Powered By Blogger

The Second Intelligent Species

by Dale Langlois



SCI-FI FOR THE WORKING GUY

Thursday, October 23, 2014

What is NaNoWriMo?

NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month and is always in November as far as I know at this time.
Participants challenge themselves to write at least fifty thousand words in novel form in thirty days.
Why? There is no monetary rewards, no promised contracts or notoriety of any kind. So why does one take the test? The only answer is we are mostly nuts who think what we say in type means something to someone else. We who choose the road less taken feel if we can do it in a month once, we can do it again. Some authors write books at will in less than thirty days. Most of us are amateurs unaware of what to do. Nano is the straw we are grasping for this month.
This is my first attempt at it, and I am starting from scratch using some notes and seven thousand words I have twice written. Here's what I have: I started the novel I am working on many years before the publication of my first book. I accidently deleted the eight thousand words I had. I started again and am up to seven thousand words. I plan on using some of those, but mostly will be starting anew again. The story has changed in the last few weeks. I wont start writing until November first. I would only be cheating myself if I started now. I am working on it every day with notes, and thoughts. This is my challenge to myself. When I set my mind to something, it gets done!

Saturday, October 4, 2014

What Have I learned in 53 years?


Do not play with thistles.

Don’t use tools, they hurt your hands.

Beer is delicious.

When you hear someone bad-mouthing someone else, they will be talking about you as soon as you leave the room.

Nature is the only reality we can even think we understand, or ever will.

Being a mentor is honorable.

If you have to pick up tools remember, righty tighty, lefty loosey.

Bees won’t sting if you don’t swat at them.

Paying bills is less painful than bill collectors knocking on your door, (just learned this one this year, [last month actually]).

Understanding women is more complicated than astrophysics, quantum mechanics and origami combined; don’t even try, just admit defeat and ride the waves.

When your wife ask what you want for your birthday, don’t say the same thing you ask for each Christmas, anniversary or groundhog’s day. You didn’t get it then either.

Don’t pet porcupines backwards, it makes them angry.

Looking at the stars on a clear night cleans out the toxins of the mind: repeat as much as possible. No one has died from an overdose of star-gazing to my knowledge.

Get into the woods as long as you are mobile…
Correction: Get into the woods as long as you breathe, you will find peace.