Thanksgiving

Today is a gift. That's why it's called "the present."

I heard that at a Toastmasters meeting from many years ago. I remember being quite affected by that statement. Today is a gift. It's a present.

I think I'll keep this in mind during Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Tweet

Ladies and gentlemen: Rick's profile, courtesy of Blogger.

This Fish Needs a Bicycle

This past Sunday, I read a funny article about BLOGging and dating by Heather Hunter, who writes the BLOG This Fish Needs a Bicycle. It's a terrific piece describing the perils of courtship in today's BLOGging age.

So of course I visited her BLOG and read a bunch of her entries. They are nearly all wonderful. She reveals her triumphs and her insecurities. She examines her past, studies her present, and ponders her future.

I sometimes wish I could write with her openness. Keeping a BLOG on the Internet isn't exactly being 'closed', but I'm just a bit more reserved (just like in real life). I'd be scared to have you read anything that's too personal about myself. I still keep a private journal (it's electronic), and it frightens me the stuff I put in there from even a week ago!

Fish is not frightened by the private stuff. At least, she's not frightened of writing about the private stuff. Check it out!

A Novel

I finished writing the novel!

My first draft clocks in at 301 pages (96,460 words). It was weird reaching the end. There just wasn't anything more the character needed to say. I tapped out THE END and sighed.

I have an idea for another novel, a longer work. But instead of just jumping in, I'm going to do an outline. This is something I'll probably start next year. My plan now is to let this one settle, then to reread it sometime in December.

Snow

It snowed a little today.

The brief snow shower ended a few hours ago, but roads had their first taste of slush, and trees were bent a bit by the little accumulation. I was chilled, not quite to the bone, but close enough. I may break down and put on the big coat, but temperatures are expected to be in the mid-40s next week.

As we say in New England: Aw, hell!

A Novel

277 pages (double-spaced). 89,000 words. That's what I've got so far in my first attempt at a novel. That's the result of sixty days of writing (I've missed eight days of writing due to vacation and the World Series).

The few books that I've read on novel writing say that after you've finished (and I think I'm almost finished), you should set aside the book for a few weeks. Let it simmer. After this break, pick it up and reread it, revising it, marking it up. After making changes from this first review, set it aside again. Repeat as necessary until you can see the polish.

The one overriding thought I have: where am I going to print 277 pages?

Tweet

I voted today. I hope you do too.