tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23003872878015260702024-03-14T23:20:07.463+10:30Musings of an Aussie WriterBThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.comBlogger838125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-89857205089379378972011-09-12T13:22:00.001+09:302011-09-12T13:26:37.776+09:30TTFNIt has been a long, slow and painful death of my writing, but the time has come to say enough is enough and admit I no longer have the drive required to continue.
This will be my last post for the foreseeable future.
To go out with a bang, I'm going to post my biggest sale in regards to a respected market. Dreaming was written in 2009 and sold to APEX in June of that year. It was BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-56276166560431334012011-08-22T10:36:00.001+09:302011-08-22T10:38:20.352+09:30Happy Birthday MusingsIt's been four years since I started this blog. Happy birthday Musings - sorry I don't visit as often as I once did.
This week's posting: My story writing is starting to get longer now. Somewhere between 3-5k is becoming the norm, so I'll post the word count to warn you how big a piece is being presented for your reading pleasure. I hope you continue to like...
Spoilt Rotten3948 wordsOriginallyBThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-26284008065015855042011-08-18T11:10:00.000+09:302011-08-18T11:10:29.583+09:30A DecisionFor the next little while, I'll continue to post some of my prevously published stuff, just so it's out there, but, I'm trying out some new stuff for my back and it seems to be making a difference.
I hurt less. I can sit for longer - but the desire to sit and write has not returned.
For now, my writing days are over :c(BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-74569410609804749392011-08-17T12:54:00.000+09:302011-08-17T12:54:56.894+09:30On A RollIn mid-2009, writing had taken over my life. I'd begun spending six or more hours a day at the keyboard. Time to do anything else seemed to just fall away. I was obsessed. I was hooked. I should have been committed.
May saw two more publications in print. These are both in the Erotic genre so I won't repost them here. See the bibliography for more details on where you can order them if you BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-81516930198326596542011-08-08T10:29:00.000+09:302011-08-08T10:29:44.125+09:30Academy Of ArtWhile I was busy trying to learn how to write, I had big ideas on getting a job in the industry. My line of thinking was something like - "How cool would it be to get paid, not only for writing fiction, but by a real employer for doing something I love?"
So I enroled in a professional writing course at the local Academy of Art. I completed six semesters, 18 months. I gained distinctions andBThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-7222996467723008292011-08-01T10:48:00.000+09:302011-08-01T10:48:46.825+09:30Christian WritingAfter being flushed with the early success (as small as it was), I began building my pile of electronic rejections slips. Stephen king once kept all his rejection slips and looked upon as them as a badge of honour. I wasn't so pragmatic and began to wonder what the heck I was doing.
I read stories I thought were rubbish, I saw other new writers gaining publication with stories I believed were BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-18576247053711943462011-07-25T12:04:00.000+09:302011-07-25T12:04:00.708+09:30Lets Get To ItI've posted a couple of very small examples so far. They were primarily shared as they were the first things I'd written which made it to publication (and paid publication at that).
To be brutally honest, they were pretty crap and not what I wanted to be known for, so it was time to move into more substantial short stories.
My next cab off the rank hasn't been published, but it was the next BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-10764075306519032932011-07-22T14:04:00.000+09:302011-07-22T14:04:17.871+09:30Moving OnAfter the Elusive Muse was published, the bug burrowed deep and I started producing quite a few short pieces. At the time, I was also writing an epic fantasy novel (badly).
The second piece I put together on request from the same editor who published my first piece. This time it was a self-help piece on writing fantasy. During the course of putting together my epic piece, I'd found a number of BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-85756337570957139542011-06-20T13:44:00.004+09:302011-06-20T13:53:10.579+09:30Old Times RenewedI'm not writing.
I've not got a lot to post about.
Time to reveal my journey so far, through the bits I've written. Don't fear, I'll not be throwing up any of the novel manuscripts I've played with, only short stories, articles, and other such pieces. Some will be longer than others. They will cover a range of topics and genres. Any and all comments appreciated (good and bad).
I'll try to giveBThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-3477715282187134412011-06-07T10:43:00.000+09:302011-06-07T10:43:49.472+09:30Slightly Less Than A MonthYep, my capacity for thinking up new and exciting blog post titles sucks the big one at the moment...
Procedure one has come and gone and apart from one slight setback which caused concerns, things have been somewhat on the up. The good news is the numbness in my lower extremities has 99% gone. More good news is the pain on the right side of my lower back has been significantly BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-26562323552109683362011-05-17T12:48:00.000+09:302011-05-17T12:48:29.900+09:30A Whole MonthSo this is how often updates from me can reasonably be expected to show up around here at the moment.
I've had my initial back procedure - partial success.
I no longer have numbness, and/or pins & needles in the lower extremeties, but pain in the lower back is still my constant companion :c(
Over the weekend I managed to aggrevate it further and now have very strong, acute pain over-ridingBThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-1632909800746342032011-04-13T14:46:00.000+09:302011-04-13T14:46:40.518+09:30Is that a Train?Monday I was forced to attend a work function capability test - this is where a couple of physios put me through my paces to gauge my ability to work in the IT environment who currently pay me. It was long and torturous, both the journey to and from, and the couple of hours I spent there.
