You'd think owning a bookstore would be conducive to writing. But you'd be wrong.
Take away the fact that if you own a bookstore (or any small business for that matter) you're spending most of your time and energies just trying to survive.
You are also surrounded by books. Books, books and more books. That should really encourage you, right? But it has the opposite effect on me. Does the world really need another fantasy? Another mystery?
Then you go to the distributor sites and you see hundreds of thousands of books. Even worse, you go to the liquidation distributors and see thousands of perfectly good books being dumped.
There was an article today in the Bulletin about Sixto Rodriguez, who put out a couple albums years ago that didn't sell and he was dumped by his label and he went to working for the city.
Unknown to him, he had become a huge star in South Africa -- a "legend" even.
So the article goes on to detail how which things get noticed and which don't can come down to statistical anomalies.
Certainly, I see evidence of it every day in my store. Wonderful books are ignored, crappy books are purchased.
Sigh.
But you can also turn that around. There are hundreds of thousands of books being published. Hey, maybe I can get in on that.
My focus back in my earlier writing period was on Getting Published. Quite honestly, following the huge hurdle of actually writing the book, and getting it ready, and sending it off, that's about as far ahead as I looked.
Oh, sure. I had rosy visions in my head of everyone reading it, praising it, movies being made, la de da.
I remember the first time I ran into an unpublished author (who remained unpublished I believe) whose focus was on best-sellerdom. I wondered if I had my priorities wrong.
Anyway, as I've said before on this current attempt of being a writer, (well, maybe I am a writer if what one does is what one is), that I need to write through the doubts. Not compare myself to anyone else. Just do the best I can with what I got.
Do the book first. Market it second.
Now I'm looking at these huge lists of books and telling myself that they are different, all written in idiosyncratic ways, and the publishers are looking for things to sell.
So I tell myself.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Dieting and writing Don't Go Together.
I've mentioned before, that budgeting and dieting work together nicely.
Well, writing and dieting are the opposite. I nibble all day long, mindlessly. Just walk around and nibble and sit around and nibble.
I finished what I suppose could be called the second draft yesterday. It has more than doubled the size of the book. I'm at about 52,000 words. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being closer to 60, 000.
Spent some time rearranging the chapters, so there isn't too much gap between the two storylines.
I'm still liking this book. Usually by this time, I want to get away, but this time I'm still into inventing and discovering what this book is about. I think it's because I've done this in such a short time that it is still fresh to me -- or it's because I'm just really liking this world and these characters. Or maybe that's saying the same thing.
Last night I was thinking about the evil kingdom in the story, and started imagining more of what it looked like. This is probably what I'm going to be doing for awhile -- filling in the backstory of the world and the characters. Making it feel more full and real.
I'm going to rewrite the first chapter today, because Linda had some cogent criticisms. This first chapter will probably be revised dozens of times before I'm done, because it's so important.
Then I'm going to go through the entire book and try to standardize all the names and spellings. That will probably take the rest of today and tomorrow. Then I'm going to print out a couple of hard copies that can be worked on.
I've done this so intensively and in such a short time, that it calls out to the fact that writing a novel is a major project. And why the hell does anyone do it?
But, as lame as it sounds, I feel like I'm doing what I should be doing.
Well, writing and dieting are the opposite. I nibble all day long, mindlessly. Just walk around and nibble and sit around and nibble.
I finished what I suppose could be called the second draft yesterday. It has more than doubled the size of the book. I'm at about 52,000 words. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being closer to 60, 000.
Spent some time rearranging the chapters, so there isn't too much gap between the two storylines.
I'm still liking this book. Usually by this time, I want to get away, but this time I'm still into inventing and discovering what this book is about. I think it's because I've done this in such a short time that it is still fresh to me -- or it's because I'm just really liking this world and these characters. Or maybe that's saying the same thing.
Last night I was thinking about the evil kingdom in the story, and started imagining more of what it looked like. This is probably what I'm going to be doing for awhile -- filling in the backstory of the world and the characters. Making it feel more full and real.
I'm going to rewrite the first chapter today, because Linda had some cogent criticisms. This first chapter will probably be revised dozens of times before I'm done, because it's so important.
Then I'm going to go through the entire book and try to standardize all the names and spellings. That will probably take the rest of today and tomorrow. Then I'm going to print out a couple of hard copies that can be worked on.
I've done this so intensively and in such a short time, that it calls out to the fact that writing a novel is a major project. And why the hell does anyone do it?
But, as lame as it sounds, I feel like I'm doing what I should be doing.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Humblebrag.
