BLOG REDUX: HANGING A WRITER'S TEN

Holy cow! I woke up this a.m. and realized that tomorrow morning is MAY! I leave for another trip (book research) to San Francisco next week. I still have so much to dooooooo.... EEEEK!

**Hyperventilating** **Breathing slowly again**

It is going to be GREAT, though. :)

Here's one out of the archives from my last trip to San Fran. This time I am working on what I call MS4. It is one of the three novels I referenced in the below.

So, from 2009 - here's a little San Fran prep. :)

RIDING THE DREAM WORLD WAVE

"There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality. Then there are those who turn one into the other."

-- Douglas Everett

It is now t-minus 19 days and counting until The Big San Francisco Vacation.

Been in full writer mode lately. It’s hard to explain what that is and how that differs from my regular writer mode. Stories play in my head all the time; but, there is a level at which they begin to really take shape - where I’m on a roll - where I *crave* writing more than usual. It’s a writing euphoria. I like to hit the crest of that wave and ride it as far as it will take me. I’m hangin’ a writer’s ten.

My next book in the “Art of Crime” series is in my head for sure; but, I also have another series in my brain, and a standalone novel (or novella) that has nothing to do with my crime writing. So, I’m juggling three great story ideas, and they are all *active*!

I get caught up in my characters, and their stories. They live for real in my head. Later when I re-read my stuff, I’ll go “where did that come from?” I use my brain to hone all the writing and make it as good as I can, as readable, as interesting, without losing that magical part that just makes itself happen.

Hell, I’ve been makin’ stuff up since as early as I can remember - and writing it down into little stories when I was a kid. I used to lie out in the front yard in the early evening and scribble those little stories into a notebook. As it got dark, all I had was the light of the street lamp overhead. I had that euphoric feeling about writing even then.

I couldn’t stop then, and I still can’t. Someone asked me recently “What made you decide to start writing?” I thought, “Decide?!!” There was a decision in there somewhere? Hah! Like I had a choice - well, I had a choice, but not writing would not be a pretty choice for me.

I can feel something good coming in my writing world. Something is about to break open in my next story for the “Art of Crime” series - we’ll call it AOC Book 2. I think there will be a big “aha” writing moment for me on this San Francisco trip.

I chose San Francisco for my next vacation trip (in lieu of my beloved New York City), in part because I do love San Fran, but also I had this idea that would not let me go, and it was all set in San Francisco.

I call it a “vacation”, but to this writer there is No. Such. Thing. My writing brain is on and working damn near 24/7. There are nights when I have a hard time turning off the stuff so I can sleep! The only way in which this trip *is* a vacation, is that I’ll be away from my damn day job, so I can do what I *really* love for two whole, beautiful weeks. I can write whenever and wherever I want. Yeah!!

I’ll be prowling around San Francisco and thereabouts in daylight and dark. There will be some of the next AOC story in the North Beach area, and something I’ll be putting in there that’s set in Berkley/Oakland, and there might even be a little this and that from Monterey/Salinas and San Jose. I’m sure there will be parts of the place I haven’t even thought of yet that wind up in the story. That’s just the way the process goes for me - it’s part very strategic planning and hard work, and part unbelievable surprise.

The surprise - the discovery - the *adventure* - will be how that whole beautiful, mystical landscape of the San Francisco area will play out in AOC Book 2. That’s a big piece of the euphoria for me - the way the stuff I think up blends in with the stuff that just brings itself to me. It’s a fantastic journey between reality and the way reality influences the fiction in my head. When that dream world wave hits its crest, I hop on and see where it takes me.

There are 19 more days before I get to San Fran. I’ll ride this small wave until I get there, and then I’ll be paddling out again looking for a Big Dream Wave to bring me some *new* surprise!

Polla Filia,

J.F.

TWENTY-TWO THINGS I LEARNED THE HARD WAY

These are things I've learned the hard way; and I have lots of personal experience with hard times  - either those that came upon me beyond my control, or those I thrust upon myself. Some of these are things I learned to avoid the latter situation. The rest of them help me cope with the former.

I write these as a reminder to MYSELF! Here we go.

1.    You cannot change people. You can give advice when asked, and/or lend a hand; but, only they can change themselves or their circumstances - OR, as my grandmother used to say "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

2.    Who cares what other people think? This includes relatives and friends (who may or may not be actual friends). What matters is that you are real, true to yourself, that you respect others, and that you have ethics, honor and integrity. Everything else is strictly your own business and not subject to the transitory and subjective opinions of others. Be your own person. March to the beat of your own drummer. Believe in yourself.

3.    Labels are BS - and damaging. This is nothing more than laziness in place of getting to know people, and/or working to truly understand them. Don't label people, or allow them to label you. We are all far more complex than *any* label. This includes name-calling - see #'s 2, 7, 9 and 17 in this list.

4.    Age is a label - get over it. Saying "I'm old" is a useless, negative, self-limiting, complete waste of the time you have here (this includes people in their twenties who I hear saying this). Stop it, already! How many times you've ridden this water-logged rock around the homestar is irrelevant, since everyone's ride is different. Some people make the most of their ride, while others just piss and moan about how many orbits they've made and how "old" they are. In other words, your mileage may vary - and it may vary according to your ATTITUDE!

