I never actually intended on becoming a “blogger”. And when I use the term blogger, I’m utilizing the widely accepted definition that states blogging is the regular journaling of day-to-day events complete with social commentary, an on-line diary if you will. The original purpose for my blog was two-fold…provide another avenue to express myself creatively by writing on a consistent basis, and secondly to learn as much as I could about the craft and the publishing business from the writing community. My grand scheme was designed to improve my chances of a creating unique material worthy of representation by an agent and eventually finding its way into print. Later on, I allowed it to morph into a pseudo-platform, a way to establish and cultivate an on-line presence for my eventual emergence as a published author. In that vein, I adopted some of tools along the way designed to increase site-traffic and help solidify my standing in the blogosphere. Although outwardly I may have appeared to have fallen into a pure blogger mode, my true goal remained intact. Blogging has always been a means to an end for me.
What I have come to understand, albeit reluctantly, is that the path to improving my prose and seeing my book in print is more protracted than I first imagined, so much so that the time and energy to see it through to fruition is beyond my current means. This realization has been creeping up on me for quite a while. Like many a wayward prizefighter the actual knockout blow came several months ago but I’ve been sleep-walking in the ring for a few rounds, throwing listless punches until I succumbed to my limitations. I’ve pried open my eyes regarding certain hard facts. I watch what I eat and exercise regularly, but I’ll never weigh what I did in college again. I love to hum and belt out songs that make me happy, but I’ll never be a singer. I love to partake in all kinds of competitive sports, but I’m not an athlete. And I have written a couple of books and short stories, but I’m not a novelist. Why? Because I’m not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to take me to where I need to be as a writer, and I’m comfortable with that. That doesn’t mean it hurts any less. It’s a special kind of pain when your dreams die, even worse when you’re the one holding the pillow over their face. Will I ever be ready, or able, to make those commitments? “Never say never”, I’m always saying, but for now up on the shelf it goes.
With that decision made, the purpose of this blog is now null and void. I could continue doing what I have been for the last couple months, but the truth is my heart wouldn’t be in it. I’ve been talking-the-talk, but not walking-the-walk because my feet ache from trying to keep up. But make no mistake, this is not goodbye. I have formed some tremendous friendships during my time here and I’ll continue to follow each of your progress, although in lurker mode. The reason why I’ve stayed in the ring as long as I have, unconscious on my feet, fooling myself into believing I could find the time to be a writer, was because I couldn’t face losing the relationships I’ve found here.
I debated (still am actually) long and hard about whether it was better to post a final thought, or simply fade away. If you’re reading this you know how that struggle turned out. I’m officially setting free all of my 702 followers and offer them my heartfelt thanks for making the past two years so memorable. Good luck to you all!
Comments are turned off. DL out. :)
Intuitively Obvious to the Most Casual Observer
First off, I’m sorry I haven’t been around the blogs much this past couple weeks. My only hope to stay caught up with my blog reading/commenting routine is borrowing some time at work when things are slow. That ain’t been happening lately! And doing any actual writing…forget about it. I’m confident circumstances will swing back the other way soon, but until then I’m just doing my best to stay in the game and remain on your radar.
Today I’d like to discuss a couple of topics that collectively present a personal challenge to my growth as a writer, but I suspect touches all of us in some fashion. As I formulate this post in my head the concepts seemed disjointed and unrelated, but my gut is telling me they are inter-connected, so bear with me as I trust my instincts and fly by the seat of my pants. I’ll do my best to tie it all up with a neat bow at the end.
Most of you are unaware that a good portion of my day-job involves writing material for instruction manuals. Most of my career path has revolved around on-the-job instruction, spending a good many years as an administrative trainer, which also involved developing the manuals that went hand-in-hand with the training. There is a phrase that I learned early-on that served as a guiding beacon when I went about creating these guides, which ironically I now attempt to block out when writing fiction…Intuitively Obvious to the Most Casual Observer. That was always the goal. It mostly entailed explaining a task multiple ways, in the hopes that one of them will ignite a spark of comprehension in the reader. I bet you can see where this is heading. Not only is the writing I immerse myself in during the day un-imaginative, dry, and emotionless, it also must be structured and written in such a manner that even the most intellectually challenged employee could understand what it needs to convey. Just one example of how that bleeds over into my fiction writing is in the form of stage directions, the most common feedback from my critique partners. I find myself going to great lengths, unnecessarily, to explain tiny details that fail to drive a scene forward. It’s habit.
