National Post article on modern Catholics
Not big on arguing religion, but...
I'm Catholic, and I'm straight. Sounds like a twelve step intro.
My family didn't get one of the questionnaires mentioned, but if we had what would we put down? No telling. We are an anomaly. We only have one child. Birth control? Take a guess, because when you get down to it who makes the decisions here in this house? The Pope?
I've got a beef with my Church. I love it. I love the liturgy and the tradition. It's solid. However I think some of its policies have left the door open to problems. The biggest one being the sex abuse scandal. To be honest it is not a scandal, it is a crime. It might be the Vatican engaged in some sort of shuffling and cover up, but the crime occurred in the local setting. Let's examine the perpetrators. Unmarried men, working under the guise of clergy.
I'm not going to say only Catholic priests molest children, because I am not that stupid. I never worked a molestation case where a priest was a suspect. Most of my suspects were of two categories:
A. Professional college educated assholes
B. Nominal education levels, but still assholes
Some were married, and molested their own kids. Most molested relative's kids or neighborhood children. The fact is pedophiles come in all forms. Not just Catholic priests. Nobody ever talked about the Baptist Youth Minister pedophile scandal. Why? I've seen that plenty of times, during the course of my work and on the news. What about the Middle School Teacher pedophile scandals of late? And the women too.
It's not something that can be prevented. Crime happens. That type of crime, while heinous to a level I don't even want to go into, happens. We can lessen the instances and opportunities. Just like installing an alarm system to prevent burglary. It might not stop a thief, but it will make them work harder or just avoid it.
So what should the Catholic Church do?
I've been doing some limited research, and you know what I found? Peter, the first Pope, was married. Now I'm not claiming this would stop the crime, but it would probably lessen the instances of it occurring. The Orthodox Church has married priests. Just about all religions allow for married clergy. It's not like I'm advocating ordination of women (that's later, baby steps). I can find nothing, yet, that would prohibit a married clergy. We have priests who were ordained clergy in other denominations convert, and they are still clergy and still married. Why can't Father O'Brannon hook up with a nice Catholic girl like the rest of us did, and maybe start a family?
The only claim I can make regarding this as a step in the right direction is psychology. Married clergy would not only be focused on the parish, or clerical assignment, but also their family. This sort of thinking carries over to other areas of life. People with the inclination towards pedophilia would probably not want to expose themselves to the daily stresses of clergy and family. At least not in the concentrations I am led to believe.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
And It's On. I do mean on.
Let me get the links to stuff out of the way.
http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com This is a site maintained by Randy Ingermanson. He's smart. He's a rocket scientist, or something, but he also writes fiction. Popular commercial fiction. His Snowflake Method is gold, and used by quite a few writers. He seems like a likable and helpful fellow. Hit his page up.
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com He's grumpy? Maybe. But I'll tell you what, he knows what he's talking about. You won't find any techniques here, unless you are into marketing, but you will find analysis and trends. That's worth a look. He also makes money self publishing, and says you can too. If you write a good story.
http://www.lindsayburoker.com She gives some of the ins and outs of self publishing. I found her today while researching this (just for you). While not a household name, guess what? She makes money self publishing. Read the Wattpad articles.
David Mamet NYT article. Why he self published.
Leigh Ann Kopans Found this today. Genre specific (YA), but still applies.
Now down to the dirt. Rubber meeting road. Blah blah blah.
Using the information from the fine people above I am convinced it is possible to crank out a book, and self publish it in electronic format. Further, it is possible to make a chunk of change doing it. You have to be diligent, and you have to market yourself. I'm no expert (not at this anyway), but I do have training in how to use the English language in order to stream a story together (thanks Mercer University). I also have a heap of stories locked in my head, and some of them are even scribbled in the ubiquitous notebook. I, yes me, have seen my work in print. I get it. It was back in the early '90s, and in a defunct literary magazine, and only one short story. But I still received a check, which I cashed and bought beer with. Not only is publication possible, it's probable. A problem looms on the horizon.
How to make the money.
I'm not doing this for cash. I'm doing this because I want to. Any writer that strives for a collection of coins is in a sad state. They should be doing it for other reasons. But I am a realist, and I would like to see a demonstration of success. So here goes the plan.
1. Get something together. Write as much as possible. Hell, you should probably finish it or at least have the bones down.
2. Take some of what you have and go set up a Wattpad account (link: Wattpad)
3. Post a chapter a week. Do it! I know, you're giving your stuff away for free. Just do it. It's only a few chapters. Put the whole thing up if it's the first in a series. If it is a stand alone book you could probably get away with a few chapters. Set up an author page so you can link to your blog or finished work later (you'll put that on Amazon, or one of the other ebook distributors).
