The Irony 3 Novel Train lugging twenty three weeks behind it. To those who have decided to peripherally monitor this train to see of it goes off the rails, I feel obligated to inform you that I am not a same time every day writer. It comes when it comes and the schedule allows. I would love to be a same time every day AM writer. Alas, there are days when I am a PM writer, and even late night writer. (In fact, that is most days) Happy Scribing. Image courtesy of http://oddstuffmagazine.com/the-most-beautiful-picturesque-of-canadian-pacific-railway.html/attachment/53567
April 4/5 – Days 155 & 156 – 523 Words
I am afraid this may be my shortest update, ever! If you hadn’t/didn’t notice, I took a break from writing on Easter Sunday. There were a whole lot of chocolate bunnies running around and I did not want to miss my chance at them. They hopped and hopped and gave me a good run for a while, but in the end they were snack bait, traveling yummily down the gullet in all of their creamy, chocolatey goodness. However, I did work the day before Easter and managed a trim 523 words. Not bad. There is a part of me that feels awkward about missing writing days in the middle of a book. And now that I am all public about it, moreso.
I would describe it as a flow thing. Will I get it back? Is this the beginning of me not finishing the book? The latter question looms because I do have an unfinished manuscript in my skeleton closet. Mathew Stringer, Private Eye. He was going through a divorce, had a teenage daughter in the mix which he and his soon to be ex fought over all the time, a pastor for a brother, a taste for the night life, and a killer running around killing Christians. Only Christians. Of course, he was an ex-cop who still had ties to the force. Oh, and he was sort of dating a hooker, and had a street contact name T. - A young thug who fed him information he needed.
Sound familiar? If you have read L.B.’s Scudder series, then it should. I did not consciously try to copy one of my favorite authors, but having read many of his books, that is how it came out, before I realized I was just channeling a black version of Matt Scudder. There is nothing wrong with imitating the greats, as long as the work has your own signature to it. 23k words in, though I started to see Mr. Block's influence in the parameters, I felt the work did have its own flavor.
So, why didn't I finish it? That is a good question, and other than just quitting for lack of focus, I don’t have a good answer. Different time, different place. Do I plan on one day completing the book? We will see, grasshopper, we will see. Wow, I did not plan on writing all of that. What I did plan on saying at the end of this update was that the Irony 3 Novel Train is still on the tracks. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing. Happy writing. Feel free to see Contact page for calendar blurbs and Home page progress meter for count and mood.
April 6/7 – Days 157 & 158 – 1013 Words
Well, folks, it’s update time. Time for me to inform you of progress on my in-script novel. Isn't that why it is called the Irony 3 or Bust Novel Train? Yes, I could do that. I could tell you that the train is still on the tracks and that these past two writing days put me another thousand miles closer to ‘The End.’ Or, I could inform you of a news item that screamed to be included in this update. After all, irony is what I do, right?
“Is that what you do? I thought all you did was take internet space away from real writers.”
Shows how much you know. The internet is infinite. Wait, is it? Can the internet run out of storage? Will there come a time when we all try to post or tweet something, and receive a pop-up message that says: ‘Sorry, the internet is currently full. However, we will tweet your message as soon as something is deleted.’ Hmm, interesting thought, but for another post. I may let my mind run with it in a future update and see where it goes.
“You might not be able to post it, if the internet is full by then.”
Now that would be ironic.
“I’m out of here. You keep setting off my corny meter and I can’t take it anymore.”
I suppose I should vamoose as well. Happy writing people. Feel free to see Contact page for calendar blurbs and Home page progress meter for count and mood.
Here is that delicious piece of humor I promised. Click on words to be taken to news story.
Broome County Sheriff's deputies in upstate New York say the driver of a tractor-trailer carrying 80,000 pounds of wine has been arrested on a drunken driving charge.
April 8/9 – Days 159 & 160 – 1061 Words
“Are you even the least bit excited that the baseball season has begun?”
Where is this coming from?
“Well, you haven’t watched any games yet, and baseball is your thing, isn’t it?”
Fine, I’ll indulge you for a minute. Yes, I used to love baseball.
“Used to?”
I still have a fondness for the game itself. That will never leave me. I grew up playing and dreaming of being a Major Leaguer. But, between the economics of it, the steroids, A-rod, Roger Clemens, the Mitchell Report and a few other things, I have lost the taste for Major League Baseball. The only sport I follow with any consistency now is the NFL.
“Come on. What about the phenom Matt Harvey? Surely, he gets your juices flowing.”
Yeah, I will admit to curiosity, and if the Mets don’t screw with him too much, and he stays healthy, he should have a storied career.
“Curiosity enough to watch one of his games?”
Well, if I am sitting there and he is pitching in front of me, then I may spectate for a minute or two, but I doubt I will watch the entire game.
“And what about C.C.?”
Sabathia?
“Who else?”
What about him?
“Aren’t you interested in whether he’s gotten his stuff back after the knee surgery?”
I like C.C., so maybe a little. Still, it is not a must see like it used to be.
“You know what I think happened?”
*eyeroll* I can’t wait to hear.
“I think you loved baseball, watching in excess of 80-something games a year, and then it came out that everybody in the sport was cheating and you felt betrayed. Like, if it was all fake, then what was I watching? Sort of like a jilted lover. Now you don’t bother, because they duped you once, so who knows what is what now? In the interim, you picked up football, where things may be fake, but who cares because there are collisions and the game moves faster.”
There is some truth to the first half of your explanation, and it is combined with all the denials that took place. The whole sport, including who knew what and when, added to the players just lying to my face about what they did, turned me off. However, I always followed football, it is just baseball used to be number 1. Now, it is a distant second.
“Are you sure you are not mis-remembering?"
Exactly. Case closed. I still glance at the standings, and I may return to it at some point, but right now it is not at the top of my list of things to watch.
“Well folks, there you have it. The some truth story about why Robert Shroud doesn't watch baseball anymore. He was supposed to tell you how the book was going, but instead we got a sob story of a love affair with a sport gone wrong. I can hardly wait until the next update. And by that I mean – Not! Happy writing. Feel free to see Contact page for calendar blurbs and Home page progress meter for count and mood.”
April 10 – Day 161 – 501 Words
Alright, just a few words and then the week’s end song. I am coming to the end of chapter 30 and thankfully still on the rails. The ending is opening up for me and is just a matter of execution and alignment. There are still a few minor details of the how to consider, but foremost is having things happen at times when it is most advantageous to the tension in the story. I am definitely winding down, but there is still a lot going on and I need to bring it together somewhat harmoniously. Then, I can fine tune it in rewrite. The Irony 3 Novel Train is chugging along, still en-route to the end of the line. Thanks for riding along. Happy Writing. Feel free to see Contact page for calendar blurbs and Home page progress meter for count and mood.
For the week’s end jam I give you Katrina & The Waves - Walking On Sunshine.
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