One of the downsides to being a writer (there are many) is that when you send emails, or chat with people, they expect your spelling and punctuation to be perfect. After all, you're a writer.

This is true, but my books have errors in them, corrected by editors. It is notoriously hard to edit your own work, no matter how many times you go through it and frankly, editing being the chore it is, I tend not to edit emails or personal messages. If my friends can't deal with the occasional typo, I need new friends.

Which brings me to blogging. To me, a blog should be a direct insight into my mind. Sure, if I notice a spelling error I'll correct it. But today, Allie (who owns Novelspot), mentioned some of the sentences in my last blog might be rearranged, but she was too tired at the moment to figure out which. I am sure she is probably correct. I am just as sure I won't be changing it.

For me, a blog is a form of direct, personal communication. I can reach readers, readers can reach me, and I don't have to run it by anyone but my conscience (which happens to be on sabbatical till next year). This gives me a lot of freedom. If I had to think about what I was saying, you'd probably get something less meandering, but possibly also something less valuable as well.

The English language is a work in progress. It evolves over the years. Words exist today that didn't exist a hundred years ago. Words will exist in ten years that don't exist today. As our society evolves, language evolves with it. For some reason, certain words fall out of favor with the general populous. At the same time, a number of words are misused so often, they change meaning, at least in common usage. A perfect example of this is awesome.

Today, the word awesome is taken to mean something that is really good. What it really means is something which inspires awe. This might seem logical, but it's not always a good thing. If you were, for example, a knight about to charge an awesome dragon, you might not think it was awesome, even though it would be an awesome sight. Language evolves. Usage changes.

I used to be a smart guy. I have, or had, a high IQ. I found clever solutions to problems that most people couldn't see. I was not only a logical thinker, but thought laterally and intuitively as well. I'm not bragging, I'm stating what I believe to be true based not only on experience, but on tests I've taken. It could also be that I was just a great test taker.

The last paragraph is written in the past tense for a reason. My mind, what's left of it, is not as sharp as it had been when I had taken those tests and had those ideas. Let's face it. I'm not the world's strongest man, in the physical sense. I'm no GQ model either. What I'd had going for me is a sense of humor, and a pragmatic intelligence that helped me along when everything else had failed. I should probably add I've also had my share of good fortune.

No matter what I place into my mouth to control various physical symptoms, dogs are still the best medicine. If you have anxiety, petting a dog can lower your heart rate. If you have depression, a dog can cheer you up. If you have diabetes, a dog will make you walk (and sometimes run). All in all, dogs are really good for you.

If you haven't already guessed, I am a dog person. We have two...Kitty and Kaoz. Kitty was named because I wanted to take her to the park, call out, "Here, kitty, kitty!" and watch people's reactions as they see this medium-sized dog running in response. I do (and say) a lot of things just to see how people react.

I started writing a very long time ago. My first poem was published in the school poetry magazine when I was in second grade. I began my first short story in third grade. I wrote my first full length novel in high school (and rewrote it a dozen or so times, before it was finally decent enough to submit). Back in those days, I had an almost inexhaustible supply of energy. I could stay up all night, playing Doublestar (a roleplaying game of my own creation) with friends, still go to work the next day, then come home and write something. Times have changed.

I'm forty-six years old, and have my share of health problems, many of which are handled by medicines. Without getting into a debate about the whole drug culture issue, my energy levels are seriously affected not only by my conditions, but by the prescription medicines that help me function. There are times I'm tired so suddenly, I can barely make it to the bed. I have fallen asleep at my desk. There are times when I'm in so much pain that I can't sleep at all. There are bouts of anxiety and depression thrown into the mix. Some of this is caused by life issues, some from the pain and having to acknowledge that I'm no longer capable of doing what I did when I was younger. And of course, there is a good part of me that wonders if I'd taken better care of my body when I was younger if I would be more able to deal with life today.

One thing you learn fairly quickly as a writer is the number of rules that exist and things you can't or shouldn't do. Some of them seem quite arbitrary. Some seem like good rules, until I think about them and start finding exceptions. Many of these so-called rules are in place for a reason most of us never think about. I encountered a similar situation many years ago which I believe to be analogous.

I used to work in retail electronics in New York City. If you've not been involved in that industry, you probably wouldn't believe half of what I told you, and I wouldn't tell you another half of it, because it seems improbable.

When I was more active in the industry, I was often asked if I ever got writer's block and how I dealt with it. The more times I answered the question, the less sure I was that my answers were accurate, and I finally know the problem. My definition of writer's block was never really defined.

