Oh What a Week

Confessions of a Writer of Westerns

 January 24, 2022 

What a week. My wife, Jan, had some outpatient surgery on Monday. Anything, at our age, with the word surgery in it, is troubling even when it is outpatient. I had a crown placement (no, not that kind - this one was on a tooth). Now that, usually, is not much of a dental appointment – in and out, no shots, no discomfort. The problem was I had been having a painful time with another tooth – yep, another broken tooth. Another crown is coming, and still not one for my head. Then the dentist said, "Might as well fill this small cavity we've been watching." Not sure who we are, but I never watch my cavities. The good news is my mouth does not hurt anymore. At least for a few days, weeks, or hopefully years. Disclaimer - My dentist, is the greatest ever, he is so good I sometimes even like going to see him. Oh - I forgot to mention, he is also my son.

But the past week was not all bad. We took a trip to Colorado to watch one of our grandkids play basketball. Now that was fun. I also got in several pleasant walks. All and all, I didn't get much writing done, nor did I do much editing. But some weeks are like that. Hopefully, this week will be better.

Reading – Slowed down here also, but I am trying to finish up a couple of previously mentioned, on this site, books. I did go back to re-read some pages from two different favorite writing books. For me, those old writing books are relaxing. 

Writing Tip – Find a great spot to do your writing. "I wish one time in my life I could do what other writers do . . . get me a villa in Spain and go there to write a book." Lewis Grizzard Sounds good to me. 😊

Weather – Pretty nice January week - We had a couple of inches of snow this week. That new snow brings us to 36 inches for the season. I hope we get another two or three feet, just not all at the same time.

Quote of the day – "In truly good writing, no matter how many times you read it, you do not know how it is done. That is because there is a mystery in all great writing and that mystery does not dis-sect out. It continues, and it is always valid. Each time you re-read, you see or learn something new." Ernest Hemingway.

Today's Photos – From one of our many trips west of town. We love that drive and make it about twice a month. 

Click this link to see all my books on Amazon

Have a great week. Keep on reading, and keep on writing!

The Words of September

Another month has passed, fall is here, and the colors are terrific.

Fall Color in Wyoming

Writing totals for the Month

I had hoped September would see an uptick in my writing, but instead, I wrote a bit less than last month. This month writing numbers include 17 blog posts and 11,291 words on all of my projects. This brings my word total for the year to just under 167,000. I need to pick it up to reach my goal of a quarter of a million words, right now it looks like I will come in around 200,000. My original goal was 350,000 then lowered to 250,000. I am not sure if I set my goals too high, or if I have become lazy. This year is the first that I have kept exact totals so maybe next year will tell the tale of how many words I write each day, month or year.

Standing in the Oregon Trail Ruts a half mile south of our home

Sales are up

Although my word total was lacking, my book sales were and still are up. I have three new books nearly ready to go and hope to update my Christmas book to a second edition and get it out before Thanksgiving.  If I do all of that, I should have a good writing month in October.

Two Fawns in Fall

What a September

Not much writing in September but it was a great month for everything else. We went back to southeast Nebraska for our 50-year high school class reunion – Class of 1966. I also spend some time in the Laramie Range, visited the old Iron mining town of Sunrise, spent a day at the world famous Spanish Diggings and half a day at one of my favorite places, Fort Laramie. My wife and I also, with the cooler temperatures, started our fall hiking at Guernsey State Park.

Here I am taking a break sitting on a pile of broken stone at the Spanish Diggings
Unbelievable that this stone was worked thousands of years ago - what a great trip

Garden Book 

Oh, and the garden is looking good. Which reminds me, I have not mentioned that one of my works in progress is a gardening book. Tips for beginning gardeners at altitude, and a collection of short murder mysteries that take place in – you guessed it - the garden. It will be a short book, coming in at around 100 pages, but so far I like it. The others will be my second Blade Holms western mystery and the third in my series of children’s books.

Nothing beats a backyard garden

My two latest published projects, a book and short story, along with my other four books can be found here.

Thanks for keeping, Ghost of the Fawn, and Interview with a Gunfighter, consistently in the top 200 the past month, it is appreciated more than I can ever say.

