Jupiter, Saturn, Oberon and Titania...

Wild turkeys, and I don’t mean the kind that come in a bottle, are roosting in the tree right outside my bedroom, right at this moment. I tried taking some photos, we’ll see how they turned out. It rained the deluge tonight, so the air is full of water, very humid.

Feeling better.

Waiting for an oil change I started the next red-line edit of “War Stories.” I can see clearly now. Hack and slash, but in a good way. Add more description where needed, omit needless words. One more into the grinder my good friend.

You Bought a Guitar to Punish Your Ma

Syd Barrett is dead. And I am unexplainably sad. If you don’t know, you don’t know. He was the warning of success, and a Piper at the Gates of Dawn, a backseat driver of immense influence.

Did you exchange a walk-on part in the war, for a lead role in a cage?

How I wish you were here.

On a trip to Cirrus Minor, saw a crater in the sun, a thousand miles of moonlight later

Signs and Premonitions

Okay, I’m sitting here while the woman I share my life with is reading “War Stories.” No good laughs, lots of “hmms” and “oh’s” as in, “so, that’s what you mean.” Well, maybe it’s going to need another rewrite. That’s what readers are for, and it’s better that I get this feedback now, instead of rejection letters later.

Just for the record, no, I’m not upset. This is criticism, not execution. I’m trying to get better, not stay where I am. If you’re in a writing group and you can’t tell a person that they’ve comma-spliced or had a verb-subject disagreement, that’s a literary society.

Time to go get the news.

The Seven-Thousand

Just finished the red-line edit and the polish. I’m at 7002 words. I think I’ll print it out and read it once again before I send it off. After that it’s edit time for “Changelings” and “Wild Hunt.” Then we’ll send them off too, “Changelings” to Weird Tales and “Wild Hunt” to Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet. Then it we’ll see how well that story structure idea for “Farewell Angelina” works.

This week is our main Council Meeting on Tuesday, oil change on Wednesday, and two design projects due. Hopefully we’ll have some good time to work.

Bad boy, bad boy, whatcha gonna do

Well, that blows this week. At least I have hard copy. Yeah, not much, but I’ll take it. This weekend should be light, although…

My niece is having a concert, we haven’t seen her do much so I want to support this effort. So there’s Saturday afternoon and night.

Have to mow the lawn (only 45 minutes), have been trying to move the rock/weed garden (a present from our developer) all summer. Had a few wheel-barrels full and the tire went. Finally got an inner-tube for the wheel-barrel tire (best idea evar). Now need energy to haul dirt.

Clean office. Must clean office before paper piles start negotiations for citizenship. Plus have to clean office to prep for built-in full wall bookcases. Yes, you may be jealous, but only if you’ve learned woodworking, paid a small fortune in tools, and are willing to put in the sweat equity. Dan, you’re paid in full with renovating your bathroom, be jealous all you want.

And then there is the red-line edit of three stories. Updating the blogs. The ever present website redo. And spending time sleeping. Why?

Thirteen-hour day yesterday, twelve-hour day today. Plus time spent talking with the mayor on the way home (fun though).

… So, I’m wrecked. I don’t normally like to leave work before the work is finished. It wasn’t finished today, but I was done. Stick a fork in me.

HTBD - if only 15th Century map makers IM'ed.

Finished a front to back edit on “War Stories” last night after studiously trying to avoid it.

Ever hit the end of the internet? I did. Pretty surprising, was going well, interesting historical markers, and then bang I’m out in the middle of nowhere with dragons biting at my virtual heals. You’d think they’d have a sign or something. So after I got to the end of the internet, I couldn’t procrastinate any longer and then slogged through the story. “War Stories” has the feel of a dead fish right now. That’s good, it means I’m near the end with it. Word count? Currently 7083. I’ll print a hard copy and go through it with a red pen. That’ll learn the bugger.

Found another outpost on the internet. Guess it only ended in one direction. Still have the other directions to explore. More procrastination! Woohoo!

Clarion blogs (courtesy of Tobias). Oh, the jealousy. Paint me positively green. www.alexwilson.com. Six weeks for Clarion. When I was a student, I think I could have swung that (although not the cost). Now, I don’t think I could take six weeks out without a serious sponsorship of some type. Note to self, look for a Medici.

Goals this week including red lining “War Stories.” Go though “Changelings” and “Wild Hunt” one more time before sending them out. Meeting tonight for Streets Committee, have to do street lights for village. Must find time to rub cat the wrong way. (corrected spelling 07-06 8:20am)

I see fireworks…

Plugged through last night staying up past midnight. Finished the major editing on “War Stories.” I’ll make a few more passes through front to back. Right now the word count is 7180. I think I can get it down to 7100, but that maybe it, unless I cut out the front.

Now we need to see if “Changelings” and “Wild Hunt” also need a front to back edit. Once that’s done we’ll send them out.

ADD Redux

So one of the muse’s gifts this weekend was a new take on the structure of “Farwell Angelina,” which will solve some of the problems I’ve had with the story. Gotta love getting dictation on different stories at the same time. I’m not complaining, I take what I can get. I’ve always had problems with finishing projects, I think I now know why.

Editing “War Stories” Sunday Evening, I am now closer to 7200 words and only have 2 sections to go. Twisted the end a little harder. I think there’s at least one more turn of the screw I can make there.

Zoom! Road Kill.

Well, there went that deadline. Didn’t make the deadline for Friday mail. Still editing “War Stories,” down to below 7300. Yesterday was at Mom’s, so nothing happened until today. I’m planning on putting it in the mail the week of July 10th. Don’t have time to get other things in the mail. Will need to do that this week.

I’m rethinking the “In submission” section. So until I have a clear thought about it, I’m not going to update. I like it as a personal whip to keep me submitting, but I’m not sure publishing my rejections is worth it. More thought it needed.

Killed in the Hills

Last night I didn’t get any editing done. None. It was another late night at work, talked with contractors about site prep for a storage-building and a few other projects, ate dinner and then the world came to an end with a storm. The laptop had a low battery charge and given the quality of electrical service, I wasn’t going to trust to plugging in. So either tonight is going to be a killer edit-session, or I’m going to miss deadline. My guess is the later. Secondary goal is to send in manuscript very early for next quarter, finishing to mail on July 8th.

Is this a Yellow Jersey I see before my eyes...

Still oscillating around 7350 words. Read the first half during my writers group. Some people didn’t like it, but those are the ones who think I’m wasting my time writing fiction. Considering this story also includes profanity, they also think I’ve just gone down the crapper. Got some good feedback, entered the edits I wanted to listen to last night, and caught a lot more to change (tense, etc). I think the first half is good. Of course, I’ll read through it again before final. Now to try and get the second half done tonight and tomorrow. Entry has to be postmarked on Friday.

Leg Cramps

I’m about halfway through “War Stories” editing like a maniac. I got started on a new way of editing, for me at least. I’m going from back to front, paragraph by paragraph making each as good and as tight as I can. I’m adding some details, deleting others, cutting redundancies, etc. Was low as 7350 words, now back to around 7410. I want to get this done this week to send out to the Writers of the Future.

Speaking of WotF, just received “The Wild Hunt” back. I’ll update the in-submission list sometime next week, I’ll be sending out a lot this weekend. “The Wild Hunt” is my second story to make the Quarter Finalist list for WotF. Close, but no cigar, yet. I don’t know if “War Stories” will be the one to get me through to a moneyed finish, but I want to get it out.

Back to the grind. I have my writers’ group this Tuesday, and work is still going gangbusters. I could have worked another 12 hours today, but only made it as far as 10.5. Tomorrow could also be a long one if I didn’t have the meeting.