Matthew J. Olson's Blog, page 3

hole

Yesterday, I planted six trees in my yard. One was going into the middle of the back yard. After digging the hole for it, I let the dogs out to go potty. They found that hole right away.

Zailey's first instinct was to start digging. Since I got to dig, she thought she could also dig. I was able to tap on the glass to let her know she was doing something naughty. She quit digging right away.

Milo was another story. He saw the fresh dirt and thought that it needed a little additional moisture (even though it was plenty wet). He peed right on the dirt pile I had left. So the tree got a little Milo watering before it was even planted. Hopefully, it survives.

When I was putting together my newsletter last month, I noticed that I had a huge hole. For the month of November, I had one blog post. In my defense, I was a little busy getting out two publications (Gun Smuggler's Tale and the audiobook for Alien Fear).

I will try get more blog posts in this month to fill in my hole. Zailey and Milo's hole has been filled in and a tree is now taking root.

side-scraper

When I came home from a hunting trip last week, Jynx went berserk. He was meowing constantly and getting underfoot everywhere I went. Even stopping to give him attention did not satisfy him. He wanted my full attention for a prolonged period of time.

Since it was getting late, I needed to get ready for bed since I had work the next morning. Jynx followed me into my computer room (where he normally isn't allowed, but I let him this time to pacify him). I was sitting there taking my evening pills and vitamins when Jynx got a crazy notion. He decided to climb up my side.

Since i was vertical, there was nothing for him to climb. Instead, he had to rely on his claws to get wherever he was trying to get. The claws went deep into flesh and drew blood instantly. I swiped the cat away, but the claws were still attached. The result was a huge set of scrapes down my side. I was not happy.

As a side note, Jynx also kept waking my wife and I up all through that night for more attention. We both hated Jynx by morning. It's a good thing he is so pretty or he might have a new home now.

I've been clawing and scraping my own writing lately. Gun Smuggler's Tale has been given another once over as I look at the notes from my editor. The blood being shed is being patched up with some strong bandages that is making the overall body of work even better. I'm nearly finished with the list of changes and additional edits and hope to have time one of the evenings this week to get the final touches done. Then I can format and publish. With Thanksgiving this week and our plans to travel, I doubt I'll have time to finish this weekend. So if it isn't out by Tuesday, it'll be out next week. Then again, I may just get it all done tonight if I can get through my chores in a sensible amount of time.

Scrapes are painful, but I'm sure Jynx is oblivious to the pain he inflicts. I wish I were so lucky.

scratch

Last night, I was holding Jynx while laying on the couch. He had somehow moved to where he was upside down along side of my body. He hates being upside down and his position looked uncomfortable, so I attempted to shift him upright. That was a bad decision.

My motives were pure and I didn't think I did anything to warrant what I got. I know that it was an accident since there was no hissing, growling, or even clawing to proceed the scratch. It just happened that Jynx ended up on my head with claws extended to help him from sliding. My lip received the scratch from one of the claws. That sucker bled for at least five minutes after that.

I'm trying to finish up my novel, Tech Fear, but my writing group has some reservations about the ending that I wanted. I've come to the conclusion that I need to scratch my ending and go big or go home. I've put too much effort in to this novel to ditch the whole thing. My writing group has suggested that I kill the last five or so chapters of the book. I just can't do that since I am trying to set up a third novel in the series and there are several plot lines that haven't been finished up. But, I also know that this novel deserves a good ending or nobody will be interested in a third book in the Fear Series.

I'm toying with a bunch of ways to end the novel. A lot are so cliche that I want to puke just thinking about them. There is also a plot device that I was saving for the sequel, but I am wondering if I couldn't incorporate it into the ending. That could then carry over to the third novel and give this one the ending it deserves. It's a bit of a cliche, but I can stomach it more than the other endings I've thought of. Then again, maybe I just need to get the ending down and then play with it more to make it not so cliche and make it completely palatable.

Scratches suck. But the bleeding eventually stops (both the lip and the literary kind).

pack me up

I've been traveling a lot here lately. Every time I get my suitcase out, Jynx knows what that means. He hates me leaving and has expressed his displeasure in multiple ways. I've previously blogged about him peeing in my suitcase on of my returns home, so I won't go into details on that. Instead, I want to talk about what he does as I prepare to go.

