Category:

My Own Worlds

8/3/2014

I hope all of you enjoyed Shatterpoint. I like to do a blog series every now and then just to mix things up around here, and it looks like the website hits went up while that series was running. I hope you enjoyed it. I plan to spruce it up and offer it as a free ebook through Smashwords in the coming months, so keep your eyes open for that.

It's amazing where inspiration comes from. Shatterpoint was spurred by a trip to a Christian Bookstore a few weeks ago, and to tell you the truth, my muse has been quite busy every since. It seems that ideas are everywhere, and I'm finding stories all over the place. In addition to Shatterpoint, I've also started a fun project over at Conure Corner titled "Invasion on Anipal Land." It's what I call "the ultimate bird fairy tale," and it features many of our Twitter pals. So far, they're loving it. Swing by at the hyperlink if you're interested. I posted Installment 4 today, and there's one more installment due out, probably on Tuesday. I don't plan to publish that - it's just a fun project that Rick and I thought would be good for the bird blog.

I also wrote two short stories last week. One's a flash fiction piece titled 5:00 over at Readwave. The other is a short story that's still in progress called "Dedication" over at Writing.com. It was inspired by seeing the same car parked outside an abandoned building in our office complex for a week. That one is still in rough draft format and needs work, but I welcome feedback from the Writing.com community. Again, it's just a fun writing exercise for me to hone my skills.

Today, I started another round of edits on Obsidian. I figured I may as well keep going since I have the momentum up and things are flowing well. I tell you, it might seem like I'm in my own little world(s) to others, but these are the times writer's like. Writing ideas all over the place when things are relatively settled in life - what more can you ask for? It's a blessing I'm definitely grateful for.

In other news, the foot is on the slow healing process from plantar fasciia. At least it's not getting any worse, which is good, but I am trying to take care of it. I appreciate all the well wishes, too. It will heal. I actively keep that in mind, especially on occasions when it acts up. Heck, it might be the only thing on WebMD that doesn't end in death :) Rick is helping me out a lot around the house too, which no doubt is helping with the healing. He helped me clean the house and get groceries this weekend, and every day he helps me with all the other things that go into keeping a house running, in order, and relatively sane. I appreciate it so much. He's the best!

The birds are doing good. Heck, they think they're famous with this fairy tale on their blog, and they're enjoying it. We've all had a tremendous amount of fun with that one. More bird stories may be in order in the future!

So that's what's up with me. I hope you're doing well. Take care, and have a great week.

Bye!

Hurricanes and Stuff

7/3/2014

It looks like we've been spared the wrath of Hurricane Arthur in South Carolina. So far all we have in the central part of the state is a lot of clouds, some wind, and scattered rain. The biggest impact is the influx of North Carolina evacuees clogging up I-20 west. My commute home took 25 minutes in Interstate gridlock. But I guess that just goes to show how spoiled I am by working 3 miles from home. 25-30 minutes used to be my normal commute when I worked downtown. That I'm used to half that time now and find what used to be normal outrageous - yea, so what? I battled downtown traffic for 4 years of college and 12 years of working. I paid my dues. Tell me you wouldn't cut your commute in half if you had the chance.

Anyway, we were spared. I am sorry for the Outer Banks getting smacked again, and this time on a holiday weekend. What a pain in the rear. Keep those folks (residents and tourists) in your prayers. Hurricanes aren't any small matter. Rick and I both survived Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Rick got the worse of it in Summerville, but it hadn't died down that much by the time it made it to the midlands. That put a scar on the lower part of the state. Folks that were in the lowcountry for that adventure still get jittery over wind and thunder to this day. Don't ask them why, by the way. Trust me on this. It's like asking folks around here about the downtown Lexington tornado in 1994.

Isn't it amazing how the weather can impact you? We think it's small talk, but when it rages, it can really tear stuff up and reshape landscapes and lives.

