Hitting The Stress Wall / Happenings In The Outhouse 20-Dec-2024

It's that time of the year again.

And I've been hearing the word stress a lot lately--especially at work.

Please take time for yourself.  Your health (and spirit) comes first.

Because if it wasn't for your health/spirit, everything else is moot.

Turn On The Lights / Happenings In The Outhouse 13-Dec-2024

I recently read a mystery novel where two detectives go into a dark basement, shining their flashlights all around.

Now, Mark, what's wrong with this?  Isn't that the way it's always done in the movies and books?

Yes, but that's not realistic.  Cops turn on lights.  As a former cop, one of the first rules we were taught about room sweeps was this: turn on the lights.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I screamed at the detectives in the novel and they didn't listen to me.  Go figure . . . 

Another Great Moment / Happenings In The Outhouse 06-Dec-2024

As if 2024 couldn't be more awesome and incredible!

The year started with my wife and I getting married in January.  Then, the long process of me adopting her youngest daughter Madison was finalized on Monday.

What a great year 2024 has turned out to be!

Be Thankful, Always / Happenings In The Outhouse 29-Nov-2024

With yesterday being Thanksgiving here in the United States, it's always a time to reflect on what we're thankful for.

But let's take it one step further.  Let's always be thankful.  Be thankful for what we have, what we have been given, for the opportunities.  Even the steps backward we can be thankful for, if something doesn't go right.

What are you thankful for today, tomorrow, yesterday . . . ?

Honorable Mention / Happenings In The Outhouse 22-Nov-2024

I have done it!

Although the journey is long from over when it comes to this contest, I received an honorable mention from the Writers of the Future, for the 4th quarter 2024 submissions.

This is a huge accomplishment as there are THOUSANDS of writers who submit to this contest each and every quarter.

Now, for the story I submitted, I will submit these to other markets for publication.  Then, I'll write another story to be submitted to this contest, in the hopes that I move further up the chain and even win one of the slots where my story will appear in print.

Changes In 2025 / Happenings In The Outhouse 15-Nov-2024

Another short one today.

As I look to what I have accomplished in 2024 and what the focus should be in 2025, I will be shifting back to writing novels and publishing them.  I will still write short stories here and there, but there are some bigger novel projects in the works.

And, as I was sitting in the deer stand last weekend, I came up with a general idea for the first one I'm going to tackle.  It's a new series and one that has been percolating for a number of years.

Stay tuned . . . 

Outlook On Life / Happenings In The Outhouse 08-Nov-2024

How do you view your outlook of life in general?

You may think you view life as good, but when things don't go your way, how do you react?

Think on that in four years . . .

Another One Bites The Dust / Happenings In The Outhouse 01-Nov-2024

Last week, I read a blog post from an author I follow and . . . well, I'm not going to name this author nor even imply if it's a he or her.  Anyway, this author went on a raging post of blatant BS about why they are voting for a particular candidate and, once again, is completely blind to the one they're advocating for.  This author's spouse is also an author, and is quite a bit more vocal about it.

To put it mildly, I am blacklisting this author from my reading list.  What's disheartening is that I have learned a lot from them from Kickstarter campaigns and other writing courses--oops, did I say too much?  Maybe it will narrow down who it is?

I don't care.

Much like other authors that I have written off for their blatant ignorant political views, I am adding another one to that list (I already unfollowed and written off the spouse, who is a LOT more focal).  I deleted the RSS feed for the blog, will scrub them off of my social media feed, and will not have anything more to do with them.

Period.

Am I being dramatic?

Again, I don't care.  Politics and the entertainment field do not mix.  No matter what side of the aisle you are on, they do . . . not . . . mix.  Period.

Rant over . . .

Questions / Happenings In The Outhouse 25-Oct-2024

"How's the book coming along?" someone is bound to ask me.  At any time.

My reply is usually, "Which one?"

"Oh," they will respond back, "you have more than one?"

*sigh*

Although it has been a while since publishing my last novel (July 2023), I still write every single day.  My focus this year has been compiling short stories, learning more of the writing craft, and submitting these short stories for publication.

I still have over 30 published works.

Now, when I look to 2025, my focus may change once again and you may see more published works.  I'll still do short stories and work at publication that way, but you may see other novels being published too.

