R.M. Ridley's Blog, page 29

In The Writers Cave

I am now on the first full day of cat sitting. My retreat (from nowhere and no distraction – but ignore that) from everyday to what I think of as ‘intense writing time’. It seems to work too, as I did 3 thousand words this morning. Although that increase in word count might have something to with the fact that I was here at the computer an hour earlier than I normally would be – pah!

So, I plan to use this time as best I can. I want to wrap up ‘Corrupted Souls’ (and at 3k a morning, it won’t take too many more days) and then I want to start the fifth novel – which is howling like a rapid werewolf in my brain. (no – that isn’t a hint what the next plot is about). I am done the heavy edits for the release of my debut novel ‘Tomorrow Wendell’ which frees me up to start on some heavy edits for the second book, ‘Bindings & Spines’.

I have other things I’m scheduled  during the next two weeks; getting my new tattoo, finally meeting my beta-reader for the first time and hanging out for a couple of days , and a vape meet (which I always enjoy).

I already miss my wife – nothing I can do about that. I will throw myself into the words, to keep the worst of that from my mind.

And just to make sure I don’t sit for too long a stretch at any one time – the cats are sure to get me up every fifteen minutes or so to let them in – out – or prove I will even if they don’t.

Filed under: MIscellaneous, Publishing, Vaping, Writing Tagged: beta reader, Bindings & Spines, cats, Corrupted Souls, current work in progress, edits, Jonathan Alvey, muse, novel, paranormal private investigator, plot, publish, tattoo, Tomorrow Wendell, Urban Fantasy, Vape, vaping, wife, writing, Xchyler Publishing

Change of Regime

Tomorrow, I go to the city and begin the cat sitting. I get to be the one who, lets them in and and out (ad nauseum), and gives them their meds (yes, they are on pills for health and sanity – not sure if it’s my sister’s or the cats sanity, but I digress), and feeds them.

This time around, there will be more pill giving then usual, as the one cat is getting older and needs some medical aid to keep her healthy and comfortable. This might present me with a bit of a problem, because she is the less handlable of the two. She is also the one who stays aloof for the first few days, until she realizes her mother isn’t coming right back and she better suck up to me a little, to make sure I continue to feed her.

I’m hoping there are no real issues – if there are, I’ll have to figure out devious ways around them.

I’ll be there for two weeks, basically. During this time, I’m getting my new tattoo, meeting my Beta-reader and her husband for the first time in the flesh, after years of on-line interaction, and I have a vape meet to attend. I’m going to busy – and every other moment will – I hope – be  filled with work on writing. Edits to the second novel ‘ Bindings & Spines’ and finishing the fourth novel ‘Corrupted Souls’ so I can get to work on the fifth novel.

I have a feeling I’m going to come home from this needing a vacation.

Filed under: MIscellaneous, Vaping, Writing Tagged: beta reader, Bindings & Spines, Corrupted Souls, current work in progress, edits, Jonathan Alvey, medication, muse, novel, paranormal private investigator, Urban Fantasy, White Dragon Black Series, writing

Wrapping Up One to Unwrap Another

So the content edits of ‘Tomorrow Wendell’ are essentially done -  one chapter left. This means the hard work of, making sure that the story flows, that the plot doesn’t have holes, and the imagery is strong, is over. That is one of the hardest parts of the publishing process, for me the author, over and done with.

As of this morning, I am now working the closing chapters of the fourth novel, ‘Corrupted Souls’. I’m not sure just how many chapters remain–my Muse keeps that sort of knowledge to herself — but I don’t believe there are any more scenes I don’t know about. I’m guessing five chapter remain to be written, some of which already have scenes recorded in them. As this is the final push, five chapters won’t take long to do.

In a couple days, I go to the city for one of the semi annual ‘ pamper my sister’s cats’ events. She goes on vacation and I make sure her cats continue to get the same level of adoration they are used to. The good news about this is that, for me, it is a writing retreat. I tend to get a lot of work done during these times, as I have nothing else to do, and no distraction (save for getting up every fifteen minutes to let a cat out, or in, or both at the same time).

Knowing I have this time to write approaching is exciting because of the current state of my projects. With the end of edits on ‘Tomorrow Wendell’, I can begin working the necessary edits on the second in the White Dragon Black series ‘Bindings & Spines’. As well, as soon as I get down the remaining chapters in the fourth novel, I can begin on the fifth, which – due to my Muse’s interest in my doing so – is hammering away at my subconscious.

A dramatic, dynamic shift in my work is about to occur… and yet – it is simply more of the same of what I have already been doing.

That’s why writers are such strange creatures – we get excited about doing the exact same thing as we just were, but call it a brand new name.

Filed under: Publishing, Writing Tagged: Bindings & Spines, Corrupted Souls, current work in progress, edits, Jonathan Alvey, muse, novel, paranormal, paranormal private investigator, plot, publish, Tomorrow Wendell, Urban Fantasy, White Dragon Black Series, writer, writing, Xchyler Publishing

I Got Lucky

Get your mind out of the gutter !

A little while back, I posted about walking the line as to whether I needed to bump my meds again or not.

