Month: January 2019

This Phase

I began a new novel project at the beginning of the new year, April Showers 1921. I’m in the exploratory phase. While the character, story, and its cover popped up in a dream, and I can see it and hear the characters and story, sometimes ‘watching it’ like I’m seeing it on a television or movie screen. Then I’m scrambling to capture all the details, translate them to words, get the order right, and get it on paper.

It’s difficult. The pace is fast and relentless. My brain power lacks the capacity to absorb it.  Stopping to do and enjoy other things is hard because novel scenes are always popping out. Details spring into mind in the middle of conversations with other people. When I’m in an actual writing session and everything is channeled into a coherent order, the inexorable flow quickens. The faucet is opened but I have no control over the volume that pours into me. Becoming intense and exciting, I fall behind again, forcing me to break off and pace to regain control, take a deep breath, and go at it again.

I also want to jump ahead to learn more about the villains. They intrigue me, but my muses are being coy about them. They offer tantalizing glimpses but won’t let me see the whole thing yet.

Yeah, weird, but it’s my process. If I could, I’d just stay here with this novel, hour after hour, watching, listening, shaping and writing. I’d probably deprive myself of sleep and exercise, but not coffee, water, and food – a man needs to know his limitations.

I remind myself of my basic writing approach.

  1. Discipline: write every day.
  2. Patience: it’ll all come. Just keep writing.
  3. Persist: stay with the story and keep moving it forward.
  4. Write like crazy: capture what I can as I can, and then edit, polish, revise, and re-order scenes and paragraphs as necessary.
  5. Finish. The goal isn’t just to write but to tell a story in a novel.

These sessions leave me spent, as you can probably understand. I vex others because most energy is being diverted into writing this novel while I submit my last finished work to agents in search of publication.

The coffee shop is closing, and they’re kicking us out. It’s their usual Sunday thing. Done writing like crazy, at least for now.

2

Sunday’s Theme Music

Today’s theme music is from the Van Halen tributary to my streaming music mind. “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love” is off of their debut album in 1978. Essentially a power trio of Eddie on electric guitar, Alex on drums and Michael Anthony on bass, David Lee Roth provided the vocals. That first album had a number of elemental songs on it, nothing fancy. Eddie’s mind-blowing guitar playing was showcased, especially the solo, “Eruption”. “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love” offers more of that against a head-rocking beat and emphatic vocals. There’s no doubt that they’re not talkin’ ’bout love.

1

NIMS

NIMS (floofinition) – a rare floofinition that doesn’t include ‘floof’ as part of the word or phrase, NIMS is a shorthand reference that means ‘not in my space’, which is a housepet’s policy of not allowing another housepet in their personal area.

In use: “The small calico with the white neck and silky belly weighed under eight pounds but employed a strict NIMS philosophy, warning other pets with deep growls that were amazingly effective in prompting meek, hasty retreats.”

2

Flooftorial

Flooftorial (floofinition) – a period of instruction given by one housepet to an individual or very small group of housepets.

In use: “Although he was a large Golden Retriever, after he was introduced to the small black and white orphaned kitten, he began flooftorials, teaching the tiny creature how to eat, drink water, play and clean himself, while comforting him and keeping him warm.”

0

Feeling Dumb

I received a Costco paper thingy in the mail yesterday, one of those things with thin but glossy pages stapled together that show, “Here’s what you can buy!” 

I leafed through the leafs because I’m always looking for things to buy, when what do you think caught my eye?

Yes, that’s right, a smart toilet.

Offered by Ove, the description was pithy. They mentioned that it had memory and a remote control. I thought, WTH? Why would your toilet remember you? Does it say, this guy again, and turn on some air freshener? Or is it a matter of adjusting the toilet height and angle to suit your body for the best experience evacuating bowels? And what the heck was the remote control for?

These questions pushed me to search the net for answers. I found a promotional video so that I can share all of those things with you.

The smart toilet disappointed me in the end. While it was impressive on the surface and intrigued me about what it could do, I thought, what about a phone app for it, and voice control? Does it not interface with Siri or Alexa? I don’t know why you’d want to do any of that, but then, I’m not really sold on a remote control for my toilet.

Of course, I shouldn’t be surprised that the smart toilet has arrived. Smart dildos, smart thermostats, smart phones, and smart toothbrushes have been around for some time. Other smart inventions are arriving every day, like smart sex dolls and smart showers. Naturally, with all this smart stuff, concerns are raised about your smarts being hacked, resulting in unexpected problems. Besides someone else taking control of it, these smart devices are calling back home, reporting on what you’re doing.

It’s another reason to not get a smart appliance. Sooner or later, they’re gonna turn on you.

 

5

Lane Envy

Lane Envy – anxiety and desire to be in a different lane, often associated with driving and shopping.

In use: “Seeing the other lane going much faster, lane envy struck, prompting him to contemplate moving, but he knew the shopping gods were playing a cruel joke on him. As soon as he changed lanes, this one would go faster, so he stood where he was and bridled his longing to go to another cashier.”

0

Saturday’s Theme Music

Today’s song splashed into my stream apropos of naught. So, I thought I’d splash it onto this page.

Coming out in the disco era, it has the disco tones that you’d expect. I was twenty and stationed in the Philippines when it hit the airways. It was a good dance tune when you were out clubbing. The dance floor always filled when the song began.

Here’s Tavares and “Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel” (1976).

Cheers

 

4

Another Annie Also Said

I have a little issue with the phrase, “tugging on the sleeves in your heart”, but I like the quote’s underlying sentiment.

3

Floofmation

Floofmation (floofinition) – a state or condition of sluggishness, inactivity, or torpor often exhibited by housepets during extended periods of low temperature.

In use: “Falling rain and cold temperatures meant the pets were staying in, finding a place to enter floofmation to endure the wretched conditions.”

0

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