Omnivores : The Weekly Post

Chapter Three Now Up

Posted by jstro jstro

on Mon 19 of Jan., 2009 09:39 CST

Chapter Three Now Up

Chapter Three of Max Mann and the Alley of Death is now up on my other blog, Mad Utopia (external link)

. The blog just has a teaser with a link to the full chapter, and at the bottom is a clickable table of contents, so you can start from the beginning.
~jon

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I Too, Have a Dream

Posted by jstro jstro

on Sat 17 of Jan., 2009 16:20 CST

I Too, Have a Dream

I bought a sheet cake today. Just a little one, 1/8th size to be exact. My daughter was with me. She asked, “And why do we need a cake?” Bless her soul, she worries about my weight. I told her it was to celebrate the inauguration. She got on board right away.

I've never celebrated an inauguration before. Oh, I've been pleased to see the White House turn over before, but I've never actually celebrated. This time a celebration seems in order.

How fitting that inauguration day comes the day after Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. Could there possibly be a more poignant reminder of just how far we have come as a nation, as a culture, than to have a black man take the oath of office just one day after the national holiday that marks the birth of the magnificent dreamer?

I am not black. I have no idea what it feels like to be black. But I have eyes. I have ears. I have felt the pain of others vicariously. There is still a long way to go as far as race relations go in this country. Not just black and white race relations.

But this weekend I can celebrate, not just the exit of a President I don't care for, or the swearing in of a man I greatly admire, but a sea change in society.

Thank God for dreams.
~jon

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Max Is Out of the Box

Posted by jstro jstro

on Mon 05 of Jan., 2009 19:03 CST

Max Is Out of the Box

I posted chapter one of Max Mann and the Alley of Death on my new writer's blog (external link)

today. If you would like to follow the adventures of Max check in at Mad Utopia every Monday. I post after I get home from work, so the new installments generally won't be available until mid to late afternoons, Central Time.

The new website is off to a decent start. I've gotten more hits over there than I've ever gotten here. Hopefully that's a good sign.

If you have been following my mini-series on using Twitter, the next installment on that will also be at Mad Utopia, since it is primarily important to me as a writer. I'll have the next one up tomorrow.

So, from here on out you'll see only personal interest stuff here, which is to say nothing interesting at all. Unless, of course, you like beagles, gardening, and cycling.

Hope to see you at Mad Utopia, but you'll also always be welcome here.
~jon

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A New Beginning

Posted by jstro jstro

on Thu 01 of Jan., 2009 13:38 CST

A New Beginning

No, it's not about a Star Wars episode. It's about a new year, and a new venture for me. Today I launch JMStrother.com (external link)

, my new website dedicated to my writing career. What writing career? Well, exactly. The career I am launching today. Happy New Year indeed!

The Weekly Post will continue on, but the focus here will shift to personal interest almost exclusively. Topics dealing with writing will be posted in my new blog, Mad Utopia (external link)

, on my new website. The change accomplishes two things. It keeps my personal and professional interests separate and more focused, and it decouples my professional endeavors from Omnivores.org. This is, after all, the website of my readers group and not intended for my own self promotion.

So Happy New Year, everyone. If you'd like to keep up with my writing career be sure to visit my new website. If you're more interested in the Omnivores, gardening, and cycling, then keep reading here. I hope you'll follow them both. Best for '09.
~jon

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Panning For Gold

Posted by jstro jstro

on Tue 30 of Dec., 2008 20:39 CST

Panning For Gold

Last time I talked about how I use Twitter not so much to build my platform (27 followers does not a best selling author make) but to glean useful information from the world of the web. Granted, I enjoy having 27 followers (what were they thinking?), but they provide more than a mere ego boost.

It may be safe to assume they are following me, and I follow them, because we have similar interests. I'm interested in writing, the ins and outs of getting published, space exploration and research. So I look for and follow people (I use that term loosely, as we will see) in those fields. Then, on the assumption that the people they follow also share similar interests (and therefore my interests), I mine them. That is, I check out who they are following.

It's like panning for gold.

Case in point: I did a Twitter Find People search for Archon. Now the Archon I was interested is not really a person. There is an archon guy out there who actually is a person, but not the Archon I was looking for. The Archon I was looking for is a science fiction convention. You see, not all the people on Twitter are actually, well you know, people.

Archon is a local science fiction convention I regularly attend. I've written about it before. My theory was that if Archon Twittered I could see who they followed. Since cons tend to deal with folks like authors, editors, agents, and publishers I thought it might be a good vein to tap into.

My search for Archon failed to find them directly. But I did find @archonmasq (external link)

. That just had to be the masquerade committee. So I clicked on them. Sure enough, @archonmasq follows @ArchonStl (external link)

, and @ArchonStl is the science fiction convention's Twitter feed. From @ArchonStl I found, and now follow @norton_fiction (external link)

, @IDWPublishing (external link)

, @bantamspectra (external link)

, and others. Now if any of these feeds tweet a valuable lead, I'll be in the know.

And, you guessed it, I then went out and looked to see who these nice people follow. Like a certain bunny, it just keeps going and going...