4. Keep writing. Do it again. When you have three or four finished you should have made some cash. You might have developed a following. Which is good. Not because it puts money in your pocket (that's a side benefit), but because people are interested in your stories.
This is a very abbreviated version of what I am going to do. The big thing right now is getting this story written, and then figuring out what genre it is. I am putting my marketing director and tech guy on this as I write/type. That's right! I have a marketing and tech team. It's not a team really, it's more in the vein of child labor. The boy is in charge of some of this. We'll call it an internship, but if DFACS asks he will be doing it because he wanted to help me out. In no way have I threatened him or held his Playstation controls hostage. Maybe his cell phone.
I'll post some links when he gets it done.
What else is on? Oh yes, the thru-hike.
We have been doing quite a bit of rambling. We started short and sweet. Through the neighborhood, and Sweetwater Creek State Park. I decided to bump up the miles Tuesday. Timed walking. Two hours out and then come back. If you are in the Cobb/Paulding area of Georgia you should give the Silver Comet Trail a look. For those interested it is an old rail line that ran through Georgia and into Alabama. The train, the Silver Comet, carried passengers from 1947 all the way until 1969. I'm not a train aficionado but that might be a long time, considering cars were pretty common by then. The trail is paved, and its main use seemed to be people on bicycles. I took a picture of this creepy house, which the boy denies seeing. Creepy. A house that isn't there. Ooooh.
The plan is to keep up the two hours out and two hours back through July, and then... another bump. Three hours out. Do that until September, and then what? Four hours. I think I'll leave it at four hours out. We plan on doing these little jaunts once a week. His feet should be like forged iron by February. Pain? What pain?
I am taking this a bit more serious than he seems to be, and it was his idea. I've been hitting the weights in Crossfit fashion, sprinting, and doing old school PT (no kipping pull-ups, that's for people that need help doing pull-ups). My strength is coming back (sick time, see previous post about how I fared on the no tech experiment). No abs, yet, but I'm not worried about that. I heard you come back from an AT thru-hike with abs like an underwear model. Can't wait.
http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com This is a site maintained by Randy Ingermanson. He's smart. He's a rocket scientist, or something, but he also writes fiction. Popular commercial fiction. His Snowflake Method is gold, and used by quite a few writers. He seems like a likable and helpful fellow. Hit his page up.
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com He's grumpy? Maybe. But I'll tell you what, he knows what he's talking about. You won't find any techniques here, unless you are into marketing, but you will find analysis and trends. That's worth a look. He also makes money self publishing, and says you can too. If you write a good story.
http://www.lindsayburoker.com She gives some of the ins and outs of self publishing. I found her today while researching this (just for you). While not a household name, guess what? She makes money self publishing. Read the Wattpad articles.
David Mamet NYT article. Why he self published.
Leigh Ann Kopans Found this today. Genre specific (YA), but still applies.
Now down to the dirt. Rubber meeting road. Blah blah blah.
Using the information from the fine people above I am convinced it is possible to crank out a book, and self publish it in electronic format. Further, it is possible to make a chunk of change doing it. You have to be diligent, and you have to market yourself. I'm no expert (not at this anyway), but I do have training in how to use the English language in order to stream a story together (thanks Mercer University). I also have a heap of stories locked in my head, and some of them are even scribbled in the ubiquitous notebook. I, yes me, have seen my work in print. I get it. It was back in the early '90s, and in a defunct literary magazine, and only one short story. But I still received a check, which I cashed and bought beer with. Not only is publication possible, it's probable. A problem looms on the horizon.
How to make the money.
I'm not doing this for cash. I'm doing this because I want to. Any writer that strives for a collection of coins is in a sad state. They should be doing it for other reasons. But I am a realist, and I would like to see a demonstration of success. So here goes the plan.
1. Get something together. Write as much as possible. Hell, you should probably finish it or at least have the bones down.
2. Take some of what you have and go set up a Wattpad account (link: Wattpad)
3. Post a chapter a week. Do it! I know, you're giving your stuff away for free. Just do it. It's only a few chapters. Put the whole thing up if it's the first in a series. If it is a stand alone book you could probably get away with a few chapters. Set up an author page so you can link to your blog or finished work later (you'll put that on Amazon, or one of the other ebook distributors).
4. Keep writing. Do it again. When you have three or four finished you should have made some cash. You might have developed a following. Which is good. Not because it puts money in your pocket (that's a side benefit), but because people are interested in your stories.