Reviewing Feedback / Happenings In The Outhouse 18-Oct-2024

Another short one today.

Over the weekend, I submitted a few more short stories for consideration for publication.

I'm going through the ones that are left open, adding in a bio as well as an afterword for each one.  I'm reviewing previous feedback and am surprised at how well some were received.

Keep moving forward.  Keep learning.  Keep having fun at what you love to do.

What's In Mind For The Rest Of 2024 / Happenings In The Outhouse 11-Oct-2024

At the start of the fourth quarter of the year, 2024, I'm mindful of what I have left to be done . . . as well as looking forward to what my plans for 2025 might be.

Wow, 2025!  Hard to believe with so much going on, in my personal, work, and creative life.  Seems like yesterday it was 2000 and then 2010 and 2020 . . .

But before we look to the future, to 2025, we have three more months left of the year.  My focus this year has been short stories, getting as many written as possible, and submitting as many as possible for publication.  I have gotten tremendous feedback, despite the lack of offers, but I can feel myself becoming a stronger writer.

Learning is a huge part.  I have taken a number of educational classes taught by the prolific Dean Wesley Smith.  One major class, which has had a huge impact, are the depth classes.  Those gave me a whole new perspective on stories and how they're told.

I'm going back through all of the short stories I have written since the middle of 2023 (there are a ton of them!) and adding in a bio along with an afterword.  It's been great fun rereading some of these stories and possibly coming up with a new series for a few of them.

Show Up Like It Is The First / Happenings In The Outhouse 04-Oct-2024

Last weekend, my wife and I, along with two of her cousins, went to the final Minnesota Twins game of the season.  They were already out of the playoffs, so either winning or losing the game didn't matter for their team's standing.

However, if that game was someone's first time at a Twins game, whether the players played to win or lose, they should always play as if it's someone's first time there.  Someone may have spent their entire lives wanting to go to a game, even saved for the trip.

The same goes with musicians and concerts.  They should always play as if it's their first concert for someone, their first experience.

Authors are also not immune to this.  Every story should be written as if it's someone's first time reading your story.  Don't treat it like a throwaway story.

By the way, the Twins lost that game too, six to two against the Baltimore Orioles.  Was it a throwaway game?  Some have opinions.  I'll keep mine to myself because I had a good time and, not being a sports fan, I don't like criticizing another player for something I could never do.

Diabetes in Books, Movies, Etc. / Happenings In The Outhouse 27-Sept-2024

First, I have already compiled a list of blog posts concerning diabetes for you to gander.

Done?  Good.  Let us begin . . .

Take pretty much anything, from lung cancer to diabetes and from firearms to plumbing, and the portrayal of it can be either done well or poorly.  Stephen King wrote in his book On Writing that if you have a great knowledge about plumbing and love science fiction, how about writing from the POV of a plumber in space?  Interesting concept, for sure.

Now, one can write very rudimentary and broad about a given topic, but when it comes to specifics, please get your facts right.  In firearms, Glocks do not have safeties like other handguns (they are in the trigger) and there is no hammer to cock back.  I have nearly stopped reading books because of an error like this.  It's annoying!

How about diabetes?  Trust me, I have more knowledge about it than I know what to do with.  But with my children, living with it day-after-day, they know more than me.

One of my daughters recently read a book where the main character had type 1 diabetes (T1D) and the author got it completely wrong!  Not only wrong, it was so wrong on so many levels that a simple Google search would fix many of the problems the author had.

I am currently writing a short story where the main character is a nuclear engineer on a spaceship.  I know virtually nothing about being a nuclear engineer, or being on a spaceship for that matter, but I'll gloss over what I need and that's it.

It's all about the story anyway.

But if you're writing about someone with diabetes and if their blood sugars are in the 70's, it's probably not the end of the world.  If it was in the 20's, yeah, that's an emergency and nothing else matters for the diabetic.  Also, when it comes to diabetes pumps, again, please get the facts right.  They're not all the same and each has their little . . . quirks.

QR Codes (Ways To Hinder An Easy Buy) / Happenings In The Outhouse 20-Sept-2024

Ever since one of my daughters went off to her first year of college, we have visited her a few times, to take her to brunch/lunch, and to bring her things that she needed.

One thing I noticed lately was on one of these visits, when we took her to lunch.  It was our second time at this restaurant--one featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives--so we knew the food was good.  But the main difference I noticed between this restaurant and others was that the menu could only be accessed by a QR code.

