On Writing, Writing

That Unfinished Novel

I’m reading what I had down for the novel I’d left unfinished since Jan 2019, to get back into the story.

It’s not about what I thought it was about. I’d thought it was about a young family in their new home. Instead, it’s about a widower in his late-60’s or early-70’s. His wife had just died. His kids are grown and have families of their own. He’s living in the house that he and wife had lived in for thirty years and he has to adjust to her not being there anymore. Among other things.

I’m reading this and I can’t believe I wrote it. This is probably my best writing. Now I remember why I stopped working on it in Jan 2019. It was too hot to handle. I felt a sort of pressure when writing it and it was overwhelming and exhausting me.

I hope I can finish it in the same tone that I started it.

On Writing, Writing

Encore

I looked through my stockpile. I now have only two novels that were left unfinished. One since May 2018 and the other since January 2019, according to the last modified dates.

I’m going to start working on the Jan 2019 one. It’s a stand-alone novel and not part of a series, like the May 2018 one.

I was 73 pages/15,513 words into it when I stopped working on it in Jan 2019. We’ll see how long it takes me to finish it.

On Writing, Writing

It’s Done

I just finished another novel, 225,670 words and 1,105 pages. This is by far the longest book I’ve ever written. It’s the third book of a series. I wanted to get the damn series done and over with, so I covered a lot of ground in the third book and brought the story to a close in an epilogue that left me with an aching heart.

I don’t remember exactly when I started the series. It was either late 2002 or early 2003. Possibly, I started it January 1st, 2003. I remember launching new projects at the beginning of each year when I was younger. I know that I was working on Book One all through 2003. I remember where I was and what was going on in my life while writing certain chapters of Book One.

I got most of the way through Book One, and then I just stopped. I wrote and finished other novels and didn’t get back to this series until, according to a blog entry, April 2019. I finished Book One, and then Book Two, and now Book Three.

Book One: 707 pages/141,821 words. Book Two: 499 pages/100,587 words. Book Three: 1,105 pages/225,670 words.

The damn series is done. Took me twenty-one years.

On Writing, Writing

New

Okay, got the first page of the new story written, 138 words. The start feels satisfying, though the prose is kind of simplistic.

Today was a very slow day. I should’ve been done hours ago and I’m only just now calling it a night.

I gotta get to bed.

Baseball, Misc, MLB, On Writing, Sports, Writing

Tired

Despite being really fucking tired today, I’m getting a shitload done, and quickly too. It’s not even dark yet and I’m almost done for the day.

Tonight’s game was postponed too. Tigers and Mets are going to have a doubleheader tomorrow, unless those are postponed as well.

It’s kinda warm outside, but wet. Sky is overcast.

I’m really liking the story I’m writing. I feel like the main character is teaching me something about humanity that I’m too dumb to learn on my own.

🤟

Baseball, Misc, MLB, On Writing, Sports, Writing

Stopping Production

Started a new story today, two pages/376 words into it. It’s an outdoor-themed story, about fishing. I might get in more writing later tonight. The Tigers and Mets will be on in a few minutes. I’ve been making it a point to stop production and watch the games.

Gonna get out the potato chips and pop, and just plop on the couch for the next couple hours. If that’s okay with you.

Misc, Music, On Writing, Sports, Writing

Chris Kuell

I just found out why I hadn’t heard back from Chris Kuell, Breath & Shadow’s Editor in Chief, on an article I sent him in January. Chris has seen more of my work than any other editor, and he always responded within a month. He told me once that it should never take him more than a month to get back to me on a submission.

We’ve exchanged many messages over the years and found out a lot about each other. We both loved sports and music, and that was what we talked about most. I finally broke into Breath & Shadow last year with my article about Sean Forbes and Warren Snipe and the Super Bowl halftime show. Shortly after that article was published, I sold another article to them, “Walking With Cerebral Palsy”.

On my birthday last year, he sent me a fiction story he’d written that had to do Stevie Ray Vaughan, and a few months back, he was telling me about his book “Morris” that just came out. I think it’s a collection of stories about Rock n Roll. It’s next on my to-read list. I thought I would have read it while he was still well and alive.

Baseball, Hockey, Misc, MLB, NHL, On Writing, Sports, Writing

Baseball and Stuff

Reds just beat Dodgers. Earlier, Mets lost to Astros. There’s more baseball games on, but I gotta turn the TV off and get back to work. As much as I want to watch all these games, I need to limit it to just my top teams, namely the Detroit Tigers for MLB, and the other Detroit teams for the other sports, as well as the Michigan Wolverines.

In Baseball, there are teams I love, teams I like, teams I don’t like and teams I hate. Someday, I oughta list out which teams are under which category.

Probably going to turn the Red Wings on at 7. Might or might not actually sit in front of the TV and watch the game.

I’m hungry. Going to make hamburgers. Hope I don’t burn them like I did last time. By the way, production has been moving steadily. Getting work into novels and short stories every day.