It's a busy world

I finally got the time to sit down and write in this blog. I've been working diligently getting my memoir on the shelves and online and it's taking a real toll on my writing time. It's almost there though. Then I can focus on writing more in Spokes. As for Discharge, I had a publisher on the hook but after careful investigation, I decided not to go with them.

Until next time
Robert Detroit

Gripe, Moan, and Complain

It's my turn to wobble the barrel. Trying to shoot a video for my website, robertdetroit.com, is not only challenging, it's frustrating. I finally had the house all to myself, didn't want to take the video in the room where I spend eternity writing, so I carried all the equipment out to the front room and selected just the right position to take my world-changing video. If front of the fireplace seemed appropriate so I set everything up for the shoot. The poor little doggy has a bad chronic cough and about thirteen seconds into the shoot, she started hacking up a storm. I never knew so much noise could come out of such a small package. Take two went fairly well with the exception of the grandfather clock deciding it was time for it to do its thrash and bash thing with only about three seconds left in the minute and a half video. Take three was of no use either. After the mutt was done hacking, the clock was done rattling, and everything was quite, the damn telephone rang about half way through. Take four: After careful planning to make sure the clock was okay, the phone unplugged and the hound done with her thing, right towards the end of the perfect shoot, the sweet little doggy wanted attention so here she came to visit me while the camera rolled. No, there isn't a video on my website yet.

Okay, I'm done.
Until next time, (no griping, I promise,)
Robert Detroit

Another Chapter

Well, if things aren't crazy enough in life, the new week just came up behind me and reminded me that it is time to post another chapter of Spokes on my other blog. I promised to do that and after checking the view count on that blog, people apparently are liking what they see. Nobody is leaving comments, I don't know if that's good or bad, but if you want to leave one, please feel free to do so either here or on the spokes page.
Here are the hyperlinks to both the blog post and my website:
http://spokesthebook.blogspot.com
http://robertdetroit.com/in-the-works

Different Roads to Travel

When it comes to different ways to find just about anything, technology comes right in and helps on a daily basis it seems. Today is the release of the newest, latest gizmo for 'techies,' the new iPhone 5. That's all fine and dandy in more ways in one. Instead of getting too deep into the rivalry between Apple and other manufacturers, Samsung comes to mind, I will instead focus on what this means to the average writer like myself. Even though blogs and such can be read on older devices, people always want to monkey around with their new toy. Well, new toy holders, check out the blog on my upcoming novel, Spokes. It has only been in public view for around 32 hours and already hit over 100 views. Not too bad, keep reading folks! It only gets better.
http://www.spokesthebook.blogspot.com
Leave a comment either here or on the Spokes blog if you want; I would love to hear your input.

Later,
Robert Detroit

By Popular Demand...Spokes

Even though my upcoming creation, Spokes, is far from being a completed book, I have decided to make it public by popular demand. This decision hasn't been an easy one, the thing that took me over the edge is the online seminars I an attending through The Author Learning Center. That program is proving to be quite useful but I'll let you make up your own mind about attending that. Google it, it's there. This post is to provide a link to the blog which will draw you into the book I am writing. It keeps gaining popularity even though it hasn't even been finished, let alone published. I guess it's the idea and concept that has generated so much attention. Here is the link and I will provide a new chapter each week. That will give me the push I sometimes need to keep writing this interesting novel.
http://spokesthebook.blogspot.com/
Enjoy, leave a comment if you want to.

Until next time,
Robert Detroit

Making More Time

In my last post, Making Time, I thought I was really having a rough time making time. Well, that's all changed now with my gramdmother in the hospital and other things that come along at the most inopportune time. I did manage to sit down and spin out the rest of Spoke 5 in my upcoming novel, Spokes, and I truely beleive that I did an excellent job. The chapter falls right where I wanted it to and was very enjoyable to write. With that being said, I will close now and get back to it. Here is the link to my website and it should land you right on the page with a basic outline of Spokes.
robertdetroit.com/in-the-works

Until next week or sooner,
Robert Detroit

Making Time

Preparing for the introduction of my upcoming book, Behind the Signs, has taken pretty much all of my time. I've been aching to write some more in Spokes but quite simply, I haven't had much of an opportunity to do it. Well, I decided at 4:30 this morning that by 5:15 I would fire up the HP, check my email, then open Spokes and be writing by 5:30. I now have about 45 minutes of writing into it. The stuff I wrote just flowed out like there was no tomorrow so it's going to take a trememdous ammount of editing but that's okay; at least I whipped out about four pages of double-spaced text. I think it's now time for another cup of coffee.

