Writing and Other Occupations

I haven't been posting as regularly as I might, because I've actually been getting books ready to send out to agents and editors. In other words, not sucking it up quite as much as usual. Takes a lot of time to re-edit an entire manuscript and print it. Staples had a BOGO on paper this week, so now we have a year's supply. We applied to work on the census, and I wrote a press release for my Toastmaster's club. Had a dinner party. Cooked and then cooked some more. Got ready to enter a novel in the Amazon/ABNA contest. The good thing about having novels backed up waiting to sell is that you really stay busy flogging them. (I love Britishisms) .

It's taking more time to manage my so-called "retirement" than I thought. This would be the stuff of an article were I so inclined.

Today I joined Authonomy and put World of Mirrors (first 6 chapters) up on it. These sites where everyone sucks up for votes and comments, comments, comments make me a little nervous, geeky hermit type that, au fond, I am.

Speaking of au fond, I'm working on my fish story again, and finally found the site for the conclusion. Man, this has been work. Poor Francis. He's been through the mill. I do love my characters, even the non-human ones.

Iris, the Scottish Highland Mama has a big gore in her side. I think the gorer was Maggie. They are both somewhat obstreperous, and Iris has been beside herself since her calf was sent away. Don't know what Maggie's problem is. I climb up on the snowbank and throw the scraps over the fence. We buy cheap bread (hard to find nowadays) and feed the ducks on the way home from the store. Can you believe Wonder Bread costs over three dollars? I was appalled at paying $4.00 for a superior loaf of bread, but maybe that's not even a bad price.

Tomorrow, we will again partake of our tradition of having meatloaf for the SuperBowl. Meatloaf is easy to eat if you're watching TV. Doesn't have to be cut, no messy gravy, you know. Is a ritual also a myth? Inquiring minds want to know. Is a tradition a ritual? I know someone who puts the flag up and has a big rigamarole before every Patriots game. Is that a tradition, a ritual or just foolishness?

So, tradition or ritual, meatloaf it is. I'm not making my complicated meatloaf, but the simple one my mother taught me. I use oatmeal instead of cracker crumbs. Chacun a son gout.

I've been searching through my mom's old photographs and looking at the ones from the summer she went to school at Emporia State Teacher's College. Looks like she and her little gang had a wonderful summer. No TV, No electronics, no booze, no smokes, maybe no guys, but the girls had fun. No city and no sex. Probably a curfew. They almost always wore summer dresses. Not too flapperish, but sorta. It is just so hard to put my 21st century self back to 1926. Young Girls in Flower. Proust had it right.

As ever,

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Has Suck It Up Become a Food Blog?

Fair Question. I haven't been writing about writing, because it's too friggin' depressing. But,
Bill Loehfelm won the Amazon (ABNA) novel contest and congratulations to him.
http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Kills-Bill-Loehfelm/dp/0399155317
The competition for this award was keen, and I've only heard good things about Fresh-Kills, Bill's book. A masterly job.


Last night we had potato pancakes, and the small houseguest ate eight (count 'em) eight. She is a picky eater who doesn't like onion, but somehow these passed all the taste tests. I served them with bacon and sour cream (real) and a peach applesauce at $1.00 a jar from Ocean State Job Lot. We had a chocolat pudding made in the microwave that was ultra-chocolately and very tasty. Serve with lots of whipped cream.

At lunch today at the Museum of Science where we saw the IMAX (Grand Canyon) movie. This was a new one, not the old Grand Canyon. Very good. The museum is perfect for a curious eight year old and was an excellent choice.

The Bad Trip

Bad Trip is the name of my new short story, which I had hoped to finish and polish in time to send into Level Best Books, but it didn't happen, because home nursing care and hospital visits are not conducive to writing.

Bad Trip is based on a true story, and then the "what if" appears. I had to do research on:
1) sleazy Memphis motels, 2) crack houses, 3) what pimps wear, 4)how pimps talk, 5)cost of disposable diapers and formula, even large Snickers Bars, 6) what Crack Cocaine smells like, 7) how pimps treat their "girls."

I got so hungry in CVS (researching baby supply costs) that I bought a bag (no longer comes in a box) of Cracker Jacks. No trans fat, but they tasted like the always did (good). I'm all for childish pleasures.
Writing Bad Trip was lots of fun, actually, and I have more ideas for short stories. If I can't sell it after a year, I'll publish it on Amazon Shorts.

