FozzieBare: Blog

Yes, I'm still here.

Yes, I'm still having trouble connecting my story-telling brain to my story-typing fingers. It works.. sometimes.. just not to the level I'm happy with.

I'm my own worst critic.

Healthwise.. well, I'm still on God's Green Earth, despite the best efforts of my own body.

Now if just spring could come, as far as I'm concerned, snow is a four letter words, and shouldn't be said in polite company, like all those other four letter words (especially those that get bandied about here ;)).

First off, thank you very much for those of you who continue to read and let me know you enjoyed my stories.

Another year has passed, and I'm hoping that it's better. After two years of ducking and dodging COVID, I finally got it this summer, and it was just as bad as feared (I take immunocompromising medicines, so it was always going to be bad).

I'm still here, so that damn virus (or whatever you want to call it) didn't finish the job, but well, I know I was in a fight. I am suffering from some possible "LONG-COVID" symptoms... but again. I'm. Still. Here.

Writing wise? Here's hoping '23 is better than '22. I still have much more to write, if I can just get it out of my head and through my fingers.

It's nae so bad a way to live. No matter our differences, no matter our beliefs, may you have a safe and happy holiday season. Merry Christmas.

So, got quite a bit of mail and comments on the new story, the Free Trader universe, and my writing style. So, I figured I'd write up a bit of a FAQ-list.

1) Does Wastrel's Dream mean that Mary's Dream is dead/unfinished?

A: Not at all. FTWD actually came by because as regulars know, my muse can be awfully fickle (almost wrote fuckable there, but I already wrote THAT story). Wastrel's Dream came about as I was banging my head trying to get all the jumbled threads in the FTMD story to get in line so I can get them down. Trust me, that trick never works. I'll write three paragraphs about something, and then, oh yeah, I need to bring up this, and oh, what about this plot point that's been going for 10 chapters and..

They're all fighting for brain space and typing finger time. So, there are times where I just get fed up with the whole thing, shove the whole screaming mess back in the cell that is my brain, and just write stuff. "You Knew" was one of those stories that came from just connecting the muse to my typing fingers and not trying to direct the flow.

Wastrel's Dream was something similar. I had sent a bit of text to my pre-reader, a story seed I had come up for a RPG, where superheroics was a sport you could watch on TV. It was cool, but needed (and needs) way more work to turn into a full fledged story.

In the email I lamented that my writer's block/jumble had kept me from moving forward on FTMD.

Bob, my pre-reader/editor said "Why don't we try something different, Foz. A palate cleanser, so to speak. "perhaps start a new story with your sense of humour imbedded into it. An intelligent (AI) space ship and a playboy (?playgirl?) owner. Dropping in on situations and accidentally raising cain."

Within nine hours of that email, I had chapter one of Wastrel's Dream written and emailed back to him, plus some world notes.

3,000 words in less than 9 hours.

What writer's Block?

(insert headbanging keyboard emoji here)

2) Do you think that authors owe it to their committed readers to finish their stories?


A: At first, I wanted to snark back "No, I love leaving my reader's Blue-balled! I write to the most important part, and then DELIBERATELY leave it unfinished, just to torment my readers!"

But that's unfair to the reader in question, and to all of you. I think it's fair in that you guys have put up with me for so long, and you want more. I want to give you more.

Trust me. I am doing my best with all my stories. As I get them on to paper, you guys get them. Sometimes probably too fast, but I feel like I owe you guys something. You put up with unfathomable delays, missed deadlines.. You'd almost think my writing career (such as it is) was built by government committees. All I can promise is, as I get it, you will get it. I promise.

It's not unusual for writers to go through this. One of my favorite authors, the late great Douglas Adams (author of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" even had a famous quote about his delays. "I don't mind deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they fly by".

3) Are "Rogue's Rules" and "One-on-One" dead?

RR is most emphatically NOT dead. It is being worked on, around the time that I am writing this FAQ. One-on-One is more.. up in the air. One-on-One is the story I want to write, but it's conversely the one that I apply the highest standards to. Not that I think my other stories are worse, just.. whenever I tried to write One on One, it didn't live up to what I want to present. you guys love it, I love it, and I want it to be perfect. What's that old saying, "Perfect is the enemy of good?

4)I just finished reading both "Free Trader" stories. I don't understand why their scores aren't in the upper 8's. Very Good!

This is more of a feedback than a question, but I understand for a lot of readers, the unfinished nature of it is a turnoff. As for the rest, I am my own worst critic (see earlier in this FAQ, and my past blog posts where I talk about my writing process compared to what every other author seems to effortlessly do). I'm shocked that I have the readers I do, and I am very grateful for them.

5) Are there any plans to publish on (insert platform here, Amazon/bookapy/etcetera).. I'd love to support your work..

A: Thank you. I appreciate it, but I can't sell unfinished work, and I can't sell crap stuff that hasn't been thoroughly edited. My pride won't let me. Maybe once those (insurmountable) problems are surmounted. But thank you so much!

Set in the same universe as Free Trader Mary's Dream, Kenneth Smithers would be one of the richest and most powerful people in the Terran Federation, if he didn't find it boring as hell. So, he told his House "My Sister's in charge, see ya!" and in the immortal words of somebody, "Took his money and ran". Too bad the faster he runs from responsibility, the faster it chases him...

FTMD/RR work continues apace. Hopefully there'll be movement soon.