I did mention that there are some tools to help you find simpatico Tweeters last time. But I've actually found the panning for gold method more useful. I'll get to those tools in a future installment. Until then, tweet tweet!
~jon

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Does Twitter Suck, Or What?

Posted by jstro jstro

on Fri 26 of Dec., 2008 16:53 CST

Does Twitter Suck, Or What?

That was sort of my first reaction.

I was told back in October that I should sign up for Twitter (external link)

to help build out my platform. It seems every writer needs a platform for self promotion and name recognition, even before they become published. At least that was the buzz at Archon, a local science fiction convention I regularly attend. So I dutifully came home, signed up for Twitter and made my first Tweet.

Then I went to Everyone, in the side menu, and was stunned to see that my tweet was already gone, scrolled off the page. Things move fast in the Twitter universe.

So what good could this possibly be? And do I really care if someone's “ingrown toenail effing HURTS!!!! argh!!! less than 5 seconds ago from web”? I don't think so.

I began to mock Twitter in some of my conversations, both live and online. I saw people claim that they had connected to “many” potential customers and long lost friends. Frankly, my dear, I didn't get it.

Well, I am finally starting to get it.

I am still not convinced that Twitter will be all that important for me to build my platform. I suspect that unless and until I become a published author of some note most people will not search me out on Twitter and become “Followers”. (Besides, the whole “Followers” thing sounds sort of 'Jim Jones' creepy to me.) If I do happen to become semi-famous then perhaps a true following will develop. In the mean time I've discovered the real value of Twitter.

What might that be?

There really are people and organizations on Twitter worth following. I'm a writer. So it makes sense for me to follow the movers and shakers in the editing and publishing business. I write science fiction, among other things, so it makes sense for me to follow people and organizations that deal with leading edge science and technology as well as space exploration.

So I've begun following some of these people. As I find more of them, I'll follow them too. The trick is finding the right people to follow. There are tools to help you do that. I'll talk about some of them, and share some of my favorite tweeters in the future.

Then there is the actual social aspect of it all. I have connected with friends in my readers group, some local authors, folks in the online writers forum (external link)

that I frequent. I get meaningful updates from all of them. That's pretty nice all on its own, platform be damned.

So, do you get it? I mean, like, are you following me, man?
~jon

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It's A Wrap

Posted by jstro jstro

on Wed 24 of Dec., 2008 18:38 CST

It's A Wrap

Well, not quite. There are still seven more days to go before the end of 2008. But Christmas Eve seems as good a time as any for a year in review post.

I wrote up the Omnivores Newsletter last week. I compiled a list of all the books we read, in both groups. Once compiled I was ashamed of my track record. I did not actually get around to reading many of the selections. What's the point of a readers group if you don't read the books? Doh! I'll have to do better next year, but that's another posting.

Vacation was very exciting this year. I cut the grass. So much for that report.

We went to Archon (external link)

this year. Archon always re-energizes my writing. I love to attend panel discussions on the nuts and bolts of writing and getting published. Archon is a very writer-friendly Con. They even sponsor a short story contest each year. Unfortunately I did not submit a short story this time, but will next year.

One of the sessions I attended at Archon addressed the importance of using social software to build your platform. I took the speaker at his word, came home, and signed up for Twitter (external link)

. I was not very impressed at first. As time passed however, I began to become a believer. The service is a nice way to keep in touch with friends and to follow people who have something to say worth listening to. Not everyone discusses washing their socks.

I have also signed up for Facebook (external link)

. It seems 2008 was the year of social software. I've configured Twitter to feed Facebook, which is handy. There are definite possibilities there. I've never understood authors who don't have their own web page. Now I don't understand authors who don't have their own Facebook page. Not that I have an extensive network of followers; thirteen at Twitter and nine on Facebook so far. But everyone has to start somewhere.

I joined a new writer's forum, Editor Unleased (external link)

, and like it so much I volunteered to be a Moderator. EU is the best writer's forum I've ever been involved with (and I've been in a few). Maria Scheider, former editor of Writer's Digest, has the site well organized and keeps the atmosphere very welcoming. The site is useful, friendly, and has the best critiques area I've ever encountered. You don't get namby-pamby crits there, such as, “I really liked this.” You get real feedback that actually helps improve your writing. I strongly recommend Editor Unleashed for would be authors (published authors too, for that matter). She also has a useful blog (external link)

.

NaNoWriMo (external link)

consumed the month of November. I hit the goal of 50,000 words but did not actually finish the novel. I have resolved to do so before the end of the year. It still lacks about a half dozen chapters. I think I have a good story going, and will work on polishing it in '09.

And 2008 turned out to be a very good year for submissions. That is, I actually started submitting things again. I even won a short story contest, worth about $85 in prizes. I still have several things pending: two poems and a micro flash. So the news may get even better, though I won't hold my breath.

2008 turned out to be a pretty good year. I'm gruntled.

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Peace of Mind

Posted by jstro jstro

on Fri 19 of Dec., 2008 19:44 CST

Today was a good news day. My friend Judy has been working on my dead laptop for some time now. While she has not given up hope (though I have) she knew I wanted my old files from the Gateway transferred over to my new Dell laptop. The sooner the better. So she brought in the hard drive today, along with a nifty little disk transfer device, the Bytecc USB 2.0 Drive Mate.

