Just found this article on new developments in the Amelia Earhart disappearance. Fuzzy photos and skeletons….
Amelia Earhart — Mystery [Soon To Be] Solved?
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Life Unplugged
Came across an interesting article yesterday, and it doesn’t surprise me. Read this quote; “For years, the idea of a digital sabbatical has appealed to the hyper-connected set.”
Why would something like this–need–emerge?
I’ve often mentioned to some that I feel that all this “connectedness” will eventually lead full circle to…the unplugged.
That to have a hardcopy of a book will be all the rage, fashionable, in vogue…the “thing to do” with the proliferation of e-everything.
Everyone has Smartphones?
The “Coming Thing” will be to go Dumb…or, perhaps (perish the thought!), altogether cellless.
Why?
Cause it’ll be counter. And there are always those who want to be different. If everyone’s jacked in, to be different will be to go opposite. There is also the very real issue of damaged relationships and stress from all this connectedness.
Ever been in a conversation with someone and their cell rang? Ever had said person reach for that thing like a gunfighter and answer it without so much as an “Excuse me” thrown your way…and suddenly you might as well be on the moon?
People have become more rude, attention deprived, and they don’t rest any more. Don’t allow their minds to wander. As I’ve also mentioned, how many out there really have an original thought in their head? How far off do you really think I am? If there are only so many seconds in one’s life, and most of those seconds revolve around sampling and surfing other people’s thoughts…what happens to your own?
I’m not advocating a return to the so-called “Stone Ages,” not at all. There’s a lot of good coming from the Internet and its spinoffs. We just need to use these things wisely. Not get addicted to technology because our own lives aren’t (perhaps) as exciting as we’d like them. We need to take the control of our lives back where it belongs–us. And just because we create something new, does not mean the death of all that came before. There’s a certain lure to some for what came before…a growing nostalgia for things past.
Time to ourselves.
Time to just look out a window….
Simpler times.
How funny that sounds, n’est-ce pas?
Well, I believe this will happen. As the article showed, it’s already happening to some, for whatever reason. And what do you think happened when our blogger unjacked?
He interacted on a much more personal level with people.
Related articles
- Participate In National Day Of Unplugging And Reconnect With The Real World For 24 Hours (connectyourhome.com)
- National Unplug Day – Can You Unplug For 24 Hours? (itproportal.com)
- Unplug and Unwind (massageenvy.com)
- Life, Unplugged. (clutchmagonline.com)
So, A Snail Knocks On A Door…
That’s my brother (one of two; my other brother and my sister were smart enough to stay out of all this…), the previously much ballyhooed “Renaissance Guy.” I’ll let you figger out which character he is. But, this is his latest class project (his “capstone,” quoth he). He did everything including shooting, editing, and animation. And his motivation is simply gripping. In short, this bring tears to my eyes….
So, here you go, Gusto et compagnie (that’s French–get it?)–enjoy!
Though Mr. Serling is talking about teleplay/screenwriting, there’s definitely something to his words for the novelists. Sometimes we can all think a bit too much and lose the magic, lose the energy (I’ve heard quite a few beginners say “…haven’t yet put anything in writing, but…”). I always loved to “vomit out” my first drafts, but in now trying to create an actual series, I find that ain’t happenin’. The dreaded outline is stalkin’ me…stalkin’ me BAD….
Pikes Peak Writers Conference (PPWC) 2012
Agents, and editors, and publisher, oh my!
How was your weekend?
Great, well, lemme tell you a little about mine.
This past weekend I attended the PPWC 2012 conference, which was celebrating its 20th year. I’ve been to 17 of them. hadn’t been to the last two, but it was fun attending this year, and seeing friends I haven’t seen in two years. Putting faces to those I’ve only harrasses and taunted in blog posts, comments, and e-mails (like Betsy [wishing you all the best on your knee surgery today!], Mario, Bree, and Gusto Dave!).
But I nearly missed it.
You see, I thought it was the next week, and by “next week,” I mean April 27th – 29th. Literally, I had my jacket on and was leaving the house, when something (I won’t go into what, but plenty of you out there know what that “what” is…) prompted me to check the PPWC website.
April 20 – 22.
What did I have on my calendar (I even took a picture and showed others this, just in case no one believed me)? What did I take off from my day job?
April 27th, etc.
Yeah.
Can you say “unprepared?”
Head not in the game?
Embarrassed (I had volunteer duties that, uh, got modified, because of this…)?
Needless to say, I said “sorry” a lot this past weekend.
