K.C. Kendricks's Blog, page 20

Closer every day

 

March 6, 2022

Did you know that every day and everyday mean different things? Every day, with a space, is each day. Everyday is something we use every day. That is to say, a spoon is an everyday item. Everyday is an adjective - it describes an object. Every day is an adverbial phrase. And so goes today's lesson. 

I'm rapidly closing in on my retirement date of May 31, 2022. I've filled out forms, made phone calls, crunched numbers, and worried about training my "replacement." (She starts Tuesday.) As I proofed an article written by the current CEO, I came across her misuse of everyday - AGAIN. College and business school educated and her misuse of words is astounding. I won't miss that part of the job at all. 

And it's not that my grammar is perfect because it's not. It's simply that with all her higher education, she's not on my level. Is our education system at the core of the dumbing down of the United States? Could be.

With only a maximum of forty-two working days left in my career, I'm getting antsy. To make matters worse so is the spousal unit. I'm excited to be able to spend time writing, gardening, walking with Deuce, and maybe even spending time with the spouse. He's worried - like scared worried - that the new girl won't work out and they'll convince me to stay on. NOT HAPPENING. 

The urge to start writing again is niggling at me. I want to finish the WIP and jump straight to something else, but I know I need to wait. The next few weeks will be full of upheaval and I need to ride it out. Any writing I do would likely suffer. I'm not one-hundred perfect sure that would be the case but close enough that I'll force myself to concentrate on other projects. 

Forty-two days remain in my working career. It's a scary-wonderful thing. In effect, I'm starting over. My time will be my own. I began working on July 17, 1973. That's a long time to be employed. Will being retired match my vision of being retired? 

Being able to figure that out is getting closer every day. 

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 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys:  http://kckendricks.blogspot.com Visit my bookshelf at:  https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce:  deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at Holly Tree Manor:  hollytreemanor.blogspot.com Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Authentic voice - a question on Twitter

February 26, 2022

I confess - I like Twitter. All sort of folk are on Twitter and they say the weirdest things and pose the strangest questions. Earlier today, there was a question put forth about authentic voice. How/when, as a writer, did you find your authentic voice? Something like that. 

I replied I didn't know my voice was ever not authentic, and that's true. I didn't do that to be a smartass. 

But the question struck a chord with me. Suddenly, I realized why I don't read some very well-known authors. They're writing to an audience - not that I think that's a bad thing. I think it's fine. It just doesn't strike a chord with me. I'm not their audience. 

Having an authentic voice must be the reason why I've enjoyed some newer authors so much. I do try to find books that Amazon has buried because the real gems exist there. 

Now comes the question: After all these years, is my voice still authentic? 

This author has some self-examination to do, eh? Do I still have the "unique writing style" reviewers gave me praise for having? And, EGADS! Do I "sound" as tired as I am? 

Yes, I like Twitter. Twitter is full of revelations.

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 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys:  http://kckendricks.blogspot.com Visit my bookshelf at:  https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce:  deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at Holly Tree Manor:  hollytreemanor.blogspot.com Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Chapter 7 is in the can

 February 20, 2022

I remember back in the days of my writing youth when I could pound out a chapter a day. Honest. I could do that. I'm no less talented and/or capable now, so what the heck is my problem?

This past week, I've been chatting via email with my buddy Brenda Williamson. We've been friends since the Whiskey Creek days, back in the mid-nineties. It's always good to touch base with her, as she's my southern connection. She sent me a copy of her most recent work and I'm about to load it on the Kindle and give it a read. 

Chatting with Brenda has given me a bit of inspiration. I've finished chapter seven of the sequel to Ride Your Luck. It's time for the romance to launch! That's always a good spot in the writing of a story. 

If it were the old days, I could finish it before the end of February. IF it were the old days. Now I hate to even guess when it may be finished. 