When the computer repair shop told me my laptop was dead and not worth repairing I was fairly upset. All of my creative endeavors were on that laptop – novels, novellas, short stories, poems, and photographs. They allayed my fears, telling me there was no reason to assume there was anything wrong with the hard drive. The motherboard had simply gone kaput.

So I did not panic. I decided that once I got a new laptop I'd just transfer all those old files over, and then use the old hard drive as extra storage.

Well, the new laptop has arrived. So today Judy brought the hard drive back to me, along with her Bytecc, so I could begin down that long road to recovery.

The long road was short. Once I hooked up the Bytecc the data was transferred in short order. The true test was to actually open some of the files and see if my old Open Office 1.x formatted novels would fire up in Open Office 3.0. Hooray! They did. So now I have all my old stuff back.

I have learned a bit of a lesson here. I signed up for Mozy – a free off-site backup service. My novels are being backed up even as I type this. And they will be every day from here on out. So, should any mysterious gremlins ever come and wreak havoc on this laptop, I'll still have access to all my files.

Now that is peace of mind.

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New PC Today!

Posted by jstro jstro

on Wed 17 of Dec., 2008 21:34 CST

Santa came early this year, in the form of a FedEx driver. I got my new Dell Studio 17 inch laptop today. The first thing I did was dump Internet Exploder and install Firefox. Then I went out and signed up for Mosey, the off-site data back up service. They have a free option, that gives you up to 2GB of storage. You can buy more if you want, but for me 2GB should be plenty. I only plan to backup my writing, not pictures. That would get expensive quickly.

Next up on the list of things to do is the get OpenOffice installed. I want to install the older 1.x version because it had a killer thesaurus. Newer versions of OO have a thesaurus no better than the one in Word, which is to say it's next to useless. I keep hoping they will put the good thesaurus back into 2.x, but so far no joy.

I also need to get my data restored from the old laptop. I have a ton of material on there I desperately need back. Once restored, it will be backed up to Mosey. Then I have to install PaintShop Pro and get a wireless mouse set up. Right now I keep grabbing for a mouse that is not there - a very odd sensation.

I'm loving this new computer. I just hope it lasts longer than my last laptop.

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How To Start a Readers Group

Posted by jstro jstro

on Sun 07 of Dec., 2008 12:51 CST

How To Start a Readers Group

I don't usually do follow on posts, but yesterday I promised to let you in on the secrets for organizing and running a successful book club. When I found out that groups actually pay people to do this I was dumbfounded. The fact that there are professional book club facilitators astounds me. It just goes to prove my point when I contend that an awful lot of people in this country have more money than they know what to do with. Imagine if those book club members instead spent that $250 to $300 a year on actual books. More sales for authors – now wouldn't that be nice?

Back to the topic at hand. How does one go about setting up a good book club?

This isn't very scary folks. In fact, it's not hard at all. Here it is in a nutshell:

Find some like minded people.
Everybody read the same book.
Once everyone has read the same book, or given it the old college try, get together and talk about it.

Whew! That was hard.

I don't mean to sound sarcastic here, but it really is about that simple. I'm in two book clubs, and while they are organizationally quite different they both work quite well. Both of them got their start following step #1.

The Omnivores was established in 1975 by a group of school teachers who needed an adult outlet where topics could be discussed sans the junior high school humor. One day while bemoaning the lack of such an outlet one of them came up with a bright idea. Why don't we form a book club? Ding. The Omnivores was born. It was not called The Omnivores back then, and I was not a member, but a group with similar interests began meeting once a month to discuss a book. The group has been going strong ever since.

They decided to meet in each other's homes and to bring along a few snacks. One of them suggested a title, they mulled it over, and decided by consensus to do that book. The die was cast. Ever since, The Omnivores have been meeting once a month, rotating around various homes, choosing the next book by consensus, and sharing food and thought. It's a model anyone can follow. Over the course of the years some of the teachers invited spouses and friends, and the group began expanding and contracting as members came and went. In fact only one or two of the original members is still involved, and most members are not teachers. I joined in '78 or '79 and am not a teacher.

Eventually we decided to do a newsletter. With a newsletter we decided we needed a name. After much debate we decided on The Omnivores since it seemed to reflect the nature of the group: we read and eat anything. We've done books of the Bible, travel logs, fantasy, science fiction, mystery – you name it. Just about everything with the exception of erotica. We've had authors come to meetings to discuss the book with us. We've done field trips. We've paid no one a penny.

My other book club also followed step #1, above. Two of The Omnivores were sitting around work one day discussing how so many of our coworkers had similar interests in reading. One of us came up with a bright idea. Why don't we start a book club here at work? Ding. The Omnivores At Work was born.

The OAW operates under a completely different structure than The Omnivores. The OAW uses the dictator of the month (or DOM as we affectionally dubbed it) model wherein the DOM decides the title of the book, the restaurant we will meet at, and has to drive. If there are too many people for one car, then the DOM in Waiting is the second driver. This worked quite well until we expanded to include some folks who don't work were we do. But the only thing that changed was the driving. Folks from off-site drive themselves. When the DOM is from off-site then someone from work gets tagged to do the driving for the rest of us, on an informal rotational basis. The OAWs have been meeting for well over a year now. We have not had time to read quite as broad a range as The Omnivores, but we still read just about anything. The DOM, after all, can pick anything they want.

