Buddy Gott's Writing And Reading Place

60 Thousand Words In February

2012-02-02T03:11:00.004-05:00

Some cool folks over at The Writer's Cafe on Kindleboards came up with this idea. I figured...what the hell? Go for it!

For Day 1, I did 1,368 words. I'll need to average much more than that per day to hit the 60,000 words, but I can do it. I'll post weekly updates here with my progress.

Anyone else want to join me in this? C'mon, it'll be fun!

2012 - A Buddy Gott Odyssey!

2012-01-06T19:27:00.004-05:00

Well, that was pretty dramatic, huh?

I don't know about an odyssey, but I do plan to make this a very good year for myself with my writing. I'm currently working on a short story which I'm going to publish in the next couple of weeks. That is, if it's still a short story. It looks like it may be taking on the length of a novella, which is fine, of course.

Length-wise, it will be whatever it needs to be. We'll see how it goes. Short story, novella, or even a short novel - I know I can have it done soon. I just have to make it happen. I've got a lot of free time ahead of me this weekend, so I plan to do a LOT of writing.

After this story is done, I've got three other books, all full-length novels that I'm going to work on. All three will be written and published this year.

Thanks for stopping by. Whether you're writing or reading or doing whatever it is that makes you happy, I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Enjoy!

Early December Stuff

2011-12-05T12:26:00.005-05:00

So, this wasn’t my year for NaNoWriMo. I didn’t come anywhere close to hitting 50,000 words. Am I upset? Nah. I had a lot of personal things going on and those were a higher priority than writing. Plus, what I was able to write for NaNo is still going to be useable. I’m going to work hard and try to get the story done as fast as I can.

My original writing goal for this year was to have a novel published by the end of the year. I don’t see how that’s possible now unless I put out something that would be of a lower quality than I’d like. There’s no way I’m going to do that.

So, time to change that original goal. The new goal is to finish writing the novel by the end of the year. Very doable.

I’m also toying with writing some short stories and publishing them. I’ve got a couple of ideas that I’m excited about.

It’s going to be a fun month.

NaNo, Uh Oh!

2011-11-18T13:18:00.003-05:00

So, I signed up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and was off to a pretty decent start at the beginning of the month...then things went downhill. Not so much with the story but with things that took away from my time to work on it.

I'm ridiculously behind on it now but hey, it's only November 18. Lots of time left. I can still do this!

P.S. to my friends who have been participating in NaNo and have been doing well with it: Congrats and thanks for inspiring me!

October Stuff

2011-10-12T23:57:00.005-04:00

Wow, it's been a little while since my last posting, huh? For the one or two of you who visit here, sorry about that!

Well, my novel has been coming along and my hope is that it'll be done soon. I'd love to have it completed by the end of the month and I'm going to do my best to make that happen. Thankfully, my work schedule has recently changed and I've got more writing time available.

When this book is done, I'm going to dive right into the next one. I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month next month and I'm looking forward to it.

Who knows? I might even be able to have two novels done and published by the end of the year.

That would be pretty cool. :-)

The New T.V. Season Is Here...

2011-09-20T23:54:00.003-04:00

...and there's very little about it that excites me.

I used to be a television junkie. When the new t.v. season started, I was like a kid in a candy store.

Now? Not so much.

Granted, maybe it's me and not the quality of (or lack thereof) of the shows that is making me watch less. I'm more into writing and reading now.

There's only a handful of returning shows that I'm looking forward to. These include: The Office, 30 Rock, Castle, and The Big Bang Theory. Even among those, the only "must see" one for me will be The Office. I'm looking forward to seeing how it is without Steve Carell. I'm a big James Spader fan and I bet he'll be great on there.

As far as the new shows go, I can't think of any that I'm especially interested in seeing.

Then again, who knows? There might be something new that knocks my socks off.

If not, there's more than enough books out there to keep me entertained forever.

Vacation!

2011-09-13T00:12:00.002-04:00

Thanks for stopping by, but I'm on vacation this week. Will return early next week.

Hope you have a fantastic week. Enjoy!

Holiday Weekend Writing Goal

2011-09-02T16:39:00.002-04:00

Since I'm off from work for the next couple days, I'm setting myself a big writing goal: 25,000 words by the end of the holiday weekend.

