Author: Seething With Apathy

The Six Hundred and Twenty-Fourth Post: The One That I Solve That One Problem!

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The answer was proverbially staring at me in the face. Realistically, it was in my ears. My earbuds that I wear at lunch (I have a pair for work and a pair for everything else.) have a longer range than I thought. So, what I am doing now is putting on my earbuds and leaving my phone plugged in at my workstation at the dreaded day job. I can listen to music and not have the temptation to flip through Facebook, Reddit or the myriad other social media sites that capture my attention.

No more of that…

Now that little complication has been solved, I am getting a little headway into the outline. I finally got to write the outline for one of the chapters I have been looking forward to writing. It’s the chapter where the main character Edgar gets to confront his bully Carlton for the first time – it’s the chapter I got the idea to rewrite part way through coming up with the first draft. I can’t wait to sit down and write this particular chapter. It’s an ice cream scene to be sure.

The weather here in Kentucky is being Kentucky – if you don’t like it, just wait ten minutes. I think we’ve gone through three out of four seasons here in the span of a week: cold rain, hot rain, and determined drizzle. It’s nice coffee drinking weather, and certainly good working weather until the power goes out. One nice thing about my laptop id that if has a nice long battery. The weather will steady out pretty soon, so we can all look forward to Southern Humidity!

I did go see Thunderbolts Friday. It’s a good film, and it certainly says quite a bit about mental illness. There was only one thing I found wrong with it, but I’m not going to say what it is because I don’t want to spoil anything. I would give it 3 and half stars out of 5. A good attempt, but they’ve done much better. Didn’t get a chance to see Sinners in the theaters, but I am going to catch it when it comes out on streaming services. I tried to avoid any spoilers, and I ran into one anyways. It’s getting harder and harder to not come into a film completely unknowing.

Well, that’s it for now. I’m itching to get back to the outline to finish the chapter and start on the downward spiral that’s Edgar’s life. Take care, and ta-ta for now.

The Six Hundred and Twenty-third Post: The One Where I Address the Digital Monkey on My Back…

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I have to get rid of this thing.

Yes, you…

My phone sucks up more time than a black hole. I have an hour lunch, and I find myself spending more time on my phone rather than putting pen to paper. When I’m at home, I have hours of time I could be using to getting this outline done and moving on to the next project.

Nope – if it’s not YouTube, it’s the social media sites. I am horrible. If any of you thought that I was obsessively hacking away at the Great Works that are struggling in my mind to be loosed upon the world, let me let you in on a little secret: I have a horrible work ethic.

And I can’t just tell myself that I can’t use the phone. Music is an integral part of the writing process for me, and I use my phone to play music. What’s also on the phone? Reddit. Facebook. Instagram. Those old demons tempting me. Not really tempting me, but racing with me on the primrose path of destruction.

I’m also going to admit that I am getting a little impatient to finish this outline. Which doesn’t help with the guilt I feel over flipping through Facebook looking for more film clips from Monument Hobbies. I know what I have to do. I need to do this:

If I want to get anything done, I have to put my foot down. During the hour of lunch, phone is for music only. When I get home, I have another hour of work, and I can listen to music from the computer. I just need the phone in the bedroom getting charged up for the next day. I have to exercise some discipline here.

Does anyone here have that problem? The intrusion of that little hunk of dead dinosaurs and stardust into your life? Any hints or suggestions? I could honestly use some.

Hang on – let me send this cat video to my followers.

The Six Hundred and Twenty-Second Post: The One Where I Try to Discipline My Ducks

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Well, I have slacked off a little bit on the outline, and I blame that on fatigue from the gym in the morning. It’s coming along, and I am going to work a little on it today. Edgar is in the third act, so things are going to get a lot tougher for him. I’m following the five act structure that I love so much, so this is the act where, like I said, things get tougher for the character. In Edgar’s case, it’s going to be fist fights, sex and dread realizations. Good stuff!

I can’t remember if I mentioned this or not, but I can’t find the outline I was working for Serve Me Now. If I must rewrite the outline, then I’m not going to really put out over it. I mean – third time’s the charm right, Susan? I can work on it while I get back to writing the manuscript for Tribal. I think doing that is going to be the only way I can clear the slate for a while. After Serve Me Now, I’ve got that Gothic romance that is definitely going to be published under a pseudonym. After that…I think I am going to work on Forever Junkie and after that, I might just throw myself back into Tyro’s stories. I;ve put them off long enough. Maybe I’ll work on Medicine Show before that. I really need to get that out. I’ve got to get a lot out.

Anyone recommend a fiendishly strong brand of coffee? I’ve had two cups of the stuff, and I feel like I could take a nap. I need something far stronger than what I am drinking now, and that was a step up from Death Wish Coffee. I miss the shakes.

Well, if I am going to get to work on the outline, I should get going. Ta-ta for now and have a good day!

The Six Hundred and Twenty-first Post: The One Where I Mumble My Way Through a Plot

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It’s always the same when I have an idea. I grab it in my mouth and take off like a German Sheperd with a hot dog. I have no idea where I am going or what I am doing with it, but I have it and it’s mine now.

I have two interesting ideas:

  1. A slave that doesn’t want to be freed but would rather go back to a life of servitude.
  2. Treating vampires like junkies rather than the sexy but troubled icons that they are now.

I have no idea how to go any further with these ideas, but they are so good, I am not getting rid of them. I really want to develop them past this point, but with one, I need to fill out the middle – the only problem with that one is time. The second one is a lot trickier.

In the rules I have set up, there is little in the way of magic or supernatural aspects. Vampires aren’t super strong or mesmeric creatures. Crosses don’t affect them, nor does any amount of faith. They don’t grow fangs and nibble at your neck to leave two neat little holes. They have to use implements to get to the blood, which doesn’t nourish them as much as give them an incredible high. My problem with this one is simple, but brain-wracking: How do I end this darn book? The fact that it’s called Forever Junkie doesn’t mean it’s going to be solved in three acts and a commercial break.

There are some things I am keeping as far as lore goes – sunlight still burns, they are vulnerable to fire and stakes destroy their body. I wanted to go the Old World of Darkness route and say that stakes merely paralyze them, but I’m trying to stick to the true lore as much as I can while trying to make things new.

The one piece of lore I am struggling over is if the head vampire dies, the ones he or she created are freed from the curse. In the context of the story, it gives me a tidy ending. The main character tracks down the vampire that took his blood, kills him or her and everyone lives happily ever after.

That seems too simple of an ending for me. I like happy endings, but one that comes together a little too pat isn’t my cup of tea. Of course, I can’t make it easy for the main character either. They’re going to earn their happy ending, but the kill-the-master seems a little too mystical for this particular book.

Then again, I am talking about creatures that burst into flame upon being struck with sunlight, no matter the SPF of their suntan lotion. Maybe a twitch of the mystic is needed here.

OK – how about this?  Main Character’s sire (or dam, it’s the 21st century here) is killed, but it doesn’t remove the curse, so the character goes off and finds a Narcotics Anonymous group and the book ends with his introducing himself.  I like that. It’s an ending to his story – it’s upbeat enough for me, and it’s not entirely mystical. It makes sense.

Now I have to outline and write it. Hopefully during this year. Next year, I want to really focus on fantasy and sci-fi…with some elements of horror in it, of course.

Well, thank you for sitting with me while I worked this out. Please check the right hand side for books by me and dear friends – they’re all good, or I wouldn’t have them there. Ta-ta for now.

The Six Hundred and Twentieth Post: The One That Doesn’t Sparkle in the Sunlight!

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Sorry that I missed last Thursday. My dreaded day job had me working overtime and waking up early, which messed with everything. I have emerged from that week with all of my vices intact. I will try to fall back into a regular schedule.

Speaking of vices – do you hate sparkling, sexy vampires as much as I do? Want them to go back to being something dangerous? Then I have news for you. I am working on a new novel – outlining – about vampires called Forever Junkie. I wanted to write a vampire novel, but I wanted a new direction to it. I know that people far smarter than me say that vampires are an allegory for sexuality, particularly in Victorian England. I wanted to turn it into a new allegory, so I thought about something that is touched on very briefly in the lore, but is never examined.

Vampires can also be an allegory for addiction. Modern vampires have turned feeding into a sexual act – not just procreation, but the feeding of a desire. What if we ramped that up to eleven? What if that unkempt guy shuffling down the sidewalk a few steps ahead (or behind…) with the bad odor and dark stains on his shirt was one of the undead?

Clearly a junkie

I wanted to write this as a more grounded version of vampires, something akin to the movie Martin. No fangs, no mesmerism, not even turning into a bat. This is going to be a little more realistic. Which means I get to do research into drug addiction. This is not a complaint! Researching is one of my favorite parts of writing. Now, I don’t know how this story is going to play out. I got the idea a couple of days ago. I just hope I can get it out in a reasonable time frame – which is code for ‘before I die’.

That’s it for the week – living on little sleep and a lot of caffeine. I’ll try to get a little better about updates, with the overtime done, that should be a little more consistent. I’m off to pen the outline. Have fun!

The Six Hundred and Nineteenth Post: The One Where I Go Back to Scribbling…

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I’m feeling a lot better – who knew that rest and medicine would work? I’m still a little cough-y, but I am continuing to outline Tribal. I am going to finish the outline before I continue writing it. I am trying to plan better things better and wing it less. I think this is going to make me more productive in the long run.

