Friday, May 24, 2013

Thanks David Linden for the "Death Honk" Nod

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Years pass and I gradually remember my manners. My short story about the nature of job interviews as told through a struggle between clowns and bears has been experiencing a small revival since publication in 2010.
1000words1000days.
At the time, I failed to credit scientist and author David Linden for recommending "Death Honk" to his blog readers. I remedy that now. Thanks, David. Be on the lookout for a companion piece involving rednecks and plague-infested monkeys. 

Number 2 on Google But Why?


Briefly this morning I held the number 2 rank on Google for Wattpads, a position I neither sought nor refused. Curious ranking for a man with generally microscopic page views. What would cause this?

UPDATE: Customization was mentioned as a possible reason. But to what end? I wanted Wattpad, not any mention I ever made about Wattpad.  Ah, but it's gone now. Were it not for the screen shot I would doubt my sanity in this matter.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Work Backwards From Your Deadline

movemoretoday.c

This and other useful tips on wringing the most from your writing time are available courtesy of the Publication Coach.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Thanks to Stefan Blitz and Forces of Geek

Did you ever read any? All of them contained words.
In my hustle, with generous doses of 'bustle' thrown in, I have forgotten to thank Stefan Blitz, Editor-in-Chief at Forces of Geek. From November of 2011 to March of this year he was kind enough to post my "Reviews of Films I Have Never Seen." And while the reviews started small and gradually became unseen in their own right, I nevertheless had good, sound fun writing them. Because of my astounding schedule, I have cut back on everything including sleep and time spent on the Russian-Girls-Want-You website. Thanks for the platform, Stefan, and may your page views swell to an appropriate fullness.  

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Elmore Leonard's Rules of Writing

Image: Listmaker
Tips from a guy who has written a couple of novels including a book on writing.
  1.  Never open a book with weather.
  2.  Avoid prologues.
  3.  Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.
  4.  Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said”…he admonished gravely.
  5.  Know that if you're me, anything you write will be made into a movie. Anything. Seriously, anything.  (I added this one.)
And, of course, his famous advice:
"If it sounds like writing, I re-write it."


Thursday, May 02, 2013

My Writing Schedule

Image: www.Clipartof.com
Since it now consumes the bulk of my day, here's a peek into my authorial life:

1. Get up around 4:45 and write down my goals for 2013, including publishing 3 ebooks on Amazon.com by Dec. 1.

2. Write for an hour before breakfast.

3. Write four to five more hours.

4. Go to the gym.

5. Write another hour.

6. Spend an hour researching the ebook biz.

7. Eat dinner.

8. Watch an hour of reality show crime TV.

9. Go to bed by 9:30.

That's five days a week, with only two hours of writing and one hour of researching on Saturday. On Sunday I clean off my desk, pay the bills, and write out the next week's schedule. I will have three finished ebooks—probably two novellas and a novel—written by Thanksgiving. No one is making me do this. No one is paying me to do this. But there has never been a better time to be an author. Ebooks have changed the publishing landscape. I'm climbing on board before head implants replace the Kindle.

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