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Post by Admin on May 25, 2023 17:15:52 GMT
Bill will be here and Jeff. Its a good day to be here. I'm getting the guest bedroom ready. I'm so ready for a visit.
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Post by Admin on Jun 4, 2023 17:09:01 GMT
I sure enjoyed your visit. Wish I'd gotten to talk more. I'm back working on getting Knock Knock to go live on Kofi.com. I have no clue how it will go but I'm not in a hurry to gain followers. I want to get several weeks posted before I start a major push for followers. There seems to be a learning curve.
I'm putting effort this week into getting the cookbooks done. and I want the art studio completely functional. I need to get a functional art project done because they said I could take it to Prairie Pastimes and see if it gets juried in. Its different from everything I see there so I'm hoping the art aspect on something functional will give me a chance at selling my work.
Joshua needs to get back into the studio. He's anxious to work.
I've stayed home this weekend because of the biking events and the rodeo. Just don't want to deal with traffic and people.
Hope things are going good for you.
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Post by bill on Jun 4, 2023 23:09:02 GMT
I had a great visit! And yes, we didn't get as much time because there were so many people there but it was nice to see them also. I'll get over there again sometime soon.
I'll be anxious to follow how your Kofi.com project goes. I often thought about doing something similar but not sure I want to commit to the format, especially without knowing how well it might work. Too many options for projects! I need someone to coach me along.
Halstead Mysteries 5 - I decided to try something new and I am really enjoying it. I used sticky notes to create a grid on my wall to help me see the big picture. I have spreadsheets but I had to toggle between them and this has been helpful but it was also fun to create. I think it could be something I use for my other books. I only wrote a few thousand words but I feel really good about what I'm doing with the story and how I'm going to get there so I hope to knock out the rough draft in June.
It's a Mixed up Christmas - The editor is scheduled to return my short story by June 8 so I'm excited to see what changes she suggests, make them, and then research where to query a Christmas short story. I really like this story and think it could get some traction if I find the right place for it.
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Post by Admin on Jun 5, 2023 0:06:34 GMT
i just ordered a Writers Digest Magazine market book. Been years since I owned one. I'm trying to get Sharon interested in writing for the Christian market. She needs an outlet and I wouldn't mind refrshing the magazine market in my mind. I do like to write articles. The more streams of income I can get, the better.
I like the idea of your sticky note board. You can see at a glance what you need. Sort of a visual note cards. only you get to see the big picture. I might borrow that idea. I'm a visual person. It would certainly help keep projects on track and heading in the right direction.
I got a lot done today. I feel good about it. cleaned up the first four character intros. Comes to a little over 6000 words. I wrote an intro to me for an update on kofi.com. I need to get several things to read before I start pushing people toward it. I don't know if I'll have any better luck with kofi.com than I did with Patreon but, at the very least, I'll be producing fresh work. And that alone is worth the effort.
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Post by Admin on Jun 10, 2023 18:41:39 GMT
I ordered the wrong book. It's on magazine writing and not the market.
I'm back at work on new furniture projects. And I'm on my last edit of the opening introductory chapter for Knock Knock. As soon as I get through this edit, I'm going to take it live on ko.fi.com
I posted on facebook about it. Sort of a teaser (I hope). I also stopped back in at Prairie Pastimes to talk to them about working again. I'm also working on getting the furniture over there. It sounds promising.
I found out that I can post date on ko.fi.com so I can put content up and schedule it to go live on certain days. This makes me really happy. I can get ahead with this feature and not be so pressured to hit deadline. I will also set up a membership option but I'm going to give free chapters as a free sample. It might get readers interested enough to pay the $4 dollars a month subscription fee.
The family reunion is coming up on the 23rd and 24th. Friday evening is at the Gridley Lake and Saturday its at the Gridley community center. I know Rhonda and Jacob will be here. I think Bill is planning on it. Not sure who else will make it. I wasn't sure I could be Nola said they aren't taking the vacation they planned on so Richard is home to take care of their pets. I won't need to go.
I'm sure I have more stuff to report but mostly, I'm working on getting Knock Knock live. Getting ko.fi.com functioning and visible. And working on furniture projects.
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Post by bill on Jun 11, 2023 23:08:35 GMT
You're making some good progress and that's exciting! And it sounds like you're finding a balance in your projects.
It's a Mixed-Up Christmas - I received edits back and revised this week. I have an hour meeting I need to set up with the editor to discuss. My next step is to look for places to submit it.
MM 5 - I wrote around 6,000 words this week. A major chunk of time went to the Christmas short story and knew it would. Now back to it. I want a good complete rough draft by the time I leave for Roswell on the 28th.
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Post by Admin on Jun 12, 2023 17:10:41 GMT
Not balanced yet but improving. I stopped in at Prairie Pastimes and I think I'll start helping out there again. I'm also considering a membership rather than commission. If I do a membership, I have the option of adding more things to sell. I need an outlet for the art furniture, the books, the cards, and whatever else we come up with. I'm going to see if I can get the furniture juried in before summer is over. Sesquitennial is in October. I'd like to be able to set up that weekend. should be a lot of foot traffic.
I'm still working on getting ko.fi.com set up. And I am starting to put short video clips on tik tok. People seem to like seeing transformations from ugly unusable furniture to art.
I'd love to see the Roswell thing. Maybe next summer I'll see if I can find a way to visit it. I want to see Taos and the Navaho stuff. It would be a fun vacation.
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Post by bill on Jun 19, 2023 21:13:20 GMT
Mixed Up Christmas - I had an hour zoom meeting with my editor and talked through my story and other writing issues. I have a beta reader looking through the story then will try to find places to submit it.
