Tag Archives: Writing

Articles about writing

22 Jul

Update 7-21

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Greetings,

Once again, time has slipped by, despite my resolution to update on a regular basis.  It seems every time I make the determination to improve my life, it responds with a series of blindsiding events, often daisy-chained in such a way as to create a catch-22 situation in which forward motion is both difficult and limited, within a short span of time.  In the last two weeks, I’ve had to deal with not having a refrigerator for over a week, two major car repairs back to back to the tune of over $1600, and three other priority legal matters, all while working a grueling, physically demanding job. It has been said I have brought these matters upon myself, but I can pretty much dismiss this as utter horseshit; I both know my life better than those making such statements. and control neither random events, the deceitful actions of others, or a rigged system designed to siphon as much money and freedom as it can from the common man.  I can, however, do all I can not to allow such situations to repeat.  When I make mistakes, I do my utmost not to ever repeat them.

While this is helpful in the long run, it does not negate or prevent the short term effects.  I have had to pause in my audio production of ‘Strange Stories, Twisted, Tales‘ in order to deal with the latest set of crises, which came as expected once I committed to my plan to increase my income and better my environment, endeavors which alone are complicated matters, much less when planned in tandem.  Still, it will not matter in the end; life can throw whatever it wants at me, and I will persevere.  It may be the irresistable force, but when it comes to bettering myself, it may find I am the unmoving object.

So, as I will have little to no time to do anything but work on creating a less stressful and more profitable and peaceful atmosphere for myself, I regret my other projects will have to be on hold for a bit.  I will, however, return to them with vigor once I am successful, and will keep those dedicated few informed as things progress.

Until Next Time,

~Namaste

 

4 Jun

Update 6-4-2023

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Greetings,

It’s been an intense few weeks, with the promise of continuing to be so, but I cannot resist keeping my blog updated for my audience.  For those few intrepid souls, I salute you.

Anywho…I understood when I began my writing it would be a learning experience – as all things in this life are -and the writing journey, along with its narration counterpart – has not disappointed in this regard.  There have been some bumps along the road, but I have gained knowledge along the way, and it has been a rewarding process creatively, if not financially.  One such bump has seen the delay of release of the hardbound versions of my novels, but it appears I have overcome that particular hurdle (and learning in the process), and the revised hardbound additions should be available on Amazon soon.

On the Audible front, the audio version of Highway Hypnosis should be available sometime on or after June 10, 2023.  The files have all passed the ACX check on my software, and are awaiting QC approval.  Here’s keeping my fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I have begun recording the Audible version of Strange Stories, Twisted Tales.  The first story, The Minstrel, has been recorded, and I have begun work on Roadkill.  I find I enjoy the recording process immensely – the audio processing not so much – but am determined to learn as much as I can on both ends of the process in order to produce the best result I can.  I have a lot of irons in the fire on any given day, and plan to add even more, in the form of a video blog, in the near future, but I am confident the results will be well worth the effort.

Until next time,

~Namaste

4 Apr

Audible Update – 4/4

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Greetings!

After successfully surviving another decade, I found myself energized and in a strangely positive mood.  The year has seen some good things happen, with the signs showing the promise of more to come, and this has contributed to lessening my anxiety, and given me the determination and energy to work on making my writing into a full time career.  An uptake of recent sales (thank you all!) has helped in this, as well as the production of hardback versions of my books, and I’ve used this to begin the process of producing Audible versions of my work as well, with yours truly serving as narrator.

I have purchased what I hope is a decent microphone, and begun the process of learning the Audacity program for recording the sound files which are necessary for conversion into an audio book. Depending on how quickly I can assimilate this, I will begin recording test files within the next few days.  I can say I am looking forward to this new project with great enthusiasm.  I have always enjoyed reading aloud, and the prospect of adding that skill to my revenue set is just icing on the enjoyment cake, not to mention giving hope to be able to continue making a living as the physical issues I deal with advance with time.  Should the process prove enjoyable, I will likely open myself to narrating work by other authors on a freelance basis, something I think would be both fun and profitable.

I will keep posting updates for this and my other projects, so stay tuned!

Until Next Time,

~Namaste

31 Mar

End of a Decade

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Greetings,

It’s been a busy month in terms of writing-related activities: I finished my third novel, converted my first two books into hardback for publication on Amazon, added the e-book version of Highway Hypnosis to Kindle Unlimited, and edited the covers of all three of my books for hardback formatting.  I think these are all good things, and I hope it is an indication of progress toward my writing career becoming my only career.  This hope has taken a more desperate turn over the last year, I must admit.  I close out another decade this Sunday, and know I cannot keep up the pace of such a physical day job forever.  I hate to admit I’m feeling my age, but as Indiana Jones once said, ‘it’s not the years, it’s the mileage’.  And I’m feeling those miles, boys and girls.

