Thursday, December 18, 2008

What I'm Reading

Here's what I'm reading right now, for those who are interested:

Altered Carbon, by Richard K. Morgan. This is a Future Noir story in the mold of Blade Runner or Neuromancer, which for me is a very good thing. It makes use of the classic SF "one weird idea" approach where there is one unusual concept, social institution, or technology that plays a major role in the story (even if the book isn't about it per se). Here, the idea is sleeving, or moving one's consciousness between physical bodies in order to travel between planets or even live forever. The implications of this technology are quite important to the novel, but I won't give them away here. Overall, I'm pleased with this book and will probably want to read the rest of the series (this is the first book of a trilogy), though it seems like it will end up being about 100-150 pages longer than it needs to be.

Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. I've been working on this beast of a novel for a very long time -- over ten years, as a matter of fact. I read it for a while and then leave it for something else; I enjoy it a lot when I'm in the mood for Hugo's obsessive detail and narrative meanderings, but sometimes (okay, most of the time) I want something more to the point. Plus, I'm already quite familiar with the story, having seen the stage play once, the musical twice, and listended to the original cast recording I don't know how many times. I'm not reading this one to learn what happens; I'm reading this one for the language. I'm quite a ways through, so my goal is to finish it by the end of January.

Successful Writing at Work (Concise Edition), Philip C. Kolin. This was the textbook for my class that ended two weeks ago. We didn't get through all of it in the seven weeks of the course, so I'm finishing it now. It's pretty good as books on writing go; even though it's the "Concise Edition", it still manages to cover topics in sufficient depth. It makes me wonder what the "Verbose Edition" is like.

Once I finish these, there's a lot more on deck, including The Last of the Mohicans, The Elements of Technical Writing, and Naomi Novik's Temeraire series.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

November? What November?

Obviously, I didn't update this blog in November, as I was very busy. The class I was taking, Business Writing and Editing, took up a lot of my spare time outside of work. It's finished now, though, so I will have some extra time again. Plus, I had the usual Thanksgiving family obligations, as well as some high school debate judging that I do on some Saturdays in the fall. Oh, and I turned 30 at the end of October.

Things should be slower now, though. I won't have class again until mid-January (I'm taking Writing for the Web and Science Writing next semester), so that will allow much more time for writing and posting.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Just A Geek Review

At long last, I am finally going to talk about Just A Geek, which I finished earlier this month.

The book is a memoir, of sorts, written by Wil Wheaton. Yep, that would be the Wil Wheaton of Stand By Me and Star Trek: The Next Generation fame. In case you're wondering what happened to him, this book is a great place to start. Although it mostly covers his life and experiences earlier in this decade, he does go into what he did in the 90's (after TNG) as well.

Wheaton spends much of the book talking about getting out from under the shadow of his past life as a child actor and trying to reestablish a successful acting career, only to be thwarted in doing so. He discusses what it was like to go to audition after audition only to get very little acting work, all the while dealing with not only the stress it was putting on his family life, but his own self-doubt as well. Eventually, he realizes (through his blog) that writing is what he really wants to do with his life, and even more importantly, he discovers that being honest and open with himself and others is the key to finding happiness in his life. Don't worry if this sounds either too angsty or saccharine -- there's a lot of humor in this book as well, and it certainly had its laugh-out-loud moments for my wife and I (she read it too).

I thought that this book was very inspirational and I could identify with some of what Wil faced -- in particular, the self-doubt and the expectation one puts on oneself to appear successful to others. I also thought the parts where Wheaton learned what he really wanted to do with his life, as opposed to what he thought he wanted to do, were quite thought-provoking too. Many people face these issues in their lives, not just those in creative fields.

I don't have any major criticisms of this book. Probably the only one I have is that there seemed to be a heavy reliance on posts from his blog in some sections. I didn't mind them being included, since they were especially effective in showing the disparity between what he felt and thought in reality and the persona he presented to the world. However, at times it seemed repetitious, since they had been published elsewhere, and I would have liked to have seen more of his non-previously published writing. That said, it's a minor criticism, and overall I thought the book was excellent.

I definitely recommend the book to anyone who's a Star Trek fan, or a geek in general, but I think a lot of other peope would like it too.

Back

Well, it's been a busy couple of weeks, but I am back. In the past two weeks, I've gone to the wedding of two of my friends (and all of the related events that accompany it -- bachelor/ette party, rehearsal dinner, gift opening, etc.), finished one online class and started another, and went to Las Vegas for a couple of days with my wife, who attended an HR conference. Oh yeah -- I also managed to work 64 hours in those two weeks as well. So, I've been too busy to blog, I'm afraid, but now that time has come to an end.

Incidentally, I got an idea for an additional blog I'm thinking of starting soon. It's regarding different subject matter than Writer of Fortune, but if I go ahead with it, I will post an announcement here as well.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

See You in a Couple Weeks

I have a lot going on in the next couple of weeks, so this will probably be the last post until towards the end of the month. Yes, I still owe you that review -- don't think I've forgotten about that! But since I have a final project for my technical writing class to finish, a wedding and its associated festivities next weekend, and then a trip to Las Vegas for a few days, not to mention work and other social obligations, this blog will unfortunately be static for a while until my schedule is less crazy. See you in a couple weeks!