Kind of a weird thing.
I've gotten better reviews for the three books I published as time has gone on.
At first, I'd have to say they were ignored completely. Then there were a couple of sorta reviews that made fun of them. That wasn't something I enjoyed.
But slowly, the tide seems to have turned.
It's as if time itself has lent them a certain aura. You know, they've been around for a long time by now. I even got my first fan letter. (Well, fan e-mail.) I didn't answer it, bastard that I am, because I don't have the foggiest what to say. I think maybe I'll try to find it, and at least thank him for it.
It's interesting to realize that these mass paperback books, and their digital downloads (unapproved by me, but what you gonna do? At least someone might be reading them...) will be around long after I'm gone. That just about everything else I might have done will be long forgotten, but these books will be floating around the edges of the digital consciousness forever.
The internet is responsible for most of that. The books probably would've passed beyond notice by now, if not for that. That and the weird thing that SNOWCASTLES got published in England, and therefore was distributed throughout the Commonwealth (New Zealand, Australia, Canada, etc.) and beyond, into Europe. I'm not sure about ICETOWERS. I'm pretty sure STAR AXE was only released in the U.S.A.
Anyway, even though in the scheme of things, these books seemed to make a small impact at the time, they seem to be enduring. A great example of "Just Get In The Game."
You just never know.
I've gotten better reviews for the three books I published as time has gone on.
At first, I'd have to say they were ignored completely. Then there were a couple of sorta reviews that made fun of them. That wasn't something I enjoyed.
But slowly, the tide seems to have turned.
It's as if time itself has lent them a certain aura. You know, they've been around for a long time by now. I even got my first fan letter. (Well, fan e-mail.) I didn't answer it, bastard that I am, because I don't have the foggiest what to say. I think maybe I'll try to find it, and at least thank him for it.
It's interesting to realize that these mass paperback books, and their digital downloads (unapproved by me, but what you gonna do? At least someone might be reading them...) will be around long after I'm gone. That just about everything else I might have done will be long forgotten, but these books will be floating around the edges of the digital consciousness forever.
The internet is responsible for most of that. The books probably would've passed beyond notice by now, if not for that. That and the weird thing that SNOWCASTLES got published in England, and therefore was distributed throughout the Commonwealth (New Zealand, Australia, Canada, etc.) and beyond, into Europe. I'm not sure about ICETOWERS. I'm pretty sure STAR AXE was only released in the U.S.A.
Anyway, even though in the scheme of things, these books seemed to make a small impact at the time, they seem to be enduring. A great example of "Just Get In The Game."
You just never know.
Just write, dammit.
I used to think that coming up with a story -- plot, characters and background -- was easy. Writing it in a readable way was hard.
That is, anyone could come up with a story, but not many people could put that story on paper so that people would want to read it.
But as time went on, I realized that coming up with a predictable, cliched, and shallow story is easy. Making it surprising and new and with deeper meaning was hard.
The writing is hard either way.
Of course, the two things are inextricably linked.
I pretty much blocked myself for years with the feeling that I needed to avoid being predictable and shallow. That I needed a stronger story.
What I really needed to do was write, and see what happened. And then write again, and see what happened.
I have a saying, that I think I made up, "You can only write as deep as you yourself are."
So, I just need to write the best story I can, and figure that I'll go as deep as I am.
That is, anyone could come up with a story, but not many people could put that story on paper so that people would want to read it.
But as time went on, I realized that coming up with a predictable, cliched, and shallow story is easy. Making it surprising and new and with deeper meaning was hard.
The writing is hard either way.
Of course, the two things are inextricably linked.
I pretty much blocked myself for years with the feeling that I needed to avoid being predictable and shallow. That I needed a stronger story.
What I really needed to do was write, and see what happened. And then write again, and see what happened.
I have a saying, that I think I made up, "You can only write as deep as you yourself are."
So, I just need to write the best story I can, and figure that I'll go as deep as I am.
Why I'm voting for Obama. My last political post this year.
Had a customer/friend in the other day, and I told him I was disappointed that Obama was not more liberal. He seemed surprised that anyone could be to the left of Obama. Yet, by my reckoning, I think Obama is a centrist, establishment guy, and pretty much always was.
It's only the loony right wing who could have managed to portray him as something else.
I'm not wholeheartedly for Obama. I mean, there is zero chance I won't vote for him, but I wish he hadn't done some things and wish he had done other things.
I'm disappointed that he didn't do more to rein in Wall Street. I think Geithner is his Rumsfeld. But the alternative is a guy who announced INTENTION is to give even more to the Wall Street types?