Okay, you may ask what's the big deal?

The big deal is: what is someone doesn't have a smartphone?  Also, when I asked a few people who were of the older generation, they didn't have a clue what a QR code was.

During our last visit, we took our daughter to a diner for brunch.  I had the French toast, which was like eating a cinnamon roll.  My wife had a pancake that was as big as her plate--she couldn't even eat it all.  But in order to reserve a table, you had to scan a QR code and reserve a table.

Hmmm, again, same question as before.

How's this for an interesting concept: I get why a restaurant owner may want to run their business this way, but in doing so it alienates a segment of the population.  And if you're alienating a segment of the population, what other barriers are you putting in place that hinders an easy buy?

Just Finish It / Happenings In The Outhouse 13-Sept-2024

I started a short story based on a "what if" scenario a few months back.  I went only so far, then moved on when I felt stuck on where it should go.

But now it fits in with a possible publication submission that is due the end of the month, so I have been working at it.  In other words, I need to just finish it.

So many of us start projects that we don't finish.  There might've been a good reason to start it, but depending on the circumstances, we quit.  I urge you to finish those projects.  Get them out into the world.

Because this is the end of the quarter, I have not only one short story to do, but two.  The other is for another submission to Writers of the Future.

Types Of Goals / Happenings In The Outhouse 06-Sept-2024

I've touched on goals several times on this blog, and I want to enhance it a little.

If you're unfamiliar with Stephen Covey's time management system of the four quadrants, let me quickly summarize with this visual:

Now, where you want to spend the most of your time is quadrant 2.  This is where the works gets planned and executed.

For the longest time, I have planned out each quarter with my "Top 5" things to do.  But I recently discovered that this wasn't enough.  Back in college, I had a calendar where I tallied the number of pages I wrote in a single day.  I would total that number up each week, and it was my goal to make that number grow each week.

You may not have a top 5 for each day, but even a top 1-3 would make your life run more smoothly.  Set up daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and even yearly goals.  Each of these is different, and each works a different set of brain muscles.

Identifying Weaknesses / Happenings In The Outhouse 30-Aug-2024

"What is your greatest weakness?"

This is a loaded interview question because one doesn't want to admit they have a weakness.

However, if there are weaknesses that you can overcome, all the better.  On one hand, if I had a deep passion to be a top NBA player but I'm only five foot nine and have minimal basketball skills, my chances are pretty much nil.  On the other hand, if I have a fear of public speaking, I can take lessons and work to overcome them.

Sometimes it is difficult to identify your weaknesses.  Ask for feedback and don't get upset by the results.

Speaking of public speaking, I joined Toastmasters through my employer to help with my public speaking skills.  I won't divulge the various ways Toastmasters can help with this, as there are so many aspects of public speaking that one may not be aware of.  One aspect for me is essentially troubling, but it is a task I am willing to overcome with practice.  And Toastmasters helps me with that.

When you look at your weaknesses, try and discover a weakness that is realistic and that you can overcome.  Create baby steps to overcome it, to turn the weakness into either a strength or something that isn't so daunting.

Stamina And The Genre Snob / Happenings In The Outhouse 23-Aug-2024

Today's post is going to be a bit out of the norm.  Then again, when is it never . . . ?

Last weekend, my wife, three of our girls, and myself went to the Twin Cities to attend two concerts: Friday night was Metallica and Saturday night was Green Day.  We had a blast, to put it mildly.  I may deep dive into these concerts at a later time, but I want to touch on two things this week.  The first is stamina.

Green Day played, non-stop, for roughly two and a half hours.  With very few breaks.  And what breaks they did take were a few seconds at max.  They kept playing and playing and playing . . . to the point where I became exhausted.

Green Day has an enormous catalog of songs to choose from, and they played many of them.  Last year during the Bryan Adams concert, there were so many he played that I forgot that he even sang them.  Metallica also has an enormous catalog of songs.

What does this mean for the writer?  Simple: keep writing.  Ten years ago, I had written five full length novels and maybe a handful of short stories.  Now, I have over 60 individual stories, from novels to short stories and even a few flash fiction.  I keep going.