Keep on reading and keep on writing!

Top of the world view from the area of the Spanish Diggings

Story Giveaway Results

The Great Giveaway

Last week I tried, for the first time, an Amazon giveaway. Today's post is a follow up from last weeks on that giveaway. For five days I offered one of my short stories, Interview with a Gunfighter, free on Amazon. I had no idea what to expect, five or six downloads or hundreds. Well, it ended up to be a bit over 60, not sure if that is good or not, but I was satisfied. I am not very active on social media other than a bit of Google + and Twitter. I do use Facebook but so far have not set up an author site or have I tried to advertise my books on the site.

Getting a few more book sales  - Take a look here

New Fans

Not sure if the giveaway will create any new fans, but I have had a slight upturn in sales, since the giveaway, so it might be working. I am still in between as to self-publishing and taking two of my books to small houses that have expressed interest in what I am doing.  Both are true small house publishers, no cost to me, and a little upfront money from them.  The problem is that I would still be doing most, if not all the promotion and as I stated earlier, it is a long way from being a strong suite. Some writers say that any type of traditional publishing will help an author’s brand. I am not sure what that means, other than name recognition, but once again, I will give it a maybe, as in maybe that would be good.

I Really Like to Write

When I started writing it was for one reason – I liked to write. I never gave any thought to selling. Guess I never planned to sell many. But other good things have come from the publishing of my books, mainly two very nice writing jobs. Possibly more good will come from the giveaway short story, I have always wanted to be part of an anthology of some sort.

Seems to me if I don't get with the program, these guys will start circling.

Reading News

I seldom mention on this site what I am reading, but thought today that I would. Last week I finished C.J. Box’s latest book, Off The Grid, it was terrific. This evening I will finish one of Lee Child’s earlier Jack Reacher books, Echo Burning. This, like all of his books, was quite good. I read lots of nonfiction as I research for my fiction and nonfiction books, but it is with fiction that I find an escape. I read western’s, historical fiction, murder mysteries, cozy mysteries and who done it’s, mostly, but read the occasional fantasy or horror. I am not a fan of horror but love the way Stephen King writes, so if I am reading something from the genre of horror, King will have written it. I normally read more than one book at a time and always have a book of short stories going. Most of the time I am also reading a book that would fall into the area of the classics, reading a collection of Robert Frost poetry right now.

Keep reading and keep on writing!

Enjoy the first day of fall

The First Line

Great Opening Lines

Much has been written about how important the first line of a novel is. Google it, and there are several pages about famous first lines. I read through a list of well-known books and the first line from each. These were taken from a survey of some sort and titled the best first lines from 100 famous novels, or something similar to that. Most were okay, some were terrific and some, well, I didn’t get why they made the list of great lines. I scratched my head and decided to check out the first lines of my five books. I changed it to four decided to skip my nonfiction book that opens with a very nice quote from President Roosevelt (FDR). I had to check mine out who knows, maybe, some were terrific.

My Opening Lines

I came up with six using a second, first line, (hey I like the sound of that)  from my collection of Christmas Tales. I also used one from an unpublished novella with a great title. So, here they are.

  If the young cowboy had but one wish, it would be to live. 

From my western mystery, Commitment. Not bad, I like it.

.The old mountain man was starving, but not for food. 

This one is taken from a story in my Christmas book, nice hook. What was he starving from? Sorry, no spoiler here.

The street I lived on was red brick, and our house was white. 

Not sure why but I really like this one. It is from the first of my two children’s chapter books, Melvin the E Street Ghost. 

Moose and I laid in the shade of a bright summer sun under an apple tree in my backyard. 

My second chapter book, soon to be the second of three with publication hopes for late May of the third in this series. This one is titled, 

Then Mike Said, “There’s a Zombie in My Basement.

Hardy Galloway pulled up rein, placed one knurled hand over the other on top his saddle horn and pushed back in an attempt to straighten his back.

 The opening line from my book of Christmas shorts. 
Under Western Skies, 14 Tales of Christmas. At my age, I am partial to stories that have someone as old as me, so I like it. 

