2013 in retrospect

Well then, another end to another year is upon us all. I feel that 2013 was, for me, a very productive year. I wrote my first novel in only three months time, completed three short stories, several articles and poems. I also started working on my second novel and have come rather along with it, if I do say so myself, a Gothic love story that, in my opinion, will rival any Shakespearean sonnet. I literally spent every available opportunity this year writing, and for a writer I don't know what could be more rewarding. In short, I truly hope that 2014 has the same premise as this year did, not just in writing but in positive experiences as well. For instance, I traveled to several cities this year which always holds with it plenty of excitement. As I always say, out with the old and in with the new, so long as the new is as, or more, positive as this year was.

Beyond Busy

Forgive the delay, but I've been keeping myself beyond busy lately. My second novel, though it is coming along rather nicely, is definitely taking longer than I would care to admit. And then I have had a constant torrent of family issues to deal with, none of which are even worth explaining. A wise person once said 'This too shall pass' and I know that the way things are, while in no way much of an emergency, are not going to last forever. My saving grace is my ability to consistently remain focused on my goals. The importance of them and the elation I'm going to feel when they are completed.

Wine to the rescue!

As usual, I have been spending the majority of my time working on my second novel. Unlike the first, when I virtually had no writer's block in the process, This novel has carried with it it's own unique series of obstacles and interruptions. From family issues and the usual tribulations of life, I find myself spending more and more time adding to the development of the plot, not that such a thing is necessarily bad. The one saving grace for this particular series of issues is one that many writers would agree can be a lifesaver. Wine. It doesn't have the same detrimental effects that other forms of alcohol(beer, liquor) possess. And, no matter what's going on, when I drink wine and I'm close to paper, the words flow out of me like magic. I also find it fascinating how in tune with the story line everything is. New twists and turn I hadn't even previously thought about reveal themselves in ways that are just amazing. Because I have several other endeavors going on at the same time, I have pushed my deadline for the second novel a few months. And as far as I know, it could definitely take longer. But, for now, at least I know that it WILL be finished. Now I understand why Galileo once referred to wine as the 'Nectar of the Gods'.

Happy Halloween 2013

Once again the time has come for my all time favorite holiday. I simply love Halloween. Perhaps the reasons for  me are definitely different than for others as I appreciate the historical aspects of the holiday. You see, for me, trick or treating and playing dress up for no particular reason are a bit tawdry to say the least. I like to contemplate that this magical night is the time where spirits of the long passed receive the chance once again to walk upon the Earth. Even if such a concept is flawed, I do find it overwhelmingly interesting. And, when my time comes to partake in the afterlife, I can hope that for one night a year I get to haunt everyone and anyone.

Take the proper steps

In the publishing world, just like any other, there exists some painful realities. The one reality that every writer must come to terms with is the subject of what I refer to as white collar plagiarism. This is what happens when budding writers mistakenly send out portions or full manuscripts of their work to well established publishing firms without having the rights to their work copyrighted. So essentially what happens is the firm blatantly steals the work and gives the credit to some low-achieving hack writer they, themselves, have made the mistake of trying to promote. Being fortunate enough that this scenario has never crossed my path, I have heard several horrible experiences of other would-be writers who weren't so lucky. Legally, there really isn't anything the would-be writer can do to ensure those responsible can be held accountable if the proper steps are not taken before hand. Namely, getting all of one's work copyrighted. Whenever you complete a masterpiece, you want to make sure YOU are the one getting the credit and all of the benefits that come with that. So, with that in mind, before you show your work to anyone, even certain family members and friends, make sure all copyrights belong to you!

Familiar Process

My new novel, though not as far along as I would have it by now, is coming to fruition rather nicely. As usual, as soon as I put my pen to paper the magical creative process follows through. I do become impatient at times because, like others, I, myself, would like to know how the story is developing. But, when all is said and done, I'm pretty sure I will have another masterpiece on my hands. I'm giving myself a deadline of five months to the day to finish, that's two months longer than my last novel took to complete. I want this novel to be a tad longer than my first one. And, who knows? If I have the same sort of positive experience with this one as I had with my first one, which seems to be the case right now, there may in fact be a third one. But, I don't want to get too far ahead of myself.

Recent trip to Yosemite

Recently I was able to visit Yosemite National Park, located in California. As luck would have it, It was only one day after my visit of it that Government shutdown forced the park to close. I must say, I had more than a good time as a result of going there. The views were spectacular. While I didn't do as much hiking as I wanted to, It was still surreal. I also stayed in a rented cabin about ten miles out of Yosemite that was more like a mansion-style townhouse than it was a cabin. Complete with hot-tub, cable-t.v, and views beautiful enough to rival Yosemite. Yeah, you could say that I had a wonderful time.