Still Trying to Tame That Dragon

A few weeks ago I wrote about buying a Dragon voice to text machine since I’m such a slow and terrible typist. I was hoping to improve both my speed and accuracy.  Like others, I learned the Dragon is rather slow in attaining precision.  It still makes Dumbo errors.  But it seems to be improving, although I must check everything it types. But it is faster than my rather clumsy typing.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I am one of those persons who have to write. It seems I’m always scribbling – or perhaps I should say – tapping the keyboard– to write something, either fiction or nonfiction. The only dry period I ever experienced occurred in the early 70s when I came to Murray after getting my doctorate. My mind seemed worn out from completing my dissertation, and for several years I couldn’t put my mind to writing anything. Then I began writing articles, etc. I even wrote several novels, although I had little hope that a publisher would be interested in them. Self-publishing was years away. I went through my files the other day and discovered that I have about five books completed. Despite my working on new material, I’ll be working some of the old books into the line. Two I especially like: the others, perhaps I’d better think about.

                                                                                    

A WORKABLE MS. AT LAST

A WORKABLE MS. AT LAST

Last weekend I d concluded my task of sorting out intermingled pages of my ancient science fiction novel and  now have two manuscripts of the 1974 version, one of the original, the other of a carbon copy.  A few pages are missing from each manuscript, but I believe I know elsewhere to look. If I can’t locate the three pages missing from the original typed manuscript, I’ll have to improvise those sections. As you may recall, I originally wrote the novel in 1964 and early 65. Fearing that I had not honed my writing skills enough, I did not submit the novel to any publisher but rewrote it in 1974. By then, it had become so long that I decided no publisher would at a book of 350 odd pages sent by a first-time writer. Hence, I had hoped my Harpe brothers novel A WILDERNESS OF TIGERS would gain attention, and I could get the science fiction novel published. But during that 80s and 90s most publishers decided not to publish fiction. Hence I had a hard time getting anyone to look at WILDERNESS.  Then  self-publishing became respectable and took off like a rocket to the moon. I published WILDERNESS and fresh novels.  Thus I’m finally getting around to going back and printing my effort long ago.

Suddenly a New Horror Story

As some of you may know, ever since the winter of 2013, interrelated horror stories have been popping into my head.  Suddenly they sprout forth and mature, whereupon I hammer out a rough draft. The imagination clicked again last week as I was taking a daily walk. As I left my house, ideas started germinating in my head, and by the time I got home, the plot was laid out.  I spent several days last week writing out the rough draft. Looking through the collection, I realize that I am getting close to having a book- length work.  However, I have not rewritten any of these, not knowing how they would end up finally being interrelated. Hence I have some work to do before the project is complete.

Last week several Facebook friends and I were commenting on the old Jayne Mansfield movie The Girl Can’t Help It (1956). Not only did it feature Jayne Mansfield but a number of popular rock ‘n roll are performers of the time in cameo parts– performers such as Little Richard, Fats Domino, and the Platters. As a draw for adults, the movie also included an appearance of songstress Julie London singing her hit “Cry Me you a River.”  I saw the film when it first came out. A few years back, when I was writing No Marriages in Heaven, I remembered this segment of the film and mentioned London and her hit in the novel's pages. Funny, how the imagination works. When the mind is in a creative mood, it will grasp at anything that pops up. The imagination pulls from many sources, even films seem long ago.