Now exactly what could be so horrific to cause a writer to panic?
I'm 70+ years old and have several novels published, both traditionally and self-published. Not to mention several articles and posts that have offered internationally. Still, I, like so many other authors, remain unknown.
I'm considering not to continue my supposed writing career. At my age, I should be rocking away on the front porch, enjoying life as it passes by.
REALLY?
Enjoy life as it PASSES BY? NO! NO! NO!
I had a few days this week when I actually considered dropping from the authorial world and just enjoy life, playing with the grandkids and great-grandkids, gardening, reading, and traveling. I almost had myself convinced to just sit back.
Then I decided I would step back from writing and just finish up those few novels I'd written and either never finished or needed to clean up to publish. That sounded like a better idea. It could be something I do while we are traveling and camping... or sitting on the front porch. LOL.
I figured a one-year sabbatical - two years at the most - would be sufficient.
So, I made a list of those novels I needed to work on... uh, all 26 (the count so far) of them. That's correct! I have 26 novels in different stages of completion. I actually may have more if I scrounge around on my laptop and backup files. This number does not include the myriad of short stories I have written.
Needless to say, I don't want to peek into the sub-directory named "Future Plots" or the other one named "Ideas" for fear of what I may find there.
Therefore, with the idea of not writing anymore now entrenched in my mind, I have decided that perhaps I should reconsider another avenue.
I won't write any more NEW books until I have the ones already on my laptop finished.
Exactly what does this mean?
It means I won't be participating in any future NaNoWriMos (that is National Novel Writing Month which happens in November) or seeing a wild-flung idea/plot from some obscure news article or tidbit discovered while surfing the internet. Also, I might have to control my imagination when watching certain TV shows - like Aliens on the History channel or of that ilk. National Geographic and History channel can be great idea generators. I can't give up Giorgio Tsoukalos, Erich von Daniken, David Childress, Peter Fiebag, Robert Bauval and Luc Burgin. Nor can I give up the SyFy channel. I'll just have to control (aka lock down) my imagination.
I figure if I can finish, edit and publish at least two (2) books a year - it will take me a mere thirteen (13) years to finish all those I have lurking (aka languishing) on my laptop. Even IF I were to be able to push myself to 3 books a year; it would still take over 8 years to finish them all. Exactly WHERE did I think one or two years would be sufficient?
Can I control my imagination to not... repeat, NOT want to write something new for the next ten years?
At the current time, I am open to any and all suggestions of how to complete the task at hand.
Uh, so you have a "basic" understanding of what I've got stuffed in my laptop --
5 Amish novels, one is a horror, the rest Christian and sort of a series
5 vampire novels (a series)
4 fantasy novels (a series)
2 action adventure novels (1 is a sequel to a published book)
3 epic fantasy novels
1 Native American werewolf vampire detective story
1 Native American fantasy
1 mainstream fiction
1 historical fiction
1 military fantasy
1 SF novel
1 fairy fantasy
As you can see, a very eclectic selection of stories. Oh, and the short stories are a collage of SF, horror, and fantasy... and we have NO count on those.
Is this the time I should mention, I have one "screenplay" I also have in the works and not part of the counts above?
HELP ME!
Until next I ramble on...
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Monday, May 1, 2017
Monday, June 20, 2016
Just A Rant
Ugh!
This week has been one of desperation and exasperation. I went out, an innocent lamb to the slaughter. Okay, let me tell you tales of horror. LOL.
I went up near the Detroit area last week to visit my youngest son and his wife to babysit their twins so they could attend a dance banquet for the eldest daughter - a six-year-old
It is summer time and of course, every road is under construction - for miles! I can take the south route (low road) or the north route (high road) but... wait. They are both under construction at about the same area so the idea of taking one to avoid the other is a moot point. Oh, wait, I could slip around the whole mess by taking a road headed north before I got the construction.
Silly me. That road was under construction, too. Well, I was committed to this road when I discovered the construction. Therefore, a quick dido might be the best answer. Wrong again. A left turn here, a right turn there, a couple of each and finally I was in an area I recognized. A little further and I was able to eliminate another construction area and I was clear of the big city and headed on to my destination.