I know it's a lot, but I also know I can do it. Looking forward to the challenge. :-)

An Earthquake And A Hurricane

2011-08-28T00:19:00.002-04:00

So, I dealt with an earthquake early in the week and right now I'm dealing with a hurricane. Oh yeah, there's also been tornado warnings on and off throughout the night.

So...next week is going to be better, right?

One good thing about this past week: I bought a Kindle. Love it! Going to read it now and hopefully I won't lose electricity. But, if I do, that's why God invented flashlights.

Quitting Smoking

2011-08-21T10:19:00.002-04:00

So, I'm going to attempt to quit smoking. I've been a smoker since I was a teenager and I should have quit a long time ago.

Oh, I've tried before. Lots of times. The longest I stopped was for about six months. It was dumb to start back up again.

My workplace has a special Stop Smoking program that I've enrolled in. They just sent me a supply of nicotine patches. I'm going to start using them today.

Honestly, a big part of me doesn't want to quit. I love smoking. The thing is, I also love living.

I want to be around a long time, so the cigarettes need to go.

Wish me luck!

Slump, Be Gone!

2011-08-15T19:04:00.002-04:00

I've been in a slump lately - not just with writing, but with everything. I'm not going to bore the one or two of you who visit this blog with the personal details of why I've been in a slump, but it's stuff that I shouldn't have let get to me like I have been.

We all go through slumps. The thing is, it's up to us to get ourselves out of them as quickly as we can. Yeah, I know, easier said than done sometimes.

For me, I'm discovering that writing helps get me out of those slumps. Even if it's just a page or so...even if those pages are filled with nothing but nonsense...it helps me. Maybe it's because the old creative juices get flowing. Nine times out of ten, writing is going to make me feel good.

What was bad about my slump is that it lasted for several weeks and I barely did any writing during that time. No more. If I'm ever going to finish my current novel, I can't afford to let that happen.

I wrote for just an hour last night and it made me feel great. Not that the words were fantastic (except for the part where I actually used the word 'fantastic') but they flowed nicely and it was a fun session at the keyboard.

From here on out, I'm going to make it a point to write every day - slumps or no slumps.

I'm also going to make it a point to update this blog at least twice a week. I've been slacking on it and that's made me feel bad.

So, please stop back again soon. I've got some fun things in mind for this place that I'm looking forward to doing.

All the best to you. Have a great day!

Buddy

Check Out A New Novel By A Friend Of Mine!

2011-07-31T00:01:00.008-04:00

I want to congratulate my friend Wenona Hulsey. She just released her first novel, Burden Of Blood.

Here's the info on it:

No one wants to know everyone’s darkest secrets, especially not police officer, Nicole Keenan. All she wants is a blissfully normal life in the small, Alabama town where she was born. But as generations of power running through her veins start to wake up, an ancient grudge is ignited that threatens to push her over the edge. She can hardly believe in what she is, let alone that a dark force will not stop until she's joins them. Or is dead.
Nicole Keenan's life enters into a dangerous dance with warriors and gothic fairies. Southern tradition collides with Irish folklore as she learns about love, heartbreak, and The Burden of Blood.

And, here's a little bit of info about the author:

Author Wenona Hulsey spends her time scaling roof tops, kicking bad guy tail and rescuing small kittens from tree tops. But during the time when she isn’t asleep, she’s a mother of two beautiful children and fiancé to the man of her dreams. She lives vicariously through great books and creates magical worlds in her spare time. She is also an avid social networker, who loves to meet new people. You can friend her on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/WenonaHulsey, like her on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/WenonaHulseyAuthor or follow along on her Blog http://wenonahulsey.blogspot.com/.

Again, congrats to you, Wenona. I wish you the best of luck with your novel!

Bummed About Borders

2011-07-28T19:17:00.002-04:00

When I checked my emails this morning, I found one from Borders announcing the latest deals in their GOING OUT OF BUSINESS sale. I was off from work today, so I figured it was a good time to go to my local Borders store and see what kind of deals I could find for myself.

The place was packed. I hadn't seen the parking lot that full since I went shopping there last Christmas Eve. (Note to self: Don't go shopping ANYWHERE on Christmas Eve any more. You're just going to make yourself crazy.)