Let me leave you with a few take away pointers.

Start out small. Begin with just a handful of people who get along well.
Expand with care. New blood is great, but just one bad egg can really put the damper on things.
Limit the size. Even if you meet in a home, larger groups present logistical problems. The Omnivores has about fifteen members. Seldom do all fifteen show up on a given night, but if they do finding seating for everyone can be a challenge. The OAWs have seven members. If you decide to meet at a restaurant keep the membership small. Long tables are not conducive to a coherent discussion. Eight would be the maximum size for fitting around one table.
Include food. You may have noticed that food is involved in both of my groups. Breaking bread together really helps a group of people develop into a family of friends.
Keep the rules loose. Don't over science it. Agree where and when to meet and how to pick the book. That's about it. Newsletters are not necessary, and there is no use in officers.

Now, having read this, if you start a readers group please deposit $250 to $300 in a plain brown envelope and slide it under my door. Thanks! It's been great doing business with you.

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And For a Slight Fee...

Posted by jstro jstro

on Sat 06 of Dec., 2008 12:17 CST

And For a Slight Fee...

I was astounded to learn today that some people make money by organizing readers groups. A friend on Twitter sent out a link to a New York Times story regarding the trials and tribulations of these literary organizations. While I was amused by the general angst such groups evidently evoke, I was stunned to read that people pay upwards of $250 per member per annum for the services of a “facilitator”. To quote the article, “...Esther Bushell, a professional book-group facilitator who leads a dozen suburban New York groups and charges $250 to $300 a member annually for her services.”

I'm sorry, but that is insane. Insane I tell you. Insane!

And then there is still angst.

Get a clue, people. You don't have to pay anyone a penny to organize and run a successful book group. I'm not blowing smoke here. I know.

I'm in two book clubs: The Omnivores, and The Omnivores At Work. The Omnivores has been humming along since 1975 with nary a hitch. Sure, people have come and gone. We miss most that have left. Sure, we've annoyed one anther at times. But we carry on. That's over thirty years of book club meetings.

The Omnivores At Work was started by two Omnivores that work in the same office and thought it would be nice to discuss books with some of our coworkers over lunch. We've been going strong now for over a year. Again, people have come and gone, but we still meet and discuss books regularly.

In both cases no one paid anybody a penny.

My hat's off to Esther Bushell. If she can get people to fork over cash money to pick a book for them, well more power to her. But if you'd like to learn how to get a book club up and running for free check out my next post. I'll fill you in on the secret – for free.

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My NaNo Journey, 140 Characters At a Time

Posted by jstro jstro

on Mon 01 of Dec., 2008 10:24 CST

I decided to use Twitter this year to chronicle my progress with NaNoWriMo. What is Twitter, you ask. What is NaNoWriMo, even? Second question first. NaNoWriMo (external link)

is the National Novel Writing Month, where fools (like me) sign up for the commitment to write a complete novel in one month; that month being November. More precisely you commit to write 50,000 words towards a complete novel in a month. The casual observer thinks it's insane. Actually, it works quite well.

Twitter (external link)

is the latest in the social networking craze. It's like an always on world wide chat room. The social part is that you can sign up to follow particular people and others can sign up to follow you. I was skeptical at first, but it's starting to grow on me. The one proviso concerning Twitter is that your posts are limited to 140 characters each. I figured 140 characters should be more than enough to report on my daily NaNo progress and would afford me a record, when completed, that I could look back on and use for future reference.

So, in effect, I used November to conduct two writing experiments at the same time: Completing 50,000 words (notice that I did not say Novel) in a month and using Twitter to do something that is actually useful. Both turned out to be a success. I got to 50,000 words, and I can look back and see what worked to keep me going - using a spreadsheet and fixing the timeline, in particular. Plus, the simple act of posting my progress acted as a prod.

Here ends my regular post. Below you will find my actual Twitter entries in chronological order, if you'd care to browse through them. I completely understand if you just skip it. You can see the originals, in context with the rest of my Tweets, at http://twitter.com/jmstro (external link)

. I expect I'll have at least one more NaNo Tweet – when I actually finish the story.
~jon

jmstro Just signed up for NaNoWriMo. Did it last year and "won". Even printed my cute little certificate. Still, it was a great felling to finish. 10:28 PM Oct 6th from web

jmstro Just completed an e-mail interview with The Writer's Technology Companion on completing NaNoWriMo last year. 5:13 PM Oct 10th from web

jmstro Well, I finished my NaNoWriMo outline last night. I think I've got a real story here. I am NOT staying up 'til midnight for the opening gun. 7:07 PM Oct 31st from web

jmstro Finished chapter one of my NaNoWriMo mystery novel. I have a total of 1323 words for day one, just a bit shy of the 1667 needed per day. 11:30 PM Nov 1st from web

