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Posts Tagged ‘Real Life’

Mother’s Day

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on May 11, 2014| 2 Comments »

Mom and Me, Picnic

This is my first Mother’s Day without Mom. I miss her, not so much the way she was at the end, when, frankly, she didn’t really know who I was anyway. (Alzheimer’s disease is a far worse villain than anything I can come up with.) I miss her the way we were back in this photo, which is just an ordinary picnic. After Dad retired, they took up the habit of going on picnics once a week, usually on Tuesdays. If the weather didn’t cooperate, they’d still go for a drive and stop to eat somewhere. It didn’t take long before they knew all the best places–indoors or out–within a three-hour drive in any direction. (Well, not west. You can’t drive three hours to the west from here without a boat. ) Whenever I felt I needed a break, I could just throw my name in and join them for a day.

I’m planning to keep myself busy. There’s a lot that needs doing around here and I’m about two-thirds through revisions to MAGIC AND POWER.

Mothers Day Book Bash Banner

Don’t forget the Mother’s Day Book Bash. Nine great books for bargain prices.

And, just to tie the two parts of this post together, Mom was part of the inspiration for Valeriah in the Chimeria series. Not Vallie’s aggressiveness or her fighting prowess, that wasn’t Mom at all. Though, she wasn’t afraid to make her opinion known. No, the part of Valeriah that comes from Mom was the petite ball of fire aspect. Mom was barely five feet tall on a good day, but she sure was a firecracker.

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Getting Unstuck

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 13, 2014| 2 Comments »

I’ve been a little bit stuck on my rewrite of THE IGNORED PROPHECY. Now, partly that’s been due to some real-life issues that are mostly beyond my immediate control. I’m working on the things I can change eventually, but everything just takes more time than I’d like. And, in the meantime, things are just going to be hard.

Among the things I have to learn to do better is marketing. It never was my best subject or something I’m very comfortable with. But it is a fact of life for a writer and if I don’t learn to do it at least adequately I’ll never make this work. I’m taking a flying leap on Story Cartel, hoping for some reviews of THE BARD’S GIFT. We’ll see how that works out.

I’m also still working on getting “Wyreth’s Flame” free on Amazon.

Red Wyreth Cover SmallIf anyone would like to help out by reporting the lower prices (free) on Barnes and Noble and Apple iBookstore, I’d appreciate it.

Now, this is bound to impact on my writing, but it wasn’t all that was going on and it took me a while to figure it out. I’m doing a rewrite of some of my earliest writing, going through chapter by chapter and trying to bring that story up to my current writing level. I underestimated how hard this was going to be. And what was holding me back was that I wasn’t satisfied with the result.

The first few chapters are pretty solid (aside from the problems inherent in starting a sequel), but I just wasn’t going deep enough in subsequent chapters. I’m going back to fix that. It just is a fact of life that every chapter is going to require more than one pass. I’d always known that. Where I went wrong was in thinking I could go straight through the manuscript (the way I do a second or third draft) and then do the next pass. That’s just not working. I have to do multiple passes on each chapter until I’m happy enough with the result to move on. Then, I’ll likely have to do still more revision passes, probably on the whole manuscript. Nobody said this was going to be easy, but I think the story is worth it.

Moral of the story: Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

 

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Things May be Stabilizing

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , on March 19, 2014| 2 Comments »

I don’t want to speak to soon, but it looks like things might be stabilizing around here.

Oddly enough–and odd things do happen in old houses–it’s possible that at least part of my computer problems may have something to do with variations in the electricity. Both computers (even the one I would have sworn was dead) have improved when plugged in in a different room. That’s how I was able to recover my files earlier this week. Big sigh of relief.

I can’t leave whatever computer (both deskt0p models) I’m currently working on in the other room because the internet connection is here. (No WiFi here, yet.) But, that’s something that can be changed and I’ve been intending to set up an office in the other room anyway. So, it looks like those plans just may have gotten a higher priority.

Also, the reason I’m posting late today is that it looks like I’m actually about to rejoin the ranks of the employed (part time, anyway). That’ll make a huge difference around here. And, not coincidentally, still leave me time for my writing.

There are still a lot of things on my plate, but maybe, just maybe, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

So, now, it’s back to work on my current projects. And next time, hopefully, I’ll be able to actually post about writing.