No doubt who I'm for there.
The foreign policy? I think Obama had taken the powers handed him by the Bush/9/11 powerplay, and tried to expand them. Certainly he didn't roll them back. There are lots of troubling privacy issues there. For a liberal, I'm a bit of vengeful hawk, and while part of me thinks the drone war is immoral, part of me says get them bastards.
Again, the alternative is some guy who's foreign policy team seems to be full of neo-cons who seem to want to go to war with Iran. We've already had at least one too many wars.
Again, no doubt who I'm for there.
On the economy, I think Obama gave in to the Wall Street interests, and didn't do enough for those on Main Street who were losing their houses and businesses. However, he did stabilize the economy against the opposition of the other party. Indeed, almost any initiative he tried to make was blocked by either the Blue Dog democrats or the entire Republican part -- and the idiotic --senate rules.
Again, I think he was dealing with a recalcitrant congress, and probably did about as well as was allowed. (I might wish he was a L.B.J. type who could twist their arms and manipulate them, but alas, I think Obama is nice guy.) Obamacare didn't go far enough, in my opinion, but he probably got what he could get.
The other guy -- well, he's a mess on that subject, isn't he? What the hell does he really believe? That his Mass. health plan was great and he should get credit for it? But that it would be a disaster for the rest of us?
I don't much like Romney or his riches and his seemingly out of touch style. But I wouldn't not vote for him strictly on that basis. (Even though my saying is, "Eat the Rich.") Kennedy and Roosevelt and some other effective presidents weren't exactly hoi polloi. It isn't his secret thoughts that disturbed me -- well, they are pretty bad but they seem in line with his outer thoughts, don't they? He's all but said he's thinks making the rich richer is the best strategy. Whereas, I don't think it's worked.
On social issues, I'm pretty much with Obama all the way. For that reason, if no other, I'd vote for him. Especially with the Supreme Court as the ultimate arbiter.
Finally, I really believe the Republican party has gone off the rails, and they need to repudiate the wingnuts instead of catering to them. Sure both party have nuts, but one part seems to be run by them.
I could wish MSNBC wouldn't try to follow the example of Fox news. But even now, I don't think they're quite so reality challenged.
This to me is very disturbing. The extremism I see in the Republican part is kind of scary.
Again, I'll vote for Obama to try and put that scary genie back in the bottle.
I'm not out for an argument here. This is an attempt at a non-ideological examination of why I'm going to vote for Obama. Well, of course its ideological in that I'm a liberal and most likely to vote for the more liberal of candidates. But even if I look at it from a purely pragmatic viewpoint, I think one candidate is an adult who has been on a steep learning curve, and the other is a candidate who had catered to the worst elements of his party.
So Obama, 2012!
It's only the loony right wing who could have managed to portray him as something else.
I'm not wholeheartedly for Obama. I mean, there is zero chance I won't vote for him, but I wish he hadn't done some things and wish he had done other things.
I'm disappointed that he didn't do more to rein in Wall Street. I think Geithner is his Rumsfeld. But the alternative is a guy who announced INTENTION is to give even more to the Wall Street types?
No doubt who I'm for there.
The foreign policy? I think Obama had taken the powers handed him by the Bush/9/11 powerplay, and tried to expand them. Certainly he didn't roll them back. There are lots of troubling privacy issues there. For a liberal, I'm a bit of vengeful hawk, and while part of me thinks the drone war is immoral, part of me says get them bastards.
Again, the alternative is some guy who's foreign policy team seems to be full of neo-cons who seem to want to go to war with Iran. We've already had at least one too many wars.
Again, no doubt who I'm for there.
On the economy, I think Obama gave in to the Wall Street interests, and didn't do enough for those on Main Street who were losing their houses and businesses. However, he did stabilize the economy against the opposition of the other party. Indeed, almost any initiative he tried to make was blocked by either the Blue Dog democrats or the entire Republican part -- and the idiotic --senate rules.
Again, I think he was dealing with a recalcitrant congress, and probably did about as well as was allowed. (I might wish he was a L.B.J. type who could twist their arms and manipulate them, but alas, I think Obama is nice guy.) Obamacare didn't go far enough, in my opinion, but he probably got what he could get.
The other guy -- well, he's a mess on that subject, isn't he? What the hell does he really believe? That his Mass. health plan was great and he should get credit for it? But that it would be a disaster for the rest of us?