I watched myself and my moods carefully. I told my wife were I was at, so that she too could watch my moods – because it is always good, when dealing with the tricks your mind can play on you, to have an outside monitor. A few days went by, and now I am back to where I expect to be at this time of year. The blip was just that – a blip.

But it brings up the fact that the one thing you can be sure about with mental health issues, is that you can’t be sure about anything. I can never assume. I can never say – for fact – that my brain will work in a certain way, at a certain time. In cycle, or out of cycle, anything can happen.

It is always important, if you have mental (and physical) health problems to be sure you watch yourself, regulate yourself, and have support to also look after you. It is too easy to assume that because nothing happened last time you did ‘A’ that nothing will happen this time you do ‘A’.

It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to do ‘A’, or ‘B’ … or even ‘C’ but you should be alert, and prepared. I guess it comes down to -Play Safe… but don’t stop playing!

Filed under: Mental Health Tagged: antisocial, Bi-polar, blog for mental health, crazy, cycle, medication, Mental Health, schizo-effective disorder

That Scares Me More Than Dying from a Cigarette Ever Did.

“Now I face an uphill battle again. A battle against my government, pharmaceutical companies, and tobacco companies. This amazing device has shown up that makes my life better, that will let me live longer, and they are all rushing to figure out how to monetize it or prohibit it because they don’t understand it.

That scares me more than dying from a cigarette ever did.”

That sums up my feelings in words I didn’t even realize!

Here’s the post

 

Filed under: Vaping Tagged: e-cigs, vaping

Hell of a Ride to be Chicken!

So today I had a doctors appointment in town – thirty minute drive and it’s just below freezing today. I admit I was running a bit late so I was going faster than I might usually (95 klics instead of 80).

I made it on time and hardly had any wait. As this was my first appointment with this doctor, it wasn’t the fastest turn around time. Height, weight, blood pressure, questions from nurse, follow up from doctor after. I got a new prescription out of the deal and walked over to the attached pharmacy to wait for my new meds.

As they had just been faxed there it took about fifteen minutes for me to get out again – maybe a bit longer.

Next, I had to cross town and pick up a few items at the grocery store. I got in the truck, put my foot on the brake, put it in reverse, turned around to back out… and saw something quite unexpected.

A hen was sitting in the back of the truck. She looked pretty resigned. I was sure she hadn’t been sitting there went I went in to the doctors appointment, as I had to do some backing up to fit the big truck in the parking space.

I was also sure it was one of ours.

So I put it in park, got out, and picked her up. Not a fuss, although she is normally one who doesn’t like to be handled.

I put her in the cab and shook my head. “If you want to go for a truck ride, it’s better to do it in the cab, sweet heart.”

So down the road, through town, I drove — with my chicken.

I got to the grocery store and told her to sit tight – she didn’t seem perturbed.

As I closed the door I pictured coming back out and seeing a mass of people and some cops all in arms because  I hadn’t rolled down the window to give the bird air. I risked it.

Finished the shopping to find the hen – just as I’d left her. I checked the back. there were little footprints in the snow – leaning to beside the big tool box thing which is under a flap of canvass. There, I discovered the reason for her being in the truck – seems she liked to lay her eggs in that private spot. She must have been in that very process on the trip there.

I imagined her surprise coming out t o see a world unlike anything she’s ever imagined – now wonder she looked so resigned.

We had a nice ride home, and because of her trip to town, she had missed lunch so I carried her from the truck, past all her buddies, into the enclosed front porch and gave her some feed. But no sooner had I pulled into the drive, when another hen was up on the truck and heading to the same spot.

Going to have to check before we go anywhere now – sigh

Little miss adventure hen is back out side now, probably telling all the other hens about the trip.

 

Filed under: Homesteading, MIscellaneous Tagged: adventure, doctor, eggs, hen

The Line between Edits and Writing

I had a section in chapter 25 of ‘Tomorrow Wendell’, that my editor wanted to see not as ‘they talked’ but the actual dialogue. Seems she really likes the interplay I manage to create between the two character in question–can’t take that as anything but praise.

She also wanted to give the bit under this section more suspense and tension.

I got the chapter back a number of days ago and had worked out all the rest of the edits but kept getting stuck on these two points. I would edit other chapters, get in the mind set, and go back to 25 rearing to go- only to stop dead and shake my head.

This morning, on a whim, I decided to tackle it another way. Instead of treating it as editing, I went at it as my morning writing session. I still have to finish up the new chapter 28 and have plenty of work to do on ‘Corrupted Souls’ but chapter 25 had really started to bother me- a chain around my neck.

It worked. Using my writing time to approach the problem, instead of my editing time, gave me the freedom to step away from the rest of the chapter and just write a scene.

I’ll have to remember this trick, for I am certain, this will not be the last time I run into a scene, in one of my books, that needs to be rewritten.

Filed under: Publishing, Writing Tagged: Corrupted Souls, current work in progress, edits, Jonathan Alvey, muse, novel, paranormal private investigator, plot, scene, Tomorrow Wendell, Urban Fantasy, White Dragon Black Series, writing

War is Begun

Last night, a chicken didn’t go into the coop at night. We know this because there was a ruckus outside and I found him on the ground, feathers strewn everywhere. I brought him in, and we did what we could for the wound. The chicken is still alive this morning – but not happy.