This is a very abbreviated version of what I am going to do. The big thing right now is getting this story written, and then figuring out what genre it is. I am putting my marketing director and tech guy on this as I write/type. That's right! I have a marketing and tech team. It's not a team really, it's more in the vein of child labor. The boy is in charge of some of this. We'll call it an internship, but if DFACS asks he will be doing it because he wanted to help me out. In no way have I threatened him or held his Playstation controls hostage. Maybe his cell phone.
I'll post some links when he gets it done.
What else is on? Oh yes, the thru-hike.
We have been doing quite a bit of rambling. We started short and sweet. Through the neighborhood, and Sweetwater Creek State Park. I decided to bump up the miles Tuesday. Timed walking. Two hours out and then come back. If you are in the Cobb/Paulding area of Georgia you should give the Silver Comet Trail a look. For those interested it is an old rail line that ran through Georgia and into Alabama. The train, the Silver Comet, carried passengers from 1947 all the way until 1969. I'm not a train aficionado but that might be a long time, considering cars were pretty common by then. The trail is paved, and its main use seemed to be people on bicycles. I took a picture of this creepy house, which the boy denies seeing. Creepy. A house that isn't there. Ooooh.
The plan is to keep up the two hours out and two hours back through July, and then... another bump. Three hours out. Do that until September, and then what? Four hours. I think I'll leave it at four hours out. We plan on doing these little jaunts once a week. His feet should be like forged iron by February. Pain? What pain?
I am taking this a bit more serious than he seems to be, and it was his idea. I've been hitting the weights in Crossfit fashion, sprinting, and doing old school PT (no kipping pull-ups, that's for people that need help doing pull-ups). My strength is coming back (sick time, see previous post about how I fared on the no tech experiment). No abs, yet, but I'm not worried about that. I heard you come back from an AT thru-hike with abs like an underwear model. Can't wait.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Commercial Fiction Experiment
I decided to write a novel. Not just any novel. One that can sell. I don't have pie in the sky dreams about it. I only want it to make a few hundred dollars. I also have no intentions of getting an agent and hocking my wares to a publishing company. I want to do this quick and cheap. So I came up with a plan. If it works I could be onto something. If it doesn't I can trash it. So here goes.
I did a little research on this KDP/Indie Author/Self publishing thing. It is doable, but requires the writer to get a lot of things done in an above average manner. I do like lists, so here goes:
Once you have your concept/seed/idea
1. Outline it: you can use storyboarding, the "W" method, or the method you used in high school and college. Commercial fiction lends itself to outlining. It actually thrives on it. Patterson does outlines and then farms them out to other writers.
2. Pace it: This is a cousin of outlining. Find where you want to put action, exposition, and tension. Make a chart, using your outline, and indicate what's what. Color code it, number it, whatever.
3. Timeline: Make a timeline of the story. Days, weeks, hours, months, years, and don't forget the locations. Align this with the pace and outline.
Once you have done all of the above write the story. One and done. Then you have to edit. I'll not delve into this, because I want to keep this short. After reading several novels over the last few weeks I am convinced commercial fiction, at least the stuff that makes some money, is based on this workflow. If it isn't, it sure seems like it.
Don't misunderstand me, commercial stuff is alright. Without it the movie industry would suck balls and ass. Every decent movie is based on it. It is easy to turn into a screenplay, it has all of the elements of good storytelling, and it is entertaining. Some of it is downright good (Cold Mountain was commercial fiction in my book, and who didn't like World War Z?). My problem with literature as an industry is all the crap that wiggles into literary magazines. Pretentious and self-aware dribble from an adult that used to write bad goth poetry. They slap each other on the back and say what illuminated people they are, when they are the only ones saying it (along with the NYT book review and Pulitzer people, but they wrote the same shite so there you go). The rest of us just scratch our heads, while they shake theirs. Were we too dumb to get it? Not at all. Their audience is them. Commercial fiction is written for the reader. Just like art house movies are for film directors (Antichrist? Defoe? Just Google it and you'll see what I mean).
So the next few posts will deal with writing commercial fiction and then attempting to sell it. I'll post my outline, pacing, timeline, and other notes in there so you can follow along. First one to comment gets it as an ebook (free) and a mention as being my reason for writing the book. If I sell it for a movie you can come to the premier.
I did a little research on this KDP/Indie Author/Self publishing thing. It is doable, but requires the writer to get a lot of things done in an above average manner. I do like lists, so here goes:
Once you have your concept/seed/idea
1. Outline it: you can use storyboarding, the "W" method, or the method you used in high school and college. Commercial fiction lends itself to outlining. It actually thrives on it. Patterson does outlines and then farms them out to other writers.