Until next week,
Robert Detroit

More Time to Write

Finding time to actually sit down and write is becoming increasingly more difficult. With the marketing of Behind the Signs taking a huge ammount of time and keeping up with blogs and websites...not to mention the social networks, just doesn't leave much time to actually write. I guess I am just going to have to make time one way or the other. How, you ask? I don't know. If someone has the answer, please let me know by commenting below.

Until next time,
Robert Detroit

Cover Design

Not ever going through this phase of book publishing is probably why I had no clue as to how much work actually goes into just the cover itself. After three photo shoots and numerous email attachments, I hope we have finally got something we, (the publisher and I), can work with. If its not the low resolution that's the problem, its something else. I thought digital cameras were fine...not, as I explained in a different post. Once that minor issue was resolved, then it's onto modifying the picture to make it more attractive by adding color, adding border shading and bluring, etc. I guess that's why publishers have a team to do just that one particular thing, cover designs. They can keep their job, I'll just keep writing the stuff that happens inside those covers.

Until next time,
Robert Detroit

The Digital Days

Don't get the wrong idea from this post, I do think technology is woderful but sometimes the old ways are just simply better. Case in point, digital cameras. Everybody has one, either on their cell phone, computer, or just a digital camera...Or all of the above. My publisher and I are now working on a cover for my memoir, Behind the Signs. Everything was going fine and dandy until I emailed them a cover photograph in digital format. For the life of me, I could only get 96dpi resolution from that digital POS so now I must take a picture with a good old fashoned 35mm film camera, have the film developed, then scan the picture only after I program the scanner for 600dpi through my computer. (No big deal). It's just one of those things that pops up to remind me that nothing is ever easy, even with digital technology. Please leave a comment if this sort of thing happens to you. I would love to hear from you.

Until next time,
Robert Detroit

Writers are Sick

I never realized until recently how sick writers really are. It's a disease that isn't controllable. Not only do I have one book that is being published and needs to be marketed, I have another at several publishers, waiting for one to pick it up. That's not enough though. The marketing plan on the first one is a challenge that is time consuming and requires a great deal of contact with other persons either by phone or online. Then I have Spokes, which I am writing, and if that isn't enough to keep me going, I went and fired up yet another book project with a person in Australia. This one is a joint project, like no other that I have ever written. We are doing it 'in the cloud', and it is proving to be quite challenging and fun. I think it will work out pretty well for the both of us. I can critique her work on the book and she can do the same to my work. Yes, we probably will occasionally fight but since she is on another continent, the violence level will only be vocal through my cell phone or written through emails. Of course, we chat through Google talk but since she is 17 hours ahead of me, that is a different challenge all in itself. No rest for the writer! Leave a comment below if you would like to provide some input, it's always welcome and I don't bite.

Until tomorrow,
Robert Detroit

Labor Day

It's Labor Day and laboring it shall be. Yes, I do know the real meaning of Labor Day but my version is a little different this year. I am still going through my memoir so it will hit the printers soon and I am learning about the use of commas with the word, 'but.' I culd have used a comma in the second sentence of this post but...there I go again. See how difficult that can be? I used the word 586 times in my memoir, Behind the Signs, and it only contains 107,896 words. Yes, that is a  lot of words. Behind the Signs could have been a longer book although I decided to leave out some of the less imortant parts. behindthesigns.yolasite.com Now it's back to laboring, my version.

