Yup, you guessed it kids, it's time once again for Good News vs. Bad News. Let's dive in and play!
Bad news: My online series, The Dark InSpectre, is still offline, completely absent from the Internet like it never existed.
Good news: I have recently registered the new url for when we start it up on the Wordpress blog, and the Wordpress theme is already chosen.
Bad news: It took a week and a half to get this done. I thought my editor was going to register the name, but she didn't, so I just did it myself. Also, for some unknown reason, she's not able to create the blog in the way she wants to, so she's waiting for some technical assistance. End result: we're still spinning our wheels.
Good news: I'm finished with my last round of revisions and I have sent in my crime novel to my editor (literally like 10 minutes ago).
Bad news: Now begins the tense, nerve-wracking period of waiting for feedback during which I convince myself that the past year and a half was a waste of time and my novel in fact sucks dirty bilge water (as opposed to the clean kind).
Good news: Maybe it doesn't suck?
Bad news: Just got a short story rejected.
Good news: Got some actual feedback which will help me revise the short story and make it better.
End tally: Good news 4, Bad news 4. We're all tied up. I have to say, though, sending in the novel outweighs everything else. But is that good news or bad news? Only time will tell...
Friday, November 18, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
A Glimmer In the Distance
I have spent the past several days going through so many Wordpress themes my eyeballs have moved out of my head and sent me a postcard from where they'll be relaxing poolside for the foreseeable future. But success! My editor has at last approved of one of the themes I sent her. What makes this one different from all the rest? I have no idea. I don't really know what I'm doing. I've sent her dozens, they all seem okay to me. I'm just glad she likes one. Now hopefully she will use it to create a new Dark InSpectre blog, and we'll get rolling again. But I'm kind of resigned to the fact that I won't be able to post the next episode on Monday, which is when the next one is scheduled to go out.
It's just as well, that's right in the middle of the busiest week of the year at work. I'll be at a meeting in San Francisco all week, so there will be practically no chance to get any of my own writing done. However, on the plane each way, I am hoping to make a big dent in the last re-read of my novel. And then I'll send that sucker in. So hopefully I'll start to feel a little more positive about things. Just need to stay patient. I'm a writer, so I'm used to that. Sigh...
It's just as well, that's right in the middle of the busiest week of the year at work. I'll be at a meeting in San Francisco all week, so there will be practically no chance to get any of my own writing done. However, on the plane each way, I am hoping to make a big dent in the last re-read of my novel. And then I'll send that sucker in. So hopefully I'll start to feel a little more positive about things. Just need to stay patient. I'm a writer, so I'm used to that. Sigh...
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Internet Oblivion
It was the simplest of tasks. I just breezed by my web blog where I post my episodes for the series I write, The Dark InSpectre, when to my surprise, the message that greets me is this:
After reviving myself from cardiac arrest (no easy task), I emailed my editor, Crystalwizard, who informed me that, as it happens, my blog was accidentally deleted. So for those of you who have been attempting to catch up on the latest adventures of Jack Garrett, New Arden's foremost paranormal detective, I regret to inform you that for the near future, that will be impossible. It's gone, gobbled up, sent to Internet Oblivion.
In the meantime, with my editor's help, we're switching to another blog format and The Dark InSpectre will hopefully resume shortly, picking up exactly where I left off. I have the next 4 episodes written and fully intend on continuing this story as long as I have functional use of my digits. In the meantime, I will try and revive myself from the state of paralyzed mortification I find myself in. This was a complete accident. Nevertheless, I find myself extremely worried about what's going to happen.
I had (sad that I am using the past tense) built up a nice little readership for my series. The people I reach via email I'm not worried about. I'll just email them all with the new url whenever it's up. It's the people who found me on their own and bookmarked The Dark InSpectre, and followed it via networked blogs and such. I have no idea how to reach them, whoever they are, or were.
And once the new blog goes up, all the old episodes will have to be reloaded. That's almost 60 episodes altogether. If this task falls to me, it will takes weeks to months. Not to mention the occasional typos and phrasings I corrected after the episodes went online. Those are all lost. And I guess all the page counts and unique visitors goes back to zero. Side note: all those links I have on this blog and my web site for The Dark InSpectre? Don't bother, they don't work.
So I guess I'm kind of in a state of mourning. That's several years of work vanished. Hopefully it will be back soon, and all those who tuned in before will do so again. I really hope so, cuz I've got lots more planned...
Blog has been removed
Sorry, the blog at darkinspec.blogspot.com has been removed. This address is not available for new blogs.After reviving myself from cardiac arrest (no easy task), I emailed my editor, Crystalwizard, who informed me that, as it happens, my blog was accidentally deleted. So for those of you who have been attempting to catch up on the latest adventures of Jack Garrett, New Arden's foremost paranormal detective, I regret to inform you that for the near future, that will be impossible. It's gone, gobbled up, sent to Internet Oblivion.
