TheNextBigWriter Premium → Where Is Everyone?
Where is everyone?
I've posted my entire book Redemption and only a few have actually taken the time to read any of it.
I've been writing, posting, reading, and reviewing like a madman these past few weeks I was sick with nothing to do.
I posted a presidential debate between Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers that is moderated by Greg Gutfeld and the Five.
I even started and finished a short book based on Nimrod: The Mighty Hunter in the Bible.
Is everyone else sick? LOL
I owe you 1.000 reciprocations and thank yous! I’ve been in Utah for the last few weeks… got a brand-new great-granddaughter, and John has been in charge of the animal kingdom! If that tells you anything! But I have returned and am about to get started on my paybacks!
I've noticed this myself and, sadly, I'm one of those missing from the site. I notice that my last posting was on October 10 and still appears in the "new Books" listing. I remember not too long ago when any given post would be knocked off the list in a short as time as a week or less. I've been on the site for almost fifteen years. When I first joined, there were a great deal more active members. Following the Big Crash, when we lost two years of posts, that seemed to turn off a lot of members who never came back.
I used to do a large amount of reviews most every time I logged into the site. Now, I hardly do any. In my case, I'm sure my sloth is due to having amassed almost 1000 points. If I want to post anything, I already have the points I need, thus there isn't a push to gather more by reviewing. I know this is a psychological reason, but it still exists.
I've been procrastinating on my current novel, What Doesn't Kill Us..., for some time now. My brain says "Why doesn't anyone review it?" and then my more practical side answers by saying: "Well, you didn't review them so how can you even wonder why they don't review you?" It's a lose-lose situation and I. for one, am having a hard time resolving it. Even my writing/editing here at home is affected by this procrastination, and I feel badly because of it.
Bill
I owe you 1.000 reciprocations and thank yous! I’ve been in Utah for the last few weeks… got a brand-new great-granddaughter, and John has been in charge of the animal kingdom! If that tells you anything! But I have returned and am about to get started on my paybacks!
Off topic, and I apologize. My huge congratulations to you, MJ. My first Great-Grandson was born the first of October.
Bill
J.R.,
I've read 3 of your stories and owe you 1 more. We have had some good discussions as well. I might also owe a couple others some reciprocations. Sorry about that, all. My life got flipped around a little.
I've been wanting to post one chapter from my Tribe book, but I was inspired with a discussion with you J.R. and the chapter got more complicated. So, I'll blame you for my slow posting! :-)
And congratulations on the new grand babies Marilyn and Bill. Be blessed.
George FLC
Congratulations MJ!!
Don't let them around John!! LOL
No telling what trouble he'll get them into.
Off topic, and I apologize. My huge congratulations to you, MJ. My first Great-Grandson was born the first of October.
Bill
Thank you, Bill! There is absolutely nothing any sweeter or cuter! I thought my granddaughters were fabulous, but honestly, those great-grands are indescribable! It's so strange to see the granddaughters that I watched grow up now both married and having babies. Good grief, just how old am I? LOL! Congratulations on that great-grandson! I have one of those, too... he's 4 now, and another great-granddaughter who will be 3 in February. I am in love!!
MJ
Congratulations MJ!!
Don't let them around John!! LOL
No telling what trouble he'll get them into.
Oh JR, you nailed it! You read the story in the book where John and I tried to get away for a vacation and found an animal sitter for the farm, and how annoyed John was when the sitter kept calling every few hours. Well, when I made the questionable life choice of leaving John in charge of the farm, he made that previous sitter look like an amateur. He burned up the line between Georgia and Utah and kept me in stitches the whole time! I should’ve known better. I swear, it was like he was calling into a live radio show—hourly updates, dramatic sighs, and at least one emergency about Herschel the parrot “turning judgmental.”
By the time I got home, he and Herschel were apparently best friends, bonded through some mysterious man-bird adventure that I still haven’t gotten the full story on. The John Deere has a new dent (something about “racing Gerald the emu” and “bad traction”), and Mildred Huggins-Peebles, my arch-nemesis, had John and me divorced in print in the Possum Trot Gazette before I even landed back in Atlanta—apparently John’s refusal to tell her where I was qualified as “marital abandonment.”
