Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Words
It's been a while since I updated the words-a-day tracking. 11 days ago was my last update and in that time I've managed 2,938 words. That's 267 a day. Disappointingly low, but still an improvement. Which is a disappointment in and of itself. And around and round we go!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Put to Bed
All of my assignments are turned in, the headlines are written, and the "pretty" has been added. The next issue of the magazine has been put to bed and tucked in.
Here is a low-res of the cover (the thin boxes around the text won't be visible in the high-res file).
Here is a low-res of the cover (the thin boxes around the text won't be visible in the high-res file).
Monday, May 26, 2008
Hello, you
A wonderful character popped into my head last night as I was showering and insisted on some "page time" in the WIP novel. When I told him that he'd come to a ghastly end during the last few chapters, he said he didn't mind as long as he had a few nice scenes along the way. His intro scene, description, and farewell scene are already written. It was so productive I've decided to shower every day!
My favorite "hello, you" scene.
My favorite "hello, you" scene.
Insight
I am a good writer.
I am a lousy hack.
I believe both of these statements to be true and not mutually exclusive.
I am a lousy hack.
I believe both of these statements to be true and not mutually exclusive.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Working on the Craft: Jon Lester Throws a No-Hitter
"It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready."
~ The Old Man and the Sea
~ Ernest Hemingway
The crossroads of exactness and luck were found at the corner of Van Ness and Yawkey Way this evening as Jon Lester became the first left-handed pitcher to throw a no-hitter for the Boston Red Sox in over half a century.
To throw a no-hitter involves a healthy dose of luck, as they are usually accompanied by at least one tremendous play on defense. This evening's highlight reel play was provided early in the game as center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury made a diving catch of a line drive by Jose Guillen of the Kansas City Royals. But stunning defensive plays are turned in regularly across a night's schedule of major league games while a no-hitter tends to be an annual event at best. So while a no-hitter may contain a dose of luck, the remainder of the recipe calls for exactness.
Jon Lester, cancer survivor (and pitcher)
Jon Lester was drafted in the second round of the 2002 MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox. He progressed through the Red Sox minor league system in impressive fashion and made his major league debut in 2006 on June 10th in a start against the Texas Rangers. He struggled, throwing 102 pitches and not making it out of the fifth inning, and the Red Sox lost the game. He then reeled off five wins in a row, culminating in an 8 inning, 1 hit gem against the Kansas City Royals.
As the season wore on he began to feel discomfort in his back, originally attributing it to the grind of baseball's grueling season. After being rear-ended on his way to Fenway Park on August 18th, Lester's back became even more problematic. He made his last start of 2006 on August 24th and on the following weekend visited his doctor in Seattle where, at the age of 22, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Baseball took a back seat to survival for close to a year as the pitcher went through several rounds of chemotherapy before being declared cancer-free and then began a tedious rehab program to rebuild his strength. He returned to action in a start against the Cleveland Indians on July 23rd of 2007 (earning a win), but wouldn't see a regular spot in the Red Sox rotation until September. As the Red Sox progressed in the playoffs last season, Lester would make key contributions, appearing in relief in the AL Championship Series against the Indians and starting and winning the clinching game 4 of the World Series against the Colorado Rockies.
Jon Lester, pitcher (and cancer survivor)
In preparing for the 2008 season, with cancer and rebuilding from it behind him, Lester was able to focus on the craft with Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell. A key phrase in Lester's early career was "pitch efficiency". He would often find himself unable to make it through the sixth inning of a start as in the course of his attack of the hitters, too many of his bullets found their way outside of the strike zone.
Another aspect that Lester and Farrell (and catcher Jason Varitek) would examine was his pace. They felt Lester was delaying too much between pitches and that by quickening the pace, hitters would be more on their heels and the defense behind him sharper.
