Last Blog of the Year

            And so, another year passes, as they do. They just keep flying by, don’t they? It was a decent year, as years go.

            Business went well for Ringcrafts, although we’re currently pouring time into improving it more – we've realized we’re spending too high a percentage of our income on materials and booking shows, so we’re looking to streamline everything. Unfortunately, this probably means our prices will be going up throughout the year (although we still have a lot of numbers to crunch before we know for sure).

            On the writing front, while I didn't get published this year, I got something nearly as valuable – actual feedback from a number of agents. This means that I'm getting to understand the query process well enough to get my foot in the door. The downside is that I learned my first book straddles the middle grade and young adult target audiences and, as such, is unlikely to be picked up in the publishing industry (which wants everything to fit neatly into a category).

            Since I did the silly thing that writers aren't supposed to do and wrote a full trilogy as my first books, this means I can’t query for any of my first three books until I rewrite the first one so that it’ll appeal to publishers. On the bright side, my fourth book is ready for querying in the new year and I have very high hopes for it. Meanwhile, my fifth book is nearing completion – although I'm cutting it awfully close on the book a year thing.

            I could summarize the rest of the year, but if you’re interested, all you have to do is read the previous blog posts. So, I’ll finish by wishing you all a happy New Year. I hope it brings much joy and chocolate. I mean happiness.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Deathstar the Christmas Tree

            Today I shall share with you the story of our first Christmas tree, since 'tis the season.

            For those of you who've follow this blog, you’ll know that over the spring and summer, Colleen and I were involved in some extensive renovations to convert her parents’ house into two separate units – one for us and one for them. I don’t think I mentioned it before, but we actually did move over the summer as well.

            Anyway, Colleen went out hunting Christmas trees with her family, only looking for one for them since we don’t really have space for one. However, while they were out, they came across what can only be described as a spherical tree and Colleen fell in love with it. So, they grabbed it as well as their own tree.

            As it turned out, this particular tree had been targeted by an insect that specifically eats the tops (and only the tops) of evergreen trees. Since the tree was a write-off anyway, it was given for free (with thanks for saving them the work of getting rid of it themselves).

            The tree was promptly brought home and suspended from the ceiling – yes, that’s right, it’s hanging from the ceiling – with a container for water attached to its stump. Today, we finally got it decorated with our combination of traditional and geeky decorations.

            So, without further ado, I give you the first Christmas tree of our own Colleen and I have had – Deathstar, the spherical Christmas tree. It’s a shame that no future tree is likely to compare.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Twisty Plot Expectations and Predictions

            I have frequently frustrated my wife with the ability to predict plot twists that she never saw coming. Sometimes we’d be watching a TV show and I’d say “Oh, this person is going to use that piece of information they just got to their advantage later” and when she asked how I knew it, I’d say it was a momentary facial expression of the actor. In Frozen, I knew who the surprise villain was the moment he came on screen. When asked how, I was able to say that the situation was just far too convenient – plus (and this is the part Colleen hates the most) he happened to have the same sideburns as some villains in Tangled.

            There is far more to it than the subtle clues, though. Stories have arcs that they follow, there are certain patterns that are expected. If those patterns aren't followed, the story doesn't resonate with us as well – or the outcome is too obvious for the audience. Funnily enough, that's exactly what makes them easier to predict.

            Surprisingly, I couldn't put words to all of these patterns, but I do have an instinct for them. If I pointed to a specific one, I could tell you why it’s important to have. Other than that, I just “know” the route a story is supposed to take – a very useful talent for a writer.

            In fact, that very thing happened when Colleen and I went to see Big Hero 6 this week. Colleen and I pretty much had the theatre to ourselves (you know that thing Sheldon from Big Bang Theory does in theatres? She did that), so we happily whispered out plot predictions to each other. Who was it behind the mask? We each had a theory on the twist, but it wasn't until after we found out which of us was right that I put the thought into exactly why the one character was better than the other, specifically that the wrong option had too minor a role (sorry if I'm a bit vague – I'm trying to avoid spoilers. It was an excellent movie and the short at the beginning was amazing).

            So, you might wonder what enjoyment I can get out of stories if I can predict the outcome. Does it lessen my enjoyment that the plot twists don’t surprise me? Quite the opposite. For me, I thoroughly enjoy predicting the outcomes based on the evidence presented by the story teller. Foreshadowing is important in stories because, without it, there is no evidence to support the plot twist. As a result, I feel that if the creator of a story did a really good job, I should be able to predict the outcome.

            Now I just need to hone my skills so I can predict the future. After all, life is just a really long story, right?

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Who Are They And Where Do They Go?

            I never really notice just how many people there are in the world until I take the time to pay attention to how many cars are on the road at any given time of the day. How does it tell me more than seeing a group of people? Because it points out how many people there are who don’t fit into an “ordinary” routine.

            To clarify, by “ordinary” I mean the typical 9-5 job that most people are assumed to have, although I've realized that assumption is very flawed. Being self-employed, I am often running my errands at the oddest of times. And no matter when I'm driving, the road is always filled with cars.

            It got me wondering – who are all these people? Where are they going and where are they coming from? Why aren't they at their 9-5 job at 2 in the afternoon?

            Naturally, it makes sense for some of the people to be there. Some are running errands for work, some (such as delivery and taxi drivers) are working, some are unemployed or self-employed with less strict schedules. Some work night shifts, others work evening shifts, so that time of day is the right time for them to be out and about.

            But there are so many! It is mind-boggling, at least to me, that the roads can be filled all day long. How can there possibly be so many people with so many places to go that there is always so much traffic?

            Sadly, it is one of the things I doubt I’ll ever know.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

100th Blog!

            Do you know what this is? It’s my 100^th blog post! Wow, where has the time gone? It feels like it was only yesterday when I started writing this thing.

            When I started blogging, I had no idea how long I’d be able to keep it up. I expected that I’d have to eventually cut down from once a week to once a month. I mean, I don’t have all that much to talk about. I don’t go out much, except to sell chainmaille, and I don’t do much at home other than make chainmaille, watch movies, read, write, and play video games.

            On top of that, I actively avoid the news and other world issues because I can’t do anything to change the world’s problems and knowing about them only depresses me. So, how have I managed to find so many things to talk about?

            I guess that’s part of being an author. There are just so many ideas bouncing around in my head that they find ways of expressing themselves – even if they are only obscure thoughts and concepts being expressed circumspectly in anecdotes.

            With any luck, I’ll continue to be able to catch those elusive, bouncy ideas and continue to share them for another hundred blogs. If not, I’ll just need to make up more milestones to comment upon.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.