Stephen Burckhardt's Blog: My Blog Ramblings, page 78

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Today was a busy day, unfortunately very little of my time has been spend on writing. I got up early today for an appointment with my new family doctor. Today was blood work and next Monday is my first physical, can you lose 50 pounds in a weekend? The good news is, I already like this practice better than the last one. The last doctor I saw was a nice lady but was more like a nurse practitioner. She basically doled out antibiotics and sent you to other doctors when you needed more than that. The entire year I was seeing her, she only took my blood pressure twice, never took my temperature, and never even asked me about my weight or height. When I went in with upper respiratory issues, she never checked to see if it was bacterial or viral, she just gave me antibiotics and told me to drink tea and rest. The practice is I going to now seems more like real full service doctors office. I think the first lady will be good if I get strep or something and cannot get in to see my new doctor but other than that, she just doesn't meet my needs.  After I left the doctors office, I ran a lot of errands. I did grocery shopping, picked up a gas bottle for the Soda Stream (funny thing, we only ever make carbonated water with ours, We do not like the soda syrups but we drink several bottles of soda water a day), mailed a birthday gift to my mom (Happy Birthday, Mom), and stopped by my school to see if my test results were in. While they do not have the certificates ready to be picked up, I was able to find out my score. The bad news is, I did not get the perfect score I was hoping for but the good news is I only missed it by one. I was so bummed when the secretary told me that. We both laughed. You only had to get 15 out of 33 right to pass the test and I got 32. I hate getting so close to a perfect score and missing out. Ah well, at least I do not have to take anymore classes . . .  though I might take more later just because I want to. As for the ugly, it's really not so much ugly as ineffective. I have had people comment the covers of my books make them think they are more history books and not fiction. So to try to help connect the book series to the website and give a more fiction book kind of feel, I'm working on new cover art to be launched when the third book, Into the West: Sharon Springs, is released.  If you follow me on Facebook, you may have already seen the covers I have been working on for the first installment, Into the West: The Orphan Train. Some people have expressed concern that people tend to repurchase books by mistake when people reissue the same book with a new cover. I plan to make a not of it in the print history that this is a reprint with new cover art. If you only purchase the ebooks, you should get update information when the new art is ready and you can just download the update. It should tell you that you have already purchased that book if you try to buy it again. So that pretty much covers my day. P.R. was at home working all day. When I finally got home and settled in to work on book stuff, I had such a headache from not eating all day as I couldn't eat before the doctors appointment, and only had enough cash with me to get a coffee and a muffin afterward. When I got home, P.R. was in the mood to go for a walk to de-stress after having meetings all day. After about 40 minutes, P.R. came back home and brought dinner, döners for two! Mine was vegetarian, of course. If you have never had a döner, I highly recommend them! Is it any wonder I call P.R. my better half?

A Learning Experience

As you may all know, my Into the West Saga Serial is my first real attempt at writing books. I had worked as a journalist and have full confidence when writing articles but books are something I am still learning how to do with actual skill. Since I have no real money to invest in hiring people to handle my social media, design the graphic for my products, edit everything from websites to my books, etc. I am doing it pretty much on my own. With this comes the certainty that I will make mistakes. I found two such mistakes this week. For those of you who have joined my Members Only page on my website and have already downloaded the free companion short, Sonya's Home, I apologize.  As I was updating everything this week, I realized I had previously linked the rough draft of Sonya's Home to the download page instead of the final draft. I can only imagine what you thought of it when you read it. The first draft was a bit of a jumbled mess if I do say so myself. If you would like to download the companion short again, it is linked to the correct version now. The other mistake I found was I wrote November in a book when I meant October. It makes the timeline in that part of the story a little strange. I plan to correct this when I reissue the books with the new cover art. For those who have the eBook, you should get a notice that you can download and update for free. For those of you who have print, I'm sorry for the mistake. However, this is part of the reason why I wanted to write these stories as serials. I knew there would be a learning curve to for me to figure out how to do all of this correctly.  I figured if I publish in smaller sections, I would making fewer and fewer mistakes as the stories progressed. So far this has proven to be true for the most part. I am getting better at all of this, and faster, but I am human and will always be prone to making the occasional mistakes. Luckily, I am not the kind of person who is afraid to step up and admit when they are wrong. I'm actually wrong quite often and have gotten used to admitting it. So, thank you for sticking with me through my sincere efforts to give you good heart wrenching stories. I may not be the best writer around but I will always do my best for you. Thank you!

Nose to the Grindstone . . .