Wait. This road was taking me back away so I had to cut across the countryside to catch another highway to get me up to Detroit. No problem. (So he thought.) Speeding down the backroad and I see the flashing lights. No, not the police. In front of me is a tractor on the country road. It was chugging along at a snail's pace and there was NO way to get around it. Did the young driver think to look in his rear-view mirror for traffic? Nope! He was getting down in the cab with his headphones on so the loud tractor with the immensely wide row of plows didn't bother him. No on-coming traffic and I couldn't pass him - the plow went from side of road to side of road. He really should have had them tipped up, but...
THREE agonizing miles at the breakneck speed of almost 10mph, he finally turned off into a field.
We finally got to my son's house before they had to leave. We allowed almost 3 hours to make a 90-minute drive. It took over 2 hours. Therefore, visiting with them before they left was a lost cause. They assumed the banquet would be over early and they'd be home by 8pm, 9pm for sure. They didn't get home until almost 10pm. For us, no biggie since the twins, 14 months old, decided to call it an early evening and went to sleep without too much effort on our behalf.
We headed home the next day after an enjoyable visit. We had a 1pm meeting and again, we allowed ourselves 3 hours to travel the distance.
About 40 miles from home, I thought we had it 'in the bag' ... we'd arrive almost 30 minutes before the meeting - but I was wrong. I turned onto a connecting highway between the "high" road and "low" road.
Are you ready? More flashing light. Still, not the police. Seems they decided to 'sweep' the highway and the big rig was moving along at ... okay, it was so slow we were passed by a kid on a bicycle as he cycled leisurely down the road licking a popsicle. Actually, we were going so slow I was on idle - my foot was on the brake, not the gas, and I had to keep applying the brakes because I was moving too fast. YUP! It was THAT slow. There was a county or state truck behind the sweeper with its caution lights flashing. Behind that (and in front of me) was another truck who, for some reason, felt it unnecessary to pass. The road is 3 lanes. The lane going north, the lane going south, and a turn lane between them. For the one-mile strip, there is absolutely NO place to turn left or right from the highway. Why is there a turn lane? I have no idea, but it was there. But I figure, at about 1mph, no faster than 3mph, I had the right to pass.
Exasperated, I finally gunned my motor and, using the turning lane, passed the two trucks and sweeper at an outrageous speed of 20, almost 25mph. Was it legal? I don't know. I might get a ticket in the mail and, if so, I will address the issue at that time.
I was ahead of schedule, but due to the sweeper, I fell behind and we were 5 minutes late for our meeting. Not so bad, but we'd called to let them know we were running late. I didn't mention that I was racing through the countryside in an attempt to gain back some time. If I hadn't raced, we probably would have been about 30 minutes late.
Oh, I forgot about the one car I had before me on the country road. She would stop at the stop signs. That's a good thing. She would left, look right, inch ahead, look left, look right, look left and finally cross the intersection. Of course, I could not pass her due to poor timing of on-coming traffic. She did this at 3 different intersections. Even my wife wondered why she spent so much time looking left and right to ascertain traffic. Uh, you could see left and right at these stop intersections for over a mile in each direction. There was nothing coming either way. We only had on-coming traffic and never met one of those vehicles at any intersection.
Yes, it was a trip of tension. The only trips I can claim to be worse is when we decide to travel through Houston, Texas. For me, my last 4 trips through the construction there have all been white-knuckle events. We (my wife, her brother and his wife, and me) now plan our trip to Corpus Christi to avoid Houston. I'm the only one 'dumb' enough to drive through Houston. They won't even attempt it.
This week has been one of desperation and exasperation. I went out, an innocent lamb to the slaughter. Okay, let me tell you tales of horror. LOL.
I went up near the Detroit area last week to visit my youngest son and his wife to babysit their twins so they could attend a dance banquet for the eldest daughter - a six-year-old
It is summer time and of course, every road is under construction - for miles! I can take the south route (low road) or the north route (high road) but... wait. They are both under construction at about the same area so the idea of taking one to avoid the other is a moot point. Oh, wait, I could slip around the whole mess by taking a road headed north before I got the construction.
