Sunday, November 7, 2010

This and That and Some of Those

As I write this there are a couple of questions popping around in my head: 1)Where will I post this from as I'm typing it in MS Word because we don't have internet anymore? and 2)Will I be able to bring this around by the end to pertain to writing so it's not just a random "about me" post?

Let's find out.

I've got some hamburgers on the grill and I'm typing this on my laptop at the kitchen counter and we're watching TBS which is one of the few non-network channels we get now that we've given up our major cable package. Now in theory this whole non-internet non-cable thing should be all about writing because one of the major excuses I gave myself when plotting this idea out was that it would give me more time to read and write. So far, after about two weeks, I've definitely been reading more, but I've found many new ways of procrastinating that are related more to playing more with the kids and going to bed earlier than plowing hours of time into the TV and internet void.

Side Note: After a couple of paragraphs, I can see two different topics to steer this toward writing and make it a more acceptable Do Some Damage post. We could either go off on a rant about procrastination and the internet which, frankly, I think needs to be added to Dave's list of over-discussed topics, or we could talk about low tech versus high tech writing and who writes long hand or on typewriters and such. Neither of those really get me worked up, but just now, a side conversation with my bride has presented a third topic, one of the writing-related reasons I've been procrastinating since cutting the cable.

For a while now I've been working on a novel manuscript (not always the same novel but I don't talk about it like I used to which has saved me some real grief) but a couple of opportunities have presented themselves to me short story-wise that I've been thinking of pursuing. I don't know that I've made up my mind for sure, but I've ordered the new Best American Mystery Stories from the library for inspiration for the first opportunity and I've also special ordered a copy of Joe Gores DKA story collection as inspiration for the second opportunity.

Second Side Note: Another topic presents itself as a discussion of networking because of the short story opportunities came from a Do Some Damage cast member which I probably wouldn’t have known about otherwise. I guess this could also be one of those day-in-the-life posts about the writer's life. I always love reading those.

But here we are almost 500 words in and none of these topics has really jumped out and bit me so in the end, I think it will work out best to open the comments for discussion and you can use any one of these side notes points as a jumping off point. Also, for final consideration, I'm also thinking of writing Janet Evanovich to inquire about being one of her new co-authors.

Discuss.

2 comments:

John McFetridge said...

Yeah, I'd love to be some big-name writer's co-writer. Or write for some series, like James Bond or something. Or be the guy who gets to write the "Castle" books...

Cutting back on TV and Internet sounds good, but one thing I've heard a few writers say is that they don't read while they're writing. I always thought that would be impossible because I'm always writing, so I can't give up reading, but now I'm starting to see how taking a month off from reading and just writing might be a good idea.

Peter Rozovsky said...

I dunno; I figure that if you have hamburgers on the grill and D.K.A. stories on the way, what else do you need?

John: I'm just recovering from Noircon 2010, where I was surprised to hear two authors say in separate conversations that they find it hard to read while writing.

Discuss.
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