Meanwhile, Kevin the goat turned my rose bushes into abstract art, Scooterbug hid John’s favorite truck-stop hat (the one that says “I Brake for Biscuits”), and my phone hasn’t stopped ringing since. The preacher’s wife—you know, the one I rescued from her undercover “mission work” at the brothel—called six times demanding to know why I didn’t send a cake via John for the church social. Lazarus, our big-eared cat, got into a full-on brawl with Randi the Raccoon over one of her babies eating his favorite treats, and he came out looking like Van Gogh—one ear stitched and the other twitching. The golf cart wouldn’t start (because, shockingly, gas helps), the lawn mower needed new blades (they normally do when they leave streaks in the middle of what you've just cut), and John’s oat-and-maple biscuits refused to rise in time for the town hall meeting, which he claims “nearly sparked a rebellion.” The washing machine was broken (just turn one notch to the left and press the ON button), and the UPS guy complained again about Ethel the goose not letting him open the door to the porch to put a package inside.
So yes, John dared me not to write about any of it… which, naturally, means I absolutely will. Bless his heart.
Baby Bee was so mad when I got home she went on a full-blown hunger strike—sitting by her bowl glaring at her kibble. Apparently, that’s her love language: emotional starvation and side-eye because she missed me.
Hunky and Dory, the donkeys, spent a solid ten minutes sniffing me like airport security—seventeen sniffs, to be exact—just to confirm it was really me and not some impostor woman who wouldn’t walk through fire to bring them their treats.
Buddy the dog? Oblivious. Didn’t even know I was gone. He’s a total daddy’s boy, and as long as John’s around with a biscuit in hand, I could move to Fiji and Buddy would just wag.
Meanwhile, Bandito and Little Ralphie are absolutely traumatized because John cleaned their litter box after every single poop. I mean, the horror! No “tootsie rolls” left to chase across the floor like midnight hockey pucks. The nerve of the man—he destroyed their entire recreational system.
So, I have a few things to get to the bottom of (like a bottle of red wine), and then I will be back here catching up!
Happy trails,
MJ
I stopped posting and reviewing many weeks ago due to being sick (chronically exhausted and then the flu), drained of time by my contractors (who wrap early next week, yay!), and drained of even more time by my cat, who insists on playing fetch with toy springs (hours a day if I allowed it) and won't go to bed unless I do. Hell hath no greater chaos than a cat being ignored or up too late. I'm also stuck on a major plot point and working through it requires serious focused time, which the little furball doesn't allow much of.
Hell hath no greater chaos than a cat being ignored or up too late.
That's so funny! Try having more than one furball... it gets exciting!
In a moment of insanity, I briefly considered getting a second cat, thinking they could keep each other company. But ... twice the cost, twice as much carnivore poop, twice the hair, twice as many zoomies, twice the critters trying to jump on a hot stove the second I turn my back, twice as many paws and tails always one centimeter behind me, twice the demands for attention, twice as much distraction from writing, twice the sound of galloping hoofs across my hardwood floors, twice as much destructive mischief, etc. And there's no telling if they'd even get along.
In other words, Marilyn, you're a saint!
But, Gandalf is also an insanely sweet little furball, affectionately referred to as demon-spawn several times a day. :-) My brother and his partner, Maria, who have two cats, came over to finally meet him, and she absolutely adored him.
He's also devilishly clever. When he hears me moving around in my bedroom in the morning, he comes in and meows up a storm until I feed him. Well, my contractors were already in the house one morning working, and he went down to them and meowed up a storm until one of them decided he must be starving and fed him breakfast (he knew I wouldn't mind him feeding the cat). Sometime later, when he heard me moving around, he came up and meowed up a storm until I fed him. :-) That's not the only time he's manipulated me into doing what he wanted.
His IQ is definitely higher than mine, although, apparently, that doesn't take much. :-)
If he's that smart, then he should join this website. His stories might be great!
Is there a feline discount?
Ten purr-cent.
Bill
ROFL, Bill! You’ve been holdin’ out on us all this time, haven’t you? Ten purr-cent—now that’s comedy gold right there.
His IQ is definitely higher than mine, although, apparently, that doesn't take much. :-)
Animals are way smarter than humans all day long and twice on Sunday. Since we went off Daylight Savings Time, my tuxedo cat, Amos Moses, comes and sits on the arm of my chair and stares at me at exactly two o'clock every day. He's used to being fed at three o'clock on DST, and he's letting me know I'm not doing my job as Feeder Babe and he wants to replace me. He clings to the chair like Saran Wrap until three o'clock new time rolls around and I finally move. Then it's game on!
But the best thing you can do for your pet is to get him a pet. They all need companionship, not just human, but a companion that speaks their language. So you may as well take that plunge!
I have two kitties. One is twenty-one pounds of "does whatever he wants to do," and the other is a calico cutie.
Bill
Sorry for being mostly absent.
I've been doing a lot of competitive writing and had four deadlines in a two week period.
