Happy Holidays!

 I don't want to end this year's blog on a rant. I'm not sure what else I might post before 2021.

 So, just in case - have a great holiday season.

I can't promise I'll post more frequently or anything. But you never know.

Cheers!

writing goals 2018

On a Facebook group, someone asked what our writing goals are for 2018. Goals, not resolutions.

So, for the record, and to take a look back later;

I have two unfinished short horror novels. Both are halfway done - if I have my math correct and hit the projected wordcounts.

So, I want those finished next year.

I have a superhero/scifi novel planned. I want that one to reach 100K or more, so I can shop it to the bigger publishers.

I want to get that one written in 2018.

Because of the novel(s) focus, I will be minimal on short stories in 2018. Right now, I am only considering a handful for some specific open calls - which are all happening early in 2018 so I need to get them cranked out soon.

And that is all.

Stretch goals would include; a third short horror novel, and/or another 100K project (probably a fantasy/sword-&-sorcery.)

One person posted a wordcount goal instead of specific projects. I thought that was an interesting take. So, I'll add that. I don't think I could put out a million words like James Reasoner. I am going to say the year goal for fiction wordage is 250K. That will cover the two half-finished novels and a 100K novel with some room to spare for the short stories and some of the stretch goals.

How about you other writers?

2017

So, here we are.

I don't know about resolutions. I joked about needing a mantra (several, really) for the new year.

On the health side;

Less sodium, less sugar, less calories
More water, more fiber, more exercise
More time in the woods

On the writing & reading;

More writing, more reading
Less book buying
Less Facebook, less Twitter

For further details on health; well, simple stuff, I hope. I need to lose pounds and I have high blood pressure. The meds work but I shouldn't make them work harder than they need to. Time in the woods is more a mental health thing. I look back and realize how much I used to head into the woods. I guess age (and the tick population explosion plus Lyme disease worries) put me shy to that in current years. There's a good loop around a reservoir in town. The one time we went we saw turkey vultures fairly close. I need to get over there more often.

Reading. I never really have a set plan. I do want to focus on writers I enjoy who I still need to read much more of - Glen Cook, Fred Saberhagen, A. Lee Martinez. Classics of pulp like Robert E. Howard (a lot of re-reads there, of course,) Leigh Brackett, Henry Kuttner. I would like to get back to science fiction - used to read it a lot as a kid. More in the space opera / military science fiction vein.

More original Tarzan and Sherlock Holmes.

Slow down the book buying because I am running out of space. Start reading what I've been acquiring. Move some along when I'm done. I've been buying crazy these last few years trying to catch up on what I missed and keeping up with new things. I need to back off a bit and focus.

The NECON crew. In addition to the headliners (Cherie Priest, Laird Barron, Weston Ochse,) there are friends and other conference attendees whose works I want to read before July.

Writing plans. That would be telling ;) Let's say I need to finish at least one novel - the one I started at the River City Writers workshop. That's a horror novel. And, it will be horror if Jim & Chris come after me for not finishing it ;)

After that? I want to write another novel. Probably not horror for that one. This year I'd like to write two minimum - maybe three if I can swing it. I'm not imagining doorstop novels here - just the classic 60-70K words.

I have lots of ideas for short stories but those can wait while I get my novel-writing sea-legs. I hate missing exciting open calls or invites but as a friend pointed out - there will always be open calls and invites. I need to focus on longer work. I do have a short list of open anthologies. But I won't go much beyond that list. Even there - if the 'short' I need to write is taking too long to write, then I'm going to drop it in favor of novels.

So, that's what's in my head right now. Thanks for visiting. :)

rearview mirror 2015

I hadn't planned on a recap post for the year, but why not?

My year was, thankfully, status quo. I continue my employment where I have been and marked 12 years with the company. Not bad for starting on a temp 3 month contract. :) My kids are growing, learning and making me smile.

On the valley side of the peaks & valleys - the 1st anniversary of my father's death and the 1st anniversary of the death of my wife's best friend came at the end of the year. There were a few tears but life moves on. Also, we sold the house I grew up in. That was emotional, too.

