We missed a date of note

This blog, she's a modest lady. She doesn't like to call attention to herself. She's perfectly happy just going about her business. That's why it's really no surprise that when her birthday passed a few days ago she said nothing, only hoped that it would go by unnoticed.

Well, it's belated, but happy birthday, blog. You turned one on March 6. We have made nearly 200 posts together and had visitors from all over the world. You've helped make me more productive, and you've seen my writing published. Once again, happy birthday, blog. You've served me well. Here's to another year.

Writers' group: Travel guides and inspiration

A few years ago, actually more than a few, I bought some travel guides for foreign cities I'd never been to. I figured that they would come in handy if I were to want to set something overseas. They were on a clearance table and I don't think I paid more than $2 for each of them.

I have guides to Sydney, Great Britain, Seville/Andalusia, and Madrid. That's an uninteded concentration on Spain.

Anyway, I am finally using them. I pulled the Seville/Andalusia guide out last night and think I have found a good place to set my writers' group story. There is a district in Seville that has bars and nightlife that's right by the river. It should work great.

I spent a little time at The Sartorialist web site looking for inspiration for my characters. I had a very specific look in mind for these two characters and knew I'd need help describing them. This site helped me find two folks I can use as inspiration. They have a very fashionable/trendy look. My story is a crime story/spy story and these two characters in my head need to have a very classy/trendy/hip look to their clothes. James Bondish but a little more modern. The Sartorialist seems to have folks that look like that. I can't remember where I saw the link to that site first, but someone suggested it as a great place to find faces. I can't disagree.

Works in progress -- where they stand

By my count I have three things I am working on. They are all in various states of progress.

I am calling the first my calendar story. It has a title -- These Brave Men of Dust and Steel. Actually I came up with the title first and liked it so much I built a story around it. Probably not the best idea, but it worked this time. Now I think the title sounds a bit pretentious, but it ties in to the end so I am keeping it for now.

The second also has a title -- Dignity Mission. The title, in this case, came second.

The third is the piece I started writing while I was editing other things. The working title is On the Wire. It's a crime story with a sci-fi element at its heart. It's fun to write so far, but I am afraid it's starting to stall out.

So here's where I am and where I want to go with them, in list form.

These Brave Men of Dust and Steel
Half outlined/synopsised. I know this story the best of the three. I know its beginning. I know its end. I know the better part of its middle. It's being told in a journal/diary format, and I have about half of the entries synopsised so far. Just need to get the last few done and I can start writing the piece in earnest. I think it will go pretty quickly once I am done with the synopsis. What's keeping me from finishing it? I have no idea.

Dignity Mission
I know the beginning and I know the end, I just don't know the middle. Problem is all of this story is what happens in the middle. You know how this story is going to end by the third paragraph. The story is what happens between the beginning and the end. And yes, I know that's true for every story.

On the Wire
Still have no idea where this is going, and I am afraid that things may be spinning out of control. My plot may be getting too complicated. I have introduced some very interesting things in the beginning of the story that could provide some very interesting wrinkles. Problem is I have almost completely forgotten them at this point. I need to bring them back in somehow.
I am about 13,000 words in and have no idea where it will end up. But the novella that I was thinking in my head could be getting more novel length.

So that's it. Those are my works in progress that are getting my attention right now. I do have one more thing I need to work on. In our writers' group last weekend we agreed to try a writing prompt and see what we all came up with. We got the prompt from our group's founder. It's this quote.

"A man dreamt that he slipped out of his flesh just as a snake sheds its old skin. He died on the following day. For his soul, which was about to depart from his body, provided him with these images."

-- ARTEMIDORUS, The Interpretation of Dreams, c.AD 150

I had an idea for this that I started working on already, but I am scrapping it -- the idea, not the bit I've already written. I think it could work for other things. This morning while getting ready for work I cooked up an idea I like better. It's going to help me work on some weaknesses I have heard about from people whose opinion I trust (Gina and some people in my group). I tend to use minimal description when I write. I give necessary details on setting and appearance and let the reader fill in the blanks. Some have suggested I need to paint the picture better, and I agree that it is something I need to work on.