Is today when the grand prize winner of the Amazon novel contest is announced? I'll have to take a look. April 15 is a date that stays in my head, and not just for tax reasons. The tax situation this year is a train wreck. Can't seem to figure this financing of retirement out. There must be tax software that allows you to plan as you go. Maybe even Money or Quicken. Arrrgh. Hate counting beans, even my own.

Sunday at dinner, I had a mouthful of applesauce, and suddenly there was something hard in my mouth--like a piece of walnut, and can you believe it was my silver crown with part of the tooth attached. Just fell off. Talk about freaking out! Fortunately, there is no pain involved, just a really weird mess when I put my tongue up there, and I have a dentist appointment today.

The federal, state,excise and property taxes have all conveniently come due this month along with the health insurance and fancy Florida restaurant meals. and the blood thinner which is more precious than rubies. Kind of a month long April Fool! The $1200 from Uncle Sam in May is lookin' pretty good, and we will determine for sure if money buys happiness.

I have a very large cat on my lap who is kissing my hand, so life is good. She knows what "kiss" means. Also, "do you want some catnip?" and "would you like to go into the garage?" But I forget myself. Friday is cat blog day.

Not fooled by April one bit.

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ABNA Finalists

Best of the best. I haven't read anywhere near ALL of the finalists, but these two are the best so far. Great writing. Good stories.


Knocking Over the Fishbowl - Official ABNA Entrant, an Amazon Shortby David Oppegaard (Author)

http://www.davidoppegaard.com/


The Stars Here Are Mostly Planes - Official ABNA Entrant
Author: Sarah Harris

http://pinkyspaperhaus.com/

ABNA Contest

I've been reading a few of the ABNA finalists, and have noted that most of the prospective winners have blogs and that indeed, many of them are published writers, so don't feel too badly if you didn't make the cut. Competition was stiff.

I have two favorites, neither crime fiction. This morning I read an entry, must be young adult, although I couldn't tell for sure. The author is a self-admitted romance writer, but someone on the message board was squawking that there were no romance finalists, and since the couple pages I read seemed like teen-age romance, I guess it's Y.A. Young Adult to the uninitiated.

Y.A. is very hot right now, and I'm probably making a big mistake not to write my Y.A. before the California book.

Back to the teenie bopper romance, there was a glaring writing mistake in the first paragraph, which made me wonder how the story reached the finals. Well, maybe it's good story. I understand now, that good story tops bad writing.

Repeat after me. Good story tops bad writing.

I'm reading a California book, Pasadena, a big whopping historical that is holding my attention so far. Plan to take it to Florida because it's long enough for two plane rides and some before bed reading. It begins with a gripping Prologue. Didn't know "regular' novels did that. Well, anything to catch the reader's attention.

I'm preparing my reading for the mystery conference. Discovered that the group I practiced in front of didn't know what a "back cover blurb" was. Also didn't understand that all hackers have handles.

Never assume anything.

Ah, the sun is out! The snow plows were in our neighborhood late last night and early this morning. Did anyone say sleep?

Yesterday was cat blog day and the cats were lumps of fur, fat and bone. Did absolutely nothing bloggable except that Annie discovered that twist ties make a good cat toy, and Thisbe did a fine 50 yard dash when the DHL man rang the doorbell rather late in the day.

Next post I'll list my two ABNA favorites. Go read them and leave a comment. If you are an Amazon customer. Or whatever.

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Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

Known colloquially as the ABNA. Here is a fun post:

http://johnochwat.wordpress.com/

I've stopped visiting the message boards, et. al., and have gone on to other things, like writing! No matter whether one was chosen or not, there seems to be massive quantities of sturm and drang about, and well, it's just too much.

I spent three hours making some complicated airplane reservations yesterday, taking into account 5 different parties schedules, and trying to get a good fare, and arrange good times of day for everyone to travel, and double-checking, nay triple-checking everything, and feeling virtuous and vastly relieved to have this rather sucky chore off my list.

Guest what? Someone calls today and can't arrange the time and now I have to scramble. It's a $75 re-scheduling charge (remember when airlines did this for free?) but I can cancel the rental car, and visit a good friend instead and so I think I landed (ha ha) on my feet. The problem is, these fares go up between the times one logs in.

Snow forecast late tomorrow, and we need to get to the supermarket for the superbowl dinner. Have decided to do a chicken pot pie for a change. It's "lite"--hate that word, but hope it will be good. W're also have chips and bean dip and don't get me going on that again.