Until next time,
Robert Detroit

Pulling Off A Real Dandy

Yesterday I talked about mind slippage. Today, I will elaborate on that a little more. Early this morning, I took my laptop out into the living room and continued editing my manuscript for Behind the Signs when I decided, after four-and-a-half-hours, to save it onto a flash drive and on SkyDrive. I put a flash drive in my computer and thought for sure I was doing the right thing. That was just after I brought up the SkyDrive window and the file window where the file is stored in my computer. I drug the file into what I thougt was from my computer file into SkyDrive. All went well, the computer prompted me to make sure I wanted to replace this file with the other. I pressed okee-dokee and transferred files. The only problem was I transferred the old file from SkyDrive and replaced the new file in my computer with the old one. I tried and tried to get it back, even thought about restoring my computer to a previous time. The problem there is that Windows doesn't do anything with files, only programs are restored. Crap, I have to do it all over. Now I am taking a break before my beloved HP takes flying lessons, even though it isn't the computer's fault. It's my own stupidity right down to the core. I learned my lesson and will definetly pay more attention from now on.

Until next time,
Robert Detoit

Mind Slippage

I don't know if slippage is a word or not. I could look it up but I'm a little short on time today. You get what I mean anyway, right? I needed to run some arrands in town yesterday and I was walking out of the library when my cell phone vibrated. I answered to find my publisher on the other end. It's the publisher that is producing my memoir by another name. It's entitled Behind the Signs, if you're interested, and should be on the shelves or available to download through Amazon in about two to three months from today. I was told that there were a few updated that needed to be done in order to avoid some legal battles. That's what I've been working on. I am going ahead and reviewing the whole manuscript once more before it atually goes to print. A 342 page manuscript that contains just over 104,000 words is just not something that is easily and quickly read and modified. Well, that concludes today's session.

Until later,
Robert Detroit

Another Productive Night

Yesterday evening I was doing quite well whipping out another chapter in Spokes. Then I overheard the television in the other room blairing out the Republican Convention, more specifically, Clint Eastwood's speach. I couldn't help but meander towards the TV to watch the semi-retired actor talk to an empty chair. That broke my concentration so I did my nightly Facebook and Twitter thing and updated my website, robertdetroit.com then went to bed. At around 12:30, my eyes were open and my mind was clear as Crater Lake therefore totally void of the somewhat unusual speach Eastwood spat out. I went to work, knowing I could really get some stuff done without any inerruption. I managed to chuck out 2,234 words that fit into the stroy quite well. I did some online work then went back to bed. Here I am, after sleeping in late, not crawling out of the sack until 5:40. (Late for me.) I think I'll take care of personal business today and hit the story writing tonight when the coast is clear.

Until later,
Robert Detroit

Dream Come True

Just before the digital alarm clock beside my bed flipped to 3:30am, I awoke from a dream, a dream that I figured could just quite possibly be the next chapter (spoke) in my upcoming novel, Spokes. I felt like rolling over and going back to sleep. I'll remember it when it's time to get up, I told myself over and over. That never works so I reached up on the chest of drawers to grab a pen and paper, forgetting that I had just cleaned that thing off. My cell phone was the next best thing so I grabbed it, opened it and pulled up the memo app. Before I had five words put in that thing, I came to my senses and closed the phone, went into the other room and fired up the HP, knowing that I wasn't going back to sleep. I went ahead and typed in the rough draft for the next chapter and at six o'clock, I poured my first cup of coffee and turned on the news. Going back through the chapter that I had just written, I found that I am glad I did what I did, it actually turned out very well. If you have ever stumbled across anything in a dream or the middle of the night that just cannot wait, leave a comment. I would love to hear that I am not alone at being insane.

Until tomorrow,
Robert Detroit

Goal Not Met

Yesterday, I set my goal to write 3,000 words in my upcoming novel, Spokes. Well, I didn't reach that goal for several reasons. (Yes, I'm making excuses.) The main reason is I am starting a new chapter which I refer to as spokes in this book and my brain drew a total blank, much like what was following that blinking cursor on the screen, nothing. I thought, well, it's the medication so I'll just wait it out for a while then it'll come to me. It never did. I made myself get busy doing household chores and doing other things in hopes that an idea would pop into my head and I could begin Spoke Five instead of just looking at what I had already written there. The title of the chapter,Spoke Five, is all that I have so far. That's it. Nothing below that point. I went for my morning walk in hopes that I would find something that would spark and ignite a flame so I can continue. It hasn't happened as of yet, but it will. It always does. Writers block is something all writers run across at one time or another and more frequently for some. It'll be okay, Spokes will continue, I just don't know when.

Until next time,
Robert Detroit

What the...