But things are looking up! At the day job, my replacement has been hired and her start date is March 8. The chair of the board has informed me I'll be paid full salary and benefits through May 31, even if she doesn't need me to go to the office every day. That is beyond generous! I look at it as a reward for my twenty-two years of service. 

Just knowing that they think highly of me has boosted my morale. I'm going to miss my co-workers even as I'm eager to embrace being "retired." I questioned whether or not I should continue to write and I'm coming around to believing the answer is YES. 

I have stories still to tell. I'll get there. 

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 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys:  http://kckendricks.blogspot.com Visit my bookshelf at:  https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links:Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce:  deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at Holly Tree Manor:  hollytreemanor.blogspot.com Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks

What fun! A writer's flowchart

February 5, 2022

I sat down to write this blog and immediately needed, yes needed, a cup of tea. It continues to be cold here in western Maryland. Deuce is suffering a bad case of canine boredom. I certainly feel his pain. 

Saturday mornings can be a bit slow when it's this cold. It's become our habit to stay in bed a bit longer and once up, slurp coffee in silence. It's a much different routine than in past years. But once I make it to my computer, the routine doesn't vary too much. Check email, scan the headlines (and mutter), check social media, and then get down to the business of writing. Warm weather will bring different routines but as I'm at long last on the verge of retirement, I'm not sure what they will be. 

Today, Twitter coughed up a Writer's Flowchart that I quickly snagged for a closer read. It's actually quite good and not the "funny" I first thought it might be. It asks good questions and leads the writer down some thought-provoking avenues. Is my character at fault? In the current WIP, neither of the MCs are at fault for the circumstances that brought them together. At least, not yet. This flowchart has me toying with an idea of altered circumstances that would make something Character A's fault, yet not his deliberate fault. 

As a writer, I'm never so experienced that I can't learn, or re-learn, some of the basics. It's easy to forget a few things given the preponderance of information and "how-to" articles one can find on the web. I think the amazing thing is how sometimes these little tidbits come to us at the exact moment we need them to. When that happens, we need to take them under advisement. 

Cold or not, I've got to take my poor dog for a short walk. I won't be able to settle down to the WIP until I do. The bracing air will do us both a lot of good and I'll certainly appreciate a quietly sleeping dog as I get on with my day. 

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 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys:  http://kckendricks.blogspot.com Visit my bookshelf at:  https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links:Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce:  deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at Holly Tree Manor:  hollytreemanor.blogspot.com Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks

Kindle rank manipulation?

January 30, 2022

Being a subscriber to various industry newsletters is not good for my blood pressure. This morning, there was a post from Creative Indie about Amazon going to war with indie authors. That's nothing new. Amazon opened the floodgates for indies but doesn't aid them. It's all about long-tail selling, which is to sell a little of a lot of everything to make money. Of course, Amazon is not opposed to the big sellers at all, hence the ranking manipulation in favor of big sellers, the theory being that they will sell more and more and more. 

I know Amazon buries some people. I'm one of them. I'm so far buried in Amazon's ranking system that I'm thinking of going exclusively to iTunes where most of my books are sold. I know that my upcoming release will go to iTunes first, then B&N, then Rakuten/KOBO, and then to other online vendors. It may not go to Amazon at all. Why bother? 

Several of the newsletters I receive suggest that it's the fault of the author when he/she doesn't outwit Amazon's ranking system. If I go to Amazon and run a search on "KC Kendricks," why do other authors turn up in my search results? There will be five or six of my books - out of about sixty - and then books from others. Have these other authors put my name in their keywords and that's why their books show on my "specific" search? I don't think so. This is all Amazon's doing. 

And yet, these newsletters always suggest it is the author's fault.  Is it discouraging? Of course, it is. 

I've tried any number of things to improve "my product," but the truth is none of these things that are constantly suggested in these newsletters can manipulate Amazon into giving "my product" fair representation. 

The option of pulling my books from Amazon is definitely food for thought. 

