Geek To Author

Writing As A Hobby The Real World Takes Over Sometimes

2021-09-29T13:56:00.000-05:00

Family. Work. Kids. Writing as a side hobby doesn't allow for the consistent time and mental commitments as you'd like. But we do out best to continue the craft.

Hello

2021-09-05T10:22:00.003-05:00

The newest story, Hello.

Eye Contact

2021-08-30T22:29:00.004-05:00

New story, Eye Contact.

Routines Are Meant To Be Kept

2021-08-25T23:18:00.002-05:00

Writing is hard, there is no doubt. Like any skill you must keep doing it no matter how mundane or unmotivated you are if you want to keep the skill fresh and growing.

Pick up any writing book and they will all tell you that regular, routine, scheduled writing is the key to being a writer. This is one of those skills, like music, painting, creating anything where you need to do it in order to get better... and finish something.

If you break your routine, like I did this past weekend, you get behind. You lose that mojo and fire to do it.

I got behind and missed my self-assigned deadline to get a short story revised and finished each week. Now I need to get two done to get back on track.

I finished a short story, revisions anyway, called Eye Contact.

I will review it tomorrow and post it to Wattpad and enter it in the contest.

Write everyday, no matter good or bad, you don't need to publish or finish everything you write. You never know, a throw away story may have that one scene or dialogue you will need later on down the line. But if you don't write it down, you're just wasting possible moments of creative output your mind may not give you again.

Another Story Published

2021-08-15T00:00:00.001-05:00

I spent the week editing and revising my latest story called Love Created. It's a short story and falls under Romance/Love but with a twist of Sci-Fi maybe. This story was an exercise to attempt to capture characterizations, primarily of the main character Ronald.

It may have worked, it may have not. Readers will decide. It's out there and submitted to a contest under the Romance category. We'll see. On to the next one.

How To Get Readers, Enter Contests

2021-08-09T22:31:00.000-05:00

Writers write for two reasons. For themselves first and for others second. In order to get the second one to kick off is to get it front of people. The more the people the more feedback, the more followers, the more drive you get to keep writing. There are so many sites, so many writers and so much content being posted and published it's nearly impossible to be stumbled upon and gain that without work on your part.. or you hire a firm and they do it for you, for a price that you won't have.

One of the easiest ways I have found is to submit your work to contests. Contests do a few things for writers. First it's a gateway to get your work read, good or bad, it will get read. If you make it to be considered for the contest, more people will read your work. Lastly, you might win. If not you will get more readers that potentially will follow you, give you feedback, make a connection and who knows what could happen from there.

That's what I am doing. I am going to be working to get as many of my short stories finalized and completed, posted to Wattpad and submit them for consideration to a contest on Wattpad called the Ambys 2021.

We'll see how it turns out. If everyone tells me my stuff sucks, I'll take it. Bad feedback at this stage would be very productive to improve and build on.

The only little glitch was that the contest rules said the stories had to be stand alone publications and not part of an overall collection of stories. Originally each story was going to be part of a collection book. Now they will be published as stand alone stories, I can always put them together later.

I changed the first story's title and re-published it. The story is now called Time For Bed. I used a stock photography service I pay for and Canva to create a cover.

That's the new process going forward, now I have to get back to revising and writing.

Time to turn the page.

Bedtime - A Short Story

2021-08-05T23:42:00.005-05:00

Bedtime - A New Story Published On Wattpad

2021-08-05T23:39:00.003-05:00

I wouldn't be improving if I wasn't doing. As I stated yesterday on my direction to start out on Wattpad and I have done just that. I posted, technically re-posted, a story I re-wrote called Bedtime. It's very short, 1,000 words, but that's all it needs to be.

Read Bedtime here - https://www.wattpad.com/169680438-bucket-of-tales-bedtime

I have also added all the story titles to the Bucket of Tales collection to give a short insight to what is coming. I reserve all the rights to change the titles as I please, they may change to be more fitting and less bland.

My goal is to get one story out a week, maybe a little quicker, but it comes down to how my revisions go.

Time to turn the page...

