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Author Archives: Dennis Langley

Lost – Writing partner

20 Jan
Nabu, Where are you?

Nabu, Where are you?

I walked into my writing room and suddenly realized there was a void in the dust on the dust atop the book-case. The space where my writing partner sat was bare. (You remember him from an earlier post. He took over my blog to get a new name. The name he chose was, Nabu, the Babylonian god of wisdom and writing which was suggested by Eagle-eyed Editor.)

What seemed most odd was that there was a trace of dust in the void. My uncanny powers of deduction indicated that my partner had been missing for some time. Now guilt struck me because I had not noticed his absence sooner. The excuse I have settled on is that I was so engrossed in writing that I simply overlooked his absence. I know, weak but passable.

I searched high and low, starting in the obvious places. As the god of wisdom and writing, it would make sense Nabu would go somewhere like my office or the other bookshelves in the house. However, I could not find him. I restrained from calling out to him for fear of what my two cats and the domestic CEO might say. My having a skull as a writing partner is still new to them. For several days I scoured the homestead. I even traveled to the cabin in search of my cohort.

One evening, the domestic CEO entered my office to find me desperately digging through a file cabinet. She calmly closed the file drawer, gently reached up and took a hold of my face, and screamed at me, “What the hell are you doing?”

I explained my plight, that I searched for my writing partner and that I felt guilty for not noticing his departure. The domestic CEO patted my cheek and smiled at me.

“Oh, that,” she said. “I put it in the garage with the other Halloween decorations.”

She turned and walked away leaving me staring aghast after her.

Relief washed over me as I realized Nabu was safe. However, the task of finding him among the myriad of decoration boxes would not be easy. Uh oh! He had been missing for months. My feeble excuse would not fly. Ah, a new idea came to me. The domestic CEO had aged another year, taking her into the realm of geezerhood. She had placed him in the decoration boxes. I would tell Nabu that her mind is going and she had forgotten what she did and where she had placed him. Yes, yes, that just might work.

I will head to the garage this weekend to release my partner. I hope he buys my story.

 
6 Comments

Posted by on January 20, 2014 in Other Strangeness

 

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A Renewal Accord

16 Jan
Courtesy of Free-picture.net

Courtesy of Free-picture.net

Two years ago, today, I posted the inaugural Welcome Post on this blog. Within minutes, Teschoeborn was the first to Like and comment. Truthfully, I about fell out of my chair when I saw the comment notification light come on. She was also a newbie and we said we would support each other as neither one of us knew what to expect. Little did I know just how much support I could expect from the world at large.

In the beginning, I thought this blog would be about writing and the journey of becoming a published author. As usual the best laid plans… I have virtually met some fascinating people from around the world, many I consider my friends. That is not trivial for me to say.

The blog has covered topics ranging from writing craft, to real space adventures involving the MAVEN project, to creating longer arrows for a traditional bow, to poetry, to eagles, and even a fish story. Not quite what I had in mind when I started.

As I look back, it occurs to me that the blog has done exactly what it was supposed to. It shows the journey. The only constant in life is change.One of my favorite sayings supports this constant. “This too shall pass.”

My approach to reading other blogs has changed as well. At first it was mostly new writers and a few legitimate profession writers. These days I spend time on poetry blogs, photography, editors, Olympic athletes, and blogs by classical musicians. I recently read my first romance novel. notice how I buried this information deep in the post. 😉 I’ve written reviews and critiques of published works. All in all a very interesting journey.

In the midst of one of the coldest winters in recent Minnesota history, I reflect on the purposes of winter, rest and renewal. I have learned to cherish time off. I guard it like Ft. Knox. I no longer take rest or afternoon naps (when I can take them) for granted. You will too as age sneaks up on you.

And so, I am renewing my blog for another year. WordPress offered me two years for the price of one but I’m not sure I can commit to two years. Seriously, I am looking forward to sending out my posts and reading yours. As Mr. Miaggi would say, “You and I will make sacred pact. I promise to write blogs that are at least somewhat interesting. That’s my part. Your promise to read them and comment. That’s your part.” Good. We have an accord.

Now it’s nap time. See you in two hours!

 
14 Comments

Posted by on January 16, 2014 in Musings and Odd Thoughts

 

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Why me? What did I do wrong?

09 Jan

Every parent should follow this blog. Jade writes it from her heart.

 
4 Comments

Posted by on January 9, 2014 in Other Strangeness

 

Work In Progress

07 Jan

WIPI’ve been reading a lot of blog posts about resolutions and goals for 2014. There are a lot of very ambitious goals out there. I hope everyone accomplishes what they set out to do. For me, I created an action plan. Because, that’s what I do. I’m a contingency planner. My goal(s) are simple.

Goal Number 1: Complete the SFD of current WIP.

Goal Number 2: Refer to Goal Number 1

Goal Number 3: When Goal Number 1 tasks are completed, Catch up on other writing.

There are a variety of tasks that go with these goals which I will not go into here. However, if for some reason, you don’t see a post from me for a while, it’s probably because I’m working on Goal Number 1. If you don’t see steady progress on my WIP meter (See right widget), you have my permission to give me a swift kick in the behind.

Speaking of WIP. How do you feel about writers posting excerpts of their WIPs on their blogs? I can see posting snippets from a published work to entice readers to purchase the whole story. However, WIP by definition is unfinished. What is the purpose of posting part of a ‘shitty first draft’ or even a revised piece?

