Merry Christmas–and fishing

First of all I wanted to say Merry Christmas.  Ours was quite enjoyable.  Lots of good food and plenty of laughs.

Second of all, I want to just chat – mostly too myself, so feel free to ignore me.  I’ve now signed up to be a World Fishing Network Ambassador.  So, now I have that on top of being the Northern Wisconsin Fishing Examiner.  It’s been a while since I’ve put up any articles, but I know I have to get back into it.  Two completely different formats, of course.  But sometimes I wonder if people will actually read what I write.  Do I know enough about it?  Will it be interesting and informative?  I don’t know.  I can talk about bass fishing through the eyes of someone new to the sport, but that’s really all I have going.  I guess the best thing to do it sit down and write a firm list for each: things I want to write an article about and things I can blog about.  Blogging is much different from article writing, for sure.  So, two different set-ups, two different audiences.  Maybe I should use One Note to organize my ideas?  I don’t know.  I know there’s already a lot of information out there – maybe that’s why it seems such a daunting task.  Maybe articles about how I learned the things I know how and how I plan to learn the things I don’t already know are in order.

Really I just wanted to add something to my blog.  That’s the reason I’m here today.  I guess I needed to stretch my fingers and write something – anything!  Other than NaNo, I haven’t written much of anything lately.  I’ve done a couple flash fiction entries for contests, and some revisions on my novel.  So, I guess saying that I haven’t written anything would be false.  A 50,000 word novel in a month is something, at least.

But now I have to get into the nonfiction realm.  I don’t know why I think it would be easier to break into that.  Outdoorsmen everywhere write about their passions.  It’s not any easier to break into paid writing in nonfiction, I don’t think.  Maybe it’s even more difficult. But I’m going to try.  Blogs, pics, and videos go to WFN.  Localized articles about fishing in Northern Wisconsin go to Examiner.  Articles about fishing in general go to Suite 101.  That’s my set up going into the new year.

Good luck and tight lines in 2011, All!

Christmas Muse, where are you?

It’s already December 3rd, and I have yet to find my Christmas muse.  Not sure where she went off to this year, but I haven’t been able to find her.  Maybe it’s because we don’t have our Christmas tree up yet.  I usually have it up earlier, and the warm glow of the lights gets me in the mood to write Christmas tales.  I guess I should get it up tonight and see if it helps.  I’ve thought of a few tales to tell, but they all seem trite to me in some way or another. 

Maybe I’ll start with a good Christmas comedy.  That always gets me in the holiday spirit.  Think about it – people who don’t normally spend every day together are often forced into a house not meant for such a crowd, and sometimes for days!  Yes, I’m talking about family gatherings!  It’s usually a comedy of errors when that happens.  Food disasters, lighting faux paux, Gramma Gracie having one too many hot totties and tipping over the Christmas tree, Billy having to share a room with Grandpa, who is a sleep walker.  The poor kid is too scared to sleep because of last year’s catastrophe. Uncle Bob, the world’s worst re-gifter. Ah yes, Christmas.

I think I’m starting to get into the spirit now.  I guess this year I’m just not willing to give up summer yet.  That’s the biggest part of the problem, I think.  I want to still be fishing in the warm sunshine and driving around with my sunroof open.  But alas, winter is setting in and a light blanket of snow is already covering the ground.  At least we have the beauty and feeling of the holidays to help us make that transition into the depths of winter.  Light a candle, string some lights, grab a cup of hot chocolate or pumpkin spice cappuccino, and remember the real reason for the season.

Things are starting to look better already.  Hey, Christmas muse!  There you are!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Free-writing and Writing Prompts

So, today I decided to get my other blog going again.  It’s at Writing.com, and I just use a random prompt that I find anywhere on the Internet, and I write about it for 10 minutes.  Whatever comes out, I post it.  Those are the rules – no editing, no caring what I’ve written – just write for 10 minutes and post.

I decided to look around on the Internet and get some new prompts.  The group where I’ve gotten my prompts for a long time re-uses the same prompts each year.  Now, that’s not all that bad.  You can see where your mindset was from one year to the next – you will definitely write something completely different.  But, I wanted to see what was out there.

I realized that writing prompts sometimes make me feel a bit dumb.  I see a prompt and suddenly all of these ideas come to me.  Then I wonder – why couldn’t I just write that to begin with?   Why didn’t I think of that?  It’s weird.  I know that this is why writing prompts exist… to spur your imagination, your muse, whatever you’d like to call it…. but it does make you feel a bit daft at times.  It was right there all the time, and I couldn’t see it.  A great story was ready to be written and I didn’t acknowledge it.  Weird.  When you write a lot, you think you are fairly creative – at least that’s what I think.  But then you realize there was a story begging to be told, and you didn’t even see it.

Don’t get my wrong.  I love writing prompts.  They are the best thing to spark my muse – but they do make me feel as though I should have already been writing a story once one comes about from any given prompt.

Again, the reason prompts exist is for those of us writers, like myself, who cannot see the forest for the trees (how terribly cliché, I know).  All I can say is that the person who “invented” writing prompts is to be commended highly… and if that person is not already a millionaire, he/she should be!

That’s all for tonight, my friends.

Write more, and write more often!

Another NaNo in the Books… so to speak!

