There’s this cold wind.
It blows through the trees, stops at an orchard, gives the fruit a kiss and moves across the road.
It stretches down the hill, rolls through the lawn, brushing the dog on the corner’s black coat.
The dog yelps and runs away.
The cold wind doesn’t stop.
Its tendrils push through my coat while I shovel the walk.
It’s blue and grey and floats around me for a minute.
I stop what I’m doing, waiting for it to move on.
The wind stays. My bones are still cold.
A while ago I read that an author has their computer read their novel back to them.
I found the idea interesting and began doing the same thing with my short stories and the novel I finished in November.
What’s happened is nothing short of an epiphany.
Hearing what I’ve written has made a difference in how I approach editing and the next writing project.
I wish I’d had figure this out sooner.
I listen to it and hear it differently than I would read it.
I know I’m supposed to read it out loud, but my voice is my own. It won’t change anything how I see it. A different voice is required.
I’ll never be able to edit another way after this.
Have a good week and I’ll talk to you Wednesday.
There is this thing I have a problem with and it needs to be solved.
It’s editing and planning/plotting.
The first part is the hardest since I actually hate, loath, despise(you know, those feisty words)editing.
But there’s this thing I need to do this year. I have to publish and at this point it’s something I have to do for my sanity.
As to plotting/planning, I’ve learned the hard way that rewriting draft after draft doesn’t work. It just pisses me off.
I know better. Or at least I like to think after 43 years I should.
These two things throw off my progress, traction, and screw up my head.
I will continue to post on here because it’s cathartic. I know you’re all tired of hearing about my editing issues. I’ll put that to bed this year.
Happy writing.
I was talking to my wife about the state of horror novels and there seems to be a bigger trend toward a story being unsettling than scary.
I read quite a few books in the last couple of years and I can pick a handful that truly scared me. Last Days by Adam L.G. Nevill, Kill Creek by Scott Thomas, and The Fisherman by John Langan are exceptions.
But it feels like there’s a move away from scary into the realm of unsettling.
I’d like someone to show me a book that I haven’t read that would change my mind on that.
You can look on my Goodreads profile to see what I’ve read.
This last year I pushed through a few issues.
I found my writing groove and I was distracted at times by video games.
But I didn’t do the hard things.
I didn’t publish because I was undecided and nervous about the quality of the book I planned on putting out.
I made a promise to myself I wouldn’t do that. I did it anyway.
I also had a few personal victories.
I pushed past the things I felt comfortable writing and wrote some truly freaky shit.
I sent out more queries than I ever have and I plan on doing the same in 2020.
I decided my writing and my time to write is worthy and needs devotion.
In 2020 I’ll make priorities for that time and not let others take it from me. My writing and editing time is me working even if I’m not currently published.
That will change and the mindset I have going into the new year changes too.
I will not be held back by things or people.
I will move forward, ignore and resist what others think of me and will never let people in who don’t understand those things.
I fought with a few demons, found a couple more and I’ll kill every last one of ’em until I’m where I believe I should be.
Go out and get it and take no prisoners.
Brian B Baker, Writer 