Resolutions 2022

 

It’s January 1, 2022, and I guess it’s that time everyone, well, maybe not me, per se, sit down and write their resolutions for the year. Or the things they are really not going to do. Most people do and most people don’t.

I, on the other hand, don’t write resolutions; I just try to do whatever is needed for the year or forever. However… I am going to write something out and try to stick with it for the year and as long as needed. Meaning, finish my novel and the three others that I planned (in my head), fleshed out over the last two year. The sad thing, I never put any of it on paper (computer).

So, here they be… I started writing my novel, MAROONED, in 2018, well; I finished it then, too. But, I haven’t edited it as of today. The first thing I will do.

2. In the past two years I came up with part II of the Marooned story, Revenge. I started writing it in November of 2019 and had written 17,000+ words. I then kind, of gave up. I did manage to write a list of characters and story line. I will finish it this year; I know where, what direction the story goes.

3. Also, during this downtime, I came up with another story, or part III to my Marooned story. I have the title written down somewhere, maybe a thumb drive upstairs in my office… heck let me check. IBB in a sec… Geez, I have the story on a thumb drive and not my old office computer. I am going to have to put it on this computer. But wait, I am only going to write on my blog on this “new” computer and my novel on the computer in my office. Anyway, I digress…

The story, part III is called “Redemption”. I did manage to give a slight outline of the story, and it is fleshed out in my mind. I just have to get it out, this year.

So those are the three main things I will be working on in the year 2022. Of course, I will be trying to write on my blog again. The last time I wrote for my blog, was 2019, and only one piece, in January of 2019. Now, also, during that time I did manage to write pieces for my blog but never published them so I have quite few things to publish, if I so desire.

Moreover, I did think of a few more stories, of course they are still in my storage area, my mind, but they are clear as day. I just have to outline them and work on them.

4. I have over 400 books in storage. I was selling them on an off-shoot of EBay, until it closed down. And for some odd reason I cannot find the inventory list of the books. So, I am going to have to go down there and write down the names of the book, and type them into this computer so I can sell them, again, this time on EBay.

5. I can’t think of any more resolutions that would require my attention, at the moment. Well, maybe, just continue having the fun I had in 2019, you know, like, camping, hiking, biking, kayaking, backpacking, stuff like that. In 2021 I only did, most of the above, 600+ miles, down from 2300 in 2018.

Anyway, Happy New Year. Be Happy in 2022!

I am writing, really...

Oh well, I did it again. As I was sitting here writing, earlier, I got up to get a glass of water. I noticed that the cat’s did a big stinky, so I decided to clean out the cat’s litter box. Since the box, where I throw the used litter was full, I took the bag out and after I was finished and put it into a trash can, out in the garage.

I opened the garage door to get a breath of fresh air and decided to go and get the mail. Back inside, I decided to vacuum the carpet and move a couple of runners around to a newer spot. By that time, I decided that it was time to take a nap.

Now that I think about it, I forgot my water, which is still on the kitchen counter. I am going to have to learn how to focus, again. Why you ask? Because I am writing this and I just realized, the baseball game is on. I might as well grab a beer and some peanuts and relax.

Today I am going to...

Goals for today:

·        Edit at least 30 pages of my, soon to be finished and published, novel, “Marooned”.

·        Start reading this novel, “Liar, Liar”, by James Patterson, I picked up at the Library yesterday. I want to see if I can at least read 100 pages today.

·        Start writing “Revenge”, part 2, a continuation of “Marooned”. Yesterday, I stared at a blank page for a couple of hours trying to figure out how to start. There are three stories within the novel. Last night I couldn’t sleep, so I started dreaming on an opening. I will see how that goes when I start later today.

In Actuality:

·        I have to vacuum all the carpets today. I usually vacuum every Sunday. And with the cats starting to shed and since I have been using Kitty litter that the cats have been tracking all through the house, it’s getting messy faster, as of late.

·        I have to wash another load of clothes today, and fold up the clothes I washed yesterday. Knowing me, those clothes would stay in the closet until I need some clean PJs, or something.

·        The college basketball game starts at 3:30 today, The University of Michigan Vs. Michigan State! A must watch for me. I went to U of M, and usually root for the Wolverines. But, State has beaten “M”; twice this year…I am divided on who will win. Heck, I will take the…

·        Oh yeah, gotta wash the dishes from last night and breakfast, this morning. Plus, the lunch dishes, to which, I haven’t eaten as of 11 am today.

·        I gotta, really, really, take a nap today. I know I probably will sleep through the game. I know me, only because, I was awake at 1 am, trying to think of a way to start my story, this morning and I didn’t work out or do my daily walk, today. Issues, issues, issues.

I can’t think of anything else that needs to done or worked on today. I am going to try and do everything mentioned, above, somehow. I have to stay busy or else…longer naps!

Working on editing my 2nd draft, I noticed I needed some coffee and a snack. No snacks, so I went to the store got some donuts and chips to help me edit. While I was out, I stopped at the Library and got a couple of movies and a book, Stephen King's "From a Buick 8". When I got back, made the coffee and noticed that the cats tracked litter from their box onto the carpet. So, now I have to vacuum. It's now 3:25 pm. I don't need any more distractions, got ta get off of FB too!

Okay, I'm back...let's see if I can keep it going.

Yes, I know, it's been a while since I posted something on Blogging page. I have been writing but not posting. So, I got a lot of stuff and probably will post most of what I have written over the last year.