I don't much like Romney or his riches and his seemingly out of touch style. But I wouldn't not vote for him strictly on that basis. (Even though my saying is, "Eat the Rich.") Kennedy and Roosevelt and some other effective presidents weren't exactly hoi polloi. It isn't his secret thoughts that disturbed me -- well, they are pretty bad but they seem in line with his outer thoughts, don't they? He's all but said he's thinks making the rich richer is the best strategy. Whereas, I don't think it's worked.
On social issues, I'm pretty much with Obama all the way. For that reason, if no other, I'd vote for him. Especially with the Supreme Court as the ultimate arbiter.
Finally, I really believe the Republican party has gone off the rails, and they need to repudiate the wingnuts instead of catering to them. Sure both party have nuts, but one part seems to be run by them.
I could wish MSNBC wouldn't try to follow the example of Fox news. But even now, I don't think they're quite so reality challenged.
This to me is very disturbing. The extremism I see in the Republican part is kind of scary.
Again, I'll vote for Obama to try and put that scary genie back in the bottle.
I'm not out for an argument here. This is an attempt at a non-ideological examination of why I'm going to vote for Obama. Well, of course its ideological in that I'm a liberal and most likely to vote for the more liberal of candidates. But even if I look at it from a purely pragmatic viewpoint, I think one candidate is an adult who has been on a steep learning curve, and the other is a candidate who had catered to the worst elements of his party.
So Obama, 2012!
Friday, September 28, 2012
The digital divide.
I'm told that Barnes and Noble has renewed their lease at the Forum Shopping Center. Yes, that was my big surprise. I know it was a rumor for a long time they would be leaving in October.
At least the people who actually were affected by it seemed to believe it was a possibility; the store is apparently no longer the high performer it was when it started.
I must say, I always thought it was kind of unlikely. Thing is, the people at Barnes and Noble apparently thought it was possible.
Meanwhile, the Bookmark, my wife's store, will beat last year for September. That will be 7 months out of the last 9.
After 8 straight years of improvements, we did have a down period last year, and I really think a lot of it was the all the publicity about e-books.
Which seems to have died off somewhat. I mean, people still talk about it, but it isn't the central subject it was there for awhile.
So, anyway, I wanted to address the digital divide.
My feeling has always been that some people would buy an e-book reader and some people wouldn't.
But I also thought that among those who bought a Nook or a Kindle, some people would use it exclusively, and some people would buy both physical books and e-books, and some would actually come back to books.
That is, I've never thought e-books were going to win the entire market. I still don't. I think there is going to be room for bookstores for the foreseeable future. Indeed, I think we may even gain a little marketshare as Barnes and Nobles busily makes itself obsolete.
I've been amazed by the digital inablers -- from publishers to bookstores. They didn't even fight it.
I'm sure it was because they were fighting the "last war"; they looked at what happened to the music industry and drew the wrong conclusions.
That gives those of us who are still true believers in book/books a chance to pick up those who still want them. Keep the faith, my friend.
At least the people who actually were affected by it seemed to believe it was a possibility; the store is apparently no longer the high performer it was when it started.
I must say, I always thought it was kind of unlikely. Thing is, the people at Barnes and Noble apparently thought it was possible.
Meanwhile, the Bookmark, my wife's store, will beat last year for September. That will be 7 months out of the last 9.
After 8 straight years of improvements, we did have a down period last year, and I really think a lot of it was the all the publicity about e-books.
Which seems to have died off somewhat. I mean, people still talk about it, but it isn't the central subject it was there for awhile.
So, anyway, I wanted to address the digital divide.
My feeling has always been that some people would buy an e-book reader and some people wouldn't.
But I also thought that among those who bought a Nook or a Kindle, some people would use it exclusively, and some people would buy both physical books and e-books, and some would actually come back to books.
That is, I've never thought e-books were going to win the entire market. I still don't. I think there is going to be room for bookstores for the foreseeable future. Indeed, I think we may even gain a little marketshare as Barnes and Nobles busily makes itself obsolete.
I've been amazed by the digital inablers -- from publishers to bookstores. They didn't even fight it.
I'm sure it was because they were fighting the "last war"; they looked at what happened to the music industry and drew the wrong conclusions.
That gives those of us who are still true believers in book/books a chance to pick up those who still want them. Keep the faith, my friend.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Are they seeing something in Bend?
That would seem to be an impressive group of corporate stores coming in at the Bend Factory Stores mall.
Coach, and a "men's" Coach store; Pendleton (this even interests me); Under Armour; Puma; and Brooks Brothers. I would have been impressed if they got two of these, much less the bunch.