All in all, it's been a good week. I am buoyed a bit by praise for the first paragraph of "Such Stuff As Dreams." As Mary Poppins always said, "well begun is half done."

Off to read Proust. Isn't that what you do every night? No?
Hey listen, I am loving this "Treatment" show on HBO. It's a pain to reserve 9:30 every night. I'll probably start watching it on demand.

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ABNA Hell

No email from Amazon. Most, but not all, got theirs yesterday, and my mailbox and spambox wer empty. Still empty. This really sucks. Everyone who was not notified has morale in the toilet.

This should not have been a surprise, because many never heard from Amazon as to whether their entries had been accepted or not. I really had high hopes for World of Mirrors. First the Gather SNAFU which was mostly a popularity contest, now the ABNA SNAFU which is just a SNAFU.

God knows, I worked in IT for a donkey's age and know how these things happen. Actually, under my watch they happened damned seldom and when they did they were fixed ASAP. A few days ago I was actually recalling my days in IT, or trying to recall them, because this was such a big part of my life and I can't recall anymore why is was so important to work a gazillion hours a week. It was like I wore blinders for twenty years.

Writing is for those with nerves of steel and guts of granite, egos the size of Everest and the eye always, always on the prize.

Screw it. I'm working on my California book and actually wrote a few pages last night. Feeling my way into it. Kind of fun. Nice to be writing again, even if no one will ever read it.

Snow still beautiful on the trees. We were in Wellesley this morning and took a stroll through the new Roche Bros. Holy Christmas! What a fancy store! Takes ones breath away. One's wallet, too. I paid $4.99 for some bean dip. Couldn't find the $1.99 that used to come in a can in the potato chip aisle.

Every kind of fancy pesto and gourmet goodies known to shopper. They had smoked trout, which I usually despair of finding anywhere. But no more doughnuts. We asked. Leave it to me to ask for the one old thing that is no longer carried. I am starting to feel like that that old doughnut nobody wants. Sigh.

Well, off to do more writing chores. I didn't stop writing. Probably couldn't if I wanted to. Blogging away, starting a new novel, working on a short story.

Imagine me waving my middle finger at the ABNA contest. Sticking out tongue! Making crazy faces involving crossed eyes. Shouting you-know-what! You know what? Shame on you. This is a clean blog.

Grrrrapeshot, sucking it up as is her wont

January Storm

The photo looks like needlepoint, taken as it is through the screen. That is not a "real" raccoon but a sculpture of one. The snow is finally falling off the branches and you need a hard hat outside. The cows were in the snowy pasture, eating some dry hay, I hope.

The little one always comes running with her (his?) Mom whenever we show up with treats. Old Maggie likes to be first and is the hoggiest. Poor young bull never gets anything. Well, his day will come, we assume.

I made it to a workout this morning, but it's so nice to hunker down with writing tasks, maybe even some writing and enjoy the snow from indoors. Tomorrow we will have to venture forth to the grocery story. Looks like good snowshoe conditions. The main task is to keep the bird feeders full and logs on the fire and lanterns and candles at hand, because the power went out for the umpteenth time this morning. Guess the wires are broken by falling branches, a good argument for underground utilities, don't you think?

I finished Sarah Winnemucca, and was charmed to find out she came to the Boston area and gave talks in Concord. Cool. Such a sad story, our mistreatment of the Native Americans. Makes one so ashamed.

Onward. No news from Amazon. Time to freakout?

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And the snow came down in buckets

More power outtages. We had just started dinner when the lights went out again. Ha ha! Food was warm and we ate by candlelight. Just cleaning up the kitchen and the lights were on again. That makes about six hours w/o power today.

I sent out three queries (two email and one snailmail) for Promiscuous Mode. Got a positive response to one of the emails already. The books is such fun; I hope someone will finally get interested.

Tomorrow is D-day for the ABNA. I keep obsessing about it. Not the only one. The Amazon chat board has been obsessing for 4 weeks, and some people never shut up.

We watched Pan's Labyrinth, an odd but compelling movie. By the end, just about everyone was dead. Like an old Jacobean Tragedy. You English majors will know what I mean.

Annie goes to the vet tomorrow, and of course she has been very frisky since I made the appointment. Why is that? The cats were really cool with the fire going all day (and all evening) and their adult humans parked in the living room. Eeek. Today is not cat blog day.

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Persuasion

I watched the Jane Austen special on PBS last night in spite of bad reviews, and actually enjoyed it. The young woman who played Jane looked like a young vulnerable Sandra Bullock.