This particular store opened sometime in the 90's and it's been my favorite book store since then. I'm sure I've been in there hundreds of times. As I walked through it today, I was hit by many great memories of the place. I was remembering times there with multiple ex-girlfriends, with my parents and with my friends. I remembered the many book signings I'd been to there, including one in which I met Henry Winkler, one of my childhood heroes. I also thought of the way I used to daydream about one day having my own book signings there.

Lots of great memories.

I'm sorry to see the store (and the whole chain) go. Although there's a Barnes & Noble just a mile or so up the road from there, it's never been the same for me as Borders.

As the discounted prices get even better in the coming weeks, I know I'll be making at least a few more trips there. It's going to be a real bummer though when I exit out of those doors for the final time.

Dinner With An Old Friend by Buddy Gott

2011-07-06T00:22:00.011-04:00

Me and Sam sat across from each other at my kitchen table and were about to have dinner. It was supposed to be a happy occasion, but Sam knew me well and he could tell something was bothering me.

“What’s wrong with you?” He asked. “After all these years, we finally did it. Why aren’t you happy?”

“I don’t know. Even though we hated him, maybe we shouldn’t have killed him,” I said.

Sam looked at me like I was crazy. “What? All the rotten things he did to us and now you’re feeling guilty? ”

“Maybe we went too far,” I said. “Sure, he did a lot of bad things, but maybe we should have forgiven him.”

“Forgiven him? Pink snowbunnies would have had to ski in hell before I ever forgave him. He had this coming!”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” I looked down at what was in the dinner bowls that sat in front of each of us. “I just can’t believe we’re about to eat him.”

Sam let out a big laugh. “Don’t go trying to fool me, pal. You’ve been wanting to do this as much as I have and you know it.”

I put my nose close to my bowl and took a whiff. “He does smell kind of delicious, doesn’t he?”

“Then, what are we waiting for?” Sam asked. “Let’s dig in.”

We both began eating and all my earlier concerns were put to rest. “This is the best wabbit stew I’ve ever had,” I said.

“I agree, Elmer. Now, could you pass me a little salt, please?”

Monday Stuff

2011-06-27T10:48:00.003-04:00

Hello, my friends! The last Monday of June is upon us. Wow. This year is flying by quickly. On the other hand, in some ways, it feels like this year has been very long.

I know, for myself, I'm not where I'd hoped to be by this point in the year. I'd hoped to have my novel finished and published by now, but I'm still a good distance away from that happening.

Well, you know the old saying - you can't rush genius!

Since I'm NOT a genius, that doesn't apply to me, so I'm going to work harder and do what I need to do in a more timely manner.

On a personal note, I'm going to quit smoking soon. I've been a smoker for a very long time and I should have quit a long time ago. I'll keep you informed on my progress with it.

And, since this place is called Buddy Gott's Writing And Reading Place, I'll tell you what I've read recently.

I just finished HOW I SOLD 1 MILLION EBOOKS IN 5 MONTHS by John Locke. If you're an apiring writer, I think this book is a good investment. It's mostly about how Locke marketed his books andd there's some great advice in there.

I'm currently reading THE NOVEL WRITER'S TOOLKIT by Bob Mayer. I know Bob mainly from Twitter, the Kindle Boards, and from visiting his website. He's a very talented writer and I'm thoroughly enjoying this book so far. Not only is it full of good advice, but Bob Mayer's got a great writing style that's fun to read.

That's it for now. Hope you all have a fun and exciting week!

Watch Me Die!

2011-06-15T02:23:00.003-04:00

Want to read a great mystery filled with a lot of humor? If so, then do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of WATCH ME DIE by Lee Goldberg.

This book was originally published as THE MAN WITH THE IRON-ON BADGE. Goldberg just recently changed the cover and title.

I read it about five years ago and loved it. For no reasons that make sense, the book didn't get very much attention when it was first released. Goldberg is hoping that the new cover, new title and great ebook price make a difference this time.

I hope so too, because I'd love to see this book become the first in a series featuring the main character, Harvey Mapes.

For more about Harvey and the book, here's the book description from Amazon.com:

"As dark and twisted as anything Hammett or Chandler ever dreamed up...." Kirkus, Starred Review

"Approaching the level of Lawrence Block is no mean feat, but Goldberg succeeds with this engaging PI novel." Publishers Weekly

Harvey Mapes is a 26-year-old security guard who spends his nights in a guard shack outside a gated community in Southern California, reading detective novels, watching reruns, and waiting for his life to finally start... which happens when Cyril Parkus, one of the wealthy residents, asks Harvey to follow his beautiful wife Lauren.