Either the mall has changed some terms, or made some can't refuse deals -- or...
...the national chains are seeing some stats here in Bend which are -- all of a sudden-- enticing them.
Coach, and a "men's" Coach store; Pendleton (this even interests me); Under Armour; Puma; and Brooks Brothers. I would have been impressed if they got two of these, much less the bunch.
Either the mall has changed some terms, or made some can't refuse deals -- or...
...the national chains are seeing some stats here in Bend which are -- all of a sudden-- enticing them.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Count the people you want to count!
Thank goodness the Romney campaign has finally revealed the false premise of the polls.
You know, polling a random number of people, and finding that more of them are self-identifying as Democrats!
Throw those pikers out!
I'm going to apply the same principle to my store. That cash register total at the end of the day?
That only counts the people who spent money! It doesn't count those who didn't spend money. Obviously a phony total!
Hey, all those athletes who supposedly win races? That only count those who reached the finish line first! It doesn't count all those who didn't get there at the same time. How stupid is that?
You know, polling a random number of people, and finding that more of them are self-identifying as Democrats!
Throw those pikers out!
I'm going to apply the same principle to my store. That cash register total at the end of the day?
That only counts the people who spent money! It doesn't count those who didn't spend money. Obviously a phony total!
Hey, all those athletes who supposedly win races? That only count those who reached the finish line first! It doesn't count all those who didn't get there at the same time. How stupid is that?
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
The fastest book ever.
This was the fastest book ever. You know, if you don't count the last 30 years of dabbling, and the last 2 years of writing other things.
I have an artificial deadline of finishing what amounts to the second draft of my novel by the end of today.
I've been grinding it out over the last few days, as the creative momentum has slowed. But I want to finish it. I read somewhere that these passages where you just sit down without inspiration and write are often as good as the ones where you feel inspired.
It does seem true that when you go back and read, the differences aren't readily apparent. But I don't quite believe it. I think WHAT I write comes out different. In this case, I already had what I wanted to write in mind, so I don't think any harm done, certainly outweighed by the benefits of finishing.
This is the point where the doubt sets in. The creative euphoria has worn off.
I want to go back and both expand and revise. Fill in all the holes.
I want the language to be a better, without loosing too much freshness.
This is also the point where I wish there was a "Magic Editor." A Maxwell Perkins, if you will.
But I doubt any such animal exists.
This is where I start fiddling with the structure. Sometimes where to place a scene isn't obvious. I suspect sometimes it's more a 49 - 51 choice. Really hard to figure out.
I tried to make this manuscript readable all the way through at every stage. But problems still accumulate -- I'll change a name, or a description, or a backstory, and not have time to go back and change everything.
So those have to be fixed.
I've learned a few tricks for revising.
1.) I grab chapters at random, and look just at the writing, not the story.
2.) I look for alternative words, using the thesaurus. This can be dangerous if you overdo it, but it can also spark some creative use of language.
3.) I tend to look for places I can give more information, expand more. When I do the final draft, I can pare some of this extra away. I know this goes against every advice I've ever heard given to writers, but for me its necessary.
4.) Strangely enough, I just look at the shape of the writing: how big or small the sentences and paragraphs are, how much dialogue. You can tell sometimes whether the story is flowing by whether there is too much of one thing or another. I can't explain it, but there is an overall feel.
5.) First thing I'm going to do is go through the book beginning to end and try to catch all the names and spellings and make them consistent. I'll catch other things as I go along.
6.) I probably will try to get as much editorial advice as I can get on the first 10 or 20 pages of the books, since this seems to be that part that agents and publishers will see, and it's not asking people to read an entire book, (Which I've decided is much more presumptuous than volunteers realize. I know it is, so it is up to me not to ask.)
I have another artificial deadline of having a "Reading" copy by the end of the month. Then, I'm going to set it aside for a month, and perhaps start writing the second book.
I have an artificial deadline of finishing what amounts to the second draft of my novel by the end of today.
I've been grinding it out over the last few days, as the creative momentum has slowed. But I want to finish it. I read somewhere that these passages where you just sit down without inspiration and write are often as good as the ones where you feel inspired.
It does seem true that when you go back and read, the differences aren't readily apparent. But I don't quite believe it. I think WHAT I write comes out different. In this case, I already had what I wanted to write in mind, so I don't think any harm done, certainly outweighed by the benefits of finishing.
This is the point where the doubt sets in. The creative euphoria has worn off.
I want to go back and both expand and revise. Fill in all the holes.