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Checking In Again

Just a quick note to let you know that I haven't forgotten about the blog, and will try to post something early this week, but I make no guarantees. This would be easier if I could figure out how to use Blogger on my smartphone, too.

I finished Just a Geek this morning, and I can't wait to post a review of it. It's very relevant to not just anyone who wants to write for a living, but everyone who is struggling to make it in their field and is burdened by self-doubt. It's not a book on writing per se, but since writing is such a key part of Wil Wheaton's personal journey as described in the book, I certainly think it's worth picking up.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

editTeach (and other stuff)

I'm still reading Just a Geek, so the review of it is forthcoming. In the meantime, I came across a great editing resource while doing some research for my class (technical writing and editing, in case anyone's interested) called editTeach. It's a site that is geared towards educating people to be editors, and it's very informative not just for students, but working editors and writers as well.

I do want to start writing some more, well, substantial entries soon, and there's some topics I want to address once I get time, such as when to not take a writing gig, education and being a professional writer, grammar and spelling Nazis, and another review, this one for Michael Bremer's UnTechnical Writing. Links are great, but they're no substitute for content.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Just A Geek

Today, on my wife's recommendation and because I thought it looked interesting, I started reading Will Wheaton's book Just A Geek. I'm just a little ways in so far and am looking forward to reading more of it, especially since it addresses how he started writing and blogging. I'll post my thoughts once I'm finished.

Purdue University Online Writing Lab

Just a short post tonight to share an excellent writing site with you: the Purdue University Online Writing Lab. It's pretty well-known as a resource, and for good reason, since it has a ton of useful information. As such, you may already be aware of it, but it's worth reminding people that it's out there.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Posting Frequency

If you've been reading my blog (though I don't think anyone is yet), you've probably noticed that I have not been updating every day. As of now, I don't expect to be updating this blog daily, since I have quite a bit going on right now, but I will try to post something at least a few times a week. If it looks like I'll be gone for a longer period of time due to a big project, trip, et cetera, I'll let you know.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

National Novel Writing Month

It's time to think about doing National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), coming up in November. If you've ever wanted to write a novel but needed the motivation and support to do it, now's your chance!

Sadly, I will not be participating this year (I tried last year, but didn't make the goal). I have class all month and thus probably would not have time to do it on top of that and my day job. But if you have the time, I say you go for it!

P.S. If you do choose to participate, I recommend No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty. It's a great guide for anyone considering participating in the event, but it's also a great book on fiction writing period and worth checking out even if you don't do NaNoWriMo.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Quote of the Day

"There is no such thing as writer's block. There is only failure to make a decision."

-- Milt Rosen, taken from UnTechnical Writing, by Michael Bremer

So Who Am I?

As promised in the last post, this is the part where I tell you who I am.

I'm currently a consultant working in the retail industry, though I've spent a little time in the computer and software industry as well. I have a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Minnesota, and am currently working towards a Master of Professional Writing degree from Chatham University in an online program (you can expect several posts on that and education in general in the future). I live in the suburbs of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, and have lived in this state for almost all of my life -- I was born in Iowa, but don't consider myself an Iowan at all. I'm married, and have no children, though we do have a dog and a cat. I'm on the edge of 30, crossing that threshold at the end of next month.

I really enjoy writing, and have been told in both educational and professional settings that I am very good at it. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean I actually am, but I have done a little freelance work and have had several positions where writing in some form another was the bulk of what I did, even if I wasn't referred to as a "writer" as such. I can't think of anything I'd rather do with my life than write (though I like editing quite a bit too -- more future post fodder!), which is why I decided to study it as an undergrad and am going back to school for it now. How successful will I be? I don't know. Eventually, I would like to be able to support myself as a writer; it doesn't have to be the only thing I do, but I would like it to be the main thing.

I think blogging is a good way to start. Granted, I don't think I will be one of those bloggers who gets a book deal anytime soon, but a man can dream, can't he? :)

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Finally Getting Started

Yes, I know it has been about a month and a half since my first "test" post. I haven't forgotten about the blog; I've just been busy for a while (though that's no excuse). But now I am ready to begin in earnest.

This blog, Writer of Fortune, is dedicated to my interest in professional writing and my ongoing efforts to become a successful professional writer. I'm using a flexible definition of the term "professional writer" here -- I am basically defining it as writing for money, be it business writing, journalism, fiction writing, web writing, or something else entirely.

At this point in my career, I am focusing on technical and business writing, but professional writers need to be flexible, and skills in one type of writing are easily transferred to others, so ultimately I could end up doing just about any type of writing. Specialization is for insects, as Robert Heinlein wrote.

Obviously, then, I am going to mostly blog about writing, but I will also discuss books, websites, and other media from time to time. That said, I may go off-topic now and again if I feel the urge. It's my blog, after all. :)

I'll go into my background, and why I want to be a professional writer, in my next post. For now, hello!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Testing

Is this thing on?