“It’s important to understand that taxes are a de facto form of wealth redistribution.”
Mr. Wellsley paused behind a student whose face was planted on her desk in a warm nest made from her wool sweater. Before continuing, he raised the tip of the pool cue he used as a pointer. Like twirling spaghetti, he carefully swirled the chalked end of the stick in her tangle of red hair before giving it a sharp yank. Emily bolted upright, her surprised yelp cut short by the classroom’s laughter and the teacher’s glaring eyes.
“Do you understand why, Miss Barfield?”

When I relaunched this site with a focus on writing, I decided to shy away from political posts here. It’s not that I don’t care or have an interest in the subject. But there are endless locations on the Internet where those discussions are held. Problems are rarely solved at any of them, but if rampant cursing, head-banging, and exposure to sexist, racist, homophobic, anti-religious, or conversely, overzealous and pedantic ranting is your cup of tea, you’ll have to quench your thirst elsewhere. For what it’s worth, my archives contain most of my views that I felt compelled to share. So it’s with some hesitation that I ask my readers, particularly fellow Americans to spend a few minutes getting acquainted with two bills rampaging through Congress as you read this post.

If passed, SOPA and PIPA would allow rights holders to bypass due process, and have websites taken down simply with the mere allegation of copyright “infringement”. Due process exists for a reason. It was put in place by our Constitution to protect ordinary citizens from the tyrannical whims of those in power–or those who have enough money to buy power. The entertainment industry has protected its interests perfectly fine without this overreaching and unconstitutional legislation. Please watch the short video above, and visit AmericanCensorship.org to see how you can lend your voice in opposition to these two bills.

Today, Eric-Blues will join thousands of websites that are going black to bring attention to this urgent matter. If you’ve read this far, thank you, and my apologies for dipping my quill into the bloody inkwell of politics again.

This thought occurred as I watched the Bravo network premiere of Tabatha Takes Over. Formerly Tabatha’s Salon Takeover, each episode of the first three seasons focused on Tabatha Coffey’s drastic makeover of a failing salon. In the time-collapsed span of an hour, Tabatha uses her professional experience, caustic tongue, and no BS attitude to turn the business around, literally saving some from bankruptcy. This season is different. While last night’s episode focused on a salon, subsequent shows will feature other businesses. So what gives Tabatha the ability, or even the nerve to “fix” companies outside of her profession? I think it has little to do with her knowledge of any particular industry, and everything to do with her knowledge of process. In particular, the process needed to take raw human resources and shape them into a productive business. And that idea leads this story back to writing.

Writing involves the same process: taking disparate, random, uncooperative thoughts and spinning them into compelling narrative. That’s the part that happens before your fingers ever touch the laptop’s home keys. Again, it’s what distinguishes writers from people who say I wouldn’t know what to write about. The creative’s ability to be a sponge is crucial. As a professional videographer and editor, that’s one reason I enjoy reality shows like Project Runway and Top Chef. They occupy a space far outside of my day job. Yet, watching them, I absorb creative energy from the contestants. Seeing how other crafty types approach a problem unleashes my own craftiness.

Be a writing sponge! Look in unusual places for new ideas. Start a new hobby or revive one you’ve set aside. Visit local restaurants and stores you’ve never been to. Sample a food you haven’t tasted. And always keep that pad and pen close to document the flood of good ideas.

Finally, thank you all who have commented, followed, and/or endured my blog and Twitter ramblings. Knowing something I’ve written has helped or entertained really makes the effort worthwhile.

God Bless and be safe!

Thank you Lacey, from Inside My Mind.

I’m still looking for other blogs to share with, but there is one blog I’d like to mention. Aprildorus is Patrick Conners’ brainchild. Patrick is a poet, a really good one in a world that needs more good poetry.

Thank you Lara, from Motivation for Creation.

Now for seven things about me.

1) I love, love, love Indian, Arabic, and Mid-Eastern food. Tabouleh, falafel, hommous… Yum! I’m actually a huge foodie. I just haven’t subjected my current audience to all the food shots yet.

2) The flute in my Google/Twitter Avatar is a bansuri, a traditional Indian 7-holed bamboo flute. I’m not particularly adept at it, but it makes a lovely sound. As a child, I got my love of side-blown flutes from watching David Carradine as Kwai Chang Kane in Kung Fu.

