Friday Upswing

Things went better this week.

First of all, the new cover for Shades: Wind and Dark Waters is now up at Amazon.com. It's a big improvement over the old one. I'm starting to realize the importance of cover art, even on kindle stories. It seems my best sellers are also the ones with the most dramatic or high impact covers. My inclination in art tends towards the subdued, but I realize that is exactly what I don't want in cover art. Cover art needs to be bold, dramatic, and eye catching.

My writers block seems to be starting to unjam a little as well. I actually added over a thousand words to The Mushroom Man and now have it at 4000 words. I'm starting to "see" it again in my head as well. That's a good thing. That's a very good thing. So here's hoping that trend continues.

Friday is my "day off," in the sense that the kids are at school all day and it's Karla's job to get them on the bus. I often go back to bed after making them breakfast and getting their lunches packed. Sometimes though I'll stay up to maximize the potential of all that child free time...although sleeping in could also be considered maximizing it's potential if you think about it. Hmmmm....

Lately, I've been reading more of Hemingway's short stories. That guy had an exciting life for a writer...although I have no desire to emulate him on that score. It's his prose and style that I find so fascinating. I do not copy it, but I'll admit it has a bit of an influence on the way I approach many scenes. The man was an absolute master at having dialogue carry a scene. That, I do try to emulate in my own way.

So the end of this week features better covers, more writing, good reading, and better writing...all at the same time. I can live with that.

On a last note, the last raccoon in our attic is still to clever for the trap. I rebaited it after a few months, hoping that he had forgotten about it. He hasn't. On the other hand, he has figured out how to operate the pull cord on the light fixture, and despite being a nocturnal animal it seems he prefers a little light in his attic. Every time I  open the door to the attic now, the light is on. I turn it off, and it grumbles it's way over and turns it back on after I close the door. Sigh. Why can't I have a normal house like everybody else?