Silly me. That road was under construction, too. Well, I was committed to this road when I discovered the construction. Therefore, a quick dido might be the best answer. Wrong again. A left turn here, a right turn there, a couple of each and finally I was in an area I recognized. A little further and I was able to eliminate another construction area and I was clear of the big city and headed on to my destination.
Wait. This road was taking me back away so I had to cut across the countryside to catch another highway to get me up to Detroit. No problem. (So he thought.) Speeding down the backroad and I see the flashing lights. No, not the police. In front of me is a tractor on the country road. It was chugging along at a snail's pace and there was NO way to get around it. Did the young driver think to look in his rear-view mirror for traffic? Nope! He was getting down in the cab with his headphones on so the loud tractor with the immensely wide row of plows didn't bother him. No on-coming traffic and I couldn't pass him - the plow went from side of road to side of road. He really should have had them tipped up, but...
THREE agonizing miles at the breakneck speed of almost 10mph, he finally turned off into a field.
We finally got to my son's house before they had to leave. We allowed almost 3 hours to make a 90-minute drive. It took over 2 hours. Therefore, visiting with them before they left was a lost cause. They assumed the banquet would be over early and they'd be home by 8pm, 9pm for sure. They didn't get home until almost 10pm. For us, no biggie since the twins, 14 months old, decided to call it an early evening and went to sleep without too much effort on our behalf.
We headed home the next day after an enjoyable visit. We had a 1pm meeting and again, we allowed ourselves 3 hours to travel the distance.
About 40 miles from home, I thought we had it 'in the bag' ... we'd arrive almost 30 minutes before the meeting - but I was wrong. I turned onto a connecting highway between the "high" road and "low" road.
Are you ready? More flashing light. Still, not the police. Seems they decided to 'sweep' the highway and the big rig was moving along at ... okay, it was so slow we were passed by a kid on a bicycle as he cycled leisurely down the road licking a popsicle. Actually, we were going so slow I was on idle - my foot was on the brake, not the gas, and I had to keep applying the brakes because I was moving too fast. YUP! It was THAT slow. There was a county or state truck behind the sweeper with its caution lights flashing. Behind that (and in front of me) was another truck who, for some reason, felt it unnecessary to pass. The road is 3 lanes. The lane going north, the lane going south, and a turn lane between them. For the one-mile strip, there is absolutely NO place to turn left or right from the highway. Why is there a turn lane? I have no idea, but it was there. But I figure, at about 1mph, no faster than 3mph, I had the right to pass.
Exasperated, I finally gunned my motor and, using the turning lane, passed the two trucks and sweeper at an outrageous speed of 20, almost 25mph. Was it legal? I don't know. I might get a ticket in the mail and, if so, I will address the issue at that time.
I was ahead of schedule, but due to the sweeper, I fell behind and we were 5 minutes late for our meeting. Not so bad, but we'd called to let them know we were running late. I didn't mention that I was racing through the countryside in an attempt to gain back some time. If I hadn't raced, we probably would have been about 30 minutes late.
Oh, I forgot about the one car I had before me on the country road. She would stop at the stop signs. That's a good thing. She would left, look right, inch ahead, look left, look right, look left and finally cross the intersection. Of course, I could not pass her due to poor timing of on-coming traffic. She did this at 3 different intersections. Even my wife wondered why she spent so much time looking left and right to ascertain traffic. Uh, you could see left and right at these stop intersections for over a mile in each direction. There was nothing coming either way. We only had on-coming traffic and never met one of those vehicles at any intersection.
Yes, it was a trip of tension. The only trips I can claim to be worse is when we decide to travel through Houston, Texas. For me, my last 4 trips through the construction there have all been white-knuckle events. We (my wife, her brother and his wife, and me) now plan our trip to Corpus Christi to avoid Houston. I'm the only one 'dumb' enough to drive through Houston. They won't even attempt it.
Monday, January 4, 2016
Looking At Life
Today is all about rush, rush, rush. We don't have time to wait. In fact, I heard my one granddaughter complain because it was taking so long for the microwave to zap her food.