Anyone who reads my blogs (that is assuming I'm not the only one) knows I have been teaching ESL online to try to earn some cash while I work to get my writing career going. Since I joined my online school back in October, things have gone well. I like the kids, I think they like me, I've made enough to cover my student loan payments and even cover a few other bills. Since taking this job I haven't had to pull any more money out of my 401K, which is nice. However, now that summer is here, the students have disappeared and I'm worried the next few months may be a bit lean. I even got certified with my school to teach TOEFL classes in hopes to increase my student numbers but it doesn't seemed to have helped. Last week was the first week of the summer break and I only had four students, this week I only have two, and I have yet to have a single student book for next week.Now, student's can book a class until 24 hours before the class begins, so these numbers can change. However, in the past, parents usually book their children's class first thing on Monday and my schedule usually stays the same as it is on Monday afternoon. One or two weeks of this will be a nice vacation where I can focus on my writing but anymore than that and my saving will start going down again.  I had hoped in the next few weeks to be able to book and pay for my birthday trip I want to take in September. It will be the big 50! I'm looking forward to it. I want P.R., Shaggy, and I to go on a hot air balloon trip. I've wanted to do this for years. I think the whole trip should cost about $2,000 for all three of us and that should include everything, even spending money. (I know, first world problems!) I guess this is when it's most beneficial to have good credit.  I know many people hate getting older but for me birthdays are milestones on a road I was told I would not be able to travel. Every year I earn is badge of sheer determination. I have lived longer and better than many doctors said was even possible and I think that is well worth celebrating even if I have to go into a little debt to do it!For now, I will not worry about what might or might not happen in the next few months. Instead, I'm going to go edit my companion short, Margret's Redemption and get it up on the website so you can all read it and let me know what you think. And guess I should say, the short comes with a major spoiler alert for book five and a seriously infuriating cliffhanger. You have been forewarned!  

Another Phase of Life

Too much time on social media lately brought up this blog today. I think I'm beginning to enter that crotchety old person phase of life. I find I have much less tolerance for BS and rude behavior. I find more and more that I would just rather not associate with some people than to spend the energy to put up with their attitude. When I was younger, I felt it was my job to try to make sure everyone in my life was happy and safe and felt like at least I cared about them and their lives. It was exhausting! The shocking thing was the variety of reactions I got from everyone. It went from gratitude (which was the minority), to distrust, to entitlement, and even hostility. Something that was even more shocking to me was how very few people returned the affection. Now, do not get me wrong, I have no ill feelings about any of this. My actions were of my own choosing. No one forced me to care about these other people and in life there are no guarantees that your efforts will ever be returned in kind or even appreciated for that matter, and if you expect those things you are just asking for disappointment. However, these past experiences are the basis for my recent attitude shift.I no longer feel the need to be present for anyone else. I have done my time and spent my energy. If they have a need and think I can help, friends and family are more than welcome to come to me but I will no longer seek out everyone to make sure their lives are in order. There are even a few people I have stopped communicating with altogether. I feel the loss and it is sad that where there was once a relationship now there is nothing but I find my life has become so much more peaceful and drama-free. I hope they find life is better too. While I do not want certain people in my life again, I will continue to wish for nothing but the best for them. Not talking to them does not mean I stopped caring, I just chose to care more about my own peace of mind. So now I'm just waiting for the day I start yelling at neighbor kids to get off my lawn. I guess it's a good thing we live on the second floor of an apartment building right now. It will stave off those crotchety episodes for a while longer. 

Time to Write Again . . .

Taking the rest of the day off from writing yesterday was definitely the right thing to do. I am still grieving the loss of my friends, praying for another, and hoping P.R. gets to dome home today. My thoughts are with the families who are dealing with loss and worry but I have gotten past my initial shock of it all and am deal with the emotions now. I'm at a point in the companion short, Margret's Redemption, where she needs to explain her depth of loss after losing her husband and now having to give up her children. I need to channel the things I am feeling right now into my writing. I believe it will not only make it more authentic but emotionally deeper than I would have written otherwise. As much as life can suck some days, it can be a great coach and motivator and writing can be great therapy. 

This Week Has Been Rough!

It's crazy were life can take you some days. I was so happy that I was able to get some good writing done. the companion short has been much more emotional than I was expecting. But that is not what has been so rough about this week.Earlier this week I learned a friend of mine had passed away. We met because we were geeks about the same sci-fi show, Lexx. We ended up at the same convention in Halifax, Nova Scotia many years ago. I knew she has not been doing well recently but I had not been expecting her to pass away. That same day I learned about another friend I had made through social media. was getting a full lung transplant. Thank God, she came through the surgery all right and is now working through her recovery. Today a very dear friend of mine lost her husband. I was not close with him but had met him a few times. He was a kind person who I have never heard anyone say a bad word against. He too had been battling health issues for years. We actually ended up going to the same physical rehab center for a time. He was a fighter and he fought hard for many years. the only blessing I can think of in his passing is he doesn't have to fight everyday of his life anymore.  I know how tiring that can be, it drains you, body, mind, and soul!And of course, P.R. was off in another part of the country working. I was expecting P.R. to return tonight but I got a text that the flight home was just cancelled. P.R. still might get home very late tonight but for now we wait to find out what they decide to do at the airport. I'm crossing my fingers there is another flight tonight. There is always hope.Speaking of hope, I do hope you all will forgive me if I do not finish the companion short tonight. It's going very well and turning out better than I had imagined. I do not feel in the right mindset to write tonight but I will get back to it full force tomorrow. I want it finished and online for you all to read. But for tonight, I need a break.Kiss your loved ones, and as always, thanks for following my work!

