Something Fun / Happenings In The Outhouse 28-June-2024

Last Saturday, I had quite a few hours to just sit and write, and as I have hit a few roadblocks with my current two works-in-progress, I decided to start something new.

Something fun, in other words.

I grabbed a title out of the air, wrote the first fun line I could think of, and close to 1,800 words later I got the start of a cool story.  As of this post, it is still not done, but I'm having fun writing it.

Twelve Stories And Counting / Happenings In The Outhouse 21-June-2024

I currently have twelve completed short stories that I have finished, waiting in the wings to be sent off.

One was just submitted to the Writers of the Future contest (it's a quarterly contest and the deadline is the end of this month) and three others now are out into the universe, making their way for possible consideration for publication.

Now, I am in the process of figuring out the best places to send all of the others.  This activity eats up a lot of time, but it is time well-spent because I'm educating myself on the short story market.

Not Getting Your Hopes Up / Happenings In The Outhouse 14-June-2024

There are lessons to be learned with most everything that doesn't go right--and lessons even when it does.

This past weekend, my wife and I and three young girls went to the Twin Cities, leaving earlier than the chickens Saturday morning and coming back Sunday.  The reason for the quick trip was that her youngest child told us about a meet and greet by two paranormal YouTubers, who were also promoting their clothing line at a store in the Mall of America.

My wife and I knew the girls shouldn't get their hopes up about meeting them.  Even though we were arriving at the MOA hours ahead of time, the chances of her and her two friends getting a place in line were slim.

It turns out they never had a chance to meet them because there were close to 4,000 people already in line and the store cut off the number as they found the end to it.

I try to maintain a positive attitude and a positive outlook on life in general, so we made the best of the time we were down there and went to a water park instead.  Got a little burned, but it was relaxing.

What's the lesson?  You don't always get what you want and it's a good thing to not get your hopes up.

Every Word Counts / Happenings In The Outhouse 07-June-2024

Every little bit helps.

Ever hear of that saying?

I have, and it rings true as I look at the new story I'm working on.  I have a few stories I'm working on, and when I find myself stuck, I reflect on what I've written.  Sometimes I write just a few words or sentences.  Then, I may hit a spot and away I go, off to the races!

Moving forward, in other words.  Even writing a few words brings you that much closer to finishing.