Real Advice in Practice

Real Advice in Practice #1


As promised, here is the first of the weekly segments for helping with character development by using references from the real world.


Today I went to a local mall and camped out with some friends in the food court. While eating, chatting, and just generally hanging out, I kept an eye and an ear out for my surroundings. During this particular trip I spotted a couple noteworthy traits / actions that could be used for writing. I'll put in parenthesis my extrapolation of what I discovered.


I heard a lady talking about a guy that never seems to smile, and she was wondering why that is. (This one actually has a pair of things that could be extrapolated from it. First would be the man being referenced. There are a variety of reasons for people not to smile from shame of their bad teeth to simply not expressing themselves that way. The second take away is the lady herself. She presents both a sense a curiosity and caring for someone that she apparently doesn't really know that well. It could be that she's the type of person that likes to fix such situations. It could also simply be office-type gossip, but that's not as interesting in my opinion).


I saw a lady breaking out a thick novel, getting comfortable, and digging into the book right in the middle of the food court. Not eating, or meeting anyone, just reading. The food court was rather noisy. (This one has a couple interesting ways that it could be used. She really seemed to be enjoying herself, which got me thinking about the situation. On one side, maybe she has a hard time focusing and reading if an area is too quiet. There are some people that need that kind of background noise. There's also the possibility that she's the sort that wishes to be around people, without actually INTERACTING with people. If she's an introvert, interacting with people requires an expenditure of energy on her part, but that doesn't stop the craving for social / human contact. So that could be a route to take it as well: someone who's lonely, and wants to be around people without any social pressures.)


Saw a guy wearing a pair of headphones, but they were turned off. Guy was just hanging out, and looking around, but with headphones off. (This one you could have some fun with. Maybe he really doesn't like people, and just wants to be left alone so he puts up such a visual cue. What about the possibility of him being deaf, and he does it so people don't think he's ignoring them intentionally? May he was there waiting on someone the whole time, and turned his headset off so he could see better and not get lost in the music. Then there's the story / plot possibilities of him being under cover agent, cop, spy, etc and is actually staking out the area.)


There was a girl who repeatedly braided, and unbraided, the same cluster of hair. (This is an interesting boredom or waiting trait. It could be used as boredom or nervousness. In this particular case I'm pretty sure it was outright boredom as she waited for one of her parents to return from the bathroom. But, used repeatedly in similar situations it could go a good way in showing a fidgety character)


Now, my extrapolations from what I've seen may not be accurate for the real world at all, I'm not trying to pry into people's lives. That isn't necessary. We're writing fiction here, so there's no problem with taking a creative license with what you observe. Take whatever cues you do observe, and find interesting ways to apply or use them. Different actions and traits can be used in widely differing areas, depending on context and whatever it is you establish.


There was another set of traits that I stumbled upon, but that will be for a later post in the week. It will cover treating multiple characters as a single "unit" / single "character"


I'll also post a small short story on the Anthology so you can see how I've used some of these traits in my own works.


Hope this helps! Like always, if you have any questions just drop me a line




--Kirk

Self-Publishing lesson +1

Hi everyone, 

I thought I’d share something I have learned from this whole “self-publishing” drama that I’ve gotten myself into. Hopefully reading this will help you if you decide to go the same route. I’ll post more information and anecdotes as they become available.

For those that don’t already know. I’m going the self-publishing route with After Sanity. I had a lot of reasons for coming to this decision, but they are not part of the current topic, so I’ll avoid any further digression. I released After Sanity: Corporate Aspirations, the first part of six, in early July.

Now, when you go the self-publishing route, YOU are your own marketing department. If you happen to have a marketing guru friend who’s willing to do it for you, so much the better. I don’t. So It’s all me. I knew this in advance, of course. I didn’t kid myself on it. However, I did have one major oversight.

My specific problem has to do with a little thing called ‘timing.” Generally speaking, this wouldn’t be such an issue since my schedule’s so fluid. However, summer and fall is my heavy season. So, in case I haven’t left enough bread crumbs, I picked a horrendous time for me to release my first book.

If you already have some sort of following, or group of people you can recruit to help you spread the good word, so much the better. I’m rather unknown outside of certain circles. And, as I mentioned in my very first post, intentionally stayed out of social media for as long as possible. This has seriously bit me in the rear as it’s forcing me to make those connections now.