In the meantime, with my editor's help, we're switching to another blog format and The Dark InSpectre will hopefully resume shortly, picking up exactly where I left off. I have the next 4 episodes written and fully intend on continuing this story as long as I have functional use of my digits. In the meantime, I will try and revive myself from the state of paralyzed mortification I find myself in. This was a complete accident. Nevertheless, I find myself extremely worried about what's going to happen.
I had (sad that I am using the past tense) built up a nice little readership for my series. The people I reach via email I'm not worried about. I'll just email them all with the new url whenever it's up. It's the people who found me on their own and bookmarked The Dark InSpectre, and followed it via networked blogs and such. I have no idea how to reach them, whoever they are, or were.
And once the new blog goes up, all the old episodes will have to be reloaded. That's almost 60 episodes altogether. If this task falls to me, it will takes weeks to months. Not to mention the occasional typos and phrasings I corrected after the episodes went online. Those are all lost. And I guess all the page counts and unique visitors goes back to zero. Side note: all those links I have on this blog and my web site for The Dark InSpectre? Don't bother, they don't work.
So I guess I'm kind of in a state of mourning. That's several years of work vanished. Hopefully it will be back soon, and all those who tuned in before will do so again. I really hope so, cuz I've got lots more planned...
Monday, October 24, 2011
Epi 41
Episode 41 of The Dark InSpectre is now online, in which our hero takes a not-so-friendly stroll through his old stomping grounds.
Here’s an excerpt:
Then I strode forward, pushing through the doors and facing the desk sergeant’s station that fronted the wide sea of cubicles and small offices. The sergeant, a grizzled vet named Donegan, looked up. I saw recognition in his eyes, he’d been in Narco back in my day. But his expression was not welcoming.
“Can I help you, lieutenant?” His face was blank but Donegan’s eyes shifted to each person in my little entourage. His surface thoughts showed suspicion as he tried to gauge our intent. There was also a deep dislike of tels. Or maybe it was just me.
Good thing I didn’t care. “I’m just here visiting friends. No, don’t bother,” I added when he moved to press the vid comm button. “Call it a surprise visit.” I pushed through the low swinging doors into the rest of the unit, motioning everyone to follow. Donegan’s eyes narrowed to slits as I passed.
Enjoy: http://darkinspec.blogspot.com/
Here’s an excerpt:
Then I strode forward, pushing through the doors and facing the desk sergeant’s station that fronted the wide sea of cubicles and small offices. The sergeant, a grizzled vet named Donegan, looked up. I saw recognition in his eyes, he’d been in Narco back in my day. But his expression was not welcoming.
“Can I help you, lieutenant?” His face was blank but Donegan’s eyes shifted to each person in my little entourage. His surface thoughts showed suspicion as he tried to gauge our intent. There was also a deep dislike of tels. Or maybe it was just me.
Good thing I didn’t care. “I’m just here visiting friends. No, don’t bother,” I added when he moved to press the vid comm button. “Call it a surprise visit.” I pushed through the low swinging doors into the rest of the unit, motioning everyone to follow. Donegan’s eyes narrowed to slits as I passed.
Enjoy: http://darkinspec.blogspot.com/
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Separation Anxiety
It's about two weeks until the big annual meeting for my work in San Farncisco. I'll be gone for a week, and work gets completely ludicrous leading up to that point. What that means is my writing time gets very fractured. Grab a few minutes here, a few there. But I try and keep chugging along.
For the novel it's been a very strange month or two. On my wife's first read through, I was keeping up with her edits at a frantic pace, chomping at the bit to revise as I steam rolled through the manuscript. Then I realized I was getting a little too nuts about it and had to put it down for a week or so. The fresh perspective really helps, let me tell you.
I just finished my wife's last edits today, and I'll give it one last read through before I hand it in, but I'm not going to get all tear-my-hair out loco about it like last time. I had originally wanted to send it in before the San Fran trip, but if that doesn't happen, no biggee. I have this vision of me reading it on the plane (I find plane trips are great for getting some work done). So we'll see. But either way, this thing is going to be done in the very near future.
It's weird how I view it presently. I worked on it steadily for over a year, had every tiny twist of the plot firmly in my head. I worked on it in my sleep (not kidding). Now, it's kinda distant, and emotionally I'm fairly separate from it. Maybe that's because in my mind it's finished and I'm moving on. Maybe it's a defense mechanism for when my editor tells me it sucks. Maybe I'm just burnt out after simultaneously writing two big projects at the same time for over a year. Either way, it's a strange feeling. This will be my first published novel (cross my fingers). You'd think I'd be more psyched about it. I'm sure that'll change as I give it one more perusal and the story starts flowing in my mind again.