3) I’m not a rabid or even minor sports fan. The only way I remotely enjoy watching football is surrounded by other fans. However, I might like rugby… that looks like an interesting sport. And the hakas performed by the New Zealand All Blacks are ferocious!

4) I’m a PK (Preacher’s Kid). My mom was an evangelist. I wrote briefly about her in a much earlier blog post. She was a big influence in my life and I miss her every day.

5) I think cats are way cooler than dogs. They’re fluffy and purry and independent. Cats own you, not the the other way around.

6) I’m the biggest Anglophile. I can’t get enough English TV. I love the accent and the cool phrases and everything BBC. Yeah baby! UK is one of the few places outside of the US that I would tolerate a long plane flight to visit.

7) I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a young child. That’s been a while. Now I’m doing something about it.

Lara cited my blog as the first she had encountered that specialized in technology for writers. I hope to do more tech-specific posts. As an evolving industry, the intersections between self-publishing skills and graphic arts backgrounds are increasing. I want to be at those intersections to help other writers move forward. Below, I’ve listed a few of the techie sites that inspire me.

The Book Designer: Go her first! Joel Friedlander has ridden the waves of change from print book design, to ebook programming. He is an invaluable source for those considering the self-pub route.

Novel Publicity: Emlyn Chand and company cover publishing from all aspects of writing, editing, marketing. They offer their services as well as plenty of information about book publishing/marketing.

Self-Publishing 2.0: A more recent resource, this looks like a good place for market watch stats.

Thank you ladies for thinking of me in the season of thanks and giving. Your links have been on my writer’s list for a while now. I hope the new year brings health, wealth, and more stories for us all.

Meanwhile, I’ve been working on the collection of short stories I wrote about in October. I’m revising two of them, have nearly finished writing the third, and have one more to write. At the urging of a writing friend I’m taking a moment to list and review my accomplishments this year. And in the middle of it all, I’m writing. Here’s a flash fiction piece I wrote while people watching in my favorite Starbucks Author Incubator. Enjoy.

Before She Goes

Welcome back to my behind the scenes look at what happened the year I tried to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. I’ve been reposting blurbs from my blog and the work in progress that emerged. If you need to catch up, here is part 1 and part 2. This time we meet Ted Jannock, would-be Senator.

from “Nano Update 02”, November 10, 2007

Word count: 5677

mood: bit frustrated, bit happy: dealin’ wit’ it

My antagonist told me he’s really not a bad guy, just the fall guy. I reluctantly had to agree. Now, I’m rewriting a bit of his backstory (which wasn’t exactly fleshed out to begin with). Overall, I feel like the writing is better than when I first started. It darn well should be, right? Isn’t this gift like any muscle that you exercise and watch grow stronger? Tough days ahead… but I’m really looking forward to introducing the protagonist’s hacker friend. I’m sorta saving him for a rainy day and slow word count.

peace to all Wrimos

from Chapter VII

Ted Jannock smiled at Tracy, the bubbly young woman taking his order. She probably didn’t know who he was. The young people of Preston were brutally apolitical, but that was OK in Ted’s book. The less ideals they developed at that impressionable age, the easier it would be to sway their vote when they were older and had enough money and power to care about. He asked for a tonic and lime while he considered what to order. The great thing about tonic was that it looked just like club soda, increasing the chance his waitress would screw the order up. Then he’d have the pleasure of watching her walk away again.

Apparently all the restaurants in town hired from the same pool of swishy hipped college girls. Ted imagined a clandestine factory hidden within one of the city’s many abandoned warehouses. Beneath the flickering flourescents, bustling assembly lines would creek under the weight of their product. One line for short, busty brunettes. Another for chirpy blondes with round butts. Yet another for the attractive specimen serving him today; pale with inky black locks and freckles, she quickly returned with his tonic. He ordered a Ceasar salad and bowl of chili and quietly observed as she left to place his order.