I want the language to be a better, without loosing too much freshness.
This is also the point where I wish there was a "Magic Editor." A Maxwell Perkins, if you will.
But I doubt any such animal exists.
This is where I start fiddling with the structure. Sometimes where to place a scene isn't obvious. I suspect sometimes it's more a 49 - 51 choice. Really hard to figure out.
I tried to make this manuscript readable all the way through at every stage. But problems still accumulate -- I'll change a name, or a description, or a backstory, and not have time to go back and change everything.
So those have to be fixed.
I've learned a few tricks for revising.
1.) I grab chapters at random, and look just at the writing, not the story.
2.) I look for alternative words, using the thesaurus. This can be dangerous if you overdo it, but it can also spark some creative use of language.
3.) I tend to look for places I can give more information, expand more. When I do the final draft, I can pare some of this extra away. I know this goes against every advice I've ever heard given to writers, but for me its necessary.
4.) Strangely enough, I just look at the shape of the writing: how big or small the sentences and paragraphs are, how much dialogue. You can tell sometimes whether the story is flowing by whether there is too much of one thing or another. I can't explain it, but there is an overall feel.
5.) First thing I'm going to do is go through the book beginning to end and try to catch all the names and spellings and make them consistent. I'll catch other things as I go along.
6.) I probably will try to get as much editorial advice as I can get on the first 10 or 20 pages of the books, since this seems to be that part that agents and publishers will see, and it's not asking people to read an entire book, (Which I've decided is much more presumptuous than volunteers realize. I know it is, so it is up to me not to ask.)
I have another artificial deadline of having a "Reading" copy by the end of the month. Then, I'm going to set it aside for a month, and perhaps start writing the second book.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Where do these ideas come from?
The creative process is endlessly fascinating to me: Anyone's creative process, but of course the only creative process I have first hand experience with is my own.
Anyway, I'm constantly amazed by what the subconscious comes up with.
I think there is an implicit bargain you make with the creative parts of your brain.
You give it a chance to work, and lo and behold, it will provide.
But you have to give it over to the subconscious -- that is, you can't be distracted by anything else. No books, no movies, no work, no other conversations, nothing. You give over your time and energy and suspension of attention to that murky idea generator.
At least, that's the way it works with me.
Sometimes, the idea generator is overflowing -- sometimes it is dry. I use the inner image of a well, that is either depleted, or full, or overflowing. I can almost do an internal check, a sort of cartoony well that I can check the status of.
Sometimes, if the story needs a little pushing, I can let the less creative, but rational part of my brain come up with some fill-in material. But I'm learning not to do that. I'm learning to let the brain work on it.
There are some tricks.
One, being alone helps.
Two, not having anything on the schedule in the near future works.
Three, talking to oneself is very helpful.
Four, a kind of browsing, non-critical look at what you've already done, can help spark more ideas.
Five, other activities that can help spur creative thoughts: walking, showering, playing solitaire, napping, driving around in the country, and otherwise just sitting around with a sort of "on" button, but not trying to force it.
Six, finding a location where you've had ideas before, and using that location just for generating ideas. (I've been using my bed, which is a surprise -- napping, thinking, just sort of drowsing, browsing. You have to be careful, though, not to let the sleep thing get in the way, or vice verse.)
Seven, a related creative activity. I'm talking specifically about my blog. Though there is always the danger that I'll use up that day's measure of creativity on the blog instead of on the fiction.
Eight, sometimes a little booze can help, but it seems just as often it can hurt. ...
Finally, it helps to strike while the iron is hot. And it's been red hot lately, as hot as it's ever been, so hot that I was canceling everything else, ignoring everything else, even taking days off and going on writing holidays.
I was riding that pony for all it was worth. (If this was a book, instead of a blog, I'd have to come back and swap out all the mixed metaphors...)
But I'm nearing the end, with just two chapters left that I basically know what I want to accomplish. And it's just really tough. I'm trying not to push too hard, but I'm afraid of letting the pressure off too much too soon.
And yes, I thought I'd finished the book 12 days ago, but it was only 30, 000 words. In trying to fix that, I came up with a secondary storyline which I'm weaving in without changing what I've already written, and which I think very much improves the story. Way more action as well as fantasy scenes, which were probably necessary.
The writing went smoothly for about the first half. Then started getting harder. And, lately, it's just been as slow as can be.
This must be what it's like climbing a mountain -- that last 100 feet is brutal. Just as you are at your most tired, it becomes the hardest.
Anyway, I'm constantly amazed by what the subconscious comes up with.
