward really cracked me up. I started to laugh in the middle of Old Navy and Nat said what's so funny. I had to make sure she knew it was what I was listening to and not what she was holding up to show me how cute a shirt was.
The line is simply, "One of the reason this book is so small is that most books written on this subject are full of Bullshit"
I have read many of those books and can not argue with Mr. King...why would I even try.

Unchanging Mission Statement

So I had cause to review my Mission statement I wrote way back in 1994. It has remained unchanged and still is after my review.
In fact i have told Nat that it should be on the program at my funeral.
I have shared it here before but thought to re post it and recommit to it.


My Quest( my mission statement for life)

To view each day as a chance to learn from yesterday,
plan for tomorrow and act accordingly.
To be as Don Quixote and view life
as it should be and not as it is.
To see each person for what is inside,
not what they put out front.
To go to sleep at night with
the knowledge that my family and friends know
I love them unconditionally and
that I am proud they are part of my life.
To know that if I should die,
the words, actions
and thoughts of today could
stand as my monument.
To keep my word no matter what.
To be true to myself above all else.
To reward accomplishments
no matter how small or great they are.
To see the magic in every sunset
and enjoy it.
To show kindness
regardless of circumstance.
To be able to smile
no matter the complaints I may have.
To attempt the absurd!
(thus achieving the impossible from time to time.)
This is my Quest.

Almost Scripture

I am sitting here trying to figure out how to do my talk for Sunday. Not having much luck...On the TV is Les Mis 25th anniversary concert on PBS.
If ever there was music that rates to be classified as scripture it is Les Mis.

I love this show. While this version is not my 100% most favorite cast (The 10th year one is that) I still find it moving.
It is the dream of every person who puts pen to paper to have their work live on after them.

I don't really care if I ever get published (have to finish something long before that will happen)
I just want my children, grandchildren etc to have a glimpse of who I was and have their life touched by my simple act of putting pen to paper.

The Notebooks

 I have started to once more carry a notebook with me everywhere. I use the small ones pictured above for work and such.
This along with my blackberry works a lot like my old day planner

This also helps with spur of the moment ideas...had one yesterday for the ending line of a new poem

Also I have a larger book that I pack for more room and thoughts etc. You never know when the thought will strike so you must be prepared to jot it down or it will be lost

Old yet new thoughts

I was looking over some of my old thumb drives and files I had stored on several hard drives.
I found several "works" that I had started.
A few poems I will share. These were written about 3 years ago, just after we were able to get our wonderful Boo through the miracle of adoption.
This has forever change my life

4am Feeding



You grasp my finger
In your small hand
(Which is not like mine
Yet it fits.)


You hungrily latch
Your lips on tight,
(Lips not like mine
Yet I make them smile.)


You gurgle then
Grunt your special
Noises, (that I encourage)
Stopping mid gulp to


Open your eyes
(That I did not give you
Yet they reach
Into my soul.)

I hear one small
Word in my
Mind, that settles
In my heart.


This you give
to me.
Simply
Dad.

Untitled

Your body did not conceive me.

Yet your mind saw who I was.

I did not physically grow within you

But my soul started then

grew in your heart

It took longer for me to get here

Than you wanted

(We both had growing to do.)

I came when it was time.

I can not speak the words I want,

So I smile and hope you hear

These special words

That are just for you

“Hi MOM!”

Adoption Love moment #2



You have been in our
Prayers for over 3 years.
Hoping you would come.


We see your strength, your love
As you follow your heart.
Few can fully
understand your
Reasons,

Yet He knows
And is smiling


As you place
Your daughter
Into her mothers arms.




We hug, cry,
Melt into each other
The 3 of us

Forever bound
Together
Through the love
We have for
This small wiggling


Bundle.


This moment

Like our arms
Intertwining together
With the power of pure
Unselfish love.

Finding Time to Write

I think the biggest challenge of any "part time do it for fun of it" writer is trying to find the time to write.
I remember listening to several authors and they said you needed to get up before the crack of dawn, when the house is quiet and write. Most professional writers I listen or read about say that they follow a schedule, just as if they were working at it.
That is my excuse. I can't really say problem since I know it is just an excuse.
I have been getting up at 6 each morning but I find myself reading more that I thought I would.
I still think reading is important so I need to figure a way to crave out a few more minutes each day to spend time writing.
Before Boo came along I had tons of time. But my time playing and being with her is priceless to me. Once she hits the bed I usually am out to since I am old and tired from being up at 6 every morning.
Then I need to fit in exercise as well...oh my!

Begin again

I set the goal at the first of the year to do more writing...well I have not done that, yet. I have been getting into a new schedule which is fun with a almost 3 year old around and a job that suddenly decided to change some hours for a week.
But never say die and all that, I am starting again. I will cut into my early morning reading to start to get a few words on paper. Of course I will still read but not just as much I guess.
I will update here as I go.
Right now it is time to review some old pieces and ideas to see if I want to continue or start anew.

