Posts made in July 28th, 2012

• Requiescat In Pace

  Balance

  John D. MacDonald’s protagonist, Travis McGee, was a private eye of the 60′s and 70′s (and even into the 80′s, a little) who lived on a houseboat in Slip F-18, Bahia Mar, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  The titles all had colors in them, like:

  

  McGee was unique in a lot of ways, but one of my favorites was his perspective on his lifestyle.  He would describe it something like this: “I’m taking my retirement in chunks instead of at the end of my career.”

  Of course, when your life consists (as McGee’s does, when not working) of cruising around on a houseboat with bikini’d ladies, drinking Plymouth gin and having fascinating conversation about any number of topics, I suspect most people would rather do that throughout their lives than wait until the end.  That’s my perspective on taking time off from writing: chunks are better than whole days. (more…)

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• To Sin or Not To Sin, That Is the Eternal Question

  Balance
  

  G.J. Koch

  I’m a full time author, meaning I’m a full time believer in doing something in my career every day, which includes writing every day.

  But some days…I don’t.

  Most of those days involve being at conferences, dealing with the business side of the writing business, interacting with fans, promotion, and so on. Those aren’t “off” days. Those are days when the hours are filled with work that ensures the writing career continues, because, yes, if you don’t do the business side, it’s hard to keep getting your books onto the shelves and into the hands of readers.

  However, I still try to get writing in, as much as possible, every day, even if it’s only 100 words (I’m a proud member of Club 100 for which I give a great deal of credit for my becoming focused enough to now have to do all the business side of the writing business).

  Recently, though, I’ve heard a voice in my head. Oh, don’t get me wrong — I hear voices in my head all the time. I mean, I’m an author. Of course I hear voices, and lots of them. Constant, whining voices, demanding that their stories be told, and first, and hurry it up, will you?
  (more…)

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