Morbid

Morbid: characterized by or appealing to an abnormal and unhealthy interest in disturbing and unpleasant subjects, esp. death and disease : he hadlong held a morbid fascination with the horrors of contemporary warfare. (the standard definition in the dictionary)
I have a friend that describes my writing as morbid, and that may be true to a point, but I am far from a morbid person. I don't think it's abnormal, unhealthy, disturbing or unpleasant to write like I do - I think it's quite normal. We all know there is a dark side to life, and I'm more than willing to write stories that take you where you'd dare not tread. 
There is a downside. I have an overactive imagination that has me thinking way too much. 
It's late: is it safe to go to the store at midnight? I looked over my shoulder the whole time (my life is that uninteresting). It will make a great Facebook post, lol.

There is a panel van parked next to my car: is there someone trapped inside that needs my help? I could swear I heard someone knocking from inside. I stopped and listened, but realized it must be my imagination. (I gave it a good second look, and tried to memorize the company name on the side).
I wonder how good a witness I'd be because I already forgot the damn name!

To be or not to be

To be or not to be is the question. Should I remove every passive word and replace them with active ones? Can it be done? Should it be done?

I have faced these tough questions, and yes, I have come to the conclusion I need to rewrite using an active voice. I'll be passive when I need to be passive, and sometimes I need to passive. Just like I need to listen and take what someone else says no matter how it makes me feel.

At this point, I feel like I took five steps backward and wonder if I can rise above this like I have every other thing. Hell yes I can! Like many writers' before me, if I knew what I knew now - I probably would have learned to knit instead.

I have nearly finished rewriting my whole novel, but now need to go back in and start over. Taking a few days break I realize I overreacted, but I see the light now.

The who/where/when/why/how element is present. Walking my characters through their five senses is a bit more complex for me. They can see, and smell, but I have forgotten about hearing, touch and taste.

I bought a book by Robert Walker here called Dead On Writing. I found the information in this book to be helpful.

I'm ready to complete this journey - are you ready to continue to follow me? I hope so because I'd be lost without you.

Geez

Things to do when your power cuts out for an unknown reason.


Bitch and moan because you haven't taken your shower yet, and you have a dentist appointment.

You think, hey I can still cook I have a gas stove - no it's an electronic ignition.

Bitch and moan even more when you realize you can't watch American Idol you taped on DVR last night.

Damn I'm hungry!

I wonder when the power will come back on, sigh.

I wonder if there is somehow an open network, so I can go online, not happening.

Lightbulb goes off, and I remember I have a laptop with at least an hour worth of power.

Is it actually 8:16 or is that when the power went off.

Hey how in the hell is the clock still working if there is no power (I'm blond, don't hate me).

Another light bulb goes off: I have a refrigerator full of alcohol and it would be a shame to let it get warm.

So here I am pondering what to do when my stomach is killing me. I should just go to bed.

This is a great f@ckin why to start a seven night off stretch.

I could write a blog. Do some rewriting  and editing, or read one of the many ebooks I just bought.

I never noticed before how silent it can be, and I can actually hear birds chirping outside. I can even hear cars moving on the freeway from a distance.

I hope this isn't the apocalypse, but it can't be, as I don't hear zombies banging on my door. If they did, this would at least be interesting. Not interesting as a short story, but interesting enough all the same.Nick just left for his appointment now, and I'm all alone, just you and me.

Is that a garbage truck I just heard. Is it possible that life exists beyond the confines of this apartment complex?? I hear footsteps. Are they coming for me? All I have to protect me is my damn cat and lord knows she can't even catch a mouse.

I'm doomed. This is the end. The garbage truck keeps getting closer and closer, until . . .

It's sort of lulling me to sleep. I never realized before how loud those trucks can be. Its breaks are squeaking and I keep hearing the chi, chi, chi sound.

I'm hiding behind my curtains, so they won't find me, maybe they don't even know I'm here.

Be silent Madison be silent. You don't want the garbage trucks to come and get you.

I can still hear them banging away at the dumpsters, although from a distance now.

Oh god, make them go away!

Don't let them get me.

Damn I'm hungry!

The lights just came on, hooray, surely the garbage trucks will go away now!


Writers find a way even if left in the dark, lol.

The Caregiver

I'm here not because I want to, but because I need to be. 