Ted had a loving wife at home. Unlike many of his peers, he waited until he finished college before proposing. He’d had his pick of women even while he was dating Janice, but he understood at a young age the political value of having the right wife. Janice had all the important qualifications: she came from old money, was president of her sorority, and she was smart and extremely attractive. Even now she easily turned men’s heads who were half her age. To Ted’s knowledge she had never engaged in more than aggressive flirting, but he didn’t try too hard to find out otherwise. He knew he wasn’t in a position to complain if she were unfaithful. And although Janice overlooked his occasional straying, he wasn’t willing to push his luck. He considered their marriage a fairly typical one, and if polled, he reckoned over half of the town’s couples would admit to a similar arrangement. And truthfully he had grown quite accustomed to her comforting presence. Janice had stood by him for 26 years. She watched his political career grow from its infancy and never questioned his destiny.

Ted graduated college in the early 80′s at the top of his class. Double majoring in Political Science and Business had placed a great strain on their relationship. However, the effort soon paid off. His first public service position was as a city council member. At the same time, he started and ran a very successful real estate venture. The explosion in tech-based businesses provided lucrative sales to Internet startups. Everyone was high on the possibility of becoming an overnight millionare. Venture capitalists were more than willing to pay unheard of prices for land. The best part was that after technology tanked, Ted was able to buy much of the land back for a song. He and Janice were already rich. They became obscenely rich after selling the same land again.

After a six year stint on the city council, he became the town’s youngest elected mayor. By then he had secured his position among the town’s elite. Yet he never lost touch with the less fortunate citizens of Preston. He frequented shops and restaurants in every section of town, and was liked and respected by people from all walks of life. After 10 years as mayor, he retired to concentrate on personal ventures. His now expanded real estate business included out of state deals that made his name commonplace across the country. His running for Senate was no accidental occurence. He once shared his lifetime plan with Janice. It was a printed timeline with milestones listed by year, including his projected death. She shuddered at the calculated precision of the whole plot and he never mentioned it again. Ted indeed had it all figured out. He had hit most of the milestones he set for himself. Becoming a senator was the next one, but it wasn’t his ultimate goal by any stretch of the imagination. But one step at a time he told himself. Sieze the day, but plan for tomorrow.

Tracy, Ted’s waitress returned with his salad. Again, he enjoyed the unintentional show she put on as she sauntered toward the kitchen and waited for his chili. He nibbled the salad and finally took a sip of his tonic only to discover that it was club soda. He chuckled softly and motioned for Tracy.

Last week I began a series about the year I participated in NaNoWrimo. I posted a short excerpt from my blog and the novel I began. I hope that participating writers find inspiration in my brief commentary, and that readers enjoy a peek at the lump of clay before it’s thrown into a beautiful vase. Again, the work is unproofed and unedited. This week, meet Claire, who shares main character duties with Jason.

from “NaNo Update 01”, November 5, 2007

Word count: 2877

mood: committed, slightly tense

Dialog time… not a happy fun time exactly, but necessary. Had a nasty but urgent matter to deal with Friday, and I had to work Saturday. Falling of pace is no fun, but the good news is the story feels like a story and I talk with my characters all day. That is good news, right?

from Chapter III

Claire turned the classical station down until the string section blended with the hushed exhaust of her BMW. Tympani softly pounded through the subwoofer. She hummed, tapping her slender fingers against the steering wheel. If it were Saturday she would roll the windows down to feel the still crisp March air. But today, her curly red locks needed to remain in place. Today was her first meeting with Ted Jannock. Jannock was a Republican running for Senator in a tightly contested race. Several years of public relations work and much networking had netted Claire the job of managing Jannock’s campaign. A left leaning moderate, Claire was initially ambivalent about accepting the job. It wasn’t that Jannock was the sort of Bible thumping, rabid conservative she saw swarming the country like locusts. In fact, his stated positions on many hot-button issues illustrated nuances that eluded many of his peers. He was the only Republican candidate who publicly vowed not to vote for any Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. And his time spent lobbying for stricter environmental controls gave him enough buy-in from the emerging earth-friendly crowd to make other candidates more than nervous. But Claire understood that no matter how middle-of-the-road Jannock tried to appear, he would ultimately need the support of many people whose views she personally abhorred.

