Stephen Drivick's Blog, page 7
May 17, 2014
A Novel On Your Cellphone
I am going to a car show next weekend, and will be away from my computer for a few days. Because of my shoulder problems lately, I feel like I have fallen behind on my work in progress, Sometimes We Ran 3. Not being able to work on it for a few days was going to put me further behind.
My laptop is more a stay-at-home computer these days, so I scoured the mighty Amazon website for a cheap solution. I considered small notebooks, a new Kindle Fire HD, or even one of those cheap Android tablets with attached keyboard. Most of these solutions were either too expensive or had horrible reviews on the mighty 'Zon.
I then remembered my cellphone. I have a Samsung Galaxy Express with Android 4.1.2, a 4.7 inch screen, and a Bluetooth connection. It's not a real fancy phone, but it does work well in everyday life.
But could you write a book on it? I decided to try it out.
I went back to Amazon, and purchased a portable Bluetooth keyboard, a foldable, reasonably-priced one in white from a company called iwerks, and downloaded an app called text edit from the Play store - Google's app store. After waiting a few days for delivery, the keyboard arrived in good shape.
I charged it from my computer for a few hours, then fired up my phone's Bluetooth. The keyboard paired, and almost like magic, the words I typed appeared on the screen. I could now write on my phone.
It's not perfect. The screen is kind of small, but increasing the font size helped. File sizes could be a problem, so the whole master file of Sometimes We Ran 3 will remain on the laptop. I'll copy a few lines from the last paragraph to my phone, and type from there. Any thing I write on the phone will be copied to the computer.
In all a pretty neat solution. I can still write a little and not have to lug my laptop around. Actually, it might be cool to write a whole book on your phone. Imagine composing a novel while waiting in line, riding a bus, or lounging around in a vacation hotel room.
Sounds like a challenge to me.
----------------------------------------
After a little more web-surfing, I found out this cellphone novel thing is nothing new. The Japanese have been enjoying cellphone novels for a while, and many people have written bestsellers on their phones while commuting. I may just have to give a cellphone novel a try.:)
My laptop is more a stay-at-home computer these days, so I scoured the mighty Amazon website for a cheap solution. I considered small notebooks, a new Kindle Fire HD, or even one of those cheap Android tablets with attached keyboard. Most of these solutions were either too expensive or had horrible reviews on the mighty 'Zon.
I then remembered my cellphone. I have a Samsung Galaxy Express with Android 4.1.2, a 4.7 inch screen, and a Bluetooth connection. It's not a real fancy phone, but it does work well in everyday life.
But could you write a book on it? I decided to try it out.
I went back to Amazon, and purchased a portable Bluetooth keyboard, a foldable, reasonably-priced one in white from a company called iwerks, and downloaded an app called text edit from the Play store - Google's app store. After waiting a few days for delivery, the keyboard arrived in good shape.
I charged it from my computer for a few hours, then fired up my phone's Bluetooth. The keyboard paired, and almost like magic, the words I typed appeared on the screen. I could now write on my phone.
It's not perfect. The screen is kind of small, but increasing the font size helped. File sizes could be a problem, so the whole master file of Sometimes We Ran 3 will remain on the laptop. I'll copy a few lines from the last paragraph to my phone, and type from there. Any thing I write on the phone will be copied to the computer.
In all a pretty neat solution. I can still write a little and not have to lug my laptop around. Actually, it might be cool to write a whole book on your phone. Imagine composing a novel while waiting in line, riding a bus, or lounging around in a vacation hotel room.
Sounds like a challenge to me.
----------------------------------------
After a little more web-surfing, I found out this cellphone novel thing is nothing new. The Japanese have been enjoying cellphone novels for a while, and many people have written bestsellers on their phones while commuting. I may just have to give a cellphone novel a try.:)
May 4, 2014
A to Z Blogging Challenge - A Reflection
In April, I participated in the A to Z Blogging Challenge. The challenge was to post on your blog everyday except Sunday using the letters of the alphabet ...even X and Q.
I accepted the challenge and began to blog. The letters fell quickly. Not all of my posts were solid gold, but they were okay. I talked about characters from my novels, pollen in North Georgia, where my ideas came from, and motorcycles. I was on a roll.
Then something happened. My shoulder gave out.
Call it a pinched nerve or old age, suddenly my shoulder and arm didn't work so good. Sitting at the computer and typing was painful, and the ice bag attached to my arm limited my movement.:) Around the letter P I knew I had to take a break, and I sadly skipped a few letters. I picked it up at the letter X. I'm almost better. My shoulder has gone from shocking pain to just a little stiffness.