Now some of you that follow this blog will remember that about this time last year I posted a handful of flash fiction pieces. They have since been revised to form the beginning of my current WIP. However, at the time, they were simply an experiment. My decision to turn them into a larger work has made me reconsider whether or not posting any of the story was a good idea.Would doing so jeopardize any chance of having the piece published traditionally? I don’t know.

Personally, I do read some excerpts, if they are short. I’m always looking for new reads and it gives me a barometer as to what other writers are doing. It has also exposed me to other genres that I might not otherwise have given a second look. For example: My blogging friend Jade, from Jade’s Jungle, has been pestering me to read some romance novels. Even though I read an excerpt from one of her books, I have been somewhat resistant. However, a while back, I won a copy of a romance novel “High” by Corey MP that has finally made its way to the top of my reading rotation.

But, getting back to the question at hand. Is it a good practice to post part of your WIP? There have been books written as a series of blogs and even as a series of tweets! There are books out there that explain the correct way to ‘blog your book’.  Perhaps the issues around doing this are a figment of my imagination. Weigh in on this please. I’d like to know how you feel about it.

Very Important NOTE!  My friend, Jade has started a new blog, Autism’s Child, relating to her family coping with a severely disabled child. Jade writes from her heart so, I believe it will be a very interesting, informational, spiritual, moving and emotional ride. I’m sure those of you who have developmentally disabled children will find it cathartic. I urge all of you who follow me to take a look at it whether you have children or not.

 
20 Comments

Posted by on January 7, 2014 in Thoughts on Writing

 

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White on White

31 Dec
Ice fog on Pond courtesy of Free Wallpapers.com

Ice fog on Pond courtesy of Free Wallpapers.com

Temperatures at the cabin last week ranged from -28 degrees F to +36 degrees F causing some very interesting weather changes. With 26 inches of snow on the ground, the wide swing in temperature created a heavy fog which is unusual for this time of year. It was strange to witness and I scribbled my feelings down which turned into the following little ditty:

White cold from the North numbs and steals ones feeling.

White ice covers the water and gives the lake a hard ceiling.

White snow covers the landscape, the ground and the trees.

White fog from the South hides from sight, all of these.

 

Walking out on the ice in the fog would have been a little scary as you could easily have been disoriented in the fog as everything was white and no points of reference where visible. Kind of cool. Pardon the pun. 🙂

Happy New Year!

 
23 Comments

Posted by on December 31, 2013 in Other Strangeness

 

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Sacrifice

29 Dec
What ever I said, I'm sorry!

What ever I said, I’m sorry!

If this image doesn’t scare the hell out of you, you are certifiable! PERIOD!!

I say that with experience as I’ve had the misfortune to be on the business end of one of these on two occasions. Through the grace of the creator and some quick talking I am still here.

For those of you chomping at the bit for some juicy anti-gun propaganda let me say one thing. This is NOT an anti-gun post. Sorry to disappoint some of you. It’s far too easy to step up on a soapbox. So, you might ask, “What is this post about?”

The ultimate sacrifice.

How many times have you heard someone say, “I would die for my children?” Perhaps you have even said it yourself. For those of you without children, you might swap a spouse or parent for the children in the statement above. In any case, the statement indicates the willingness to give up everything so that someone else can live. To step into the VOID, the unknown. To cease to exist. That’s a lot of pressure to place on oneself.

Okay, for your child, spouse, or other family member, I can buy into that. And, I buy into members of the armed forces willing to pay the ultimate price for each other. It comes with the territory. But what about someone else?

My first response is, “The list would be very short indeed.” However, history has shown me that I tend to run toward the burning building instead of away.  My gut tells me the list would be much bigger. My instincts are to protect animals, children, elderly, and women. Sorry guys, that’s just how I have rolled in the past. But since the past does not predict the future, who knows how I would react.

This is not an easy question so, before you write a comment, think about what you are saying.

Outside of your immediate family, who would you be willing to take a bullet for? Why?

 
8 Comments

Posted by on December 29, 2013 in Musings and Odd Thoughts

 

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Winding Down and Gearing Up

26 Dec

plan-cycle

The year is winding down and I find myself contemplating the upcoming year. I think 2014 is looking like a ‘rebuilding year’ as the sports teams like to call it. Getting back to basics fits a little better. By back to basics i mean things like: Proper nutrition, write more, remove stress wherever possible, and spend more quality time with the domestic CEO. I don’t call these resolutions.. They are instead, fundamental changes that will be made to my lifestyle.

Unless we are truly diligent, we tend to drift as life bumps us around with trials and obstacles. Like a ship in a storm we move a little off course without realizing it. The next thing we know we are miles off course. So, it’s time for a course correction. Nothing drastic is needed. just a few tweaks to get back on track.

So, the next couple weeks will be spent assessing where I am at, resetting goals, and gearing up to achieve as many of them as I can. I already know of a challenge or two looming for 2014 on the personal front. I’m hoping that forewarned is forearmed. At the very least I shouldn’t get blind-sided. I can only prepare as best I can and hope for the best.

Some areas I intend to post on in 2014 are tough questions and moral dilemmas, whether posting excerpts of WIP’s is a good idea, a few gardening topics, and maybe an archery post or two.

 
8 Comments

Posted by on December 26, 2013 in Other Strangeness

 

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