What A Year / Happenings In The Outhouse 31-Dec-2021

Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe all that has happened in my life--especially in the last six months, and especially since July 20th.

But first, let's recap my current writing inventory as of this date.

I have 37 individual published works, which consist of:

11 full-length novels, which includes a romance one written under a pseudonym (and working on #12)

14 short stories (2 of which are free on my website)

7 novellas/novelettes

1 short story collection

2 box sets

2 nonfiction books

This year I published two short stories and I am roughly 65-70% of the way through my current novel, which is going to be longer than any novel I have published so far.

Now, what happened on July 20th?

First, let me back up about a month, on what would have been the 24th wedding anniversary with my late wife.  I made the decision to dip my toes in the dating pool.  I didn't know if I could handle it, and I didn't know what I'd find.  If all I could find were toxic women, I guess I would remain single for the rest of my life.

And if that was God's plan for me, I would accept it.

But God had other plans.  Oh, boy, did He ever.

Long story short, I am in a few private widow/widower groups on Facebook.  Now, living in the land of nowhere in northwestern Minnesota, I thought my chances of meeting anyone near me was almost impossible.  Well, nothing is impossible for God.

I started chatting with a younger lady, a widow who had lost her husband in March 2021, who lived in northern Minnesota.  151 miles away, to be exact.  We chatted for a bit that day, July 20th, as she told me about her dire tales of going through the Facebook dating app.

Lo and behold, on July 23rd, she asked me how my week had been.  One thing led to another, and we have been chatting/talking every single day since.  We meet every 2-3 weeks, as she is in the final semester of achieving her RN degree.

So to say what a year 2021 it has been is an understatement.

I am looking forward to 2022, and all that it will bring.

Jordan Smith, Johnny Cash, And Your Unique Voice / Happenings In The Outhouse 24-Dec-2021

It might be ironic that this post is going out on Christmas Eve, with its place in the history of mankind and our Heavenly Father.  Roughly two weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending a concert by Jordan Smith with the current love of my life and her parents.

Don't know who Jordan Smith is?  Don't worry, I didn't either.

To put it simply, he was the season 9 winner of the TV show The Voice.  Give this a listen, and be both amazed and inspired.  Note: the YouTube video I originally posted (twice now) has been taken down for whatever reason, so I urge you to just search for him and listen.

Jordan is one of great talent.  That much is perfectly clear.  He sang songs at the concert that we all knew, but he put his own vocal twist to it in such a dynamic and unique way.  Jordan will be one to watch as his career blossoms.

Reflecting on this, I am reminded of a scene early on in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line.  Cash sang a tune that was just like all the other songs.  But the record producer wanted something different.

Believe in yourself.

Find your voice.

No matter what it is, believe in yourself.

Where To Start / Happenings In The Outhouse 17-Dec-2021

I watched this video by Robert McKee last week, and found his insight valuable.  Although he gears it toward beginners, it applies to everyone who is starting a new project.

Enjoy!

And begin!

Winding Down And Thinking Ahead / Happenings In The Outhouse 10-Dec-2021

It's the second week of December and my current work-in-progress, a novel I started around April 2021, has surpassed the 71,000-word mark.

And there is so much more to be done.  It is not quite two-thirds complete at this point, so . . . if the math works out, it'll be one big book.  120-130K would be my ultimate guess.  When do I have it planned to be finished?  Maybe by the end of the first quarter, which is late March.  And if that's the case, I would have taken almost twelve months to write it.

I have written much faster before.

Next time, as my speeds and devoted time has now increased, and other aspects of my life has improved, I will write the next one quicker.

As the Christmas season draws ever-closer, and New Years right after, it is that time of year again when we reflect on what has been accomplished and what is in store for us all in 2022.

I should have titled this blog post "Not Winding Down" because I'm working on my current novel on a near daily basis, and I am not slowing down.

The plan for 2022 is, of course, to publish my current novel and contemplate which story to tackle next.  I could finish off my superhero trilogy, I could finish my epic fantasy, I could even complete the YA book I started in early 2019.

Or, there are others that could be written too.

Nobody Cares, Work Harder / Happenings In The Outhouse

There is a sign on the wall of the gym where I work out.

When it comes to working on your craft, no one really does care what you do and how you do it.  This may seem harsh, but it's true.  Even those closest to you, those who see you day in and day out, they may not understand the meaning behind what you do and how.  If they truly loved you, they would care.  It is okay to communicate with them, but I would limit it to them.

If they understand.

I see way too many artists who put themselves up on a pedestal, trying to be clever in what they do, and the echo chamber of those they surround themselves with are doing nothing but boosting their ego.

So the bottom line is this: no one cares what you do and how you do it.  Just work at your craft, put it out there, and work on the next project.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.