To this end, I have been stepping up my game, not only in devoting more time toward writing, but also in terms of promotion.  I wrote in an earlier post that I plan on creating Audible versions of my first three books, as well as creating a YouTube channel centered on writing and the life of an aspiring professional author, and took the first steps toward this end in creating an Audible account.  I also had the good fortune to have enough some extra cash on the payday before my coming birthday, so I treated myself to a present in the form of a decent usb microphone, one I plan to use a good deal in the future.  Things seem to be falling into place, so it seemed a wise purchase, and I have a more positive outlook for the future for the first time in longer than I can remember.

So stay tuned!  Lots of things are coming!

Until Next Time,

~Namaste

15 Mar

Hardbacks

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Greetings!
Just a quick post to let my intrepid followers know my first two books have been formatted and submitted for the hardback editions, and should be available for order on Amazon soon.
The new book should join them in the next few weeks, so stay tuned, as there are many things in the works for the future!

Until Next Time,

~Namaste

12 Mar

Writing Update: 3-12-2023

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Greetings!

Even though I have completed the new novel, it does not mean I get to take any time off; there are still a good number of tasks requiring my attention, projects left undone or to further my visibility in the marketplace.  I have recently revised the formatting for my first novel, Highway Hypnosis, in preparation for an e-book release, and this should be available soon.  I will also be releasing hardcover versions of all my work in the future, so be sure to stay tuned for news and release dates.

Until Next Time,

~Namaste

6 Mar

Writing Update: 3-5-2023

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Greetings!

So much news!
The manuscript for my upcoming novel is completed. It will weigh in at 634 pages, and a bit over 169k words. Cover reveal coming soon! I’ll be announcing the publication date soon.
I have solved my previous problems with WordPress, apparently, so I’ll be keeping this format for a while. I will be working more on the mobile version once the new book has been published.
I am also working to start a Youtube channel, basically a video blog of this writer’s life kind of thing. More details will be given as this project progresses.
Also, after some positive feedback from a good friend, I will also be working on making audible versions of all my work.
So, a full plate, it seems.
For those few loyal readers, stay tuned…it’s going to be a busy year.

Until next time,

~Namaste

13 Nov

Writing Update: 11-13-2022

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Greetings all,

I finished the first draft of my current WIP on November 6. The manuscript weighed in at over 171k words, a bit over 625 pages, making it my longest work so far. I do not expect the word count to reduce much in the course of editing; if anything, it may increase a bit. I have pretty much told the story I wanted to tell, the one the Muse gave me, and I do not expect many changes in the context of the story itself. I am currently on the first pass through for editing, and barring any major setbacks, still hope to have my cover reveal in time to publish before the end of the year, so stay tuned!

Until Next Time,

~Namaste

5 Oct

Writing Update – Oct. 5, 2022

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Greetings all,

It’s been a hectic and exhausting few weeks. I’m not even sure at the moment when I posted last. It’s been some weeks, but the days have a way of blending together when things get intense, and they certainly have been ever since the new owners of my former apartment complex decided to act like complete asshats and not pay me for two months worth of labor. This led to my ending my term as property manager, and having to find a new place and a new job simultaneously. This was a stressful time, and though I managed to do both, this was but the start; I still had to pack up everything I owned into storage while working my new job, and also doing all the rehab work in my future living space in trade for the security deposit. While difficult, this last was a win for me, as I do a better job painting than the normal job done on vacant units, as well as making sure everything was done my way.
I had hoped to finish the first draft of my current novel of multi-dimensional existential horror before having to change my residence, but ran out of time just as I was set to write the next to last chapter, i.e. the climax of the story (the last chapter is just afterglow). I then faced the task of packing the remaining 75% of my belongings and all my furniture in about 24 hours. Unfortunately, my new apartment was not ready yet, so I spent a few nights sleeping in vacant units until the flooring was ready. The end result is I have been keeping a minimum of 16 hour days 7 days a week, and have a bit more to go. As I write this, I am surrounded by a small mountain of boxes waiting to be unboxed, and a few last pieces of furniture to move from another unit I have been using for storage. Although smaller by a slight bit, I think my new place has the potential to be a more creative living environment than my previous residence. it will need to be, because I have lots more books to write.
I have a bit more to do before my place is more of a home, but the finish line for both the apartment and my current WIP is close.

Til next time,

~Namaste