Where To Share

2021-08-04T22:41:00.002-05:00

People write for many different reasons. Some write for themselves, never intending their works to be seen by anyone else for one reason or another. Most writers write to share, to have others read and enter their worlds they created and go along with the characters on their journeys. I am the latter.

The trick I have found is where to share your works. Obviously it is rare of anyone to get 'published' out of the gate. What is published mean anyway? A physical book printed? An ebook available for download? Anyone can do that but it doesn't mean it's going to be read or even found on its own.

Then you have copyrights, first published problems, ownership over your work, etc, etc... I have searched high and low on where to start. I could just post them to this blog but it's too risky for many reasons right now. I want to have something more controlled and meant for writers to share their works.

Many years ago I did put some of my stories on several sites, some no longer exist, but I kept reverting back to one site time and time again. I also checked on reviews, what other authors were doing and how reputable the site was and the same one was always at the top of the list. Over the years this site has grown and matured into a platform and I have decided to embrace it.

The site I am referring to is Wattpad.com.

Wattpad is designed for completed works but also for works in progress. There is a strong social and feedback process designed into it that allows readers to comment and make suggestions on your work. It's a good site to cultivate readers into followers and into much more if your work deserves it.

In the coming weeks I will start to put my 'Bucket of Tales' stories out on Wattpad for consumption. My goal is to focus and release a story a week. If I stick to that schedule I have over 4 months of stories coming. It's time to get them out there, get them read, hear feedback on my first public push of my work and go from there.

Exciting.

Very Long Weekend Broke The Rythym

2021-08-02T20:49:00.004-05:00

Life happens.

Family first.

That's what the last 4 days was for me. Although I didn't write I thought. I re-built my stories and went over them from memory to repave the foundation and see what I missed. One of the stories took a turn for the better and I found a complete ending. I am now going to re-write the last half of it, expand it and end it for the better.

Read Your Work Outloud To Yourself

2021-07-28T22:40:00.002-05:00

Your writing is from the inner depths of your mind. Generated, sent to your fingers and on to the paper. I have found while I am revising, and writing new for that matter, it helps to hear myself write. It comes down to understanding how the brain works, especially when you are working with anything analytical.

So run with it. Read your stories to yourself but read them out loud. Hear the words you wrote, they will sound different, feel fresh and flow differently when you hear them vs. reading them. The last few days as I have been finishing up my first rounds of revision I found myself working through a block by reading it to myself.

I found myself really expanding my dialogue. Talking out the parts back and forth I found new ways to approach the conversation, change the words used, it really helped bring our the organic nature of how people talk rather than a formula, book learning method.

Like everything this may not work for you, but I found it helped a great deal for me. Writing doesn't need to be contained between the mind and hands. Use all the areas of your brain and body to get what you really mean out of you and put into your writing worlds how you mean.

Read About Writing But Writing Is The Best Way To Learn

2021-07-25T00:18:00.000-05:00

Like any craft writing is a skill that requires study. Also, like any craft, there are thousands of resources each describing their own way to go about it. How to start, plan, write, edit, finish, publish and everything in between. You could spend all your time reading how to write and not take what you read to write.

Art is a style. It can be learned, it can be gifted to some but it can't grow without using it. That's the balance. As a budding writer you a probably an avid reader as well. As you write, get stuck or as part of your routine you can get swallowed in the piles of book, articles and blog posts about getting better at your craft. That's what I found myself doing the past few days, reading too much.

I missed blog posts, I got behind on my writing schedule, my revisions are behind and overall my craft is not improving because I am not working on it. You can get the knowledge all you want but until you put that knowledge into practice and actually do it the craft will not improve.

I would say that reading, any reading, is vital for a writer. Just like an artist going to museums, athletes watching other games and studying film, musicians listening to other music. Those are all vital to learning the craft but each and every one of them, including writers, need to practice to build the muscle memory to become their own masters of their craft and style.

Write.

Write and Walk Away, Then Return

2021-07-16T00:03:00.000-05:00

I am not an expert. I am not calling myself a writer, although I do write. I have written many stories, most short, and many I did a while a go and put away. Never deleted, just tucked away and archived.