jmstro I just had a Chapter Two epiphany for my NaNoWriMo story. The entire subplot just fell out of the sky on me. I love it when that happens. 7:57 PM Nov 2nd from web

jmstro No NaNo tonight. Had too many things on my plate and now it's just to late to dive into Chapter Three. I'll have to hit it tomorrow. 9:17 PM Nov 3rd from web

jmstro I have to punt on NaNoWriMo tonight. I have a lot left to read for my book club meeting tomorrow. So I have to knuckle down this week end. 8:46 PM Nov 6th from web

jmstro Doing some police work research for my NaNoWriMo novel tonight, so not a lot of words. Up to 2882 so far. Time for bed! 1:15 AM Nov 8th from web

jmstro I just wrote up the November newsletter for Omnivores. It's another one of my little distractions that keeps tugging me away from NaNoWriMo. 10:44 AM Nov 8th from web

jmstro Had a good night for NaNoWriMo, about 1500 words. Still a little shy of on schedule, but the story is really starting to flow. Time for bed. 9:52 PM Nov 9th from web

jmstro Not a lot of progress on NaNoWriMo tonight. I just could not get into the flow. To tired and too many distractions. There's always tomorrow. 10:17 PM Nov 12th from web

jmstro Finally feel like I've got a sense of this story. Got 1162 words done for NaNo tonight. Not enough, but the characters are starting to meld. 10:49 PM Nov 13th from web

jmstro Man, I crashed tonight. I swear, I was only going to take a short nap. Four hours latter... Oh well, only 688 words tonight for NaNo. Night. 11:57 PM Nov 14th from web

jmstro Just passed the 10,000 word mark on my NaNo book. That is a huge psychological barrier. I have to go to my reader's club now. Hope for more. 5:51 PM Nov 15th from web

jmstro Got back from my reader's club in time to do more for NaNo. Got in 1248 words for the day, and a much better story arc. So, until tomorrow. 12:05 AM Nov 16th from web

jmstro I had a good NaNo day, with 2266 words. I added a little more conflict, and the story really started to take off. I'm getting hopeful again. 9:22 PM Nov 16th from web

jmstro Only managed to get 1,375 words tonight after a slow start. Being behind, I need to average more than that to have a prayer at Nano success. 10:02 PM Nov 17th from web

jmstro http://tinyurl.com/6emaqt (external link)

I have an interview on Writer's Technology Companion. 10:42 PM Nov 18th from web

jmstro Got in 1,293 words today towards my NaNo book. I'm over 15 thousand now. Not great, but steady progress. I'm still not too terribly worried. 10:44 PM Nov 18th from web

jmstro Obviously sleep deprivation is not conducive to writing. Only got 308 words tonight. That's not even a short short! Must sleep now. G'night. 9:34 PM Nov 19th from web

jmstro http://tinyurl.com/5bnz7b (external link)

New post on the frustrations of living with a Mac. I want my PC back! Now. 6:09 PM Nov 20th from web

jmstro Getting some sleep last night helped. I had a better time of it at NaNo tonight. No great shakes, just 1,220 words, but a much clearer mind. 10:02 PM Nov 20th from web

jmstro Got a good stream of consciousness going tonight. I hope to hit twenty thousand words before bedtime. Thank God for weekends. Catch up time. 9:22 PM Nov 21st from web

jmstro Had a great NaNo night. Did 3,112 words and broke the psychological 20K word barrier. I'm sort of outlining on the fly, and then filling in. 12:00 AM Nov 22nd from web

jmstro I seem to work best at night. I got all of two paragraphs written during the day. But I ended up with nearly 3000 words, almost all tonight. 11:48 PM Nov 22nd from web

jmstro Woohoo! The entire story arc just fell in place for my NaNo book. Ties up all the divergent elements nicely into a unified whole. Very cool. 9:03 AM Nov 23rd from web

jmstro Just passed the halfway point for my NaNo book, word-count wise. I'm sitting at 25161. A four day weekend is coming. I'm sure I can make it. 3:31 PM Nov 23rd from web

jmstro Over 4300 words tonight. I could plow on to try and reach 30,000 tonight, but then I'd be exhausted tomorrow and I have to work. So, to bed. 8:47 PM Nov 23rd from web

jmstro How pathetic. I only managed 602 words tonight. Sometimes it's just not there. :( 10:12 PM Nov 24th from web

jmstro I have a guest posting on Editor Unleashed, about NaNoWriMo. If you'd like to read my post you can find it here: http://editorunleashed.com/ (external link)

6:20 PM Nov 25th from web

jmstro Only 20000 words to go! Finally broke the 30,000 barrier tonight. That means I only need to do 4000 words a day to get my NaNo done in time. 10:51 PM Nov 25th from web

jmstro Trying to solve time line and continuity issues. Not the kind of thing you're supposed to be doing during NaNo. But they're driving me nuts. 4:35 PM Nov 26th from web

jmstro Had a productive day. Got the time line and continuity issues fixed and still managed to crank out 2,206 words. Plotting with a spreadsheet. 12:00 AM Nov 27th from web

jmstro 9:20 on Thanksgiving morn and everyone else is asleep - even the dog. Best use this quiet time for some more NaNo writing. Happy Turkey Day! 9:21 AM Nov 27th from web

jmstro Monk approaches. I'm sorry, but I'm not missing Monk, NaNo or not. 7:45 PM Nov 28th from web

jmstro http://tinyurl.com/6feupd (external link)

