Electronic Dust

With an unusually cold/longish winter and a painfully intrusive utilities project both dragging on, “other” work appears to be coming along nicely.  By “other” I mean work unrelated to the writing of my second novel.  Animation projects continue taking the bulk of my time, but I’ve managed to start putting together the foundations of a musical recording project that will occur concurrently with Title #2’s resumption.  Like anyone else, there are brief moments for personal time.  During a few of those last month, I finally read Stephen King’s part autobiography, part educational piece entitled On Writing.

I image most curious writers would make a study of Mr. King’s wise advice well before their own attempts at greatness (or in most cases, mediocrity).  My own experience turned out to be somewhat retrospective having already completed and published Dust.  To my relief, most of his teachings (he was, and in my opinion, still is, a grammar instructor) were followed and the holies of holies left intact.  Okay, I didn’t follow every rule one of America’s most successful authors outlined, but hey—Mr. Predictable-F-bomb-on-every-fourth-page didn’t either!  I’ll let some Sun Tzu 101 reject nitpick the reasons.

What I wanted to say about On Writing is that it’s a fascinating read with practical information for anyone pondering their first work.  King’s history is enjoyably interesting and the information valuable.  While the book could use a minor update with his thoughts on the current state of electronic publishing, most of the advice is timeless.  I especially liked the fact he recommends Strunk and White’s Elements of Style as his single most important reference volume—a little book that’s had a permanent place just on the other side of my keyboard for several years now.  (Honestly, I should have it all in memory by now!)

And now for something completely unexpected, but not terribly different:  Dust is currently undergoing preparation for electronic distribution.  That’s right; after several months hashing the ins and outs, I’ve come to the conclusion that e-distribution should be explored.  Why?  If you’ve read my ramblings on Facebook regarding this subject, you may be familiar with my apprehensions as well as the potential catalysts that would tip the scales.  Back in September I mentioned Apple’s then-rumored iPad may bring e-book downloading into the mainstream the same way the iPod did for music.  While I don’t think everyone will run out and buy yet another niche device, at the very least, Apple is validating the format and doing it in a way that is publisher-friendly.

What does this mean to you?  Dust will be available electronically towards the end of this month and at a tidy discount!  I expect to make that announcement soon, so stay tuned…

Snow Day

January’s frigid temps brought a phenomenon I’ve not witnessed in Tampa since the winter of 1976 — Florida snow.  Back then, we accumulated a massive half-inch of the rarest commodity…and we watched it disappear within two hours.  33 years later, we accumulated nothing but fond memories and comments about the “Big Storm of ‘76”.  Still, it was a nice trip down Memory Lane.  I was in the fourth grade at elementary school and surprise!, did not get the day off.  Perhaps it was because the powers that be simply didn’t know how to handle a “snow day”.  Or, perhaps it was because people generally weren’t as panicky back then.  Or maybe, it’s because there are so many northern transplants in this town, the Storm of the Century was nothing more than a laughable nuisance.  Whatever the reason, our event was a rare kind of magic Mother Nature bestows on us maybe once or twice in a lifetime.  I say let the kids play.  Let them behold and wonder at life’s treasures as they occur.

Blissful dreams of the quiet white help mask the apocalypse metastasizing just outside my home office door.  For months, heavy equipment and burly men pounded their way down our streets and yards.  I still hear those loud beeps from the reverse warning beacons.  They don’t go away without malice.  Our house has sustained apparent collateral damage.  Whether instigated by the heavy machinery or not, we have floor, wall, and ceiling cracks that mysteriously appeared about the same time the construction project began.  Along the way, we’ve also endured brown-outs, power-outages, and twice they sliced our fiber optics…no matter how well marked.  Now, our previously-paved dirt street and previously-grassed lawns await (for two weeks accrued) restoration.  The equipment disappeared and all that’s left is a port-o-potty across the street—the perfect metaphor.
I suppose our neighborhood is in the eye of Hurricane John (lovingly named for the Project Manager).  I’ve had a moment to reflect on how much one can tolerate while attempting to be creative.  3D projects and homework assignments were completed, several thousand new jewels mounted in Title #2’s ring, and we ate and drank with beloved visiting family.  Sure, the squealing thunder of tracked diggers and beep beep beeps of reversing bulldozers will soon return.  We’ll survive.  The house may not.  In the meantime, I’m skiing Taos.  Well, at least in my mind.  Let the kids play.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I picked a good month to stop sniffing…er…writing.  WHAT?  Yes, I temporarily halted production on “Title #2”.  First, I have a major construction project going on 40ft. from my office.  It’s enough hearing heavy equipment rumbling by, but the constant squawking from their backup alarms (the loud beeps you hear when the machinery is in reverse gear) is completely distracting.  This project is expected to continue for another month.  Second and coincidentally, I’ve been Tom Sawyered into a 3D graphics project by a dear friend.  That project will end about the same time the construction project ends (supposedly – ha!), so the timing couldn’t have been better.  As well, the holidays bring expected and lovingly wanted familial disruptions.
“It’s all good.”

So, where are we with Title #2?  By my word processor’s count, Dust tallied some 88,800 words.  #2 surpassed 70,000 last week and is currently estimated at the halfway mark.  Wait.  What?  Okay, I fibbed a little.  I’m not completely halted, but the 8,000-10,000 words per week regimen has been reduced to the point I can honestly contend “I am not writing”.  The schedule change forces me to push back an expected completion to sometime in late March or early April.

Now, a shameless plug for that dear friend…

Bradford Rogers is finally about to release his long-awaited second album entitled “Guiro!”.  Even better, he is doing so on his very own, recently-created recording label, Worldsongs, Inc.
Keep an eye on this link: www.justbradford.com