Patreonage

I’ve finally broken down and put together a Patreon page. It’s just a beginning — I don’t know exactly what to do yet…so I’m offering a story or a piece of a wip each week, plus access to music that then public won’t see for a while and the opportunity to have me write something from your story prompt.
Just part of an overall effort to organize and focus. I’d welcome participation and suggestions. Thanks for reading!

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It goes to eleven

“Those of you who have followed my musical postings for a while will understand that I am completely jazzed about becoming eleventh on the Reverbnation Rock chart in Tucson,” he says drily. “It is kinda cool to be recognized for something, even if it is pitiful.”

Talk about mixed emotions. Anyway, it’s true. After a mini-ad-campaign featuring my version of Carol of the Bells, my “band” climbed up the heap of Tucsonan rockers and made it to eleven. That was Sunday. Actually made it to nine briefly…I’ve been resting between twenty and fourteen for a couple of months, which tells me that there’s not much activity there.
Which explains why I “climbed up”. There’s no there there, and that’s the pitiful part.
The song is pretty good, I think. I spliced two different versions together to make a more interesting sequence, and then ran a rhythm section under and a heap of guitars over and around. You can listen via the link in the tune title above.

Heh. I was afraid to try it, because Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but I think I found a comfortable pocket, especially during the last two-thirds of the track.

Fate Accompli

Did quite a bit this month. Feeling kinda proud of myself. In november 2008, I wrote a 62,000 word novel and created a cd’s worth of material while simultaneously quitting smoking mid-month. That was pretty productive.

In January 2001, I wrote two short stories in an afternoon and saw them both get published. That was good too.

One day in the mid-70s, I sat down with a couple of pencils and a pile of notebook paper and wrote a novel. About the same wordage as the above. That was the single most productive day of my creative life.

I had a month kinda like that. I wrote a 46k novel (Betrothed to Yog-Sothoth), finished a thirteen-year-old manuscript (Fear and Loathing in Innsmouth) with 15k words, thereby qualifying for a Nanowrimo win, wrote another 10k’s worth of two short stories, and topped that off by composing, performing, and producing a baker’s dozen of new songs, which I’ve just now finished posting to Reverbnation.

I’ll post them onsite soon. The jukebox is taking shape too.

So…I’ll enjoy the feeling while it lasts, and try not to break my arm in the process.

“before Crazytown” has sold more copies than I expected, though not very many in real terms. Fear and Loathing in Innsmouth should surpass it. I’m probably going to offer that as a print book also, though maybe not right away. Crazytown is champing at the bit too.

Surf the wave, me.

 

Medfirst Dive

Yeah, that’s what I’m doing every morning. The surgery went well, and the incisions are healing, but there’s still three deep cuts in my abdomen and they hurt like a bitch. So I get up and render myself virtually insensate right away, and will for the foreseeable future.

That actually led to a spark of creativity yesterday. I played my Madden game for a while, then got to thinking about what else I could do. I had most of the pieces of a song that had been destined for something called the Summer Solstice Challenge at writingforums.com, before it became apparent that my hernia surgery would have to become a greater priority than it had been.

Didn’t get the thing done in time for the contest. It had been set up for vocals and stuff, but I’ll not be able to do those for quite some time, and so I fashioned a lead part out of out-takes from earlier versions, made a new melody figure, and reassembled the thing.

Dawn of Steel 

is the name of the piece. It’s just over ten minutes long, a shred/symphony of sorts. Lots of detail, downloadable only from this location.

Enjoy.

I’ve also begun the first of the stories for another Crazytown collection.