Doc Coleman's Blog, page 22
February 3, 2012
The Wayback Machine: The Shrinking Man Project: Episode 13 – Takin' care of business
Today the Wayback Machine is set for March 15th, 2011 and another episode of The Shrinking Man Project. This is another check in episode, and it features me figuring out how to manage my life after dealing with my wife's illness and my work moving to a new site farther away from my home. This episode might be particularly helpful for folks wanting to deal with the surprises that life throws at you.
Show notes included below.
Show Notes:
Welcome!
Off to the scales…
Promo – The View from Valhalla
Weigh in
Week in review
Feeling healthy again.
Got some exercise.
Food is on track.
Had to take a cat to the Vet.
Got a short story out to my beta readers.
Back on the CPAP machine.
Lessons learned. Take advantage of the opportunities that come up.
Moving forward. Really trying to work ahead.
Feedback!
Sign off
Comments on the blog at http://theshrinkingmanproject.com
E-mail at Doc@theshrinkingmanproject.com
Voice mail at (240) 745-5022
Join the Fans of the Shrinking Man Project on Facebook
If you have a podcast, send me your promos!
Leave a review on iTunes or Podcast Alley.
Tell your friends about the podcast.
Have a good week!
End credits
Mentioned on the show:
Nathan Lowell
The View from Valhalla
Every Photo Tells…
Smashwords
Scott Sigler
Fans of The Shrinking Man Project
February 1, 2012
The Wayback Machine: Galley Table Episode Twenty-Six: Genres and Group-ies
This time we've set the Wayback Machine to March 14th, 2011, when the Galley Table crew got together for episode twenty-six and a talk about writers groups, genre fiction, and entertaining the audience. We discuss what you can expect from writing groups, and how to get the most out of your writing group experience.
And, naturally, I've picked out some entertaining quotes from the episode.
"Hands above the desk, Mr. Hite."
"Wow, we went from smut to that and already the clean tag is gone."
"You've got to have somebody who's not you reading this fiction."
"The first thing you've got to do in any kind of storytelling is to connect to your audience."
"Literature just means written."
"Sparkly vampires?"
"Walk the plank. Walk the plank now."
"We put a bunch of genres in a blender, put it on puree, and this is what came out!"
"Implying that genre fiction isn't serious is just too high brow for me."
"The primary motive for most genre fiction is just entertaining."
"The primary purpose of any fiction should be to entertain."
"Boy, I'm just controversial tonight!"
"You have to call that other stuff something. What else would you call it?" "Fiction."
"These stories were not literary fiction. They were popular fiction when they were written. The only reason they're literary fiction now is because they've withstood the test of time while their contemporaries faded."
"The minute you throw a werewolf or a space ship into the picture, it's no longer literary fiction."
"That sounds like science fiction." "You live on a space ship, dear."
"Is the concept of genres becoming less meaningful?"
"We are your mental blender."
"It's only Tuesday."
"The concept of a single genre becomes archaic."
"I'm going to avoid these definitions…"
"The good was good, and the bad was bad."
"You knew who to cheer for, you knew who to boo at…"
"The clean tag will definitely be disrupted by this…"
"You're in love with Drew Barrymore?"
"I get to steal your answer because I get thrown under the bus first."
"Laura, I hope you were never a boy."
"We will see you next week." "Now walk the plank."
Mentioned on the podcast:
View From Valhalla
Critters Workshop
This was a surprisingly serious and insightful conversation that managed to wander very far afield without losing any of its quality. Not so much of our usual madcap humor, but an excellent look at the way the literary and genre communities view each other. I think you'll enjoy it!
January 27, 2012
Balticon 46 and other news…
Well, it is official. I will be returning to Balticon as a participant again this year. I am looking forward to being a part of the program, as Balticon has always been an excellent experience for me. Even last year when I got sick at the con. The schedule is still being worked out by the con organizers, but there area few things that I know will be on my schedule for this year.This year Jared Axelrod and I will be doing a panel for the Costuming Track entitled "Just Dandy! The Importance of Accessories in Steampunk". At least, that is the title that I turned in. I think that when I saw it on the tentative list of panels it had gotten mangled a bit. We shall see if I can get it corrected. The presentation focuses on men's fashion, after all, we are talking about dandies here. The idea comes from a conversation we had last year that after the basics of an outfit are covered, what separates the dandies from the crowd is the ability to accessorize. We'll be evolving the presentation as we get closer to the con. Or we'll leave it to the last minute and make it up on the spot. We're good like that.
Two other panels that are planned to return for this year are the live recordings for The Shrinking Man Project and Galley Table. This year's Shrinking Man Project Live! topic is "Inspiration: finding it, and being it". We will be looking at how to build enthusiasm for your projects, be it your new novel, or losing the next 20 pounds. I hope to get Val Griswold-Ford and Tee Morris back on the panel this year to talk about their progress, and with luck we will also be joined by Veronica Giguere. Galley Table Live! will also return, and we may even have a guest and a topic.
