R. Leib's Blog: Dream State, page 2

The Devil's Wiki

Politicians today unfortunately were politicians yesterday.

What I've Got

I just got my diagnosis today. I have Lichenoid Mucositis. Which is a medical term for "We haven't a clue what you've got, but we're sure glad we don't have it."

The Devil's Wiki

We live in recursive times. Being politically correct is no longer politically correct.

Van Gogh

My struggles getting published have me thinking about van Gogh. (Not that I compare my work to his. I'm not that egotistical.) He lived his entire life convinced that he was a failure, as an artist and as a person. While he was alive, he could not sell a painting to save his life, and now his works bring auction bids in the millions. That has got to be one of the cruelest fates, to be noteworthy and go to your grave without it ever being acknowledged.

Where have I been?

It has been months since I wrote to this blog. I didn't mean for that to happen. It just did. I've been pretty sick lately. I could use that as an excuse, and it wouldn't be entirely bogus. I've got some kind of autoimmune thing, and it's kicking my butt pretty good. But the truth is that I just don't have that much to say. I haven't been working on "Tourist of Infinity" for a really long time. I finished the first draft and started the first rewrite. Then I just lost enthusiasm for the project. A friend is beta reading the first chapter for me. Maybe when she gets back to me with comments, it will kick start my drive to finish it. Don't get me wrong. I've still been writing. I wrote a new short stories that is getting some initial reviews, and I reworked an earlier short story and submitted it to Science Fiction magazine for publication. (Fingers crossed.) I would certainly like to lose the distinction of being the best writer who is never going to be published.

One good thing about being old

The one good thing about being old is that scarred for life isn't that big a deal.

Veteran’s Day 2014 Charity Challenge

On Veteran's Day 2014, 50 veteran authors will pledge 100% of their print, ebook and audio book royalties to their favorite veteran's charity. In most cases, these are organizations that assisted the authors personally and they are trying their best to give back.

Veterans from each service branch and every conflict period, from Vietnam to even one author deployed to Afghanistan at this moment, are pledging. This diverse collection of works includes New York Times and USA Today Bestsellers and covers most genres. From romance to action-adventure and everything in between, there's something for every taste here!

The ultimate goal of this event is to raise at least $10,000 for the 15+ veterans charities they're supporting. If you aren't interested in any of the books available, they have a page set up ranking the money raised for each charity and spotlighting bonus donations. Whether you contribute to the best performing or the least performing, either way your donation will be put to good use!

The complete collection of participating books and charities can be found here:
http://bit.ly/VeteransDayChallenge

Note: For the sake of transparency, each author will post their donation receipts within 90 days. If you are a veteran author, they are accepting submissions until noon (EST) on 11 November. Please visit the Writer's Cafe at Kboards for submission details:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topi...

Back to work

I've been pretty sick the past couple of weeks. I went to see a specialist yesterday. The treatment the doctor prescribed seems to be working. So tonight I will get back to work. I think I'll start with reworking Inevitable Wound based on reader criticisms. I have learned a lot from reviews I received on Goodreads. I'm not happy that my work has defects (although all writing does to one extent or another), but I am happy that I get this opportunity to improve.

Redirection

I am going back to writing, but I am having doubts about returning to "Tourist of Infinity" right away. Some of the enthusiasm has waned, and I am not certain exactly how I want to proceed with the rewrite. A lot of criticisms of my current novel, The Negative's Tale, have me thinking about ways to improve my style. That will affect what I do next with "Tourist of Infinity". So I am going to work on other projects for a while.

Writer's Holiday

After a year of working on it, I have taken a few weeks off "Tourist of Infinity". I needed a break. The novel has grown from an idea of which I was uncertain into something with a life of its own, but I think I have become too close to it. I need some distance. The stirrings inside me to return to working on it have started already. Once they accelerate to the point of irresistibility, I will surrender to them. My passion for the story will be reinvigorated, and I will be prepared for the hard work ahead.

In the meantime, I have been reading and reviewing. Ideas for other stories evolve inside my head all the time. But to have the struggle with a single body of thought ingrained into your daily life for such a long time, you need to let it percolate on its own for a little while, or your fervor for it sublimates and becomes stagnant.