To get the word out, I have to be as active as possible in a variety of areas. I don’t mean running around like an Avon salesman and harassing people. I simply mean letting people know that I exist. And, even with that relatively meager goal, I simply didn’t have the time to do it. A great example of that is the extended absence from this blog.

Now that it is the winter / slow season, I’ll be able to spend more time doing things to help get my name out there. My flurry of projects I’m getting into is another example of my attempt to tell the netsphere “Hey! I’m here!” and give some examples of my work.

So, as should be expected, the exposure for the book has suffered dramatically. As such, it’s nowhere near any “best seller lists.” All of this, can be attributed to the lack of marketing and lack of attention on my part.

The takeaway / advice for you: If you are going to self-publish anything, make sure to schedule it so that you actually have the TIME that will be required to do the marketing it will very much need. Getting your name out there during the creation process would also help. But, unlike what several POD printing services may say in their ads. The “Hard part” is NOT over when you finish the book. It’s actually just starting.

Good luck my friends! Until next time.

 

--Kirk

I Come Bearing Gifts!

Hello authors!

I know I have been rather absent from the Blogosphere for a while, but for those who have been waiting it will be well worth it! I’m expecting this post to be one of my larger posts for sure. First, I’d like to catch everyone up on what I’ve been up to for the last *checks watch* Six months…. Yesh. I’ve been pinging out my own life signs every so often through Twitter and the Facebook page. But, because I know not everyone checks those areas, I’ll recap here!

First the biggest news I have to give: After Sanity: Corporate Aspirations was released in July! That’s right, you can find it available at this very moment. It’s available in both digital and softcover variations on Amazon Here. I had been posting updates on my work on the book and cover on the Facebook page, but have refrained from posting it here. I’ve been intending on keeping this a helpful / advice blog, and try to keep from bombarding everyone with self-promotion and advertisements. I recognize that people may genuinely wish to see all of that, besides the progress bars on the right, so I will be adding separate pages to the blog that will contain all that extra goodness. I’ll mention updates on the blog, but it will remain primarily an advice/ tips/ tricks blog.

Since June I have also participated in a few extra writing projects:

I had the opportunity to be a part of an as of yet unnamed Anthology, I’ll post more when more information is available on that.

I participated in the Iron Writer Challenge number 88. Of the five authors, I tied for second. That allowed me to move on to the next round, which has yet to be set. Wish me luck!

I have started another blog where I am posting my short stories. I’m using a secondary blog to keep the posts separate. I’ll be adding a link to the other blog above later, but for now the blog is KirksAnthology.blogspot.com. I have already started posting there, with the opening act being a story per day for each of the twelve days of Christmas. I’m following a fun set of themes that have been posted on the Iron Writer web site. Take a look if you wish.

I participated in and won NaNoWriMo 2014. I chose a novel that isn’t inside of my normal comfort zone to help me improve and grow as an author. It’s worked pretty well, despite the problems. I’m expecting to be done with this one, tentatively called ‘Necessary Violence,’ within a month. At Least the first draft.

I’ve decided to post a much longer work on my Anthology Blog. I will work on and post an entire novel on the blog. Chapter by chapter. I’m hoping to get to a schedule of a chapter a week, but we’ll see how that goes. The purpose will be to gauge people’s interest and get feedback on not only my style of writing but of the story as well. I’m still trying to figure out which story I want to try this experiment with. I may use ‘Necessary Violence,’ but only time will tell.

I have also decided to start up a segment here called “Real Advice in Practice.” I’ve talked to others before and a common issue with people is making characters “seem real.” I’ve mentioned was of making interesting characters and helping bring both them and the worlds you create to life, but I realize the full mechanics of this may be lost on some. To that end I’ll be performing a bit of real world research and, in this weekly segment, share with all of you what I discovered, and how I could use it.

The best thing I know for such exploration is: people watching. I know that seems like some sort of stalker / creeper phrase, but please hear me out. Go to a public venue, and just generally watch people, how they act, and their interactions with each other. Also pay close attention to how they act by theirselves. Now, by this I do NOT mean LEERING / GAWKING / anything like that. Don’t be weird. What I’m suggesting is BE observant. Everyone has some kind of quirk. Most people have a couple. A lot of times the ones they show in private will be different from the ones they show in public, but you’ll still get a good idea. These “quirks” go a looooong way to bringing a character to life.

In this weekly segment I’ll be reporting on my own findings. I’ll go to some public venue, probably a mall, and just sit and observe the rest of humanity. I’ll compile a list of interesting / noteworthy traits and post them here. I will then use the traits and show you how it can make an interesting character. By doing this, I hope to give your creativity a boost and open your eyes to the wonderful world around you, and all of the references it holds for your next great piece!