Well, another NaNoWriMo has come and gone.  I’m excited that I achieved over the 50,000 word mark.  Now I can get down to the real business of revising and rewriting.  That’s always the hardest part for me.  Sometimes I’d prefer to just start over – but that’s kind of pointless.  I’ve already got the words and ideas down.  Now it’s just a matter of fine tuning them.

I want to get one of my last two novels ready for the ABNA contest on Amazon.com. The only question now is which one.  I like them both – or the ideas behind them at least.  I think I might have a better shot at being objective with last year’s novel, but I think this years’ would have more public interest.  Maybe there’s a wider market for this year’s novel?  I mean, who doesn’t like a good old thriller set in an abandoned insane asylum?

Maybe I’ll give it another day or two.  But, really, I’ve only got two months to get this revised and ready for the “real world” to see, so I better get on it!  All three of my novels need revisions, but I’ve only got time for one.  Hmmmmm…….

Windows Live Writer test

So, the new update came to my computer that said I could have an icon that would let me post directly to my blog.  So I thought I’d check it out.  That’s what this post is all about.  I was a blogger user a long time ago.  I’ve hidden a couple blogs that no longer pertained to my life. But now I feel pretty cool that something I’ve done is still relevant.  LOL.

You know, I went through the whole Yahoo! 360, MySpace, then Facebook thing.  Every time I finally got used to something, everyone I knew switched social media networks.  I think it’s all a bit crazy.  I mean, if you actually wanted to talk to these people… aren’t you texting them anyway.   I know. You probably expected me to ask if you weren’t just calling them… perhaps snail-mailing them.  No.  I’m old, but I’m not that old.  Not just yet.  I do my best to embrace new technology.  Maybe that’s where I’ve gone wrong a time or two.  I should just do what I like, and stick to that.  If anyone really wants to know what I think, they will probably look for me where I am. That makes sense.  At any rate, that was the only purpose of this blog entry…. just to check and make sure my old mine could still wrap itself around something new.  Hope everyone I know and love it doing well!

Laterzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Taterzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend

A long-time friend of mine was burried today. His new wife of 7-months is also a close friend. I can't begin to imagine what she's going through. She waited so long for love to find her again... only for it to be taken from her so quickly. I don't know how his kids are dealing with it, either, after losing their mother.... I believe it was 2 or 3 years ago. I wasn't in town when she died, but I know he was devastated.

I am happy for him that he found love one more time before he died. I am happy for my other friend that she found love with him again. At over 40 years old she seemed a school girl again when they got together. Life is so precious. Sometimes we need to put aside out differences and realize this. It's not always easy, but eventually someone needs to be the bigger, better person and extend the olive branch. Unfortunately, most times, people only realize this all too late. I know that I am fortunate to have all of my loved ones in my life. As life goes on, I know I will lose many of them. All I can do at that point is thank God for each and every day that I had with them - each smile, each tear. It's a sad day, but filled with so many happy memories.

Do me a favor - give someone a hug today, please.
Thanks!

The Things Kids Don't Know Amaze Me!

This weekend I had the opportunity to spend the day with a bunch of local kids. It was an event set up by our DNR where they could learn about hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities. A few things surprised me about the day.

The first one was the turnout, given the cold and rainy weather. It was great to see so many kids interested enough in all of these activities that they would still come out, despite the weather. And, I have to say, most of them were dressed well for the weather.

One of the things that bothered me, though, were the amount of parents that simply dropped their kids off and left. There used to be a time that, when your kids were interested in something... a good wholesome activity that tends to keep kids from drinking, doing drugs, and getting in trouble... that parents would go to any lengths to show at least some interest and support of their kids.

Another thing that really bothered me was the amount of 7, 8, 9, and 10 year olds who didn't even know their own address! When I went to school, you needed to know your parents' names, your address, and your phone number before you even went to kindergarten. If one of these kids were to ever, God forbid, get lost somewhere. How would they be able to tell anyone where they belonged?

One young lad even turned to his brother while filling out the simple paperwork (name, address, phone, parents' name) and asked, "What's Mom's first name?" Really?!? Kids don't know these things? I admit, as a kid, not knowing my grandmother's first name. I called my grandparents Gramma and Grammpa (insert last name here). It was a matter of respect. We never called our grandparents by their first names. But I'm fairly sure that I have always known my parents' first names!

You know, this leads me to a bit of a different rant, but I think it fits here. All over the country you hear proposals about linking students' grades to teachers' pay. In a way, I understand that. But what about the parents? Where are they? Why are they no longer responsible for what a child learns?

Again I must say, when I was a kid, my parents made sure my homework was done. They made sure they looked it over and that I was grasping the concepts. I don't think this responsibility lies solely with the teachers. Before you argue that things were different "back then", let me say that both of my parents worked. They both held full-time jobs the entire time I was in school. I guess maybe priorities were different back then. Maybe kids were more important back then? A sense of responsibility demanded that children, and their welfare, be the center of the family.

Before anyone gets too irate with me, I'm not speaking of all parents here. I know quite a few people who are awesome parents and would do anything to help their kids succeed. Sadly, though, they don't seem to be the majority anymore. Many seem to think that how a child performs in school is a direct reflection on no one other than the child. Really? It doesn't reflect parenting skills in any way, shape, or form? Really? That's all I can say.....