Hello everyone!
It's been a busy two years since my last post and no new published book to show for it even though I've got three stories in the pipeline. I am hoping that the one I have recently written finds it's way to a bookshelf somewhere.
As most of you know, I am a music junkie so the tunes are plentiful and most recently I have started my own radio station! Please visit Live365.com and search for Strike-A-Chord Radio as the station name. It's a mix of classic rock with a sprinkle of metal. It is a work in progress but I hope you enjoy it.
As I work on my current novel I'd just like to offer this thought to all of you, write a letter to someone you care about or send a card. In this day and age of e-mails, texting and all the other electronic gadgets we have available to communicate with each other, a handwritten letter says more to the person you care about about that all the gizmos. It may sound silly but it's not and I hope that some of you will take on my challenge.
THE CHALLENGE:
To send one handwritten letter/note or greeting card with a short message inside to someone that is important to you once a month.
It's a simple challenge which I think will produce some amazing results.
Take care-
Maynard
Content Warning!
This blog on occasion addresses depression, death, suicide and other sensitive themes. Continue at your own discretion in reading the content.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Saturday, December 6, 2008
December Rambles
Dear faithful readers I've been so bad. I've neglected you! That's what happens in the life of a part-time writer. If I was full-time I'd write on here more often! I'm still working on re-writing another piece of work and just began and finished the first draft of another story. I've got two stories going on at once which does make it a bit hard to go back and forth. I'm thankful that the story lines are completely different.
Besides working on two stories, listening to Peter Frampton and completing National Novel Writing Month with 53,000 words with my sanity intact I have found time to read a book. Imagine that! I'm currently reading Runway Runaway by Lorelai Shellist. The first chapter made me cry! I have read the first half of the book already and I find a lot of myself in it. I should send her a copy of my book. :-)
Other than working on two stories that need more revisions and editing I am hopeful that one of them will come out in 2009 if all goes well. One day I hope to make this a full-time career but for now I am content to be able to do as much as I can now.
As my ears are filled with Peter Frampton and Rainbow's Greatest Hits these days I'm in the mood to explore the music realm even more. If any of you have music recommendations I would be most appreciative if you drop me a line.
Take care all.
~Maynard
Besides working on two stories, listening to Peter Frampton and completing National Novel Writing Month with 53,000 words with my sanity intact I have found time to read a book. Imagine that! I'm currently reading Runway Runaway by Lorelai Shellist. The first chapter made me cry! I have read the first half of the book already and I find a lot of myself in it. I should send her a copy of my book. :-)
Other than working on two stories that need more revisions and editing I am hopeful that one of them will come out in 2009 if all goes well. One day I hope to make this a full-time career but for now I am content to be able to do as much as I can now.
As my ears are filled with Peter Frampton and Rainbow's Greatest Hits these days I'm in the mood to explore the music realm even more. If any of you have music recommendations I would be most appreciative if you drop me a line.
Take care all.
~Maynard
Thursday, August 28, 2008
August Update
I'm long overdue with making a post but July was spent finishing the latest draft of my new book and was caught up in all the fun of the Olympics.
The most recent draft of my book is being looked over by a Continuity Editor. I made lots of changes to the main story and even to characters so it's nice to have a pair of fresh eyes take a look. I have a lot of story lines weaving about and I must admit it's ambitious story that I've written but even I have gotten confused while writing it.
While my book is off being read I have begun to assemble ideas for another story as National Novel Writing Month is fast approaching. The challenge of writing 50,000 words in thirty days is great for me as it forces me to really work on a story. It is something I do for fun every year and I hope that some of you will meet the challenge and give it a try this year. From doing NaNoWriMo whatever story I write is then worked on for the next twelve months. I must admit that I don't know yet if the book I am writing now and the one I'm assembling will be published but I'm willing to say "yes".
Music and reading have taken backseats while I work on my book but I did manage to pick up used CD's from Marc Cohen, Fish, Robert Plant, Coverdale & Page and some other little goodies.
The most recent discovery for me thanks to listening to the radio at work has been a version of the Beatles classic "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Peter Frampton. I think it was released a few years ago but I love it .
That's all for me.
Take care.
-Maynard
The most recent draft of my book is being looked over by a Continuity Editor. I made lots of changes to the main story and even to characters so it's nice to have a pair of fresh eyes take a look. I have a lot of story lines weaving about and I must admit it's ambitious story that I've written but even I have gotten confused while writing it.
While my book is off being read I have begun to assemble ideas for another story as National Novel Writing Month is fast approaching. The challenge of writing 50,000 words in thirty days is great for me as it forces me to really work on a story. It is something I do for fun every year and I hope that some of you will meet the challenge and give it a try this year. From doing NaNoWriMo whatever story I write is then worked on for the next twelve months. I must admit that I don't know yet if the book I am writing now and the one I'm assembling will be published but I'm willing to say "yes".
Music and reading have taken backseats while I work on my book but I did manage to pick up used CD's from Marc Cohen, Fish, Robert Plant, Coverdale & Page and some other little goodies.
The most recent discovery for me thanks to listening to the radio at work has been a version of the Beatles classic "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Peter Frampton. I think it was released a few years ago but I love it .
That's all for me.
Take care.
-Maynard
Saturday, July 12, 2008
July Update
Several months have passed since my last update and I'm long overdue for a new one.
