Hey Folks,
A day or two ago in “Of Interest” I mentioned an essay by former US Poet Laureate Donald Hall. He also has two books of essays available. One is mentioned in the article I referenced.
If you’d like to get the books, I recommend buying them from Amazon. The publisher sells them both, but the price is marked up. You can get A Carnival of Losses: Notes Nearing Ninety (hardcover) from Amazon for only $19, and Essays After Eighty (paperback) is available for only $10.84, both brand new.
I’m not sure why traditional publishers are so upside down with such things. Readers can purchase all of my books (some in paper) from Amazon and other major retailers. But if they buy directly from my publisher, StoneThread Publishing, they get a discount. When readers buy direct, why not pass along part of the savings to the reader? Duh.
***
There are terms and phrases that leave an ugly taste in my ear every time I read or hear them.
I suspect most, if not all, of them are the product of some newly minted MBA who’s attempting to be “proactive” in his efforts to get the positive attention of the guy or gal on the top floor.
Chief among those terms and phrases is “grow your business.”
Every time I encounter that phrase, a four year old pops into my head, the little fingers of one hand nervously entertwining with those of the other as he strives to bring the right word to mind.
But it isn’t a four year old at all. It’s the aforementioned bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, eager beaver of an MBA who, over a five or six year period in college, learned nothing more valuable than business-speak.
Sigh. I suppose “expand” or “develop” is beyond his ability. Too many syllables, perhaps.
Per my own stubborn streak, I shall endeavor to persevere and refuse to “grow” anything that isn’t directly related to plant life.
I almost added “or a cynical, curmudgeonly attitude” but that’s something else one develops. Mine is coming along nicely, thank you. (grin)
***
Back to writing fiction this morning, after first reading in preparation for writing.
I’ve decided to write another Nick Spalding novel, one that will begin with (and include) the novella Jobs Like That and move the story forward so it leads to Nick Spalding 2, the one I just finished.
That will enable me to continue playing with the main character for awhile longer. It will also close a massive hole that currently exists in the storyline.
In this particular case, it also won’t be a struggle at all because the first novel chronologically doesn’t have to “meet up” with the second in any real way.
So here we go. As always, I have no preconceived notions except that the story will continue.
To begin with, I’ll bring forward the words in the novella.
Today, I’ll read over the novella as a reader (in reality-suspended creative mind), allowing myself to touch it as I go. And when I reach the end, I’ll simply write the next sentence and keep going.
Of course, I’ll only count new words of fiction in the totals below.
Of Interest
Via The Passive Voice, if you are or are going to be around Bakersfield CA tomorrow morning, see “Writers of Kern hosting workshop on how to self-publish” at http://www.tehachapinews.com/lifestyle/writers-of-kern-hosting-workshop-on-how-to-self-publish/article_09cc8488-9ff2-11e8-b6b6-77ef6195208a.html.
See “How to Set up Google Alerts…” at http://www.thepassivevoice.com/how-to-set-up-google-alerts-and-use-it-to-grow-your-business/.
In case you missed it in the comments on TPG’s post, there’s also the free TalkWalker Alerts at https://www.talkwalker.com/.
See “Why All the Secrecy …” at https://www.leelofland.com/why-all-the-secrecy-by-law-enforcement-regarding-the-disappearance-of-mollie-tibbetts/.
Talk with you again soon.
Fiction Words: 1449
Nonfiction Words: 610 (Journal)
So total words for the day: 2059
Writing of Nick Spalding 1 (novel, tentative title)
Brought forward…… 17778 words
Day 1…… 1449 words. Total words to date…… 19227
Total fiction words for the month……… 37346
Total fiction words for the year………… 285643
Total nonfiction words for the month… 11420
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 109706
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 395099
Calendar Year 2018 Novels to Date………………………… 6
Calenday Year 2018 Novellas to Date…………………… 2
Calendar Year 2018 Short Stories to Date……… 11
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)………………………………………… 32
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)……………………………………… 6
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………………… 193