The lowly security guard jumps at the opportunity to fulfill his private eye fantasies and use everything he's learned from Spenser, Magnum, and Mannix. But things don't exactly go according to the books...or the reruns. As Harvey fumbles and stumbles through his first investigation, he discovers that the differences between fiction and reality can be deadly.

With the help of his mortgage broker neighbor and occasional lover Carol, Harvey uncovers a blackmail plot that takes a sudden and unexpectedly tragic turn...plunging him into a world of violence, deception and murder... and forcing him to discover what it really takes to be a private eye.

(This book was previously released under the title "The Man With the Iron-On Badge" and nominated for Best Novel by the Private Eye Writers of America)

CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR "WATCH ME DIE"

"A wonderfully fresh voice in the mystery genre, Goldberg will delight fans of Janet Evanovich and Robert Crais," - Rick Riordan, author of "Percy Jackson & the Olympians"

"Lee Goldberg bravely marches into territory already staked out by some fierce competition--Donald Westlake, Lawrence Block, the early Harlan Coben--and comes out virtually unscathed." The Chicago Tribune

"Goldberg has a knack for combining just the right amount of humor and realism with his obvious love for the PI genre and his own smart ass sensibilities. [...]A terrific read. Goldberg is the real deal and should be on everyone's must read list." Crimespree Magazine

"A quick, fun read with a satisfying and unexpected ending. Harvey Mapes is a hero I hope we see in a sequel." -- Phillip Margolin, author of "Gone But Not Forgotten"

Click here to go to Amazon's page for the book. Enjoy!

Currently Reading...

2011-06-07T00:11:00.001-04:00

A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF by Lawrence Block. I'm halfway through it and I love it.

Goodreads, Anyone?

2011-06-03T13:01:00.002-04:00

Hey, are any of you on Goodreads? I'm new to the site, but it looks like a fun place. If you're on there, let me know or friend me.

Have an awesome weekend!

Song Of The Week: "I'm Alright" by Kenny Loggins

2011-06-03T12:38:00.011-04:00

My friend Tiffany White just did a great post on her blog about the movie Caddyshack, which made me think of this awesome song by Kenny Loggins.

Kenny might be best known for his ballads, but the man can really rock out when he wants to.

On a personal note, it's always kind of bugged me that I can't grow a beard as cool as Kenny's.

Is It June Already? Groovy!

2011-06-01T13:46:00.004-04:00

Wow, I can't believe it's already June. On one hand, it seems like this year has been flying by at a ridiculously fast pace. On the remaining hand (yeah, I know that's not the typical way to say it, but I like to be different,) the year has been dragging big time!

Have I accomplished all I'd hoped to accomplish by this point in the year?

Nope. Not even close.

That doesn't mean that I'm writing myself off though. I'm determined to make June a good month. The things that I let drag me down and hold me back before, aren't going to keep being obstacles for me. Well, maybe they'll still be obstacles, but they're going to be obstacles that I'll overcome.

(Note To Self: You've reached your limit on the use of the word "obstacles" for the month. Consult a thesaurus if you need to use that word again.)

I plan to write like crazy this month and finish my novel ASAIC (as soon as I can.)
Then I'll pass it on to some friends so they can check it for errors and story problems and then I'll publish it.

I'm looking forward to all of it.

Thanks for stopping by. I'll be posting again soon. I need to come up with a groovy Song Of The Week to post. And don't judge me for using the word "groovy," okay? If Phil Collins and Greg Brady can use it, then so can I.

Aloha,

BG

Song Of The Week: "What About Me" by Moving Pictures

2011-05-08T22:39:00.003-04:00

This is one of the great forgotten songs of the 80's. It was huge back then, but sadly, it's one you never hear now. I think most people can relate to the lyrics. All of us have felt this way at times.

I used to love this one. Used to? Nah, I still love it!

Some Great Books For Aspiring Novelists

2011-05-02T22:53:00.024-04:00

Lawrence Block has been my favorite writer since I was a teenager. Between his own name and under various pseudonyms, he's written and published close to (if not more than) a hundred novels.

For years, he wrote a fiction column for Writer's Digest magazine. There have been four books (and a fifth one is on the way) compiled from those columns.