The second is what I am calling the genre snob.  The last song Green Day played was "Good Riddance (Time of your Life)".  After the concert, I overheard someone saying they didn't like the song and that it was outside of their genre--hence the reason they did not like it.

The genre snob isn't limited to musicians.  Take Stephen King and John Grisham.  King is known for horror, yet some of his better books are the ones that are not horror.  Grisham is known for his legal thrillers, and his better books are not in that genre.  It's okay to step out of the genre you're in.  Even reading the Wikipedia page on the Green Day song "Good Riddance" they note that the song was outside of the other songs.

Yet it is one song they are best known for.

Another Short One / Happenings In The Outhouse 16-Aug-2024

I'm over 3,000 words into a new short story, to be submitted for consideration for publication in a monthly magazine that only has allowed submissions by those who contributed to their Kickstarter.  Sorry, can't disclose any more than that.

The story is going well--much better than anticipated.  I'm trying some new techniques in creating greater depth in my stories and hoping it turns out well.

12,000 Books And Counting / Happenings In The Outhouse 09-Aug-2024

I have well over 12,000 books on my Kindle.

Will I get a chance to read them all?  Not a chance.

I recently went through all of them, downloaded the ones that I want to read, and then categorized them given their topic.  I have whittled that list down to roughly 1,500 to read.  Yes, that is still quite a "to read" pile.

Now is the task of going through each book that interests me, and reading it.

Sometimes, tasks that seem daunting at first can be looked at from a different perspective.  The task may still be daunting, but not quite as much.

Battling Complacency / Happenings In The Outhouse 02-Aug-2024

It's easy to stay in one spot, be it career or job position or hobbies or place of residence or . . . well, just about anything at this point.

But what if . . . 

Now, I'm not saying that everyone should quit their job, abandon their hobbies, and move away.  But if you are given an opportunity to do something different, even for a little while, what's stopping you?

Best Time To Prepare / Happenings In The Outhouse 26-July-2024

There is an adage that says (I'm paraphrasing here): when is the best time to prepare?  Let's take retirement saving for example or career advancement.  Answer: five years ago (or some time in the distant past).  When is the second best time?  Today.

Obviously, no one has a time machine to go back, to give yourself financial or career advice years ago, knowing how it all ends up.  But preparing for whatever change is taking place, the best time is now.  Not tomorrow.  Not next week or month or year.  Now.

If you do not, then you'll look back five years from now and wish that you had done something different.

How is the world changing?  What can you do to study now that will pay dividends down the road?

Moving Forward / Happenings In The Outhouse 19-July-2024

This will be another short one.

Last weekend, my wife and I had our wedding reception, open to the public.  It was a fun time seeing family and friends, and some I have not seen in a long, long time.

Now it's back to writing.

Still working on my fun short story, and I have just backed a Kickstarter that will allow me to submit new stories to another market that isn't normally open.  I'm optimistic that my chances of landing a coveted spot are extremely low, but it's the feedback I'm looking for mostly.

Of course, publication would be amazing too.  Overall, just looking to be a much better writer.

Pay Attention To What You Are Learning / Happenings In The Outhouse 12-July-2024

Pay close attention to what you are learning.

I had a meeting with one of my colleagues and they were asking what they should be doing to prepare for an upcoming leadership role.

This is an interesting question, and can be applied to many jobs or learnings as there is a multitude of information out there.  Take leadership for a moment.  There are a ton of books, and they run the gambit from dreadful to spectacular.  Okay, so how do you know?  You don't.  And here's the caveat: what one finds no value in, others do.

I have read a lot about time management over the years, and there are good ideas and there . . . well, mediocre ones at best.  But what one finds that works, others do not.  And vice versa.

It's easy to get caught up in the soaking up of knowledge.  In the end, the best way is to actually do the job.  Take writing.  The best way I have found is to sit down and write.  Read too, but also write.

Laser Focus Goals / Happenings In The Outhouse 05-July-2024

Last week, I wrote out my "Next 5 Things" to do for the next three months.  I have been doing this for a number of years now, and it is important that I do this, to focus my energy on what needs to be done in the near future.

I will not share what I wrote, but I am determined to laser focus my goals and achieve as many as possible.  I am utilizing Heinlein's Rules of Writing.  Of which I have utilized before but am becoming more intentional now.

The rules are:

1) You must write.

2) You must finish what you start.

