Month: April 2004

Tax man cometh

Writer guy

Once again, the deadline for the IRS to help themselves to the wallets of hardworking Americans and settle up for tax year 2003 has arrived.

I’ll miss you tax year 2003 and all the money you brought. Now I shall mourn the loss of that income earned but not kept.

And just in case the memory of this neat feeling fades away any time soon, the next deadline for filing quarterly returns is July 19th. Hot dog!

Please excuse me, it’s time to sob uncontrollably. I’ll be funnier ( and a little lighter ) on Thursday.

Third person vs. first person

Writer guy

Perspective is a tricky thing. The original draft of the The Ridge Runner was in 3rd person, but never worked quite right, so I rewrote it in first. That made the story much better, but introduced a new set of challenges.

Now I’m knee deep in Velocity and a light bulb went on that begged a whole new question. Is perspective always a matter of either or? Or could perspective be a case of both? What if the scenes that involved Mike Brody were in first person, cause he’s a first person kind of guy, and everything else was in 3rd person. Sounds crazy huh?

Until I found a book James Patterson that did just that. And it sold big time. So it can’t be impossible. Perhaps a little unusual, but not impossible.

I decided to keep what I have in first person so far, about 170 pages, and go back and write some new material in 3rd person. It’s a little experiment. And if I like how it works out, I’ll do more of it.

So it begs the question – is perspective relative or absolute?

UPDATE: 4/14/2004 – Editor person just called to remind me that they told me to consider doing this about 6 months ago.

PPA, MMA, H20, eh?

Writer guy

My routine calls for lots of sleep on the weekends. Now let’s say it’s Sunday and I’m exhausted. Is it possible to get a refund on the weekend? Can I Tivo the whole weekend backwards, and skip the sleepless part? Can I return the weekend somewhere for an exchange? Can I trade my exhaustion for loads of energy?

If anyone knows a natural cure for insomnia I request that you share. The usual cures have failed me; herbal teas, warm milk, exercise, booze etc.

If it’s legal, doesn’t involve anything over the counter and puts you to sleep consistently, I want to hear about it. It may not contain or involve alcohol, PPA or any acronym that sounds unhealthy. Vitamins and organic fruits need not apply. Also, the remedy must not be habit forming, addictive or turn me into a vegetable or an African sparrow. I don’t want to grow anything, process anything, or purchase anything processed or grown.

If you got something that fits all those criteria, please drop me an email via the contact page.

Hopefully, I’ll sleep tonight and Monday’s blog will be cool. If it sucks, hey, you’ll know why…

Is is me or is everyone on edge?

Writer guy

It might just be me, but lately people are on edge. Whether it’s Easter, or the changing of the seasons, it seems every two minutes some individual tests me, a car cuts me off or another bum wants a quarter.

I’ve got the attack bum thing sorted out well enough. The answer is not today my friend. As far as the car cutting me off goes, please sir go ahead and take my lane. I’ll learn to live without my front bumper. Yes, you have somewhere more important to be. Honestly, you annoyed me in my rear view mirror, but your combover is even more irksome. Go already!

So what gives with the acrid taste in the air? The foul short tempers? I do say, what’s bothering everyone? The first person who can explain this to me in English and in 50 words or less gets a samhilliard.com t-shirt. Spike is finalizing the shirt design as I blog.