Shinerdrinker: Blog

Hello.

Um. Merry Christmas. I have finished chapter 30 of Mayhem in a Pill and wanted to get it out before tomorrow but I was just a little slow. So chapter 30 is with the final editor and whenever he finishes, then I'll go ahead and post.

So this week coming up for sure there will be a new chapter and I will have time to start the next chapter this week as well.

Okay, what else? Um. Oh yeah. Santa already gave me my present for this year and it is exactly what I wanted. I'm not telling you lot since I know you'll blab. Especially since it is wrapped and under the tree for me to open in the morning.

Happy Holidays.

Laters,
Shinerdrinker

Here in San Antonio, we had actual snowfall for the first time in 15 years. Sure we've had flurries that melt when hitting the ground but this snowfall accummulated to just under 2 inches officially. But I remember the first year I moved into this house was 1985 and that year San Antonio, TX had to deal with 13.5 inches of snow. I remember having to climb a ladder and with an improvised tool made from a garden hoe and some folded over cardboard, I made a large shovel to clear the snow off of the patio roof since it was beginning to bulge in areas not supported by poles. A couple of the bulges are still there today. It wasn't the snow that was a problem, it was the 2 inches of ice ON TOP of the snow. But it was beautiful that morning, San Antonio covered in a foot of snow with a shimmering cap on top to make the visage pristine. This recent snow wasn't that great but it was nice to see the yard white with the frozen rain but even nicer there was no ice.

So of course, the city shut down. And my humble abode lost power for a few hours. Had some young kiddos here for the week and they got to see snow. First time in a long time I actually finished a game of Monopoly. I came in third. Damned Chicago Avenue no one landed on it except whenever I found that damned card. All in all. No writing but a few days spent with the family.

But then again, it has been a looong time for an update. So I pledge to you, I will get back on it and I can promise a new chapter before the 25th. Only because the next two weeks after that are all full and I might not even have a chance for more than an hour of actual computer time. Just stuff happening. Real life messes with Mayhem and I thought it would be the other way around.

So no more stalling, I have heard your cries. I'll get on it.

Congratulations to a well-deserving auteur G Younger for his winning of the Halloween contest. Of the stories submitted, I'm happy I guessed the correct winner. His was easily better than mine. I have no problem admitting that.

So know we know I also submitted a story for the contest but mine was a last minute failure. I actually came up with the idea for my story on Saturday October 29th. One of those just falling asleep and the flash of inspiration hits. I rolled my rotund belly off to the side pulling me over to the edge of the bed. I grabbed my notebook and pencil I always keep near the bed on the night stand right next to the alarm clock and in front of the small glass of water. (My mouth gets very dry at night while sleep especially after taking the nightly pills.) Anyways the idea for the story hit and I quickly jotted it down and hoped I could remember the idea once again in the morning. My wife calls it my Seinfeld. He did it in an episode of some joke he thought was hilarious and then takes the rest of the next day trying to remember why what he wrote was so funny.

Luckily I did remember what I wrote and I could even fill out the idea a little more than the original thought. So I spent a few hours that I had on Sunday to write and then cancelled some plans for Monday to try and continue the writing. I had until Tuesday to submit the story. I mean hell who couldn't use the extra scratch for the holiday times.

But I tried to send it in once I finished but the system would not allow me too. It was around 11:30 so it was still the 29th. So I emailed Lazeez and begged him to let me enter the contest. He said he would but since he was in an earlier timezone the time had expired but there was nothing in the rules about that so I think the next contest will probably see that fact corrected. I didn't mean to do flaunt the rules but Lazeez was nice enough to go ahead and take my story.

After reading what I sent over the next couple of days, I could totally understand why the numbers I was getting back from the voters was not that good. My story actually felt like it was cut off. I built up some characters and even got a really good description of the main place the story happens. But when I had to cut off the story to actually get to the scary, it totally read like there were missing pages in the transmission and stuff got lost. But even with that, the story was not that bad.

But I think it still did fairly well with the idea and me writing the whole thing in just a few hours. I think there is something there. But I need to fill it out more.

SO I have pulled it and even asked Lazeez to pull it from the Halloween entrants. Frankly speaking, it was embarrassing. But there is something there.

I have it still on my computer and have backed it up along with the original outline I created when I first sat down to actually start writing. I mean I even kept one eye writing and the other watching my Cowboys beat up on the Washington Racial Slurs the afternoon.

I WILL REWRITE OPENING NIGHT!!!!!!

My first draft was turned in for the contest. But I so wish I would have gotten that hit of inspiration a couple of weeks earlier. I can see the story being the second story under the Shinerdrinker moniker and if it comes out the way I want it too, then maybe I'll have a shot at some Clitorides!

Congratulations to G Younger, Auguy86 and Kris Me for there wins and congratulations to all the other authors who dared to send in stories for the contest.

Okay.

Wow. I thought I'd get a response but damn! The overwhelming favorite will be done. So I started writing that chapter earlier today and I am now ending my writing for the day. Hell I even got in an extra hour. "Wink Wink"

But a rather interesting thing did occur. Coming in third place of a two position poll was the idea of changing the way I write these stories and morph into a style used most excellently by RoustWriter and his epic story "Arlene and Jeff." And to tell the truth, I played with the idea of switching scene back and forth when I went through a massive change in ideas about 3 chapters in and had to rewrite pretty much everything except the chapters already posted.

A lot of people would like for me to meld the two storylines together and the truth is while it is possible, I would rather keep it this way because to me it is like writing two different stories. Each with the same beginning but going off into different storylines. Kinda feels like I am writing two different stories.

Another problem is that I keep coming up with like other ideas of what could happen. I keep threatening to write in our alien overlords were responsible for thwarting our heroes idea to change his life. Our maybe even to discover that a rogue unit in the government actually followed behind to keep tight controls over what may happen. The ideas keep coming which for a writer is not a bad thing.

But I digress... Varsity football came in first by a long shot and the drug dealers beat out the combo tactic by just a couple of votes. Vote nullifying sisters were both counted, so no worries there.

So I am a few pages into Mayhem and his first varsity football on the sidelines but rest assured all those who seem to not like the football games themselves, that ain't all that is in this chapter. And I have also already jotted down my ideers for the drug dealers. I will have time to work on those once this chapter is complete. If my plans stay fluid, then this week will be the first time in a long time I have been able to schedule time for writing. Since I am blaming it all on NaNoWriMo, the family is at least acting like they can understand.

So, long story short... we shall have another chapter of young Mayhem and his trials during high school. But the next chapter after that will be what happens with those drug dealers.

Thanks for voting. Damn near 50 votes... golly geez, maybe I should rethink about the number of readers I have out there.

Naw, I'm still convinced you all have gone through the trouble of signing into SOL using multiple alias, just to make me think there are people actually reading my story. Yep. That's more believable.

Hello,

Hello to each of my score of fans out there. I discovered I have a large amount of time to write this weekend so I decided to put this out there and ask which way should I go this weekend?

Should the next chapter of Mayhem in a Pill continue with the Mayhem in high school as he stands on the sidelines of his first varsity game. Or should I go ahead and find out what happens to Tim and his last nights in the hotel surrounded by drug dealers?

I leave it up to the readers. Which would you prefer to read about first, Tim's first Varsity game on the sideline or should we find out what Tim is planning with the drug dealers in the hotel where he is hiding out.

Go ahead and let me know which you would like to read about first. I have several hours today and tomorrow to write and I can't decide which one to write first so ya'll decide.

Just do a simple in site vote and let me know. No reasoning necessary but appreciated. And please don't say cause you don't like football.

Thanks for reading!