I have been writing, I mean editing my novel, during the 2018 time frame. Sadly, doing a lot less editing, though. Also, I have outlined and fleshed out two new stories that I have to get started this year. I just don't know to start them... sort of, I will once I sit here in front of this computer with the sole intent of putting ink to paper, (I mean, fingers to keyboard, words to computer).

One story, is part 2 to my first story, "Marooned", to which I managed to finish in March of last year. I am ready to start, I just have to get a couple bottles of scotch, it usually helps a little, with the writing.

My Birthday was 2 weeks ago and my son got me four pounds of coffee, so that shouldn't be a problem. I usually have either coffee or scotch when I am writing, but not both at the same time.

Anyway, let's get this started...and away we go!

Working hard or hardly working...and kittens!

I went out, today, to get my cats, Tom and Jerry, some treats. While in the store the youngster, at the cash register, mentioned I could come at work at the store, if I wanted to work. I had mentioned that I do not work anymore.

I thought about that for a hot second. She also mentioned that I did work for the pet store I could get a free kitten, considering, I already have two cats. What am I going to do with another cat? Even though my cats will be 13 years old this coming…I’m guessing September or October.

But, no. No work and no more cats, for now. It’s bad enough that the two I have now act like they want to kill each other. Feeding time, friends. Being in the same room, death to the…but, I digress.

That got me thinking. I had realized that including working as a paperboy for about three year, working as a fry cook at a local burger joint, working in a mattress factory for the summer, working at Chrysler for a summer, and of course, working at Ford for 3 decades, I have worked for 50 (not exact) of my 65 years! That’s not including working around the house; I had a ton of chores to do and the work I did for the neighbors.

Now, why in the world would I want to work for anyone ever again? Well, maybe for some extra gas money or to travel out of the country, like I use to when I was working.

But, no. I don’t think that will ever happen. I worked hard over those five decades and now it is time for me to take it easy, as I have for the last 12 years, coming up as of July first. Even though retirement is okay, I still have time to relax when I want to. To be honest, heck, every day! (Every day is Saturday, except Sundays and holidays and of course my birthday). 

What I have been doing on the last 12 years, I work as hard as I want to or I should say as hard as it takes to write a novel! That is as hard as I ever want to work again. Considering, writing a novel is hard, very hard work. I did finish my last novel this past March. I am now in the process of writing the second draft and that is time consuming and blowing my mind. It is hard work, to say the least, and I really enjoy writing, always have and always will.

But, no. I will not be working at the pet store, I wouldn’t mind bartending, I enjoyed that when I did, way back in the distant past. Nevertheless, I’m fine and I will survive. I just hope my fingers don’t give out in the meantime, because I have 30 or so books I want to write.

As for getting another cat…I’m thinking about it!

Finished!

Finished! After 2 years, 4 months, 8 days, I have finally finished my novel, 60,927 words, my first novel in 28 years. (I wrote 3 novels in the late 80s, and early 90s, but two of my manuscripts are still unpublished. In addition, I wrote and published 2 short stories and 2 books of poems.)

Even though I feel ecstatic, right now, today, I still feel like I haven’t accomplished anything, I feel unfinished. I say this because, in those past 28 years, I have outlined over 40 stories. And in that time frame I kept saying to myself, I have a job, I’m working so hard that I didn’t have time to write. I was enjoying life, also considering that I was married during the 80s and had children who bothered me every minute I wrote something.

I retired from a major auto company in 2006 and decided I had to follow my dream of being a writer. In those past 20 or 35, some odd years, I went to college and studied journalism, and I took a ton of classes in creative writing. It was time for me to start writing.

I never realized that I am a lazy writer. I enjoyed life more than I was enjoying writing. My mother had passed away in 2000 and I then decided that I would write a book of poetry, dedicated to her, “My Mother’s Garden”. But, it took me 10 years to have it published. Now that I think about it, I put it together and passed it out to my family and close friends.

The one thing I noticed, while writing this novel, that at the beginning of January of this year, the feeling came back.  Way back when, I was a prolific writer, but mostly in journalism. However, the dreams of writing a novel flowed through my mind every second. I wrote because I liked writing, I loved it and found a passion for writing. That was then…

Even though I wrote 25,000 words starting that first day in November of 2016, for the start of NaNoWriMo – The National November Write Month, I just couldn’t put any more words together I had writer’s block. I couldn’t think of a word to put down on paper, I mean on computer. It just wasn’t flowing. Then something bit me at the end of January of this year.

On February 1^st, I said to myself, “Let’s do this” and started writing again. At the time, I was at 33,000 words, I did write a little bit in January. I decided to write at least 1,000 words a day, my goal. The passion returned and I was feeling great about it, about my writing, again. With 25 writing days, and a few days of writing over 2,000 words, I finished yesterday, March 7^th. I even wrote over 6,000 words those last 3 days.

I am going to write more this year and I really hope to start another novel, one that I outlined a couple of years ago. But first, I really do need to reread my story, edit the story, find someone to read the story and then find an inexpensive editor to edit the story.

In the meantime, I plan to start, next month, on another book of poems, my third, and a new short book, a compilation of 50 word stories, most of them written over the past 2 years. I just hope that passion stays with me; I have so much more to write…

For now, I have to cut that darn television OFF, and sit down and write more. I’m going to miss baseball. But, for the rest of this month I am going to read at least 6 book, that too is a goal for me, to read at least 25 books this year, 2 books a month, or, now that I think about it, just to nap everyday for the rest of the March. One way or another I am going to make something out of my writing life.