I don't know if it is the weather, it is a somewhat dreary day we are having here in the Pacific Northwest, but everyone seems to be in a grouchy mood. Even on my morning walk, I passed one of the neighbors and said, "Good Morning," and she said nothing as she looked at me like someone had just fed her a fresh, warm, steaming road apple for breakfast. I don't know, I think what I will do is beam myself into another dimention, right into the world where everything seems to be connected, the world I am creating, Spokes. robertdetroit.com/in-the-works.php

Have a better day,
Robert Detroit

Critique Session

Yesterday evening I attended an online critique session through the Writer's Chatroom, hosted by Audrey Shaffer. I have been a member of the chatroom for about a year and it's always interesting and helpful but the critique session sets that one apart from all the others. I entered an excerpt from my upcoming novel, Spokes, and recieved good reviews. The only negative response was that I was telling and not showing. Well, in all due respect, that is because I plucked the excerpt from the middle of the book from the start of a new chapter or 'spoke' as I call them. The showing part comes just after the excerpt I sent in and if I were allowed more than 300 words, I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten that negative remark anyway. All the other remarks were so positive that I can't wait to continue writing that book. Most of the remarks mentioned how the concept was excellent and original with the only character mentioned's name being Ultimate Jim, before he slipped into his stupor and became just simply Jim. It is a fun one to write but it does get a little confusing at times trying to keep the characters straight and not confusing one with the other. That'll keep the readers interested and focused. www.robertdetroit.com/in-the-works.php

Until tomorrow,
Robert Detroit

Quiet Time

It happens all the time. In the middle of the night my medication wears thin and I wake up from my coma which is induced by what I refer to as my 'dumb-dumb pill.' It's actually medication I take two times daily and I won't go into detail. It makes me tired and thoughtless. My brain goes basically blank to the point that I can't even write a decent story. When it wears down, usually about 1:30 am, I am awake so I fire up the HP and go to work. I have found that this is the best time to work anyway. There is no traffic, the phones don't ring, nobody knocks on the door, the dog is in dreamland, and basically nobody in their right mind is awake unless graveyard work is required. That is the best time to write and my mind is fresh from the 3 1/2 hours sleep I just had so the ideas just come flowing into my head and out into Microsoft Word. Usually, I can crank out about 2,000 to 3,000 words before I decide to crawl back in bed and hop back out at 5:30. Then it's time to update everything, blogs, website, etc. then breakfast, a short walk and get on with the day after I take my 'dumb-dumb pill.' About 2:00pm, I am able to write again but not quite as productive as the early morning hours because no doubt my cell phone will ring or vibrate, someone calling or texting. It's an interuption but that's okay. I know that I will have quiet time later when everyone is in bed dreaming away.

Weekend Blues

Now don't get me wrong, I love weekends, especially when I have a hiking trip planned out or something along those lines. I always try to promise myself that I won't work on weekends but that never works out. As a writer, when an idea plays with my mind on what should happen within the next chapter or even a few chapters down the road, I must sit down, fire up the HP and type it all out before my brain decided to replace it with some other important thought like what's for supper. Sundays, I really try to take the day off, mostly due to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on television. Now, I have discovered that I can follow what is happening in the race by logging onto Twitter and getting the inside scoop. This means that I have my laptop on my lap during the race. I'll give you three guesses what happens during cautions but you will only need one. Yes, the computer is on my lap so why not make use of that time during the yellow flag instead of watching commercials about bug spray? I open up my most recent file on the book I'm working on and begin typing away. Before I know it, the green flag has been flown for several laps and most likely the lead has changed in the race. I miss it almost every time. How do I avoid this? I don't know; I guess that's just the way it's going to be. Awe, the life of a writer.

Identity Crisis

Having two identities sucks! I was told by many people that since my first book is a memoir that contains highly personal information that I should produce a pseudonym to write my novels under. That means two of everything. Two email accounts on each provider, Gmail and Outlook (hotmail), two Facebook accounts, two Absolute Write accounts, etc. etc. etc. It really becomes a real hassle when I try to keep the passwords separated. It's bad enough when everyone and their uncle wants me to change passwords every month to avoid being hacked or phished but for crying out loud in the dark, that's a lot of work for one name, let alone two. It's my own fault though. Actually it's something that just needed to be done. I figure if I have enough brain power to write books, I can deal with this. It just gives me something to gripe about.