    The old man thought about the question then nodded yes, he shook his head no at the next. Simple but interesting. This is from my yet to be published novella of about 20,000 words. 

 There you have it my opening lines. Good luck with yours and keep writing.

How Many Facts in Historical Fiction?

How much is too much? Well, now that could depend on what I am talking about. In this post, I am talking about placing facts into fiction writing. I am finishing my third historical novel, some call them westerns, but mine has real events, people and places in them. Not sure but I believe that makes these books historical fiction. I actually classify mine as historical mystery and then add, set in the old west. I also like westerns that are pure fiction, where every person, place and event is made up, they are usually not terribly long and make fun fast reads.

My new book will have a bit of Fort Laramie

I spent more than 40 years teaching history and a big part of my job involved historical research. Over the years, I published a few nonfiction pieces on various aspects of Wyoming and the old west. I started blogging ten years ago, mostly western topics and enjoy the research that some of the posts take. I guess that is the reasons my writing falls into the genre of historical.

Some days writing can be a real bear

Which leads me to the original question, how much is too much? This time, I am talking about real events, people, and places. I have read of writers that make a list of up to 25 facts they want to include in a novel. I don’t go that far, but I like the idea. My newest WIP is about one-third complete and I have included, and I had to check this and count, eight historically significant people, events or places that play important roles in the story. How many more will there be? At least four, not sure if I will include more than that.

 Working on my current novel has been fun. A few nights ago I was writing and hollered at my wife, “This is really good, the part I just wrote, I love it.”

Then like a bad husband and good writer I refused to read it to her. She just laughed, knowing that sometimes I read excerpts to her and sometimes I do not.

Who doesn't love a great read that includes a terrific horse

Writing something I like this much doesn’t often happen, but when I really like something I wrote, it is a genuine feel good moment for an author.

Write on my friends.

My part of the west, on a drive last week, 20 miles west of town

Spring Fever? - Might Be!

This is my third post tracking my writing progress this year. For those of you who have not been lucky enough to read the other two fantastic posts – here is a synopsis. This year I am keeping a journal of my daily writing, the number of words and what I was writing. Not too hard. The goal was to write almost every day. I know, I know, big time writing blogs keep telling us to write every day, no exceptions. Well, that’s too hard. I can't’ t do it, but I am not doing badly.

Maybe I will get my writing flying along again soon

We are on day 52 of the year and I have written 49, pretty good for me. On big days, I go 2,000 words and more and on slow days, I go two or three hundred. This week was tough, just didn’t get it going. I skipped writing on Friday and Saturday, two days with zero words. Friday we were out of town shopping, ugg, and Saturday looking at Golf Carts and then playing golf, now that was a nice day.

Some days are good writing days, others are good hiking days - like today

And speaking about writing every day my, On-Line friend, author Oscar Case at -   has a fun post today on the same topic, not getting enough writing done. If you have not yet found his blog, give it a look.

Even with the days off I am averaging a bit over 1,000 words a day, about right for my goal of 350,000 words this year. If I could write in the morning, it would help, but I cannot. I read and work outside, but unlike most writers just can't get going in the morning. Maybe someday. On a good morning, I will get in an hour or more of research on one of the two nonfiction books I am working on.

My nonfiction books take a great amount of research
Research on guys like William Scott Ketchum
at one time the commander of nearby Fort Laramie

Took time today for a nice hike in beautiful Guernsey State Park.

The difference between a good hike and a great one might be  the view

Keep writing.

Getting in some camping before he needs a reservation - Smart Turkey

Edit or Write - I Will Take Writing - Every Time

Nothing to do with the post but I saw this yearling and she wanted her photo taken

Trying to edit and rewrite something seven years old is difficult work. I have never tried anything like this before and am glad that I have not. Seems that my writing is better now, or, at least, I like it better, and I am changing everything as I go. I liked the story, still do, but it seems like it is taking more time than writing a new one. I had a goal of completing this by the end of the month, not sure I can make it now.

The following is an excerpt from the book, my first attempt at a young adult western mystery.

