A year and a half since my last post. I have found of late that I am sort of coming out of the cloud of loss. Perhaps it has taken me a bit longer to get to this point that most...I don't know, never been here before so I have no basis to draw from.
What I do know is that the writing bug is still there, not quite as subdued as it has been over the last few years. I have actually begun to frame ideas again, which if you knew my past, ended up being the first step to writing in the first place.
I hope to begin again and hopefully come out with even better stories.
I thank you, the readers and followers of my work, for your patience and supportive emails and comments.
In my life, things have not been aligned well to allow me time to write. Matter of fact the last two years have been very difficult. At this point in time, while I intend to write again, I have yet to get into the 'zone'. Part of the reason is due the recent passing of my wife. Cancer sucks. A lot.
Anyway, this is just to let anyone who has enjoyed my stories in the past to know that eventually I will begin to write again. Just not certain as of yet, when. Thank you.
I was notified by a very alert reader that the chapters of Patricks Marriage Changes are different than where they've been posted at another site.
After checking into the issue I discovered that they are correct and for some reason I haven't been posting the edited, correct versions of each chapter. My computer seems to be playing hide and seek on me so I've been having to search all the chapters out, both raw, semi-edited and edited in order to find them and I now find myself reading several versions of each chapter. I apologize and want to let you all know I'm working on the issue and hope to have it all corrected within a week or so. Until then I am tied up between work and re-reading each version of each chapter, finding the finished versions.
Thank you for your patience and letting me know of the 'weirdness' going on.
I was recently asked to post this story here on SOL. Honestly I thought I had already posted it here, and then I went and checked. Not sure how this story of mine was missed back in 2004 when first posted at 'other' places online. But here it is as originally written. There will be ten chapters and these are original, not edited so it may be a rough road ahead for you readers of my efforts. Hopefully you will forgive me.
In regards to my writing that is. I get feedback and comments on my stories constantly. I usually try to reply to them in timely manners because I enjoy reading what people think about my efforts.
While now days most people are quite pleased with me efforts, for the most part anyway, I still get some very nasty comments on my older stories.
Here is a reply I sent to one reader just lately that hopefully will explain my issue, and maybe, if readers read this blog, will help to show why I leave my stories 'as written'. One day I will revisit them, perhaps, but even then I'll post them as 'edited' and leave the original up for comparison.
anyway, my reply to the reader:
First I'd like to thank you for letting me know your thoughts about this story. While I realize that you didn't really care for the ending, I do appreciate that you took the time to write me and let me know what you thought and why.
In my defense...and I'm not trying to duck under anything here, just stating facts. I began writing in 2002, my first story being Julie's New Job. My second story in order that I wrote, not posted online was 'The Assignment'. My second story ever...as in the second time I'd actually tried to write a story at all. In between Julie's New Job and The Assignment, online I had four other shorter stories I posted that seemed to pop up out of my head and I was able to blast them out over night it seemed.
I was new to writing and most of my works had grammar, syntax, punctuation and other issues. One of the more glaring issues I had during that time was making the characters seem believable. As I've always said, I try to improve with each story I write. In 2002-2003 I went through a lot of improvement... at least other people have told me so. I'd like to think I improved as well.
When I first started writing and submitting online I posted clearly on my little author blurb that I would not take a story down, edit it and change it. My stories will stay as is, unchanged from my early days, mainly so that people can read my works and see how I've (hopefully) grown as an author.
The Assignment is one of those stories that I've been both praised and vilified for over the years. I sometimes wish that the places I post to would put the stories in the time line they were written rather than alphabetically. They don't, so I can't really make it simple for readers to see the changes in my efforts over time.
Back then, in 2002 I posted nine stories but actually wrote about fifteen, in 2003 I posted three and actually wrote five stories. I guess what I'm saying is that when I first started I released my efforts without thought to making sure that they made sense, had any grammar or punctuation errors fixed or anything else like that. I'd write and then post them online the same day I decided they were 'done'.
It was only after a few very good writers/authors contacted me and invited me to join with them in discussing stories that I discovered editors, editing, and having others pre-read my works before I posted them online. Their efforts in reading what I had and making suggestions helped me tremendously I think.
I guess what all this is about it please note the date something I posted online was written and take into account what I wrote like then versus what I put out now... and think about that before ripping me a new one because you didn't like the way I wrote a particular story. I've found over time, that most of the stories I get blasted for came from 02, 03 and 04, while my later works I don't get ripped on nearly as much. A sign that I've gotten better as an author??? I don't know... but I like to think that is what it is.
Thank you