New post on my blog regarding brain cramps - The First Seven to Ten Words. 10:50 PM Nov 28th from web

jmstro Just went over 40,000 words! Yeah! Now have less than 10,000 to go. That means I can go to bed. Hooray for the good guys! (that would be me) 11:54 PM Nov 28th from web

jmstro Ahh! My girls are having ten school friends over today. That's twelve teenagers running around the house. This helps me NaNo how?! Run away! 10:29 AM Nov 29th from web

jmstro I'm saved. One of the girls canceled - so now there will only be eleven. Should be much calmer, right? I'll hunker down on the third floor. 12:53 PM Nov 29th from web

jmstro @kevinjmackey Congratulations. I see you hit 50K. Fill us in on how NaNo handles hand written works. I'd love to know. In haiku - of course. 6:20 PM Nov 29th from web in reply to kevinjmackey

jmstro That was scary. Took 5 minutes to save my novel. I thought the MiniMac was having a melt down. Did a cold reboot and will hope for the best. 8:01 PM Nov 29th from web

jmstro EEK! November 29! I'm really cooking now. I'm really cooking now. I'm really cooking now. I'm really cooking now. I'm really cooking... ;-) 9:57 PM Nov 29th from web

jmstro By golly, I think I'm going to make it. I've have 46,167 words as of tonight, and a whole day to go. Barring a meteor strike - it's doable. 11:56 PM Nov 29th from web

jmstro I just stumbled upon the title of my book. It usually works out that way. You type a line, and it resonates. It's The Seven Stages of Grief. about 22 hours ago from web

jmstro Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Just hit 50021 words and still going! That makes me a NaNo winner. Now I just need to wrap things up. But I made it! about 16 hours ago from web

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The First Seven to Ten Words

Posted by jstro jstro

on Fri 28 of Nov., 2008 12:55 CST

The First Seven to Ten Words

The first seven to ten words are critical. I can sit there looking at the keyboard for minutes on end, knowing where I want to go but somehow unable to start. My hand will wander over to the mouse (not the best place for a writer's hand to be) and start clicking away on the Internet. What's the high for today supposed to be? Did someone reply to my thread on the forum? What's the buzz on Twitter. All these things are not helping me get the story done.

It's not so much writer's block as a brain cramp. Like I said, I know where I want to go. Usually the end of the last writing session wrapped up nicely, and when I quit I was rearing to go. But sleep, that archnemesis of the creative flow must have its way.

So the next day rolls around. Mourning routine dispensed with. Then the keyboard. And nothing. Nine o'clock rolls around. Let's check the New York Times. Oh, and then there's the Washington Post. Best get cracking. The keyboard waits. Then it is ten. Ten-thirty. The dog wants his walk. Lunch. The damned keyboard.

Finally, a word, followed by another. Seven to ten of the darned things come flowing from my finger tips and the brain cramp eases. The flow returns. Sentences build into paragraphs and, on a good day, paragraphs build into chapters. I lose myself for a time, an exhilarating glorious time.

Eventually the clock manifests itself again. I come to a good stopping point and force myself to quit. Sleep demands to be fed. Then it's off to bed, hoping for another good seven to ten words when the new day dawns.

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Name That Tune

Posted by jstro jstro

on Thu 20 of Nov., 2008 18:02 CST

Name That Tune

I'm growing to really despise this Mac. I loved it when it's sole purpose in life was to act as an iTunes player. For that, it is eminently qualified. As a productivity tool, no so much.

I should admit up front that I'm a Windows kind of guy. Sorry Mac fans, it's nothing personal. I just grew up on Windows and use it at work. If I had grown up on Macs I'm sure I'd hate PCs.

When my Windows laptop went belly up I knew I'd have to get a new one. It was loaded with stuff I need: Open Office, Paint Shop Pro, my old bookmarks. Not to mention all my files; poems, short stories, novellas, novels, and photographs. I'm not worried about all that stuff. It's still there on the hard drive. The hard drive just needs a new PC to talk to.

I prefer to use Open Office 1.x, the last rev that had a thesaurus that was worth anything. I have found no other thesaurus that generated a richer list of possible word alternatives. And I subscribe to the Mirriam-Webster Pro. There's no contest. Now I'm stuck using NeoOffice 2.2.5. Not only does it lack the good version of the thesaurus, it is a less than full port of Open Office.

For graphics I use PaintShop Pro, even if it is the crummy over-engineered XI version. Alas, PaintShop Pro has been going downhill ever since version 5, when they decided to try to be PhotoShop, but that's another story. I miss it almost daily. I actually use PSP when I write. In my last Max Mann novel I created a map of the scene of the crime with PSP, and pinned it to my wall as a reference. I have yet to find a decent, affordable graphics package for the Mac.