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 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys:  http://kckendricks.blogspot.com Visit my bookshelf at:  https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce:  deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at Holly Tree Manor:  hollytreemanor.blogspot.com Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Battle fatigue and a singular moment

 January 22, 2022

As the Covid-19 pandemic wears on, it's difficult not to wonder what motivates people. The spousal unit and  I have gone against our belief that the vaccination wasn't tested enough and we took the shot. I've gotten the booster, but the weather has been such he's not able to leave home. Winter weather is not the friend of the handicapped.  

The county we live in, according to the 2020 Census, has a population of 154,705. According to the county's website this morning, of these residents, only 53% (80,833) are fully vaccinated with another 5% having at least one shot. The positivity rate of those being tested stood at 28.17% as of January 20, 2922. It's a lot of numbers to absorb and process, but what does it mean to a person's real life?

RC and I have battle fatigue. The only way to escape reading and hearing about the pandemic is to shut down the computers and the televisions and never leave home. Talk of the pandemic is in and of itself pandemic. 

I needed to zip into the grocery store for a carton of eggs on my way home last night. I was back into the Colorado and had the key in the ignition when I realized I'd not put on a mask. Damn it! I had a "normal" moment and didn't realize it as it was happening!

Will this set a new precedent for me? It's doubtful. Nothing can ease the pain of grocery shopping these days. 

Recently, I've heard a lot of grief being heaped on the concept of individualism. PULL BACK ON THE REINS! Individualism founded our great country. Yet in the face of a pandemic, millions of people, of individuals just like me, have set aside their individual beliefs and acted for the Greater Good. 

There's hate tossed at "red" states as though those "red" voters are solely responsible for the pandemic. Hey, thanks for hating me! I really needed that today! And for what? I've done my part for the greater good. Stop shaming me! 

Do you know what I'd really love to do today? I'd love to go shopping for a new handbag. How girly is that? 

Wait. What? With all those germy people exhaling into my air space? I guess there's always Amazon. 

And doesn't that send the mind careening down the threads of the greedy filthy rich and conspiracy theories? 

Perhaps I'll just go read a book.

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 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys:  http://kckendricks.blogspot.com Visit my bookshelf at:  https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links:Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce:  deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at Holly Tree Manor:  hollytreemanor.blogspot.com Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks

Cowboys and covers

January 18, 2022

Cowboys and covers. 

Cowboys don't sell, they said. Bugger off, I replied. Not out loud, of course. Give me a little credit for that smattering of couth I possess. It surfaces from time to time. 

Cowboys. I'm in the middle of writing the sequel to Ride Your Luck. So it's taken a few years to get moving on the project. So what? We all work at our own pace and I'm slower than I used to be. 

Cowboys. I found an inspiration pix for the cover and now I wonder if my Photoshop skills are up to the task. I think it will take at least five layers to get what I want providing I can find stock photos with the proper elements. The most important element being a cowboy that strikes my fancy so I can buy him. Yes, authors buy men all the time. We're just like that. (Note to self: check how many credits you have left at iStock.)

Cover trends change rapidly, and what I'm seeing these days are pictures without any recognizable background. In fact, half the covers don't show faces either. Old wisdom said if the guy on the cover was looking straight at the reader, sales were better. I guess that's out the window. I also see a lot of fonts that are almost impossible to read. Swirly swirls and colors that seem to vanish again the other elements. A clear definition is no longer necessary. 

A moderator for a Facebook group did "accuse" me of just slapping text on a stock photo and denied my post. How idiotic. I worked for hours to create a background to put my hero on! I left that group. I can't be arsed to deal with a mini despot. Not that Facebook is the be-all and end-all of what matters, you understand. 

I think this cover is going to take a while to figure out and that's okay. So is the finished book. But I am working on both. Slowly. 

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 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys:  http://kckendricks.blogspot.com Visit my bookshelf at:  https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce:  deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at Holly Tree Manor:  hollytreemanor.blogspot.com Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Another "resolution" fail

January 16, 2022
Okay, so it wasn't really a 2022 New Year's resolution. It's something I did really well with for a couple of years until Covid-19 hit and I started to work a lot from home. 

