tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72665242764145034312012-02-16T03:22:23.393-05:00Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.comBlogger431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-27418745916304794712011-01-14T12:33:00.001-05:002011-01-14T12:33:26.326-05:00

My first workshop is now fully underway.  We had a week of orientation and have now had our first ‘lesson’.  Thinking on the topic provided I easily learned as much about myself and how I view me as I did of the others participants.  While the topic was not something that provided a lot of personal interest to me it has been enjoyable reading other’s submissions. Amazing!  That is the first word

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-24098466261687005522011-01-07T11:46:00.001-05:002011-01-07T11:46:56.128-05:00

Hopefully, everyone’s Holidays were as enjoyable as mine. I’m continuing to work on my current project, Mage of Astan (working title), and have actually made some pretty good progress.  I haven’t actually made much progress with the actual writing but I have completed a substantial amount of plot and character development along with some basic world building.  Most of this is a rework.  I’m

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-30489318731450073862010-12-03T13:13:00.001-05:002010-12-03T13:13:48.140-05:00

This is a question that we ask on a daily basis.  It’s a valid question.  Until we are recognized or rewarded for what we have already done we didn’t really know if we we’re doing it right.  The recognition confirms that some part of what we have done was right.  We all wonder until we receive some positive reinforcement. I came upon a site today called – The Snowflake Project.  This site,

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-74937011673084398112010-11-23T11:27:00.001-05:002010-11-23T11:43:59.268-05:00

I wish to compete in the next Olympics in the hammer throw competition.  To get there I have to train, train to learn the proper techniques for the grip of the hammer, train to learn the proper techniques to approach the throw, train to learn the proper techniques of the release, and finally train to learn the proper techniques for the follow through.   Several items to learn and lots of training

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-24016415333956787152010-11-22T11:36:00.013-05:002010-11-23T10:36:55.629-05:00

I have been lazy this summer. While I have been writing and continuing to work on different projects, this blog has not been one of them. Obviously!So let me see if I can do better. Well, I can do better so let me see if I will do better.MAGE of ASTAN is a current project of mine. Carmell, our hero, is a young man who is just coming of age. ASTAN is a newly born diety who has called Carmell into

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-33617466437794919872010-03-15T11:09:00.002-04:002010-03-15T11:23:06.273-04:00

I know...It's been a while since I posted but I havn't had a let of new things to post. I'm still progressing on my current wip 'MAGE of ASTAN' even though that progression is slow. I'm still reading a good deal when I can. And... I'm still taking care of all the other things going on with me and my family.I am getting to the point with MAGE that I need to have it critically reviewed. I've

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-72673413917999925942010-01-29T13:46:00.005-05:002010-01-29T14:09:23.872-05:00

Sitting in front of the computer screen three days this week staring at a blank page. Not sure where my characters, or story for that matter, where going. As a point of emphasis this week they didn't really go anywhere; the main character sat astride his dragon all week.Where is he going?Finally, today I know where he is going. I/He finally decided on a Direction. The direction we're headed

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-25363550868216033822010-01-13T14:16:00.003-05:002010-01-13T14:37:13.473-05:00

Well... the hardware is not that new but it's a new toy for me.I have been wanting an ebook device for some time. More and more so as the new Kindle and Sony devices have become so popular. They both have some nice features but I really wanted a Kindle. However, I'm a cheapskate so I couldn't bring myself to pay the almost $300 for the kindle.I finally decided to see what else was available.

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-85247585129451745582010-01-06T08:27:00.003-05:002010-01-06T08:48:25.715-05:00

I have been pretty unmotivated over the last several months. Thankfully, I have a few friends and interested individuals who provide encouragement and support. A special thanks to JS and DF for their recent comments and notes of encouragement.I have finally gotten back to work on my writing. I have set up a reminder on my calendar to notify me of a few minutes each day that I am setting aside

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-29458202305682021092009-07-13T07:58:00.002-04:002009-07-13T08:06:57.367-04:00

The last couple of months have been extremely busy. Zack is playing Little League (he made the all-star team and we have been travelling a bit), I have taken over as Cubmaster for our Scout Pack (this requires a lot more time than I expected), and we still have our everyday life (Church, home chores, yard chores, maintaining our garden). Suffice it to say, I havn't written much.I received a

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-45181085400826879772009-05-29T13:30:00.002-04:002009-05-29T13:42:27.754-04:00

I have finished my first project since deciding that I wanted to be an author. I have posted to the challenge forum and I simply have to wait for the results of the challenge and reviews from anyone who reads it.I liked the story line that I used (it could be used for a longer tale sometime in the future). My characters probably need a bit of development but I have time to work on that. I also

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-76933630362840919092009-05-13T11:16:00.002-04:002009-05-13T11:26:59.756-04:00

I am still working on my writing challenge entry. I have approximately one-third of the story written. I am currently about 2,000 words so I should easily be able to finish it under the 10,000 word limit.I have slowed a bit at this point in the story. I am trying to work out how to transition from the last section into the next. I have tried a couple of different approaches but wasn't happy

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-92130908153728736062009-05-04T13:42:00.003-04:002009-05-04T14:15:45.511-04:00

I did not make my April goals of completing chapter 3 and starting chapter 4. I am still making progress. Chapter three is almost complete. I am, however, going to put this project temporarily on hold.The writer's forum I belong to, Fantasy Writers Organization, has monthly writing challenges. These challanges are usually based on a specific idea or must include certain requirements which

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-71725648758966442642009-04-27T10:18:00.002-04:002009-04-27T10:32:30.274-04:00

I've been away for a few days. I took a weeks vacation and simply ignored everything - work, reading, writing, reviews. It actually felt pretty good.I enjoy hunting and it is currently spring Turkey season where I live. So, I spent several days hunting. I didn't bag any game but really enjoyed my time. I hunted alone a few days and the remainder I hunted with my brother. The weather was

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-71801600854942794852009-03-31T13:46:00.003-04:002009-03-31T13:53:47.058-04:00

Why is writing so difficult?I know what I want to happen. I know what I want my characters to do. I know how I want things to end. This should make writing the story easy, right?Wrong.These are the easy parts... well relatively easy parts. The hard part for me is simply making myself sit down and write. I said making, maybe I should have said FORCING. I FORCED myself to write today and I

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-19201098316797243712009-03-13T14:36:00.004-04:002009-03-13T14:57:53.295-04:00

It's been another productive week. Maybe not for my writing, but I have gotten a few things done.I was able to finish the 3 stories from FWO that I had been trying t complete. I was also able to complete the review of these stories... so I guess that counts as some writing. I completed some of the web updates needed for my Church and our Boy Scout sites. I even finished another Rick Riordan

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-51017174317651696222009-03-09T07:49:00.002-04:002009-03-09T07:56:02.800-04:00

I am hoping that things will settle down a bit. I have had so many activities with my son's scouting and soccer, activities at the Church, and the new hardware and software we have spent the last two weeks installing at work, I simply havn't had time to write.The project at work is now fully implemented so I simply have to become familiar with the new application. My son's soccer is almost over

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-85295197374660502822009-02-19T11:46:00.004-05:002009-02-20T07:49:28.541-05:00

I have decided how I should proceed with chapter 3 of Scroll. I am going to stay with the current thread and POV at least for this chapter. I may put in a scene towards the end of the chapter from my other story thread. I'm not sure on this; I'm still trying to decide. I've started writing and I'm anxious to see how all the details fall out.It's been a good week. Some changes and news at work

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-39332315019224256512009-02-13T14:17:00.004-05:002009-02-20T08:31:14.350-05:00

I was finally able to finished the second chapter of Scroll today.While the first chapter introduced the main character and set the primary conflict in motion, the second chapter introduced two more of the key characters and began the process of building some of the story subplots. I like the direction so far.While the first two chapters are still raw and unedited, I am pleased with the content

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-21581425390843552602009-02-10T13:20:00.004-05:002009-02-10T13:44:44.077-05:00

I have finally received some more reviews on my work in progress, Scroll. I am still positive about the overall project. I simply need to get better at punctuation, word choice, sentence structure, etc, etc, and etc. Lots of work to do.What I did find out from the most recent comments.... I have been successful in setting the tone and mood. While my technical skills need some real work, my

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-60766327766898397782009-02-06T14:27:00.004-05:002009-02-06T14:36:08.651-05:00

I am completely disappointed in the ending of Leven Thumps. The book ended..... but the story didn't.I pushed myself to finish reading this today during my lunch break. I get to the end of the final chapter and I am still waiting for a resolution to the story. It appears that the final resolution just happens to be in the third book in this series. Great marketing but lousy reader

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-66559735642636413102009-01-30T15:06:00.002-05:002009-01-30T15:10:36.493-05:00