Plus, while I'm not actively participating in any "NovNov" or "NaNoWriMo" things, I am trying to use the month to focus on rewriting some of my existing stuff into publishable forms. That's frustrating as heck, sometimes.
On top of that, I joined a site as a volunteer editor, paired up with an author from Denmark who's writing in English, and thus have been working through her stuff a lot.
So: I'm just overwhelmed at the moment. 
I've been away for almost five months., but I plan to return in several days. As most of the folks here know, my wife passed away in late May. There have been significant legal issues to resolve plus the natural grieving process. I've been to St. Louis; Denver, Colorado twice; Bakersfield, California; and San Antonio, Texas - all issues to do with Diana's passing, most of which could not be resolved on-line or by phone in a timely matter. The legal issues are resolved now. The grieving is running its course and I'm doing much better on that journey.
I'm going to pause or take down most of what I have posted on the site in a few days. This site has been good to me. I owe it, and the people here, more respect and support. I'll work hard at that. So ,,,
I'm starting a new writing adventure - new genre and writing style - Global Espionage Thriller. I've spent the past several weeks researching and reading novels in the genre. Randall Krzak, here on the site, is an excellent writer and his novels are meticulously written. He doesn't know it yet, but he's been a big inspiration for me.
So, I'm kind of starting from scratch. I promise timely reviews of other writers' works and equally timely replies to reviews of my posted works from here out. Before Diana passed, much of my time was reserved for her care as she was totally dependent on me for everything. She was always my first priority. Also, as the long-tenured members of the site know, I'm a professional songwriter and guitarist. I've completed all my existing contracts, and I am not accepting any more. That took large blocks of my time. That significant time commitment, caring for Diana and writing and recording the musical stuff, is now available to me to do with as I choose. I have chosen to write better and to be more diligent on the site.
Looking forward to this new adventure. See ya soon.
Alan
So sorry for your loss, Alan. I know the last few years have been terrible for you, and I welcome you back to our community. Writers have to write, and you’re a good one.
Deep condolences, Alan. Welcome back. Take your time to ease back into the site.
Bill
I've been away for almost five months., but I plan to return in several days. As most of the folks here know, my wife passed away in late May. There have been significant legal issues to resolve plus the natural grieving process. I've been to St. Louis; Denver, Colorado twice; Bakersfield, California; and San Antonio, Texas - all issues to do with Diana's passing, most of which could not be resolved on-line or by phone in a timely matter. The legal issues are resolved now. The grieving is running its course and I'm doing much better on that journey.
I'm going to pause or take down most of what I have posted on the site in a few days. This site has been good to me. I owe it, and the people here, more respect and support. I'll work hard at that. So ,,,
I'm starting a new writing adventure - new genre and writing style - Global Espionage Thriller. I've spent the past several weeks researching and reading novels in the genre. Randall Krzak, here on the site, is an excellent writer and his novels are meticulously written. He doesn't know it yet, but he's been a big inspiration for me.
So, I'm kind of starting from scratch. I promise timely reviews of other writers' works and equally timely replies to reviews of my posted works from here out. Before Diana passed, much of my time was reserved for her care as she was totally dependent on me for everything. She was always my first priority. Also, as the long-tenured members of the site know, I'm a professional songwriter and guitarist. I've completed all my existing contracts, and I am not accepting any more. That took large blocks of my time. That significant time commitment, caring for Diana and writing and recording the musical stuff, is now available to me to do with as I choose. I have chosen to write better and to be more diligent on the site.
Looking forward to this new adventure. See ya soon.
Alan
Glad things are getting a bit better. Not to alarm you or anything, but your picture looks almost exactly like my younger brother. I've noticed it before but just figured my eyes were blurry. Crazy world. Take care. Vern
Jack and Bill,
Thanks to both of you. I sincerely appreciate what you wrote. I'm starting to do some reviews, so will check out what you have going at the moment.
Vern,
You didn't tell me your brother was a handsome dude! I'm just home-grown Missouri material. Been in Alabama, now, for 12 years. I still can't make "yes" a three-syllable word!
Take care, everyone.
Alan
PS: I might go on and post the first chapter of my new novel tonight. Look forward to getting some feedback before getting too deep into it, since it's a new genre for me.
Guilty as charged. Been absorbed in creating illustrations for the 218,000 word Lindsay series. Close to 500 done and only a few chapters left to go before I go back and review -- to make some better. It's incredibly fun to turn my own words into images.
Anywho... I still need points to finish posting this tome, so I'll be back reviewing in.... awhile.
Mg
Hey Alan,
Sorry for your loss. I hope that writing/reviewing allows you to fill some of your empty times.
George FLC
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