First off, I'd like to thank everyone who has purchased my book. Personally, I never intended this book to be a best seller or to make money off of it. It was written because it was time for me to give life to what I went through and then send my book out into the universe. What happened from there was any one's guess but the book has it's own little life.
In the past few months I reconnected with someone from my high school years and someone from my college days. Both revealed to me the tough times they endured and told me of their own depression and times of suicide.
As a person and a writer it makes me feel good knowing these people from my past but now part of my future. For once I can get into a conversation about it and the other person understands what I'm talking about. I have plenty of friends but unfortunately none of them understand the dark world of depression and suicide and while I have tried to explain it to them there is a major disconnect. So to be able for once in my life to have people truly understand is a wonderful thing.
I haven't given up hope on my other friends but I suspect that a couple of them have been on the dark journey but aren't in a place in their life to talk about it. They may be to scared to admit to themselves or anyone else that they ever were depressed or had thoughts of suicide. Some people like the world of comfort that denial can bring. Then again, we all have secrets that never get told.
As for my second book, I made it through a second re-write but never got around to make the changes to create draft three. I'm very creative in other ways and that has taken up a lot of my time in recent months. I have pledged to get my butt in gear to finish draft three and move on in getting this book published sometime this decade. If all goes well maybe I'll have it out next year. Getting it out by the end of 2008 is pushing it but miracles can happen.
~Maynard
First off, I'd like to thank everyone who has purchased my book. Personally, I never intended this book to be a best seller or to make money off of it. It was written because it was time for me to give life to what I went through and then send my book out into the universe. What happened from there was any one's guess but the book has it's own little life.
In the past few months I reconnected with someone from my high school years and someone from my college days. Both revealed to me the tough times they endured and told me of their own depression and times of suicide.
As a person and a writer it makes me feel good knowing these people from my past but now part of my future. For once I can get into a conversation about it and the other person understands what I'm talking about. I have plenty of friends but unfortunately none of them understand the dark world of depression and suicide and while I have tried to explain it to them there is a major disconnect. So to be able for once in my life to have people truly understand is a wonderful thing.
I haven't given up hope on my other friends but I suspect that a couple of them have been on the dark journey but aren't in a place in their life to talk about it. They may be to scared to admit to themselves or anyone else that they ever were depressed or had thoughts of suicide. Some people like the world of comfort that denial can bring. Then again, we all have secrets that never get told.
As for my second book, I made it through a second re-write but never got around to make the changes to create draft three. I'm very creative in other ways and that has taken up a lot of my time in recent months. I have pledged to get my butt in gear to finish draft three and move on in getting this book published sometime this decade. If all goes well maybe I'll have it out next year. Getting it out by the end of 2008 is pushing it but miracles can happen.
~Maynard
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Spring Fever
Hello All!
It has been a couple of months since my last post and in that time I've completed editing the first draft of my new manuscript and am in the midst of going through the second draft. The process of editing has been tricky as I still have sections that don't seem to work as well as I would like. It probably doesn't help that I come up with new ideas, new twists and new ways to mess with some of my characters.
Character development is key and during the first draft my characters were very hollow. I knew what I wanted them to be in the way of their personalities and appearances but it never came through in the first draft. Now that I'm on my second draft the characters are more developed and evolved enough I believe to make someone want to care about them. I have plenty more to write in order to develop them and give them more depth. Honestly, if the characters in my book were on a movie screen I'd have one good looking cast. The appearance and traits of my characters are influenced by various actors and roles they have played. Even musicians influence my cast of characters.
As I trudge along with my new story I am of course expanding my musical horizons. My ears have been introduced to Leaves' Eyes, Vanden Plas, Visions of Atlantis and Sirenia over the past few weeks. I like it! I love discovering new music. I sometimes think I should open up a record store.
Even as Spring arrives here in Vermont the birds and other woodland creatures that show up around my house have initiated their typical nature orchestra. It is nice to hear all the sounds of nature and sure wish I could find a way to drown out the Domino's pizza delivery guy who zooms by the house continually night after night or the awful air conditioning unit from the office building next door. Someone seriously needs to fix that thing.
-Maynard
It has been a couple of months since my last post and in that time I've completed editing the first draft of my new manuscript and am in the midst of going through the second draft. The process of editing has been tricky as I still have sections that don't seem to work as well as I would like. It probably doesn't help that I come up with new ideas, new twists and new ways to mess with some of my characters.
Character development is key and during the first draft my characters were very hollow. I knew what I wanted them to be in the way of their personalities and appearances but it never came through in the first draft. Now that I'm on my second draft the characters are more developed and evolved enough I believe to make someone want to care about them. I have plenty more to write in order to develop them and give them more depth. Honestly, if the characters in my book were on a movie screen I'd have one good looking cast. The appearance and traits of my characters are influenced by various actors and roles they have played. Even musicians influence my cast of characters.
As I trudge along with my new story I am of course expanding my musical horizons. My ears have been introduced to Leaves' Eyes, Vanden Plas, Visions of Atlantis and Sirenia over the past few weeks. I like it! I love discovering new music. I sometimes think I should open up a record store.
Even as Spring arrives here in Vermont the birds and other woodland creatures that show up around my house have initiated their typical nature orchestra. It is nice to hear all the sounds of nature and sure wish I could find a way to drown out the Domino's pizza delivery guy who zooms by the house continually night after night or the awful air conditioning unit from the office building next door. Someone seriously needs to fix that thing.
-Maynard