It resulted in me sleeping the sleep of the dead on Monday night, the first time in a long time I had a longBThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-840490282674223922011-03-16T10:45:00.000+10:302011-03-16T10:45:22.595+10:30More Reasons to BuyI'm not online alot, so I always find out about these things late, but here is six exceptional new reasons for buying a copy of Dark Pages Volume 1
Ellen Datlow's name is synonymous with all things great in the realms of dark fiction and editing. She is so respected that people hang out for the annual Honorable Mentions List, which contains all the great stories she has read in her ongoing and BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-12943231615541218042011-02-28T09:57:00.000+10:302011-02-28T09:57:07.313+10:30Australian Shadow Awards AnnouncedAs you know, I've not been online very much in the last few months due to physical restrictions, so I was somewhat blown away when I received a phone call from Alan Baxter of Blade Red Press fame, and author of the excellent books Magesign and Realmshift, to give me the excellent news that Dark Pages Volume 1 had made the short list for this years Australian Shadow Awards!
I don't expect to winBThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-79542879610357786212011-02-22T12:35:00.000+10:302011-02-22T12:35:50.488+10:30ResearchingRecent topics Googled or read about in actual books!
White slavery
Deduction
True Crime cases
Mormonism
Avenging Angles
Danites
Point of note: This idea I have is inspired by the the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes story titled 'A Study in Scarlet' where he outlines a "supposed" militant group of people the Mormon's employed many years ago to "recruit" suitable white women. My story will BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-39487462421932550052011-02-10T14:00:00.000+10:302011-02-10T14:00:56.206+10:30Research and PlottingI've been knee deep in research and I've made a couple of major changes regarding required characters, and that has led to changes in the plot.
All this is being written down longhand.
No subplots yet, but there wouldn't be, would there? I haven't finalised the characters yet so how would I know what tangents they're likely to go off on...
Now when people tell me 'I'm off in my own little BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-44535621168970459892011-02-08T14:03:00.000+10:302011-02-08T14:03:37.282+10:30Like Sands through The HouglassIt's been a long time.
A quick update:
My back is still preventing me from spending any quality time in front of a keyboard. Anymore than a few minutes typing and I start to push the pain tolerance levels.
But this doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about it!
I've been reading, and I have a new idea. I spend my time formulating how I'm going to progress once I'm fully back in the saddle. BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-15567870638270430272010-12-14T11:11:00.000+10:302010-12-14T11:11:46.081+10:30A Stitch In TimeLife is difficult at the moment.
My back is a mess of pain and confused nerves which constantly send incorrect information to the pain receptors in my lower extremities, and cries for pain medication to my noggin.
I'm having the house underpinned which is a three grand expense I could have done without just before Xmas, but which the the house desperately needs.
My car brakes decided now wouldBThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-64555173907252085622010-12-07T13:40:00.001+10:302010-12-07T13:41:31.700+10:30A Long Time Between DrinksI apologise for the silence from this end, but I'm guessing very few people still pop by to see if I've stirred enough to post something new - but if you do, then today is your lucky day (and thank you for being stubborn enough to keep coming back).
I figured it was time I at least updated what I am reading - which I have. Cate's Men in Pinstripe Suits is something else. I truly believe if BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-40537370540859982442010-11-11T08:39:00.000+10:302010-11-11T08:39:51.657+10:30Strange MenMy signed copy (I love collecting signed copies) of Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits arrived yesterday! (Thanks Cate)
As did a number of other, unsigned, things clamouring to be read. I've taken to reading in the car as I wait for my little one to come out of school. I get there with just enough time to read one standard-length short story/day. I have just about run out of space on my 'BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-66937758927281665532010-11-01T11:30:00.000+10:302010-11-01T11:30:56.146+10:30Little Surprising RemindersI'm not writing at the moment. I'm reading The Blackness Within anthology very slowly (and enjoying it very much - becoming more and more honoured to have been included as I read the other contributor's stories).
I still have opinions on the things I read. I still go through them with a critical eye.
A friend sent me a story to critique hoping I was still around to do so. Unfortunately, I'm notBThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-3460614907984892502010-10-18T11:54:00.004+10:302010-10-18T11:56:23.432+10:30Still AliveI'm still around the place and I'm still reading your blogs - lurking can be habit forming :c)
I received notification that I had a comment requiring moderation, which surprised me as I don't moderate my posts and I haven't posted anything in ages, so why would anyone comment anyway?
To my surprise, a very old post (Feb 20, 2009) titled Idolatry And An Acceptance received a comment from a BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-40965687954270981302010-09-16T10:09:00.000+09:302010-09-16T10:09:06.245+09:30Non-Progress ReportOkay, I give up.
Writing has once more come to a grinding halt due to outside influences.
I'm not one to bang my head against a brick wall. I much prefer to build a support structure and go over the hurdle, but this may take a while. So, I'm not going to flog this dead or dying horse anymore.
It's been a great ride over the past few years and I am thankful for all the friends I made while BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-1534928012708186022010-09-13T09:01:00.000+09:302010-09-13T09:01:08.312+09:30Progress Report V1.3I managed zero words over the weekend :c(
Did I have opportunity? A couple but they were for small amounts of time to sit at the keyboard and I don't work well in snippets.
So I spent the weekend, while doing other things, thinking about how to move the story forward and the central question of why this was all happening in the first place. (Check out Alexandra Sokoloff's blog to see what BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300387287801526070.post-36212011657609927112010-09-10T13:14:00.000+09:302010-09-10T13:14:04.415+09:30Progress Report V1.2Day two of writing progressed. I've slipped into a new routine where I come home from work and spend an hour or two writing before moving onto other things. Seems to be working so far but the chances of getting something finished and beta read and then revised and submitted within a week are unlikely.
Yesterday my story progressed to where things need to ramp up a notch or three. It currently BThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170193722932454605noreply@blogger.com1