Time flies when nothin' much is happening... Been here 13 days I guess. BLM says I gotta move my self tomorrow. Yeah I know, it's gettin' crowded 'round here... There's a rig a hundred and fifty yards east and another a hundred yards west... the next nearest rig is six hundred yards at least west. Nothing within a 1/4 mile north, or further east or west...
Yup... crowded...
... I guess the BLM has to keep us moving so new folks have room to set up! ;)
This morning, I'm sitting at my table with John Barry (Dances With Wolves) playin' over my Ipod player... and a lil' of the Old Garth Brooks too... You know, I sure miss the days before he 'lost it'. His music was so much deeper and said something... than nearly any of the rest... at least I've got his good stuff to listen too... It helps.
Anyhoo, those two are getting my Yarn Spinning creative juices warmed up. Hoping to get some more of the Heart of a Man story braided today... (the coming sequel to A Matter of Honor)
Though I had some false starts getting the lead in sorted out, having to circle back and restart a time or two, I think I've gotten that worked out and the past few days have seen steady progress. At this point if the "size" of the second story is any indication I'm 'bout 10% complete on the third. ;)
This one has a lot more goin' on 'tween a lot more folks ears... at least to my perception... so writing it, for a pea brain is a lot more difficult. I gotta take a lot more care to make sure I hear the Voices in My Head correctly! ;) and gettin' their words copied down straight... arguing with 'em 'bout what they said hasn't proven to be productive!... and it kinda scares the "neighbors".
I'm pretty pleased with the reception "A Pair..." has garnered so far. Many folks have told me they started reading and then just had to read on through. "Couldn't put it down." I realize that some of those were likely just blowing sunshine up my skirt to be nice, but figuring some were talkin' true, it's about the best compliment I can think of for one of my tales. Enough have told me what I felt myself, that "A Pair" is a stronger and better story than "Honor" is... that I feel pretty good about it, 'cause I Really Like that first story! :)
As far as how it's performing, though the numbers aren't huge by any stretch and "Honor" started out real slow, "A Pair" sold more in its first month than "Honor" did in its first (5)five. Combine that with the very nice kick its given to the sales of "Honor" and they're making a nice and growing contribution to my pantry. Awesome! Thank You Very Much! I won't starve this month... well... as long as I manage to go a month without busting anything new! ;)
It's nice to have that lil' bit of diversifying comin' on to spread some of my eggs to other baskets. That way the website income, though continuing and sustaining, becomes a smaller piece of the whole. It being such a heavy % of our income for a while, It's made me sorta nervous.
It's an awful lot like workin' for the man and being dependent on that paycheck. Gives the "man" more power than he deserves. Being able to spread things around a bit gives the little guy (you and me) a lot more freedom of choice.
If you can build something where your RV Boondocking Income is coming from multiple sources; If One outfit gets a lil' too rude and pushy, and you've got more nickles and dimes comin' in from other places... you can walk up to the Pushy Outfit and push back.
Yup. Grab the bugger by the ears... Plant a big Ol' sloppy kiss and whisper; Adios Sparky!
The little guy being able to push back is a good thing. If the man on the treadmill has the viable option to just step off any time he feels the need, it can't help but make the "Man" a lil' more respectful of the people who are doing his work for him. He'll need to treat 'em better to keep his enterprise rolling.
Bottom line, my personal version of Workamping, camp and sit at the computer in camp working ;) , is developing pretty nicely. A few more months and we might could even see a lil' change in our accounts at the end of the month... as in HAVING a little change in the bank at the end of the month! :)
Been having to run the genset for a bit in the evenings the past few days. Spending as much computer time as I have been, I've been pulling a bit over 40% out... Momma nature's been keepin' things cloudy enough to keep my RV Solar Power System from doin' the 100% recharging job I'm accustomed to. I do believe though, if I did have those other three panels I'd originally planned on... the generator would be sittin' cold and dusty.
But like a lot of other people... we shuffle the dinero around to grease the squeakiest wheel... so those additional panels never have got added...
... and shhhhh... we're skatin' on thin ice too! Slidin' through warm winds with rusty blades over shark infested shoals, with the fat lady from the opera comin' along and bellerin' behind us! ... the batteries are... uh ... old and wrinkled... past their prime... and ... shhhhhhh .... I'm hopin' to sqeeeeeeeze out another month or three. ;) but don't tell no one....
I know... I'm all over the board ;) kinda me these days... like bein' on the storm deck of a bronc... you never know what'll be flyin' at you next! or how hard you'll hit ;) You just put one foot in front of the other and move on down the road.
The thing is... My point is... though things in the world seem like you have no control. You can't change the world... You CAN have an affect on that lil' piece of it where You camp. You can, if you stay focused on the dream, Whatever That Dream May Be... carve out a better place for yourself.
Plenty to do... So I'll get at it...
Brian
Return to the main site of goin' RV Boondocking or Visit my Sister website Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
A broken down Ol' Cowboy goin' RV Boondocking ...
...and Yondering, to the beat of a different Biker Cowboy Drummer
5 comments:
Yep, our tax dollars at work, wouldn't want undesirables squattin' in the BLM land, in the same place all the time that is.
Fun blog, thanks.
Dragonfly at http://littlesanitee.blogspot.com
Brian, I am not blowing smoke, or sunshine, or anything else. I loved both books, and I really liked A Pair of Second Chances. I have to admit I was very skeptical when I bought your first book, and expected to be disappointed, but I was not. I am really looking forward to the sequel to A Matter of Honor. I am very picky when it comes to reading, and get bored quickly, but I had a hard time putting down the Kindle while reading both books. You have won me over as a follower of your writing, and I will eagerly await each additional offering. Are you planning a sequel to "A Pair"?
Whatsnewell; Aw shucks... I'm blushing :) Many Thanks!
After I wrote "Honor" and while I was working on "Pair" I was studying and reading what "successful" authors had done to get their works out and "discovered".
I kept reading such writers saying that writing "series" capitalized on the work you'd already done to sell the reader on the first book. Effectively giving you some "Built in Market".
My problem was, I hate it when I see book/movie sequels that were cranked out obviously just trying to squeeze some more good out of the earlier work.
I wasn't going to put out such. If the book wasn't a good "Stand Alone" story I didn't want any part of it...
As I was writing "Pair"... and thinking about the next story, I realized I had multiple, stand alone story lines already "penciled out" waiting to be written that actually "Fit" into both story lines...
The Long winded answer is Both "A Matter of Honor" and "A Pair of Second Chances are the initial stories in what I intend to be series of "I don't know" how many books. :)
Again, Many Thanks. Such comments serve to make me really take care with what I write... to do my best to create the best work I can, and hopefully learn a little bit with each new story, get a little bit better in my story telling... and maybe even a better me as well! :)
Hi Brian - just wanted to thank you for "A Pair of Second Chances". On Nick Russell's recommendation I bought it and really enjoyed your 'yarn'. Gonna latch onto "Honor ..." next, and look forward to seeing "Heart ... " in the Kindle Store. Take care, safe travels and "don't squat with yer spurs on". LdB
Dragonfly; hmmmmmm... undesirable... I kinda like the idea of bein' considered that by "Those" people ;)
LdB; Thank You! Nick made me a fine gift with his recommendation... My Sister & Brother-in-law just read his "Big Lake"... the comment they made on it was... That is a Gooooood Book!"... ;)
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