Being Thankful / Happenings In The Outhouse 26-Nov-2021

Today, and everyday, I am thankful.

Thankful that I am alive.

Thankful for my health.

Thankful that I have been presented with opportunities, and I have been given the insight to pursue a number of those opportunities.

Thankful for my loving family, my extended family, and even the new family that God has brought us together.

It is easy to go through life looking at the negative side of everything.  I could say, oh sure I'm alive but my first wife died and many people I have known are no longer with us.  I could say, my health isn't the best as it could be and no matter what I do it doesn't seem to get better.  I could also say that I have a job with a steady paycheck, and I have published several stories of varying length, but I'm not rich and famous like I want to be.

I am thankful for what the Lord has given me.

Look to the positive side of life.  There is too much going on to focus on the negative.

Be thankful for what you have.  Even if you struggle with finding a single thing, it's there.

Long Than Expected, And That's Okay / Happenings In The Outhouse 19-Nov-2021

My current work-in-progress is at the halfway mark near 60,000 words.

It has taken me longer to get this done, and frankly that's okay.  It's a larger book than any I've published so far--keep in mind, I say published, not written.  I have written three books--this being one of them--that are quite large in the similar word count range.

I looked back to when I started it, and honestly I thought by the end of the year I'd be able to publish it.  Now it will be well into 2022 when that happens, maybe by spring.

And I'm okay with it.

First, it is a larger book than usual--about double the length of many of my other novels, which run around 50,000 to 60,000 on average.

Second, I want to make sure the story is done right.  When it was first written, much of the writing was amateurish.  The story was still there, but there are new elements I'm adding now that are enriching the story.  Using the old story as an outline has both its challenges and advantages.

Lastly, my personal life has taken a turn for the better.  Now, it hasn't eaten into my writing time.  In a way, it has enhanced it.

It's all good.

The Jesus Moment (In Character Development) / Happenings In The Outhouse 12-Nov-2021

I recall in the movie Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill as the fabled superhero Superman when, during a tornado, his earthly father (portrayed by Kevin Costner), was swallowed up by the storm.  Moments before, young Clark Kent was on the verge of racing to save him, but Jonathan Kent held out a hand and told him no.

It wasn't time.

That was his Jesus moment.

Throughout the Gospel books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, there are numerous times when Jesus performed a miracle and then told the recipient to tell no one about what happened.  For the longest time, I never understood why He would do this.

Then, as I studied the Bible more in depth, I realized the timeline of the events in question.  They were during the times when Jesus chose not to reveal Himself yet as the Son of God.  He did what was right in performing His miracles, but did not want the truth behind it to be known until it was the right time.

Go back to many of your favorite stories to see where the Jesus moment is.  The characters go through much training, or journey so far, until their Jesus moment comes upon them.

How long did Luke Skywalker train before he was revealed to Darth Vader?

How long did Harry Potter lie in wait, until the protection of his aunt and uncle's home, before he was permitted to attend Hogwarts?

When did Batman become the famed vigilante that he is known for?

How about Bilbo Baggins?

Or Paul Atreides from Dune?

Or Clarice Starling?

The list, my friend, can go on and on.

Two New Short Stories / Happenings In The Outhouse 05-Nov-2021

Last year, I wrote two short stories for publication, either through some contests or SWFA approved short fiction contests.

Alas, despite the lack of success on them being selected, I have decided to publish them now for you.

The first is "Outside In Job".

This was a fun story to write, inspired by a chance encounter when my youngest daughter was looking for something.  Here is the blurb: "There is something about Mitzy that Kent Schofield can't figure out.  Something strange, fantastical.  she has such an effect on him that she has him doing things he wouldn't normally do.

Like robbing a bank.

But what choice does he have?  He will do anything to please her."

The other short story is "Sloan's Mercy."

This is a superhero origin story about Gabriel Sloan, whom appears in my Order of Freaks superhero series.  Here is the blurb: "Gabriel Sloan didn't know where her special abilities come from.  Or why.  But despite her young age, she is determined to fight for justice any way she can.

Even if those ways label her as a vigilante."

Enjoy!

Let's Talk Villains / Happenings In The Outhouse 29-Oct-2021

A few weeks ago, I watched the latest installment of the Halloween franchise on the big screen.  It was bloody fun and full of lovely gore, which you'd expected from a slasher flick.

It did not disappoint.

And the box office numbers showed too.

On the drive home, I pondered other fictional villains, such as Hannibal Lector, Darth Vader, Freddie Krueger, Pinhead, and Jason Voorhees, just to name a few.  I did a deep dive into the top villains from TV and the big screen, and the list was quite massive.

Do they have elements in common?

If anything, they're downright evil.  Their characteristics host a wide range from the clever and sinister to a single-mindedness of brute force.  On a side note, the same could be said about the side of good too.  Heroes and Heroines come in many flavors.

Another common element is that, by and large, they are not easy to destroy--the exception is the ending of Dracula.  The fabled vampire's death was so minimal, covering only a few sentences, that I almost threw the book in the trash.

The last element (okay, I'm sure there are others, but that's all I'm covering right now) is that they are unique.  No one can mistaken Hannibal Lector with other run-of-the-mill serial killers.  Or Freddie Krueger with other rules of our darkest nightmares.

So, many of the great and infamous fictional villains are pure evil, difficult to destroy/kill, and unique.

Routines And Impulsivity / Happenings In The Outhouse 22-Oct-2021

Everyone has routines, whether they believe it or not.  Some have more than others.  Even if you seem to do little each day, that's still a routine of accomplishing little.

Being impulsive is acting against those routines.

So imagine the lazy bum who sits around all day, watching TV, accomplishing very little.  One day that bum decides to change it up and read a book.

Okay, maybe this is a little extreme, but you get the idea.

If you are a routine-minded person, how well do you take to change?

Adding a sense of impulsivity can make life a bit more interesting.  Or maybe a lot, depending on what it is.  It is easy to get into a rut, to do the same things over and over again.  Try it.  Be impulsive.  Go for a drive.  Someplace you hadn't planned on going.

Go to a restaurant you've never been to.

Go to a movie you would never go to.

Do something to get yourself out of a rut.  You may not even realize you're in a rut.

My life pretty much turned for the better about 2-3 months ago, depending on where you point.  This person pointed out my routines, which she admired, but at the same time I had to break myself out of.  And that's a good thing.

Life is about change.

Change can be good.

More Progress / Happenings In The Outhouse 15-Oct-2021

I am making decent progress with my latest novel.  I have surpassed the 48,000 word mark, and I still have plenty left to write--honestly, I'm not even at the halfway mark.

It's interesting, looking over what I had written decades ago as an outline.  I am enriching the story so much more this time around, expanding storylines here and removing storylines there.

I don't have much more to say at this point.  Between work, writing, stuff at home, and juggling a new relationship, my time is precious.

And so is yours.

Don't waste it.