Monday, December 27, 2021

Fifteen Books and Still Writing

 December 27, 2021

Well, like most everyone else, we have finished another Christmas Season. Bring on the new year. Right now, we are back to the two of us and the dog – again. Great atmosphere for writing and watching football, but almost too quiet at times. 


On my morning walk, I realized that I was not sure, exactly, how many books I had written. Guess it is time to count them up.

Nonfiction

The Civilian Conservation Corps and the building of Guernsey State Park

Beginning Gardening & Other Entertaining Lies - With Four Bonus - Murder in the Garden Stories

On Turning 70  

Elderly – A Sensational Day Every Day

Western Fiction

Commitment  (western mystery)

The Ghost Dance (western mystery)

Ghost of the Fawn (young adult)

Under Western Skies (collection of short stories)

Under Christmas Skies (collection of short stories)

Interview with a Gunfighter (short story)

Kids Chapter Books

Melvin the E Street Ghost

The Mike Said, There's a Zombie in My Basement

Yikes – My Neighbors a Vampire

Howling at the Moon

 

Finished but Not Yet Published

Morning Walk ( the third in my series for senior citizens)

Wendover  (my third Blade Holmes western mystery)

Almost Ready

County Fair (book five in my Mike, and Moose and I kids growing up chapter books)

Essays from the golden years  (fourth in my series for senior readers)

 

Wow, that was an exhausting search, not really. Thirteen published books and one published short. Two more books are finished but not yet published. I am not sure why these two, which will be self-published, are still waiting. I figured it out and can answer my question – lazy. Soon.

That makes 15 completed books with two in the almost category and the single short.

I am not always one to write out New Years Resolutions, but I aim to have all 17 of the books I listed earlier published. I hope to continue with my senior reader's books, with at least one addition in 2022.


Photos – All taken in the past week within 15 miles of where we live in Wyoming

Happy New Year – 2022

Keep reading and keep writing

 

 

 

Monday, December 20, 2021

Christmas Slowdown - But, Not Much

 December 20, 2021

Writing –  My writing slowed down a little this week. Too much Christmas shopping and a couple of doctor appointments slow me down. Only a few over 2,000 words for the week. When I set goals, I wrote well over 300.000 words each year. Without goals, I write about half that. I still have not decided if I will set a word goal for 2022 or continue writing as I have been the past three or four years. We will see. 

I am doing heavy editing on my long-finished historical mystery/western. Trying to rework the second half – love the first half of the book.



As often happens, a new inspiration – yes, I started another book. Mostly notes and thoughts so far.

 


Reading – David Baldacci’s Memory Man. Off to a good start, and so far, it has kept me interested. Looks like a good one 

 

Weather – Cold and wind this week. A few days of blustery snow. All in all, typical December weather.



Quote of the day “Any word that doesn’t advance a story slows it down. Which is reason enough to avoid expletives. Contrary to popular misconception, the term ‘expletives’ refers to a whole class of empty words, not just gratuitous profanities. Most expletives simply fill out the syntax of sentences. The most common is ‘there are, ‘there is,’ ‘there was.’ ‘it is,’ ‘it was,’ and son on.” -  Jack Hart

 


Today’s Photos – All shot on my walks this week. 

Have a Merry Christmas, everyone! 

Monday, December 13, 2021

Writing Time Again

 Writing – Still writing at a pace of about 1,000 words per day. That is about the best I can do, and for me satisfactory. In the last week, my best day was 1,950, and the lowest was 540. For many years I was writing anywhere from a quarter of a million words up to my highest output, 320,000.


Reading – Rereading Ron Scheer's most entertaining book on early western writers – How the West Was Written.  Enjoying it as much as I did my first read a few years ago.


Weather – Another nice snow this week, eight inches from late Friday to early Saturday. That snow gives us a total of 28 inches thus far. Not bad!


Quote of the day - "Read, read, read. Read everything--trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it, just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window." --  William Faulkner


Today's Photos – All shot over the past two or three weeks – Wyoming is a most photogenic state.

Have a terrific week everyone - Might be a great time to get your Christmas shopping finished. I know, pretty early yet. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Here We Go Again - I'm Back

 


Welcome Back
- I have not written much in the last three years. I did publish two books for older (retirement age) readers. Not sure what slowed me down. Life, I guess.