3) You must refrain from rewriting except to editorial demand.

4) You must put it on the market.

5) You must keep it on the market until sold.

Seems simple.

But you would be surprised at how few writers actually do this, then wonder why they aren't successful.  Not that I'm a big name author with big name money.

But at least I'm working at it, and having fun.

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.

Switching Gears / Happenings In The Outhouse 31-May-2024

With all that's been going on these past few months, with cleaning out our basement and preparing for my youngest daughter's graduation, I found myself stuck on my latest short story.

So I switched gears.  An idea popped into my head one day, and I sat down to start writing it.  I have no idea where I'm going with it, no idea the genre, but I'm slowly working on it.

Keeping this one short today.  Hope to have more next week.

Proud Dad Moment Number Three #prouddad / Happenings In The Outhouse 24-May-2024

Today is yet another #prouddad moment.  My youngest daughter (not including a stepdaughter that is finishing up 7th grade) is graduating from high school today.  Mykayla has certainly grown into an exceptional young lady these past number of years.  A few weeks ago, she took home several awards and scholarships (much like her older sister Mariah), and by the end of the summer will be heading off to North Dakota State University with, so far, an undeclared major.

She has a very creative, determined mind, and is very talented when it comes to creative activities.  This past year for speech competition, she not only wrote on speech from scratch, for rewrote it in its entirety twice, and tweaked it here and there for the next few weeks thereafter.  She has blossomed in her theatrical skills too, and was a valued member of the drama team.

Her career interests are vast, and with an undeclared major the field is wide open for what she can accomplish.  Her other interests are also as vast as myself, from superheroes and Star Wars to Doctor Who and board games.  She is one of the kindest and appreciative young people I know, and is always quick to say "Thank you!"

Mykayla has been a type 1 diabetic since she was three, and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the subject.  Not only has she helped her older sister navigate this new world of diabetes since September 2023, she has given advice to her older brother who was a little younger when he got diabetes.

Her life will be interesting to watch as she will soon find her place in this world.

Cleaning House / Happenings In The Outhouse 17-May-2024

For the past month and a half, my wife and I have been cleaning out the basement.  Getting rid of old stuff that should've been thrown out long ago and organizing the rest for a more comfortable living space.

One of these areas is an office room.  I used to do the majority of my writing in that room, until circumstances with my late wife made it so I had to do it upstairs.

I have still been writing.  Right now, I'm in the beginning of a new tale, one that I have had the bones of in the back of my mind.  I'm at a point where I don't know where to go, but that's okay.  I'll brainstorm my way of out it, like I do all my other stories that I have gotten stuck in.

Control Your Calendar / Happenings In The Outhouse 10-May-2024

It is important to get control of your calendar.

Everyone is getting pulled in different directions, and with the advent of technology it seems like our time and attention is getting pulled even more.

It pays dividends to focus on one item at a time without distractions.  If you're doing your taxes, I wouldn't suggest watching a movie at the same time as well as washing dishes and playing your meals for the next week.  Even if you do one thing for an hour and take a small break, that's fine as long as you're doing just one thing at a time.

Also, multi-tasking and doing it well is a myth.  Trust me, there is research to back it up.  I won't link to any studies here.  If you don't believe me, look for yourself.

Learn what is important to you and put those things on your calendar.  Because if you don't control your time, someone else will.

Still Writing / Happenings In The Outhouse 03-May-2024

A lot of these posts seem to resonate the same: I'm still writing, I'm still working on short stories, I'm still . . . I'm still . . .

I'm not insinuating that my life is just a resolving door of doing the same thing, but in a way there are pieces of it that is.  And I'm okay with that.  I love writing.  I enjoy it immensely.  I love creating worlds and characters, putting them in situations and having them work itself out.

I am currently cleaning up a short story I had sent off and got some great feedback.  It has been months since I first wrote it, and I get it now.  I am cleaning it up.

I have nearly finished all of the stories that have been sitting on the backlog, and now I'm ready to send them out into the world.

Whatever your dream is, do it.  Keep doing it.

Another Story Completed And What's Next / Happenings In The Outhouse 26-April-2024

I have finished another short story, one that I had started months ago but got sidetracked because I didn't know exactly where to go with it.  In fact, this was during the time I was overthinking my stories and I didn't like much of what I had written.

So I put it off to the side, got my mind straight, and did something else.

Then, I tackled a few other stories before it was time to go at this one.  Without spoiling it, this has a post apocalyptic feel to it blending in the nuances of the movie A Quiet Place.

I then finished a final read on another short story and sent it off.

Now, in reviewing my ever-growing backlog of short stories, I'm going to start submitting the rest of them, to get them out into the publishing ether.  Just trying to work on Heinlein's Five Rules, you know.

Stay tuned . . . 

Sucked Into The Negative / Happenings In The Outhouse 19-April-2024

It's so easy to get sucked into the black hole that is negativity.

Happens all the time in social media and even in real life.

A few weeks ago, the company I work with made a decision on shifting some employees around to other departments.  They even so far as to offer them the opportunity to work in newly formed departments or offer positions in a variety of other departments.  The department they were currently in was being shifted overseas (where there was already an office).

Now, where is the negativity in this?  Online via social media, of course.  And across the region's news outlets.  The majority of the headlines and articles were slanted against the company, and did not reflect the true picture of what was going on.

I am in no way, shape, or form backing what the company was doing, as it could have done a much better job of communicating.  That being said, it brings to light the bigger picture of negativity.  I read the comments and shook my head at how misinformed people are.

So I digress: do not get sucked into the mire of negativity.  Move on.  Take a step back and see the bigger picture.

Natural Born / Happenings In The Outhouse 12-April-2024

No one is a "natural born" anything.

Yes, I agree that we're all inclined one way or another when it comes to certain tasks.  Some have innate abilities toward gardening or automotive repair or cooking or carpentry or writing or drawing or whatever else, but no one comes right out of the womb with abilities born in us.

What brings this on was the newest season of Hell's Kitchen on Tubi.  My wife and I watched it, and so many of the aspiring chefs kept saying they were a natural born leader, etc.  No one is a natural born leader.  Or anything else, for that matter.

And if you need to say it out loud, clearly you're not one.

Rant over.

What are some things you naturally aspire to do?

When Cop Stuff Is Not Told Right / Happenings In The Outhouse 05-April-2024

This goes with any profession.  From law enforcement to nursing, from plumbing to pilots, and a host of other things, it's difficult to get all of the details right.

As a former law enforcement officer, with years of experience throughout many aspects of that profession, it irks me when I see shows where things are so wrong.  My wife and I just finished watching the hit TV show Sons of Anarchy.  We loved it, but there were aspects of both law enforcement and nursing that struck us both.

It's difficult to get all of the details right, but when some are so blatant (cocking back the hammer on a Glock pistol, for example) I just shake my head as it throws me right out of a story.

The storyline for SOA was complex and entertaining.  Yes, you were cheering on the bad guy, but when there were varying degrees of badness, you seemed to be cheering on some more than others.

The first thing that struck me was that city cops typically wear blue.  County deputies wear brown.  All of the city cops in SOA wore brown.  And when it came to hospitals and security, that seemed to be thrown right out the window with SOA.  No one should be able to walk into a hospital administrator's office or a doctor's office that is closed.

In a nutshell, if you're going to make things far-fetched as SOA had done, do it well when it comes to story.

It's all in the details.

And I could go on with this.  I probably will in future posts . . .

End of Q1 2024 / Happenings In The Outhouse 29-March-2024

We are nearing the end of the first quarter of 2024.

What does this mean?  It means I will review my "Next 5 Things" list for this quarter, what I accomplished, what I didn't, and will then write up my list of goals for the next three months.

I have been doing this for quite some time.  I like the process of narrowing my goals to 5 major things.  If I need to add or revise (I rarely subtract; in fact I never do), then I'll do so.

These 5 things revolve around the 3 major segments of my business: research and development, production, and sales.  In other words, I keep feeding my learning of this business, I work on whatever I'm working on, and will also get them out into the world.

Another Short One / Happenings In The Outhouse 22-March-2024

Another short one today.

Still writing, working on a new short story.  More on it next week.

Organizing Stories / Happenings In The Outhouse 15-March-2024

I have kept a spreadsheet of all my writing--from finished and published stories to works in progress--for a long time.  It's interesting to see this list grow over these past number of years.

But I have been running into an issue lately that I may need to revamp it.  It's a good problem to have, truth be told.  With close to 60 stories to keep track of, I need to rethink how I have them organized.  Specifically, the short stories that I am submitting for publication or contests.