I've recently agreed to do voice work on P.C. Haring's new podcast project. In fact, this news is so new, I don't really have all the details yet. I do know that it is going to be a major role, and that based on what P.C. did with Cybrosis, I look forward to being a part of the project.
I may also be doing some voice work for a new project by Laura Nicole for this year's Balticon. We shall have to see how that project develops.
Work on Perils continues, although things have been going slowly of late. I think I'm going to have to go back to stealing time on the way into work for writing. I have offered to do a reading of my work for Balticon this year, and I'd like to have Perils far enough through the editing process to read exerpts from the manuscript. Of course, this means I've got to get moving now.
January 23, 2012
The Wayback Machine: The Shrinking Man Project Promo!
With a new year comes a new promo. So it is only fair to let the Wayback Machine bring us last year's promo one last time. Back on March 12th of 2011, I released this prompt that I put together with the help of my friend Laura Nicole from the Scrivener's Circle. Now, over 10 months later, I'm still discovering new podcasts that used this promo. So here it is, one last time before I release a new promo.
Enjoy!
January 20, 2012
The Wayback Machine: The Shrinking Man Project: Episode 12 – Reboot
[powerpress]
Show notes included below.
Show Notes:
Welcome!
Off to the scales…
Promo – Tales from the Archives, a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Podcast.
Weigh in
Week in review
Out of the Hospital!
One exercise done.
10th Annual Privateer's Feast.
Eating has been on target.
Lessons learned. Reboot. Regroup. Get back to basics.
Moving forward. Settle in and figure things out.
Feedback!
Sign off
Comments on the blog at http://theshrinkingmanproject.com
E-mail at Doc@theshrinkingmanproject.com
Voice mail at (240) 745-5022
Join the Fans of the Shrinking Man Project on Facebook
If you have a podcast, send me your promos!
Leave a review on iTunes or Podcast Alley.
Tell your friends about the podcast!
Tell them about Tales from the Archives, and the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.
Have a good week!
End credits
Mentioned on the show:
Tales from the Archives: a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences podcast
10th Annual Privateer's Feast
Team Wench
International Wenches Guild
Fans of The Shrinking Man Project
The Wayback Machine: The Shrinking Man Project: Episode 12 – Reboot
The Wayback Machine is warmed up again, and ready to take us back to March 9th of 2011. After being put through the wringer at the hospital the week prior, I'm now ready to start over and get back on track. The problem is, things have changed now with my office moving to a new site, and I can't just slide back into the old routine. So it is time to figure things out all over again.
Show notes included below.
Show Notes:
Welcome!
Off to the scales…
Promo – Tales from the Archives, a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Podcast.
Weigh in
Week in review
Out of the Hospital!
One exercise done.
10th Annual Privateer's Feast.
Eating has been on target.
Lessons learned. Reboot. Regroup. Get back to basics.
Moving forward. Settle in and figure things out.
Feedback!
Sign off
Comments on the blog at http://theshrinkingmanproject.com
E-mail at Doc@theshrinkingmanproject.com
Voice mail at (240) 745-5022
Join the Fans of the Shrinking Man Project on Facebook
If you have a podcast, send me your promos!
Leave a review on iTunes or Podcast Alley.
Tell your friends about the podcast!
Tell them about Tales from the Archives, and the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.
Have a good week!
End credits
Mentioned on the show:
Tales from the Archives: a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences podcast
10th Annual Privateer's Feast
Team Wench
International Wenches Guild
Fans of The Shrinking Man Project
January 11, 2012
The Wayback Machine: Galley Table Episode Twenty-Five: Cat Herding
Despite a couple months of disuse, I've managed to get the Wayback Machine fired up here, and we've set the verniers to March 4th, 2011 for another episode of The Galley Table! Specifically, we're talking about Galley Table number twenty-five, where we discuss the joys and pitfalls of organizing audio dramas and other large projects over long distances with guest Ayoub Khote. We also end up talking about some of our favorite projects we've listened to over the past year.
Some notable quotes from the episode:
"Oh, I love the way it keeps growing!"
"That's what she said."
"And that's the clean tag…"
"We can fix this in post. Except we won't."
"Good heavens, man, when do you sleep?"
"I'm very nocturnal."
"We had this whiny person that wanted it…"
"My ego is bigger than Laura's."
"So, you're using Second Life as your soundstage and your theme park?"
"What is your release schedule like?"
"Avedon Hill."
"You're ending each episode properly on a cliffhanger, right?"
"They're not zombies, they eat anything."
"I haven't threatened anyone yet."
"That was 'I was alive'?"
"I should have shot you in the head instead of in the knee."
"I did a version of the song from the end of Portal, 'Still Alive'."
"Fetidus is amazing!"
"He's gonna kill me."
"Yes, I am Satan."
"This is the year that you're going to not suck."
