What I’ve Learned

It’s been almost three months since I’ve updated this blog. Time flies, I suppose, though I’ve been busy with my other blog, finishing up Barbed Wire Kisses, and prepping four Bandersnatch Books first release.

Rich Ristow and I have put together our own micro/small press business after months of research and seeing what works and what doesn’t. During that time, we’ve managed to get some great names to submit work, and though we only have one announcement at the moment, as well as submission guidelines for 2-3 other anthologies, there are also chapbooks on the horizon that we’ll be pleased as hell to publish.

While others natter on about the Legion, and continue to throw salt in their own self inflicted wounds, I’ve been busy doing the work. I haven’t been afraid to get my hands dirty, make some sacrifices and determine my own destiny. Wallowing in the past, refusing to accept responsibility, and blaming others is not my cup of tea. It’s not professional and it certainly accomplishes nothing. However, watching others has taught me a few things.

1: True friends know what constructive criticism is, and accept it openly.

2: Just because someone says they can do layout, doesn’t mean they can.

3: If you’re the boss, whether you think you’re wrong or not, you accept blame and shut up about it. You don’t blame writers or editors. And you certainly don’t name them in blog postings.

4: Those who spout out that they know everything about everything, generally know nothing except how to puff up their own ego.

5: 95% of problems can be solved by communication, and not petty attacks.

6: Cutting your losses can be painful or blissful-sometimes both.

7: Don’t talk about the poor pay structure of other small presses when you do the same yourself.

8: It’s always easier to point a finger at others while ignoring the reflection in the mirror.

It’s with these hard learned lessons that Rich and I embark on a new project, a new chapter, now divested of the petty drama, self indulgence, ignorance, and inflamed ego that we’ve both experienced.

When Sense Becomes Nonsense

I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. You can’t wallow in the mud without getting any on you, and being mistaken for other pigs in the pen.

Which has happened to The Rusty Nail.  After spending years of watching and reporting their antics, Rusty has been developing some of the same symptoms: looking for anything little thing to latch onto, whether it makes sense or not, confusing discussion with attacks, lashing out at people for no reason at all.  It started a few months ago with a comment Daggy made on someone’s blog, the blog writer gave a non committal response, and he was branded a nitwit for no particular reason.

Next Nick Cato posted a generic positive review of Daggy’s short story collection, and snark went up about that, in spite of the fact Nick is well respected in the field, and the review was hardly a rave.

Most recently, Rusty posted about Phailbin and one of his numerous posts of 9/11 paranoia, taking him to task for bad math. then went into her own nitwitesque rant about Obama’s health care plan. Others disagreed with her, or pointed out the way Phailbin did his math, and got invective hurled at them. Myself included. Now this isn’t a grudge, as anyone who’s read my blog, know that Nikita has said some of the most horrible things anyone could say.

It is however a plea for Rusty to take a look at her behavior, and maybe take a step back and look at things objectively. I have nothing but respect and admiration for what she’d done at The Rusty Nail, but there’s a fine line between on reporting the news and becoming the news.

The Yearly Shedding of the Skin

So I turn 44 today.

Hard to believe I’ve made it this far, really. I look in the mirror and see a middle aged man, losing hair and gaining weight. A few more wrinkles, a couple of extra aches and pains, but my mind still says I’m 19. Well, in all honesty my mind was never to be trusted at the best of times.

I look back over the past year, and have every reason to be depressed-at least on the surface. I was laid off and have been looking for work for eight months now; Mom’s health is getting weaker, I lost my cat, ad infinitum. However, I’m filled with an energy and excitement I haven’t had for a very long time.

I owe that to a pair of serial killers. As I write “Barbed Wire Kisses” I’ve never enjoyed my writing more.  The responses I’ve received to the first chapter have only built up my confidence, given me the hope that I can do this thing we call writing. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that people like what you do.

Here’s what I’ve been told:

Just read the chapter and the synopsis. I loved it.
Wicked as hell.
I think this work of your has great potential.
And the setting intrigues me even more.

I think this opening works well. Honestly, it’s engaging, cleanly written with minor errors, and as far as story goes, it instantly pulls the reader in. The scene is raw, brutal, impacting! I definitely grimaced a time or two. It doesn’t turn me off, and quite honestly I do want to know more. Why this girl? Why’d they start killing, and why in such an odd manner? Also, the brother aspect intrigues me. I’m not faced with a single serial killer at the opening, but rather you show the reader two killers, even though we can tell Micah is the leader. I think it’s a good start! :-

I finished the first chapter, mouth agape all the while; it’s cleanly written and certainly engaging: the brutality is, as you say, “Ketchum-like,” but that’s a good thing.  It kept me reading and, like your editor, I’m quite interested to see how you develop the story over 50 or 60 thousand words.  To be honest, this is not my usual cup of tea, but you’ve developed enough of a story, in those first few pages, to get me interested (again, mouth agape).  I think it’ll be a winner for you, Scott…

How could anyone not be excited to have that kind of positive feedback? Now my job is not to disappoint. The best birthday present is the one I’ve received of confidence. Friendships begun last year have only gotten stronger.

The future holds nothing but promise, something these cynical old bones never thought he would say without a healthy dose of snark.

I’m grateful to each and every one of you who have been there for me, and can honestly say, that the best is yet to come.

Some New Digs

Well, new digs may not be quite accurate. I have a new blog over here: www.scottcolbert.com . This is my writing blog. Over the course of the next couple of weeks I’ll be migrating some posts on writing from here over to there.

Does this mean I’m giving up raingods weblog? Not a chance. While my posts on the Legion have dropped as of late, they’ll always have a home here. Also my WoW posts, recipes, and cat shennanigans will remain here as well. As I get deeper into the writing of “Barbed Wire Kisses” I wanted to detail the process of that writing, and have a foundation for a more serious site once it gets published.