I did go to the doctor today, and I’ve lost three pounds in three weeks! I am going back to the gym now (and then), and I am feeling a lot better now. I am hoping to keep this going, even though I took a day off today to catch Opening Day (if MLB.tv would LET ME). I am going to head out in the evening. Normally, I go early in the morning, but today I had a doctor’s appointment and the aforementioned Opening Day.

While I am writing the outline for the current novel, I am trying to work on the literary novel. I’m torn as far as endings go. Should I make it depressing or uplifting? I don’t really know because both of the endings appeal to me. This book is my criticisms of society and how they treat creatives, and the nature of celebrity in this day and age – so the depressing ending fits. However, I would like to have an upbeat ending for the main character just because I am going to put him through so much crap. It’s still in the embryonic stage. I don’t even have a good title for it. Right now – I’m referring to it as Crab Bucket Society. It’s not my best title, but it works for now. I am going to write this as if I could put this in the running for the Pulitzer. After that, I might work on something I’ve hung on the line for way too long.

I’ve really got to get on the stick and revise something. Is till have to get Agonizing Alibi Day edited down a little bit, not to mention Alien Voices. Actually, I need to get the cover art for these two books done first. I need to get a lot done. I just need more time. Then again, don’t we all? Anyway – I need to get back to work.

Thanks for sticking this out with me thus far. I am still trying to figure out how to get new books on my right bar. It’s not easy, but I can wrestle this to the ground. Hope you all have a good day.

The Six Hundred and Eighteenth Post: The One Where I Just Let Them Ferment On the Vine

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I am going to strike while the iron is hot and give Tribal a majority of my attention. Sure – our current political situation isn’t going to go away any time soon, but I have the bad habit of sitting on ideas until they are no longer popular. Remember when the news of the “back draft” during the initial Iraq war? That gave me an idea for a sci-fi novel called Zeno’s Calendar. I might work on it at some point, but it illuminates the problem that I tend to let ideas almost rot on the vine as it were.

I won’t do that this time. Dirt Elf will be relegated to evening work, meaning if I don’t hit the deadline word count, I am not going to worry about it. I need to work further on the outline anyways, so there is that. I’ve only outlined up to the chapter I am writing right now. I need to work ahead a little so I can still have some direction in this book.

There is a dearth of other news, I’m sorry to say. I finished the book Victorian Psycho and I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed American Psycho. It has certainly taught me a lot about first person views and how much description I can really get out of it. Although, I don’t know if that was the style of the time or not. If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like it Jane Austen wrote the screenplay for Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Victorian Psycho will answer that question. Next up, the highly controversial Playground. Splatterpunk!

I’m also a little under the weather, so I am going to cut this a little short. Drink plenty of fluids, have an orange and say a minimum of three feet away from me. Thank you and have a good day.

The Six Hundred and Seventeenth Post: The One Where I Investigate That Rustling Noise…

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Thursdays sneak up on me. One minute, it’s Monday and I am wishing I were back in bed, the next minute it’s Thursday and I’m thinking: ‘don’t I have something I need to do?’

There’s a Thursday right there!

There is very little going on in the writing world. Once again I am juggling three projects: writing Dirt Elf, re-outlining Tribal (Got the idea for the MC to lose the first big fight he’s in to subvert expectations) and working out an idea I had about a slave who wants to return to their master – thinking about calling this one My Gilded Cage. I’m also reading two books: Victorian Psycho, which answers the question: What if Jane Austen wrote American Psycho? I’m also reading (or trying to…) an updated translation of The Man Who Laughs called Eternal Smile for a more literate project. Yes, I’m a genre whore, but I hope one day to get off the street corners and become a high-priced literary escort.

This weekend, I am going to finally (finally!) edit down The Agonizing Alibi Day and get it ready for selling before the end of March. It’s been sitting on my hobby table in the living room for way too long. I have to remember that the name of the game is getting books out the door.

I have been slacking off for a couple of days, and I blame that on my exercise routine. I’m back to mornings in which I was going every morning – but that’s not working out because I am dead tired by the time lunch comes and I end up taking a nap. I skipped today, which is why I am writing and not snoring (if I snored, which I don’t – Nancy, I’m looking at you). I need to get back on the stick with this if I am going to finish it by my self-imposed deadline.

When I write, I feel like a dog chasing cars sometimes. There’s so many targets out there, and I don’t know what I would do if I actually caught one.

Well, I need to get to running, I guess. Check out the books on the right side of my blog – even buy one! I’ll try to be a bit more regular with my blog. See you all soon!