Blog Bots

Yes it was inevitable that the same people that have brought us mountains of spam in our junk mail boxes and Chat Bots that flash their messages of low mortgage rates or hot sexy girls live on webcam in various chat rooms have infiltrated the blogosphere. If you'll notice in the comments on my last post, I got two comments from the same bot boasting about two different blogs. And I've also noticed that when I click the next blog link, checking out random blogs, more than half of them are for loan companies or insurance companies or porn sites. I knew it was only a matter of time before the once crystal clear blogging waters would get dirtied.

I apologize for teasing you, but I don't see that story happening any time soon. I'm determined to get through the first draft of my novel by the end of September. If things go like they've been going, it will be about 500 or so double spaced pages. If that ends up being the truth, then I'm only halfway there. That's seven weeks roughly to crank out another 250 pages. That's about 36 pages a week. That's 5 pages a day, if I deign to write on Sundays. 6 pages a day otherwise. I've already written twelve pages this morning, and on a normal day if I get after things, I can easily whip out 5 or more pages. The key is not lounging around and then suddenly getting busy an hour or less before I have to head to work. But the wonderful thing is that the story is falling into place and the ending is not just a possibility, but a mounting inevitability. A big, slow train that is gaining speed and not likely to stop until it has reached its destination. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Can you say Amen!

But is it a good story? That's the all important question. The answer is, I don't know. I never know if what I write is any good or not. I need others to tell me that, and even then I still don't believe them. Not that they're lying but perhaps guarding my feelings. Well, my feelings don't need to be guarded anymore. I say slap me in the face if it will make things better. Anyways, I better get back to work. I just thought I should check in and apologize once again.

Maybe next weekend

This weekend didn't go entirely according to plan. So I didn't get that story wrote. I'm still thinking about it, though. My parents adopted a kid. He isn't officially adopted yet, but he's staying here anyways. They still have to sign papers and a lawyer gets involved in there somewhere. So I spent the time I would have spent writing it moving things around and helping get the guest bedroom situated for him and all that stuff. I did do a ton of writing Friday night/Saturday morning, but it was all on my novel. I'm glad to be writing on my novel again. I truly am. I don't know why I stopped for so long. Maybe I just needed the time to regroup. I don't know. Anyways, um...how about Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. That one should keep you busy for a little while. I really like that book. I read it twice. The whole Ender Quartet is really good, and so is the Ender's Shadow series. I'm working my way through the last book in that one as we speak. Or any one of James Clavelle's doorstoppers, though I've never read them. They're really long, so they should keep you busy for a goodish while.

When the thick, black clouds part for the shining Son

Sorry, there's been a bit o' delay on the story I intended to post. I'll blame it on the creative ebb and flow of my mind. I was just so inspired when I wrote that last post that I thought I would hop on over to my other computer - my writing computer - and whip it out. I did not, however. And furthermore I've been caught up by my novel once again, so all indications point to next weekend when there won't be any birthday parties to attend nor a lawn to mow. I apologize to those anticipating this future tale. May I suggest you read Ron McLarty's The Memory of Running. There's a few too many curse words in some scenes (one is too many in my opinion), but it's not blatant. It's all character in other words. But the tale is so inspiring. It's one of those I'll want to pick up from time to time just to make me feel better. And it just feels so honest. It kind of wanes at the end, but let's not get all caught up with endings. Haven't I discussed this book on this blog before? Oh well, it's worth a second discussion. If you've already read that book, how about Richard Adams's Watership Down, or Stephen King's The Eyes of the Dragon - it's his cleanest and possibly best novel. Or pick up any copy of The Sun - the literary magazine, not the tabloid. I'm sorry to disappoint my legions of fans in this way, but those suggestions should suffice to get you by until the week has passed.