Then there are all my old bookmarks for my web browser. When it comes to web browsers I actually have no complaints with Safari. This is a nice browser. But all my old Firefox bookmarks are in hibernation and will remain so until I get a new laptop and recover the old hard drive. I've managed to relocate some critical ones, but to paraphrase our old friend Donald Rumsfeld, I don't know what I don't know. Of course reintegrating the old bookmarks on the PC side with new ones I marked on this Mac will be a royal pain. A task I am not looking forward to.

I just never thought it would be this long before I rectified this situation.

Why such a long wait?

Well, I was ready to pull the trigger about a month ago when a friend of mine suggested it might be wise to hold off until the day after Thanksgiving. This particular friend seems to be particularly prescient in such things. I thought it best to listen to him. Judging by the markdowns that I keep reading about due to the economy, it looks like he was right – again.

So, I'm waiting. And it's driving me nuts. While writing this post I was groping for just the right word. Of course, Mirriam-Webster let me down. Earlier today I wanted to generate a logo for a new website I am going to launch. No Paint Shop Pro to work with. Man, the day after Thanksgiving can't come soon enough.

Then this Mac can go back to it's true calling, playing classical music while I write.

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Don't Blink!

Posted by jstro jstro

on Wed 12 of Nov., 2008 16:57 CST

A birdie told me
There is a haiku contest!
Go Twitter, you twit!

I saw a post on Editor Unleashed (external link)

about a Twitter (external link)

haiku contest. It is actually being run by Brian Clark of copyblogger (external link)

, where you can read the official rules. If you are unfamiliar with Twitter, it is the latest craze in social networking. But don't blink. Like your tweets (that's what a post on Twitter is called), the chic of Twitter will likely be gone before you know it.

It is amazing how quickly the latest great thing comes and goes. The Washington Post Twittered the election. Ira Flatow is now accepting questions for Science Friday via Twitter. Already, Second Life is passe, it would seem.

There is a great prize for the Twitter hiaku contest - a MacBook Air. I know people who would give their left hand for a MacBook Air. Probably not a good idea.

Forget surgery
Put mind and pen to haiku
Much less pain that way

There is a history of Haiku on Twitter. Haiku is short, comprised of three lines, of 5/7/5 on (on roughly translates as syllable) for a total of 17 on. Likewise, Twitter posts are short, limited to 140 characters. Because of this absolute character limit some Twits (no offense, users of Twitter – I call myself a Twit too) have taken to using haiku as their preferred means of expression. It seems a natural fit.

There is more to haiku
Than mere syllables counted.
Season told, and contrast made.

Traditional haiku is more than the simple syllable count. It usually includes some reference to season and the natural world and its relationship to man. When done right, it can be a very beautiful thing. Of course all things are subject to change. Modern haiku poets do not necessarily feel constrained by the old traditions. That's fine. If one feels moved to write haiku about a fried circuit board I don't have a problem with that.

My old laptop died
The mother board shot to hell.
My dog still loves me.

Well, it's 5-7-5, but it really doesn't do anything for me. I really do prefer the traditional variant; with a seasonal reference, and some insight to man's relationship to nature. I'm not sure how much of that we'll see on Twitter. I've run, and participated in haiku challenges before. They tend to generate combinations of seventeen syllables of 5, 7, and 5 respectively rather than what I'd call haiku. I don't mean to come across as a snob. I'm certainly no poet and am not very good at haiku. But I do love a good one when I see it.

So, will I participate? Sure. I'd like that MacBook too! Besides, I'm already a Twit.

Twitter is here now
To be replaced tomorrow.
Haiku will remain.

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Phhhpt! : Essay

Posted by jstro jstro

on Wed 05 of Nov., 2008 16:58 CST

My sister is probably laughing her butt off at me right now.

My sis has been in the newspaper business since graduating from journalism school back in '73. We were a two newspaper house back then because my dad got both St. Louis dailies, the Post Dispatch and the Globe Democrat. The Post was the liberal voice of the city, and the Globe the conservative. He believed in examining both sides of the issue. Oh that more people were like that these days. But I digress.

After becoming an independent adult I used to subscribe to the Post. But over time my wife and I just got tired of the inevitable paper build up. Eventually we let the newspaper, as well as most magazine subscriptions lapse. We could still catch the news on TV and radio, and read the Post at work, where a copy was always floating around.

Then the Internet came along, and news (including the Post Dispatch) was immediately available. Without the clutter! Our dreams of a paperless house were of course thwarted by Christmas catalogs (probably worse than ever), but at least we were no longer buried in mountains of newsprint. Besides, if anything important happened I could always run out and buy a newspaper.

Well, yesterday something important happened. Historic even. So today I really wanted a newspaper. I did the rounds at work. Every newspaper box was sold out. Not just the Post Dispatch, but also USA Today, the St. Louis American and the Chicago Tribune. After work I went to Walgreen's. Sold out. I drove around town from one news box to the next. Sold out, sold out, sold out. I probably spent more money on gas than a subscription to the Post Dispatch would cost me.

Somewhere in Virginia, my sister is smirking.

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Signs Of Things to Come?

Posted by jstro jstro

on Mon 03 of Nov., 2008 20:21 CST

Signs Of Things to Come?

