For anyone who knows me (or even spends a little time with me) will usually hear this phrase more than once: "Years ago . . ."
The Netflix show Stranger Things, set in the early to mid-1980's, brings back a lot of memories unique to that era. From Dungeons and Dragons and the iconic music of that age to Ghostbusters and the Neverending Story, I love that period of time. In season 3, the "pool" scenes were classic from my days of practically living at the local pool with my friends. I can smell the chlorine, even to this day.
Thinking back on those days also reminds me of the iconic memories with family. So many Christmases were spent at my grandparents' home, with relatives gathered from near and far, playing their Intellivision video game console, opening gifts, and eating hordes of hors d'oeuvres from cookies and crackers to lefse and grandma's famous (to us, anyway) "green punch."
June 2002 changed a lot of that. A flood cascaded throughout much of the town, and my grandparents' basement was forever changed. The entertainment room where many Christmases were shared was destroyed and had to be filled in with cement. After that, the basement wasn't the same. But the family was resilient and pulled together, moving future festivities to the upstairs living room. Even this past Thanksgiving, my son and I helped to move (for the last time, I am sad to say) from the basement (from the very room, now filled with cement, where those Christmases were shared) to the upstairs.
After my grandfather's passing on August 23rd, their old house has been sold. I have been asked a few times if I would like to see it again, as the new owners are currently remodeling it. For me, that answer is simple: no. The home will provide new memories for the next generation of families to grace its floors, its hallways, its rooms, and I pray they cherish those as much (if not more, although that would be a stretch) as I have.
To quote Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the movie Silence of the Lambs, "Memory, Agent Starling, is what I have instead of a view."
Memories from years past are etched through the pages of my stories. Sometimes even the slightest detail can be found.
During my childhood, many weekends were also spent at my grandparents' cabin on Minnesota Hill. It has been close to 20 years since I've been there--I won't bore you with the details on why this occurred--and if I was ever asked to see the old cabin again, despite any remodeling that may have taken place, my answer would also be the same.
Nope. Nada. Thanks but no thanks.
I cherish the memories of years past, but I don't dwell there. Instead, I cherish the memories of times to come.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Friday, September 20, 2019
What's in store for Q4? / Happenings In The Outhouse 20-Sept-2019
As I am winding down on the end of the Q3 2019, I am looking ahead to the final three months of the year.
Under normal conditions, I would have a book I'm writing then publishing along with planning a series or two along with a few other improvements toward building up my writing empire. This would be my "Next five".
Given the recent developments with my wife's health, two deaths in the family (one being my grandfather, whom I will dedicate an entire blog post about in the near future, and another being an uncle on my wife's side), a vehicle that I need to sell, and other home improvement projects, I am still charging forth with my next five things for Q4. But they will look a little different than they have in the past.
I am scaling back my writing goals to writing/publishing my first YA book and maybe one other item. The others will be geared toward other aspects of my life.
What they are, I still do not know. I will write more about them soon.
Under normal conditions, I would have a book I'm writing then publishing along with planning a series or two along with a few other improvements toward building up my writing empire. This would be my "Next five".
Given the recent developments with my wife's health, two deaths in the family (one being my grandfather, whom I will dedicate an entire blog post about in the near future, and another being an uncle on my wife's side), a vehicle that I need to sell, and other home improvement projects, I am still charging forth with my next five things for Q4. But they will look a little different than they have in the past.
I am scaling back my writing goals to writing/publishing my first YA book and maybe one other item. The others will be geared toward other aspects of my life.
What they are, I still do not know. I will write more about them soon.
Friday, September 13, 2019
How much is too much? / Happenings In The Outhouse 13-Sept-2019
My kids and I went to see the new movie It Chapter Two last weekend. Afterward, my youngest daughter thought it was good, even though she was scared. But one thing she said made me stop and think: "Dad, it had the right amount of jump scares."
What a profound and interesting statement.
It was true. I've been to movies and watched TV shows where there is an overindulgent of an element of storytelling. Jump scares are fine, but overdoing it is another. When it comes to telling a good story, you can't always have your feet on the accelerator. You need to stop every once and a while, just for a breather.
Even though good thrillers are typically fast-paced, they do slow down at just the right times. But don't take my word for it. As my basic writing advice is:
1) read a lot
2) write a lot
3) publish/submit for publication a lot
If you spend enough time reading and analyzing stories, you'll know how it works naturally.
What a profound and interesting statement.
It was true. I've been to movies and watched TV shows where there is an overindulgent of an element of storytelling. Jump scares are fine, but overdoing it is another. When it comes to telling a good story, you can't always have your feet on the accelerator. You need to stop every once and a while, just for a breather.
Even though good thrillers are typically fast-paced, they do slow down at just the right times. But don't take my word for it. As my basic writing advice is:
1) read a lot
2) write a lot
3) publish/submit for publication a lot
If you spend enough time reading and analyzing stories, you'll know how it works naturally.
Friday, September 6, 2019
Managing your time, even as you manage yourself / Happenings In The Outhouse 06-Sept-2019
It's vitally important to manage your time. And managing your time shouldn't take a back seat to managing yourself--meaning, your health or the health of others.
If you find yourself in a stressful situation, look at what needs to be done and what you should do, and use the "kiss" method: keep it simple stupid.
Delegate where you can.
Sometimes it's okay to sit back and watch a movie or TV show, or even read a book--for us writers, reading may be better, but there is power in watching a movie/show.
Right now, I'm dealing with the health of my wife. I won't delve into much detail here, but needless to say it's stressful. But I have the absolute best relatives and friends who have been helping out where they can. A few Sundays ago, after my wife was taken into the hospital (for the third time this summer!), my son and I went to church. Upon our return, we found friends who were in the process of mowing our lawn. They probably would've finished if we stayed after church for coffee and bars, and then I would've been wondering what happened to our nicely-manicured lawn.
I am in the process of writing my first YA book, and I am a little over 2,000 words into it. It's going well, even though it's going slow. And the reason it's slow is because I've had other things to deal with. As of this writing, we're in the process of getting my wife into a skilled nursing home (yes, a nursing home at the young age of 47, mind you!) for the short term.
Again, I must repeat that it is vitally important to manage your time deliberately. What is important to you? Write it down. Then, schedule them, even if it's only for a few minutes.
If you find yourself in a stressful situation, look at what needs to be done and what you should do, and use the "kiss" method: keep it simple stupid.
Delegate where you can.
Sometimes it's okay to sit back and watch a movie or TV show, or even read a book--for us writers, reading may be better, but there is power in watching a movie/show.
Right now, I'm dealing with the health of my wife. I won't delve into much detail here, but needless to say it's stressful. But I have the absolute best relatives and friends who have been helping out where they can. A few Sundays ago, after my wife was taken into the hospital (for the third time this summer!), my son and I went to church. Upon our return, we found friends who were in the process of mowing our lawn. They probably would've finished if we stayed after church for coffee and bars, and then I would've been wondering what happened to our nicely-manicured lawn.
I am in the process of writing my first YA book, and I am a little over 2,000 words into it. It's going well, even though it's going slow. And the reason it's slow is because I've had other things to deal with. As of this writing, we're in the process of getting my wife into a skilled nursing home (yes, a nursing home at the young age of 47, mind you!) for the short term.
Again, I must repeat that it is vitally important to manage your time deliberately. What is important to you? Write it down. Then, schedule them, even if it's only for a few minutes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)