What's Up Wednesday: The Rumble Fades, Now Back To Work

justinmkelly (49)in #amwriting • 6 years ago

Well, the bikers are gone. Most of them at least. The truth is, there are always some who stick around until the snow flies. Still, it's all over but the cleanup.

I'm already regretting not spending more time up at Sturgis this year, but I just didn't have the energy to tell the truth. I was starting to think that maybe I'm getting too old to party like that. That I was turning into an old man. While there's truth to that, it was a relief to discover that I was fighting off both a cold and some sort of stomach bug and it really took the energy out of me. Still, now that it's all over, I kind of wish I'd toughed it out and gone up there more anyway. Alas, the party's over.

Now it's time to get back to work.

I'm still working on the next installment of "The Mongers" for this week's Fiction Friday. I know I promised to have it out last week, but as I said, I wasn't feeling well and if I had been, I probably would have been partying like an irresponsible teenager.

I'll be perfectly honest, I don't know where "The Mongers" is going, if it's going anywhere at all. I got the idea for the opening scene and I went with it, so try not to be too mad if it goes somewhere unsatisfying. I promise I'll finish it one way or another. I just have no idea what's going to happen myself.

Other than that, I haven't done much this past week. I did make one last trip up to Sturgis on Saturday for dinner with family and one last trip up and down main street for souvenirs. I wish I could post the thing I bought for my new nephew, but I'm not sure if my brother and sister-in-law read my blog, so I'd better not until they get it.

After years of searching, I found a ring that I've been looking for. I had one like it when I was a kid, but I either lost it, or one of my scumbag friends from the time stole it. (You know who you are.) Anyway, here it is.

The old one probably wouldn't have fit anymore anyway.

And thus completes my pirate themed hand.

I've been taking a bit of my own advice and started reading more. I'm a big proponent of reading and have actually made a YouTube video on the importance for writers to read, but lately, I haven't been practicing what I preach. I fell into the old trap most people do, proclaiming, "I just don't have the time."

Unfortunately, as a writer, that just doesn't fly. Reading, for a writer, is like doing research in any other field. A scientist couldn't very well go to his higher-ups and tell them he just didn't have the time to keep up on the latest scientific research. So it is with a writer. At least, for writers, our research material is entertaining to read.

On that note, I just finished reading "The Regulators" By King/Bachman.

I really liked it, but about halfway through the book, I realized something. While at first I thought it was just a continuation of Desperation. I realized I recognized some of the names. I had to look it up to be sure, but it turned out I was right. Some of the names were the same as in the Desperation. Some of the characters even had the same career, but had vastly different personalities. The antagonist was basically the same. I think it's basically the same story told in two alternate realities. I'm not sure, but I wonder if King/Bachman was unsure which way he wanted to take the story, so he ended up writing them both.

Anyway, on that note, I now want to re-read "Desperation" while "The Regulators" is still fresh in my mind.

If you look carefully, you'll see that the covers fit together into one piece of art. Pretty cool.

I also need to finish "Ash & Quill" by Rachel Caine. I started that one a few months ago, but just haven't finished it. It's not that it isn't a good book. I just got busy. I know, I know.