I’ve become boring

Things have slowed down on the fiction front for me. I’ve hit a metaphorical wall on the weekends. It got so bad last weekend, that I counted on Jan Sikes to carry the load around here, and her post performed like gangbusters. Thank you all for supporting her.

Some of it involves work. There is simply too much to do inside of eight hours, and I’ve been pushing myself. That takes a toll on my brain. In a way it still counts as thousands of new words written, but isn’t nearly as entertaining as fiction.

Some of it is taxes. We owe again this year, but this time don’t have the money to pay them all. We covered the state, and put the federal on a credit card which we can now pay off for the next 20 years.

This caused me to update my W-4. We were already both declaring zero dependents. I will never understand how we can come up short by using the charts they provide. From now on, I’m taking extra cash from each paycheck to put aside for federal and state taxes. There could be a lot more beans around here in 2024.

I started a savings stash for things like cover art, but it isn’t even close to paying the taxes for us. I decided to keep my stash and add to it sporadically.

I’m also behind on reading. It seems like all of my friends published at once. I intend to read them, but have to shoehorn them all into the time I have. Maybe it’s payback. People used to tell me I publish so frequently they can’t keep up.

To keep this from becoming a total pity party, I took this picture for you.

There are only a small handful of them, but they’re peach blossoms. Looks like the old tree made it through another winter. I wonder if the tree looks back and thinks, “Looks like Boyack made it through another winter.”

I’m going to hit it hard for one more week, then I’m using some leave. My brain needs the rest, and maybe I can make some progress on one of my projects.

Think about looking at my sidebar. There are some cool books over there, and I have a credit card bill to cover. (That’s supposed to be funny.) Happy Easter, everyone.

Still trying to post a nice thing or two

In light of current events, I’m sharing what little bits I can. In this year’s race toward Spring, it was neck and neck between the Asian pear tree and the flat peach tree.

The peach tree took the checkered flag.

That Time of Year

The Boise area topped 80 degrees today. It’s kind of interesting, because we had frost this week too. It also produces one of my favorite phenomenon.

Yup, red and drippy eyes began this morning. I got used to the congestion and even the occasional headache, but the eye thing annoys the crap out of me.

It’s life, not much I can do about it. We have to get a new microwave tomorrow. Thank God for a Sears credit card. It’s either that or watch Old What’s Her Face* grow a third boob. (Hmmm?)

* Not my wife’s actual name.

Hissy Fit

I wandered around the back yard this afternoon. My crab apple has the first tiny leaves, my Asian pear is getting close too. All the rose bushes have tiny maroon first growth showing up. My peach tree has cracked buds where the pink is showing through.

It won’t be long before everything is in bloom once more. I cringed at the voice over my shoulder.

“Yes, Persephone is back on Olympus. I had tea with her Friday.”

“Hi, Lorelei*. What brings you out today?” She had on a business suit with a knee length skirt, and looked like she was about to give me a performance review.

“You,” she said. “What are you doing? You’ve been lax with your writing.”

“That’s not true. I wrote 1286 new words this morning, and I’ve updated my blog several times too.”

“Blogging isn’t the same as fiction.” She put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side.

“It kind of is. Lisa** got some new lines out of it.”

“That’s another thing. All that music nonsense. Are you cheating on me with one of my sisters?”

“No. I, whatever gave you–

She held her palm up toward me, and I stopped.

“What were you doing writing a song then? Don’t try to deny it either.”

“That was just a fun way to talk about publishing and promoting Wild Concept,” I said.

“My sisters are laughing at me. I’m here to help you with your fiction. If you want to take up music or poetry, I can find someone else to help.”

“No, please don’t do that. It’s just that publishing, blogging, and promoting all take time. You understand, right?”

“Quite frankly, I don’t. I don’t care if you ever publish your work. I want you to write the best stories you can, and to improve over time.”

“I have been, haven’t I?”

“Yes, but you seem distracted lately.” She looked at the peach buds and bent some of the branches. “I think it’s time to move Will ‘O the Wisp forward.”

“I made a task list just this afternoon. There are a series of things that all need to happen to bring it to a close. My plants all need to payoff by the end. It’s almost like a mini outline for the rest of the book.”

“You always were good with plants and payoffs. What about the emotional elements?”

“Still struggling, but getting better. Some of that improves in the rewrite phase.” I leaned against the fence and glanced at my boots. “I’m afraid it’s going to come up short.”

“So what?” She said. “The story should be as long as it needs to be. No more, no less.”

“It’s a marketing… Well, it’s a marketing thing. People expect a novel to come in at a certain length.” I slapped the back of my hand into the other palm. “I know you don’t care, but I do.”

“I think you should just write it and find out. You can always add a line of dialog or two. I know you’re off tomorrow, and I expect a few thousand words.” She shook her finger at me and said, “No more goofing off with your robot friend when you should be writing.”

I made a fist with my right hand and thumped my chest. “Hail Lorelei.”

“Better.”

“So am I in trouble?”

“Always, now don’t let me down.”

With that, she turned and walked out of the yard. I watched her walk away, it’s a nice view. She knows I watch, and it’s kind of a game now.

It was one of our less violent interactions. I’m ready for tomorrow, and somehow there will be words on paper.

* Lorelei is my Muse

** Lisa is the main character in Wild Concept. She’s a robot and works as my assistant at the writing cabin these days.