I will hang my head sullenly, but only for  a moment.

But that won't last.

I'll pick up my head, and although I may not smile at the time.

Know that I will in time.

Perhaps I'll look at your name on the door and wonder where you've gone.

And if you are, I may frown a bit more.

I'll put a smile on my face as the game time is at hand.

You'll feel my hands, my caring hands tenderly care for you.

You may share your stories, and I will take time to listen to them.

I may sit at your bedside too.

I will forget all negativity that I was forced to endure before I came here.

And spent a few extra moments with you.

While I may not be able to make you whole again.

I will care for you until you're gone.

With a smile on my face.

Multitasking

I worked on chapter 23 rewrites all day, that was the plan. Having a plan is a great way to start the day, and half way into my day I found myself juggling more than a circus clown. I did work on my rewrites and editing, but that was between answering all my email.


I had chapter edits coming in from my editor Barbara that I had been waiting for since last week, but she was too busy, and me, I worked 50 hours last week. Today was as perfect day to handle that for both of us. She is past amazing and I'm happy to have found her. 


I have chapters 20, 21, and 22 back and perfectly inserted into the right places without screwing up (I even remembered to save this time). For those of you that don't follow me on a regular basis. I send my editor one chapter at a time, and even she doesn't know what is going to happen next. I love it. I have a captivated reader already.


I have a 15 page chapter looming ahead, and I still think I'm missing a body. I need to decide if I want to break that up into two chapters, but I think there is a lot going on in those 15 pages, so I might keep them as is. You do need to stick to your original framework and there is no room for major changes, rewriting yes, but not whole changes. 


I wrote about an old dog today in chapter 23 that reminded me of an old dog I saw before. I drove down a country road on my way to work when I was younger, and every day I drove past this farm. There was nothing remarkable about it really, but there was an old dog, possibly a lab that was old as hell. Everyday I watched him hop around on three legs (he was that old) and sometimes he would just be laying on the grass in front of the house, panting heavily. Poor tired old dog. I wrote about him today and I wonder. Does every farm have some old dog watching over its owners? He can barely move, but yet he does, something to think about. 


You may get older, but you should never give up. When I'm taken out of this world. I won't go easily. I'll go kicking screaming and fighting to the end. 

Editing updates

It's great when someone likes something you write that you don't. Maybe as the writer I expect more of myself. I want every chapter to be the best. I have a great editor that I can't thank enough, she makes everything I write sound a bit better without changing my voice. You'll know it's me telling the story, and yes you'll wonder (what is wrong with her). 


I love writing thrillers and I can't see myself ever writing anything else. My killer may be more horrific in nature than most, but I have always loved horror. It's fun and exciting and I hope a real page turner (if ever given the chance to have it published). 


The Bone Extractor is an idea that I collaborated with my fiancee Nick Rose. I ask him sometimes for input but seldom use it past the original idea. My already disturbed mind kicked into high gear here and I think many of you may be surprised by the end result.


I have been rewriting most of my chapters and filling in holes as I go, and so far I'm satisfied with the original foundation, it's from there that I have been building from. I wrote an amazing book that is chocked full of twists. It will keep you guessing and I'm far from finished. I'm giving just enough details to keep it interesting until the end. Predictability is one thing you won't find.


Creating flawed characters is an easy thing to do as I also am flawed beyond repair. I have seen firsthand the worst in human nature and at this point nothing people do would surprise me. Maybe I was born to be a writer or maybe I'm a writer to because of what I have experienced. Lucky for me I haven't had any of the experiences my character will endure.


There are no accidents and everything does happens for a reason.

Madison's take on the news in Mid-Michigan

You're busted now

Remember the days of your youth when you hid the the playboy magazines under your mattress and prayed your mother never found out.

Today is much different as you only need to make a few clicks online and see all the pornographic images you want. (a scary thing for any parent).

(Caution this may come with a lovely Trojan virus)


Nothing says I love you mom as your children crashing your computer.

What if you had a way to check up on your children. Would you do it? They have already learned how to clear the history.

What if it wasn't your child that was doing the porn searches, but your spouse or significant other, would you want to know. I stress if you're in a relationship this may not be the best road to go down. First you should be able to trust your partner, and unless he gives you a reason to doubt his undying love - I can't stress it enough, don't check up on him.