Now as I am reinvigorated to drive toward a finished product I am pulling out these old writings. What an experience this is. Stories I have forgotten about, stories that were half-written but sketched out, and now looking back at some of these I am amazed what I did. Much like going back and looking at programming code and apps that I wrote in the past, you can be just amazed looking at old creative works and think 'Did I do that?'

That's the beauty of writing when you don't do it regularly... and take a year or four off from it. You get to go back and pull out the works you did do and be amazed of what you are capable of.

Next time I'll just wait a day or two in between revisions. Saves time that way.

Don't Forget To Read

2021-07-13T23:33:00.002-05:00

How can you write if you don't study others? That's what reading is for and you should be reading casually every day at some level. I have got stuck on some things, not necessarily writer's block but more of technique block with the revisions. So, I have been reading more.

I dusted off a copy of Analog magazine I bought earlier this year and hadn't finished everything yet and sat back this evening. I consumed several of the short stories, science fiction themed, but I read them to focus on the dialogue and interactions. This is where my technical block has been and several of the stories I need to revise are dialogue dependent between the characters.

Also by reading you get different points of view, new ideas and reflection on your own work to see between the cracks that normally you get blinders on. In fact one of my stories that I have completed I may re-write another version and make it science fiction based and submit it. Currently it's set on the ocean, but very easily I can set it on a ship in space and keep the same plot, characters, theme and message only the setting changes.

My point is don't forget to read for fun, your mind will pick up the rest.

Outlining

2021-07-10T23:09:00.002-05:00

Today was not a revision day but after I write this post I probably will go back and re-read some things.

This morning I 'wrote' for an hour outlining my planned novel. Right now it's a time line, Act I - III. Plot points as it flows from beginning to end. This novel I had planned the ending long before I figured out where it was going to start. I didn't work backward but created an end point, a target and figured out where to start and with that I knew where it was going to end.

Planning is a fantastic exercise. New ideas, new twists, new answers and having your idea begin to grow and evolve in ways you couldn't imagine. Getting it all written down, even and especially the rejected branches, is vital. Map out your mind as it flows. The ideas that spawn are not retained to memory and can be lost. I page through my idea journals, old writings, past projects and still am amazed of the things I wrote down never remembering the 3 or 4 lines of ideas.

The next step is to start taking the time line and moving it to a deeper, detailed outline. I have rough sketches of characters but need to start breathing life into them. Give them names, backgrounds, physical appearances, personalities, styles and purpose. Create and expand the world these characters live in. As a writer that's a large responsibility.

That's why I write, to create.

Bucket O' Tales Collection

2021-07-08T22:16:00.000-05:00

I am continuing editing my collections of stories. The tentative title for the collection is a 'Bucket O' Tales'. Right now I am working on 21 stories that may go into it but you never know. Most of the stories hover around the 2,000 words length with the better ones over 5,000 words. As I edit these continue to grow.

After I get through them I will make another run through for the third round of revisions. Then I will share them with close people and get some real feedback. After that, if they feel they are 'good', get it published.

That's the goal for 2021. Actually I hope to have this near finalized by the end of September/early October because I want to participate in the NaNoWriMo again this year. Unfortunately when I did that the last time, many years ago, I have since lost the manuscript. Which is fine because it sucked anyway.

This year I actually have a novel planned out I want to try. A young adult story that intended to bring an adult genre I love, political thriller with an alien and special powers twist, to bring it to an appealing and entertaining level for the young adult audience.

Either way, I'm writing and doing it when I can and everyday.

Unwinding A Story Out Of Control

2021-07-06T22:23:00.002-05:00

I am working in going back and editing stories for a collection I plan to finalize and release. I am stuck on a story that is slowly getting out of control. It's spiraling my mind into one of the pitfalls that has kept me from finishing anything I write. Over analyzing. Second guessing. Finding every fault and questioning my own reality in the worlds I create.

The story begins at one setting and I know the ending. It's the middle that has grown, backstory added and now the plot doesn't flow. The changes I made were intended to help fill in the gaps of the plot to the big question, "How did we get here?". Now I have create more questions than answers and the story grows.