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Ongoing Computer Woes

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , on March 16, 2014| 4 Comments »

Well, the saga–and the drama–continues. The backup computer that I’ve been using for the last several weeks has died. I think it’s the power supply. I’m back on the other computer. The one that died before that. So far so good. Fingers–and everything else crossable–crossed that it stays that way. I could really use a turn in my luck right about now..

I spent pretty much all day yesterday getting this one back up and running. The next burning question is whether I can recover the last two weeks worth of work since my last back up. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the hard drive, so it should be doable. (I suspect it’s the power supply, actually.) The question is how hard or how expensive. I looked at some instructions online. I’d rather not do that myself, but I may not have a choice.

You can believe that one of the first things I did was download a free trial of an automatic backup service. This can’t go on.

I really wish I could just afford a new computer, but that’s not possible right now.

And now I have to decide. If there’s a chance I can recover those files, maybe I shouldn’t work on the things I’ve been doing for the last two weeks. Maybe I should work on something else until I get that settled. But what?

Maybe back to some revisions on MAGIC AND POWER. I’ve received a very good critique on that. Usually, I wait until all the critiques come back, but this isn’t exactly a usual situation. Or maybe I could start on the sequel to M&P.

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IndieReCon

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , on February 26, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Well, I’ve got this computer mostly up and functional, if not quite as updated as I’d like yet. That’s a relief.

And I finally made good on that commitment to finish the revisions to MAGIC AND POWER (now likely to be retitled GREEN MAGIC, because M & P is going to be the title of the series.) I’ve even got the revisions out to a couple of readers.

This week, I’m spending a good deal of my time over at IndieReCon. It’s a free, online conference about writing and indie publishing. I’ve already picked up a couple of ideas I’ll be trying out in the future and I hope to garner some more by the end of the conference. Hopefully, I’ll learn how to do a better job of my next launch than I did with THE BARD’S GIFT.

TheBardsGiftCoverSmall

In between events over there, I’m playing around a bit with the rewrite of THE IGNORED PROPHECY (sequel to THE SHAMAN’S CURSE). I’ll start in on DREAMER’S ROSE after the conference is over, when I can devote more concentrated attention to it.

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Computer Problems, Part 2

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , on February 23, 2014| 2 Comments »

Well, my last post was a little . . . optimistic.  Wanting to just soldier on and ignore the computer problem and actually being able to do it are not quite the same thing. Especially when the computer completely freezes. Just because this is the way the universe works, this happened on the same day that the plumbing completely backed up. (Picture me running to the neighbors’ to use the bathroom.) Then, I got called for jury duty. Yeah. I’m glad last week is over.

I spent two days trying to resolve the issue as a software problem–which there probably was. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only problem. There’s also some hardware issue that has not yet been diagnosed.

So then I spent the next few days setting up my old, emergency backup computer (on which I’d had to completely reinstall windows). That’s been fun–not. One of the little catch 22 issues they get you with is that you have to have an internet connection in order to download the driver that will allow you to connect with the internet. And they don’t seem to see any problem with that. Thank heaven for friends with working computers and internet connections.

And all of this when I should have been extra busy on the internet because last week was the blog tour and giveaway for THE BARD’S GIFT.

TheBardsGiftCoverSmall

I still have a lot more work to do on this computer, but it is at least mostly functional, now. I’ve even gotten back to work on finishing up MAGIC AND POWER.

It’s good to be back. Now, on to better and happier things.

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Mom

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged on January 15, 2014| 10 Comments »

My regularly schedule blog posts leading up to the launch of THE BARD’S GIFT will be interrupted today to remember Mom.

 

Mom, YoungThis is when she was young, obviously.

Mom and DadAnd with Dad, where she is again, now.

Fiftieth AnniversaryThe three of us.

DaycareAt the Adult Day Care, where they used to be visited by a friend’s therapy dogs.

Digital CameraA recent Christmas.

Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2000, shortly after Dad died. (Though, in truth, she’d been showing symptoms for some time before that.) Now her memories are restored and she’s with Dad again. They were married for almost 60 years.

Phyllis K. Mansfield 8-20-18 to 1/13/14.

Miss you.

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Burn Out

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on December 22, 2013| 2 Comments »

Not me. My writing is going pretty well right now. In fact, I’ve just about finished this draft of THE SHAMAN’S CURSE. I’ll let it rest a while and then give it another go through before handing it over to beta readers in February.