2. Pace it: This is a cousin of outlining. Find where you want to put action, exposition, and tension. Make a chart, using your outline, and indicate what's what. Color code it, number it, whatever.
3. Timeline: Make a timeline of the story. Days, weeks, hours, months, years, and don't forget the locations. Align this with the pace and outline.
Once you have done all of the above write the story. One and done. Then you have to edit. I'll not delve into this, because I want to keep this short. After reading several novels over the last few weeks I am convinced commercial fiction, at least the stuff that makes some money, is based on this workflow. If it isn't, it sure seems like it.
Don't misunderstand me, commercial stuff is alright. Without it the movie industry would suck balls and ass. Every decent movie is based on it. It is easy to turn into a screenplay, it has all of the elements of good storytelling, and it is entertaining. Some of it is downright good (Cold Mountain was commercial fiction in my book, and who didn't like World War Z?). My problem with literature as an industry is all the crap that wiggles into literary magazines. Pretentious and self-aware dribble from an adult that used to write bad goth poetry. They slap each other on the back and say what illuminated people they are, when they are the only ones saying it (along with the NYT book review and Pulitzer people, but they wrote the same shite so there you go). The rest of us just scratch our heads, while they shake theirs. Were we too dumb to get it? Not at all. Their audience is them. Commercial fiction is written for the reader. Just like art house movies are for film directors (Antichrist? Defoe? Just Google it and you'll see what I mean).
So the next few posts will deal with writing commercial fiction and then attempting to sell it. I'll post my outline, pacing, timeline, and other notes in there so you can follow along. First one to comment gets it as an ebook (free) and a mention as being my reason for writing the book. If I sell it for a movie you can come to the premier.
Examination, removal, and how I fared
It was not as bad as you think. I'm lying. I got sick midway through, so the experiment was a success because I was on medication and did not feel like viewing or listening to anything. The hydrocodone had something to do with it.
What I learned:
1. People hate each other. I watched people in the doctor's office and they did not interact with each other at all. That probably had something to do with them feeling like they were sick or something, what a bunch of self involved asses. But people really do hate each other. You notice it in the stores. Everybody is trying to jockey a space in a check out line, and they are pissed about about twelve items in the ten items or less line. They try to be in front while driving, and I do mean in front. In front of a row of cars, in your front seat, or just in damn front. If you happen to be in front of them, they hate you. I could go on, but take my word for it, hate and animosity is rampant.
2. There is not a lot on the news. The world happens, and the happenings are not all that different. The middle east was in turmoil when I tuned out. I tuned back in yesterday and found Iraq was under siege, people were upset about a PFC being traded for Taliban members, and you know what? It was the same when I tuned out.
3. Reading is falling out of fashion. I read three books. One because it was there, another because I wanted to, and another because of the reviews. "A Parchment of Leaves" is a book for women, written by a man, and it does deal with the Appalachian region, but still... come on Silas House, even "Cold Mountain" (Charles Frazier) could be stomached by a guy from Georgia. I also read several magazines, none of which enthralled me or gave me any inclination that the medium is going to survive much longer. While reading all this "hand held print" material I did become a convert to J. A. Konrath's idea that physical print is going to become extinct. No matter how much I like having a physical object/book, the digital version is convenient and economical. Convenience and economics will trump habits eventually. Is that bad? No way. All writers should get on that train (or plane, considering it is the most advanced). Digital media, at least for information and probably literature, will become a mainstay. The publishing houses just need to get over it and adapt.
4. My DVR holds an infinite number of shows. I was selective about what I would record, because I don't want to spend days watching television. I have Netflix, so I can always catch up later. Some technology saves time, but this sort is purely entertainment in nature (maybe some of it was research).
5. I made a whistle out of a piece of hickory. I took my pocket knife and carved away.
6. I was really, really, really bad sick. I ended up at a urologist, and wished I had decided to forego this experiment and look up my symptoms on the internet. If I had I would have been psychologically scarred. Suffice it to say, my wife did not participate, and thus knew the extent of what was going on. The weird thing is, the doctor even used the internet to explain it. Most people assume everybody is using technology to the extent they are. For the most part we are. Is there any escape? Probably not. The good thing is it can be rationed. I went to an extreme. I won't do it again unless I feel like it, but I will ration my consumption/use.