Lester also found himself during the off-season to be the center of trade speculation concerning a proposed deal between the Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins for pitcher Johan Santana. ESPN Magazine quoted an anonymous AL scout as saying "Jon Lester is a back-of-the-rotation guy. If he was the difference between getting Johna Santana or not, they made a mistake."
Jon Lester ignored the speculation and focused instead on his craft - increasing his velocity and command back to his pre-cancer levels and incorporating the advice from John Farrell.
Signs of Lester's focus and effort would be seen in his April 29th start against Toronto. Working at a quickened pace and firing first-pitch strikes to 15 of 27 batters, Lester threw 8 innings allowing only 1 hit.
On May 19th against the Kansas City Royals, Jon Lester would put all the pieces together and earn an honored spot in the Major League record books. Again working quickly and throwing a mix of electric fastballs and curveballs, Lester hurled first-pitch stikes to 20 of 29 batters and allowed only two base-runners the entire night, both on walks. After the final out and with the no-hitter secured, his teammates mobbed him on the field in celebration.
Jon Lester overcame tremendous obstacles to get back on the field, but once he returned he did not allow what happened to him to define him. He went to work on his craft, improving both the basics and the subtleties, working hard to be exact. And when luck turned in Jon Lester's favor, he was ready.
~ The Old Man and the Sea
~ Ernest Hemingway
The crossroads of exactness and luck were found at the corner of Van Ness and Yawkey Way this evening as Jon Lester became the first left-handed pitcher to throw a no-hitter for the Boston Red Sox in over half a century.
To throw a no-hitter involves a healthy dose of luck, as they are usually accompanied by at least one tremendous play on defense. This evening's highlight reel play was provided early in the game as center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury made a diving catch of a line drive by Jose Guillen of the Kansas City Royals. But stunning defensive plays are turned in regularly across a night's schedule of major league games while a no-hitter tends to be an annual event at best. So while a no-hitter may contain a dose of luck, the remainder of the recipe calls for exactness.
Jon Lester, cancer survivor (and pitcher)
Jon Lester was drafted in the second round of the 2002 MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox. He progressed through the Red Sox minor league system in impressive fashion and made his major league debut in 2006 on June 10th in a start against the Texas Rangers. He struggled, throwing 102 pitches and not making it out of the fifth inning, and the Red Sox lost the game. He then reeled off five wins in a row, culminating in an 8 inning, 1 hit gem against the Kansas City Royals.
As the season wore on he began to feel discomfort in his back, originally attributing it to the grind of baseball's grueling season. After being rear-ended on his way to Fenway Park on August 18th, Lester's back became even more problematic. He made his last start of 2006 on August 24th and on the following weekend visited his doctor in Seattle where, at the age of 22, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Baseball took a back seat to survival for close to a year as the pitcher went through several rounds of chemotherapy before being declared cancer-free and then began a tedious rehab program to rebuild his strength. He returned to action in a start against the Cleveland Indians on July 23rd of 2007 (earning a win), but wouldn't see a regular spot in the Red Sox rotation until September. As the Red Sox progressed in the playoffs last season, Lester would make key contributions, appearing in relief in the AL Championship Series against the Indians and starting and winning the clinching game 4 of the World Series against the Colorado Rockies.
Jon Lester, pitcher (and cancer survivor)
In preparing for the 2008 season, with cancer and rebuilding from it behind him, Lester was able to focus on the craft with Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell. A key phrase in Lester's early career was "pitch efficiency". He would often find himself unable to make it through the sixth inning of a start as in the course of his attack of the hitters, too many of his bullets found their way outside of the strike zone.
Another aspect that Lester and Farrell (and catcher Jason Varitek) would examine was his pace. They felt Lester was delaying too much between pitches and that by quickening the pace, hitters would be more on their heels and the defense behind him sharper.
Lester also found himself during the off-season to be the center of trade speculation concerning a proposed deal between the Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins for pitcher Johan Santana. ESPN Magazine quoted an anonymous AL scout as saying "Jon Lester is a back-of-the-rotation guy. If he was the difference between getting Johna Santana or not, they made a mistake."