But regardless, this baby is getting released from the comfy confines of my computer soon. We'll see if it survives in the wild.
For the novel it's been a very strange month or two. On my wife's first read through, I was keeping up with her edits at a frantic pace, chomping at the bit to revise as I steam rolled through the manuscript. Then I realized I was getting a little too nuts about it and had to put it down for a week or so. The fresh perspective really helps, let me tell you.
I just finished my wife's last edits today, and I'll give it one last read through before I hand it in, but I'm not going to get all tear-my-hair out loco about it like last time. I had originally wanted to send it in before the San Fran trip, but if that doesn't happen, no biggee. I have this vision of me reading it on the plane (I find plane trips are great for getting some work done). So we'll see. But either way, this thing is going to be done in the very near future.
It's weird how I view it presently. I worked on it steadily for over a year, had every tiny twist of the plot firmly in my head. I worked on it in my sleep (not kidding). Now, it's kinda distant, and emotionally I'm fairly separate from it. Maybe that's because in my mind it's finished and I'm moving on. Maybe it's a defense mechanism for when my editor tells me it sucks. Maybe I'm just burnt out after simultaneously writing two big projects at the same time for over a year. Either way, it's a strange feeling. This will be my first published novel (cross my fingers). You'd think I'd be more psyched about it. I'm sure that'll change as I give it one more perusal and the story starts flowing in my mind again.
But regardless, this baby is getting released from the comfy confines of my computer soon. We'll see if it survives in the wild.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Guest Bloggin
Hi guys,
Work has been crazy building up to my organization's meeting in a couple of weeks, so I haven't been posting as often as I'd like. But I have found time to post my latest column over at Abandoned Towers, so feel free to check it out. Here's an excerpt and link:
"As I write this, I have just returned from New York Comic Con at the Javitz Center in Manhattan. I take my son there every year, and it’s an absolute blast for both of us. He loves to cruise the exhibit floor and check out all the cool stuff and we both love checking out all the wild costumes. What also never fails to impress me are the seemingly limitless new movies, comic books, characters, and story lines that are rolled out at every Con. The creativity on display is simply awe-inspiring. But what inspires all these ideas? Where do they come from? "
Click for the rest.
I can tell you that Comic Con was a blast, when I find time I'll post some cool pictures. In novel news, I need for my wife to finish the last 70 pages or so and then give it one more read through. Then I'll send it off to my editor. Still haven't though of a decen title! :(
Tune in Monday for another Dark InSpectre episode. Have a good weekend!
Work has been crazy building up to my organization's meeting in a couple of weeks, so I haven't been posting as often as I'd like. But I have found time to post my latest column over at Abandoned Towers, so feel free to check it out. Here's an excerpt and link:
"As I write this, I have just returned from New York Comic Con at the Javitz Center in Manhattan. I take my son there every year, and it’s an absolute blast for both of us. He loves to cruise the exhibit floor and check out all the cool stuff and we both love checking out all the wild costumes. What also never fails to impress me are the seemingly limitless new movies, comic books, characters, and story lines that are rolled out at every Con. The creativity on display is simply awe-inspiring. But what inspires all these ideas? Where do they come from? "
Click for the rest.
I can tell you that Comic Con was a blast, when I find time I'll post some cool pictures. In novel news, I need for my wife to finish the last 70 pages or so and then give it one more read through. Then I'll send it off to my editor. Still haven't though of a decen title! :(
Tune in Monday for another Dark InSpectre episode. Have a good weekend!
Monday, October 10, 2011
An Even 40
Episode 40 of The Dark InSpectre is online, in which our hero finds out how to keep a crime scene under wraps, Thought Police-style.
Here’s an excerpt:
I crossed my arms, grimacing. “Whaddaya think the game is?”
He gave me a calculating look, started ticking off points. “Harcher hates tels, spooks most of all. Especially you. He wants you and your unit gone. Gina and Jimmy aren’t around to protect you anymore. It makes sense to discredit you leading up to the investigation hearings. Turn up the pressure from the public, make the Department ease you and your people out quietly.”
Yeah, my paranoia had come up with a similar theory.
Enjoy: http://darkinspec.blogspot.com/
Here’s an excerpt:
I crossed my arms, grimacing. “Whaddaya think the game is?”
He gave me a calculating look, started ticking off points. “Harcher hates tels, spooks most of all. Especially you. He wants you and your unit gone. Gina and Jimmy aren’t around to protect you anymore. It makes sense to discredit you leading up to the investigation hearings. Turn up the pressure from the public, make the Department ease you and your people out quietly.”
Yeah, my paranoia had come up with a similar theory.
Enjoy: http://darkinspec.blogspot.com/
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