Sometimes I feel like I’m attempting to be the writing equivalent of Superman. During the day I’m the mild-mannered, ever-invisible Clark Kent, churning out non-descript, bland, filler articles about boring subject matter, but at night turning into Superman…where emotion and imagination is boundless.
I recently listened to an interview fellow blogger and author K.M. Weiland conducted with Thriller novelist Joanna Penn and found the Joanna’s discussion concerning transitioning from writing non-fiction to fiction very interesting. I couldn’t help but compare our struggles, and I have to say…I win (that is, if I’m ever published). Works of non-fiction can be very creative, even emotional, but the one thing they cannot be, even in that genre, is obvious. A good novel, whatever the genre, doesn’t spoon-feed the reader. It draws the audience in, forcing them to invest some of themselves by tapping into their own imagination and connecting with the story. That author utilizes layers, and sub-text, all written between the lines. The exact opposite of what I do for a living.
But my challenge doesn’t end there, for me there is another level at play. You see, I write mysteries, where obvious is equivalent to kryptonite. One way I combat my tendency to over-explain, is my outline. That’s right, not only can an outline assist a writer by detailing where various story elements should be introduced, but you can also use it to list which elements need to be suppressed. Many-a-time I have gotten carried away writing a scene or chapter until I checked back to the outline and discovered plot points that were not supposed to be revealed yet. That helps me with timing, but I continue to grapple with another issue -- trust. Trusting the reader to figure things out for themselves. When I am writing my instruction guides, I have to ensure that EVERY reader can figure out what is going on. However, in the world at-large, that is not necessarily the case. The truth is, not every reader is created equal and as a writer, you have to find the intellectual sweet spot that represents your core target audience. If you write too far down, you’ll alienate those readers looking for more challenging content, go to high-brained and you’ll see the opposite effect. This is where a good agent (I’m hoping) can help align you with the niche that best suits what you like to write. Although, agents are first and foremost…readers, and requests for major revisions to either beef up or dumb-down your manuscript should be given a healthy amount of consideration first (*winks at Leigh*). The same goes for advice from CP’s or Beta readers. Making changes to clarify every question or misunderstanding could be doing your story a disservice.
At the end of the day, it’s all a balancing act. Weighing the apparent against the obscure, choosing which dots to connect and which ones to leave for the reader to interpret. I’m doing my best to figure all of that out and create something special.
Isn’t that obvious?
Today I’d like to discuss a couple of topics that collectively present a personal challenge to my growth as a writer, but I suspect touches all of us in some fashion. As I formulate this post in my head the concepts seemed disjointed and unrelated, but my gut is telling me they are inter-connected, so bear with me as I trust my instincts and fly by the seat of my pants. I’ll do my best to tie it all up with a neat bow at the end.
Most of you are unaware that a good portion of my day-job involves writing material for instruction manuals. Most of my career path has revolved around on-the-job instruction, spending a good many years as an administrative trainer, which also involved developing the manuals that went hand-in-hand with the training. There is a phrase that I learned early-on that served as a guiding beacon when I went about creating these guides, which ironically I now attempt to block out when writing fiction…Intuitively Obvious to the Most Casual Observer. That was always the goal. It mostly entailed explaining a task multiple ways, in the hopes that one of them will ignite a spark of comprehension in the reader. I bet you can see where this is heading. Not only is the writing I immerse myself in during the day un-imaginative, dry, and emotionless, it also must be structured and written in such a manner that even the most intellectually challenged employee could understand what it needs to convey. Just one example of how that bleeds over into my fiction writing is in the form of stage directions, the most common feedback from my critique partners. I find myself going to great lengths, unnecessarily, to explain tiny details that fail to drive a scene forward. It’s habit.
Sometimes I feel like I’m attempting to be the writing equivalent of Superman. During the day I’m the mild-mannered, ever-invisible Clark Kent, churning out non-descript, bland, filler articles about boring subject matter, but at night turning into Superman…where emotion and imagination is boundless.
I recently listened to an interview fellow blogger and author K.M. Weiland conducted with Thriller novelist Joanna Penn and found the Joanna’s discussion concerning transitioning from writing non-fiction to fiction very interesting. I couldn’t help but compare our struggles, and I have to say…I win (that is, if I’m ever published). Works of non-fiction can be very creative, even emotional, but the one thing they cannot be, even in that genre, is obvious. A good novel, whatever the genre, doesn’t spoon-feed the reader. It draws the audience in, forcing them to invest some of themselves by tapping into their own imagination and connecting with the story. That author utilizes layers, and sub-text, all written between the lines. The exact opposite of what I do for a living.