Please bookmark the new site, and I hope you enjoy what I have going on over there!

Blue Canoe Now Available

Just a brief update to let everyone know that T.M. Wright’s new novel “Blue Canoe” is now available. Having read a .pdf of it , i can tell you it’s one of his very best, if not the best book he’s written. I’m working on a review and will have that up by the end of the weekend.  In the meantime order your copy here: http://store.pspublishing.co.uk/acatalog/blue_canoe_hc.html

Odds N Ends

Posts have been a bit slow, as there’s not been much to write about recently. For those interested, I have pics from my mountain getaway posted over here http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012676&id=1465911984. It was a well deserved and much needed getaway. My only complaint is it wasn’t long enough (insert dirty joke here).  It rained the first day we were there, but much sun and low temperatures the next 3 days. There are cabins to rent there that can house up to 22 people and I was thinking what a great place for a writer’s getaway sometime.  Lakeside/Pinetop is one of my favorite places in AZ, and I hope to get there more often.

While the housing market is seeing a bit of an upturn, the job market here is still sadly depressed. It’s slow going finding a job, and while I have 3 months or so left on unemployment, before applying for extended benefits, it’s looking rather grim right now. At least it gives me time for my writing, a great segue into…

Barbed Wire Kisses is coming along slowly. I had a writing spurt yesterday of 2600 words for a scene I had problems writing. It was one of the more graphic and violent scenes I’ve written, and it was hard to get through, but at least it’s done.  As I’ve said elsewhere, I’m a fairly slow writer, most days I write 1000-1500 words; I take my time and sort of edit as I go, and while it may not work for others it works for me. As a consequence it takes me awhile to finish my work, though I’m far happier with the final result than if I whip through something. I’ve done a lot of research on AZ in the late 1800’s, including mining towns, the army forts, the apache wars, etc, in an effort to add as much detail and realism as I can. In the end I’ve still taken plenty of liberties with the geography, and have no problems with that as I’ll say so on an acknowledgments page, but still, it’s been a lot of work.

My Mom has now officially the 21st Century and gotten herself a facebook page. I  swear if she gets a twitter account, I’m giving up my net access!

Gone Fishing

What a week it’s been. I started to get a boil on my ass late last week, and all this week it’s been festering, until it finally came to a head last night and popped. for about 9 days I couldn’t sit-or do it for very long, and writing was impossible.  Bad enough, but I’ve had a trip to Pinetop scheduled for this weekend, and wasn’t looking forward to a 4 hour drive with a boil on my sit upon. Thankfully it’s better now, and I can at least sit without the pain I had.

Tomorrow I take my cat to the “pet resort” for boarding, and I’ll stay at my Mom’s, and then Sunday we head off to cooler climes. The last 7 of 8 days the temp here has been 112 or above, and I’m ready for a break. I’ll be back Wednesday and hope to have some pictures to post. I’ll be bringing my laptop with me, as well as my my Sprint wifi modem, but unsure if it will work there. If not I hope everyone has a great weekend, and if it does, I’ll do some blogging while I’m there.

Updates

New kitty Garp is adjusting nicely, aside from his obsession with watching the water swirl down the toilet. The sound of a flush is enough to send him running out of a dead sleep. I’ll try and get a picture posted as soon as he sits still long enough for one.  He loves playing and running far more than I have the energy for, but I do it anyway.  He’s a sweet cat, and I’m glad I have him in my life.

The writing is coming along nicely, if not quickly. Death In Common should be coming out in the next few weeks; I’m waiting for notes on my other poem for the second DIC collection, and Barbed Wire Kisses is almost ready to be sent out for some critiques (well the first chapter anyway).

Summer is sort of my hibernation season. As the temperature goes up, my productivity seems to go down. Quite honestly, when the temp goes over 105, I’m pretty useless.  Still, I’m trying to get at least 1000 words a day done on the rewrite of BWK.

This will be a laid back weekend. Watching the musical 1776 with my family, gril some burgers and watch some fireworks. Oh, and laundry. Lots of laundry.

Test

Okay, so I’m writing this from my iPod touch.
Not a way to do it on a regular basis but will do in a pinch.

Hypocrisy in Action

The King of Pop is dead.

Physically anyway, his mind, talent and sould died a long time ago. I admit, I’ve never been a big MJ fan. I did like the Jackson 5 as I grew up, but always found Jackson, well annoying. I did like the Thriller video a lot, but never managed to like the song. I always found him to be highly overrated, and questioned people’s musical taste.

His death doesn’t change that. Nor does it change the countless surgeries, baby dangling, molestation charges, Bubbles the Chimp, Neverland and every other freakish thing printed about him.

His real legacy isn’t his music, it’s how one person, who apparently was never tightly wrapped to begin with, could be so consumed by delusions and fantasy simply because he had the money to indulge himself. In spite of what he’d done in the past, he hadn’t done much lately, other than make plans to perform with his family. his, is a story of tragedy, a tragedy of his own making. All the masks, surgery, oxygen tanks and money couldn’t save him.  The statues and paintings of nude boys that had been up for auction couldn’t save him. In the end, nothing could, except himself, and he was either too arrogant, or dumb to see that.

And now, he’s finally escaped his demons, family, fame, court cases and money problems.

Which is more than he deserves.

And yet the gnashing of teeth, the wailing wall of pop culture, will forget all the things that made him a staple of jokes for the last 20-30 years.  Today they shed tears for his passing, while yesterday that laughed at him for passing his skin off as white. Hypocrisy knows no bounds, and I’m beginning to think it’s become our nation’s true pasttime.