These are the first two: WRITING THE NOVEL: FROM PLOT TO PRINT and TELLING LIES FOR FUN AND PROFIT: A MANUAL FOR FICTION WRITERS.

Both books contain a lot of great information. Not only are they educational, but they're fun to read. Block has a great writing style and he includes quite a bit of humor in these books.

I know a lot of you are aspiring novelists, so I thought some of you might be interested in these books. They're both now available on Amazon. You can get WRITING THE NOVEL here and TELLING LIES FOR FUN AND PROFIT (I love that title!) here.

Note: Don't do that 'Click To Look Inside' thing on the above pictures. You'll have to go to Amazon for that to work. :-)

Question Of The Week: What Book Have You Reread The Most Often?

2011-05-01T17:45:00.003-04:00

Most of us have books that we like to read over and over again. I've done it a lot with Lawrence Block's books. I think the one I've read most often is BURGLARS CAN'T BE CHOOSERS. Great book.

So, I ask you: What book have you reread the most often?

Song Of The Week: Overkill by Men At Work

2011-05-01T17:38:00.002-04:00

Over the years, this song has grown from a song that I liked to a song that I loved. It currently holds the title of My Favorite Song.

Enjoy, my friends!

ROW80 Update: Resetting Of Writing Goals

2011-04-27T23:12:00.003-04:00

Well, I haven't been doing so great lately with my writing goal of 1000 words per day. When I sit myself down to write, I usually don't struggle with words and more often than not, I can hit 1000 words or whatever my goal is for that particular writing session.

The thing is, I haven't been making myself do it every day. I'm not going to make excuses here, but I've been doing what I've heard some of my other writer friends say they also have a problem with: getting distracted by online things like Facebook, Twitter, Kindle Boards, writers' blogs, etc.

While it's great to spend a lot of time reading about writing online, I'm no longer going to let myself get wrapped up in it to the point where it's taking away from the writing that I need to do for myself.

I'm going to set a little rule for myself: I have to write at least 500 words each day before I allow myself to goof around online. I still want to set 1000 words total as my daily goal and I know it'll be easy to do it as long as I keep my focus.

As for my bigger goal, I've decided to work as hard as I can and have the first draft of my novel done by the end of May.

Gotta go now and get back to work. Hope you all have an awesome weekend!

My Review Of THESE HELLISH HAPPENINGS By Jennifer Rainey

2011-04-20T21:59:00.005-04:00

I just posted this on Amazon:

4/5 Stars

I loved this book. The characters in it are great, the story moves at a very nice pace, and the writing itself is exceptional.

I also want to say that I love the humor in this story. The humor is a little dark at times, but I've always had a taste for dark humor. There's some great stuff in here that made me laugh out loud while reading it.

It's almost hard to believe that this is Jennifer Rainey's first novel. She's crafted her characters and story with the kind of skill that you usually only see in novelists with a long list of books to their credits.

I'm very glad I read this book and I'm anxiously looking forward to the next book in this series.

For further information, or to purchase this book, here's the page for it on Amazon.

Latest Row80 Update

2011-04-17T20:32:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm happy to say that I've been reaching my goal of at least 1000 words per day. It was a busy week and I was hoping to accomplish more than I did, but I'm not complaining.

This week I'm going to shoot for higher word counts per day. I'm in a good place right now with the writing and I feel it's going to be a great week in which I get a lot done.

Starting tomorrow. Right now I need to work on my taxes. I hear they're due pretty soon.

Song Of The Week: "Mayor Of Simpleton" by XTC

2011-04-17T01:19:00.008-04:00

A new feature here on the blog, in which I subject you to songs that I love.

I can't say I know a lot by XTC, but I've always loved "Mayor Of Simpleton." Basically, it's about a guy who is fully aware that he's not the brightest guy in the world, but he's okay with it because he knows one thing: he's in love and that's all that matters to him.

Here's the video for the song, followed by the lyrics, which are brilliant. Enjoy!

MAYOR OF SIMPLETON

Never been near a university,
never took a paper or a learned degree,
and some of your friends think that's stupid of me,
but it's nothing that I care about.

Well I don't know how to tell the weight of the sun,
and of mathematics well I want none,
and I may be the Mayor of Simpleton,
but I know one thing and that's I love you.

