Or Words to Describe my Writing These Days.

It’s not like the ideas aren’t there. I’ve got a list of over fifty story lines to draw upon for material, ranging in possibilites from short PWPs to a couple of potential trilogies.

It’s not like I don’t have a current project to work on. Orphan Maker’s gathering dust on my hard drive. I have no furking clue what comes next. (The same thing happened with a cyberpunk story a few years ago, Kou Itten. It’s half completed because I can’t figure out what the following scenes and chapters should be.)

It’s not like I don’t have the time. I’ve had a full week off work through Christmas. I can only account for three of those days as celebratory in nature and, hence, non-writing days. The rest of the time was spent . . . dinking around. Cruising the web, researching daydreams, chatting with friends, posting on my Voyageresque RPG, and fiddling with the ship’s website.

My 2005 Goals haven’t been met (but to be fair, neither were all of my 2004 goals.)

• I have not written a thousand words a day; not even close. My word count is through the roof because I’ve put in my editing word counts, but those are similar to empty calories. Seventy thousand plus words in two days? It feels like cheating.

• I haven’t written six short stories for the year. I’ve gotten three and a half done. So over fifty percent there. (Added bonus, one was published in Telltale Kisses!)

• I did finish Iditarod like I planned. WOOT!

• I haven’t completed edits for On Azrael’s Wings. I’m only a third of the way through them, and have about fourteen more scenes to write from scratch, let alone edit the remaining material.

• I haven’t even looked at my Sanguire series. No, that’s a lie. I looked at it last week. I know some of you have read it, and I’m not saying this to get a bunch of responses, but I really ddn’t like the writing. It’s stilted. I couldn’t get past the first three chapters before putting it down in disgust. Earlier in the year I spent the time going over my beta readers’ notes and came up with a beefier outline, but I haven’t bothered with it since.

I think a lot of these feelings have to do with the task of getting my books republished . . . again. In 2004, I published two books and republished a second edition of Tiopa Ki Lakota through Fortitude. In 2005, I found myself going through the same three books all over again to be published with PD Publishing. While it’s gratifying as hel to not be out of print anymore, it was a hassle and a half to focus mostly on manuscripts that had been a done deal.

So, I know it was really a lot of work . . . but it feels like I’ve accomplished next to nothing this year. groan

I’ve spent a lot of time away from Forward Motion over the last couple of years. My circle of friends does consist of a few writers, but we never seem to really connect on a writing level. We talk about our lives and loves, pass around those silly quizes and the like, but never get into the meat and bones of writing. (Or it could be me. I’ve always been very standoffish and untrusting. I seem to have an innate ability to close off communication with people without even realizing I’m doing so.)

I think it’s time to return Forward Motion. (Hey !) Maybe it’ll give me the kick in the pants to get a move on. It certainly gave me a boost when I first discovered it a few years ago.

Hope everyone is having a great season this year! Yule has been wonderful and we’re prepping for a houseful to descend upon us and have a delicious dinner. Ham, turkey, all the fixings, pumpkin cheesecake and pies, mmmmmmm!

Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and spectacular Yule everybody!

Even if I was up until 3:30 this morning!

Yesterday morning we opened our presents. Woot! I got the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin, and the first season DVDs of Smallville! My wife got an expensive set of professional pans and one of those Magic 8 Balls. LOL! She loves the 8 ball more than the pans, I think!

Another great gift came in the mail . . . my author copies of Warlord Metal! YAY! They look fantastic! Steph Solomon-Lopez did a killer job with the graphics!

A downstairs neighobr came up to cook dinner for us. He really enjoys cooking and trying out new recipes, but he lives alone. So he comes to our kitchen, and has fun feeding himself, us and another neighbor down the hall who’s unable to cook for himself. It’s pretty cool. Last night was a chicken/tater tot casserole. Definitely interesting, and very good.

We lit the Yule candle at sunset and between my wife and I, we held vigil until sunrise this morning. Then we both put the candle out. Welcome back, Sun!