Jon Lester ignored the speculation and focused instead on his craft - increasing his velocity and command back to his pre-cancer levels and incorporating the advice from John Farrell.
Signs of Lester's focus and effort would be seen in his April 29th start against Toronto. Working at a quickened pace and firing first-pitch strikes to 15 of 27 batters, Lester threw 8 innings allowing only 1 hit.
On May 19th against the Kansas City Royals, Jon Lester would put all the pieces together and earn an honored spot in the Major League record books. Again working quickly and throwing a mix of electric fastballs and curveballs, Lester hurled first-pitch stikes to 20 of 29 batters and allowed only two base-runners the entire night, both on walks. After the final out and with the no-hitter secured, his teammates mobbed him on the field in celebration.
Jon Lester overcame tremendous obstacles to get back on the field, but once he returned he did not allow what happened to him to define him. He went to work on his craft, improving both the basics and the subtleties, working hard to be exact. And when luck turned in Jon Lester's favor, he was ready.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
May 15th
456 words on the WIP novel.
I've seen some debate on other writers's blogs about "word meters". I post my manual version of the same here for myself more than anything else. It's a great motivational tool as the thought of posting a 0 is painful.
An alternative to the classic
I ran across this quote from Errol Morris. I prefer it to the original.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it without a sense of ironic futility."
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it without a sense of ironic futility."
May 14th
430 words on the WIP novel.
I finally turned in my review. Since there's no danger of anyone reading it, I present it here in it's entirety. Feel free to comment.
Reckless Kelly
Bulletproof
I hate to start negative here, but I have a BIG complaint about Reckless Kelly’s debut disc for Yep Roc Records, Bulletproof. Where’s the rockin’ country cover of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man”? How did the entire Reckless Kelly team whiff on this fat pitch right down the middle of the plate? The album artwork, the success of Iron Man in theaters, the title of the CD – c’mon it’s a natural! And the marketing tie-ins would be legion.
All right, marketing possibilities are probably not a concern for this group of Texans (some by way of Idaho) when it comes to deciding which songs make the cut and which songs don’t. The truth is there are no covers of any kind on this record. Every tune was written by vocalist Willy Braun with a few assists from Robert Earl Keen, Dustin Welch, and brother Micky Braun.
Turning my attention to the songs that do appear on the disc – I can think of no better compliment than to say it’s a Reckless Kelly record. One of the qualities that has set this quintet apart over the years is their remarkable consistency. Reckless Kelly delivers a dynamic live show and – unlike many others – they have no problem capturing the same vibe and raw energy on their studio efforts.
I’ve heard my share (and yours too – trust me) of bands singing about life on the road. With a studio record titled Wicked, Twisted Road, this is hardly new ground for Reckless Kelly either. Yet somehow the band brought a fresh approach and sound to “Ragged As The Road”, the track that kicks off Bulletproof and one of the standout songs on the disc. Other highlights on the record include “You Don’t Have To Stay Forever”, “One False Move”, and “Don’t Say Goodbye”.
A personal favorite on the CD is “How Was California?”. The singer asks a friend how their trip to California (and Austin and New York City) went, though he already knows the answer. No matter how exciting the destination, when the company you can’t escape – yourself – is miserable, the outcome is predetermined.
“American Blood”, Willy Braun’s attempt at his own melodic Jerilderie Letter (a protest letter penned by the band’s namesake), is already receiving attention. The song takes the viewpoint of one soldier’s journey through Iraq, and questions – legitimately, in this reviewer’s opinion – the sacrifice of the many for the profits of the few. Willy has already written a disclaimer that appears on the band’s website. Unfortunate that he feels it’s necessary, but such are the times in which we live. With a brother who has been through two tours in Afghanistan and three tours in Iraq and no guarantees he won’t be back for more, I can appreciate the song on a couple of levels – one for the message, but also because it’s a great tune. If it were a throwaway I doubt it would be generating as much interest, but as it stands, this is a song that you’ll hear more than once on the radio this summer.
