Techno-idiots

I started up a blog for some friends I met so we could all keep in touch. So far only three of the ten people have been able to figure out how to get on. Only one did so without help from me. Ironically, she is my age. The rest are all older, though some by only a few years. I don't think the blog is a difficult thing to figure out. Is it just me? I think blogspot makes it easy to figure out. I can't understand why they're all having such a problem.

Anyway, I wanted to keep the blog limited to just our group so we can comment and know who's commenting on what, but I can't get them to figure out how to get on to a secured blog. So I had to open up the blog to everyone so they have a fighting chance of getting on. I think it'll be fine that way, but I'm frustrated. I feel like if I can figure out this stuff, other people should be able to, too. Alas, that is not the case.

Acceleration

I just finished reading a young adult book called Acceleration by Graham McNamme. It was recommended to me by amazon.com, along with a ton of crap like war novels (because I bought some W.E.B. Griffith books for my dad) and some aeronautical engineering books (because I bought some for my brother last Christmas). Usually amazon recommends crap that I don't have any interest in simply because I've gotten an obscure DVD or book. They link the weirdest things together. But this book actually sounded like something I'd be interested in.

The story is about a Toronto teen named Duncan who failed to save a girl the previous summer when she was drowning. He was on the swim team and known for being a great swimmer, but after this incident, he can't get in the water anymore without having flashbacks to the incident.

He gets a job working at the lost and found for the transportation committee and discovers the journal of a potential serial killer. The journal writer has killed cats and started fires. Duncan talks to his friend Vinny about it, and together they begin to research serial killers. According to the FBI profilers, serial killers generally start with animals, move up to fires, then accelerate to killing humans.

Duncan is able to find the women that the killer, who he calls Roach, is stalking. There are three he describes in detail. He also has the times they ride the train. Duncan tracks down one of the women, follows her home, but he realizes he can't help her unless he finds Roach.

He tries the police, but they don't take him very seriously. So Duncan takes matters into his own hands. He gets a lucky break when the killer comes to collect his journal, which I found far-fetched. He follows the killer and then breaks in to his house.

Anyway, Duncan ends up saving the day by pushing the killer in front of a train. He becomes a hero which is what he was upset about from the beginning. One of the themes is that men are taught that they should be heroic. Duncan failed to be a hero and nothing works for him until he can actually make up for that.

I liked this book more than mostly all of the YA books I've read this summer. I thought the end was a bit contrived, but I think teens appreciate the main character "winning."

Concerts a-go-go

My wife and I have been to a number of concerts together over the years. In the past few years (read 5-7 years), we have become quite choosey about which ones we go to. These days going to a concert is an investment (in money and time). So it's strange that this past week we had two different concerts--Tuesday was Sting with special guest Annie Lennox at the Target Center, and Wednesday was the Finn Brothers (Neil and Tim) at the Guthrie (soon to be demolished by city planners who don't appreciate history).

In a nut shell, these concerts couldn't have been more different.

The venues, the atmosphere, the audience, etc., etc.

I enjoyed myself at the Finn Brothers concert more. Neil Finn has always been an entertaining musician. My wife and I have seen him in concert twice before (both times with Crowded House and both the best concerts we've ever attended). Neil and brother Tim talked to the audience between each song, not only introducing the tunes, but also cracking jokes, addressing the audience, blabbering about whatever came into their heads. They were FUN and funny and cool and they talked about how much the like Minneapolis, which is always good to hear.

The Sting concert was also cool, but in a different way. I like Sting from his early days as the lead singer of the Police. His first solo album was good, but after that I only really appreciate Ten Summoner's Tales. So Blue Turtles and Summoner's Tales are about all I like of his. He skipped Turtles entirely, but he did play "Englishman in New York," which is good. I like its message (be yourself no matter what they say, sort of a turn on Polonius in Hamlet: This above all to thine own self be true). Some of the rest of his songs bored me a little--too adult easy-listening for my alternative taste. But I still was glad I went.