5.    You were sent here to do something in particular. Whatever it is, it's important - *whatever it is*! Do it. Don't waste the gifts the Big Guy gave you and don't let others judge how you use them; just make yourself useful.

6.    Find the positive perspective in everything. It's there - find it! Sometimes this is difficult; but, it is always beneficial - and the benefit inures mostly to YOU.

7.    Be courteous - especially in dicey situations where you want to tell someone off; or as Mama used to say "never sink to the level of your adversary", or "don't dignify an insult or bad behavior with a response"; or "consider the source." This doesn't mean you have to suck up to someone nasty. It means keep your dignity. Take the high road. Obviously, courtesy in other situations is easy - do that, too.

8.    When dealing with a negative, difficult, unpleasant, or just downright bad person, remember this:  they were an innocent, defenseless baby once. Somebody screwed that up for them. Try to keep that in mind. It doesn't mean they aren't responsible for themselves or their actions. They are. Keep it in mind anyway - for YOUR sake.

9.    Harsh words galvanize others against you, and your objectives. You will not convince others of the error of their ways with haranguing and criticism. I don't care how great the cause, being obnoxious is not the way to champion it. Intelligent, carefully chosen words make it easier for them to change their course as you wish; or, as Grandma used to say: "you can draw more flies with honey than you can with vinegar."

10.    Trends are BS. Instead do what works best for you and if it happens to coincide with a trend, then so be it. Be classy, tasteful, and courteous. First impressions *do* count no matter what trends may dictate. Be a trend setter, not a follower.

11.    All publicity is *not* good publicity, unless you care nothing for your dignity, honor and integrity - in which case you are a prostitute of some kind or another (yes, it's harsh - but, if you are selling your honor cheaply, then I rest my case). The means to an end *does* matter as much as the end itself. There will come a day when your dignity, honor and integrity will matter absolutely. Make sure you still have all of them when that day arrives. It may be they are the only things that will save you in that moment.

12.    Some people are not your friends. Period. Each of us probably has only a small set of people who are true friends. All the others are mere friendly acquaintances. Your true friends will show their mettle by being with you in your struggles and adversity, and not just in your successes. That is the crucible. Heed it!

13.    If you want to keep a confidence, then don't tell *anyone* - not even someone you trust. They also trust someone else, who trusts someone else. Before you know it, 42 people know the confidence you promised to keep. Your word is your bond. Learn to keep your lips ZIPPED. Anything else is ego and foolishness - an attempt to show off what you know. Honor and integrity show better.

14.    Be the friend you want to have, the person you would admire, the hero to whom you would look. Be that person, and you will find yourself in the company of like people.

15.    Life isn't fair and no one owes you a living. Get over it and get busy.

16.    The past is done. Get over that, too. Use what you learned from it, but don't drag it around behind you like worn out luggage. It's heavy and it looks bad.

17.    If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all (Grandma hammered this one home!). When you do open your mouth, be honest - not cruel, rude, or tactless - just honest. Sometimes saying nothing is the only way to be honest without cruelty or rudeness - take heed of that. BTW, this means no lies and/or gossip. Got it?

18.    Don't procrastinate. Get off your rear parts and do it now! Here's Grandma again: "make hay while the sun shines." In other words, later might be too late. It could be raining - you can't make hay then. Do it NOW!
                       
19.    Life is short - remember that in dealing with family, friends - everybody and everything.

20.    Life is long - remember that in dealing with family friends - everybody and everything.

21.    Smile whether you feel like it or not. After a few seconds, you begin to feel it more, and then you ARE smiling - and other people will be, too. You have now started a chain reaction of epic positive proportions; and you have turned your OWN day around.

22.    Everyone has crap days. It will pass. Gut up. Get through it. See #21 above. The only difference between winners and losers is that winners get up when they fall down - and they keep getting up. Every time. Without fail. So, get up already!

I need to tattoo most of these on my forehead, except I don't think I have room. :) So, I'll just read it here and keep reminding myself.

It isn't easy (on the front end) to live this way. It's easier to lie down, wallow in things, give into base behavior, and go nowhere and achieve nothing. Unfortunately, the back end of that is - well, it's the back end of *something*!

It's also lonely, miserable and ultimately the most difficult path a person can choose.

So, I plan to do my best to remember these things, because hard work on the front end brings great rewards down the road.

Polla filia,
J.F.

YOU ARE THE MUSIC

"Music heard so deeply
That it is not heard at all, but you are the music
While the music lasts."

- T.S. Eliot

One very important part of my writing life is music I play while working - or not playing music while working. There are times when I need silence.

Then there are times when I go to Starbucks, or a restaurant somewhere and sit amidst the noise just to distract myself. I have resolved some pretty sticky writing problems in noisy places. I think it forces me to focus in a different way, while providing me with random stimulation at the same time. I am a notorious people watcher - some of that is the writer me, and some of that is the portrait artist me (more on that in another post).

The vast majority of the time I need music for writing. It cannot be just any music.

