9/28/12

   Last work day of Sept. for me. This month went by like a flushed toilet.
   I recently finished reading Getting Published for Dummies, and I'm now reading The Everything Get Published Book by Peter Rubie. In-between, I read The Hunger Games. I need all the writing advice I can get. There's SO MUCH writing help available now, there's almost no reason not to get published. The more I read, the more I want to write. I hope to write (at last) this weekend. Life's just been too busy.
   In my room, I have a picture of Mark Twain and beneath it, it says, "Writers write." It's just a reminder to myself that if I claim to be a writer, that's what I have to do. That, and learn how to type. I write like  three words a minute. Well, I'm not That slow. It's more like four.
   If you are an aspiring author, let me encourage you to avail yourself of the many writing helps out there. There is all kinds of help - books, Internet, seminars, blogs, writing groups.
   Thanks for reading this.

9/26/12

   Still going through writing withdrawals. I'm surprised I'm not hallucinating yet. Writing this and Facebook takes a little of the pain away, but it's not the same satisfaction I get writing on my story. It's like comparing eating a cocktail weenie with having filet mignon .
   If writing IS an addiction, may I never be cured. I'm gonna write (or at least TRY to) until I'm dead. Maybe in Heaven there will be stuff I can write about. We'll see!

9/25/12

   Well, it's 3 months until Christmas. That gives you just enough time to find me something nice. I accept cash, checks, all major credit cards, and real estate.
   Every new year, I really examine my life to see how I've done. I always hope the new year will be better than the last. They seldom are, it seems. It's really hard to get out of ruts. Most ruts in my life are comfortable and familiar. I hate change, even sometimes when it's positive change. Routines aren't necessarily bad. But they CAN become ruts. Ruts are nothing but a long, shallow grave. I want to force myself to write every possible day in what's left of this year. As they say, tomorrow is promised to no one. Every day could be our last. I don't want to waste any more time. Of course, there are certain things each day that we have to do. But, there has GOT to be some free time somewhere. Right? Finding it is the trick. Some days, I run in circles from the time I get up 'til I go back to bed. Those days can't be helped, sometimes. Just letting you know I'm aiming to make better - actually, the BEST use of my time from now on.

9/21/12

   Today is one of those "Why do I even bother writing this junk?" days. I've had a few people look at this, but never any response. Today, I feel like a  garbage truck in quicksand, spinning my wheels. I'm real busy, getting nowhere, and it stinks.
   I haven't worked on my story all week. I THINK about it all the time. Unfortunately, for me, thinking doesn't pay the bills.
   Maybe this weekend? Who knows? I wonder if I'll EVER get this story done.

9/20/12

   Well, it's been 3 days since I wrote in here. Sorry. I've been running around like a mule with his tail on fire, looking for water. I haven't even done my own journal at home for nearly a week. Up early, to bed ridiculously late, and non-stop running in-between.
   I hate days and weeks like this. I WANT to write. I WANT to be home. This week's just been crazybusy. I'm SO close with my story, I can nearly taste it. I just need to do a final reading and maybe add a thing or two. Number my pages & it's ready to go. If I didn't have to sleep at night, maybe I could get more stuff done. I hardly get any sleep as it is. I SO envy those who can write full-time. I hope to God I can join 'em some day.

What thinkest thou?

   These days, it seems to me that our freedom of speech and expression are more and more limited and attacked. Case in point, the whole mess with the "anti-Islam" movie, as the media puts it. I don't know the guy that made the film, or even much about him. I haven't seen the film. I don't plan to. I don't know too much about it. But I can't help but wonder, what about these people running around burning flags and shouting "Off with his head!" and "Death to America!"? Have ANY of them seen the film? I highly doubt it. It hasn't even been released, except for snips of it on the Internet. My question also is, is Mohammed and their beloved Allah so weak that they can't defend themselves? People blaspheme the name of Jesus Christ every day. Do we followers of Christ behead them and burn their homes? Do we pour into the streets in a frenzy like blood-crazed sharks? No. We are to pray for those who persecute us, to love our enemies and turn the other cheek. Why? Because vengeance belongs to the Lord. He will repay. Jesus Christ can and does defend Himself. God will not be mocked. Just because He is silent now does not mean that He does not see and care about what's going on. He will return. He will come in judgment. He is coming with rewards for those who love and serve Him.
   In the mean time, it seems that our freedom of expression is becoming increasingly limited. People are so afraid to upset these fundementalists and extremists.  As I mentioned, I don't know the maker of the film. I do not support nor attack him. I am just saying, is he not entitiled to his opinion? Do people on the other side of the world have the right to try to kill him? Is not their god (Allah) able to defend himself? Or is he so weak, his followers have to defend him? If we bow in fear to these terrorists, as it seems America and the media are doing, then they have won already.
   What do YOU think? Let me know. Thanks.

I need a (writing) fix!

   I didn't get a chance to write yesterday. I was running around like a blind dog in a meathouse from 5 a.m. until I went to bed at 10 p.m.  
   I crave writing. It's my thing, my addiction. I think about writing all day, all the time. I think I've always wanted to be a writer. I wanted to write stories as far back as I can remember. I just never took myself seriously. When I can't write for a couple days, I go through withdrawals.
   If God came to me and said, "Tim, you can pick any vocation in the world;  you may never be rich, but your needs will always be met. Your bills will always be paid, and food will always be on your table. You can have whatever job you want. Just pick." There would be no hesitation. I'd pick being a writer. It's my thing. I can't do anything else. If you look up "inept" in the dictionary, you'll see my picture next to it. But God has given me the ability to spell and write somewhat. What could be better than doing what you love for a living? Shoot - that's not working. If only I can get there. To write full-time is the dream of my life.

Eating the Elephant

   Many years ago while feeling overwhelmed by college classes, working full time, plus trying to raise a family, a good friend asked me a question. He asked me, "How do you eat an elephant?" I replied, "I don't know." He said, "One bite at a time." Granted, that's humorous, but it really helped me. It still does. When I feel overwhelmed, I realize that I'm looking at that big old elephant, and he's glaring at me. You may wonder, "How the heck am I gonna eat that whole stinking elephant by myself?" The same way: one bite at a time. Instead of looking at the whole "elephant," look at one thing at a time. Keep your eyes on one part of a project at a time. The next thing you know, you'll be looking for a toothpick, saying, "Dang, that was one good elephant! I can't believe I ate that whole thing by myself!" It may take time. The story I'm working on now, I originally wrote 11 years ago. It was the same year as the terrorist atatcks in September. A lot has happened in those 11 years. I've made countless changes, additions, deletions and corrections to the story. It's an historical novel, and I originally wrote it without enough research. Had I submitted it 11 years ago, I would've looked really ignorant and foolish. I believe the story is remarkably better now. Is it perfect? Of course not. But with one bite at a time over 11 years, I'm just about done with this particular elephant. Pretty soon, I'll be looking for my toothpick and wondering what's for dessert.
  Thanks for taking the time to read this.

About time!

   It's been way too long since I wrote anything here. Sorry.
   My story is coming along slow but sure. I made many corrections and additions to it over the summer. I was numbering the pages. I had to make some changes, which I hadn't planned on making. It totally messed up the page numbers. I had to erase all the page numbers. Now I'm doing one last read-through and a few additions. I'm planning on having a couple more people read the story for their thoughts. Then I'll number the pages (AGAIN) and pray I can find an agent. I have two in mind, one in particular.
   Oh, to be rich and to be able to just write full time! Maybe some day.
   Thanks for reading this!