I think there is an implicit bargain you make with the creative parts of your brain.
You give it a chance to work, and lo and behold, it will provide.
But you have to give it over to the subconscious -- that is, you can't be distracted by anything else. No books, no movies, no work, no other conversations, nothing. You give over your time and energy and suspension of attention to that murky idea generator.
At least, that's the way it works with me.
Sometimes, the idea generator is overflowing -- sometimes it is dry. I use the inner image of a well, that is either depleted, or full, or overflowing. I can almost do an internal check, a sort of cartoony well that I can check the status of.
Sometimes, if the story needs a little pushing, I can let the less creative, but rational part of my brain come up with some fill-in material. But I'm learning not to do that. I'm learning to let the brain work on it.
There are some tricks.
One, being alone helps.
Two, not having anything on the schedule in the near future works.
Three, talking to oneself is very helpful.
Four, a kind of browsing, non-critical look at what you've already done, can help spark more ideas.
Five, other activities that can help spur creative thoughts: walking, showering, playing solitaire, napping, driving around in the country, and otherwise just sitting around with a sort of "on" button, but not trying to force it.
Six, finding a location where you've had ideas before, and using that location just for generating ideas. (I've been using my bed, which is a surprise -- napping, thinking, just sort of drowsing, browsing. You have to be careful, though, not to let the sleep thing get in the way, or vice verse.)
Seven, a related creative activity. I'm talking specifically about my blog. Though there is always the danger that I'll use up that day's measure of creativity on the blog instead of on the fiction.
Eight, sometimes a little booze can help, but it seems just as often it can hurt. ...
Finally, it helps to strike while the iron is hot. And it's been red hot lately, as hot as it's ever been, so hot that I was canceling everything else, ignoring everything else, even taking days off and going on writing holidays.
I was riding that pony for all it was worth. (If this was a book, instead of a blog, I'd have to come back and swap out all the mixed metaphors...)
But I'm nearing the end, with just two chapters left that I basically know what I want to accomplish. And it's just really tough. I'm trying not to push too hard, but I'm afraid of letting the pressure off too much too soon.
And yes, I thought I'd finished the book 12 days ago, but it was only 30, 000 words. In trying to fix that, I came up with a secondary storyline which I'm weaving in without changing what I've already written, and which I think very much improves the story. Way more action as well as fantasy scenes, which were probably necessary.
The writing went smoothly for about the first half. Then started getting harder. And, lately, it's just been as slow as can be.
This must be what it's like climbing a mountain -- that last 100 feet is brutal. Just as you are at your most tired, it becomes the hardest.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
How I would do it.
Keep in mind, this advice is based on carrying new books at Pegasus Books as a sideline. That is, I don't make most of my money from either new or used books.
I've said before, I think I've been able to grab some low-hanging fruit by just ordering my own favorites, classics and cult-favorite books, mixed with good new books and some quirky interesting books.
I'm going to be putting my new books theories to the test in the near future, but I'm not quite ready to announced those plans.
However, I've noticed some major trends over the last couple years.
First of all, up until recently, I have quite purposely ignored the "best-seller" lists. Which is counter-intuitive, to say the least.
I noticed that when I visited other bookstores they mostly had the exact same books on display. Either they were best-sellers already, or they were on some list of worthy books. Book Sense, for instance, from the American Booksellers Ass.
These same books were mirrored at Costco, Walmart and Barnes and Noble. And of course Amazon.
For example, everyone is going to want the new J.K. Rowling book next week-- so it will be half-priced, I guarantee you at Walmart and Costco and Amazon, and probably 20 or 30% off at B & N.
So I can spend some big bucks getting multiple copies and trying either to sell for full price -- explaining to the customer that it's cheaper elsewhere out of self-protection so that they don't angrily return the book later -- or selling for a discount.
This is true of all best-sellers, to a greater or lesser extent.
So I get those best-sellers I think I can sell, because either I'm familiar with them, DANCE WITH DRAGONS, by George R.R. Martin, for instance, or which I think there will be overwhelming demand, such as Rowlings new book (I'm am getting a few copies in) and so on.
But for the average best-seller, it's a hard sell. Especially for new hardcovers.
Over the last half-year, I have ventured onto the best-seller lists, and my fears have been pretty much confirmed. Almost no one wants to pay full price for 50 SHADES OF GREY, for instance.
But here's the thing I think most bookstores are missing: the huge backlog of great books that have been written over the last few centuries.
As a bookstore, I believe your job is to look for the best possible examples in each category you sell.