Despite the injury, I was able to get 18 out of 26 letters – about 70%. Even though my shoulder exploded, I did have a good time and it was a very rewarding experience. I also picked up a fan or two and a couple of comments. The other posts from the challenge were interesting as well.
Thank you to the organizers of the challenge. You guys did a great job.
Would I do it again? Sure. I just hope my body holds out.:)
I accepted the challenge and began to blog. The letters fell quickly. Not all of my posts were solid gold, but they were okay. I talked about characters from my novels, pollen in North Georgia, where my ideas came from, and motorcycles. I was on a roll.
Then something happened. My shoulder gave out.
Call it a pinched nerve or old age, suddenly my shoulder and arm didn't work so good. Sitting at the computer and typing was painful, and the ice bag attached to my arm limited my movement.:) Around the letter P I knew I had to take a break, and I sadly skipped a few letters. I picked it up at the letter X. I'm almost better. My shoulder has gone from shocking pain to just a little stiffness.
Despite the injury, I was able to get 18 out of 26 letters – about 70%. Even though my shoulder exploded, I did have a good time and it was a very rewarding experience. I also picked up a fan or two and a couple of comments. The other posts from the challenge were interesting as well.
Thank you to the organizers of the challenge. You guys did a great job.
Would I do it again? Sure. I just hope my body holds out.:)
Peach Blossom Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Cadillac Car Show
In North Georgia, when Spring arrives and the yellow fog of pollen finally fades away, the attention turns to car shows.
Pictured is my 1995 Pontiac Firebird parked at the 33rd annual Peach Blossom Buick, Olds, Pontiac, and Caddy car show in Marietta, GA. It's one of the longest running shows in the area, and I've been to about fifteen of them all in my '95. Some of the coolest Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, and Cadillacs show up on the showfield lovingly polished to a high sheen.
The weather could not have been more perfect - cool, in the 70's with a slight breeze. Usually in May were broiling by now. The sun at this show (asphalt parking lot) can be brutal. I had SPF 100 sunscreen, and I still got a little red.
I didn't take any awards home, but no matter. It was a great day and it was good to get the old girl out of the garage.:)
May 2, 2014
Happy Zombie Awareness Month
May is apparently Zombie Awareness Month. The month of May was chosen because most zombie films are set in May. Here's Wikipedia to explain it further:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie_A...
And now just to loosely tie this in with my books, I am going to make you "aware" of Sometimes We Ran vol 1&2 on Amazon:
Sometimes We Ran: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CZLEYZE
Sometimes We Ran 2: Community:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HUGWWQC
Don't worry NOOK, Kobo, and Apple fans, they are available in your bookstores as well. Only $2.99 each.
Have a great Zombie Awareness month and if we all make it through, I'll see you in June. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie_A...
And now just to loosely tie this in with my books, I am going to make you "aware" of Sometimes We Ran vol 1&2 on Amazon:
Sometimes We Ran: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CZLEYZE
Sometimes We Ran 2: Community:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HUGWWQC
Don't worry NOOK, Kobo, and Apple fans, they are available in your bookstores as well. Only $2.99 each.
Have a great Zombie Awareness month and if we all make it through, I'll see you in June. :)
April 30, 2014
Zombies
This is my eighteenth and last entry for the April A to Z Blogging Challenge. Today we look at Z-Zombies.
And now we come to Z. I'm going to talk about Zombies.
The story for Sometimes We Ran was bouncing around in my head for a couple of years. At the core, it was a story about a man who decides to leave his survival compound to seek his fortune in a post-apocalyptic world. At first, I had decided to use an old favorite, nuclear war, to end the world. Further research told me I couldn't pull it off. Total nuclear war seemed a little too destructive.
It was during a Walking Dead marathon that I hit on zombies. Zombies would let me end the world as we knew it, and allow the infrastructure to stay intact. My hero could walk for years fighting zombies.:)
I decided on two types identified by the color of their eyes. Yellow-Eye varieties would appear first in my zombie apocalypse. They were the classic zombie: slow-witted walker types that could be trouble in large groups. When fresh, they would be fast. Also, cruel and unusual injuries could be assigned to Yellows, like missing arms, legs, etc.
The Red-Eyes would be different. I made them a little smarter, faster, and more crafty. They worked in small groups sometimes with a leader. I made them ambush predators, hiding in the woods waiting for a meal. Another cool thing was the noises they could make: growling, hissing, or the occasional screech of pain. Red-Eyes are the new top of the food chain in my world.