Women often go ballistic over their man looking at porn online. Personally mine can do it all day long, and masturbate afterward and I wouldn't give a hoot. (He'd have to this between naps though)

I'd be more concerned with late night phone calls and text messages, but that is a whole other can of worms.

My point is you shouldn't feel the need to check up on your partner, and if you do so, it may result in a strained relationship (or the end of it).

They have a device called the porn stick, it's is an usb devise that scans computer files for pornographic images. Here's the kicker, (even deleted ones). It's similar to the one police use to scan someone's computer for child porn. What it won't reveal is videos.

A Bomb sniffing dog is being bought by the Genesse County Sheriff's Department as their last dog died last October. The problem is the cost of training him is $11,000 which is a huge amount of money. They could put another deputy back to work with that money. These are troubled times and it would be good to have one. (If you have ever been to Flint, you'd know that would be the last place you'd think someone would want to bomb) but you never know, as we do have the Michigan Militia.

Man is in critical condition after his own tractor runs over him. Truly a very sad story indeed, but it is being investigated because he was standing next to the tractor at the time. His tractor somehow slipped into gear. How does that happen?? Perhaps he didn't have it put into gear properly, but this story is very puzzling.

Facebook is at it again

This shouldn't be a news flash as once again our privacy is being violated yet again by Facebook. They are going ahead with plans to share our phone numbers and address with 3rd parties. Something to think about for those of us playing Farmville and other games on Facebook, considered apps.


They sent a letter to Congress informing of their plans, read about it here . Apparently when we joined Facebook we did so losing all our rights to our privacy. 


If you truly want to protect your privacy don't put it on Facebook. Don't give them your address phone number or birthdate.


There is no such thing as a free social network. There is money to be made and Facebook is selling our information, but at what price. I see people on Facebook under the age of eighteen giving the whole world their cell phone number (I should know my niece is one of them). What about them, don't they count. Forget about trying to warning them because it's a waste of time. What reason is there to give a social network that kind of information, and how dare they consider giving it to a 3rd party. 


Perhaps Facebook has gotten to big for its britches. 

Update

Let me first start and tell you I'm working hard on my edits, which include rewriting. I flew through the first seven chapters rather easily, and that should have been a warning of things to come. Obviously I had gone through them before, although minimally.

In chapter nine, I hit a brick wall, and I know it will take all my energy from here out. Someone is helping me, and I won't send her anything unless I have done all I can to make both the story and editing as good as I possible. Not an easy task it would seem. I'm not sure to what extent she'll help me, but I appreciate her efforts very much.

She had a great idea to make my chapters better, and it's a formula that I will use in all my future novels. I thought it might be a great idea to give you some incite into some of my characters. would you like to meet him? Next blog I will feature an in depth look at one of my main character, but it will only be a look and not a tell all.

Ripped from the headlines Mid-Michigan

I'm allowed to read the local news online at work in increments of ten minutes, but only thirty minutes allowed per shift, and this is what I have learned.

Two teenagers were taken into custody at a local high school. Can anyone say girl fight? Why exactly were they taken into custody if they don't plan on pressing charges. If we were talking about adults, there would be charges filed. This is the same high school that had all the kids in the district sent home because of threats made on Facebook, and resulted in them using metal detectors.

Chucky E Cheese is now having a deputy added, in addition, to their security. This is Chuck E Cheese we're talking about. Shots have been fired outside in the parking lot last year. What kind of shit is that? I know for a fact there are older kids causing all the problems. Maybe they should require parental supervision as they do in some malls. Can't kids go there to have fun anymore. They serve beer there. SInce when?

Man is sentenced to breaking and entering and stealing panties. He is sentenced to a year in jail for stealing panties?? In my opinion, it's most likely for his scuffle with the police when they found him without pants on, (with the stolen panties). Personally I think he should be forced to wear the stolen panties in jail, that is what I'd call justice.

Wife told husband she lost keys, most likely in a dumpster. Man crawls inside a dumpster, to look for said keys, and realizes he can't crawl out (it's a commercial dumpster). He calls the fire department to rescue him?? WTF! She probably made up the story to see if he'd be stupid enough to crawl inside the dumpster, that's what I'd do. As if the fire department has time for that what with budget cuts and layoffs. I hope he had to pay them.

There you go folks, you can't make this stuff up.