The Return of the Blog!

I am deeply focused on several projects and aspects of writing right now, and that means whenever I sit down to write a blog post, I blather uselessly. 

No, seriously, I sit down to write something simple, and 3000 words later I'm on a completely different topic, and I think "Ah, that's what I meant to write about..." and I blather on for another 3000 incoherent words.

I think the problem is that I have two modes when I blog: there is the chatty "update" post about what's going on in my writing life, and then there is the useful/interesting but more impersonal essay.  They require different mindsets, and I can't seem to keep them straight right now.

Because my mind is busy right now.  And I am preoccupied with things I'm learning, which means that I am not an expert in it and not qualified to write that useful/interesting essay, but it's my smart  essay-writing brain that is all wrapped up in it.

So I blather on for thousands of words trying to make a higher sense out of something I don't know yet.

Does the above make sense?  (Hey, at least I didn't go on for 3000 words to not even say it.)


What I'm Up To Right Now

*Sound

I have slowed the production on my podcast to every other week (or actually, twice a month), but I am also wrapped up in doing audiobooks, so it's still taking a lot of time.

But at last I have the microphone I need, etc.  I am getting better at reading, but I need to get better yet, because I'm still taking too much time in the editing phase.

In the meantime: check out the new episode of Reading in the Attic -- featuring "The Bet" by Anton Chekhov. A classic, and a bit of a psychological thriller.

And in two weeks, I'll be reading an excerpt from Kyra Halland's Beneath the Canyons on the podcast.  This is a mix of high fantasy and classic western -- two genres that mix really well.  Like they're made for each other.  What's up with that?


*Experiment in Xtreme Outlining

My current experiment/project is called "Xtreme Outlining," and I've decided that it is an extension of the Story Game project. I'll be talking about it a lot in the coming days -- but rather than blathering incoherently all at once about it, I've decided to rejoin ROW80 (A Round of Words in Eighty Days Challenge).

Since you have to post regular updates with that challenge, I might as well save the blather and explanations for those weekly posts. (We're supposed to post twice a week, but I'm not sure I want to fill up my blog with updates, so I'll probably post mainly on Wednesdays.)

Sunday is the day to announce ROW80 goals and intentions, and I'll go into that more then.


*A Writer in the Jury Box - a Blog Series

Meanwhile, the trial I was on was rich in information and experience for a writer.  I have a lot of little essays and stories and bits and pieces to write about -- so I will be posting them off and on, probably on Thursdays (but not every Thursday).  I'm not sure exactly which Thursday I will start with.

Plus I have a few general writing and publishing posts coming up.

AND... I'm having some interesting adventures in tracking down just who owns the rights to one of my favorite mystery series -- books which appear to be in copyright purgatory.  The authors had no children, and the bank which was the executor has merged and split and reorganized, and has no interest in helping me track down what's happened to the rights.

If it comes to anything, I'll write about my journey here.

So, I'm back more or less.  I probably won't be posting more than twice a week, unless I get too excited about something.

See you in the funny papers.