I had already done exactly as mentioned, and was going to post it here as well, but I believe I’ll give it its own post to be easier to digest.

TL;DR: I’m still alive. I published the book and I’m still helping how I can.

Until next time, keep writing!



--Kirk

Why does it seem my chapters are so short? Question from the mail bag #1

This will be my first time posting in response to a question. If you have any yourself, about writing or even about me personally, post a comment or shoot me a message and I’ll get back with you and possibly make a post about the topic. Also have started a “Q and A” list on the “About Me” page.

Q:

When I write I always find that I get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ very quick. I'm not too good at adding detail so chapters end up being very short. That's one of the big issues I have. IDK maybe that doesn't make sense.

A:

Actually that does make sense to me. You probably are getting really focused on what you are wanting to HAPPEN in the story, and not so much on the TELLING of the story. Here is a great exercise that I think can help you out with this. First, go ahead and write out the story / chapter as you normally would. Now, start back over from the beginning and start reading the work slowly. Doing this normally helps you “picture” the world. Are you getting a good mental image of what is going on during the story? If so, double check with the words, and make sure you’re not mentally adding everything yourself. If your character walks into a bar and yanks some guy out of his chair, make sure ALL of that is actually written down. If you are montaging the events, it can be a problem. You have to make sure to give the character(s) enough 'screen time' to actually seem alive.

This brings up the debate of “how much is: too much, too little, enough” when it comes to details in a story. I have another entire blog post planned out for this, but I’ll give a cliff notes version here. “Enough” is when you can, within the confines of your own style, convey your story to another using only what you have written. If you have to keep verbally clarifying for your reader, then you need to add those details into the book. Unless it’s something that’s explained/ revealed a lot later, but then that’s a style choice and not a clarity issue.

That being said, there is no reason for you to write out every micro detail your character(s) is(are) doing. It can be to your benefit to let the reader "fill in the blanks." If you put in TOO many details, the reader may get bogged down and have an issue relating with the story. It's okay for a chapter to be "short." "Short" is a relative term and as long as it works for you and your story, there's no problem.

This most likely will be my only post for the week. I will be presenting at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus Ohio and am going to be INSANELY busy. Hopefully I can manage a post on Sunday when I get home but no promises.

--Kirk

What’s your favorite misspelled word?

Evening authors! So, what is your favorite misspelled word? No I don’t mean in the sense of funny things that come about like my tentacle/ testicle snafu. What this post will be focusing on is an editing tip that many of you may not even realize. We, all of us, have certain words that we have a bad habit of misspelling. Sometimes this gets to be a major issue if the misspelling is another word entirely. This could be an issue of “learning bad habits” where you were you memorized it that way and it just stuck or it may be an issue of getting words mixed up. Whatever the issue, I’ll give you some tips on how to fix or avoid the problems.

Grammar Nazi Pet Peeves.

This section has to do with word choice and is actually one of the most covered in traditional schools. Things like “their, they’re, there” and “whose vs who’s”. These are major grammar issues that get the Grammar Nazi’s rolling in with a red pen Panzer Division. A PENzer Division if you will. There is a long list of these types of problems, and for brevity sake I’ll not include a list here. (If you wish for a longer list let me know and, if I get enough interest, I’ll work something out.)

Homonyms: Peek/Peak, Stair/Stare

Homonyms, the word itself is funny, but the issues they cause during editing are nothing of the sort. For those bad with vocabulary, homonyms are words with different spellings and meanings, but are pronounced the same. They can crop up in your writing as you are visualizing the elements of the story and quickly writing it out before you lose the “mental picture.” The creative side of the brain (right) is separate from the side that controls words (Left), so this sort of problem can rear its ugly head every now and then. There’s nothing wrong at all with it happening. The trick is to RECOGNIZE that fact, and keep in mind you have to fix it during edit.

The “I don’t think that word means what you think it means.”

These annoying errors have to do with a word choice error caused by confusion of meaning. Homonyms have a presence in this category, but it’s more than that. An example from my own list(that’s also a homonym): clinch and clench. For this pair only one letter separates the meaning from the intended and wrong. One (clinch) means to confirm, the other (clench) means closing into a tight ball. A random pair of commonly misused words is elicit and illicit. Elicit means to bring about something. “A soft touch of his hand elicits a growing smile from his companion.” Illicit means illegal and can be remembered since they both start with “ill.”Example: “His illicit activities landed him in jail.” They are obviously two different words with completely separate meanings, right? However, if you confuse the words you may make the same mistake repeatedly throughout your transcript, and never be the wiser.