Then again, if the weather is the talk of today, then that means that: 1. it's the big story now (which it is) and/or 2. not much else is going on - which is also true. That's good, through. Most of this week has been cleaning and organizing the house (as we do every now and then), and I finished reading A Dance With Dragons. A great book, and it's safe to say that the A Song of Ice and Fire series has made my list of all time favorite must read books. Now I can't wait for The Winds of Winter to come out, whenever that may be. In the meantime, I'll have to find other things to read - probably sci-fi, since I feel an urge to return to that with brainstorming my own sci-fi trilogy that I hope to start working on in 2015.

And writing, of course. If the Lord wills and creeks don't rise, I plan to do another read-through/draft of Obsidian next week. I'm also thinking about trying my hand at short stories again. I did publish an article on Readwave yesterday titled "Unicorns, Dragons, and Spies" about the Facebook experiment snafu, and I realized that I really should be contributing more short stories and articles toward my writing endeavors. Short stories aren't that intensive, and I think it would be a good idea for me to brush up on that. I used to do a lot of short stories, but that was before I got my fiction published and when I was still really active on Writing.com. I kind of got away from it with Blurry and on - the novel ideas kept coming, and I've been rolling with that pretty much since 2011. Short stories are fun and I wouldn't mind improving my skills on them again. I see more markets emerging for anthologies, and I need to sharpen my skills on writing the shorter stuff if I want to take advantage of this growing opportunity.

Well, that's all that happening my corner of the world. Rolling along and loving life. I hope you're doing well. Have a safe and happy 4th of July and a wonderful weekend.

Bye!

Paradigm Shifts

8/26/2013

On this, my 38th birthday, I find my self pondering the progress of the past year. I suppose this is a natural thing to do on a birthday. On first glance it could seem disappointing, as there are no "major" changes to report, but that's actually deceptive. There have been changes in the past year, but they've been more in the way of "shifts" instead of what could be clearly defined as "changed." I suppose this sounds somewhat elusive, so of course I'm going to explain.

The progress of the past year has actually been more in the way of building on things that have already been in motion. While it doesn't seem that much has changed - after all, life is progressing along very much the same today as it was a year ago - I can't say that I think about or feel the way that I did about life as I did one, two, or five years ago. In fact, as I ponder it, I notice that my paradigm has shifted quite a bit in the last 4 years. I suppose this is natural. My job changed and I finally broke into publication with my writing in 2010 - 2011, and while these things are "the norm" in my life right now, I see how incorporating those changes into my life has changed my view of life and the world. My basic morals haven't changed. That's not something that's likely to change. But the way you see the world around you and apply those morals can change, and I'm starting to see the evidence that it's happened. When you walk in faith long enough, you delve deeper into things, and that's certainly what's happened to me.

So how have I changed? For one, I'm seeing a whole new application of the concept of "reaping and sowing," as described in Galatians 6:7. You all know that this is one thing that my grandfather was a big believer in, and I took it to heart. But this verse applies to more than just relationships with other people and how you treat them - it also applies to progress and purpose in life. In fact, if you shift two more verses you'll read that "in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart." (Galatians 6:9) After several years of hard work to re-establish myself professionally in my current workplace and to get my writing established, I see the value of patience in all that we do. If life really is a series of ups and downs, reaping and sowing, then that has big implications for all of life. If we choose to only allow ourselves to be happy on the mountaintop, when we're reaping the rewards of our labors, then we're guaranteed to be miserable (or at least, withholding our own happiness) at least 50% of our life. Folks, that just isn't acceptable to me. That's not going to do it. Sure, there are some people that enjoy being miserable and whining and complaining to get attention, but that's not the way I choose.