Russ Duke stood chomping the stub of a cigar on the balcony of his third story room at the downtown Casper Motor Inn, watching traffic crawl past the oldest hotel in town. The room was awful, the location was terrible, the bed was the worst he ever attempted to sleep in, but the rates were good, and that was the way Russ Duke liked it.

Duke had kept Medina’s room the past two days, and that was long enough.  He walked up the road to the Platte River, stopped and threw the key to his former partner’s second floor room from the bridge. He was pretty sure the cops had not yet found the body if they had it would have been on the news by now. He was safe. He smiled at how easy it had been. Then he started to laugh, he used to hate Medina, hated all pretty boy’s like him, now he didn’t care, Medina was dead. Duke laughed, tried to whistle a tune, but started coughing instead. He flipped the inch long stub of his cigar into the river, started laughing again as he walked toward a row of fast food restaurants.

“Ha dead, couldn’t happen to a nicer guy,” Duke laughed at his joke, life was good.

Duke ordered the #3 breakfast, grabbed a newspaper and sat down to eat. The headline in the Casper paper said what he had been waiting for. Man Found Dead at Hell’s Half Acre – Cause of Death Under Investigation. Duke could not help himself; he started to laugh, again.

End of the Day

Well - It's A New Year

I mentioned here last week, on my first 2016 post, that I was going to attempt to keep track of both my writing,  the number of words, and reading, name and number of books. 

Watching the Bison - Research and Photo Ops
 Something I can do even when it's cold outside

At the end of yesterday, eleven days into the new year, I had written, 14,815 words, an average of 1,347 per day. That number seems to work out close for my goal of a half million words this year – hope I can keep it up. My reading, about the same pace as always is not bad. I have set a goal to read three books a month or 50 books this year. My biggest problem with reading is that I continually read more than one book at a time. Here is what I am reading now.

Time to read when the lights come on in our little town

1.   Fort Laramie – Military Bastion of the High Plains ( one-third through this one) by Douglas C. McChristian

2.   Cabin Fever – by B. M Bower (half way)

3.   Cowmen and Rustlers -  A story of the Wyoming Cattle Ranges – By Edward S. Ellis

4.   Force of Nature – by C. J. Box (Travel book on CDs listening, I have read it but I like the narrator and enjoy this as our present car book)

These books are different enough that I do not have any trouble keeping them separated in my mind, cluttered that it might be.

I should be able to finish all of these before the end of the month. I have stacked three books, as my next ones on my bookshelf, and will probably add at least one EBook.

Speaking of Books - Here is the Link to my Western

I am in my second edit of my YA modern western/mystery, and am through the first draft of an introduction to my new nonfiction book and working on the first chapter. Still not finished with the first phase of research for the second half of the book, which also keeps me busy.

Getting my ducks - er- a - deer all in a row

I am keeping busy and with the weather turning mild for the next ten days it looks like I will be able to continue walking. I have been out with my camera, as usual, and have taken a bit over two hundred shots so far this year. I will keep 70-80 percent of these in folders on my computer.  The random photos on today's post are 2016 shots. 

Nice color at sunset yesterday
 sun setting behind a post -- patching together an old fence

So, Just What is a Western?

What makes a book a western? Okay, that’s a fair question. I recently read a post whose author seemed surprised the book was considered part of the western genre. I have not read the book, but did look at the overview and it appears to start with a man fresh out of prison driving his pickup home – sounds like a western to me.

I believe if it is set in the old west it is a western, and I will not allow anyone to change my mind on that one. Modern westerns can be harder to pigeon hole. If it is set in a state or area where old time westerns were set, it may be a western.  A modern western is set mostly outside, preferably in wide open spaces, and any action in a town is short and usually in a small city or town.  Plots can be very modern and tackle modern day problems. Living in Wyoming this could mean dealing with, the oil and gas industry, coal, power plants, wolves, big government intrusion, big game hunting, guns, clean air, open spaces, livestock, and numerous other topics. I have the first draft finished of a young adult modern day western. What does it deal with? Oil and gas and the Wind River Reservation. I think it’s pretty good and topical, but it still needs a lot of work, I am hoping for, but not predicting a late March release.

