Updates
So here’s what I’m going to do. I don’t feel ready to let the blog go - if nothing else, it lets a few people I know but don’t see very often keep up with what I’m currently ranting about, at least when I’m ranting here. I’m going to commit to blogging something once per week, probably on one of my days off. Is it enough? You tell me. No one ever says anything so I suppose it’s possible that the limited site traffic I do have is all automated search engines and blog indexers. I have had a couple of people send me e-mail, though, so I know someone’s out there.
A writing update. The first draft of “Turn the World Around” came in at 23,374 words on the 2nd of November. Since that day, I’ve also finished first drafts on five previously started stories ranging between a little less than 6,000 words and a little more than 10,000, written two very short pieces (about 500 and 1750 words) and done second draft editing on two stories, one fantasy and one you could loosely call SF. Total word count for November so far is 19,250 and I’m averaging over 900 words per day so I should break the monthly target of 20,000 tomorrow. I just finished the first draft of a humorous Christmas story tonight and I’m planning to pick up another previously begun story tomorrow. (It’s called “Foog”. Don’t ask.)
Now I’m not saying that all of this is good writing. First draft tend to suck, but I think the way I’m starting to work things is to just get the damned first draft out through the keyboard and it can be edited to not suck later. Of the editing I’ve done so far, the stories suck less. Are they good yet? Well, probably one more revision before I start to find some First Readers. (If anyone would like to volunteer…)
I’m still working in the same place in the same job and I’m still chewing through podcasts during my commute and sometimes at home when no one else is awake. My favourites at the moment are Escape Pod (the first podcast I discovered), Astronomy Cast, The House (politics from the CBC), and More Hip than Hippie. That should give you an idea of the breadth of my interests. There are a few others that I listen to as regularly as they come out on a variety of subjects. I do download a lot of stuff from the CBC, a little from NPR and a smattering from all over the world and podosphere. I’m also trying out my first podcast novel, Playing for Keeps by Mur Lafferty. I’ve subscribed to a few others from Podiobooks, but haven’t started listening to any of them yet, which I-tunes reminds me of incessantly.
My family members are all healthy and happy and the kids are looking longingly toward Christmas.
Next post I’ll find something to rant about. If you’ve listened to the news in the last couple of days, you’ll have found at least half a dozen. A week from now, I’ll probably have more.
