November 13, 2015

Believe It...Or Not.

After giving it a lot of thought (helps to be preoccupied with other things), I decided to keep this wonderfully insecure blog going for a little while longer. Not sure what topics I'll touch upon, but I've been thinking about getting back to the basic tenets of what I originally created for this blog in 2008 (yeah, 8 1/2 years is 8 1/2 years): writing, work, and the world around me.

So, to continue on a theme, let's begin at the beginning with writing.

As I mentioned at the close of my last post, I got one of my previously published short stories back, so to speak. Its original home was on a nifty e-zine called The Cynic, which is kind of permanent hiatus these days. For the past week or so, I was at a loss as what to do with it. After all, what do you do with a short story that has no permanent home?

Then, in a scenario that only Captain Obvious would appreciate, I remember some time ago that I wanted to do a short story anthology, and in fact, had a few stories written for it. So I said to myself, "Hey! Why not?" (I'm man of few words when it comes to dealing with myself). Off I went to my trusty XP computer to find one particular short story, specifically, the other short story that I had published at another fine outstanding e-zine, which is still going strong to this day.

I found the short story in question, and after transferring it to my new computer, figured I was all set to create a short story anthology exclusive for Amazon, much like I did with Smashwords. Sadly, I discovered that I did not have six stories, I had three. The other three were incorporated into another story, so once again I had a trilogy on my hands.

This one should be easy to do, as it clocks in at just a hair over 14K/26 pages. All I have to do is a little judicious editing, creating a good copyright page (gotta make sure to tell people that all of these stories were previously published) and few teasers to my other books. Oh yeah, a good cover pic and a good title.

There lies the rub. I suck at creating titles for my stories (Line 21, anyone?) and trying to come up with a title for short story trilogy will suck major Democrat testicles (as opposed to Republicans, which in this state need to be seen with an electronic microscope). At least for the Smashwords trilogy the pic I had came with the saying "Broken Promises".

I do have a pic that I bought some time ago from IStock when my credits were getting ready to expire, so I may try to work something in with it. The photo is thus, and let me know what you think of it.


Perhaps I can come up with a title based on the content of the stories and this picture.

Thus ends part 1,001 of G.B.'s Writing Adventures? Now! Tune in to this same Bat Channel next week for part 2,002 of G.B.'s Writing Adventures? Now! where you'll get another writing update, but you will not here warble this song.



(c) 2015 BOOKS BY G.B. MILLER. All Rights Reserved.

16 comments:

  1. I really like the photo.

    I can relate to your "insecure blog" as I feel just the same about mine at the moment too. I'm not sure if it's me or the blog that's insecure, perhaps both. I'm glad you are keeping yours going and that you continue to find things to blog about.

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    1. Thanks. Considering how many credits I had left at the time, I didn't have a whole lot to choose from.

      I think I'm a little bit of both right now. I got so much time/energy/my life invested in my blogging that I simply loathe to give up the ghost outright. I think if I really just not think it about the blog, I'll somehow find it easier to blog.

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  2. That's a very atmospheric photo you've chosen for the book cover! Perhaps you should have a title naming contest, like you did before? At least it could generate some ideas, if nothing else.

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    1. Thanks. And that sounds like a very plausible idea. I like the spookiness that sort of taps you on the shoulder and says, "Hi! Remember me?"

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  3. I have fun making up titles myself. It's a part of the writing process I enjoy.

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    1. To a certain degree, I do as well. My problem is that most of the titles I think of, have no connect with the story content. Which really does suck from time to time.

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  4. Alright G.B., I'm going to start asking you questions to answer in your blog posts, if you dare. 1) What is your favourite item of clothing, and why? 2) If you could travel to any country in the world free of charge, where would you go?

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    1. A challenge from the lady in red? Bring it on!

      1) Suspenders. I am rather fat (yes, I is not p.l.), thus unable to wear a belt like a normal person. Since I don't cater to the idea of very baggy pants, suspenders are the only way I can keep my pants on, up and over my stomach. Blue is the color of choice.

      2) When I was younger, I always wanted to go to Jamaica. My father used to teach extensively down there every summer from the 70's thru the early 90's and it seemed like a fantastic place to go. Now as an adult, either Canada or the U.K.

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    2. Well, let me know if you're ever in Toronto! :-)

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    3. It's funny, but I've never been to Canada. That would be an interesting country to visit. 'Course, it would require me to get a passport.

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  5. Glad you are keeping open! I would love to read and get your volume of short stories when it's finished.

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    1. Absolutely. These will be a bit more PG-13 than the other.

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  6. I would have to say that most bloggers are insecure....me included.

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  7. Nice to see you sticking around! And yeah, that picture would make a fantastic cover. It's very haunting. You don't need a great title if you've got a very striking cover.

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    1. It is at that, isn't it. I do want to the title and the cover to reflect the content within though. But you do have a very valid point.

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