jw-johnson.com

looking for a webdesigner is up at http://www.clockpunkstudios.com/ .  Jeremiah is an author who’s livejournal I read and his journal posts on writing are always top notch and get you to thinking. His photography is amazing and I have no doupts about his competency helping somone with their website.  If you are in the market for major talent that is hungry for your work, please check him out. Here is a link for his personal website. Check out the photography if you have any doupts about his talent. http://www.jeremiahtolbert.com/

Fubared  Lelee’s Treasure and it took me this long to notice. Sorry about that. Very unprofessional on my part. I’ll fix it as soon as I get the chance. Gonna try to make it to Conestoga again this year. Anybody wanna bet me something comes up and I have to miss it again this year? I will say not making a con has nothing to do with whether or not your writing.

On advice from someone who will remain nameless I took Spirit Of The Ucanians down. After taking some advice I’m gonna rewrite the beginning and try again. No promises have been made, but things are looking hopeful. Wish me luck.

Spirit Of The Ucanians was rejected. I don’t feel too bad though. He actually sent a short response and signed it himself. He said it just didn’t grab his attention. I cant control that (well, sort of). I’m just geeky enough to get a thrill from it. A personal rejection letter from a major publisher and not some form letter. Sad isn’t it. Funny thing is about five minutes after I read it I was surfing on the web, reading the various blogs I read, and lo and behold someone was talking about Harry Potter and how she was rejected about forty times before she sold it. Isn’t that crazy. How would you like to be one of the forty who rejected it? Oops!

I’m done rewriting it though. I’ve spent enough time on it and the charactors have all moved on anyway (if you know what I mean). I’ll just have to do some research and find some other markets to send it to. I’m going back to working on my two books unless another short story pops up in my head. Its funny to go back and read the stuff I’ve written before. Glad I never sent it to anyone. I definately knew better. I know I still have a ways to go now as well. The learning process never stops. They say you can tell a professional writer from the amatures by how much the manuscript changes when they rewrite it. A polished professional’s rough draft contains very few errors and needs little rewrite. I can’t wait until I reach that stage.

I try not to put my personal views *cough, cough* on here any more than I have to. I know I used to but after seeing other writers post their views and having it turn me off, I vowed to avoid it as much as I can. I know its hard to do when writing and I’m sure some of it comes out no matter how much I try to be just an entertainer.

On this one I have to write. A great thing happened today that I am very proud of. America has chosen character over color. I hate that it is so hard to believe. Long have I dreamed of the day when men (or women) could be just that.  No more black man or white man. Or race of any kind. Let us just be men and women. Today takes us one step closer.

Just want to update for everyone who comes and checks on me. Sprit of the Ucanians is being submitted Monday finally. I know. Thats a long time since I first wrote it. What can I say. I was trying to get it right. The guy I am sending it to is an award winning editor and I hope he looks at it like what it could be and not what it is. I’ve rewritten it three times but I know that I am an amature and need some professional help. Hopefully it’s close enough they at least look at it without  throwing it out.

On writing styles I have to admit I wish I sounded like Roger Zelazny. I just love the way he writes. The depth and breadth of his imagination had no limits as far as I could tell.  Just the shear volume of short stories and books  blow my mind.  I wish I could have actually met him and heard him speak. I guess I did in a way.

Unfortunately he was taken away from us way too early at 58 from complications from colon cancer. I’m sure those of you who knew him consider yourself blessed.

Wow. I can tell the economy must really be slow by how many spam hits I’m getting. My site is not even that active. I can just imagine what the big boys get in way of spam count.  Funny thing is most sites have automatic spam blockers that catch most of them.  Mine does. I guess there must be money to be made by spamming.Maybe it’s something I should check into. Not.  Can’t be much I’m thinking. Seems like they would be better off getting a real job. I guess in some of those countries jobs are hard to come by. But then again they can afford computers so it must not be too bad.