When their logic grows cold and all thinking gets done,
you'll be warm in the arms of the Mayor of Simpleton.

I can't have been there when brains were handed round,
(please be upstanding for the Mayor of Simpleton)
or get past the cover of your books profound,
(please be upstanding for the Mayor of Simpleton)
and some of your friends thinks it's really unsound that
you're ever seen talking to me.

Well I don't know how to write a big hit song,
and all crossword puzzles well I just shun,
and I may be the Mayor of Simpleton,
but I know one thing and that's I love you.

I'm not proud of the fact that I never learned much,
just feel I should say,
what you get is all real I can't put on an act,
it takes brains to do that anyway. (And anyway...)

And I can't unravel riddles, problems and puns,
how the home computer has me on the run,
and I may be the Mayor of Simpleton,
but I know one thing and that's I love you (I love you).

If depth of feeling is a currency,
(please be upstanding for the Mayor of Simpleton)
then I'm the man who grew the money tree.
(no chain of office and no hope of getting one)

Some of your friends are too brainy to see that they're paupers
and that's how they'll stay.

Well I don't know how many pounds make up a ton
of all the Nobel prizes that I've never won,
and I may be the Mayor of Simpleton,
but I know one thing and that's I love you.

When all logic grows cold and all thinking gets done,
you'll be warm in the arms of the Mayor of Simpleton.
You'll be warm in the arms of the Mayor of Simpleton.
You'll be warm in the arms of the Mayor.
(Please be upstanding for the Mayor of Simpleton.)

Ah, I Love It When Things Start Coming Together!

2011-04-14T23:35:00.003-04:00

Well, if you're here on this page to check out my ROW80 update I was supposed to do yesterday, there isn't one to see. I did get some writing done this week, but it was nowhere near as much as I'd hoped to have accomplished.

On the other hand...

What I DID manage to accomplish the past couple of days has made me very happy. There was a big part of my book's story that had been giving me problems and I was struggling with it a lot.

I didn't outline before I started writing the book. Even though I thought I had a pretty good idea where I was going with the story, I was starting to wonder if I'd made a big mistake by not outlining. I was happy with most of the work I'd done, but a lot of crucial pieces were missing and I wasn't sure which way to go next.

Then, almost out of nowhere, I got "the idea." I was just sitting around having a cup of coffee and this idea for the story just popped into my head. I thought it through for a few minutes and then realized that this one little new idea was going to solve a lot of the problems I'd been having.

I'm not saying the rest of the book is going to write itself. I know I've got a lot of hard work to do. Still, I now have a much clearer vision of what I want and now I have a better plan on how to get there.

Like I said, I love it when things start coming together!

Question Of The Week: What New Music Have You Purchased (Or Stolen) Recently?

2011-04-11T12:31:00.003-04:00

As I said in my last posting, I've decided to do a Question Of The Week here. Sometimes it will have to do with writing or reading, but sometimes it won't.

This one obviously falls into the won't category.

I'm a music junkie. I've been buying music for almost as long as I can remember. I've got my favorites, of course, but I'm always looking for something new to try out.

So, tell me, what new music have you purchased (or stolen) recently? And how do you like it?

A Round Of Words - Week #1, Update #2

2011-04-11T01:11:00.002-04:00

It hasn't been going too badly so far. I can't say that I've been reaching my goal of a 1000 words every day, but I've at least been close each day.

I'm going to work harder at it this week.

One thing I've noticed is that I often seem to get more writing done when I do it somewhere other than home. I love taking my laptop to either a coffee place or the library. I put on my headphones, listen to some good music, and then I write like crazy.

I guess it has to do with having less distractions at those places. Whatever the reason, I'm going to make it a more regular part of my writing routine. If I can write more at places other than home, then so be it.

I've also set some new writing goals for myself. Not for my novel, but for this blog.

In addition to these ROW80 updates which are taking place on Sundays and Wednesdays, I've decided to post here at least two other times each week.

I know I'll be doing occasional book reviews here, but I also want to do things like a QUESTION OF THE WEEK, in which I ask a random question about writing or reading or whatever the heck I feel like asking. Then we can hopefully have some fun conversations about the answers.

Also, even though the focus here is going to be about writing and reading, I think I'll mix it up once and awhile and throw in posts that are on totally different topics.

I promise though to keep it light. You'll never see me starting up conversations about religion or politics.