How you organize your stories is up to you.  But I stress that you at least keep track of them, even if all of them are self-published.  Whether you go physically writing them down to organizing them electronically (or both) is what you feel most comfortable with.

As a side note: I will NOT share how I'm organizing because it's unnecessary and it may not work for you.  So please do not ask.

Another Story Completed / Happenings In The Outhouse 08-March-2024

A short one today.

In the next week or two, I'll write a post on the hit TV show Sons of Anarchy.  My wife and I have been binge watching it--she had already seen the entire series 5-6 times and loves to watch my reaction to each twist and turn.  As of this writing, we have finished the 5th season (there are 7 seasons total) and are well into season 6.

I finished a short story, as part of an online class I had taken several months back--the assignment had no time limit, which gave me ample time to complete it.

I have two stories now completed lately, so now I'm going back for a final sweep and then sending it out.

The Toxic Mix of Politics And Entertainment Creators / Happenings In The Outhouse 01-March-2024

I wrote this post over six years ago, and I can still remember the circumstances that led to it.

And I will repeat this again, because someone very publicly came out recently and trashed someone.  All because this person had a letter by their name.  Yes, it boils down to politics and whether or not the person in question has an R or a D by their name.

I don't give a pass to anyone.  Period.  No one is perfect.

Now, I would LOVE to state here who I am speaking about--and I apologize for being so cryptic--but I will not.  In rare instances have I done this, and I'm not starting now.

Bottom line: do not mix politics if you are in the entertainment business.  Unless it is the clear focus of the content you are creating, please stop.  It alienates others on one side of the political aisle.

The person is question is a big name author, with a series of books that he can't seem to finish after several years and two HBO series in the same world.  This person completely demonized someone and completely ignored another, all because they have an R by their name.  He gives a complete pass to those with a D by their name.

Yes, I am talking about Republicans and Democrats.

Do not give anyone a pass.  If you demonize one side without criticizing the other, you are being a complete hypocrite.

Stop doing that.  Seriously, stop it.

There, rant over . . .

Freedom To Let Your Creative Mind Flow / Happenings In The Outhouse 23-Feb-2024

I had an interesting conversation with my youngest daughter last week.  She's in speech competition and was in the process of writing her creative speech.  But she kept hitting a roadblock and didn't know how to finish it.  She reached out to a few others for help, but in fact got more roadblocks.  An English teacher told her to use some formulaic path to writing the story, and this only frustrated her more.

Once I heard her out, I told her to throw away all of the advice she had given.  Her eyes grew wide, then I told her to brainstorm as many ideas as she could.

"The first few ideas will be easy but you won't want to use them," I said.  "By the time you get eight, ten, twelve ideas down, that's where the great ideas will be.  The ones that will spark the direction your story will go."

When seeking advice from others, please be aware that not all advice is good.  In fact, no offense to the others, but they aren't a creative like my daughter and myself.  I knew how to speak the language of a creative.

When you feel stuck on a project, sit alone and just brainstorm.  Let your mind go.  Let it be free.  You will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Now, on a side note, there is nothing wrong with the advice regarding formulas to writing.  There are a variety of methods, but I knew for her it would just confuse her.  So I kept it simple.  And guess what?  She finished it!

Keep Practicing / Happenings In The Outhouse 16-Feb-2024

I realized the problem I have been having lately.  I have been doing too much thinking with a critical mind instead of just putting my creative foot forward and doing the work.

For me, writing is fun.  And the more I do it, the better I will become.  Not all stories will work.  That much I know, but I need to keep at it, keep writing.

Life happens.  It happens to us all.  At this point, I had a quarterly goal of a certain number of short stories to be written.  Right now I am no where near that point . . . even though the quarterly is roughly halfway complete.

Even if I don't make it, I still made progress.

Troublesome Story Finished / Happenings In The Outhouse 09-Feb-2024

My latest short story is completed.  I finished it Monday morning, and have been doing some small editing this week.  Along with a new title.  I didn't like the original title, as my original vision for the story has changed (as happens often for me).

I will be submitting it to a contest, so once it's away then I'm on to the next story.

Stay tuned . . .

Still Overthinking / Happenings In The Outhouse 02-Feb-2024

Overthinking.