Annie Lennox rocked. She makes me laugh with her odd dancing and noise making. I think she has a stellar voice and I like mostly all of her songs (except "I Need a Man" which she played, unfortunately). She did this awesome rendition of "Here Comes the Rain" solo on the piano. It was fabulous. She also did "Sweet Dreams," which I wasn't sure she would. I don't know what the legal issues are between her and Dave Stewart regarding the Eurythmics songs, but it must be fairly amicable. She played this one from her new album Bare called "Pavement Cracks" which I enjoyed, but didn't realize was "new" because I'd been listening to Bare all day and wasn't able to distinguish it from her other songs. (Weird for me, which is why I mention it.)

I enjoyed Annie's portion of the concert much more, but I'm glad to have seen Sting. I've always liked him and didn't get to see him back in the '80s when I wanted to.

All in all, both good, but clearly the Finns win out because of their personalities. Neither Sting nor Annie Lennox said much to the crowd, but then the crowd was about five times larger, in their defense.

Oh, and I got a Finn Brothers promo CD on the way out. I got one from the last handful they handed out. It's got two songs from their new CD out next month.

My cousin's writing 2

Okay, so I was looking forward to something sinister and cool coming out of the boxes that Mort got from the lawyer. As of page 175, nothing coming out of the boxes. I asked my cousin about this and he said there will be nothing coming out of the boxes. I told him about Chekov's philosophy that if you put a gun on stage in act one, you must have a character fire it by the end of the play. I don't know that my cousin is going to change this problem in his book, but he needs to. Sometimes he tries to ignore certain conventions of writing and story telling. I have mixed feelings about that, really. On the one hand, I think we should all be able to challenge conventions and see if they are necessary, see if they can be pushed. But on the other hand, millions of people have come before us and the conventions were put in place by all of these minds after all of their experience. I think there's something to say for some conventions. There's something to say for following the rules in mostly every case, writing-wise.
 
He has great instincts. I think that's why I'm so pissed at him that he doesn't follow the rules. I think if he could incorporate his instincts with knowledge of writing, he'd be great. He often discusses movies, books, and TV with my wife and me. His opinions aren't always in agreement with mine or ours, but he always has thought through his reasons for why he thinks what he does. And he has such a grat basis of fiction knowledge.
 
I just believe that until her follows more of the rules, he can never be the writer he's meant to be. I was hoping this book I'm reading now would show even more growth, but it seems at about the same level as the last one.

procrastination

I've written a few chapters on the novel I intend to finish by the end of the summer, but not nearly enough. I put too much pressure on myself to create something perfect and then invent reasons not to write, or simply don't take the time.

Today I rearranged the VHS and DVDs. Swapped shelves so the VHS are where the DVD used to be and vice versa. A very important job. Also I filled out some rebate forms. This, of course, is an important task, but not one that I should be doing in place of writing.

The thing is I'm kind of stuck where I am right now with the characters. I know what they'll be doing in a few chapters, but not right now. And I can't jump ahead because of certain timing issues. I wanted to try to sit and think about it today, but my wife has been sick for about a month now and she's so frustrated with herself and her lack of ability to do anything that I feel sorry for her and spend some time sort of entertaining her and not working on my book like I should. But I can't think of anything more important than making sure my wife is okay. there's not much else I can do for her other than spend time and try to find entertaining things to do. And anyway, I feel guilty when I'm at my computer and she's alone.

Anyway, I think I'll have to find a crisis for Ben and Hannah that does not have anything to do with Hannah's sister Abby. Once I find this, life will be easier.

My cousin's writing

My cousin began thinking himself a novelist about five years back. Throughout his life he's been an artist and a musician and I never really thought of him as the literary type. It makes sense; some artists are artists in every category. But he's not scholarly, which is not to say he couldn't write if he wanted to. I just believe that a serious novelist has some schooling in writing.

My cousin doesn't. He's read a ton, sees and analyzes movies. He's got the makings of a critic--both of art and life. He has the background, yet no fiction writing classes.