We are a world of "instant."
I once heard somebody say "Take time to smell the roses" to which the reply was "I did. They didn't smell all that great." Hmm? Maybe this person was smelling roses raised for one of those $200 bouquets - you know, maybe 4 to 6 red roses and a bunch of carnations and baby's breath and ferns.
Yes, we do live in a world where we can't take the time to sit back and just let the scents of the day assault us while we rock.
Imagine a warm day, not too hot, but definitely a mint julep or lemonade day, sitting in the shade, rocking gently in a white wicker rocker. The summer breeze caresses your face with a whispering hint of roses and you stare off into the baby blue azure tinted sky.
No, you can't. Why? Because you're sitting in a sterile 10 x 10 foot cubicle (if that big) slaving over a job that needed to be finished at least 20 minutes before you got it. The boss is chewing your butt for a lousy job because his boss is chewing him for a lousy job. As my buddy once stated - It doesn't matter where on the hill you live, you're always in the valley and everything flows downhill.
I retired in 2006 on the very last day of that year. Due to the holidays and weather, my departure was barely a blip on the screen. Okay, it was more like a dot too much ink on the line... like a hesitation of the pen as it draws a line.
In the years since, I have tried to find some semblance of my former lifestyle but can't. I mean, I still do things but there isn't that urgency. There isn't somebody over my shoulder screaming it should have been done yesterday or last week.
In fact, the last few years have seen a new vision in my sight. Sure, I've had cataract eye surgery, but it isn't that kind of new sight. It is more insight. I realize now that what doesn't get done today will get done tomorrow - maybe.
I think my first trip in 2007 can sum it up. We, my wife and I, were traveling to California with her brother and his wife (they'd retired about 10 years earlier) in the RV. I was tooling down the highway, clipping along at the speed of traffic. Dare I say, nearing 80mph? The gas in the RV was being sucked out but that wasn't of consequence. My BIL noted my speed and informed me that we had plenty of time. We didn't need to go from Ohio to California in an afternoon. The minimum speed on the interstate is 55. He said we could probably enjoy the trip more at about 60-65 mph. I put it on cruise but found my foot easing the gas pedal down to keep up with traffic. We made California in three days. I just couldn't get the hang of "easy does it" and "we got time" to slow myself down. I guess I was in one of those comedy routines: 7 Days, 6 Nights, 9 Countries, 15 Cities type vacations.
We need to learn to slow down.
It is now almost 10 years later. I've learned to slow down. I did some mulching around the yard. In fact, the one area, about 12 ft by 35 ft took me nearly a week to do. I'd go out, put down the newspaper, weight it and finally get the mulch spread over it. It was a slow process. But, then again, I had the time. It wasn't like there was something pressing that had to be done. The world continued to spin each day even though I hadn't finished my project that day. When done, it looked good.
The same has happened in my driving. I still tend to drive my car at interstate speeds... or better, but when I have the RV and we're traveling. Okay, I sit in the driver's seat of the RV and relax. Yes, I'm that damned idiot in front of you going maybe 50 on a back road or 60 on an interstate. You see? I have the time to enjoy the roses. By roses, I mean, the scenery of the highway. Just look at the homes and fields and wild flowers and gorgeous woods. There is so much to enjoy. Don't just figure the cliche is about roses - roses are the scent of life. Enjoy them.
Maybe, just maybe, I am seeing all this beauty because I can now see some stars starting to shine in the twilight of my years. Yes, the sun is beginning to set. I realize this. I know my body can't continue to hustle and bustle. It takes more time to do things but they do get done - in time. Maybe not in what you consider a timely fashion, but it is timely in my lifestyle.
I just celebrated my 69th birthday on 12/31. Yes, that means, this year I will be 70. No, I'm not old but I am no longer in the summer of my life. Those sky blue azure tinted summer skies are long gone. I would like to say I'm in the autumn of my life. I hope that my winter will be a good one and to be honest, I'm hoping and praying winter is a long, long way off. LOL.
Until my eyes close for the very last time, I want to be able to say - I stopped and smelled the roses.