"Suck the suck right out of it!"
"Do it now!"
"He responds easily to threats."
"I actually got to play with your voice just recently."
"It's that kind of show."
"The best audio book I listened to in 2010 has got to be The Gearheart."
"In order to prevent Zack from singing…"
"I'm going to stall while my browser opens…"
"Noir Zombie Ninja Pirates!"
"It was a romance novel and it was hot!"
"Poor me, sackcloth and ashes!"
"Twelfth Legion of Gaul, I Choose You!"
"Shinto religion and professional wrestling…"
"… a column that I wrote in Issue Four of Flagship! Just released!"
"We can't say Issue Four often enough…"
Mentioned on the show:
Nathan Lowell
The Shrinking Man Project
HG World
Reaper
View From Valhalla
Central Desktop
Absolution
SpecFicMedia
The Gearheart
The Rookie
FETIDUS
Just After Sunset
Outlander
Stories I Told Myself
Weather Child
A Fall of Moondust
Captain's Share
Assam and Darjeeing
His Dark Materials
Codex Alera
January 10, 2012
Apologies
The whole point of having this blog was so I could keep you, the reader updated on the status of my latests projects. And, because I knew that you were looking for updates, I'd update my projects, and then post status. Which would bring you, the reader, back around to read.
And a whole vicious cycle ensues.
Except I haven't been doing too well on all of that lately…
I do give myself some slack from the fact that I am on the mend from surgery just before New Year's. It has been two weeks since my operation, and while I'm back to work again, my energy levels are still pretty low. I've been very grateful for my car pool of late, as I haven't had to deal with rush hour traffic after a full day of work yet. But I know that day is coming.
I had intended to get the Wayback Machine fired up last week, but I just couldn't find the energy. But I'm not here to apologize for that.
Last Sunday, despite the fact that I was worn out from an outing the day before to Brunswick, Maryland for the annual games day, I sat down to write a few words on Perils. By the time I got up, I'd written just shy of 900 words, the most words I've done in a stretch since my surgery. And a bit of writing in which I'd gotten my characters out of a literal cliffhanger.
What I didn't do was post about it here and let you know that I'd managed to make some progress. D'oh!
So I'm making up for it now, and offering my apologies for the delay. It's the least I can do.
Now, it's time for me to get back to work.
January 6, 2012
Staying in there.
Got up early today. Not had a lot of umph, but I did manage to get some writing in. I've been pretty alert most of the day, just not had a lot of energy to put into my writing. Still plenty of ideas, just not a lot of power to work on.
I did add another 555 words to Perils moving it farther towards the inevitable ending. I'm at a tough part in my narrative and I really do need to push it along bit by bit. I know what needs to happen, but not how it should happen, and the how is slowing things down a bit.
Health wise, I am hanging in there. There may be a bit of medical TMI here, so if that bothers you, just skip to the next paragraph. This morning one of my scabs seems to have opened up and started oozing some dark black blood. I think this is actually good, because this is getting this gunk out of my system and letting some of the swelling go down. Not sure how long it will take, but it beats having the swelling continue and fester.
Tomorrow I am heading out on my own once again. Will be driving for the first time since the operation heading out to Games Day in Brunswick, MD for the afternoon. Monday I will be back to work. Gotta make sure I am ready for that.
For the rest of tonight, though, I'm going to take my brain of the hook for a bit and play some Portal 2. Relaxation is good.
January 5, 2012
Still Alive, and writing again.
I have managed to survive last week's surgery to correct my Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. The surgeon went in and removed an inch and a half to two inch strip off of one of my ribs so that my vein has more room and the blood flows freely from my extremities back to my heart. They tell me that the procedure worked well, although I developed a hematoma and they went back in to drain it. I know that I am still here, and while I am rather swollen, I'm not in a lot of pain.
It has put me off of my writing stride a bit, though. I have discovered that writing requires a combination of ideas, which are cheap, clarity of thought, and the oomph to do the actual work. Since my surgery, the last two have been in short supply. Having them both at the same time has been rarer still. But today I managed to pull my act together long enough to write the first draft of a new review for the Nifty Tech Blog. If I can keep my head clear, I hope to have it refined and ready to publish in the next two weeks.
Of course, right now, these are just ballpark figures, not guarantees.
But the fact that I have gotten something written at all is good. Even better that I'm taking the time to follow it up with this blog post. I'm trying to get myself organized so that I can produce some consistent content again, without being burned out or overwhelmed. Not the easiest thing right now, but necessary.
I'm going to try to get the WayBack Machine started up, too. But it may take a while before I can get it back to three days a week. I want to put half my time into finishing Perils, but there is a part of my brain that says that I want to make sure I can do a decent job of writing when I work on it. Is it an excuse? I'm not sure. These last few chapters are tough, and I don't want to take too many shortcuts getting through them. It won't avoid the work, just delay it and make it that much harder.
Anywho. More writing tomorrow, right?