School was cancelled again yesterday so I stayed home with my son. We had a pretty good day. There was a good deal of Xbox360 with some snow time thrown in. The day passed pretty quickly.I thought again that I might be able to use the day to get some writing done but that didn't happen. I didn't even get any reading done.I was able to make up for it today. I finished the 1st draft of chapter

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-24166078391427415712009-01-28T10:06:00.004-05:002009-01-28T11:20:25.938-05:00

Yesterday was a snow day, or more precisely an ice day. See the pictures of the trees in my yard below. I thought the day off from work (the university where I work was closed) would be the perfect thing to get some writing done. Didn't happen. My son and I sat at home, played games, and watched TV all day.We're still dealing with the bad weather today with freezing rain now and snow expected

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-58166787676454678732009-01-22T14:06:00.003-05:002009-01-26T15:40:47.230-05:00

Finally, I have made some progress.While I am still reading Leven Thumps I am also making some real progress on my novel, Scroll. This story will have one primary MC with 4 subordiante MCs. I have finished the development on my primary characters and have begun working on 2 of the other characters. Details emerging from this character development also required some changes to my overall story

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-58606523921494015042009-01-16T14:59:00.002-05:002009-01-16T15:07:39.838-05:00

I am still reading. I just havn't felt like writing for the last couple of weeks.I finished Book 4 of the Percy Jackson. This was a pretty easy read and was quite enjoyable. I have since started Leven Thumps and the Whispered Secret by Obert Skye. This is the second Leven Thumps story. I found the book at a rummage sale and bought it cheap. It has been laying in pile of miscellaneous books

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-75030760946728020662009-01-13T15:11:00.005-05:002009-01-15T08:06:48.213-05:00

I am still working on my character development tasks but progress has been greatly slowed. As I stated once before, I seem to be unable to both read and write at the same time. Guess what.... I am reading at this time.A friend gave me a copy of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4. I started on this and have really enjoyed the story. The reading is so easy and yet it keeps me

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-71142375056800185012009-01-09T13:45:00.002-05:002009-01-09T14:03:49.848-05:00

I have been working with the Snowflake Method for novel writing. I started yesterday implementing the initial steps. So far I am really pleased with the results. The questions to be answered in step 3 have made a big difference in my understanding of my characters.I am still working on this step but I have completed he process on my main character Eronysus. I now know that he is naive and

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-53450702670530727262009-01-08T11:26:00.002-05:002009-01-08T11:38:30.931-05:00

I recently read about a different approach to novel writing, The Snowflake Method. I have started today using this method to give me a better idea of where I am with my story. I also think this will help me with character development which I seriously need help with.I am currently working on step 1 (write a one sentence summary of the story) and actually hope to have it and step 2 (write a one

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-9613752537486103072009-01-06T08:06:00.004-05:002009-01-06T09:31:24.049-05:00

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Holiday season. However, now it's over and time to get back to the routine.I have been lazy over my holiday break. I didn't write any at all nor did I read anything. I was even slow to get back to this blog or many of the others that I follow. Even though I am fighting off a sinus infection and not feeling the best I decided it was time to get back at it. I can't

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-85601422013384683562008-12-22T10:21:00.002-05:002008-12-22T10:41:59.441-05:00

Today is my sons eighth birthday. We had his party yesterday afternoon and he had a great time. However, he woke up this morning with a hoarse cough and sore throat. We're trying to get him in to see the doctor. What a great way to spend your birthday.In other news, I received some comments back from FWO concerning my plot. Those responding really liked the idea and general plot. They also,

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-49359304260941325922008-12-18T13:25:00.004-05:002008-12-18T13:31:38.890-05:00

Bouncing ideas off of a friend on FWO has really advanced the plot for my newest novel. I have kinda halted on Unknown Heritage and I am really excited by the current prospects of Scroll. This newest story is so much more original and less cliche than my previous attempts.I have almost finished the draft of the plot. I feel that this is a really good story (I know that other things I have worked

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-47497871805249518482008-12-16T16:06:00.003-05:002008-12-16T16:10:33.864-05:00

I recently wrote a short story titled Scroll and it turned out really well. I received some good feeback and have finished the inital set of edits. While working on this I had some ideas for expanding the story. I am still working out all the details but have started with some basic writing. I think it is going pretty well so far. A couple of areas I am not weel pleased with but overall, not