I’ve never (fully, and of my own actions) blown anything out of the water so beautifully and completely as I had this weekend.
Man.
Anywho, I wasn’t alone! Apparently, others had too. At least three of us. Some friends (who periodically checked my sanity throughout the weekend–thank you!–and made sure I was on the right day and time for things, like pitches; many thanks to Laura and Janet and Margaret and Karen for keeping me sane–and for the PPWC staff for your concern and understanding in the matter, especially Chris Myers, who was my volunteer boss) brought a couple of us together to hang our collective heads in amused embarrassment and laugh at ourselves. As one of the people mentioned, just think if we had made flight and hotel reservations….
But, all things considered, it was great getting “back in the game,” as it were. Sometimes life gets so bizzy (case in point), we get so immersed in just living. But as writers, where we are always in our little caves, we do sometimes really need to get out into the “sunlight.” Get out amongst our peeps. Our peers. Conferences are great places for that.
And you get to meet and pitch to editors, agents, and publishers. Get to know them on a personal basis. Yeah, they really are just like you and me. Get headaches, laugh, converse. Walk (not float inches above) the earth.
Surprise–they even put on their pants one leg at a time.
For the full list of the faculty, click HERE, but we had the likes of Robert Crais and Jeffrey Deaver, Susan Wiggs, and Donald Maass as Keynote Speakers. I am a fan of Bob’s writing (the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike mystery series)–in fact I grew up watching some of the show he’d screenplayed. Bob is truly such a cool guy, extremely personable and accessible. There is an energy about him that has him stand out head-and-shoulders above the rest. I remember meeting and talking with him in the very beginning, way back in 1993 (pardon me if I’m off a year, but I’ve been somewhat time warped this month, as many can attest to…), and every time since, I make it a point to talk with him. Like he said in his Keynote delivery, it’s like he’d grown up with the PPWC. Other samplings include Steve Saffel, of Titan books (another I always make a point of talking with), Lou Anders, of Pyr (that’s “Pie-er”) Books, Mario Acevedo, Kevin J. Anderson, Carol Berg, Mark Coker (Founder and CEO of Smashwords), and Joe R. Lansdale–another really cool, down-to-earth guy.
And Jimmie Butler, the founder of all things Pikes Peak Writer. He founded the conference 20 years ago and was the driving force for many of its years, before stepping down (the job can be quite taxing, not to mention impact one’s writing life). I’d even attended his critique group for a period of time. It was great seeing and spending time catching up with Jimmie. He’s a great guy, and I hope many attendees had a chance to at least introduce themselves and thank him for all he’d wrought with this conference!
Of course there were others, but I eventually have to post this and return to the real world, so checking my watch, I do see it’s time to go.
And I think it’s Tuesday, no?
Related articles
- 2012 Pikes Peak Writer’s Conference (authortomadair.wordpress.com)
- Presentations at the 2012 Pikes Peak Writers Conference (authortomadair.wordpress.com)
- An Interview With Robert Crais About His New Book, Taken (blogcritics.org)
Roaring Success Radio Interview – Sleepwalkers
Today I was interviewed by Roaring Success Radio, at Castle Rock Radio. I will try to load the entire interview onto my website in the very near future, but for now, you can access it by clicking HERE.
The whole thing came about kinda cool: Paul had a cancellation for today, and talked with a mutual friend of ours (Jan C. J. Jones, of Forest Rose Productions, which also includes another friend of mine and my wife, Bob Garner) who recommended me (thanks, again and again!). Paul checked out my sites, sent me an e-mail, and I called him Monday night. Paul loved my blogs and website, and now I love Roaring Success Radio!
How cool is that?
The interview centered around Sleepwalkers and dreams…and how to better use dreams, get more out of dreams. There were actually very good questions, and Sleepwalkers is actually written with that in mind (BTW, it’s actually cheaper to purchase the novel here, than Amazon.com, but you can read the reviews on Amazon.com). Sleepwalkers actually gives ways to better utilize and better remember one’s dreams–and actually has some my (weird!) dreams woven into the book (like the “barn” and “sea” dreams). Both Anthony (the show’s producer), and Paul were very excited, open, and interested in the topic, and we had some great discussions on and off mike.
And my wife made brownies!
I hope to do more with them in the future–thanks, Paul and Anthony!
Related articles
- Roaring Success Radio et Moi (fpdorchak.wordpress.com)
- Sleepwalkers Are Among Us…. (fpdorchakrealitycheck.wordpress.com)