Long Time not posting

It seems like I have forgotten this blog...well I guess I have.
I have been keeping up my other blog a bit better and facebook.
Just seem to run out of time...

A New BBook Series (for me)

Due to the raining wet day today I was able to finish a book I have been trying to get through for about a month.
"Dragonmaster" by Chris Bunch really hit the spot.
I was attracted to this book in the store due to the cover art, title and then a simple quote on the back cover from the Library Journal which read "Fans of military fantasy and dragon lore should enjoy this." and I did.
I look forward to the other twp books in the series as well as trying some of his other series.
Dare I say I am excited to read again after the end of Terry Brooks last book?

Good Reads dot com

Laurie Jo hooked me up with a new website. Goodreads.com.
I love it. It is a place where you can share the books you have read, are reading or planning to read.
It is fun to see what others think of books as well as how many people read what you like.

Thanks Jo for telling me about it.

2 Movies that worked for me

I just got done watching 2 movies I picked up at Redbox yesterday.
2012 and Up in the air.
I really enjoyed both. Totaly different types of movies but i was glad I spent the time watching them as I worked on spreadsheets and sort of paid attention to a long boring conference call with 40 other people.

2012 made me think of what if I was thrown in that situation...now I do not have the skills and unbelievable luck the characters had but I do have a family I am close to and would hope some of us would survive.
As for Up in the air...well I have done my share of traveling and thought that it showed life on the road very well. I remember when I first had to travel for business and I thought I was pretty cool. That did not last long.
One trip, after I had been upgraded to 1st class due to being a Platinum member (fly Delta!), I sat next to a guy that said. "Being upgraded so easy is nice, but it sure sucks having had to get to this spot"
He was right, the miles and hours and days I had spent away from Nat were not worth the nice seat, all the diet coke I could drink, the hot meal, all the snacks I wanted, free headphones, free movie in seat back etc. (Now the warm wet towel they give you right after takeoff is pretty nice, but still not worth it)

The writing in Up in the air hit home and in 2012 it made me think. What else do we want as writers but that...

Sometimes the Magic works

Just finished reading Terry Brooks book on writing called "Sometimes the magic works" This is actually the 2nd time I have read this book. I enjoyed it very much (again).
I have still been getting up at 6am every morning, not always doing my personal study or working on writing but still getting up and not giving up.
I have created a reference book that includes pictures of characters and places I have rolling around in my head. They will not all be in the first book or story but they will get their turn. (I promise)

Power of suggestion

At the start of the year I thought about goals and things i need to change. I decided that I need to find more time for personal study and make time to write. Over the next couple of days I thought about it and looked close at my time. I thought that if I wanted to have alone time it needed to be in the mornings. Once I get home from work Boo seems to all my attention until bed time and then I am tired and go to bed myself.
I thought "Well, if I really want to do this I need to start getting up at 6am and have an hour."
The next morning I woke up at 6 without even trying. Every morning since then I have been waking up right around 6am. Now I haven't followed through on my study time or writing, I usually wonder why the heck am I awake and go out and watch TV or go back to sleep.
I have decided that I must really want to do this since I am waking up on my own and not really planning it.
So tomorrow, I will start to do the study and writing. (I really will...no really! I ope so at least)

Other Worlds

Just finished reading "Master Harper of Pern".
What a great feeling in catching up with old friends.
The World of Pern has not completely died as it's author gets older...In fact her son has co-written several new books. They are not as great as her older ones but still the magic of the world continues...

3 Word Journal

Just heard a interview with the author of a new book " The 3 Word Journal
Finding Your Purpose In Life"

I was intrigued by the idea. You simply write down 3 words that describe what you want to remember about that day and using that as a trigger come back to fill in the story later.

Not only is this a good idea as you write your daily journal or life history, but could it not be applied to writing in general?

So often I think of a great story line or a twist to a previous story and mean to write it down but don't. It is then lost.

As I recommit to write this next year I think I will try this method.

Love this clip

Great Sayings

I have started to write down several great sayings I come across.

Here are a few:

"To a 9 yr old with a hammer, everything is a nail!" My boss's boss

"The only perfect people you know are people you do not know very well" Pres Uchtdorf

"Questions into spiritual things require spiritual answers" Pres. Uchtdorf

"God is more concerned with the offerer than the offering" Brad Wilcox

"Grandchildren are the reward you get for letting your children live" unknown

Daddys little helper

Boo is now helping me with everything I do. I am trying to find time to write again but she seems to latch on as soon as I get home until bed time.

Don't get me wrong I love it!!!!

Guess I need to stay up a bit longer and write then.