Until next time,
Robert Detroit

Long Journey

Getting a publisher to recognize an author's work is difficult to say the least. I know my work has been tossed into the slush pile more than once. My first book, Behind the Signs, has been sent to nearly every publisher that is willing to do memoirs, (and there is a lot of them.) The Literary Market Place is a great place to start except my public library doesn't allow the huge book to leave the premises. That ultimately means putting my laptop in the case and taking it to the library. When the book is finally accepted by a publisher, it doesn't stop there; the journey has only just begun. Here comes the copy-editing then all the other editing that the editing team at the publisher thinks will make the book more attractive to the prospective reader. Constant emails with corrections and changes, (thank God for Microsoft Word), then phone calls out the kazoo. Even grocery shopping becomes a hassle when the cell phone vibrates somewhere between the canned green beans and Pillsbury boxed potatoes. Even with voice mail, I believe the phone should be answered. Then it's back to the good old HP to see what changes occurred this time. Do I agree with the changes? Sometimes yes and sometimes I have to submit my own ideas. Even though it's my book, I still have to go along with the publishing professionals. It isn't a walk in the park where you just go home when you are done and watch re-runs of Matlock, it's a long journey where the laptop is where it is supposed to be, on the lap while watching TV and sipping a Diet Coke.

Until next time,
Robert Detroit

First Webinar

I attended my first webinar yesterday and it was, to say the least, interesting. It was almost like I was actually in a room with people except the instructor only posted what she wanted us to learn. No online pictures of what would be a classroom or any such thing but the rest was all there. Did I learn anything? I hope so. It was chucked full of information on building websites and hosting them and how to direct traffic towards a website. After all, what's the use of owning a domain if nobody is going to visit your site? Now I need to do a little more 'trafficing' and route more people to my site. Discharge is on the edge of being published so I really need support from the public to make it happen. I know the book is interesting and the story could very well become a reality but the people don't know that yet. They haven't visited my site. So here it is again:robertdetroit.com/discharge

Until next time,
Robert Detroit

Easy? Not

Anyone who says writing a book is easy is probably correct in their thinking. All a person needs to do is sit down, turn on the computer, bring up a word processing program such as MS Word, and start typing. That's the easy part. Editing, on the other hand, is time consuming, brain wrecking, and painstakingly difficult. Nothing is where it should be in the story until the editing is done several times. There are programs such as MS Word that help with typo's, spelling, and even some grammar. One thing to remember though, it's only a computer program and it will not distinguish between little things such as to, too, and two or even a missed character such as h so then is suddenly ten. Sometimes it might but sometimes isn't good enough. The story a person writes must be read by that author several times until he or she is so sick and tired of it that the toilet is about to be flushed. That's the beauty of it. Once it is done, it is then time to sit back and let others enjoy your creation.

Until next time,
Robert Detroit

Spokes is going well

My newest novel I have been working on for about six months is coming along nicely. Spokes is something different for me and I believe for everyone else. Instead of chapters, the individual episodes are called spokes because in the end, all spokes are connected to the outer rim and based on one single power which is the hub. It has been and continues to be quite interesting to write. I think everyone will enjoy it. Part of it is on my website under 'In the works'. Check it out. Here is the link.robertdetroit.com

Until later,
Robert Detroit

What School Is Teaching

Often, I wondered how a publisher would make changes to a manuscript and send it back to the writer for the okee-dokee. Today in class, I learned how they do it. In Microsoft Word 2010, I don't know about the other versions, the ribbon contains a tab (Review). Within that tab is a feature called Track Changes. Every change made can be recorded if this feature is enabled. Then the viewer has the option to accept or deny the changes. Pretty darn slick, I'd say.