I know from experience that there are blessings in every day because I've been through the major life changes when I looked back and realized that there were little blessings that I took for granted, and I was sorry for it. An example: before my writing was published, I used to do counted cross stitching and wrote short stories. Much to my surprise, I find that I have very little time for that now, between promoting my published works and creating new ones. I love my writing and pray daily that it will continue to grow and reach more people - in fact, I'm prayerfully striving to make a break into science fiction with Splinter this fall - but there are some days when I miss having the time to cross stitch, or to goof off on Writing.com with short story contests. I didn't realize how much time these things filled in my life until my writing grew to the point where I had to make decisions about what stayed and what went. I still stitch occasionally, but large projects are out now. And as for short stories, they take me longer to write, prepare, and complete than they once did. And ditto for the work move. I was glad to make it and still believe it was the best, but I didn't realize the little things I took for granted, like talking to a couple of my friends when things got slow, the great walking paths on the State House grounds, a covered parking spot or those outstanding subs for a great price on Tuesdays and Fridays. Yes, I've gained a lot through both changes. I wouldn't undo either of them or the world because I gained a lot more than I lost. But I did learn to not despise the small things, and to appreciate the small blessings that go with each day as well as the big things we work so hard to cultivate and grow in our lives.

Some people say this means to "enjoy the journey on the way to where you go," but I think there's a deeper meaning than that. A devotion I read recently said, "God doesn't want you to be happy. He wants you to do what's right." That really hit me and helped me to get a grasp on my own paradigm shift. I used to think that the point was about being happy, and I actually worried for a little while, wondering if I'd ever be happy like I was before. I see now that I won't, because happy is a side effect. The purpose of life is not to serve our feelings, but to do what we're supposed to be doing and work hard to do what's right for our purpose in life. If you are faithful in well doing and obedient to the spirit, there's a contentment to your life that nothing - situations, circumstances, or other people and their attitudes (because that really reflects on them more than anything else, but that's a pondering for another entry) - can affect. You can rest in knowing that you're doing all you can, and that allows you to enjoy the blessings of every day, large or small. And contentment is better than happiness. It's more stable, because you can still see the blessing in what you have even if a thousand aggravations are bleeding out of them. It's built on a firmer foundation that gives you the patience to hold out for the "bigger picture" even if you don't understand what the point is (as is often the case). It's built on a trust between you and the Lord and nobody else can put their hands on it. And that can give you the courage to do what's right, even in the face of ridicule, opposition, or doubt. Happiness is transient and comes and goes with circumstances. Contentment is faith in action.

No, the earth hasn't moved in the last year. Things look much the same today as they do every other day. But I know they aren't. I see how the work at the everyday levels is building to something new and better. I might not know what yet, but when it is revealed then I'll reap a reward in due season, and be glad I didn't lose heart.

That's all today. I hope you have a great week.

Bye!

When Normal is Weird

3/16/2013

The last blog entry got me thinking. Since we got back from Arizona, I've felt weird. Not bad, or sad, just - off center, like something wasn't right. I didn't know what it was. But it felt like something was out of place.

I was talking to someone after I made that last blog entry and it finally hit me: this is the first time I haven't had something big or in progress in my life in 3 years. Since 2009 at work there have been law changes, regulation changes, administrative changes, and adjustments to get the work move done. At home, I wrapped up a large cross stitch project in the summer and then dived back into writing novels. I've written 3 novels and one shorter book since then, and have published 6 pieces. It's been creating, researching, writing, and promoting for a good long while.

And now, it's done. Things are settled from moving the programs and everything is up to date.On the writing front, Move is published and publicity is pretty much a part of my routine now. I've shifted my focus to short stories, which is still fun but isn't as intensive as a novel. In fact, this is the first time since November 2009 that I haven't been at some stage of working on a novel.

So life has settled back into a routine. It's just going along and living day to day. Simply the business of keeping things moving. That's what was weird for me. No big projects. No efforts to update, progress, or get things done. The fields are sowed and now, we simply care for them and wait for the harvest.

It's been a while since I was in this place, and that's why I feel weird. It's been 3 years of working and striving and now, the work is done and all I need to do is faithfully work at maintaining the progress that's been made. It's weird. And what's throwing me is that it shouldn't be. I remember a time when this was completely normal and now that I'm bad to it, I don't know what to do.

It's weird, but it's also a relief. It's almost like I don't know what to do now that something doesn't need doing. Perhaps it's a good time to rest. Shift my focus. The short stories are a good idea, as I really do need to work and improve in that area. And perhaps going back to cross stitching isn't a bad idea either. Those are things to do, and areas I enjoy. Why not rescale my efforts in different directions? Different is good.