I read a lot this year and that felt good. I think I reached 35 books if you count a few collected graphic novel trades. Outside of that list, I read many single comic issues and short stories (which I did not track.)

Writing was a fair year. For me it was good but I need to kickstart out of my glacial pace. I technically sold three stories, but only one appeared in print this year. Another should be showing up online next year. Another depends on if the project goes forward. (I keep nudging the editor.) And, I have one in a slush pile that I had hoped to hear about by year end, but they are delayed a month, at least - so I won't know either way until early 2016.

I have a huge list of story ideas. I am not sure how many will come to fruition in 2016 but I will be whittling away the list. I really hope to write some longer pieces, so I know I probably won't execute on all of the ideas in 2016.

It was a great year for connecting with writers and online friends. I attended NECON and spread out more since 2014, meeting and chatting with lots of writers, editors, fans. Thanks to my locality to Christopher Golden and James A. Moore, I got to attend book launches and a writers coffeehouse, too. And there was NecronomiCON-Providence, where I got to meet fellow Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft fans (and editors, and writers.)

As usual, I am abysmally behind on t.v. series and movies, but I did get through the first two seasons of VIKINGS, stayed with DOCTOR WHO and enjoyed SUPERGIRL.

Happy New Year 2016!

2013 wrap up

Well, I read 15 books in 2013.  But that's deceptive because that only counts books I read cover-to-cover.

I read lots of graphic novels, too.  I wound up buying & reading many comic issues as they were released this year.  I also read short stories, some which I forgot to note, probably.

Books Read in 2013

The Winds of Gath E. C. Tubb

Dread Brass Shadows Glen Cook

Men of Bronze Scott Oden

Sharpe’s Havoc Bernard Cornwell

Plague of Shadows (Pathfinder) Howard A. Jones

In the Courts of the Crimson Kings S. M. Stirling

Moanin’ at Midnight

Thieves’ World (#1) Aspirin

The Twelve Children of Paris Tim Willocks

The Burrowers Beneath Brian Lumley

Blind Shadows James A. Moore & Charles R. Rutledge

Transition of Titus Crow Brian Lumley

The Hammer & The Blade Paul S. Kemp

In the Company of Ogres A. Lee Martinez

Space Viking H. Beam Piper

Graphic novels

The Return of Superman

Atomic Robo: Real Science Adventures Vol. 1

Dejah Thoris and the White Apes of Mars

Neozoic

Phoenix on the Sword
Superman Beyond: Man of Tomorrow

Lobster Johnson: The Burning Claw

Scarlet Citadel

Kingdom Come

The Dalek Project

Legion of Super-Heroes: Enemy Manifest

Army of Darkness:  Ash vs. the Classic Monsters

Atomic Robo: And Other Strangeness (Volume 4)

Atomic Robo: And the Deadly Art of Science (Volume 5)

Astro City: Life in the Big City (Vol. 1)

Shorts, etc

“Children of the Kingdom” (Dark Gods) T. E. D. Klein

“Tsathoggua” (Black Gate) Michael Shea

“Vestments of Pestilence” (Black Gate) John C. Hocking

Doctor Who: 50th Anniversary, 11 short stories

"Long Black Train" Heath Lowrance

"That Damned Coyote Hill" Heath Lowrance

Single Comics

Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time
Doctor Who: Classics

Planet of the Apes: Cataclysm

Planet of the Apes Special (#1) & Spectacular (#1)

Hawkgirl

Hawkworld: Escape from Thanagar

Superman Unchained

Six-gun Gorilla

Atomic Robo, Vol 8

The Star Wars

Grindhouse

Legends of Red Sonja

Manifest Destiny

Movie & television watching were nearly null except some older movies, Jeopardy and Doctor Who.  Not so concerned there.  I finished off some Tarzan movies right up to the wire.  Maybe I'll start noting the movies I watch next year.  I used to do that, but fell out of the habit when my movie viewing really slacked off.

Happy 2014 everyone!

Happy Holidays!

Thanks to my few loyal readers.

Nothing to say here, other than "Happy Christmas!" (as the Brits say) and happy New Year (if I don't post again between now and then.)

Hopefully, in the new year, I'll have more posts about my own writing than others' works. :)