Until next time,
Robert Detroit
robertdetroit.com

Back to serious work

I had a day off so I figured I'd better get off my lazy butt and get some stuff done. Yeah, I bet you thought I was going to say sh-- but I fooled ya! Seriously, I have been busy promoting the first book that I ever wrote. It hasn't even been published, it's a memoir and they can be difficult to get published unless you have a name like Clinton, Hanks, or Winfrey. I wrote it anyway because I just know that it will be a hit once the market sees it. I am in the process of building a website now and hopefully I'll get it done within the next few days. In  the meantime, here is what I have so far. kirktoncray.yolasite.com

Until next time,

Robert Detroit

A relaxing day off

No school today, I didn't even get out of bed until 6:30 but I did mow the lawn. I stayed up last night writing in Spokes. That is proving to be a difficult book to write. It kinda borders on Hard Science Fiction and just all-out Science Fiction. It is a challenge to keep things at some sort of level so it isn't too far out there, When writing the hard stuff, I gotta remember to keep both feet on the ground and my head attached. Sometimes when I feel like I'm sailing into uncharted waters, I stop writing and listen to some good ole Country Music and indulge in a reality check.

Until whenever,
Robert Detroit
robertdetroit.com

Wordos Writer's Group

Today marks the first day I attended a writer's group. It just so happens to be in Eugene, Oregon, where it is only a hour and an half away by bus. "Only an hour and a half," you say? Well, considering the layover times and the ten minute walk to the bus station, it's really not all that bad. The group meets once a week to critique other members' stories. Mostly short stories are submitted for critique but I was informed that an occasional novel is welcome to be critiqued as well. That's good news for me; my shortest novel is over 70,000 words, hardly a short story. It was fun and I think I will join, if they allow me in. I don't think there should be a problem; everyone seems to have but one thing on their minds, to improve their writing skills.

Until later,
Robert Detroit

Updating Systems

Like the old saying goes, nothing worthwhile is ever easy. I repeat that process on a daily basis, it seems. The last little challenge was to set up wireless internet. Off to Wal-Mart I went, special trip mind you, to acquire the necessary equipment to set everything up. It should be easy right? Wrong! Inside the box along with the router, Ethernet cable, and power cord, was a CD ROM. Okay, that will walk me right through the process and explain everything in detail. Wrong again! What a waste of a perfectly good piece of plastic with a hole in the center. It explained very thoroughly how to plug in the power cord; complete with pictures, plug the Ethernet cable to the router and computer; complete with pictures, and turn everything on. Then it explained the MAC number and the SSID number, (what's that you say?), yeah, I wondered the same so I printed it out. Well, that's it for the CD ROM. All the rest of the fixings must be performed inside my new computer. Change this, change that, download this, download that, (which obviously meant hard-wiring the modem to the computer again). Overall, the "Easy Three Step Process, took me right under two hours. Not too bad, thanks to the CD ROM.

Excited

I admit, I became a little negative in my thinking pattern when the movie about Facebook came out. I threw in the towel on a novel which I felt would be a great hit. BUT, I didn't remove what I had placed on my website robertdetroit.com under 'In the Works'. After several comments on my website and questions of what I have been up to, more and more people are showing through Facebook and Twitter that they are interested in Spokes (the title of this particular novel) and where it is going. Out of all honesty, I answered I am not pursuing that novel because of the Facebook movie. Now, I have a different outlook on Spokes. I dug out the files, converted the manuscript to a usable format on my new computer and have been writing like the movie never even existed. I guess I should have kept it going although I did learn a valuable lesson. Don't let someone else's ideas bounce me out of the ballgame, my version could just topple over the one that happened to beat me to the punch! Lesson learned.

Until the next post,
Robert Detroit

A Brand New Blog

Well, It's time to start posting on this brand new blog. First off, I must give out the hyperlink to my website so you can see what I have been up to. It has a blog on it too, finding it is pretty much self-explanatory. Here it is:


www.robertdetroit.com

Now that you are back (hopefully), from viewing my website, I will be a little more in depth about what is going on with Discharge. It is sitting up at the publishers right now, waiting for a review. I followed their format guidelines to a tee but sent it in the wrong type of attachment but I resent it in .rtf later. They say that .doc and .docx attachments can carry viruses and we don't want that. That is completely understandable so I corrected it hopefully without too much hassle on their behalf. I should here from them in about four to six weeks to see if they are interested in putting it on the market. It is an exciting novel and I think it will be a seller. I will keep this blog updated...uh-huh, just like I did the last one...Yeah, right! Really now, I will at least give it my best shot. I do have to take a break every now and then and take my mind off of my new novel. More on that later.


Until then,
Robert Detroit