There was another chicken killed a little over a week ago, so we were already on high alert – making sure we closed the coop door as soon as the sun had set (chicken don’t go to bed in warm weather until the sun has set). The first chicken, was decapitated and gutted. We thought raccoon – yes, a hungry mother raccoon will hunt, and take down a chicken.

This birds wounds are – odd. It could  have been, whatever went for him missed the crucial spot, hitting between his wings instead of the neck. But there is also the chance it might have been an aerial assault – the wound from an attempt to pick it up and carry it away. Only one bird hunts at night, an owl. It would have to  be one hell of a big owl to attempt taking a chicken.

Not knowing what is doing this – from a fox, to a coon, to an owl – or even if the two attacks are related, makes it hard to develop a battle strategy.

Right now, all we can do is hope all the birds get in the coop early enough to lock them up safe through the night. But, more drastic measures might have to be employed  – if we can figure the culprit.

Filed under: Homesteading Tagged: attacked, chicken, coop, hunt, owl, raccoon

Writers are Masochists

My editor over at Xchyler Publishing, has finished going through the entirety of ‘Tomorrow Wendell’ and although there was nothing ‘wrong’, we have finally come to a ‘problem’.

Yesterday, she brought up the fact that the 28th chapter (there being only 29) was too similar to an earlier one. The creatures attacking were different, but their mode of entry for attack, and how it played out,  was too reminiscent of a previous chapter.

Big Problem.

What did my editor ask, with a sort of apology for doing so . . . ‘Can you rewrite it, and make it completely different?’

GAH!

At first, my mind screamed – No! How! But! – then I stopped the tidal-pool of my thoughts. Could I?

A small perverse part of my brain chimed in then – It certainty would be a challenge, old boy.

Writers are masochists, you see.

I explained to my editor, that the first hurdle would be finding another existing mythological creature, that was associated with the taking of souls. Not as easy as you might think. It had to be something that was a group, not a singular entity. It had to be something I could actually work with, and it had to be different in physiological structure, so as to not take the same route of attack.

GAH!

It wasn’t like I hadn’t done this research the first time around.

But – I could see the point my editor was making, and that perverse part of my brain was giddy with delight.

So, it began. The search.

Eventually I found something – something very different. Something I might just be able to take to my Muse and ask, ‘Can you work with this?’

Now, I’m a seat of the pants writer. My plot flows organically, I can force it. So it was important that my Muse liked what I presented, or I would get not a single word down.

I took a long hot bath, and hoped for images to start coming to my mind – thanks to my Muse. They did. I was having a problem with using the suggested mode of entry, which was becoming a stumbling block, until my Muse suggested we turn the suggestion on it’s head – rather literally. Once that obstacle was removed, the possibilities flowed easier.

So this morning, I rewrote the end of the 27th chapter, which was where the attacking creatures were first introduced. It went well, I think I can make 28 happen. I wait now, for feed back on 27, to know if I should move forward.

Luckily, we are ahead of schedule – or so I am told. Until I hear back, I guess I’ll edit the chapters up to 28 that await my input. . . because we writers, you see, are masochists.

 

Filed under: Publishing, Writing Tagged: current work in progress, editor, edits, Jonathan Alvey, muse, novel, paranormal private investigator, plot, publish, Tomorrow Wendell, Urban Fantasy, White Dragon Black Series, world building, writing, Xchyler Publishing

Walking a Tightrope

I seem to be at a place in my mental health balance where I am walking a tightrope. I feel the tug of irrationality pulling me one way, but I also don’t want to go back on my 250 ml of Apo-Divalproex. In the long over-view, I normally do not need to be on them at this time. Usually this is the calm after a long storm. However, two years ago, I never got to the point where I could drop off the 250 ml. So it is possible I am going to need to go back on them.

This thought doesn’t exactly fill me with elation. If it’s what has to happen, then it will, but I would prefer if I didn’t. I enjoy being able to reduce the meds. I feel a little better about my own self-control when I am on a lower dose–not that my control is stronger, just a feeling of being more in control of my own life. It’s a hard thing to describe, unless you live your life depending on medication to govern your mind. Being off the 250 ml, when I can, gives me a sense of relaxing, that is purely placebo but I’ll take a sugar pill – I like sweets.

I will watch myself over the coarse of the next few days and gauge which way the wind is blowing. I hope this is just a blip.

NOTE: My Psychiatrist is well aware of the fact that I raise and lower my medication by 250 ml when I feel it is appropriate. We have worked together to find a system that works for me and he trusts me to do this small adjustment (with my wife as a check point). DO NOT SELF-ADJUST your medication unless you and your doctor feel completely confident in this happening. Mine is a special case, in many ways, and what works for me is not necessarily going to work for you.

Filed under: Mental Health Tagged: Apo-Divalproex, awarness, bipolar, blog for mental health, cycle, irrational, medication, Mental Health, Psychiatrist, wierd thoughts, wife