Posted in Culture, Writing, tagged being poor, budget, career change, copyeditor, copywriter, creative jobs, downsizing, economy, job stress, living on a budget, living wage, software developer, stress management on 06 Jul 2015| 9 Comments »
I used to love programming but it’s changed so much in the past 25 years, I can’t stand it anymore. When I only stay at a job for the salary and the time off, when I hate everything about what I do, when I wake up at 4AM with my heart pounding because my brain is preparing me for the day’s fight with a surge of adrenaline, it’s definitely time to go.
But, as I posed it in the previous post in this series, what career to I pick instead?
Posted in Writing, tagged blogging vs writing, creative writing, editing techniques, essay structure on 12 Jun 2015| 8 Comments »
In my last post, I suggested that blogging steals time better spent writing novels. The flip-side is what blogging has taught me about writing.
So, what have I learned?
In the past three years, I’ve published over 550 posts here, racking up over 400,000 words, so the first thing I’ve obviously learned is how much I actually can write when I don’t think I’m actually writing. The second thing is that blogging is writing, just a different form.
But these are about having written, and aren’t useful when writing. What have I learned that I can use while I write?
Posted in Writing, tagged blogging, blogging vs writing, creative writing, Writing on 02 Jun 2015| 8 Comments »
Is writing keeping me from writing?
I did not start this blog as a marketing tool. Good thing, too. I experience enough failures in my life without creating more of my own.
No, I started this blog as a writing tool. At a time when I was struggling to find the time and mental discipline to write another novel, I figured a blog would be a good tool to keep me writing on a regular basis.
And it worked. I have kept writing. Regularly.
But, has it kept me from writing?
I know that sounds stupid, but let me put it this way: Have my self-imposed blog writing “responsibilities” prevented me from working on my novel?
Taking a dispassionate, purely quantifiable view, the answer is Yes. (more…)
Posted in Writing, tagged black dog, creative writing, depression, vignettes, winston churchill on 19 May 2015| 3 Comments »
Nails clicking on the hardwoods, he pads toward my dawn-chilled room. I see his greyed muzzle poke around the open doorway, black nose wriggling. His old limbs are stiff, but he’s always been like that; he was never young. Churchill’s Black Dog was never a pup, never a young whelp filled with enthusiasm and love of life. He’s always been a grizzled, aged hound, waiting out his final days in lassitude and despair.
He snuffles.
Tottering in, he looks for a sunny spot but finds none in my shadowed den. Thick through the middle, callouses on his joints, his coat is dull with dust and dander and his droopy eyes are rheumy and silvered with cataracts. He stumps over to the corner, turns two inelegant circles ’round his tail, and clumps down in a heap.
He sighs. (more…)
Posted in Writing, tagged creative writing, Poetry, Seattle, Writing on 14 May 2015| 2 Comments »
Dark, brooding clouds mock my mood
While I fight my inner black
they replenish the world
Perhaps if I
step out from under the eaves
look up into their steel-grey banks
their cleansing rain will wash the soot from my soul
—
Posted in Books, Hi Tech, Writing, tagged amazon, creative writing, Kindle, kindle owners lending library, kindle select, kindle unlimited, publishing, royalties, self-publishing on 28 Apr 2015| 4 Comments »
The 14th century was a seriously bad time marked by The Black Death and The Hundred Years’ War. After the plague, to combat the wage inflation caused by there being 30-50% fewer folks standing around, the nobility said, “Sure, I’ll pay you twice what I used to pay you,” and then they turned around and devalued the coins they used. Thus, even though you were now paid 6 sous each day, with their value cut in half they’d only buy you 3 sous worth of goods. Complain as you might, you were powerless to change it.
Amazon is like that. No, not like the Black Death. Like medieval nobility. (Though you could make an argument for the Black Death, too.)
Posted in Writing, tagged books, creative writing, Delilah Dawson, Fallen Cloud Saga, novel writing, publishing, self-promotion, self-publishing, whimsydark, Writing, writing tips on 14 Apr 2015| 8 Comments »
To be honest, I started this blog because I want your money. That’s not the only reason, but it’s definitely in the mix.
As a writer, I want people (i.e., you) to read my books. I’ve worked hard writing them, I’m proud of them, and I want folks to read them and enjoy them. I think my books are worth something, though, so I (generally) don’t give them away for free, which means readers must part with some of their money.
Ergo, I want your money. (more…)
Kurt R.A. Giambastiani 