7. I tried finding things on the radio I could listen to, but to be honest there just isn't that much out there. In our vehicles we have XM, and can find anything from music to news, comedy to radio plays. On the actual radio? If you get tired of music you are out of luck because it is all talk. And not rational talk. The religious stations are obviously catering to the republican voter, and the only other show I found that was interesting was bizarre. So bizarre in fact that I am going to use some ideas to write about it. You know who I am referring to. Coast to Coast AM. Cryptozoology, aliens, ghosts, NWO, weather machines, and any out there and over the hills and rivers concept. They are all given air time, and, get this, treated as if they may just have some validity. Nice.
8. Without constant use of technology you can actually write, but probably not research. It is really good for getting storyboarding/outlining and character sketches done. You can write the story. If you get stuck and need information you will have to find a book or get to a library. I will say technology has made being a writer much easier.
I'm all better now (almost a month later). I have to eat a special diet and take a pill. Other than that I will be back to normal in a few days. I won't be doing wind sprints or hiking for at least another month, but I can deal with that. I have my Surface RT charged back up, and I have gone through the DVR with a fine tooth comb. I just found out Falling Skies starts back up on Sunday, and I am glad this experiment is over.
What I learned:
1. People hate each other. I watched people in the doctor's office and they did not interact with each other at all. That probably had something to do with them feeling like they were sick or something, what a bunch of self involved asses. But people really do hate each other. You notice it in the stores. Everybody is trying to jockey a space in a check out line, and they are pissed about about twelve items in the ten items or less line. They try to be in front while driving, and I do mean in front. In front of a row of cars, in your front seat, or just in damn front. If you happen to be in front of them, they hate you. I could go on, but take my word for it, hate and animosity is rampant.
2. There is not a lot on the news. The world happens, and the happenings are not all that different. The middle east was in turmoil when I tuned out. I tuned back in yesterday and found Iraq was under siege, people were upset about a PFC being traded for Taliban members, and you know what? It was the same when I tuned out.
3. Reading is falling out of fashion. I read three books. One because it was there, another because I wanted to, and another because of the reviews. "A Parchment of Leaves" is a book for women, written by a man, and it does deal with the Appalachian region, but still... come on Silas House, even "Cold Mountain" (Charles Frazier) could be stomached by a guy from Georgia. I also read several magazines, none of which enthralled me or gave me any inclination that the medium is going to survive much longer. While reading all this "hand held print" material I did become a convert to J. A. Konrath's idea that physical print is going to become extinct. No matter how much I like having a physical object/book, the digital version is convenient and economical. Convenience and economics will trump habits eventually. Is that bad? No way. All writers should get on that train (or plane, considering it is the most advanced). Digital media, at least for information and probably literature, will become a mainstay. The publishing houses just need to get over it and adapt.
4. My DVR holds an infinite number of shows. I was selective about what I would record, because I don't want to spend days watching television. I have Netflix, so I can always catch up later. Some technology saves time, but this sort is purely entertainment in nature (maybe some of it was research).
5. I made a whistle out of a piece of hickory. I took my pocket knife and carved away.
6. I was really, really, really bad sick. I ended up at a urologist, and wished I had decided to forego this experiment and look up my symptoms on the internet. If I had I would have been psychologically scarred. Suffice it to say, my wife did not participate, and thus knew the extent of what was going on. The weird thing is, the doctor even used the internet to explain it. Most people assume everybody is using technology to the extent they are. For the most part we are. Is there any escape? Probably not. The good thing is it can be rationed. I went to an extreme. I won't do it again unless I feel like it, but I will ration my consumption/use.
7. I tried finding things on the radio I could listen to, but to be honest there just isn't that much out there. In our vehicles we have XM, and can find anything from music to news, comedy to radio plays. On the actual radio? If you get tired of music you are out of luck because it is all talk. And not rational talk. The religious stations are obviously catering to the republican voter, and the only other show I found that was interesting was bizarre. So bizarre in fact that I am going to use some ideas to write about it. You know who I am referring to. Coast to Coast AM. Cryptozoology, aliens, ghosts, NWO, weather machines, and any out there and over the hills and rivers concept. They are all given air time, and, get this, treated as if they may just have some validity. Nice.
8. Without constant use of technology you can actually write, but probably not research. It is really good for getting storyboarding/outlining and character sketches done. You can write the story. If you get stuck and need information you will have to find a book or get to a library. I will say technology has made being a writer much easier.
I'm all better now (almost a month later). I have to eat a special diet and take a pill. Other than that I will be back to normal in a few days. I won't be doing wind sprints or hiking for at least another month, but I can deal with that. I have my Surface RT charged back up, and I have gone through the DVR with a fine tooth comb. I just found out Falling Skies starts back up on Sunday, and I am glad this experiment is over.
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