What now wise guy?

The important part: Fixes! If you couldn’t tell from my previous posts, I am a big fan of lists. Having side documents help me organize my thoughts and helps prevent me from forgetting important things. On top of that, it is impossible to know and remember everything, unless you are an immortal with a perfect memory that is. For these problems, lists are an important step. Unfortunately, you’re not likely to know it’s happening until a beta-reader gets a look at it. If any of your beta-readers point out even ONE instance of the above, or similar, issues make a note of it in a list. Then you need to search the entire document with the ever faithful “Find” feature. Find and replace is okay, but you have to be very careful as misclicks can make unfortunate changes.

Others may have the mindset of: “Why not just avoid causing those problems in the first place?” That is an awesome idea, thank you for sharing that thought with us, Captain Obvious, but unfortunately we are only mere mortals and SOMETIMES make mistakes. Of course once you make note of the problem, and repeatedly have to fix it, you’ll make mental changes and make the mistake less often. Eventually this self-editing will eliminate the problem but, in the meantime, lists can help you target your personal list of common errors and raise the quality of your writing.

--Kirk

Curse you Auto-Correct!

Writing is hard enough, so why make it any harder than is has to be? There are several things you can do to lighten your work load and smooth out the process. Below are a few of the things I’ve learned to do along the way. Not all of it will be applicable for all situations, but as usual I’d recommend looking it over and making your own decision on how much to emulate.

Auto-Correct, Auto-Fill, etc. TURN IT OFF.

This is rather straight forward. If you’re software has this feature, turn it off. Yes, these features have given the internet vast lists of hilarious misunderstandings caused by the wrong word being used, but that is an unnecessary annoyance when you are trying to write. On top of hurting your work flow, since you have to stop and FIX the error the software made, it may go by unnoticed until much later. A description involving some monster with tentacles attacking people can take a whole different direction if it’s spontaneously changed into testicles. Yes it has happened. To me. Go ahead and laugh, I did. Moving along…

Beyond changing the word to something quirky or humorous, it could cause major headaches later. One of the issues I have run into before is the word “Stares” being transformed magically into “Stairs.” It seems like an easy fix, but sometimes the problem with these homonyms is that sometimes the eye glances over them during editing. The meaning is there and grasped on some leave of the reader, but the error doesn’t always get caught. So save yourself some headaches, and just turn the thing off.

Spell check, Grammar check: TURN OFF

Same advice as above, but for different reasons. Firstly, if you are doing some sort of fantasy fiction, get ready to be drowned in a proverbial sea of red and green squiggly lines. Another problem is the software isn’t right all the time. There are a fair number of words and names that the programs simply don’t recognize. Remember that it’s just an aid and only provides SUGGESTIONS on things to fix. You are the writer, you are the editor, YOU know what you want; make it so.

The biggest issue with these options? Why do I have so much disdain for the squiggly lines during the writing process? Simply put: they slow you down. If you get into the groove of writing. If you have managed to root yourself in the world you are creating. If you have the winds of progress filling your sails, why would you want anything forcing you back into the real world? These seemingly innocuous little multi-colored squiggly lines are disturbing flags of potential errors. Most of us have a problem with ignoring them and moving on, I know I do. They are like that by design. BUT, they are an EDITING tool. They have their time and place, but not during writing. Each time you are uprooted from your work in order to fix a “possible” problem flagged by the squiggles, you risk losing whatever thought or plan you just had in your mind. The potential time lost is just not worth it. So, turn it off and wait for your editing phases to use this particular toolset.

--Kirk

Beta-Readers: The Odyssey!

Maybe you have a manuscript that you have been sitting on for a long time. Perhaps you’re still working on your alpha (my term for first rough draft). Regardless of the stage of your writing, at SOME point, you will want another pair of eyes to look over your work. Of course, it would be best if the first person is not a publisher, or agent, but that’s for another discussion. The focus for today is on those wonderful people known as Beta-Readers.

Why do you need a Beta-Reader?