Until next I ramble on...
We are a world of "instant."
I once heard somebody say "Take time to smell the roses" to which the reply was "I did. They didn't smell all that great." Hmm? Maybe this person was smelling roses raised for one of those $200 bouquets - you know, maybe 4 to 6 red roses and a bunch of carnations and baby's breath and ferns.
Yes, we do live in a world where we can't take the time to sit back and just let the scents of the day assault us while we rock.
Imagine a warm day, not too hot, but definitely a mint julep or lemonade day, sitting in the shade, rocking gently in a white wicker rocker. The summer breeze caresses your face with a whispering hint of roses and you stare off into the baby blue azure tinted sky.
No, you can't. Why? Because you're sitting in a sterile 10 x 10 foot cubicle (if that big) slaving over a job that needed to be finished at least 20 minutes before you got it. The boss is chewing your butt for a lousy job because his boss is chewing him for a lousy job. As my buddy once stated - It doesn't matter where on the hill you live, you're always in the valley and everything flows downhill.
I retired in 2006 on the very last day of that year. Due to the holidays and weather, my departure was barely a blip on the screen. Okay, it was more like a dot too much ink on the line... like a hesitation of the pen as it draws a line.
In the years since, I have tried to find some semblance of my former lifestyle but can't. I mean, I still do things but there isn't that urgency. There isn't somebody over my shoulder screaming it should have been done yesterday or last week.
In fact, the last few years have seen a new vision in my sight. Sure, I've had cataract eye surgery, but it isn't that kind of new sight. It is more insight. I realize now that what doesn't get done today will get done tomorrow - maybe.
I think my first trip in 2007 can sum it up. We, my wife and I, were traveling to California with her brother and his wife (they'd retired about 10 years earlier) in the RV. I was tooling down the highway, clipping along at the speed of traffic. Dare I say, nearing 80mph? The gas in the RV was being sucked out but that wasn't of consequence. My BIL noted my speed and informed me that we had plenty of time. We didn't need to go from Ohio to California in an afternoon. The minimum speed on the interstate is 55. He said we could probably enjoy the trip more at about 60-65 mph. I put it on cruise but found my foot easing the gas pedal down to keep up with traffic. We made California in three days. I just couldn't get the hang of "easy does it" and "we got time" to slow myself down. I guess I was in one of those comedy routines: 7 Days, 6 Nights, 9 Countries, 15 Cities type vacations.
We need to learn to slow down.
It is now almost 10 years later. I've learned to slow down. I did some mulching around the yard. In fact, the one area, about 12 ft by 35 ft took me nearly a week to do. I'd go out, put down the newspaper, weight it and finally get the mulch spread over it. It was a slow process. But, then again, I had the time. It wasn't like there was something pressing that had to be done. The world continued to spin each day even though I hadn't finished my project that day. When done, it looked good.
The same has happened in my driving. I still tend to drive my car at interstate speeds... or better, but when I have the RV and we're traveling. Okay, I sit in the driver's seat of the RV and relax. Yes, I'm that damned idiot in front of you going maybe 50 on a back road or 60 on an interstate. You see? I have the time to enjoy the roses. By roses, I mean, the scenery of the highway. Just look at the homes and fields and wild flowers and gorgeous woods. There is so much to enjoy. Don't just figure the cliche is about roses - roses are the scent of life. Enjoy them.
Maybe, just maybe, I am seeing all this beauty because I can now see some stars starting to shine in the twilight of my years. Yes, the sun is beginning to set. I realize this. I know my body can't continue to hustle and bustle. It takes more time to do things but they do get done - in time. Maybe not in what you consider a timely fashion, but it is timely in my lifestyle.
I just celebrated my 69th birthday on 12/31. Yes, that means, this year I will be 70. No, I'm not old but I am no longer in the summer of my life. Those sky blue azure tinted summer skies are long gone. I would like to say I'm in the autumn of my life. I hope that my winter will be a good one and to be honest, I'm hoping and praying winter is a long, long way off. LOL.
Until my eyes close for the very last time, I want to be able to say - I stopped and smelled the roses.
Until next I ramble on...
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