Writing

A Good Time To Come Along

mikemjensen Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Internet, Vanity Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

You know what’s cool? Living in an age where almost any piece of information is available within minutes on the Internet. (Remember when we called it the “Web” or the Information Super Highway?)

I check the online weather radar on the days when we have storms moving though and try to skirt home between the downpours. It worked great today.

on-the-internet-nobody-knows-youre-a-dog-memeCan’t remember some name or factoid? Google what you know and you’re an instant genius.

TED talks. A bunch of them are full of crap, but I learn constantly by streaming them at my desk as I do data entry.

Today I heard about a WWII story that I had never heard before. Looked it up, found out some details, learned of a detailed book of the event, and pondered the thought of writing a future book about it. Without the internet, it would’ve been a passive story that I half-understood and most likely forgot before I had a chance to research.

I think some of the things from the past are sorely missed and I wonder how life passed in old west times. However, I’m thankful to live in this day and age where the world and all its wonders are right there on my screen.

And to think how cool I thought digital watches were when they first came out.

 

Day 74

Writing the Future

mikemjensen Writing Tags: , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

To make a long story short, I needed to map out some writing goals today. I am now committed to 2017 and I’m not even sure if I can keep the pace. And I left out a major project and several stories I had hoped to do in the near future.writing-cycle

So I guess I’m actually booked to 2019 or 2020.

It’s a good thing. I’m excited about the projects ahead of me. I relish that it all seems impossible.

I love being a writer!

Now time to get to work.

 

Day 63

A Person First

mikemjensen Twain, Vanity, Writing Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

Today marks the 105th anniversary of the death of Mark Twain. Mark Twain was/is my writer.

My favorite of his works are “Life on the Mississippi” and “Roughing It”. I can pick up either book at any time and reread just a few parts to spark my creative juices. His story-telling helps me find my inspiration, my voice, and re-kindle the joy of writing, if lost.Mark-Twain-Quotes-5

I’ve been asked how a meeting with Twain and I would go, do I think we would have anything to talk about. Honestly, I can’t imagine I would have anything to offer to him, but I’m sure that a few questions of the Big River or of Virginia City would conjure stories from Twain that he never had time to write. I believe I would buy drinks for as long as he would speak and he would speak for as long as I bought drinks.

I do not know if there is another writer that I could say the same about.

Except for maybe Hemmingway, but that would most likely end up in a fight, which he would probably win, but we would end up in a fly fishing discussion.

I guess my writers were not just writers. They were people I would want to hang out with and hear their stories first hand.

I hope that I am can be the same type of writer.

 

 

Day 57

Hemmingway Did Not Mean It.

mikemjensen Writing Tags: 2 Comments

Hey Kids,

I’m a writer. I write books. Not a lot yet, but I have a couple available.

I spend a lot of my free time writing. I write first drafts, I edit, and I work on the extra things like covers, descriptions, marketing, etc.

It’s my second job.

It can be difficult to figure out how to write things so they are understood as you meant them to be understood; the reader shouldn’t have to guess. It’s difficult to leave the room while others are watching something you would like to watch as well but you need to write. It’s difficult to work when it seems a good time to take a nap but you need to write. When you need to write, there are a bazillion other things that might be more fun, but that’s part of the second job thing. Nobody gets to skip their cashier job at Kwiki-Mart because there’s a new season of Game of Thrones starting. Why would a writer get a medal for writing, i.e. doing his or her job?

Writing, however, is not digging ditches; in fact, it’s much easier. It’s not mystical. There are practices that help people “get in the mood”, but these are all self-inflicted. Magic pixie dust will not be withheld because you forgot to wear your inspirational multicolored socks.

Get over it. Writing is writing words and conveying stories, messages, or information. It’s talking with your fingers on a keyboard. Sometimes it’s amazing what lies in wait to be tapped in one’s head. But in the end, that stuff was already in your head- you just let it out because you decided to write.

Write because you love it. Write because it’s your job. No one holds a gun to your head and no one will.Write-Bleed

Funny, but no blood required.

Just write.

 

Day 53

My Little World

mikemjensen Writing Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

f3e3c16cfaecf46ddfd1669f96f001b6Hey kids.

I’ve been working on my latest book and I’ve kind have been working on it for a long time now. Specifically, I’m working on this certain chapter; I’m guessing a couple of weeks at this point; at least on this edit. But it’s OK.

I don’t have an editor and even if I did, I have to be happy with the writing as I finish it or why else do it. There is a line of trying to be too perfect, but I’m far from that point. I’m just trying to get it right.

I read about other writers who can crank out books seemingly in their sleep. That’s great for them. I’m not them. I have to work at a different pace. I Edit. Then I edit again. And then edit a few more thousand times. It’s funny to me how little of the original text survives and yet the story remains and appears to have never been edited ever before (that can go two different ways. I speak of the good way, of sounding natural and flowing.)