But my challenge doesn’t end there, for me there is another level at play. You see, I write mysteries, where obvious is equivalent to kryptonite. One way I combat my tendency to over-explain, is my outline. That’s right, not only can an outline assist a writer by detailing where various story elements should be introduced, but you can also use it to list which elements need to be suppressed. Many-a-time I have gotten carried away writing a scene or chapter until I checked back to the outline and discovered plot points that were not supposed to be revealed yet. That helps me with timing, but I continue to grapple with another issue -- trust. Trusting the reader to figure things out for themselves. When I am writing my instruction guides, I have to ensure that EVERY reader can figure out what is going on. However, in the world at-large, that is not necessarily the case. The truth is, not every reader is created equal and as a writer, you have to find the intellectual sweet spot that represents your core target audience. If you write too far down, you’ll alienate those readers looking for more challenging content, go to high-brained and you’ll see the opposite effect. This is where a good agent (I’m hoping) can help align you with the niche that best suits what you like to write. Although, agents are first and foremost…readers, and requests for major revisions to either beef up or dumb-down your manuscript should be given a healthy amount of consideration first (*winks at Leigh*). The same goes for advice from CP’s or Beta readers. Making changes to clarify every question or misunderstanding could be doing your story a disservice.
At the end of the day, it’s all a balancing act. Weighing the apparent against the obscure, choosing which dots to connect and which ones to leave for the reader to interpret. I’m doing my best to figure all of that out and create something special.
Isn’t that obvious?
Welcome Fellow Crusaders – 1st Challenge
Here’s the Challenge: In 300 words or less, tell us…
• one secret
• one lie
• one interesting quirk
• one annoying habit
• one of your best character traits, and
• one of your favorite things in the whole world.
Right. So this is me in a nutshell. The novels I write fall into the mystery/suspense genre, but I explore other genre’s in my short stories. You can find a sample of one linked to my projects tab above. I have this odd aversion to watching people play with their belly buttons, which is ironic since I have two of them. I also have no sense of smell, which would keep me from being a fighter pilot, but an excellent sanitation employee. I annoy my wife to no end by playing around with the change in my pocket, so I’ve learned to stop carrying coins. I have an endless supply of patience, except when it comes to my writing. Was that a rabbit chasing a fuliguline with a blade? Weird. Where was I? Oh yeah, I don’t have many real-life friends, but there is nothing I wouldn’t do for the ones I do have.
What do I call nirvana? Where am I most at peace? With my head resting in my wife’s lap…wherever that may be, or sitting on the balcony of a cruise ship watching natures majestic splendor drift by as we sail along the inside passage of Alaska.
Times up (actually my word count limit). I may have revealed something about me that isn’t strictly true, can you guess what it is?
PS. I’m sorry to everyone for not being able to get around to your blogs these past couple weeks. You know I’m good for it, right? :)
Whodunnit - A Murderer (and Winners) Revealed
I sure hope you guys and gals had as much fun with this contest as I did! Yes, it was a lot of work setting it up -- writing the story, crafting the clues, planting those clues around the blogosphere, tracking the participants and logging their guesses. But what you may not understand is that for a brief while I was in my world. The world of investigation, deduction, logical assumptions…mystery!
When I designed this celebration/contest I had two objectives in mind. The first, commemorate this wonderful community I’m lucky enough to be part of by nudging people to explore blogs outside of their normal boundaries. What is a better way to meet your neighbors then to hold a neighborhood scavenger hunt? The second was to not only give you a taste of what I’m all about, but also what great fun mysteries have the potential to be. In these times where the BONES & CSI effect is running rampant, I’m striving to write mysteries that are more human. My dream is that when my first book starts making the rounds and is getting noticed, that one particular quote is heard over and over again is “This is the book that made me want to start reading mysteries again!”
“Enough already! Who friggin killed Grayson Wilbourne?”
How many of you have already skipped to the end to find out the answer to that question? Tsk…tsk…tsk. Like all good mysteries, you just can’t blurt out the answer like that. You have to build up to it. So let us first discuss how you SHOULD have solved this crime.