Today’s a lazy day. (Like I haven’t had enough of them! LOL!) Just puttering around the house, cleaning up stuff, getting geared up for the feast day. Saturday will be prep work and laundry, Sunday will be stockings and friends and food. Tomrrow we’re going to see The Chronicles of Narnia, get our hairs cut, and run some errands.

I’ve been fooling around with my website some more today . . . mainly going over the added features I get through my webhost, Dreamhost. The Trek RPG I belong to has recently picked up their own website through Dreamhost. I’m fiddling with some of the features to see how we can augment our new website. Maybe we’ll break completely away from Yahoo and run it entirely on our own . . . who knows?

Spent the morning updating my website. In particular, correcting the information and links on the pages about my books, adding a review on Tiopa (thanks, Elaine!) and checking the links in my sidebar.

Tonight’s Mother’s Night. Tonight is when the membrane between the worlds of the living and the dead are at their finest. Tonight is the night for staying in, reconnecting with the living and loving members of your family, and enjoying memories of those who have gone before us. My wife and I plan on a nice candlelit dinner, lots of closeness, and a walk through the apartment building to see what our neigbors have done for decorations this year.

Technically, you’re not supposed to work on this day, but I think it all revolves around your definition of ‘work.’ I’ve already been working on the website. I plan on getting dishes done today, and maybe getting the last of the lights up in the living room. And a nap. Can’t forget the nap! LOL!

I’ve the next week off. If I do any writing, I think I’ll return to On Azrael’s Wings edits. Or maybe I’ll reread Iditarod. I know I’ve said I wouldn’t publish that one, but I’ve gotten a LOT of comments on it . . . I’ll have to go back over it to see, though.

To my friends, stay safe tonight. Spend a little extra time with each other. I’ll be online later this evening.

To my readers, take care. Tomorrow is Yule (a.k.a. Solstice,) a whole ‘nother holiday!

I’ve been remiss. People are wondering if I’m still breathing. I am! I am!

Busy, busy, busy at work. Despite that, the most exhausting thing is the constant shifting between days and swings. I have to cover the manager’s days off, and still cover the swing shift as much as possible. Six days last week. I’ve got two more to go before a blissful five plus day weekend.

Today I begin to clean house and put up the decorations. On the morning of the 19th, I do the door decorations for the annual contest in our apartment complex. Still top secret until I get it out there. Then I’ll spill the beans.

Tuesday is Mother’s Night. My wife and I plan a quiet evening together, candlelit dinner, and then a stroll through the building to see the other door decorations. Wednesday is Yule, and I’ll be up all night in vigil.

Went to my rheumatologist last week to discuss beginning the clinical trials we talked about earlier. Bummer! I’m not eligible! I have no pain and no joints swollen! Too bad, huh? YAY! Even the joints in my hand that have remained swollen throughout the last two years have gone down! (As you can imagine, I’m crushed.)

Sent out Yule cards. To those reading this who got one, the cards are part of this year’s theme for us. Now you might have some idea what our door decoration will be! LOL!

Got the Yule shopping complete. (Thank gods for mail order.) I spent one afternoon out and about on errands to pick up the last of it for my wife, and it’s wrapped and sitting on my desk now. Yes . . . my form of torture. The gifts are in plain sight. Also got a box shipped out to my best friend, which thankfully arrived yesterday in California.

No writing to be had. I’m sort of stuck with Orphan Maker. It’s gone into an area I have no outline for. I’m not sure what’s going to happen next. I read it during those few bouts of free time last week, and I like it, but I haven’t had any time to concentrate on the characters. I know the story will eventually get to where I want it to go, but it’s gone on a detour and I need a road map!

Warlord Metal is officially out! YAY! I should be getting my author copies on Yule. What a great present for the holiday!

What else? Not much, really. The desk’s a mess, the house is filthy, I’ve got guests coming on the 25th for the feast. We’ve had something near thirty days of record lows, so my long johns have been getting a lot of use. Since Mother’s Night is a day of rest, I’ve got to whip everything into shape TODAY, since I work the next two. Ugh!

How’s everybody else?