During this pass through the chapter, a key chapter in my opinion, I have had ideas that need to now be incorporated into earlier chapters and I have had ideas that will reshape the ending of the book. It’s all in a state of flux and I’m creating more and more work to get it all finished. But again, it’s OK. It’s what I signed up to do.

Signed up with me, that is. No one is making me do anything. I’m doing this on my own. For me. To share one day, yes; but it’s mine right now. If I were to stop working on it, few if any would care more than a passing moment. If it isn’t good, no one will stone me. If It never sells, no economy will collapse. It doesn’t matter but to my little world.

And if spending countless hours of my free time, trying to make my little world as good as I can possibly make it, isn’t worth it. Then what is?

Life’s Too Short for Negative Reviews

mikemjensen Life's Truths, Writing Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

header-bad-reviewsIt’s too short to do surveys too, but that’s another subject.
But I don’t like giving bad reviews, as in reviews on bad books, speeches, etc. I don’t do it. It doesn’t make me feel good doing it. And it can destroy the recipient.
I might give a friend feedback, and I’ll be honest too. But at least then, that person asked and knows that I’m trying to help and not tear down.
But an unsolicited, negative review, I’ll pass. I don’t need it, they don’t need it. I’ll just move along to the next book, presentation, speech. Whatever.
If I like it, on the flip side, unsolicited good reviews is what life is all about!
I love to tell an author how much I loved his or her book. It’s encouraging. For both of us. I feel good doing it. I know the recipient enjoys it too.
And we can all use more time feeling good.

The Work in Progress- April 26, 2014

mikemjensen Ain't Dead Yet, Cursing Black's Gold, Porter Rockwell, Twice the Christmas, Work in Progress, Writing Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Writing-desk

So I thought I would take Saturdays and use them as updates to where I am in the writing/publishing process. I know boring stuff, but I get asked every once in a while so why not.

I am still struggling along in the edits of the second book  the OPR series currently titled Cursing Black’s Gold. I just can’t seem to get it just right. I’m very pleased with the ending, but the middle part needs some work. After attending a writer’s conference, I did get some insights in what was stalling my progress. I refocused and things seem to be moving now just a bit. By next week I hope to have more progress and maybe an estimate on the publish date.

Ain’t Dead Yet continues to sell at a slow but steady pace in the kindle store. The most common thing I do hear from those who talk to me about the book is “When is the next one out?” (see above). It’s a nice thing to hear.

Under the category of “Pay more attention to your reports”, I learn upon reading a few of those reports that Twice the Christmas during the December special, was down loaded in Great Britain, Denmark, and Italy. I think that’s rather cool.

I can’t wait to get started on the finishing touches of this year’s Christmas story. I won’t talk much of it right now, but it is waiting for me as soon as Porter II is done. I’ll shed more light on the story once I get back to work on it. The working title is The Biggest Little Christmas in the World. Some out there might recognize the origin of that tag line. And yup, it has to do with there.

OK. That’s it for now. Stay tuned for more riveting writing news next week.

mmj

 

Searching for Life’s Mysteries

mikemjensen Fishing, Life's Truths, Writing Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

1e01f62c38d8b8bb3d27588c8cfe09efI’m not sure if it’s the nearer to death one becomes as one gets older in age, or that I realize now that I am beyond dying young and with no assurance to grow older than what I already am, but I find myself weighing each decision I make with more gravity and spending more time wondering if it is the “right” thing to do. I find that, instead of savoring my time and experiences, I have fallen into the trap of overthinking the value of everything.

The problem with the pondering and assessments is that it rarely leads to more time “doing”.

I feel some important things have fallen to the wayside or have slowed down to speeds unacceptable.

Not unacceptable because of no other reason than I want to do more stuff. Not as a rush against a two-minute clock or anything. Instead it’s more like: “Why do I care what it’s worth if it’s what I want to do?”

My writing has slowed down. This blog is a great indicator of a general lack of committing enough time to wrte as much as I want to. One of my main goals for this blog is to leave a record of my thoughts. Remember when Blog meant Web Log, or Web Journal. Now too many times, Blog means marketing. Not exactly why I started my first blog years ago and not exactly enough reason to make me want to write posts. When I blog, I blog because I want to.

I write posts in my head all the time while riding my motorcycle; however, it’s not very condusive to taking notes, or leaving behind a posted entry. I write posts in my head because I enjoy it. How have I allowed life to take place of writing posts for real? I know it’s mostly for me anyway. It’s time to write more blog posts. If any of you read them, I hope you enjoy them. And if you like the posts, maybe I can interest you in a book. *Eye brows raising up and down*. Seriously, do as you wish, that’s what I’m doing.

And Fishing. I really need to fish more.

Ice-off is coming soon to my favorite lake. I will be fishing it. And then I will not stop until it’s frozen again. I will set a goal of how many times my waders need to be wet each month. There’s always something more important than fishing. At lease in other’s eyes, and yesterday in my own. That has to change.