It bothers me a little that normal seems weird, but in another way, I understand why. I also know that I'll settle in. My life is full and there's always plenty to keep my soul, heart and mind growning, learning and occupied. Boredom is not a problem that plagues me.

That's all today. It's a nice Saturday and heck, there's not a to do list so I might as well enjoy it. Bring on the coffee! Let's enjoy this beautiful day.

Take care and enjoy your weekend.

Bye!

Odds and Ends

10/30/2011

Hi folks; I hope you're doing well and having a great weekend. It's been ok. Rick and I have had colds this past week, and it seemed to be at it's worst for me Friday and yesterday. Thankfully, I am feeling better today. Mom will be relieved. The big Holiday Craft Show that we go to every year is Friday (November 4th) and she was afraid I would be sick. But no worries because I seem to be getting better.

The short story project is going well. Wow, I didn't realize how far off I was on that one! I was treating short stories basically as one act novels, but they really are their own unique creation. I think I better understand the basic elements and the importance of capturing emotion in that format now. Basically, I was simplifying it way too much. Just because they're shorter and simpler than novels doesn't mean they require less work. The work may take less time, but they need the same type of planning, investment and respect as novels do. Eventually I do plan to bring back the "Short Story" tab to this website, but obviously I want to work on this more to make sure I bring you quality content.

I did have a bit of success today. My paragraph was featured at Paragraph Planet today! You can check it out at www.paragraphplanet.com ! (You'll have to check the archive to see it after today).

In other news, Mt. Tabor had their big Reformation Sunday/125 year celebration service today. Reformation Sunday is a big deal in the Lutheran Church. It's the celebration of when Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the doors of the church at Wittenburg (it was actually October 31, but we celebrate on the closest Sunday). And a little thing called the printing press gave it to the masses. We should hope that e-publishing has an equally significant impact on society. I'm all about power to the people, and I hope e-books bring independent authors to the forefront of the writing business and allow readers to see that they DO have other choices besides what the bookstores and bigwig publishers force feed them.

Wow, I got a wee bit off topic there. Well, consider it my "I hope e-publishing allows independent authors to take over the publishing industry" speech for the day.

But anyway ... our church also celebrated 125 years in the community. My great great grandfather was the
first pastor. If he could see it now - well, he'd meet me and say it's probably a good thing they invented better over the counter headache medication. And wonder if they'd ever find a name for whatever's up with me. Not yet, so far.

I had to winterize my roses yesterday. Yep, we had our first frost last night, so I had to go out there and trim off all the growth - so the 2011 growing season is officially over. It's always kind of sad to do that. I have the last bloom of the season in a bud vase on my computer counter in the kitchen. It's a red rose - my favorite. They did really well this summer (despite the searing heat), and I pray they make it through the winter to have another great growing season in 2012.

So the end of growing season means more time for indoor activities. Tonight, we're going to watch Captain America - The First Avenger. We never made it to the theater to see this one. In fact, we haven't been to the movies since we saw Harry Potter in August. Oh well. Netflix sent Captain America yesterday so we're going to watch it tonight. Then - I don't know. There are short stories, of course, and reading, and I do have a couple of small
cross stitch kits in my bag. We'll see. No NaNoWriMo for me this year (National Novel Writing Month). I enjoyed it last year and am kind of bummed, but frankly I've got nothing in the way of ideas for novels now. Well, the focus is on short stories now anyway so it's ok. I would like to participate again sometime, though, but it won't be this year.

I can't believe Halloween is tomorrow, but alas, it is! We don't get trick-or-treaters out here in the woods, so I guess it will be watching Halloween again. I like the original with Jamie Lee Curtis better than the remake. Not that there's anything wrong with the remake. I just prefer the original.

That's it for now. Mindless rambling and dribble. I hope you've had a great weekend and that your week starts off well tomorrow. Take care and I'll see you later.

Bye!

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