News from Dead Mule Swamp

Today, I wrote chapter 7 of my mystery in progress, News from Dead Mule Swamp. It was a short one, and I'm hopeful of completing one more before the next meeting of the "West Side Gang," the local writers' group where we share our recent efforts. I thought the next meeting was this coming Tuesday, but I actually have one more week, so there's good hope for chapter 8.

Here's a teaser- the closing sentences of chapter 7:

In the distance I could hear the faint shrill of a siren. It rose in pitch and volume, and began to drown out the morning sounds of a sleepy swamp. I only hoped that Kyle had reached Sherri’s house ahead of that piercing wail.

Have I piqued your interest?

Adventure Loop Guide

Today I did more research for the Adventure Loop. This is the best part- going outside and exploring. The results can be seen at Ellen and Joan Sneak in an Adventure.

Research is an important part of writing. If this guide isn't accurate it won't be worth anything at all. I had an "alpha version" prepared, and Ellen used it to guide us along the route, since she had never walked any of it before. A few tweaks are needed, but it was mostly accurate and understandable. Horray!

Adventure Loop Guide

I spent all afternoon working on the guidebook. I had tapes from an exploring trip that I needed to listen to and transpose into written information. It took a long time. Seems like too long. Writing guidebooks for non-existent trails is a challenge.

But I feel as if made progress.

Adventure Loop Guide

Today was a day that I had to be outside. I explored another little piece of what I hope will become a recognized 80-mile loop trail. (See Cooper Creek.) When I came home, I worked at getting this new information incorporated into the barely-begun guide.

It wasn't a huge amount of writing, but I'm too often eager to do the hiking, and not the recording of the information, so it was a success.

Book Sales

Today was a bit unusual in that I had two sales from separate sources on the same day. I'm shipping a copy of North Country Cache to Amazon, and a copy of Would You Dare? on an independent order.

Amazon is so terrible for small publishers that I almost lose money every time I get an order through them. But I feel that I have to keep the book there for credibility. Several people have written good reviews there, as well, which I think might help a bit.

Ludington Daily News Column- March 2011

My monthly news column, "Get Off the Couch," was due by noon today. Turned in on time! This column has been running for over four years now, with good local enthusiasm. Every year, in March, I've reviewed some books by people who get off the couch.

This year, I re-read and reviewed two old favorites: North With the Spring by Edwin Way Teale and Beyond Your Doorstep by Hal Borland. Here is the opening:

Old Standbys for Any New Naturalist

It’s that month of mud where green is mostly hoped-for. Once again, I find solace in books. This year, I pulled out two old favorites by writers of a passe status, those called naturalists. To be considered academic these days, a specialty is required. If you take up zoology, perhaps you will study the bacteria which inhabit the mites that live only on the eyelashes of dogs. I think I’d rather take the dog– bacteria, mites, eyelashes and all, and go for a walk...

These columns are not available on-line, unless you subscribe to the Ludington Daily News. One collection of columns is currently available as an e-book, called Get Off the Couch with Joan, at Smashwords.

What am I Doing?

Against my better judgment, I'm starting another blog. This one has a specific purpose: to serve as an author blog, and a sort of accountability/credibility "thing."

More and more of my time is being spent writing. Some is creative, some is purely for money, but perhaps after six decades of life, I'm beginning to focus on one activity. Maybe. One can write about anything and still avoid focus, right?

So over the next few days I'll be trying to get this blog set up. Expect posts about writing of all kinds, and shameless promotion of scribblings.

Posts with dates older than this one have been migrated in from other places where they were posted, but which belong here.