There was a time that I dreamed of being a guide. The big reason I decided not to pursue that dream was that I worried about feeding the family and the thought of leading others to that fish of a lifetime and then being the one at the end of the net and not at the end of the fly rod just didn’t seem right.

And with that dream lost, I somehow also gave up my effort to be as good as a guide, to think it was important to keep the pulse of my waters,  to be the expert, to always know where the fish were, what were they hitting, and to always be into many huge fish. I let things more important dictate skilled fishing wasn’t worth the time and effort.

Life is short. It flies by so fast. And when one is looking at the last stretch of forty, one never knows just how short the remainder might be.

But a lot can be stuffed in a very little. And if God grants me anywhere near as many years in the future as he has in the past, and I fill, no, stuff them with the things I want to do, I have a feeling I won’t feel cheated or wanting.

 

To Be Olympic

mikemjensen Life's Truths, Vanity, Writing Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

imagesCA6XET15I love the pageantry: the drama: the emotions.

So much is on the line, every run, every performance, every moment.

The leader board rolls in constant change. Sometimes underdogs winning from behind, sometimes expected leaders winning it all as expected. We get to watch it all.

Actually we don’t.

We, the viewers, only see one version of one finished project. Many do not see the qualifying rounds. Even less of us see the National qualifications that select the teams. And fewer still, the competitions, the trials, the practices, or the training. In fact, I bet less than 1/2 of 1/2 of 1/2 of 1% ever see anything other than the NBC nationally broadcasted, primetime events. I’ll raise my hand and admit that I’m one of them that only sees the Olympian during the free-TV broadcasts.

It doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate the efforts. But it is so easily lost in the heat of the moment that it’s only a moment.

I like sports because of the humanity that it displays; the conquest of the human spirit. I love this stage of Humanities, of will, of might, of determination, of success and of failure.

I love the application or perspective that the Olympics provides for me.

I write books. No one sees the hours I spend by myself struggling over this word or the other. These sentences this morning have been changed a few times, even this one. But no one, but a few, see anything but the finished product. My writings are then read and the moment is over.

My moments continue.

How much I put into these other moments are mine and mine alone. No one cares whether I do it or not. I know, however, that these moments will determine whether the finished product is good enough to win literary Gold or not. Maybe they will only add up to be good enough for a passing “not bad”; perhaps only meriting to some to be barely worthy of a “one-star” brutal review. There will be a point where my talent, my efforts, and my end results can only take me so far. There are others out there doing the same thing and the competition is tough.

Some are better writers than I am. Some are better funded or supported. Others may even be lucky. Those are factors over which I have little control. I can only put in the work and hone the craft the best I can. When I have taken my training, my practice, my qualifications; as far as I can, I then can only put it out before my judges, the readers.

I will not be on NBC. You might not be either. But we can watch those athletes that are performing before us. We can cheer and cry with them. And then mimic their efforts as they have mimicked our lives.

To stand on the Podium must be a wonderful feeling, but to have a chance to even compete for the chance to do so; is not an accident.

Neither is yours or mine.

A New Year, Same Ol’ Me

mikemjensen Alaska, Cursing Black's Gold, Porter Rockwell, Vanity, Writing Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

tumblr_my14iv7Xng1s5qhggo1_500

This morning felt just like the last one and I didn’t take on any grand resolutions to begin on this “magical date.” but that doesn’t mean that I’m not excited about this new year.

I woke up early (confession- I fell asleep way before midnight last night), and after helping Annette get off to work (way bummer), I finished the second edit of a chapter of my work in progress, and hit the gym.

Now I know that there are many people who join the gym in January. But I joined in December. I know, Big Diff! But I joined because I needed to and a new gym opened and I took advantage of the cheap sign-up.

Anyway, I made an awesome Ham and Cheese Omelet and am now settling down for another writing session. If I could make a resolution to copy this day everyday, I would. But I digress.

A new year does not a new me make. I have to be realistic. My goals have to have meaning. They have to be consistent with what I have done, who I am, and what’s realistic.

So for the record, here are some of my goals for this next year, or so:

Finish the second Porter Rockwell Novel “Cursing Black’s Gold”. Release in Kindle and Print this spring.
Finish 2014 Christmas story (working title “The Biggest Little Christmas in the World”) to be released by November 1 in Kindle and Print.
Begin Third Porter Rockwell Novel (working title “The Devil’s Due”).
Evaluate editing of “Inmachuk Confabulations”, determine if it is right for publishing.
Maintain my work out schedule to be ready and able to climb Mt. Nebo this late summer.
Plan one major motorcycle tour this summer.
Fish a lot.

I have some wishes concerning being able to see my kids, and some personal relationship needs; but those are not really right for this forum. And they dependent on others. I’ll stick to those things in my control.

Wow. What a boring post. I’ll avoid such nonsense in the future. But of that, I can’t be resolute either.