A Silly Husband's Musings...

So the saying goes, I am not giving up on this book.  I think I'm both excited and afraid to continue writing.  Perhaps other wannabe writers experience this...maybe even real authors too.  I finished a chapter and also broke past 72,000 words.  I'm less than 8,000 away from being eligible to submit to the publisher I want to get in with.  I'm thinking in another chapter or two I'll finally be tying together two big chunks of my novel, which will be a big milestone in itself.
I'd like to share my positive outlook with you all in some small, weird way.  SO, click and enjoy...

And my book.  I'll admit I've only written a few scant paragraphs over the recent weeks but it's been a busy time.  Not making excuses, but I think the weather is to blame.  We've been facing 90+ degree weather in Wisconsin (yes, Wisconsin.  It does get hot here I hate to admit) and trying to keep my family cool has been difficult.  Two window AC's and a box fan can only do so much in a stucco house.  If the nights are cooler I'll be more apt to write in my book!
House projects have also occupied my time and priorities.  We recently cleaned out my garage to the point where i have a usable work bench again!  That and our two cars don't feel as cramped in the 2 1/2 car garage (there really was THAT much stuff).  By the by, does anyone want a 1983 Kawasaki Spectre?  Message me if interested ;).  That's all for now.  If I plug away at my book a little each night I should be able to write my heroes out of the 1940s and into the future!

Doesn't seem to work out well for me.  I was out training in Kansas City this week for work and figured I'd have time to write a little.  Nope!  At the end of every day it seemed I had a good deal of homework to get done.  By the time I finished it was usually close to 10 at night, and one's brain tends to burn out around that time.  Even now as I wait to hear my zone number at the airport gate I thought I'd crack open the book.  Turns out I don't even have the latest copy of my book on file!  I think my best bet is to recoup and dabble in it this weekend.  My top priority now is to get home to my family.  They keep me sane, and I need that in my life.  Can't wait to see you guys!

So another hiatus has come about, but I'm perfectly fine with it.  Sure, I did finish a chapter in my book last night, but before then I was taking a break.  Last week my wife and I found out some wonderful news:

We had our ultrasound last Tuesday and found out we're having another boy!  His name is Adam.  Our other boy, Noah, no longer says we are having a baby piggy or baby truck (when asked).  He's equally excited to have a little brother to take care of!
With that in mind, I do have to remind myself that along with getting the baby room ready I should finish my book.  I don't know if I'll have it ready and published by the end of October, but I have to try.  It's a weight I don't need hanging over my head.  Here's to finishing the book!

So I've been meandering about this novel so long that finally I have a fire lit.  According to the publisher I want to go to, it could take up to three months for them to review and approve/deny the manuscript.  To keep up with my tradition of reading a published book to my unborn child, I'll have to get this done in the next few weeks!  Our second kid is 3-4 months along so by the time the book is ready (hopefully) we'll be around 6-7 months!  I think it's time to get my priorities straight and get this thing written.  Wish me luck, have me break a leg (haha, kinda happened once already), and pray for me.  I'll keep you posted.

As for the title to this post, it is ironic because I'm writing about time travel and I'm now wishing I had a time machine so I could go back a ways and leisurely finish this!  Oh well!

-B

Wrote a bit more this week, mostly because I was donating plasma.  Sure, it was interesting, but writing with one hand forced me to think about what I was typing.  I wrote a page or so, but even up to that point I had been able to connect a few big chunks of my story together, and that alone was pretty fulfilling.  I hope to write, and donate, again this week and make a little more progress.  I know I haven't lived up to writing a chapter a week, but I still have my motivation.
With my first book, 'Aer Infirma', I had it published about 6 months into our first pregnancy with our son Noah.  I was able to read to him while he was in the womb, and I felt that was a real bonding experience.  I want to do the same with my second child, now about 14 weeks along.
Another thing I have to do, as much as it pains me so, is cut back on playing video games.  Okay, you can stop laughing now.  Seriously.  I will unfriend you from Facebook...ANYWAY.  Games have provided entertainment and stress relief for a long time, but I think playing in moderation will help me get my work done.  I truly think that people will get a chuckle or two out of my book, but I really want to be able to read it to my 2nd kid (and the first when he's older).  Here's to staying motivated, I know my wife and son have been there for me all along!

P.S.  Here's the cool toy my son got from Grandma and Grandpa. Thought I'd share:

So things have still been a wee bit hectic in our household, what with our 10 week old pup and 2 year old son running around.  After a mere two weeks back in town, I've been whisked off to balmy (haha) Boulder, CO for training a client.  Thinking I'd be leaving the cool damp climate that Wisconsin is currently enjoying for warmer weather I foolishly packed only a spring jacket.  It's still winterish here (yes, winterish).  And that's not even the worst part.
The flight from Minneapolis to Denver was very bumpy due to oncoming weather hitting the Midwest, so my ride in the back of the plane was...um, fun?  Went through a lot of turbulence as we circled the Denver area 3 times before finally being cleared to land.  For most of it I had whipped out my laptop and started writing again.
The writing part was good!  Picked up on the last chapter I had barely begun and tonight I hope to finish it!  What I love most is that I'll be tying together two sections of the book that for a long time had been separated by what I call a 'writer's gap'.  Basically it occurs from writing different parts of the story, then working your way back through to tie those parts together.  Needless to say this will be a big accomplishment for me.  Keep sending your positive thoughts (or not; no pressure) my way as I push through the next chunk of my book.

Stay Groovy! (I said it.  Don't judge).

P.S.  I brought Mario along (kind of playing off of that 'Traveling Gnome' guy).  He's been giving me pointers.