I like my desk to be free of clutter when I'm writing. I don't want a lot of visual distractions because it's difficult enough pulling pure thoughts out of the air and turning them into a cohesive story. 

Since about Thanksgiving, all my good office habits seem to have flown out the back door. Not only is my desk cluttered, but it's mildly dusty. This simply won't do. 

My rings and watch don't belong on my desk when not being worn. They should be in the jewelry box. The battery for my heated vest was just fully charged and needs to be back in the vest. The remote controls go in a drawer, out of sight. 

I do hope this is not a sign of times to come. Retirement should not become a reason to allow my little sunroom office to develop a clutter problem. 

Maybe I should make keeping everything in its place a New Year's resolution. It certainly wouldn't hurt.

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 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys:  http://kckendricks.blogspot.com Visit my bookshelf at:  https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce:  deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at Holly Tree Manor:  hollytreemanor.blogspot.com Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Writers just wanna have fun

January 10, 2022

Today is one of those days when I'm practicing for my retirement. I have less than seventy official working days left before the BIG R. Hmm. Maybe what I'm really practicing is laziness. With so many options available to me today, I chose Twitter in the one o'clock hour and I'm glad I did. 

This little gem of a chart popped up in someone's feed and it had me smiling as I read each description. According to the chart, I'm almost exclusively a True Plantser. It's not that I don't see elements of each in my writing style, because I do, but I can't follow a script to save myself. 

As a newbie, I made outlines (still do occasionally), wrote character bios (still do occasionally), used a post-it note plot board (nope, it's trash), but only once have I mentioned... once? Maybe once, maybe twice. Yeah, I don't usually know anything about my character's socks. 

Now that I've read that on a chart I'll live in fear that the color of my character's socks will somehow make its way into every forthcoming story. Truly. And I'll be paying attention in every book I read henceforth to see if socks are mentioned. Such are the things I obsess about when it comes to writing. 

I enjoy finding these little gems on social media. My hat's off to cheyannealpka for creating the chart. I don't know that person, but I admire the creativity of such an endeavor.

No matter what your writing style is, it's YOUR style and you stick to it. Grab elements from each and make it your own. Nor do you need to approach every story the same way. Do what you need to do to get that idea seed to sprout and grow! 

So that's it for today. I'm going back to getting my lazy on. If you want to read about yesterday's pantry project, visit The Hideaway. I guess I don't feel the need to be productive every day. 

If you want to share Deuce's New Years' Eve day adventure, it's at Deuce's Day. 

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 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys:  http://kckendricks.blogspot.com Visit my bookshelf at:  https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce:  deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at Holly Tree Manor:  hollytreemanor.blogspot.com Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Christmas cards and countdowns

January 3, 2022

Starting the new year is stressful. People ask about new year's resolutions. I don't really make them, going instead with the general plans I always have. It's a bit different for the year 2022, as I am finally, finally, finally retiring. 

I would have been retired several years ago if the government had not fucked with the health insurance system. Free ME? Hell, no. It shackled me. Of course, I'm one of those who have always held a job and we're the ones punished for that. But I digress...

Yes, I'm bitter about having to work extra years. And I digress yet again...

This morning I almost took down the Christmas cards. It's my tradition to attach them to the basement door as they arrive each year. I took a picture and then got sidetracked before I could remove them. It'll happen sometime today. 

Christmas cards are a wonderful old tradition. Social media is fine, but there's something special about holding a greeting card in your hand. The person who sent it to you also held it and that's a connection you can't get from a digital card. 

I'm sure one of these days it will reach a point where no one sends cards. No one except me. As long as I can afford stamps, I'll continue the tradition. Some things should not be forgotten.

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 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys:  http://kckendricks.blogspot.com Visit my bookshelf at:  https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce:  deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at Holly Tree Manor:  hollytreemanor.blogspot.com Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys