20 Nov
More on Admired Writers
A couple months ago I wrote a blog on What do you admire most in a writer? and I gave my criteria, which is quantity (which doesn’t necessarily negate quality, you can have both). I admire writers who can just keep outputting like a machine. I had a list of several prolific authors I admired.
Just recently, as I was looking for something to read, I realized I had missed one.
Alexander Dumas.
According to Dumas himself, he wrote over 1,000 works. Historians differ and place his output at around 200 or 300 works.
Still.
Think about that.
He was born in 1802 and died in 1870. So even if we go with the conservative estimate of 200 works, that’s quite an amazing feat.
There were no computers. No word processors. And the typewriter wasn’t invented until 1868 and wasn’t commercially available until 1873 — three years after his death.
So Dumas wrote well over 200 works with a freakin’ quill pen! He wrote all that by hand!
The mind boggles.
He was absolutely tireless. If that doesn’t make me feel like a slug in comparison, I don’t know what will.
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19 Nov
How’s that NaNoWriMo writing coming along?
Well, we’re 19 days into November. Two-thirds of the way through. How is your NaNo novel coming along?
I’m not participating (as stated back on October 26). November has historically never been a good writing month for me. Maybe its preparation for the coming Thanksgiving and the even more time-consuming Christmas and after that New Year’s. But I find I just don’t have much time to write, as can be attested to by the fact that my last blog post of any note was on the 6th of November.
So if you’re able to crank out 50,000 words in a month, be thankful. I’ve written a sentence of fiction this month. One sentence.
Oh, wait, no, I take that back. Two sentences. Here they are:
Jim’s stomach left him as he dropped. He fought the natural urge to open his eyes. Stepping off into free fall went against nearly every instinct he had and it took every ounce of nerve to keep his eyes clenched shut.
Drat. That’s three, isn’t it? Math was never my strong suit.
Anyway, good luck, Hope you’re having fun. I honestly hope this is a successful month to each of you.
Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll crank out another sentence or two by Christmas. But from past experience, I’ll probably not get back into the grove (yes, there’s an actual grove we writers go to write, its a mystical, magical place, come join us sometime) until sometime in January.
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12 Nov
Melodie Wilson’s long battle against cancer ends
The much beloved Milwaukee news anchor passed away Monday evening.
Melodie Wilson’s long battle against cancer ends
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9 Nov
Quake shakes Milwaukee in 1968
On this day in 1968, a quake was felt in Milwaukee.
Quake shakes Milwaukee in 1968
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6 Nov
Been Sick
I apologize for not having posted anything in over a week, but a cold has been kicking my butt. Just a common cold, not the infamous H1N1 (swine) flu that’s going around, but still, its having its way with me.
I read the novel Psycho by Robert Bloch. I’ve seen the movie probably dozens of times. It is a Hitchcock classic and many might point to it as the first slasher flick, although if you really take a look there is no gratuitous violence, which is the life’s blood of a true slasher flick.
Hitchcock was rather tasteful. First, the movie was in black and white, so there is no blood. The famous drain scene is just a black liquid mixing with the shower water. And the knife is never shown actually slashing the person, there is a lot of cut scenes showing with Janet Leigh screaming and defending herself, then Anthony Perkins as Mother slashing at something. I believe there’s only one quick scene where the knife and Janet are in the same sequence.
But slashing is not what that movie is about. Even with that amount of violence, the main ingredient in Hitchcock’s horror was suspense, it was psychological horror of the “what’s going to happen next?” and “is his Mother crazy?”
And, now that I think about it, the most shocking thing in that movie was that Janet Leigh, a big time star at the time, was killed so soon in the movie. NOBODY was expecting that and it stunned everyone.
So I finally got around to reading the book. Let me tell you. Its been a long time since I read a book that quickly. I’d say within 8 hours. I couldn’t put it down. Yes, I know the story. Yes, I know the ending. And yet, Robert Block was able to weave a story, using several Point of View characters, such as Marion Crane (Janet Leigh’s character), Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), Sam Loomis (John Gavin, Marion’s boy friend), Milton Arbogast (Martin Balsam as the Insurance Investigator), and Lila Crane (Vera Miles as Marion’s sister).
Despite knowing what was going to happen, Bloch still manages to create suspense, you still have empathy for his characters, and you still keep turning the pages to see what will happen.
If you haven’t yet read this classic in the horror genre, do so. You’ll be glad you did even as you’re locking the shower door.
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3 Nov
Thompson wins historic fourth term
On this date in 1998, Tommy Thompson won an historic fourth term as Wisconsin’s governor.
Thompson wins historic fourth term
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28 Oct
Milwaukee wasn’t always the safest city
Although recently voted second safest city by Forbes, Milwaukee wasn’t always so, as today marks the anniversary of the Third Ward Fire of 1892.
Milwaukee wasn’t always the safest city
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27 Oct
Lincoln’s commando
The CSS Albermarle was sank this date in 1864, during the Civil War, by Delafield’s own William B. Cushing.
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