Is he a natural? Not really. I'm reading a fourth book of his right now. His first was fine, but meandering. His second had a good base (good back story and idea) and a good plot, but the characters were flat. Of course, he writes horror fiction and horror fiction can get away with some flat characters.

His third book I read last summer. It was clear then that he is learning as he goes. The characters were deeper. The plot remained his strong point.

I'm not far enough along in this fourth one to judge. It starts a little slowly, but he does have some character development for his beginning character Mort. I know Mort will not be the main character based on the way the story is going. If Mort does turn out to be the main character I will be awfully disappointed. He is interesting to an extent, but not to read 300 pages about. Mort has just received two boxes from his newly deceased and estranged brother. I'm interested to find out what's in the boxes, but if it's something that ends up killing Mort, I'm likely to cheer for the box creature than be sad for the loss.

So far, okay. I think my cousin has a future as a writer. He has a passion for his genre and I think he brings some new things to it. He certainly is widely read and viewed enough to delve in with both eyes open.

I suppose my only concern is that he'll be published before I will be. Which is stupid. He's older than I am, he has more time to write as it is his only occupation at present. I shouldn't really feel like I'm in competition about it, but I do.

I think he's written five books. I'm on my fourth, he's on his sixth. Maybe the only thing I really wanted to say was that I'm jealous that he has time on his hands to write and not as many responsibilities. I wish I had the kind of life where writing could be my focus and my primary job, whether it brought in any money or not.

Moondog again

So i finished Moondog yesterday. As I figured, it never really did tie in with teenagers. I don't understand why it was marketed as teen fiction. I did like the ending, though, more or less. Some funny comments here and there about werewolves, too. Overall a good read, if you're able to skim. I suppose the best indicator of how I feel about the book is that I ordered the next book in the series. Must have liked it somewhat, then.

Moondog

My wife and I both teach HS English and I am always looking for good young adult books to keep in my classroom or to add to my curriculum. Last Christmas, she gave me a collection of about 16-18 YA books from various authors. She'd done some searching on the internet for books related to some of the ones I've liked best and these books were the result. It was an excellent gift. I'm still working through them, though, as teaching is an 18 hour/7 day a week job for 9 and 1/2 months. It's only now that I have time to read and to organize my book shelves.

I've recently begun Moondog by someone Garfield. It's marketed as "Teen Mystery." I've read about 120 pages of it and it has yet to show me at all how it is related to teens. I like the story quite a bit. The writing reminds me of Stephen King, but a bit more reader friendly (not as many details). Garfield gives a great deal of info on all of his characters and on the town in general. It's a good read, but I can't see why the publisher would market to teens. The book starts out with narrator Joe Acton talking about his incarceration for selling drugs. Fine. But he hasn't been much reformed by the time the story begins. Also, the details Garfield uses about some of the characters really lead me to believe that he was planning to market the book as an adult book. Details about Erik Gunn's interest in Patsy whats-her-name and how his marriage is failing and how he drinks on the job...all interesting to me as an adult, but I'm not so sure a 14-17 year old would give a damn.

I wonder more about the book since it's the first in a trilogy. An odd trilogy for young adults. I'm fine with the killings and the implication that it's been done by werewolves; I just don't see teens reading this book.

The Alienist

I've wanted to read Caleb Carr's The Alienist for years now but never really wanted to tackle a book that long. I like to read, but I really prefer things that are between 200-400 pages. Otherwise, I lose interest. One of those MTV generation things.

So anyway, I was taking a road trip and decided to buy a book on tape and wouldn't you know, Half Price Books had The Alieist on tape. I listened to it on my return trip. Engrosing story until about half way through when they figure out who the killer is. After that point, everything else was ho-hum. I figured the narrator would make it out alive by the end, since it's written in first person, so there was really nothing at stake once the killer was known.

Maybe I built it up too much in my mind. I did like the bit about the eyeballs in the jar. That's something I haven't heard of before. Not overly original, granted, but it got my attention.