Emotionally Draining . . .

I managed to get six pages into the companion short, Margret's Redemption. It was crazy how emotionally draining it was to write. Trying to imagine how you would feel when you just gave up everything you really cared about in the world and then having to face the day after. I think it's going to be a few days before I finish this and I will take a day or two to decompress before I just into writing anything else. I think once you get a chance to read it, you will completely understand where I am emotionally right now.  As for now, I'm off to teach a few kids about the English language, then take Shaggy for a short walk, after which, I will jump back into writing the short and see if I can get it finished tonight. Keep your fingers crossed!

Busy Little Bee

I'm not sure if I feel more like a busy little bee, diligently toiling away, or the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get."  Either way, I'm keeping my head down and trudging onward! I hope, HOPE, to have most of the companion short, Margret's Redemption, written tonight. I have never been good at judging how long it will take me to write something. Sometimes it takes on a life of it's own and expands to places I hadn't considered before. Sometimes that is fantastic and sometimes it's a real drag because I'm trying to stick to a timetable. My solution has been to quit giving myself time tables.So, I'm off the work on Margret's Redemption. I'm not sure if I will start working on Into the West: Sharon Springs right after that or wait and write the other companion short and then write Into the West: Sharon Springs. I'll have to wait and see how I feel later. It will depend on where my thoughts take me. But for now, I write!

Getting Back in the Swing of things

Today I have been going through all the different websites I use to produce my books: CreateSpace, Kindle Direct Publishing, and Nook Press. I'm making sure everything is up to date and working correctly. I have to say, I'm very disappointed in the results I have gotten from Nook Press. Besides not selling a single physical book on their site, their customer service department has been less than helpful. I have contacted them before about problems I have had with their publishing software and have received little to no help. I had wanted to have my physical books available on the Barnes and Noble website, in part, because I worked for the company for 13 and a half years. I feel a sort of nostalgia for the company. I have a lot of memories from working there for so long, some bad but most were good, a few were even great. However, I think it's time to forego the nostalgia and look at what will help me achieve my present goals; Nook Press does not seem to be able to help in this regard. Another reason I wanted to use Nook Press is they offer hard cover versions of physical books. Something I haven't been able to find anywhere else. I wanted, if nothing else, to have hardcover versions for myself. I wanted to make sure I would have good copies of my own books to keep for , well, for as long as I am on this earth. But I'm thinking this is something I should just let go of for now and just focus on getting some attention for my work. Maybe when I get ready to publish the complete serial in one volume I can revisit the idea of a hardcover version. So, for now I think I'm going to withdraw my work from from the physical print section of Nook Press and just stick with the eBooks. As I was checking all the websites today I was surprised to find out I have actually been selling more eBooks on Nook than on Kindle the last few months. Who knew?It's sad to part with the physical books on Nook Press but who knows, maybe one day I will be back.  

It's Going Slowly, But It's Going!

Yesterday was filled with good and bad news. The bad news was the painter decided to come a day early. I ended up only getting three hours sleep (I'm a total night owl) before I had to get up and let him in at 8:30 when he was scheduled to come; he didn't show up until 9:30. The good news is he got everything done in one day and will not be back. The bad news is my current general practitioner who I saw on Monday, is a very nice lady but is really only good if you have a cold of flu and need to been seen today. The good news is I found a new doctor and she even does acupuncture! I have always wanted to try that for headaches. I see her next Tuesday. The bad news is I didn't get as much accomplished on my writing as I was hoping. The good news is I had a good class with my student and I did get a lot of work done to get things started on my books again.Today has been a mix of good and bad as well. This morning I didn't get to do any writing because I was busy testing to get certified to teach the summer TOEFL classes with the online school for which I'm currently working. I am not likely to get a lot of student over the summer if I'm not certified to teach these test prep classes, so until I can make enough money from my book sales to pay my student loan payments, I have to keep teaching as much as possible.But the good news is I had another good class with my student today and now I'm all set to spend the rest of the day working on my book series. My plan is to first reread part one and two to get back into the stories mindset. Then I am going to write the short stories for Margret MacBride and another for one of the other characters. It might be Sonya or it might be about one of the other children who were adopted off the train.  These shorts will be uploaded in theMembers Only section of this website. You can access this in The Saloon drop down box. Membership to the Members Only page is free. All you have to do is register. There will be free short stories there periodically, special contests, and many other special offers that will only ever be available to members. Do not worry about being bombarded with loads of emails or notices from me, I'm too busy (or lazy, depends on the day) for that to ever happen. At the most, you might get three emails in a month, that is the limit I can send for free with my website plan so it's never going to go past that. So now, I'm going to go post this blog all over my social media, then get back to reading Into the West: The Orphan Train(click the title to buy a copy for yourself.) After that, I will write the short story about Margret and get that posted in the Members Only page as soon as possible. Ciao for now!