For a short story this is ballooning into something bigger than the initial character was intended to support. That's editing. I am at the point to scrap it and set it aside but deeper down I cannot. What I will do is move on to the next story and go back to that one. Let the story stew and re-form in my dreams and let the holes fill in themselves.

That's the joy of creating. Pushing your mind to a completed product and fighting with the same mind to tell it that it is in fact, completed.

4th Of July Weekend

2021-07-05T10:21:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a break from work, writing and just letting the mind be free. No obligations, no schedules, no stress. Now it's Monday and it's back to the grind tomorrow. Today is a small mix of both, a dash of the remainder of the long weekend with re-focusing to the week ahead.

Today I will read and edit. Tomorrow I will get back into daily, regular, creative writing sessions. Writing prompts, flash fiction with no planned starting point, just let the mind flow and my typing fingers try to keep up.

Another Day Of Revisions

2021-06-30T23:38:00.001-05:00

I have been enjoying going through all my older writings. I found another story I drafted up that I felt needed to be brought to the finish line. I re-read it and at first I do not remember writing it, which is fine, but after reading it I know where I was going with it.

The story needed work,. Grammar, structure and overall completeness with the story. I still am not finished with it and will go back to it at some point but it's moved forward.

That's the enjoyment of writing. Creating from nothing and going back to perfect your creations. That's editing, revising, re-addressing your characters and worlds to bring them to what you feel is perfection.

There is no perfection other than what's in the creator's mind.

Never stop, never second guess. It's your world, your people, your vision. Who else can say how it's supposed to be? The answer - No one.

Keep going...

Back At It

2021-06-29T23:48:00.003-05:00

Here we go.

Today I dove back into my short story collection and began to revise. Editing is a love-hate event. Going over your initial work and making corrections may seem like a personal insult. On the contrary it's liberating, enlightening, and an exercise of acceptance. Acceptance that you are not as good as you think you are on the first go.

That's what writing is. A dump of the mind and soul only to be reviewed, modified, tweaked and brought to a level that was never the intention of the initial birth.

I have a personal goal of a minimum of 500 words a day. Ideally that is 500 words of new creative flows. To day I achieved that through my story editing and writing this blog post.

Write to write. It's neither right or wrong. As long as you are writing that's all that matters. 99.9% of what you write will never reach the public eye nor should it. Do you think every musician releases every note that create through their instruments? No, of course not. They practice and practice to work toward the final product. Writing is the same art. Write to practice, create to expand, and produce to make money.

It's Amazing How Life Gets In The Way

2021-06-28T20:02:00.002-05:00

Writing has been a hobby at best. I want to turn it into something more, make some money, have fun and finally share it to the masses. I cant believe it's been 5 years since the last time I touched this blog. I never deleted it, as a geek I never delete anything, so I resurrect this from the dead

What has been happening over the last 5 years. Life. Life happened. Lots of it. Some good, some challenging, priorities shifted, careers expanded, and writing was pushed back.

Years bring experience, experience develops wisdom. The last 5 years have taught me to not give a shit anymore. No more worries or self-confidence issues if I am 'good enough'. Screw that. I have seen time and time again of creators and writers becoming successful for doing nothing more than being out there.

Repetition, in your face, consistency and their products benefit. Good or bad, production produces success.

Now that I have gotten back into a lifestyle that I can create once again, I am going to do just that.

Geek to Author isn't just a name, it's a goal. I haven't achieved that yet.

So I am back. I am writing. In fact I bought a fresh new, slick laptop replacing one I have been using for 5+ years. I upgraded to Scrivener 3 and am loving it. I have pulled out my hand written writing journal and began moving my notes into Evernote. I pulled out every story I have written over the years and will be working on my first project to create a short story ebook. I have enough content, I just need to go and update, revise and polish. The dreaded steps of writing, revisions.

I am outlining and prepping to attempt to write a book and will participate in NaNoWriMo this year to kick start that.

Write every day, not just in my journal, but creatively. Writing prompts, idea lists, create a character drafts, anything to continue to exercise the creative muscles of the brain.