I do know I’ve been seeing and hearing about all kinds of scams right now before Christmas. Just remember never give out your information unless you are totally sure about who you are talking to. I.E. You called them. Also don’t take checks or even credit cards from someone who wants you to use part of the proceeds from it to pay for something else. More than likely the check has had the funds removed and the credit card stolen and the next thing you know you are out the funds from your private account.

1.You wont get much support.

2.Your friends will think you are crazy.

3.You are crazy.

4.A five thousand word short story will pay you about $300 dollars IF you sell it, but with the time it takes you to write it and Rewrite it, you could have made better money at McDonalds, times six.

5.It probably will take me a million words before I stop writing crap.

6.It is a good feeling when your rewriting something and one of those little things you have read/learned goes click and everything falls into place.

7.I do know what people are talking about when they say”the story/song wrote itself”.

8.It seems like the only time all is right with the world is when I am writing.

9.I’m afraid I’m getting that “I write because I must” feeling I’ve heard people talk about.

10.I have noticed that hard work takes you farther than mere talent will anyday.

11.Writing is work.

12.Writing has to be more than sitting down and doing it only when I feel like it.

13.This is not a race.

14.I’m OK if I don’t make it.

15.God I would love to make it.

16.I’m going to make it.

17.Write for yourself.

18.Rewrite for the reader.

19.God I like to dream. I pray that someday it’s more than just a dream.

20.I’ve got to learn to not be so temperamental. Learn to write in a storm in other words.

21. This is the closest thing to school-work that I actually enjoy doing.

22. My heart actually gets to racing when I write an action  scene and I have scared myself writing. I wont say what happens when I write a love scene.

I have noticed a growing trend in my reading habits the older I get. I am really starting to like reading short stories and with a collection like Wolfsongs , it is easy to understand why. Editor and writer Margaret Bonham has assembled a collection of stories that captures the spirit, the mystique, and the love of these mysterious animals. Delivered from  professional and up and coming writers, it runs the gamut from fantasy and mythology, to sword and sorcery with a little sci-fi and horror mixed in, with plenty of werewolf stories for those who like that sort of thing. I know I do.

The 196 page anthology is full of bright spots with different stories appealing to different people. Several in fact, I expect to see in some of the years best’s collections later on. Some of the stories will leave you begging for more and wanting to track down the author and read the rest of their stories. If I have any problems with this anthology it is the fact that some of the stories leave so much unfinished. That so much of the story is left untold. I guess that’s what you are supposed to do as an entertainer– leave them wanting more. Needless to say, I can’t wait until the next Wolfsongs Anthology comes out.

Yes I come off as a total fanboy, but the bottom line is, it’s well worth the price of admission. Honestly I had barely started reading and was glad I had  spent the money. In this day and age of economic troubles isn’t that what its all about? To get full value for your entertainment dollars?

Here is the Lulu link     http://www.lulu.com/browse/preview.php?fCID=4734106

The book on Amazon is here            http://www.amazon.com/WolfSongs-1-M-H-Bonham/dp/0615262341/ref=dp_rti_0

In case no one noticed late on Election Day, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced a Dec. 19 auction of more than 50,000 acres of oil and gas parcels alongside or within view of Arches National Park and two other redrock national parks in Utah: Dinosaur and Canyonlands. Here is the link for the story from CBS News : http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/16/national/main4608048.shtml

Their calling it Bush’s last gift to the oil and gas industry. Like he hasn’t given enough to big business. How’s that working for you, Mr. President? Maybe you should have put a little more energy into  keeping a few jobs here in the states. What? All those tax breaks and they still shipped jobs over seas? No way! Sad to see everything we buy is made in China. Anybody else noticing this? Gonna catch up to us sooner or later. Oops. Too late.

Seriously, if he/they think defacing our parks and sea shores is going to make a hill of beans difference they have to be stupid. We are going to run out of gas, period. Take some of this time and effort and do a little forward thinking and develop other sources of fuel. Alternative  energy  is still in it’s infancy. Give it a chance.

Thank God this administrations time is almost over. It’s been awhile since I’ve wanted a president and his cabinent out so bad. I wonder if Obama can come in and stop some of the stupidity. We can only hope.