MM 5 - I did some writing (7-10,000 words or so) on the story. I hope to get another 10,000 words or so written on the rough draft before the end of June. It will still need a ton of work but I'll have a general idea and a lot of stuff to work with when I return for revision.
Roswell - I leave for Roswell in 9 days for the UFO Festival. I'm really excited and need the break!
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Post by Admin on Jun 21, 2023 3:57:30 GMT
Its a busy week for me. reunion is this weekend. Friday evening is at the Gridley lake and Saturday is at the community center. I know Bill will be there and Rhonda and Jacob are coming. But I don't think Texas or Colorado are showing up. We do have Darrel Miller from Kansas City coming. H's elderly but knows a lot of our family history. I think Rhonda is going to interview him and Jacob will video it. I also think JPete and his son are coming. I've never met his son so that will be interesting.
I'm getting closer to painting and so is Joshua. He's excited. We're trying to finish the bar this week. I'll see how that goes. Hopefully, next week there will be more time to write.
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Post by bill on Jun 26, 2023 3:14:42 GMT
I hope that the reunion went well! I helped run a pickleball tournament yesterday so I couldn't make it. I leave for Roswell on Wednesday morning and I'm really looking forward to it - need the break and time off. And hopefully will make a little money. I've written just over 20,000 words on my murder mystery. My goal was 25,000 for June so I might still make it. We'll see how these next few days go.
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Post by Admin on Jun 26, 2023 17:18:15 GMT
We missed you. Jeff had covid and Dan had to work on his house. Bill and Jacquie were here. Rhonda and Jacob were here. Was good to see them. they will be back for the corn roast. I'm still trying to get pictures ready to start painting again. One of the art projects will be the buffalo table. Bill and Jacquie brought me an old treadle sewing machine to use as the base for the buffalo table. I'm really tickled with it. I've decided to write a business plan. I have so many irons in the fire, I want to see it in writing. I also love the idea of your story board. I want to set one up for each of my projects. I'm a visual person. I think that technique would help me be more prolific.
Have fun in Roswell. Enjoy your visit and I hope you sell well.
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Post by Admin on Jul 3, 2023 13:02:00 GMT
Thinking of you and hoping your trip to Roswell brings you a lot of fun and recognition. Things are sort of slow around here. I really crave structure and don't seem to be finding it. I'm cleaning house today. Have houseguests coming. Not sure how long they will be here but will enjoy the little I get to see them.
JJ, my second grandson, got signed onto an Ameicorps work group. He'll be spending ten weeks in the national parks in Colorado cleaning up trails. He'll have to camp out and rough it a bit but he's ready for that. I'm just grateful its not the armed service. He'll get money toward tuition and school and hopefully, he'll figure out what he really wants to do. Jackson will be moving to Austin Tx in August to start his RN training.
I'm still working on getting my functional art ready to be sold, and serialize the writing that I have done already. I have a ton of ideas. I'm hoping to start Joshua back on art tomorrow. Jessica has today and tomorrow off. It's a good time to get him working on his personal goals. His funding is in place for his new chair. They will measure him for it on the 16th of this month. I just want him comfortable again.
Have fun. Can't wait for you to tell me all about it.
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Post by bill on Jul 7, 2023 23:05:12 GMT
I had an amazing well all the way around. The festival was my best event ever. I sold 49 books and 63 t-shirts. I sold out of my most popular t-shirt and lost a dozen or two sales because of that. Had a great time with family as well! This trip was as good as last year's was bad MM 5 - I finished June with 25,009 words written to make my goal of 25,000. I'm at 52,600 words for the novel. It still needs a lot of work but I'm at a good stopping point so I'm letting it sit for a while. MM 6 - I started making a story grid for book six yesterday. I'm most excited about this book because I have a clear vision of the murder and the characters involved. Plus I'm using it to set up my book 7 murder so that makes it a lot of fun. I have a lot going on this month and hope to get the first draft written by the end of August. MM SS - I have an idea for a short story with my main characters and have been fleshing it out. I'm bouncing between it and the novels. So far I have about 2,500 words of notes and writing. I plan to write as much as I can on the short story and try to get as much planning done as possible on the MM 6 by next Wednesday. On Thursday I fly to New York City to meeting Sydney, Rhonda, and Jacob for a long weekend and to see the Lion King on Broadway. I don't plan to take my computer or do any writing while I'm there. That will be the longest break I've taken from writing in years (except for being sick).
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Post by Admin on Jul 11, 2023 11:17:58 GMT
Have a wonderful time in NYC. I can't even imagine going there. I'm so not a people person. Abbey and her boyfriend, Sander, are staying here. I've enjoyed being around them.
Your sales in Roswell are showing that you are beginning to reach your target audience. Ride the momentum. I'm still dead in the water but my creativity is back and that feels really good. Joshua gets measured for his new chair next week. Hoping he'll have better seating before the summer is over.
I'm back in the art studio as well as in the workshop. I'm still not up to speed on the writing but I'm gathering the items I'll need to put my plan in place. I guess that is progress.
Tell everyone, Hi, from us and have a ton of fun on your trip.
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Post by bill on Jul 19, 2023 20:56:40 GMT
We had an awesome time on my trip to New York! Rhonda, Jacob, and Sydney are all doing well and it was fun to spend the time with them. We ended up seeing three Broadway shows - Hadestown, Back to the Future, and The Lion King. All were great!
I didn't take my computer because I knew I wouldn't have time to write. And I didn't. So now it's time to get after it. It's been a week now since I worked on my fiction so I need to get my bearings and back to it.
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