In the old days, a western was just that a western. A mystery was a mystery, and literary fiction was, well same as today, mostly unreadable. Today we have multiple sub-genres. I classify both of my westerns as western/mystery. Western/Romance is the most popular western sub-genre today. Westerns could also be classified as, Western/Sci-fi, Wester/Thriller, Western/Horror, and lately Western/Erotica and Steampunk Westers are growing in popularity.

Westerns still seem to be bought and read today, they just may not be in the western section of your local bookstore. Meanwhile – read on.

Oh, by the way, right now I am reading, Stephen Burckhardt’s Christmas short, Into the West-The Orphan Train and Fishing and Other Misadventures by Bradley Stoner. I am also re-reading two books on Fort Laramie and the Indian wars.

Want to take a look at my books? Click here, and thanks. 

For the Want of a Good Western

Seems like most everything I see on author/writing sites deals with fantasy. Science fiction still has a bit of popularity but does not seem to be as strong as it was a few years ago.

What I don’t see are non-fiction and westerns.

My new Western - give it a try

I can find a bit of historical fiction, but most of it is of the romantic genre. I still enjoy reading both nonfiction and westerns, although I shy away from the old fashioned, shoot-um-up type. I also can lose myself in a good detective murder mystery and there are still a few good writers working in this genre.

Looking for a good western novel

I have a nice start on a detective mystery, modern times, but set in the west of course but haven’t looked at it in years. I drug it up this weekend and thought, “hey, not bad.” Pretty good story with some humor and three interesting main characters. Maybe I will take a longer look at it this winter.

In the meantime, my new book of Christmas stories in the West looks to be good to go this Friday. 

Cover photo from my new book

Post #202

Can't believe I missed celebrating my 200th post. After I made post 201 I noticed I had missed the big 200. Oh, well, its only a number like weight and age and calories and . . . . . . .

My western mystery, Commitment, is out in eBook only and not selling as well as my three print books. Not sure why. The three print books, two chapter books for kids and my nonfiction book about the, Civilian Conservation Corps and the building of Guernsey State Park, are selling a few copies each day. Not much, but to an independent writer like myself, that's a big deal. I will have, Commitment, out in soft cover in two weeks (fingers crossed) and then will see if it sells better as an E-reader book or as a paperback.

I'm a bit of an old guy,

and maybe my readers are also, we like books. But I do love my Kindle and like putting books on the cloud (not sure what type of cloud it is or where it is located) so that I can read them wherever I am. But, there's just something special about holding a real book.

Coming this fall - my next western. That is if I get the house painted soon

Commitment, the novel

Today the opening paragraphs of my new novel, Commitment.

Chapter 1 – The Prologue

If the young cowboy had but one wish it would be to live. He would be thinking of nothing else.

But then it was obvious, he did. He thought back one minute to his unfortunate attempt to force legendary lawman Blade Holmes to draw. It was likely the worst decision he’d ever made. If present conditions were not so grave he might have smiled, but instead his mind flashed scenes of his impending death. The cowpoke felt the cold from the barrel of the Colt pressed under his chin, he shivered, but not from the cold.

From the bony tip of the cowpokes shoulder blood had started a slow seep through his threadbare shirt. The blood tickled his skin where the pain was still bearable. No longer standing tall, he seemed now to tilt slightly backward, frozen.

Afraid to move, even to take a much needed big breath, his eyes bulged, his face becoming an artist’s pallet of changing colors, from bright red to what was now a hopeless blue-grey. Still conscious, or so onlookers believed, he slumped against the bar fighting to stay upright. With the help of the bar he was motionless except for the, ever so slight in and out of his chest. The cowboy’s feeble breaths moved him so little that to the untrained eye he appeared more a poorly constructed cowboy manikin than a man under arrest. Didn’t have many years on him, but  he was old enough to know it was best not to move, not even so that he could fall to the floor.

As for the celebrated lawman, he looked business like but appeared relaxed holding the six-gun tight under the chin of the wobbly young cowboy.