Also, it won't be until at least September before I start talking about how the Philadelphia Eagles are going to be in next year's Super Bowl.

A Round Of Words: Week 1, Update #1

2011-04-06T22:39:00.002-04:00

So, we're three days into this thing. One of the goals that I had set for myself was that I wanted to write a minimum of 1000 words per day.

I knew going into this that some days it might be hard to reach that goal and that if I didn't reach it, I shouldn't beat myself up too much about it.

Well, I fell a little short on Monday and only had time to do around 550 words. I wasn't happy about that at the time, but I let it go. The last two days have been much better. I knocked out 1078 words yesterday and 1190 today.

I feel pretty good about how it's going so far.

I know for myself, it's very beneficial if I make a schedule of the times that I should be devoting to writing each day. I work in retail and I don't have a set work schedule. My hours there change from week to week. Me having and sticking to a set writing schedule on those days is crucial if I want to reach my writing goals.

So far, so good. :-)

My review of LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...THE REDEEMERS by Michael Scott Miller

2011-04-03T21:46:00.002-04:00

5.0 out of 5 stars I Loved This Book, April 3, 2011
By Buddy Gott (New Castle, DE USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Ladies and Gentlemen...The Redeemers (Kindle Edition)

I was torn as to whether I should give this book four or five stars. I know I loved the book, but it's very rare I give out five stars. To me, five stars means close to perfection.

But, the more I thought about it, I realized that this book did exactly what great books are supposed to do: it totally captivated me and entertained me.

I was wrapped up in the story right from the beginning and it held me right to the end. Not only did I love the story, but I also loved the characters. Some of the characters in here are not the most loveable people in the world. They've got some serious flaws and issues and do some things that most of us wouldn't like done to us. But that's life, right? All of us have flaws and we all screw up from time to time. It was nice to see some very realistic characters in this story.

I think what I loved most about this book is that it's sort of the Rocky of rock and roll stories. You've got a bunch of underdogs here who are trying to go for their dreams. The road to those dreams sure isn't easy at times, but it sure is fun to travel that road alongside these characters and watch how they try to get there.

ROW80 - A Round Of Words In 80 Days

2011-04-03T19:42:00.008-04:00

I just heard about ROW80 yesterday and it intrigued me. It's a writing challenge that I heard someone compare to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month.) Unlike NaNoWriMo, which is shooting for a minimum of 50,000 words in 30 days, there are different rules and goals for ROW80.

Maybe I've got it wrong, but it seems you just set your own writing goals for an 80 day period and post those goals on your website - just like I'm about to do in this posting. Then you update it twice a week to let other participants know how you're doing. To start out, you go to their site and register by posting a link to whatever site/blog/whatever you'll be posting your goals and updates on. Sounds like a piece of cake...well, at least so far.

For those interested in joining in on this, here's a link to the site.

MY GOALS FOR ROW80

My main goal for ROW80 is this: Finish writing my novel! I say finish, but that's being generous. I really don't have much done on it yet. I've got several chapters written, but a lot of it is material that's been sort of practice material to give me an idea of the story and the characters. Now it's time to do the bulk of the real work and I'm very excited about it.

As for my daily writing goals, these may change as the weeks go by, but right now I'm going to set my goal at a minimum of 1000 words per day. That's a lot, but I know I can do it.

Best of luck to any other participants who are reading this. I hope you reach whatever goals you set for yourself!

It...It...It's Alive!

2011-04-03T02:30:00.004-04:00

This blog page, that is. After years of not blogging, I'm back at it again.

God help you all.

I've gotten very serious about writing recently. My current plan is to self publish my novel within the next few months. I've still got a lot of work to do on it, but I'm going to really shoot for a June (at the latest) deadline. The plan for this blog is to talk about....well, like it says at the top of the page, writing and reading. I'll be sharing some of the process of writing and publishing my novel and I'm also hoping to have some fun conversations here with fellow writers about writing.

Plus, since I read a lot, I'll also be sharing some reviews and thoughts on stories that I read and asking others about their opinions on what they've been reading.

Finally, there's going to be lots and lots of porn here. After all, who doesn't love porn?

Okay, that porn stuff was totally a joke and there will be none of it here. I just wanted to see if you were still paying attention.

Anyway, it's very late here and it's time to wrap up this first posting. I'll be adding some more things here tomorrow.