Geek to Author.

Let's see if I can do it.

Daily Writing - Posting My Work

2016-04-30T11:55:00.000-05:00

Write everyday. That is the one lesson you need to hammer into your brain if you want to be writer. It does not matter what type of write you are or need to be, writing everyday is how you get better. No writer will tell you different.

I write, almost everyday, and keep those activities private. But who does that help? No one. I am writing sure, but am I doing properly. Are my ideas any good. Are my flows working. Are my grammar good? (see what I did there?)

Nothing in my daily prompts are secret, insightful to me, I try to take whatever prompts I use and turn them into 1,000+ word stories. I start with the prompt and go with it. No planning, no idea where I will end up, just let it flow. Break out of the over-analytical mind and teach my self to be free creatively.

I have decided to start to post my prompts in a Wattled collection of mine. Raw, unedited dumps. Why not? If I get any feedback it's more than I would get by keeping it in my Scrivener binder, never to see the eyes of anyone but myself.

I will use this blog more to update when I add to that collection. It may not be every singe day but will contain my daily prompts when I do.

Feedback is welcome and maybe a bigger story will come out of these. Who knows?

Time to turn the page.

This Is Getting Humorous....

2016-04-09T23:19:00.000-05:00

A writer. What does that mean?

I write everyday, emails, blog posts, white papers, summaries, reports... my career is reading and writing. If I don't do either I don't make a living.

Geek to Author was not intended to be the career side of my writing but the transition into fiction writing. Storytelling. Expanding beyond my realm of comfort. The biggest challenge has always been the balance between career, home life and the pursuit of which is categorized as luxury.

I don't need to write. I do have an inner spark that is telling me to. Although I have not been writing and putting out works as regularly as I want to, I still have been studying on the practice. Ironically and against everything I have read it's easier to read and study for 30 minutes than to get quiet time for that amount.

Now that the career has calmed down. Kids are older, less 24/7 focus. I have more free time to work. Acquired new tools and a new approach to writing will change things for the better as well. As a career technologist, when you have a dynamic and mobile life as mine you need to have writing tools that are as dynamic and mobile as you. Pen and paper are fine, if you like to write that way, but I don't. Now I have tools, mobile, laptop, desktop that are all the same, interconnected for collaboration and synchronization. I can work on one, pick it up on another and continue on.

The prove it I will talk about the next big short I want to write called Fear of God. It's a story of a newly haloed angel visiting New York and meeting Satan who proceeds to tell him the true power of God.

Write everyday. I now know that. Reading about writing is fine, but not if you write. Everything put on paper doesn't need to see the light of day, in fact, most shouldn't.

Time to turn the page.

New Story - Chance Encounter

2015-10-07T15:38:00.000-05:00

I'm on a roll. I added a new story called Chance Encounter to my Wattpad collection. Go check it out and let me know what you think.

I have been writing more fringe sci-fi or at least those are the ideas that have been brewing the most. Not quite futuristic but not quite modern either. Trying to wrap the plausible into the reality you know. It's something and I am writing almost everyday. 500 words a day is the goal and if I go more I write more. If I hit a block and I hit my goal I stop and sleep on it. Usually I can pick right up where I left off without skipping a beat and without banging my head on the desk for an hour trying to get to the next step.

Let the brain work, don't work your brain.

Time to turn the page.

New Story Published - The Buddy Well

2015-09-30T15:15:00.002-05:00

I have a collection of stories that are more on the horror side, disturbing maybe, I hope I build them with the right twists to catch the readers off guard. It's over on my Wattpad profile and I call it Creepy Spine Tinglers. In there am putting my short stories that fit this genre. The stories run from a 500 words up to 5,000. Short to short-ish.

My latest I call The Buddy Well. This one is one of the more morbid ones I have put on paper, it definitely could have been more graphic but I left it to the readers to fill in the gaps. I am still working on writing and creating suspense, but that's how you learn. You write many things that suck to get the good stuff out.

Go check it out, leave feedback, enjoy it either way.

Time to turn the page.

Wattpad profile.