Both Reds and Yellows follow the zombie rules. Shooting them in the head puts them down. Grievous injury to their body only slows them down. If you are bitten by one, you become part of their crew. They also have a problem with doorknobs and fences. In most of the zombie-themed media I have consumed, the undead can't climb a fence, or turn a doorknob to get at the heroes of the story.:)
That's the zombies of Sometimes We Ran. I decided from the outset that I wasn't going to try an rewrite the genre, but I hope I added to it a little bit.
And as always, zombie fans. Watch out for the Red-Eyes.:)
And now we come to Z. I'm going to talk about Zombies.
The story for Sometimes We Ran was bouncing around in my head for a couple of years. At the core, it was a story about a man who decides to leave his survival compound to seek his fortune in a post-apocalyptic world. At first, I had decided to use an old favorite, nuclear war, to end the world. Further research told me I couldn't pull it off. Total nuclear war seemed a little too destructive.
It was during a Walking Dead marathon that I hit on zombies. Zombies would let me end the world as we knew it, and allow the infrastructure to stay intact. My hero could walk for years fighting zombies.:)
I decided on two types identified by the color of their eyes. Yellow-Eye varieties would appear first in my zombie apocalypse. They were the classic zombie: slow-witted walker types that could be trouble in large groups. When fresh, they would be fast. Also, cruel and unusual injuries could be assigned to Yellows, like missing arms, legs, etc.
The Red-Eyes would be different. I made them a little smarter, faster, and more crafty. They worked in small groups sometimes with a leader. I made them ambush predators, hiding in the woods waiting for a meal. Another cool thing was the noises they could make: growling, hissing, or the occasional screech of pain. Red-Eyes are the new top of the food chain in my world.
Both Reds and Yellows follow the zombie rules. Shooting them in the head puts them down. Grievous injury to their body only slows them down. If you are bitten by one, you become part of their crew. They also have a problem with doorknobs and fences. In most of the zombie-themed media I have consumed, the undead can't climb a fence, or turn a doorknob to get at the heroes of the story.:)
That's the zombies of Sometimes We Ran. I decided from the outset that I wasn't going to try an rewrite the genre, but I hope I added to it a little bit.
And as always, zombie fans. Watch out for the Red-Eyes.:)
April 29, 2014
Yelling
This is my seventeenth entry for the April A to Z Blogging Challenge. Today we look at Y-Yelling.
There's a great Seinfeld episode (remember Seinfeld?) where Elaine is editing a book. She has a fight over exclamation points, so to prove her point she adds exclamation points to every sentence in the rough draft. The next day while going over the book with the head of the publishing company, Elaine tries to explain, but the boss just tells her to get rid of them. He hated exclamation points.
I was reminded of that episode when I started self-editing Sometimes We Ran.
A zombie novel has a good amount of action. Your characters have to get away from the undead and other various bad guys in a hostile, post-apocalyptic world. There's a lot of running, shooting, and bashing of skulls. There's also a lot of yelling.
While I was writing those various scenes, I didn't realize I had used so many exclamation points. (Look out! Shoot it!, etc.) Most of the people in the book seemed to be yelling at each other all the time. Sometimes it was two or three sentences in a row. It was a mess.
I spent a long couple of days removing exclamation points. Just like Elaine from Seinfeld.
I learned my lesson. You can still use the occasional exclamation point for emphasis, but try to keep the number to a reasonable amount. You don't want your characters to strain their voice from yelling all the time. :)
There's a great Seinfeld episode (remember Seinfeld?) where Elaine is editing a book. She has a fight over exclamation points, so to prove her point she adds exclamation points to every sentence in the rough draft. The next day while going over the book with the head of the publishing company, Elaine tries to explain, but the boss just tells her to get rid of them. He hated exclamation points.
I was reminded of that episode when I started self-editing Sometimes We Ran.
A zombie novel has a good amount of action. Your characters have to get away from the undead and other various bad guys in a hostile, post-apocalyptic world. There's a lot of running, shooting, and bashing of skulls. There's also a lot of yelling.
While I was writing those various scenes, I didn't realize I had used so many exclamation points. (Look out! Shoot it!, etc.) Most of the people in the book seemed to be yelling at each other all the time. Sometimes it was two or three sentences in a row. It was a mess.
I spent a long couple of days removing exclamation points. Just like Elaine from Seinfeld.