Naturally everyone is New England is obsessed with football, and rightly so. I include myself among the fans, because there is something so compelling about the Patriots this year.

Tomorrow, yes, finally tomorrow the ABNA contest semi-finalists are announced. If my entry doesn't make it, I am going to have to totally rethink this writing business. Right now I have the character list for the California book, and have fleshed out the major characters.

Tomorrow also starts a course on "beginnings," always problematical. I'll be forced to write some pages. Good.

Onward, to prep for inner. We had 5 hours of no power in the snow this a.m. Cats sort of amazed to see everyone sitting in front of the fireplace reading all morning. A pleasant respite, to be sure. Now I need to be a bit more productive. Kierbasa and saurkraut tonight. Turkey Kielbasa and rinsed saurkraut, with veggies. Always aiming for a little bit healthier meal without going overboard into the non-fat and chemical choices.

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Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

In less than a week, I'll know whether World of Mirrors made the first Amazon cut. If it did, I'll be weaseling around and asking friends, fellow-writers and even my wonderful blog readers who are also Amazon customers (is anyone not an Amazon customer?) to sign in, read my first chapter and write a short review. And do tell the truth. If you think it sucks, I need to know that, too.

This is so demeaning, but of course even more demeaning is if the chapter tanked/and or cratered with the reviewer and was rejected. Right now my self-confidence if at the bottom of the storm sewer with last year's leaves and a few old mouse carcasses. You get the idea.

And I have a cold. I never catch colds. I am blaming it on not eating meat for 2 weeks, and missing all that good zinc and B-vitamins.

We had chicken cutlets with tomatos, capers and wine tonight, ripped right out of the food section of today's Boston Globe. Very tasty, and enough for tomorrow. The tomato and parseley looked so cheery, almost like Christmas was back. It's always a shock when everyone takes down the Christmas lights and the night is so dreary again.

Made reservations for Sleuthfest today, and I continue to tweak the beginning of Promiscuous Mode. I decided it didn't have enough tension and conflict for the beginning of a crime fiction novel. Why did I ever start writing crime fiction? I don't even much like to read it anymore, however, I still want to read Sue Grafton's latest. I don't get tired of her. And then there's poor old Proust who I've been dawdling over for 13 months and 772 pages.

My first readings of Proust, I totally missed all the humor. How is that possible? There is a lot of humor, not in the romantic love parts, but in his descriptions of the daily life of the family. Humor enlivens any kind of writing. Humor enlivens life.

Rant alert! Boston is a dirty town, sad to say. The "T" is dirty--people strew newspapers all over. Sullivan Square was filthy. The sidewalk was a continuous garbage can. Disgusting. We came here from Chicago which was, by comparison, squeaky clean. End of rant.

Another warm day, but rainy, and I didn't walk because of my blasted cold. It's almost worse than having a broken ankle. Onward.


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ABNA jitters

I entered World of Mirrors in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. Hope to get somewhere with it, but preparing to suck it up as usual. The Amazon contestants message boards are humming. Exceprts from a few novels have been sighted already, although one should by rights not be able to see anything until Jan. 12th.

In another life, I was part of a team that put up an Amazon store. and I know a little bit about the inner workings, actually more than I ever wanted to know. What was weird about Amazon was that they didn't have a test system, which means that once it's out on Amazon it's "live," and I'm wondering if this is what is happening with the novels. We went totally crazy jumping through hoops to create this store. It actually produced plenty of sales, so that was good, but there were always little glitches and returns were hell on wheels. We worked everything out in the end, or almost. I left the company in the nick of time before more hellacious hoops appeared.

These are things I've purged from my memory and my brain. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to collect all the garbage in your head and dump it to make room for stuff you really need to know like where are the car keys and did I send a Christmas card to so-and-so? Current stuff, rather than the name of your 3rd grade teacher (Miss Slack) that is useless information, or old humiliations and things better forgotten.

Of course, for a writer, things better forgotten are just what you want and need to remember, so it works both ways.

Today, Friday, is cat blog day and the cats have done nothing bloggable, so we can dispense with that. The cows are back in the pasture and finding nibblies by the fence. I have a big bag of fruit and veggie scraps for them tomorrow along with the bulk of a loaf of "stuffing" bread. 99 cents, such a deal.

No more robin sightings today, but we bought 25 pounds of thistle seed so bring on the finches and the chicadees!

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