The suitcase will hit the bed or chair in my bedroom or computer room and Jynx will come running. As I try to pack up the suitcase, Jynx will climb right in and make himself at home. He wants packed up, too. Either that or he wants to prevent me from packing and therefore leaving. I think it is more of the later because he absolutely hates trips in the car. He doesn't mind his pet carrier or even being carried, but when he gets in the car, he goes berserk. So while he wants me to stay with him, I know he doesn't really want packed up. I'd probably have to tranquilize him if he ever flew.

Knowing that I had a lot of time in an airplane, I packed up the novel that is almost ready for release, Gun Smuggler's Tale. I'm looking over the editor's notes and seeing what else needs fixed. I got a lot done on my way to South Carolina.

Once in South Carolina, I found out my producer was done with the audiobook for Alien Fear. I now found that I needed to listen to over 10 hours before that could be released. I used my hotel's wifi to download each and every chapter to pack up for my return trip home.

I've been productive with what I have packed on my trips. Not packing up Jynx was also best for everyone. When I got home, he was sure to show how glad he was to see me again. I was glad to see him, but I also enjoyed the productivity of my trips.

put away your teeth

Teeth are everywhere this month. Vampires, werewolves, and other fanged creatures rule fiction during the Halloween season. I like to write a little horror, but don't like to live it. My own couch should be horror free, but it's not.

Zailey and Milo love to lay on me. Even though Zailey is a little big to be a lap dog, she is small at heart. Of course when one dog is on me, the other dog becomes jealous and needs on me as well. The result is that I've got two territorial animals on me. The teeth come out as they do their little infighting. I then have to play referee since I'm in the middle anyway. I don't know how many times I told the dogs to put away their teeth this last weekend.

As a writer, I love hearing sayings like, "don't piss me off or I'll kill you off in my next novel." Talk about teeth. Sure, there are characters I kill off, but I never think of them as a real person. Maybe I respect my fellow man or I just haven't found the right person that needed the treatment.

My teeth are away for the moment, but you never know if they will come out. The dogs are a little more predictable, though; they always come out.

lost

This morning, I was lounging around on the couch downstairs while trying to wake up. The dogs were outside doing their business. Jynx must have thought he lost me or something because he was yowling as he walked down the stairs. I hollered so that he could find me, but I was laying under a blanket. It wasn't until he could see my face that he quit his yowling.

Jynx does this from time to time. My wife and I will be getting ready for bed and Jynx will be downstairs. He'll start meowing around until we holler at him that we are upstairs. He then runs up to join us in bed.

I've been crazy busy, lately. Between a vacation, going to a conference, doing my author event, and other life events, I haven't had time to write. It sucks because I'm falling behind on my goals. I feel a bit lost as I am trying to get back into the swing of writing again. I'm not sure where to jump in at.

Like Jynx, I'll find my way. I just wish I had somebody hollering so I knew which way to go.

circles

Last night, I was playing with the dogs right before bed. Zailey was tired and couldn't stay interested in the toys that I was throwing for her and Milo to retrieve. So she went to her doggy bed that we have in the living room. There she did something I'd never seen her do before.

First she was scratching the pillow like she was trying to dig a hole through it. I was getting concerned, so I asked, "Just what do you think you are doing?" That's when she did three complete circles and threw herself down. I was so surprised, I asked, "When the hell did you turn into Odie?" (Does anyone else remember the early years of the Garfield comic strips and Saturday morning cartoons where every time Odie would lay down, he would have to do three circles first?)

It was all in the name of getting comfortable. Her stuffing in the middle of the pillow was getting pretty trampled down. She was trying her best to fluff it up. I was just surprised by it at the time since she had never done it before.

I've hit a point in Tech Fear where I am going to have to do a circle. After getting a chapter critiqued in one of my writing groups, I've realized that I've deflated the tension too much before the climax of the book. Fixing this chapter won't be too much of a problem, but it is a problem in the chapters past this one that I've already written. That is going to require some major reworking. Hopefully, I've got good enough bones in the story that I don't have to completely rewrite the chapters.

