The monster cold is mostly conquered. Daily work with new pups helped. New Writing News...
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Puppy training is in full swing - when I have them out for walks daily.
A monster cold has been conquered - for the most part.
Vinegar tests are still on the back burner, cottage work has resumed.
Those two new writing texts are nearly ready for you...
Farm News
Here's my two "angels" - who helped me get through my killer cold.
Again, the one on the pink leash is Libbie (Liberty) and her brother is on the blue - Jussie (Justice). In this picture, they have taken a break from playing - long enough for me to get a decent picture of them.
Having to walk these two, however crummy I felt, was a real lifesaver this past week. And their feed, and water, and manure scooping (re-locating).
That's similar what I heard about a farming couple who both caught "covid" when it was a big thing. He told me that he felt crummy all day, but about an hour after he got into his daily chores, he felt a lot better. Of course, he had livestock to feed and no one else to do it. So there you go.
I'm still training them. Mainly, I'm walking them in and around the cows so they get used to each other. It's fun to watch the "social distancing" they use - which is called their "fight or flight" zone. And how the pups and cows negotiate with each other. Now, I have a lot of my cows letting me scratch their backs, while a strange cow might not let you within 20 feet of them. So having the cows extend trust to two pup-dogs so they can sniff my glove while keeping an eye on those dogs who are maybe five feet behind me - that's a win for everyone. (And cows mistrust dogs genetically.)
Obeying commands are something else. And why they have long leashes on - because I can catch (or step on) a leash if I need to.
Sick on the Farm - remedes found...
I really dislike/distrust off-the-shelf pills. I tried out a generic Tylenol cold-and-flue pill for a few days - to find out it was really just a mild "upper" (and so why you had to be certain age to buy it.) It didn't do anything except make me temporarily "feel better".
What really worked was:
Orange Juice with D and Zinc - by the half-gallon
Vaporub (generic version) slathered on my feet bottoms and under socks at night
Elderberry juice "squab" added to my coffee.
Beyond that, it was simply letting everything run its course. Keeping plenty of fluids going, and lots of rest. Staying warm, all that.
Oh - I found the recipe for "hot toddies" is honey-lemon drink with an ounce or two of whiskey. Better than Nyquil.
Tiny Home Progress
As I write this, I have a couple or three days left to this week where I can work on the cottage. Sink is next (as it has been). We measured for some pre-fab drawers to set in - then the build shelves in the remainder under that counter-top.
If those don't get here until later, I'll turn around to get the under-stairs shelving set. And start painting whatever gets finalized until the last parts come in (that drawer set.)
There's still electrical to do - and some molding to install to cover some of it.
The key point is that we've been able to overnight in it, comfortably. Our tiny slice of heaven on earth. Just a little more to go.
Vinegars
After getting back onto my cottage as my energy returns, next on vinegar work is probably setting up two more half-gallon tests using apples to see if I can find out if spoilage is what caused the mold. (One of clean, clear apples and the other just a mish mash of them.)
Once that bug is solved, then I can ramp up for the 5-gallon tests. Hope to be well enough to start ramping this up this week.
Writing and Publishing News
New-Old Writing Texts
The core Campbell book should wind up in the Insiders Club this week.
After that, I'll go back to finish revising the big Nightingale book, which will also be shared there.
Video's on these begin after the New Year.
Current plans are to have these two books above start showing up as weekly videos and built into mini and full courses.
Depending on survey is how I'll release these.
Current Studies - Content Inc.
That study of writing books through that infostack.io collection boiled down to three useful pieces - an ebook and two "masterclasses" on porting your book to a TV series or Movie..
Both of these advocate publishing in reverse. That is, you work out what the book is going to be about before you actually write it - and the whole creative process is worked up from the back cover to the outline. For TV, this is figuring out a very tight, concise statement of what the book is about that's generally a single sentence. Then you have a one-page treatment of the key points that will be part of that story, followed by an outline and sample episodes.
This is essentially the same way conventional publishing wants their pitches. Not the entire book shipped to them - but a pre-digested set of work that starts off with a strong hook and continues on to get the producer to swallow the bait - hook, line, and sinker.
That then reminded me of "Content Inc." by Joe Pulizzi. This guy started his own content-based business and in five years sold it for $15 million. Really. (So, if I read his book, then why aren't I rich already? is the next question.)
Pulizzi had returned to his Content Inc and now can be found on TheTilt.com with a second edition of that book, plus his two podcasts restarted. And also a lot of simple courses you can take for no-cost, plus a paid course. And a blog, a newsletter, plus other content.
That's what I'm doing a deep dive on now. Yes, I have to finish some other things up (two books, the cottage, my pup-dog training), but you might be interested in this - particularly if you're a retired-but-active person like me - who would like some extra income in our lives.
Yes, I'll keep you posted on what I find...
Writing Tip
Authors as discerning readers...
There is a point that both W. S. Campbell and Dorothea Brande ("Becoming A Writer") point out - that you develop a critical eye as you're reading, so you assemble and collect methods ("devices") and styles which you can employ through your own writing.
I've long been a fan of the perennial classics. These are where the emotional and mechanical patterns are both present and effective. Mechanical patterns I've short-cut to story structures. But there is also the particular model that the author is publishing in - short stories are not just smaller versions of novels, for instance.
Emotional patterns have to do with word choice and consecutively firing up emotional responses of the reader.
Again, these books that are continually selling and getting downloaded are where that author mastered these patterns. You get there by reading and studying them. Like the top Gutenberg.org books that you're familiar with by author or title.
Since every plot has been used and re-used since time immemorial (writing is a relative newcomer to storytelling) you can simply dissect these books and rewrite them with changes to characters, setting, and dialogue. While updating them for our modern English.
As you read, you'll start finding yourself outside the book studying it to see why it's so effective. Usually, that's on the second reading - the first one is where you're impressed, and the second is to find out why.
And you can do this with classic movies - by getting their DVD's and watching them over and over and over. Movies run between short stories and novelettes, depending on length.
(Again, I'll have that Campbell work available in the Insiders Club, soon.)
Survey Coming
There's a major shift coming up this next year. And a great deal of it has to do with all this stuff I've aggregated and how to deliver what you want to you. Busy this week, but maybe next. Stay tuned...
Oh - wait, there's more:
Again, recent life-test results continue to confirm that you can actually get/attain/acquire anything and everything you want out of life. Really. Anything and everything. Whether it's finding a dear companion or a million-dollar salary. And it's all in that "Strangest Secret Collection" (my characters named it the "decoder ring"). You only have to take the leap of faith and test it for yourself...
(Again, to get your updated copy, just reply to this and ask - I'll send you the most recent edition if you don't have yours or misplaced it.) As well, I do need to get some courses up, so I'll start working these in once I get all the major non-fiction books republished.
Thanks again for opening this. And reading these books.
And leaving a rating on the Living Sensical site for the stuff you buy there.
As well as leaving recommendations on Bookbub in addition to reviews anywhere else.
You know, that "paying it forward" kinda thing.
Do keep sharing these books with your friends, too.
I hope your life is not too interesting to be overwhelming, but sufficiently engaging to keep you amused. (Like some of us here...)
Robert
PS. Again, you can always email me about anything.
What you're here for is to enjoy life. If you're not enjoying every single moment, then you're working too hard at living. Relax. Let go. Follow your bliss.
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