The one misfire on the record is “God Forsaken Town”, an acoustic ode to New Orleans and the victims of Hurricane Katrina. While the band saved themselves from cliché on the aforementioned “Ragged As The Road” they fell short of the mark on this one, despite the excellent work of Ephraim Owens on trumpet.
Longtime record executive Bill Straw once told me that solo artists come and go every day, but when you find a great band, then you really have something. Experience has shown me the truth of this statement. When the right group of musicians comes together, something magical happens – a whole emerges far greater than the sum of the individual parts. Bulletproof captures just that. The disc documents a great band still on an upward swing. As far as that “Iron Man” cover goes – I can wait for the next live album.
I finally turned in my review. Since there's no danger of anyone reading it, I present it here in it's entirety. Feel free to comment.
Reckless Kelly
Bulletproof
I hate to start negative here, but I have a BIG complaint about Reckless Kelly’s debut disc for Yep Roc Records, Bulletproof. Where’s the rockin’ country cover of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man”? How did the entire Reckless Kelly team whiff on this fat pitch right down the middle of the plate? The album artwork, the success of Iron Man in theaters, the title of the CD – c’mon it’s a natural! And the marketing tie-ins would be legion.
All right, marketing possibilities are probably not a concern for this group of Texans (some by way of Idaho) when it comes to deciding which songs make the cut and which songs don’t. The truth is there are no covers of any kind on this record. Every tune was written by vocalist Willy Braun with a few assists from Robert Earl Keen, Dustin Welch, and brother Micky Braun.
Turning my attention to the songs that do appear on the disc – I can think of no better compliment than to say it’s a Reckless Kelly record. One of the qualities that has set this quintet apart over the years is their remarkable consistency. Reckless Kelly delivers a dynamic live show and – unlike many others – they have no problem capturing the same vibe and raw energy on their studio efforts.
I’ve heard my share (and yours too – trust me) of bands singing about life on the road. With a studio record titled Wicked, Twisted Road, this is hardly new ground for Reckless Kelly either. Yet somehow the band brought a fresh approach and sound to “Ragged As The Road”, the track that kicks off Bulletproof and one of the standout songs on the disc. Other highlights on the record include “You Don’t Have To Stay Forever”, “One False Move”, and “Don’t Say Goodbye”.
A personal favorite on the CD is “How Was California?”. The singer asks a friend how their trip to California (and Austin and New York City) went, though he already knows the answer. No matter how exciting the destination, when the company you can’t escape – yourself – is miserable, the outcome is predetermined.
“American Blood”, Willy Braun’s attempt at his own melodic Jerilderie Letter (a protest letter penned by the band’s namesake), is already receiving attention. The song takes the viewpoint of one soldier’s journey through Iraq, and questions – legitimately, in this reviewer’s opinion – the sacrifice of the many for the profits of the few. Willy has already written a disclaimer that appears on the band’s website. Unfortunate that he feels it’s necessary, but such are the times in which we live. With a brother who has been through two tours in Afghanistan and three tours in Iraq and no guarantees he won’t be back for more, I can appreciate the song on a couple of levels – one for the message, but also because it’s a great tune. If it were a throwaway I doubt it would be generating as much interest, but as it stands, this is a song that you’ll hear more than once on the radio this summer.
The one misfire on the record is “God Forsaken Town”, an acoustic ode to New Orleans and the victims of Hurricane Katrina. While the band saved themselves from cliché on the aforementioned “Ragged As The Road” they fell short of the mark on this one, despite the excellent work of Ephraim Owens on trumpet.
Longtime record executive Bill Straw once told me that solo artists come and go every day, but when you find a great band, then you really have something. Experience has shown me the truth of this statement. When the right group of musicians comes together, something magical happens – a whole emerges far greater than the sum of the individual parts. Bulletproof captures just that. The disc documents a great band still on an upward swing. As far as that “Iron Man” cover goes – I can wait for the next live album.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Character Voice
0 words today on my WIP novel. There was a Law & Order marathon on TNT (please tell me you saw that one coming).