I am setting this story overseas and have a clear picture of where it's taking place. A cafe, seating ourdoors, a river a few feet away. A band in the background with a singer whose trying to perform American standards in broken English. I am going to try and really paint that picture for the reader. Should be a fun challenge and, hopefully, a fun story.

Then the music gets hopeful

See,telling stories isn't really that hard. Just follow the formula.

A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever -- powered by Cracked.com

John Hughes' Oscar moment

Gina and I aren't really Oscar people. It's not appointment TV for us. We did watch a bit of it tonight, though, after pulling a DVD out of the player. We didn't watch much more than an hour, but we did get to see the nice tribute to John Hughes. I saw all of his classics as a kid even though I think I was just a bit younger than his target audience. His characters were the cool high school kids that those of us in junior high looked up to -- not so much because they were great people, but they were just older than us and that was all it took to make you cool.

Anyway, target audience or not, I loved the movies. I still like to watch them when they are on TV. I don't know if they hold up so well since I am biased and will always like them.

The academy will never honor the movies guys like John Hughes made. There isn't enough artistry there, I suppose. They aren't the movies with enough of a message. But they are the movies that people remember.

Our weekend in fancy clothes

Didn't get much writing done the last couple of days. Our weekend dance card was pretty full.

A woman Gina used to work with celebrated her 40th anniversary with a big party at a hotel. It was catered and, they had a band and a mentalist as entertainment. It was quite the shindig. We bought some new clothes and got dressed up for that.

Then today, we went to the wedding of one of Gina's coworkers. It was nice. Dressed in new clothes for that, too. And, may I say, my wife cleans up very, very well.

An acceptance

The editors over at A Twist of Noir liked my story. It's up on their site. You can read it here. I didn't get paid for this one but feel like I could get some good exposure. And, if nothing else, I got some confidence and motivation. It's pretty cool seeing your story somewhere other than your own computer screen.

Think that's all. Oh, on the soon-to-come bio I mention this site, so if any of you regulars see some new faces around here introduce yourself. Shake a few hands and make them feel welcome.

Now, that's all.

And another submission

I have another story out on submission. It's one that I wrote over the summer and have been looking for some place to send it. For some reason it's tough to find markets online for crime fiction. I finally stumbled on a couple of places and sent my story out to one of those. It's called A Twist of Noir and I like the stuff they publish. Hopefully I'll be one of those.

I'll let you know when I hear something.

Writing with a flashlight

While I have been tweaking and submitting I have also been writing. It was mostly just to keep myself form getting soft. Found that if I spent too much time not writing the words stop coming so easy. It always seems to take me a few days to get back in a groove. Plus I wanted to have something to give to my writers' group. There are new members and I wanted to kind of let them know what I did and my style.

So, to keep fresh, I started writing on an idea I had a germ for a few months back. The top I liked but I knew what it was going to be. The rest of the story, though, I had no idea where it would head. I'd get an idea for another chuck and I'd write it. While I wrote that bit Ipd get and idea for something else and I'd write it. It's made for a story that doesn't have a lot of chronological flow, but honestly lot of my stories don't. Whether or not that will hurt me remains to be scene.

I feel like I am writing this with a flashlight, hence the title of this post. I can see well the bit I am writing right now. And I can kind of see a little ahead, where I want to go. But more than a few feet in front of that is totally dark. No idea where I am headed. I am sure this is seat of the pants writing and it's fun, but it's a little nerve wracking not knowing where I am headed.

Submitting again

Well that didn't take long. Actually, I knew it wouldn't. I have sent my little story back out again. This time it's off to the good folks at the Triangulation anthology.

Not sure how it will do. I'd publish it, but I am biased. This anthology has a theme of "end of the rainbow," and I think it will definitely fit. Whether or not they think so remains to be seen.

This is the first market that doesn't pay a professional rate, but I like the work they do and it is still a paying market. And the book gets in the hands of some reviewers so that would be a good thing.

So, wish my little story some luck. They estimate that it will be two months before I hear anything. I'll let you know something when I know something.