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-47205337405376488502008-12-15T15:18:00.002-05:002008-12-15T15:25:33.292-05:00

It has been a couple of days. I finally got some comments back on my rework of Chapter 1 of my NiP. It still needs some serious work. The improvements were noted by the commentors but they still feel that the test is too 'loose'. Really needs to be tightened up. It was suggested that I put this aside for a short period and then read it again and make edits. This is going on hold for a

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-9713112827937457792008-12-11T15:47:00.002-05:002008-12-11T15:49:56.254-05:00

Didn't write much today. Finished revising chapter 2 and posting it to FWO (fantasy-writers.org) and then a good bit of time reading. It was pretty relaxing.I've taken a head cold and the medicine has made me extremely drowsy so staying awake has been an issue. I am hoping I'm on the mend.

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-44662828374380475382008-12-10T13:44:00.002-05:002008-12-10T13:47:50.878-05:00

I have finally reworked Chapter 1. The comments I received on fantasy-writers.org were really helpful in getting this done. This is the same story I was working on before but this version (in my mind) is much better. Here is the first chapter of Unknown Heritage.Robert awoke with a start and realized that he was sitting up in bed. His pajamas and sheets were both wet with sweat. It took

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-69408316288548140132008-12-09T07:45:00.002-05:002008-12-09T07:52:50.797-05:00

I have spent some additional time on Fantasy-writers.org and the site is continuing to provde some very useful information. One of the comments made about my original post for Unknown Heritage said that I was filling in all the gaps for the reader (called InfoDump) and not letting them discover for themselves. I tried working through the rewrite on some of my story and while understanding the

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-82214482835627334912008-12-06T19:15:00.003-05:002008-12-19T11:53:13.166-05:00

While searching the Internet yesterday I came across a site Fantasy-Writers.org and may have found some of the help I have been looking for. I signed up and posted the first three chapters of my work Unknown Heritage. I received some feedback and although it was not as positive as I had hoped it was close to what I truly expected. Not so good to start.However, this was exactly what I have been

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-17459128180355369922008-12-03T13:35:00.003-05:002008-12-05T13:54:37.605-05:00

I love to read. Most days I spend my lunch break reading. I am almost finished with book nine of The Wheel of Time - Winter's Heart. This particular story has been a bit difficult for me to complete. Some of the story is very enjoyable reading while other sections are a chore. However, I have enjoyed the overall story, it has simply taken some time to work through.During this same period I have

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-73690092405911641412008-12-01T13:10:00.002-05:002008-12-01T13:17:03.146-05:00

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving Holiday. I know that the break from my day job was much needed. I was able to spend some time with family and friends while also relaxing. Hopefully, everyone else had a similar experience.It is so odd how one day staying focused and on track is so difficult while the next is so easy. What is different from one time to the next? What makes staying

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-52126437769186807472008-11-17T14:57:00.002-05:002008-11-17T15:03:24.709-05:00

I have decided to leave the current text as is. I spoke with some friends who convinced me that things were not as bad as I viewed and that I should continue. So, I am moving on with the current text and will try to finish the basic story before going back to improve the passages that I feel need work (this may be the entire text).

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-50486220174895232662008-11-14T10:21:00.002-05:002008-11-14T10:32:49.893-05:00

This is turning out to be extremely difficult. I am actually working on my second attempt at this particular story. My first attempt was going well for a couple of months before I was simply not pleased with the writing. I reworked my story lines and details slightly and started again. I have again come to that point in which I do not feel that my writing is very good. I have not been able

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-81069653075108738232008-09-08T11:53:00.003-04:002008-11-25T07:41:25.682-05:00

Turning to leave he quickly brushed the surface of the mirror with his fingers. Astonishment and curiosity along with intense fear flooded through him as his fingers not only brushed the surface but actually penetrated into the mirror. Stumbling to remove his hand he lost his balance and fell towards the mirror.Expecting to fall into the mirror and feel it break against him, he was startled when

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266524276414503431.post-973077442187564142008-08-13T16:07:00.001-04:002008-08-13T16:17:30.260-04:00

I have decided to try my hand at writing. I have started a project called 'Unknown Heritage' which is a story of a hidden magical Kingdom. I have always preferred science fiction and fantasy over others genres and this story falls in the realm of fantasy. I have my basic idea and have developed the basic storyline I simply have to get my ideas converted to the proper words. This has turned out to

Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679372677410566823noreply@blogger.com0