Blog: New Year 2016

Gone Writing

Image stolen randomly from the web

A new year, 2016!

Time to write again. Life grabbed me and beat me soundly about the head the past couple of years, but I am coming back.


This year’s goals:

1. Restart the blog
2. Start a newsletter
3. Start a website
4. Get a new self-published novel (or two) out.

Basically kick my writing back into gear.


To that end, the blog is going to undergo a severe facelift. Some things, such as the cross-reference of stories and characters, will be moved to the website. Everything else is going to be burned to the ground and restarted.


The new production schedule shall be:

1. Sunday – A flash story  (initially about half will be repeats)
2. Tuesday – Book Reviews, Author Spotlights, Writing Exercises, maybe an editing rant or two, and every so often a little look at my calligraphy and embroidery … because it is pretty
3. Thursday – Links to other people blogging about writing..

Hope you like the new Erin Penn’s First Base.

Blog: The Muse Speaks Up

Meme from Facebook (no associated copyright I know of)

 

“New job?” the muse in my head asks.

 

I wince. The slave driver is back. “Not so new anymore, the shiny has worn off a bit.”

 

“Yeah, kind of noticed. You are finally getting brain cells back now that you are not constantly learning new things.” He smiled, evilly. “Soooo, when can we write?”

 

“Please,” I beg. “I just caught up on my sleep. I still got my tax job on weekends, and my other virtual-night job, and I need to clean the house, and I haven’t seen my friends in six months, and ….”

 

He interrupts. “And when can we write?”

 

Not an argument I am going to win. “Tonight?”

 

“Tonight sounds good.”

 

**********

 

I’m back! Still need to do a dozen things, but they can wait – or so my muse says. My bill collectors don’t agree, but what do they know? The dust bunnies like living in the corners of my house and are on the muse’s side, so the majority wins.

 

So where were we, my dear readers, before life so rudely interrupted?

 

I had caught up on my bi-weekly postings. Needless to say, that has fallen behind again.

I was one shy of finally completing the Breathless Press Sunday Fun pictures and needing to switch format from the Sunday visual inspiration and Wednesday personal flash.

I had started the initial stages of two books: The Antichrist’s Big Sister Blog and Erin Penn’s First Base Collection Year 1.

 

So where are we going from here, because the ride isn’t over. My muse has declared it!

 

Well, I owe a few back blogs, 32 to be exact. Nineteen Sunday style and thirteen Wednesday style. Since only one Breathless Press Sunday Fun Photo remains, I am going to need to change the format of the blog a little.

 

Wednesday will continue to be a flash every week, but with a twist. On odd numbered Wednesdays a picture shall be used as inspiration for the flash (Visual Flash) – similar to the old Sunday Breathless Press pictures – and even numbered Wednesdays, the story will be produced without visual prompts (Text Flash). As I will be the source of all the pictures going forward, I will make certain the picture’s copyright allows blogging usage. I will continue to supplement the Text Flashes with images like I have in the past, writing the material first and then finding a matching picture.

 

On Sunday, I will aim to provide a 250 to 1.000 word segment of my Work-In-Progress (WIP). This will guarantee every week I will write at least 250 words for my WIP. (Thereby making my muse happy. It won’t shut him up, but he will be happy.) A minimum of 1,000 to 3,000 of a flirt (10K) should be completed every month with this schedule. Maybe I won’t be able to keep up with my original plan of 10K published words a month, but I will be able to deliver 3 to 4 flirts a year leveraging the Sunday WIP. The related pictures to the WIP shall be the cover art.

 

Still on the front burner are the two books, The Antichrist’s Big Sister Blog and Erin Penn’s First Base Collection Year 1. I paid for the cover art, I am going to use it. I will do a major push to get at least one, if not both, out by ConCarolinas. Since the convention is scheduled for May 30th to June 1st 2014, I don’t have much time. Like last year, I do plan to offer at least one of my published books for free through Amazon on the Monday immediately following the Con.

 

So that is the plan.

 

*****

“So are we going to really write now?”

 

“Yes, muse, we are going to write.”

Blog: Starting the blog

Trying my hand at new things and reacquainting myself with writing. Found an interesting publisher, breathlesspress.com, that gives a “play area” in their blog called “Sunday Fun”. For the last four weekends I have placed a flash based on the picture they provided. I am now uploading materials here as well. Hopefully I can find time to make a longer story soon to actually submit to the publisher. Sigh – day jobs …

(1/6/2016 note – Breathless Press folded in 2015)