The moment had been magical, Blade Holmes reacted so fast to the situation that time may not have moved. Years from now people would swear, actual clock ticking time, had been stopped. Blade Holmes, already a legend in west, made the impossible happen, for a moment he’d stopped time.  And for a moment one young cowboy likely wished he could go back in time, to a time before he’d handmade the unfortunate circumstance that lead to his present calamity.

Want to see more, take a longer, free look here, on Amazon.

Write the Story but Speak the Conservation

Write the story, speak the conversations

Great advice, write the story but when a writer comes to conversation, you know, anything tagged with he said, she said. Write like you are talking not like you are writing.

Writers are often criticized for writing the way they speak and reminded that speaking and writing are two different things. But not always. Many writers say that writing dialogue is the toughest thing to do when writing a novel. Think of it as talking, being careful to make sure that it is age, gender and time and place appropriate. 

There that should make it easy. Or, at least easier.

The photo below is all about the age old writers challenge.  Show don't tell.  Here I show how to relax in the evening, no words needed.

Sitting by the Fire in Guernsey State Park's North Bluff Castle

Write More in 2015

Not sure my writing total of a bit over 100,000 words was enough this year. In the past couple of weeks I have read two posts by authors that wrote over a million words in 2014.  Not sure I could ever get close to this but am hoping to get close to 250,000 in 2015.

 I have an advantage over many writers and would be writers, because I don’t need to sell anything. I live comfortably on retirement and occasionally substitute teach in the local district to pick up what we old folks used to call, “a little pin money.”

I have been lucky to publish many short stories and travel pieces over the years but still have high hopes for a novel. So 2015, will be the year!

At present I have a non-fiction, local history, being edited with publishing coming, I hope, in February. When that is complete, I will work on the two novels I have completed and two completed volumes of short stories.

 Who knows? If everything goes great I might get a few books out this year – and maybe write a bit more.

“I was sorry to hear my name mentioned as one of the great authors, because they have a sad habit of dying off. Chaucer is dead, so is Milton, so is Shakespeare, and I am not feeling very well myself.”
- Mark Twain

Freezing up North of Town

Happy New Year!

Maybe That Old Boy Hemingway is Right

Ernest Hemingway gave the following advice to help with writer’s block. “The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day when you are writing a novel you will never be stuck. That is the most valuable thing I can tell you so try to remember it.”

Some of my writer friends and I often write until we are stumped then go to bed and sleep on it. Funny that seems to never work. I have a tough time stopping if I am on a roll. Seems Hemingway thinks you quit when you are ahead. He seemed to do okay, maybe he has something here.

By the way my checker didn't like Hemingway using good instead of well.

That’s my two cents for today time to ride off into this evenings Laramie Range sunset.

Photo Taken Four Miles Northwest of Town

Oh - How I Hate Prologues

I hate Prologues, there I got that off my chest or my mind, or as my granddaughter would say, “Whatever.”

I started reading a book this afternoon. I turned to the first page – there centered at the top – Prologue. This page then proceeded to describe the protagonist to me as he looked at himself in a mirror. And it described his thoughts as he looked in the mirror. Not sure if the mirror was bouncing back his thoughts or what.

I skipped the rest of the false beginning, ur, I mean prologue and went to the first chapter. And it started with a description of the beautiful day and how many colors the sky was that morning.

So there I was, I hate prologues and the beginning of the first chapter was a yawner.  I quit. Started a new book.

How did it start? “The old back wound ached and his shoulder still hurt all day long, but two years of healing and pushing papers at a Kansas City desk made the pain bearable. U.S. Marshall Blade Holmes tipped his head back and blew out a long cold breath, He watched the air turn to a misty white steam.  Hooking his thumb inside the collar of his deerskin coat he pulled it up tight under his chin, felt like winter might be in a bit of a rush to get to the Wyoming high country this year.

Yep, I’ll stick with this one. Where is he going? Did he get shot two years ago? Will he get trapped by a storm? I want to know. I need to know. As a reader I must know.

This is how I pick what I read, if it starts too slow, or I just do not like the beginning, I pick another. At my age I don’t want to waste time reading bad books when there are so many good ones out there.

Read on!