The swelling crescendo of violins helped still her ragged nerves. She finally accepted the many tense moments to come: meetings with leaders of the state’s prominent religious denominations, pacifying the anti-abortionists, confronting the pro-death penalty crowd. She was outlining her talking points list when she heard a cacaphony she didn’t remember in the concerto. She looked in her mirror and was greeted by four round headlights and a chrome grille. The loud red car swooped in behind her, cutting off a Porsche driver that didn’t want to give way. Claire was accustomed to the city’s occasional muscle car owners who continued to live in the 60′s and 70′s. Despite outrageous gas prices, they continued to blast the streets in their gas-guzzling, hyper-carbon emitting dinosaurs. She considered most of them to be rednecks. They often had a Confederate flag license plate attached to the front of their time machines. The ubiquitous concert tee seemed to be their official attire. They were part of the constituency that she dreaded having to negotiate with to ensure Jannock’s election to the Senate. But to her surprise, the driver of the car now filling her rear-view mirror was black… and in business casual clothing. The apparent contradiction between her expectations and reality unsettled her. Also unsettling was the exhaust note from his car. Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to the road just in time to see a Golden Lab dart in front of her car. She slammed on the brakes and gripped the wheel tighter. Not expecting the brief slide as the anti-lock brakes regained control, she looked in her mirror. The front end of the gleaming red car dipped sharply, and she saw the rear end begin to come around. It was still gaining on her. In that instant, time slowed down another notch, and she instinctively lifted her foot from the brake. Before her foot lost contact with the brake pedal, the jolting thump of her car slamming into the dog made her stomach roll. The lab was knocked clear of her car and onto the shoulder of the road. With some distance between her car and the old automobile behind her, she slowed and pulled off the road.

She exited her car and walked nervously toward the twitching gold and red form. The red classic began to slow down as if its driver intended to stop. Claire watched, getting a better look at the nicely dressed owner. Pecan brown, short hair, mid-30s. Those were the only details she had a chance to take in as the driver downshifted and punched the accelerator. She watched the receding tail lights fade into the bluish grey haze of the highway. Watching the dog die had nearly erased the calm the concerto had filled her with. Shaking, she muttered “I’m sorry” before turning and walking back to her car. Safely back on the road, and with the unxepected carnage behind her, Claire turned the radio off and drove the rest of the way in silence.

I’ve followed writing and indie author networks long enough to see several recurring themes. Branding, social media, cover art, professional editing—some days it feels like my Twitter stream is stuck on repeat! Browsing Amazon’s Kindle forum this morning brought these themes into sharp focus when I noticed a thread titled “How to avoid Indie authors”.

The thread’s starter asserts that everyone and their dog has suddenly become an “author,” and every rejected manuscript resurrected as a kindle “book.” In four sentences he describes the scourge of self-published books with a kind of animosity usually associated with racism, religious intolerance, or homophobia. In his perspective, the annoyance of being subjected to below par books is great enough to request that Amazon allow him to filter out all self-published books in his searches. Started less than a month ago, the discussion had 2363 posts when I last looked. As I read through a few pages in the thread, some important themes relating to indies/self-pubs emerged.

• Quality (or lack of same) in cover art was listed as a “major clue”. One poster noted Indie book artwork and graphics are usually abysmal.
• Low pricing was mentioned several times as another sign of indie work.
• Lack of proofreading
• Lack of “professional” reviews

The thread quickly devolved into the usual internet forum casserole of snark, derision, and accusations. Proposed solutions to the indie problem ranged from limiting book searches to traditional publishers, to making authors pay Amazon to proof their book before allowing it into the Kindle store. I encourage all potentially self-published writers to visit the thread. This may be your audience.

As dreary as this forum is, I believe the indie author/publisher stigma will eventually diminish much like it has for the music industry, where the label seems to have a more positive connotation. Electronic publishing has the potential to accelerate that shift in thinking. But it’s every writer’s responsibility to focus on the two things that will spur that change sooner rather than later: quality and a loyal audience. One last comment from the Amazon forum:

The problem is that for the first time in publishing history, ANYONE can write something and have it published as an e-book.

That’s a good problem to have.

Weblog clients offer those features and more. These specialized word processors work with most popular blogging platforms and let you write, format, tag, and schedule future posts without an internet connection. Several clients exist for Windows, Mac, and Linux. I’m writing this in Windows Live Writer. If you decide to try Microsoft’s product, note that it wants to install the entire Live suite (Messenger, Mail, etc.) by default. That isn’t necessary. To avoid it, simply uncheck every other software title on the installation screen.

I hope your choice of weblog client will help you organize your time, and be a more creative and productive writer. Happy blogging!