I learned my lesson. You can still use the occasional exclamation point for emphasis, but try to keep the number to a reasonable amount. You don't want your characters to strain their voice from yelling all the time. :)
April 28, 2014
E(X)cerpt-Sometimes We Ran 3
This is my sixteenth entry in the A-Z Blogging Challenge for April, and it happens to be X. X is hard, so I am going to cheat. Here's an e(X)cerpt from my work in progress Sometimes We Ran 3. It's rough, so I'm not responsible for misspellings, plot holes, terrible pacing, or bad words.:)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We stood in the kitchen doorway, and got our first up-close look at Zombie-Boy. He stood before the stainless-steel refrigerator. The monster slammed himself into the large appliance over and over trying to attack his reflection. Sometimes he used his teeth and hands leaving smeary handprints on the steel. His frostbitten feet made squeaking noises on the marble floor.
I put away the flashlight, and drew my gun. Nothing fancy. Just kill the bastard. As if Elizabeth read my mind, she took cover behind the door frame and readied her weapon. She looked back at me, and I nodded. The kill was hers.
Before Elizabeth could pull the trigger and extinguish the zombie's spark, it lifted its head and took a deep, snarling sniff of the air. The zombie had caught our scent. After taking in few more gulps of air, it pinpointed our location and turned around. Zombie-Boy hunched over into attack position, and a low growl that made the hair stand up on my arm escaped his rotting lips.
“Shoot it, Liz!” I called out. At the same time, the Red-Eye pounced on us from the kitchen. It knocked me to the ground, with my gun coming out of my hand. It fell to the floor, and disappeared under the dining room table. I watched from the ground as Elizabeth retreated from the doorway, fumbling with her rifle. She hesitated as the zombie got near her, and she never raised her rifle or fired a shot. The zombie grabbed onto her jacket, and began to attack.
Elizabeth had hesitated. Her hesitation might have killed us both.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On a side note, I had to step away from the A to Z Blogging challenge for a few letters. I did something to my shoulder and it hurt to type. It's also hard to type when there's an icebag attached to your shoulder.:)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We stood in the kitchen doorway, and got our first up-close look at Zombie-Boy. He stood before the stainless-steel refrigerator. The monster slammed himself into the large appliance over and over trying to attack his reflection. Sometimes he used his teeth and hands leaving smeary handprints on the steel. His frostbitten feet made squeaking noises on the marble floor.
I put away the flashlight, and drew my gun. Nothing fancy. Just kill the bastard. As if Elizabeth read my mind, she took cover behind the door frame and readied her weapon. She looked back at me, and I nodded. The kill was hers.
Before Elizabeth could pull the trigger and extinguish the zombie's spark, it lifted its head and took a deep, snarling sniff of the air. The zombie had caught our scent. After taking in few more gulps of air, it pinpointed our location and turned around. Zombie-Boy hunched over into attack position, and a low growl that made the hair stand up on my arm escaped his rotting lips.
“Shoot it, Liz!” I called out. At the same time, the Red-Eye pounced on us from the kitchen. It knocked me to the ground, with my gun coming out of my hand. It fell to the floor, and disappeared under the dining room table. I watched from the ground as Elizabeth retreated from the doorway, fumbling with her rifle. She hesitated as the zombie got near her, and she never raised her rifle or fired a shot. The zombie grabbed onto her jacket, and began to attack.
Elizabeth had hesitated. Her hesitation might have killed us both.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On a side note, I had to step away from the A to Z Blogging challenge for a few letters. I did something to my shoulder and it hurt to type. It's also hard to type when there's an icebag attached to your shoulder.:)
April 18, 2014
Pollen
This is my fifteenth entry in the A-Z Blogging Challenge for April. Today we look at the letter P - Pollen.
I am convinced a great apocalypse story could be written about the pollen in Georgia.
About this time every year, the pine trees get busy making little pine trees. They fill the air with a yellow powder that settles over everything like a fine ash.
It's sticky and gets everywhere. Roads, houses, clothing, etc. gets covered in a yellow haze. You don't wear black during the pollen days in Georgia.
Cars take the brunt of the attack. The yellow dust settles onto every surface of your car and covers your windows. Your wipers become useless. Washer fluid doesn't help either - it just makes a sticky yellow paste.
It gets in your throat and nose and renders you unable to breathe. Your eyes hurt, and you reach for the eye drops. I'm not allergic, and it kills me year after year. I can't imagine how the people with allergies are feeling.
Thank goodness it passes quickly. By May, the pollen counts usually get south of 2500 and the air clears. Till then, we stay inside or hit the drugstore for remedies.
And we pray for rain.:)
I am convinced a great apocalypse story could be written about the pollen in Georgia.