Yup, I'm still doing it.

Some authors call it the critical brain getting in the way of your thinking.  I agree, that's what is happening to me.

I've been working on a short story for a number of weeks now, tweaking here and there, and I've hit a point where I don't know where to go.  When I looked at it from a larger picture, I realized that I was overthinking.

In the past, I've had no troubles working through a story (for the most part).  If I hit a troublesome spot, I'd brainstorm about it.

So, that's what I did.  I should have it done shortly.

A Long Shot / Happenings In The Outhouse 26-Jan-2024

Publishing, in the more traditional sense, is a long shot.

And publishing short stories is no exception.

I have been submitting short stories for the past 5-6 months to a certain publication, whose doors were opened to only those who contributed to their Kickstarter campaign.  For me, I knew it was a long shot but wanted both the feedback as well as the opportunity to push myself to write something that fit the guidelines.

So far, I have gotten feedback on a few.  No, none of my stories have been selected, but what's just as valuable is the feedback.

It's a long shot, and frankly that's okay.  I'm still going to keep writing and keep submitting.  This year I am setting goals of doing a lot more short stories.  I'll let you know what progress I'm making.

Four Years And Four Days

Four years and four days ago, I lost my first wife after a long debilitating illness.  It took me a year and a half to get the courage to try my hand at dating again (the pandemic certainly didn't help).  I didn't know if that's what God's plan was--and I was prepared either way.

I prayed long and hard, and wouldn't you know it, God gave me another chance at love.

Today, after a very short engagement, I will once again marry my best friend, my most trusted confidante, my true love.

I love you, Melissa!  Thank you for making my life great again, as we build a life together!

Big News / Happenings In The Outhouse 19-Jan-2024

Keeping this one short today.

I have a big announcement coming up tomorrow.  It's a personal announcement, not a writing one.

Stay tuned . . .

The Time For Your Craft / Happenings In The Outhouse 12-Jan-2024

I set my alarm at 6am every morning.  Well, not on the weekends, but during the week I do.

But I still write, no matter the day of the week.

We all feel like we're running a rat race these days, not knowing which way is up.  But if you are serious about your craft--whatever that craft is; in my case it's writing so that's what I'll use--you will make the time for it.  Even if you don't feel like it, carve out the time.  Even a few minutes here and there is good, although if you're serious, you'll want to set aside the time.

Lessons Learned From Hell's Kitchen / Happenings In The Outhouse 05-Jan-2024

My girlfriend and I have been watching the Gordon Ramsey show Hell's Kitchen for the past few months.  We started with the latest two seasons, 19 and 20, then went back to the beginning.  It is interesting to see how the show has evolved over the years, season after season.

Now, full disclosure, my girlfriend has already seen most seasons of the show, and loves to see my reaction to who eventually wins each season when she knew typically about halfway through the season.  We are currently on season 10, and there are things I notice that each contestant of the show should learn.

Keep in mind, it's a reality TV show, which means it's not real.  Not reality.  Many things are set up for entertainment purposes, so a lot of the drama and back-stabbing I get is not real.

I wrote a blog post almost twelve years ago that delved into this very topic, about learning by watching TV.

Now, what we have learned so far is this:

First: never talk back to Gordon Ramsey.  Never.  No matter what.  Trust me, you'll regret it if you do.

Second: learn to take criticism.  He will call you every name in the book, but you should never take it personally.  He is testing you, to see how well you can take criticism.

Third: work hard and communicate.

Fourth: if you lost a certain challenge and need to do some awful task, do it with dignity and stop complaining.  All you're doing is making yourself look like a whiny prick if you do.  Also, when someone wins a challenge, be happy for them and keep working.

Fifth: if you win a challenge, it doesn't mean you are the absolute best.  And do not gloat over you winning the challenge.

Sixth: tell the truth.  Ramsey wants to hear the truth, short and sweet.

Seventh: stop victim blaming.  The reason a dish or dinner service didn't go as planned is just as much your fault as others.  Take it in the chin and move on.

Eighth: if something isn't the best, do not send it up to Ramsey.  Meaning, if you know something is under or overcooked, tell him immediately.  Communicate!

I'm sure there will be others that come up, but these are the top eight I can think of at the moment.  Now take these lessons into the rest of your life.

P.S.: Rest In Peace Petrozza.