As a general rule I do not select music with lyrics. This is distracting in a bad way. I am a singer, so I am too tempted to sing along, and therefore, I pay too much attention to the words. This means my focus is not on the writing. So, as much as I love singing (and I *love* it), and as much as I love opera (and I *lovvvvve* opera), it is not good for a writing mood.

So, no lyrics.

The genres I find acceptable are classical (sans opera), jazz (instrumental only) and soundtracks. Yes, soundtracks - orchestral soundtracks.

Think about it. They are background for movies. They are written to enhance the particular mood of the film, but not to overwhelm that mood, or its dialogue.

Perfect.

Here are some of my faves:  Gladiator, Bourne Identity, Four Feathers, Planet Earth (TV documentary, but still a soundtrack). There are others, but these are some of my faves. I have recently discovered the soundtrack to the new "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" film. Awesome working music.

All of these inspire, but do not intrude. They set a tone, but do not force the tone.

Then I am carried away in the inspiration, the mood, and the music becomes part of me and then infuses the story with its influence.

It is a perfect day, when I sit at my desk, looking out the three windows in front of me, across my rose hedge, my oak tree standing firm in the middle of my yard, the day unfolding before me, music surrounding me, and I am doing what I love. In my groove. Transmuting music through me to story.  Writing.

Polla filia,
J.F.

DREAMTIME

 "All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney

"I dream. Sometimes I think that's the only right thing to do." -- Haruki Murakami

"Be relentless." -- Sean "Diddy" Combs

"Save some time to dream, 'cause your dream might save us all." -- John Mellencamp

Dreams require commitment, perseverance, imagination and lots of hard work. It's one thing to say you have a Dream. It's something else altogether to devote years of your life to that Dream, sacrificing lots of "free time" and "fun" in order to get to that Dream.

This is dreaming at a whole other level. For some people (like me) it is better than "free time" and "fun". It is Dreamtime and then it is euphoria. When it reaches that height, then you hook a ride on the "Dream World Wave"!

You have to work long and hard in Dreamtime before you get a ride on the Wave. It doesn't come often either. That's why you have to really *want* the Dream.

For many months now I have been working on my next book. I'm going to refer to this book as MS4 (MS for manuscript and 4 because it's the fourth one I've written).+

When you have a "day job" to pay the mortgage, etc., executing on your Dream becomes more than a little difficult. My schedule consists of the day job, eating, working out, sleeping, working on the book, and occasionally, I do a few things just to keep the household running - oh, and I feed the cat. He thinks that's pretty important.

That's it.

In spite of all that, writing time for me *is* Dreamtime. It is tiring and energizing, mind-numbing and mind-bending, a downer trip and a sometimes euphoric experience, a huge sacrifice and a wonderful investment - it is a roller coaster ride from hell to heaven.

First, I plan: a concept, then more particulars of the story, plot points, pacing and various other things that will make the story happen as it should.

There are times when my "work" consists of me sitting in a chair staring blankly off into "space", but this is work, and a very necessary part of the work.

Then there's research, which serves two main purposes in my mind: 1) it gives the book the "ring of truth" in certain areas; and 2) research provides me with inspiration I would not have if I had not explored some new bit of knowledge. Some research involves physically going somewhere - seeing a place, talking to people, etc. There is *nothing* that will inform a story and launch my imagination like physically being in a place and having all *five* of my senses engaged.

When it all comes together - the planning, staring into space, researching - when that happens, *then* I download it into the computer from my head and it becomes a manuscript. All of that constitutes Dreamtime.

Which leads me to MS4, and research I have to do to finish this thing.

MS4 is set in San Francisco for the most part. There are a couple of scenes in Austin and New York City, but the majority of it takes place in San Francisco.

I already made one trip to San Francisco which was the first bit of research I did for this book.

Now, the time has come for me to go back to San Francisco and do some additional research to finish this up.

I am organizing myself as to all the things I need to see and do while there, and some law enforcement folks with whom I need to visit. I will only have a week, and I am going to have to jam a lot of things into one very short week. I will rise and shine early and get going, go all day, and then crash in my hotel at the end.

This trip will not take place until May (for a variety of reasons, including time off from the day job and *money*).

I will be blogging from San Francisco during my trip, and I will be blogging as I lead up to this trip. I will be talking about writing, a little bit about myself, San Francisco, my plans for the trip - including restaurants (Mmmm, yum), and side trips I will make in the bay area. Occasionally, I'll blog about something random. I will also have the occasional blog redux from the archives. :)

So, buckle up. I'm going on a journey through the making of a story, the city in which that story takes place, and all the other "places" the journey decides to take me. It's Dreamtime, and I'm looking for some Waves!

Polla Filia,
J.F.

+ I have written and previously published a book under another name, and "No" I'm not going to tell you the name or the book - water under the bridge for my own reasons. I also had an "under the bed" book, which most authors have. This is the one you wrote first, it's crap and you would never try to publish it. If you're lucky you can "cannibalize" the good bits out of it and use it in another book - if you're lucky. Finally, I have a 3rd manuscript, which I'm certain will be published, but right now I'm finishing this one, because someone wants to see it.