About this time every year, the pine trees get busy making little pine trees. They fill the air with a yellow powder that settles over everything like a fine ash.
It's sticky and gets everywhere. Roads, houses, clothing, etc. gets covered in a yellow haze. You don't wear black during the pollen days in Georgia.
Cars take the brunt of the attack. The yellow dust settles onto every surface of your car and covers your windows. Your wipers become useless. Washer fluid doesn't help either - it just makes a sticky yellow paste.
It gets in your throat and nose and renders you unable to breathe. Your eyes hurt, and you reach for the eye drops. I'm not allergic, and it kills me year after year. I can't imagine how the people with allergies are feeling.
Thank goodness it passes quickly. By May, the pollen counts usually get south of 2500 and the air clears. Till then, we stay inside or hit the drugstore for remedies.
And we pray for rain.:)
April 16, 2014
Notebook
This is my fourteenth entry in the A-Z Blogging Challenge for April. Today we look at the letter N – Notebook.
Ideas and inspiration often strike at odd times, so I have taken to carrying around a small notebook to jot things down. Character names, possible plot points, and even whole ideas find their way inside. My notebook is also a good place to jot down websites and other helpful things.
My phone was used for such things. I went though about half a dozen note apps for Android before I realized I liked writing it out longhand better. My ideas or that website I needed to know often crossed my mind like a meteor – very fast, very brief, and burning out quickly in the atmosphere. By the time I got the phone out and the app open, the brilliant thing I thought of a few moments ago that would have changed my life was gone.
There are some problems though. Sometimes I write things out of context and they make no sense. For example ...what does “Mars Landing Base” mean?
Actually, “Mars Landing Base” sounds like a good idea. Don't anyone steal it!
April 14, 2014
Motorcycles
This is my thirteenth entry in the A-Z Blogging Challenge for April. Today we look at the letter M – Motorcycles.
So it's Spring again, and I am thinking (again) about getting a motorcycle.
I live in North Georgia where I think it might be a law that you must own at least one motorcycle during your lifespan. Every Spring, after the last frosty mornings have passed, the roads become saturated with all forms of two-wheeled vehicles.
North Georgia is a natural playground for the motorcycle species. I live in the shadow of the North Georgia mountains with their twisty roads and wide scenic vistas. Trips up north in the spring bring wildflowers and trees in bloom that make the landscape look like a expensive painting. Trips in the fall bring dramatic colors to the trees and fresh, cool mountain air. Old towns with their wooden buildings and skinny main drags make great backdrops for photos and a great place to take a quick break.
I've enjoyed the North Georgia mountains in my Firebird. Take the T-tops out, and it's a great all-day cruise limited only by the gas in the tank. I've been on many a trip up to the mountains, but never on a motorcycle.
But there is a harsh reality. I am a complete klutz. Motorcycles require a certain level of dexterity I do not possess. Flying off a mountain at speed is a real possibility. Rides to check out the scenery are no fun when you're constantly picking yourself up off the road.:)
On second thought, four wheels sound pretty good. Maybe I'll remain a spectator for now.:)
M is also for Mailing list, and I have one! If you want to keep up to date on future book releases and other stuff, just sign up at http://eepurl.com/Sus2b. I promise ...no spam.:)
So it's Spring again, and I am thinking (again) about getting a motorcycle.
I live in North Georgia where I think it might be a law that you must own at least one motorcycle during your lifespan. Every Spring, after the last frosty mornings have passed, the roads become saturated with all forms of two-wheeled vehicles.
North Georgia is a natural playground for the motorcycle species. I live in the shadow of the North Georgia mountains with their twisty roads and wide scenic vistas. Trips up north in the spring bring wildflowers and trees in bloom that make the landscape look like a expensive painting. Trips in the fall bring dramatic colors to the trees and fresh, cool mountain air. Old towns with their wooden buildings and skinny main drags make great backdrops for photos and a great place to take a quick break.
I've enjoyed the North Georgia mountains in my Firebird. Take the T-tops out, and it's a great all-day cruise limited only by the gas in the tank. I've been on many a trip up to the mountains, but never on a motorcycle.
But there is a harsh reality. I am a complete klutz. Motorcycles require a certain level of dexterity I do not possess. Flying off a mountain at speed is a real possibility. Rides to check out the scenery are no fun when you're constantly picking yourself up off the road.:)
On second thought, four wheels sound pretty good. Maybe I'll remain a spectator for now.:)
M is also for Mailing list, and I have one! If you want to keep up to date on future book releases and other stuff, just sign up at http://eepurl.com/Sus2b. I promise ...no spam.:)