As the creator of the work, it is rather hard, and arguably impossible, to remain objective. This can manifest itself in your work in many ways. One possibility is accidently foregoing information that is needed for clarity.  In that instance it makes sense to you, as you keep mentally adding information that’s not actually presented. Another reason is relatability to the characters or story. You may think your characters’ actions make perfect sense; your readers may not agree and find themselves confused and unable to connect to these “unpredictable people.”  Beta-Readers can help catch these, and many other issues, while providing valuable feedback.

How do I find Beta-readers?

The best part of this is you may already know people who would not only be willing, but would rather enjoy getting a sneak peek at your work. However, a word of caution: don’t look for ‘yes men.’ Generally speaking, family members, including dear ole Mom, fall into this category. You need help finding and fixing issues with your story; not getting your ego stroked. That being said, make sure it is someone you trust. Both to give you honest feedback, and that they want stab you in the back and try and take your story. Having a digital paper-trail via emails could help, along with contracts and all that other mess. Talk with your friends and people you know about what you do, you never know when you’ll run into an enthusiast.

How do I select Beta-Readers?

Some authors may not even consider this question; I know I didn’t at first. You may receive a good number of requests to be a beta-reader; don’t simply accept everyone. First take time and factor the pros and cons of each and every person. It really helps to know what the person is like. If they are extremely anal about certain things, take that into consideration. You may not know that from your very first piece you have others read, but you’ll quickly learn who has pet peeves that will conflict with your work. Problems can arise from simple name choice, to even stylistic disagreement. Keep this in mind, and plan according to their strength and weaknesses. Making and keeping a file with all the information you find out about your readers can help you in the future. Certain ones might not be good for your current project, but they may be excellent for others.

How do I use a Beta-Reader?

The exact benefit you gain from Beta-Readers has a lot to do with your personal wishes. They can provide a lot of feedback on style, flow, plot, and errors in grammar and word choice. They also have the tremendous ability to let you know if your personal vision of the story is getting across as intended. But, remember one key factor when perusing all of this wonderful feedback: it’s YOUR book. Yes their feedback should be considered and evaluated on its own merit, but keep in mind that it should all be taken as “a suggestion.” Their ‘fixes’ may be changing your stylistic choices, in which case nothing needs to be ‘fixed.’ It is up to you to decide to make any changes or fix the issues they bring up.

Beta-Readers are awesome!

They are hard to find, and they should all be cherished. Remember that they are taking THEIR time to help you make your work the best it can be. So don’t forget to thank them appropriately!

--Kirk

Camp NaNo: A love/ hate relationship

It's definitely been a while since I posted. I have been SERIOUSLY preoccupied... with life. BUT this delay in posting has given me an idea to talk about, instead of the several others I have waiting on a pad.

Camp NaNo is sort of NaNaoWriMo's little cousin that takes place over the month of April. Instead of a solid 50k word count goal, you are given the opportunity to make your OWN goal for the month. Some people make it more conservative than others. Personally I went for another 50k goal. Others went for a more modest word count. I believe there was an individual that wanted to simply get 4k for the month.

Of these, not everyone succeeded in their goals. At least not officially. I'm not going to belittle anyone for making their goals any size, and I'm not scolding people for not meeting the goals they set. What I WILL talk about, is budgeting. Specifically budgeting your time for these sorts of events / contests.

There is a big misconception on the rate to which a person can type. Typing speed world record for alphanumeric keyboard is 216. Yes, that IS impressive. But the average person is going to type far slower than that. One study done in 1998(old I know but still relevant-ish) said the average typing speed was 33 per minute, or 19 for composition. When transcribing you will always type faster than if you were having to come up with it as you go. Add in the complexity that can come with trying to keep plots straight, how characters would react to certain stimuli, all while trying not to over use certain words... and your ACTUAL average speed will drop tremendously.

When it comes to setting goals, you need to factor this in with your calculations. If you block out a large portion of time for other things, and set a high goal, you're not likely to reach said goal if enough time isn't allotted for the actual writing. Make your goals a struggle, but manageable. Setting yourself up for failure is simply "setting yourself up for failure." There is no tragic marter in this sort of thing. You simply didn't do it.

In some cases you may let others down, such as regular readers, when you don't post when you say you will. For something like NaNo, you've missed a golden opportunity. Why is this such a waste? This could have been a major morale boost for you.  Most likely you'll feel a pang of regret, or self-loathing or any of those other "kicking self in pants" descriptors. Never underestimate the power of morale. Instead of being elated, or at the very least satisfied in a job well done, you may start questioning yourself. In other cases you may start actively AVOIDING similar tasks / opportunities because you've failed at it already. I've seen it happen many times, and I find it personally disheartening when talented people cut themselves off at the knee.