The truth is my next paragraph in the book introduces a major supporting character. I had a good idea of her voice, but I spent a lot of my writing time today refining it. Now I can hear her in my head as clear as a bell. All of her habits and mannerisms are well-defined. I'm sure as we progress through the book she'll let me know where I didn't get it quite right, but the foundation is solid.
I do this because it annoys me to no end to read a book where everyone speaks with the same voice. I do not want to create a world where everyone says "to-may-to" and no one says "to-mah-to".
I also finally figured out the hook to get into the CD review that remains overdue at the day job. It should be finished before noon tomorrow. Only two days late. Or three. Who's counting?
The truth is my next paragraph in the book introduces a major supporting character. I had a good idea of her voice, but I spent a lot of my writing time today refining it. Now I can hear her in my head as clear as a bell. All of her habits and mannerisms are well-defined. I'm sure as we progress through the book she'll let me know where I didn't get it quite right, but the foundation is solid.
I do this because it annoys me to no end to read a book where everyone speaks with the same voice. I do not want to create a world where everyone says "to-may-to" and no one says "to-mah-to".
I also finally figured out the hook to get into the CD review that remains overdue at the day job. It should be finished before noon tomorrow. Only two days late. Or three. Who's counting?
Monday, May 12, 2008
May 12th
236 words today on the WIP novel.
Past deadline on the CD review. I've been driving all over the city looking for it with no idea where I'm going. Today I think I found the neighborhood. Tomorrow I hope I can find the driveway and pull it into the house. Otherwise, the day gig might become the previous day gig.
Past deadline on the CD review. I've been driving all over the city looking for it with no idea where I'm going. Today I think I found the neighborhood. Tomorrow I hope I can find the driveway and pull it into the house. Otherwise, the day gig might become the previous day gig.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
May 11th
604 words today on the WIP novel.
I may not have made much progress on the WIP last week, but I did get two solid ideas for my next short story.
I may not have made much progress on the WIP last week, but I did get two solid ideas for my next short story.
Life Wins This Round
This past week saw little progress on my novel WIP. Home life and the day job threw up some substantial obstacles.
On Tuesday, my wife had a tonsillectomy. No big deal for a teenager, but my bride is in her early thirties. As a result I was chosen this week for the roles of dad, mom, and nursemaid. The costume changes were brutal.
On the day job side of the ledger, I had three different assignments due. A 3000 word article, a 750 word article, and a 500 word CD review. I finished the first two and can't find a hook for the third.
Overall, I hate excuses. When you allow even a legitimate one through, then it makes it easier for lesser excuses to get through until you're at the point of saying "I couldn't get any writing done yesterday because there was a Law & Order marathon on TNT."
So though Life won out last week, I didn't make much progress on the novel WIP because I didn't make time for it. I'm not going to beat myself up about it (more), but even 100 words a day would have been something.
On Tuesday, my wife had a tonsillectomy. No big deal for a teenager, but my bride is in her early thirties. As a result I was chosen this week for the roles of dad, mom, and nursemaid. The costume changes were brutal.
On the day job side of the ledger, I had three different assignments due. A 3000 word article, a 750 word article, and a 500 word CD review. I finished the first two and can't find a hook for the third.
Overall, I hate excuses. When you allow even a legitimate one through, then it makes it easier for lesser excuses to get through until you're at the point of saying "I couldn't get any writing done yesterday because there was a Law & Order marathon on TNT."
So though Life won out last week, I didn't make much progress on the novel WIP because I didn't make time for it. I'm not going to beat myself up about it (more), but even 100 words a day would have been something.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Welcome to Devers Writes
I hope this blog doesn't suck (see Sturgeon's Law). Anything beyond that is pure gravy.
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