I have been doing my own informal straw poll for several weeks now. As I ride my bike around my neighborhood I take note of the Obama and McCain yard signs. I live in an inner suburb of St. Louis, so it is not surprising that Obama's signs outnumber McCain's. The inner suburbs of St. Louis trend Democratic, while the outer 'burbs trend Republican.

What is surprising is the sheer numbers that have cropped up in the latter days of the campaign. A few weeks ago I'd say the O signs outnumbered the M signs by about four to one. Sunday, when I took a spin around the neighborhood there was a marked change.

Now the Obama signs outnumber the McCain signs by about ten to one. When venturing further afield, into more solidly Republican parts of town, the signs are about even.

What this indicates to me is a fired up Obama base and a less than enthusiastic group for McCain. I think it is also telling that many of the yards that sport signage for down ticket Republicans do not have McCain signs. This also seems to indicate a less than enthusiastic electorate for McCain.

I believe enthusiastic voters tend to turn out more than unenthusiastic voters. If yard signs are any indication of enthusiasm, then it appears Mr. McCain may be in serious trouble come close of business tomorrow. At least in my neck of the woods.

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Future Shock? : essay

Posted by jstro jstro

on Sat 01 of Nov., 2008 07:10 CST

Did you see this article in the Christian Science Monitor?
Monitor Shifts From Print to Web-based Strategy (external link)

I have been following the trails and tribulations of the newspaper industry vicariously for years now. I have a sister, brother, and brother-in-law who are, or have been, in the newspaper business. They have not been happy with the advent of the web.

The web is bleeding newspaper readership like crazy. Nearly every newspaper has launched a major online presence in response, but so far few (if any) have figured out how to make money that way. Web adds don’t generate the revenue like print adds do. Paid subscriptions are almost unheard of.

The New York Times tried to go quasi subscription a couple of years ago with New York Times Select. Some of my favorite columnists fell behind the veil of subscription. Know what? I did not subscribe. I found new favorite columnists. Evidently I was not alone. The Times had to abandon Select when their readership fell off.

As blogging and other forms of online publishing become more pervasive other types of media may well start to feel the pinch. Blogs are everywhere. Some are even good. Many, if not most, are done for the love of it, i.e., the blogger doesn’t even try to generate revenue.

As the cream raises to the top, and readers learn they can find what they like to read online for free, what will that do to other publishing segments? If I can find great blogs and web pages that address my interests, why would I spend money on a magazine subscription covering the same?

The CSM is attempting to implement a new paradigm. The article discusses how they intend to walk this new perilous path. The one thing it does not address (not really) is how they intend to actually make money.

I think magazines will soon be facing the same revenue crisis that is gutting the newspaper industry. If newspapers and magazines don't make money, they have to cut costs or close their doors.

The implications for writers (who actually want to be paid) are not good.

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I Won!

Posted by jstro jstro

on Fri 31 of Oct., 2008 07:47 CST

I Won!

Woo hoo! I won the Renderosity “Carnival of Evil” (external link)

Halloween short story contest. Yes, I know it’s not exactly Glimmer Train, but it still feels good to win. Not only do I get to walk around all day with a little extra spring in my step, but I get a $50 gift certificate from Barnes and Noble and the book, The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror 2008, by Link, Grant, and Datlow.

Of course there is a dark lining to every silver cloud. In my office anything that happens to you, good or bad, is a donutable offence. Once word gets out that I won this contest I’ll be on the hook to bring in donuts. Somehow, I don’t mind.

Let them eat cake!

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Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho : essay

Posted by jstro jstro

on Wed 22 of Oct., 2008 18:52 CST

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho...

it's off to Kirksville we go.

We're heading up to Kirksville tomorrow. My youngest, Sara, wants to check out Truman State University as a possibility next year. She's considering it, along with a few other out of town universities, including Rolla (now Missouri Science and Technology), SE Missouri State (probably with a new and improved name as well), and my alma mater, MIZZOU. She tells us she wants to go into Psychology, something that makes her mother and me shiver. This from my girl that is so strong in math and science. She has an A+ in advanced placement calculus, so far.

I'm pulling for MO S&T, myself.

I have nothing against Psychology, in and of itself. It's post graduate employment that worries me. Everyone I've ever talked to about it tells me you need at least a master's degree to find a job, and a PhD if you actually want to earn a living.

I know it's not really as dire as that. My sister, Barb, went to NE Missouri State (before they changed the name and raised the prices) and majored in Sociology – not all that far removed for Psychology, me thinks. She makes a very decent living and does work she finds very fulfilling. She did, however, have to go back to school to get her master's degree before she started making any real money at it.

We try very hard not to be negative about a Psychology major around Sara. (Don't worry, she doesn't read my blog.) We want her to make her own decision. But we do hope to have her go look at MO S&T, perhaps even do their summer camp, in hopes she'll find something there that appeals to her.

She likes science and math, but wants to do something that really helps people. Perhaps an Environmental Science degree might fit that bill? At least we can expose her to the possibility.

At any rate, I have confidence that no matter what field she decides to go into, through sheer grit and determination, Sara will come out OK. She's just that kind of kid.

I'm not sure how I will fare over the weekend, though. With my laptop dead, I'm facing two full days without a computer!

Now that's something to worry about.

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