Years ago, during the early stages of Gun Smuggler's tale, I had worked ahead in the book. One of the chapters I shared was a big problem with my writing group as it was unbelievable. This was even more significant in that it was a major plot device that had to be rewritten. An entire chapter had to be scratched and rewritten. Other chapters in my outline had to be significantly altered to continue this new plot device. It was beyond frustrating, but had to be done.

Circling back to a previous bit of writing can be good for the overall strength of the novel. Zailey's circles entertained me while the fixed novels make the reader more entertained. Then again, maybe you are entertained listening to my struggles. Comment below if you are!

hostage

One of my wife's coworkers was over today. Jynx thought it was great to have someone new to pay attention to him. He was even getting sassy when she quit petting him. It was to the point where our visitor was a hostage to Jynx's every whim.

It was bound to happen, because it always does. After too much interaction, Jynx went nuts. Even though he would pet himself on our visitor, he would not allow any attention. It was like Jynx was trying to entice our visitor just so that he could attack. He was slicing his claws into her at even a hint of starting to pet. He ended up drawing blood.

Lately, my allergies have held me hostage. Even though I have time to write, I can't. Snot is filling my brain and preventing me from writing well, so I just don't. Plus, I have a low amount of energy, so I've been resting and sleeping during my free time instead.

Hostage situations are never a good thing. Jynx's hostage will leave as will mine. Comment below what holds you hostage.

scar

The other day, I came home to find a fresh wound on Milo's cheek about half the size of a dime. I'm not sure what happened that day, but Zailey was the natural suspect. For one thing, the two have been playing pretty rough lately. The other thing was that both dogs were wary of the other when I let them in.

The wound was fairly minor since it wasn't bleeding, but there was a chunk of skin hanging. The area was also inflamed. Milo was in some pain, but would let me look over the scab. He is going to have a gnarly scar, but will live.

I've gotten a few scars over the years and some of them are with my writing. I was talking today with my writing group about my struggle with the first chapter of Alien Fear. I had several iterations of a first chapter before I cut it completely and started the novel at chapter two.

It was a necessary, but painful, amputation. The reader can't see the scar left behind, but I know that it is there. I have to live with the choice that I made, but I do miss the chapter (all three versions of it).

Wounds heal with time, and scars fade. Milo's will probably fade long before that chapter's. One thing about it, scars prove that you are living!

treat

The other day, I let both dogs into the house and gave them treats. My wife had gotten jerky strips and wanted me to try them. Since this was a harder treat than most of their others, they took a minute or so to finish it. Somehow, Milo was able to wolf his down before Zailey. He thought he could steal the remainder of Zailey's.

I was in the kitchen getting a drink or something and Zailey was in the dining room just outside of the kitchen. I ended up seeing the fight break out. Milo was walking up next to Zailey and was bearing his teeth. Zailey gulped the last little bit of her jerky strip before Milo could get into position to steal it. She was pissed off that Milo was trying to steal her food and attacked him. They tussled for just a few seconds before yelling from my wife and I made them stop.

Milo ran back to the middle of the living room while Zailey made a run behind the couch. The two met up in the living room and started fighting again. This time I ran out and separated them. Then I threw Milo in his kennel since he was right there. Zailey had moved off back toward the kitchen were the first fight began. I met up with her there and threw her in her own kennel. They then spent the next couple of hours cooling off and they left their timeouts like as if they were friends again.

Writing is my treat. I love coming up with new ideas and then putting them on the computer screen. Reading what I have written is the greatest high I get out of the process. I feel so accomplished seeing a finished product.

Lately, my writing treat has been interrupted. Some of the interruption has been my fault (golf tournaments, lake, trip to get two horses), but some is from being so tired from all these things that I am doing. When I am tired, I can't focus on writing.

I feel like I did get enough rest yesterday with the nap that I took. I should be able to resume my treat today. Zailey and Milo now only get jerky strips in their kennels so that the fighting incident isn't repeated. In this way, they also get to resume having their treat.