So... BUDGET YOUR TIME WISELY. Make goals that are actually attainable. Pushing yourself and making it challenging is fine, but make it reasonable. Don't do things simply trying to impress other people. After all: no one will be able to read your masterpiece, if you never finish.


--Kirk

Indiana Comic Con #IndyComicCon

So this past weekend I was lucky enough to make it to Indiana Comic Con #IndyComicCon. While I have attended many other conventions, this was my first Comic Con. Like many of the other patrons I had high hopes and expectations for the convention. There were many issues that plagued it from the first day. It wasn’t all I had hoped it would be, but it was fun.

The biggest issue was the apparent lack of understanding of the Midwest’s fan-base. They apparently didn’t expect the turnout that they experienced. They underestimated the desire of those in the region. Fans showed up in force and quickly crowded and overwhelmed the plans they had set out. I heard that they only expected around 2,000 people: 10,000 showed up. Not only did they just not have the space to handle that many people, they didn’t have the layout organized for it either.  The show had SOLD OUT by early Saturday. (Also heard rumors of fire marshal issues).

They had both the entrance and exit to the dealer hall connected to the entrance to the ticket booths. The only signs they had for it were right next to the doors, which were obviously blocked by the crowd trying to get in. This was all contained in only ONE Exhibit hall section (D I believe?) of the Indy Convention Center. They did have a couple smaller rooms as well but they do nothing to change the point: lack of space.

The second issue (not ranked in importance as its arguable on which is more grievous) is the “Lack of things to do.” What I mean by this is the majority of this convention was a dealers’ room. Selling. Pushing. Demoing. Adverting. Etc. They had the old style Batmobile, an area where panels talked about different things, and the dealers’ hall, but that was about it apparently. Wither this was because of the lack of space, or was intended I can’t say, but I do know it left a sour taste for a lot of people.  Most conventions that I’ve been to have rather busy schedules with panels, workshops, and seminars that run late into the night, #IndyComicCon lacked that sadly.

By this point you’re probably thinking, “But Kirk, you’ve done NOTHING but complain, I thought you said you had fun?” I did and… I did. The convention itself was a bit lackluster, but the fans that attended made it an overall enjoyable experience for me.  The cosplayers walking around in a colorful array of creative interpretations was solid gold. I’ll post some of the pictures taken so you can see for yourself.

To be perfectly fair: this was the first year for Indy Comic Con. Of course there was going to be mistakes made. Of course there was going to be room for improvement. Of course not EVERYONE was going to leave happy (especially those that were turned away.) This is just a fact of life for conventions. Indy Comic Con just experienced hemorrhagic growing pains from the start. I would expect they are analyzing the data already and making plans for next year.

So I’m going to give it the best compliment / rating I can give: I’m already planning on going next year.

See you around the con circuit!

--Kirk

Delayed Beginnings

I grew up when this tsunami known as “The World Wide Web” was just forming. I experienced the leading edge of the ripple and all of the great, and not so great, things that came about with its introduction to daily life. I was there for the gloriousness of the Dotcom boom, and obviously for its Babylonian tower collapse. I was onboard with a FaceBook account before most people even heard of it.

Because of all this, and my geeky, nerdy, techy background, people have been shocked, astounded, and downright confused by the fact that I’m not a blogger. The fact that I haven’t been latched to weekly or daily updates has left people curious. Some have even questioned if I’m just ‘antisocial.’ If I’m so into technology and such: why the absence?

The answer for this is rather simple. For those that have known me long enough in person, you may have guessed already. In person I have a habit, generally speaking, of not speaking much or often. I’m more of a listener. Does that mean I’m not interested? No, far from the truth. I speak when I feel I have something to contribute, or something to say. To do otherwise just seems foolish to me, and thus I refrain. “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than open it and remove all doubt”… yes? In recent years I’ve piped up in more conversations, simply because I’ve grown my knowledge base into a massive eclectic library. In short, I have more to say: So I do.

So, with this in mind, I’m “stepping into the digital age finally.” I am starting this blog with several goals in mind, one of which is to keep those interested up-to-date on the progress of some things I am working on. I have been informed that the lack of an online presence has given a bad impression. I intend to fix that from this point forward. I will begin weekly updates, maybe more depending on what comes up, starting promptly.

Why? Because, NOW, I have something to say.

Thank you;

--Kirk