I also finished the third book in my Blade Holmes western mystery series but have left it alone for more than a year – I was not too fond of the ending.

I seem to be back writing at my old pace —5,000 words in four days – pretty productive for me.



What am I Reading? – Edward Curtis – The North American Indian. A good read with all, or nearly all, of the Curtis collection of photos. This one feeds both my reading and photography appetites.

 


I am working on – Third book in my series for elderly readers and the fourth book in my Blade Holmes series. After some reworking, I am also hoping to publish the Blade Holmes novel (#3) I mentioned earlier.  



It looks like winter is upon us – good luck with your reading and writing, and stay warm.

Photos – Are from a recent trip up to Esterbrook in the Laramie Range 



Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Writing Word Goals and Misadventures

I set a goal to write 1,000 words a day this week - well, I wrote over 1,000, but it took three days. Summertime gives me too many excuses, and my writing suffers.

View on a recent hike - North Platte River, 3 miles from home


Like many people, I often find reasons to spend more time outside, because who doesn't love summer? This does set my writing back, but I do keep up with my reading.

I find that both walking every day, and writing every day helps me to clear my mind - really quite therapeutic


A bit of rest at the halfway point of a hike

Golf, hiking, walking, gardening, photography, and short trips seem to be part of my DNA when summer arrives.

The old days

But, someday, I hope not too soon - cold will return, and I might actually write 1,000 words a day - again.

 
                                                Part of one of our backyard gardens

Saturday, July 10, 2021

My word count is on fire

                                            Me standing in a 4th of July Nebraska cornfield - back home where I grew up.


It's summer, and here in Wyoming, we are experiencing a typical summer, hot and dry. Seems that is how my writing is going hot, as in getting lots of words on paper, or dry, the words are drying up. Right now, as of the last few days, I am running hot. That is a good thing.


As is normal for me, I am spending quite a bit of time in my gardens. A summer passion that I cannot be without.


Writing Question and Answer

What is more important in writing, idea, or plot? The plot deals with the timeline and events of the story, while the idea is all about the theme. For me it is about the idea because within the idea are the characters that drive the story. 

Writing Update

I have one new book ready for publication, another almost ready, and a third, which I will be finishing soon. I likely will hold out until fall, and publish all three books over a period of a couple of weeks. 

For all the fans of my Blade Holmes western mysteries, the finished book above is indeed a third in that series. Come August or September you will see it. 

I have mentioned here, several times, that the third Blade Holmes would be my last in that series - don't hold me to it, I have a new idea. Maybe!


Enjoy the summer, and when it is too hot to be outside settle in with a good book. 


Friday, April 16, 2021

April Writing Update

I am still here and continue writing, taking photos, and tending to my garden starts. Like so many, I will be happy when the pandemic becomes a memory, albeit a bad one. 



Writing Update - I have a start on new non-fiction and am still contemplating whether I want to publish my third Blade Holmes western mystery. That book is finished, just not sure If I want to publish as is or do some retooling. I have also taken on some additional editing, something I do not often do. Then there is the fifth in my series of kids chapter books, it was scheduled to be released this month but is not close, maybe another three or four months. Looks like I have my year, likely two, of writing planned out. 



Exercise - Still getting in my morning miles, normally two or close to three. I walk regardless of, snow, cold, or wind - I still walk. There are days I don't like it as much as others, but It's such a part of my daily routine that I must do it. 



Today's photos are from my morning walks the past week.

Sunday, January 17, 2021

January Writing Update

 

What I Have Been Up to - At last, I have published book 13. It took longer,  much longer, than I anticipated, but glad it is out. This book - Elderly, is nonfiction, once again, for my older readers – fitting. This one follows my work – On turning 70, published two years ago when I was – well, 70. Like, On Turning 70, Elderly offers tips to make life terrific as we age. Elderly has more on keeping mentally and physically fit. Like my first book for seniors, it is lighthearted and ever-optimistic for those of us growing older people. Like my first book for seniors, this one includes three short stories at the end, each featuring older protagonists.

Western Writing – I'm still at work on my third Blade Holmes western mystery. The good news is the first draft is complete, and the work I'm doing now is editing. Then it will be off for more edits and to my first readers – hoping for publication by the first of April. This book has more of a - twists and turns feel to it with lots of action and intrigue. Wendover – coming soon.

I hope all is well wherever you are.



Today's photos – From my walk along the river this morning – enjoy!



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