Your investigation should have taken place in two parts. First, finding the clues. Second, figuring out what the clues were telling you. A proper place to start was my blog post seven days prior to the contest, A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS. In that post I asked for assistance for an undisclosed nefarious purpose. The 33 bloggers who left comments there (regardless of what they said) would have been my first destination. But not all of the clue hosts came from that one source, the rest of them were specifically chosen by me. How did I choose them, and therefore how would you have known they were clue hosts? Because I selected people whom frequently left comments on my blog. Are you getting the impression that people who follow my blog regularly had an inside track into figuring out where the clues were? There was another way to find the clues, but surprisingly nobody decided to go that route. You might have posted something on your own blog asking other bloggers where they spotted clues, becoming a clue clearinghouse if you will. Vicki Rocho and others found all 37 clues, but Vicki went a step further and offered to give clues away (one per customer). I’d be interested in hearing how you found yours.
Once you have your clues (whatever number that may be), then what? Many of you went the route of trying to figure out who the murderer was by trying to use the clues to determine who was the most likely candidate. In fact, what you should have been doing is use the clues to figure out who couldn’t have killed Grayson. I’ve been telling you all along that with the right clues, someone could figure the puzzle out with less than a dozen clues. In fact, it could have been done with five. Of the 36 clues (one was duplicated), 13 of them (36%) eliminated suspects. With 6 possible murderers, all you needed is 5 of those 13 clues to reduce your suspect pool down to one. On the other hand, you’d still be scratching your head if you found 35 of the 36 clues, missing that one final clue that finally eliminates a suspect. Things would have been much easier with fewer clues, but the numbers helped cause confusion. Here’s is how it finally broke down.
Remember, we were looking for someone with blonde hair, at least six foot tall, Type O blood, right-handed, and left the ship to go into port that morning.
• Every one of Christian’s clues eliminated him.
• Matt had red hair, type AB blood, and it turns out was having an affair with Tez’s wife during the time of the murder.
• Joe has brown hair, Type A blood, and did not leave the ship that day.
• Tez met all of the criteria, but sustained an old injury that left him incapable of grasping a knife in his right hand with the force necessary to stab a person.
• Linda met all of the criteria, but she was also colorblind. She was incapable of specifically picking out the gold dagger to stab Grayson.
• Tim met all of the criteria. TIM WAS THE MURDERER. His motive was that he was in love with Linda and angry at Grayson for cheating her out of the Salesperson of the year award.
Some of the contestants found the clue about Linda’s color blindness, but chose to ignore it or mis-interpreted it. The gold dagger was used as the murder weapon because of the symbolic reference to the sales person of the year contest Grayson stole. Sure, Linda could have accidentally picked the gold dagger…but remember, there were no clues eliminating Tim as a suspect and an iffy one about Linda. Tim had to be the choice. :)
Eleven out of twenty-five contestants picked Tim, and with that choice…selected by the random number generator of 13…the winner of the WHODUNNIT mystery contest is…Vicki Rocho!
And the winner of the general drawing with a random number of 64…is Michael Di Gesu!
Congrats Vicki & Michael!!!!! I’ll be contacting you both shortly to work out award details.
Thanks again for everyone who played along…and especially for my wonderful clue hosts!! Look for this game to make a reappearance in some future celebration.
Have a great week!
Real Men Go Pink
In case you’ve been under a rock for the past few months, Lisa and Laura Roecker’s debut novel The Liar Society is being released on March 1st. Don’t know much about it? Here’s a taste.
In preparation for their book launch the girls jokingly altered their profile pic to show them with pink hair. See.
Well, it sort of took off and now look whats happened.
I just hope the next launch party isn’t for a book entitled….Naked! :)
PS. Don't forget that Sunday night at 10 PM is the deadline for sending in guesses to who killed Grayson Wilbourne.
Best friends don't send emails once they're dead. With her dead best friend's pearls and skirts tiny enough to make Nancy Drew blush, Kate's on the trail to prove once and for all that Grace’s death was more than just a tragic accident. But secrets haunt the halls of her elite private school. Secrets people will do anything to protect. Even if it means getting rid of the girl trying to solve a murder...
In preparation for their book launch the girls jokingly altered their profile pic to show them with pink hair. See.
Well, it sort of took off and now look whats happened.
Never let it be said that I don’t totally support my fellow writer/blogger friends.
I just hope the next launch party isn’t for a book entitled….Naked! :)
PS. Don't forget that Sunday night at 10 PM is the deadline for sending in guesses to who killed Grayson Wilbourne.