No, in this case, I’m writing about the bane of this time of year–burnt out Christmas (or other holiday) decorations. Things that should light up, but don’t. I’ve been particularly plagued this year. But it’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before. So, I’m going to depart from writing for this post to show you how I deal with it.

For example, this:

Reindeer Topiary

used to be a lighted reindeer lawn ornament. But then the light-strand burned out. And, of course, it wasn’t just a straight lightstrand that I could replace. So, after a little thought, I stuck the legs into some potting soil in a rectangular pot (which I happened to already have) and planted ivy at all four legs. It needs another year to really fill in, but it gave the old lawn ornament a new life.

This year, I’ve got two more outdoor ornaments that have partially given up the ghost. (Not to mention having to use a separate light strand to patch a gap in the pre-lit Christmas tree. But that’s easy.)

Spiral Tree

This one has decided that only the upper two-thirds will light this year. It’s going to be fairly straight forward to deal with, though. It also has a ground stake in addition to the patio stand currently in use. I’ll use another one of my unused pots, the ground stake,  and probably another ivy to grow up the spiral support. It’ll take a couple of years to reach the top, but I won’t have to go out and buy another one. (Not that I think you can even find these anymore.) Reduce, reuse, recycle.

This one:

Lighted Ornament

Is going to take a little more thought. The middle portion won’t light up this year. Right now, I’m thinking along the lines of a sphagnum moss hanging basket, but I’d have to choose the plants really carefully. Even here in Southern California, there aren’t that many things that bloom in December. Maybe foliage plants. Hmm. I wonder if there’s a ground cover form of holly.

Never give up. There’s always some way around any difficulty. Come to think of it, that’s pretty good advice for writers, too.

Merry Christmas.

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Feeling Scattered

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on December 9, 2013| Leave a Comment »

And it’s not just because of the season–although that’s part of it.

This post is a day late because life–and my house–got a little crazy on me yesterday. Oddly, most things seem to have returned to normal today. No better explanation so far than poltergeists. And, really, the only ghosts in this house should be friendly ones. Oh well.

I’m also feeling a little scattered–or maybe schizophrenic–because I’m trying to revise three different novels at the same time! I’m just waiting for the time I catch myself typing the name of a character from DREAMER’S ROSE into either THE SHAMAN’S CURSE or MAGIC AND POWER.

I may just have to decide to work on only one thing at a time. Think of that. If so, I’ll probably finish this pass through THE SHAMAN’S CURSE first.

My day was brightened by this very nice review of BLOOD IS THICKER this morning.

Blood Is Thicker Cover

Speaking of BLOOD IS THICKER, there’s a new chapter available on wattpad, too.

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Writer’s Funk

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 3, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I won’t call it writer’s block, because it isn’t. And, truth to tell, it’s not just confined to my writer’s hat, either, but it is affecting my writing.

 There’s been a lot of stuff going on in my real life, lately. And it’s one of those times when nothing seems to be going right anywhere. Note to the world at large: the stress bucket it full. It won’t hold any more. Any attempt to add more stress will only result in overflow–and that won’t always be pretty.

 If I was in the middle of writing some cool new fantasy, that might help offset it. I like this quote from Dorothy L. Sayers about her Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries:

 Lord Peter’s large income… I deliberately gave him… After all it cost me nothing and at the time I was particularly hard up and it gave me pleasure to spend his fortune for him. When I was dissatisfied with my single unfurnished room I took a luxurious flat for him in Piccadilly. When my cheap rug got a hole in it, I ordered him an Aubusson carpet. When I had no money to pay my bus fare I presented him with a Daimler double-six, upholstered in a style of sober magnificence, and when I felt dull I let him drive it. I can heartily recommend this inexpensive way of furnishing to all who are discontented with their incomes. It relieves the mind and does no harm to anybody.

 Some things I can’t do anything about. Not yet, anyway. A change of scene would be nice, but it’s just not practical right now for a couple of reasons. So, I’m going to focus on the things I can change.

 First on the list: the room I write in is like a cave right now. The bishop’s cap vine along the fence on that side–which provides necessary privacy–has grown too close to the house. That I can fix. All it needs is a little elbow grease. And getting outside for an hour or two a day won’t hurt my mood, either.

 I’m going to start there.

Blood Is Thicker Cover

Also, there’s another chapter of BLOOD IS THICKER available on wattpad.

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