I've always seen writer's block as an attempt to work on a specific piece, but not being able to go further. I had never seen it as the inability to write altogether, because I've never had that happen. I could always write SOMETHING. I could always start a new story, write a character outline, work on an existing novel, or add content to my web page. If I got stuck on one project, I was able to pick up on another. In this, having many irons in the fire can be a blessing. However, in some ways, it can be a curse as well.

One of the things I've been keeping busy with during my down time from writing is a computer game called Guild Wars. Before that I tried World of Warcraft. I've always enjoyed games. This is not a problem if you can limit the time you spend, but a lot of games are addictive. I started to ask myself why.

Human beings are accomplishment driven. We like to get things done. We like to achieve things. Small boys fantasize about being sporting heroes, or winning battles. I can't say what girls fantasize about, because I've never been one.

In games, accomplishments are planned. You get to the next level, defeat a new boss, find a new treasure, but it's all spoon-fed to you in such a way that every goal is attainable. As far as I know, no one has yet marketed a game that was completely impossible (and if they had, I doubt it sold).

I'm not sure that I'm actually attempting a comeback, since it implies you have already been there. However, after a very long time of having to deal with real life issues such as finances, medical problems (mine and family members)and such, I'm ready to give it the old college try.

That is to say, I'm writing again. Not that I've ever really stopped, but I have stopped promoting and finishing long projects, some of which I'd already started. A few I'd almost finished. Toward that end, I've made a few changes.

I've left a couple of publishers, and plan on marketing most of my older work myself, through my webpage. There are many reasons for this. First, most of my old work has been around for so long (dusts off the cobwebs) that there are enough copies out there already that I don't feel it's worth a publishers time for the copies that will sell from this point forward. This isn't a bout of insecurity, but merely a statistic. Statistically, a book sells the most in the first month it's available and after six months, it is likely to never see those kind of sales again. So if I sell my older work for a discounted price on my website, I don't tie up a publisher's resources and time bringing out a book that won't sell enough to pay for itself. I will be able to enjoy all the profit from the sale of the few books I do sell (instead of just a royalty), and I might find a few new readers who read my work and say, "Wow, I'm going to go and see what else he's written. This guy is NUTS!"

A lot of writers will tell you to write every day. It’s one of those things you hear all the time from professionals, teachers—just about everyone. I write every day as well.
Today I wrote a shopping list, a letter to my solicitor, a check to pay my phone bill, and I think that should count.

There is no other job I know of that expects you to work every day. Everyone gets days off, and I think writers should be no exception. Sometimes, you have to let your batteries recharge.

Not long ago, I started getting into 3D computer graphics. It started, quite innocently, with a free copy of Poser, at the time being given away by a site called Content Paradise. A year down the road, I am the proud owner of thousands of dollars worth of software and content, more knowledge about graphics than I ever thought I’d accumulate, and a collection of images that blow my mind every time I look at them.

There is a war on drugs. I’ve seen it on the news. People go to parties and take drugs. The drugs are dangerous. I’ve seen that on the news too. They have all sorts of adverse affects on people, including depression, mood swings, manic episodes, sleep disorder, possibly even death. You have to watch out, because many of these drugs are physically addictive, which means, you start taking them and end up trapped.

Robert Jordan passed away today. He was 58 years old. It was a tragic loss for the fantasy community.

Best known for his bestselling Wheel of Time series, Jordan has a vast fan following.

We at Novelspot wish to offer our sympathies to RJ's family and friends.

You can view Robert Jordan's blog, and read the annoucement of his passing here. http://www.dragonmount.com/RobertJordan

A lot of authors try to sell their books. This might work if they only have one or two in roughly the same genre, but as an author's repertoire grows, it becomes harder and harder to promote that way.

Case in point: Under my real name, I write fantasy and science fiction. I've also written non-fiction. Just taking my fantasy, I've written high fantasy, swords and sorcery, surrealism, slip-stream, short stories, novels, modern humorous fantasy, even fantasy serials. I have books with Double Dragon, Twilight Times, Zumaya and Bucks for a Buck. Selling each book separately would require me to break open my piggy bank (it's really a goblin bank, but don't tell anyone). What's an author to do?

Just recently, I got a job working as an asistant manager in a fish and chips shop in a local mall food court. I know it's not the kind of job you expected me to have, if you indeed had any expectations at all. In fact, it's not the type of job I ever expected to have either. But when the going gets tough, the tough do strange things and necessity makes tough bedfellows, so here I am.

At least I finally figured out why it's called fast food. After seeing the way food is made/treated/handled all I want to do is fast. I'm never going to eat again...well, at least until my next meal.