Sure, this takes some work, which is why you should be concentrating on it.
Let's take a typical bookstore. They have to split their attention between books -- ordering, organizing, filing, talking about, selling, ringing up, etc. etc. ...you know, being a bookstore....
... and all these promotional activities; breaking off to make some coffee or sell some crumb-cake, talking to the coffee and crumb-cake suppliers, getting the coffee machine fixed, sweeping up the crumbs the last customer left. Meanwhile, they have to talk to the author about setting up a book-signing, and they need to figure where to fit it into the schedule and on and on and on, the bullshit grinding promotional machine.
I quail at the thought of it.
So either you are incredibly bifurcated in your efforts, or you're hiring someone to do some of the jobs.
There isn't enough money in books to be hiring someone to do all the other jobs. Quite simply.
So you work harder and harder to make a little less money every year, and then you're confronted by the awesome specter of e-books, and you quit. Because you bought into the -- 'let's work yourself into a promotional grave' -- ethos.
So here's the thing. I'm not saying you shouldn't carry best-sellers, only that you should be aware of the dangers.
I'm not saying you can't have author signings, or a couch and table, or sell coffee, only that you should be aware of the space, time, and energy costs.
Do only what you can reasonably do, and in a reasonably cost-effective manner.
I'm at one extreme -- the books only -- extreme. The more books the better. The better books the better.
Nowadays, I'm still concentrating on just finding what I think are good books, but I'm allowing an overlay of the new best-sellers as well. I still probably sell the mid-list, the Vonneguts, Cormac McCarthys, the Phillip K. Dicks, better than I do the latest New York Times best-seller. I still sell the classics, the Hemingways, the Dickens, the Austens, better than I do the latest N.Y.T.B.S. I still sell the quirky books, the World War Zs, the Magical Horses, the Darth Vader and Son, than I do the latest N.Y.T.B.S.
I also think every new bookstore should have a used bookstore component, these days. Very easy to find used books, the world is awash with them.
Above all, though is the bottom line of concentrating on books.
I'm almost certain that running a full line bookstore would take an involved owner, who both orders and stocks and sells the books. That he focuses on what books to carry, and how many, and when to get them.
If books are a valid product, then selling the product ought to be enough. If it takes lots of bells and whistles, and frosting on the cake, and smoke and mirrors -- then the product itself isn't valid.
My final bit of advice is the most controversial.
Ignore the digital.
And by all means, avoid being a digital enabler.
More on that later.
I've said before, I think I've been able to grab some low-hanging fruit by just ordering my own favorites, classics and cult-favorite books, mixed with good new books and some quirky interesting books.
I'm going to be putting my new books theories to the test in the near future, but I'm not quite ready to announced those plans.
However, I've noticed some major trends over the last couple years.
First of all, up until recently, I have quite purposely ignored the "best-seller" lists. Which is counter-intuitive, to say the least.
I noticed that when I visited other bookstores they mostly had the exact same books on display. Either they were best-sellers already, or they were on some list of worthy books. Book Sense, for instance, from the American Booksellers Ass.
These same books were mirrored at Costco, Walmart and Barnes and Noble. And of course Amazon.
For example, everyone is going to want the new J.K. Rowling book next week-- so it will be half-priced, I guarantee you at Walmart and Costco and Amazon, and probably 20 or 30% off at B & N.
So I can spend some big bucks getting multiple copies and trying either to sell for full price -- explaining to the customer that it's cheaper elsewhere out of self-protection so that they don't angrily return the book later -- or selling for a discount.
This is true of all best-sellers, to a greater or lesser extent.
So I get those best-sellers I think I can sell, because either I'm familiar with them, DANCE WITH DRAGONS, by George R.R. Martin, for instance, or which I think there will be overwhelming demand, such as Rowlings new book (I'm am getting a few copies in) and so on.
But for the average best-seller, it's a hard sell. Especially for new hardcovers.
Over the last half-year, I have ventured onto the best-seller lists, and my fears have been pretty much confirmed. Almost no one wants to pay full price for 50 SHADES OF GREY, for instance.
But here's the thing I think most bookstores are missing: the huge backlog of great books that have been written over the last few centuries.
As a bookstore, I believe your job is to look for the best possible examples in each category you sell.
Sure, this takes some work, which is why you should be concentrating on it.
Let's take a typical bookstore. They have to split their attention between books -- ordering, organizing, filing, talking about, selling, ringing up, etc. etc. ...you know, being a bookstore....
... and all these promotional activities; breaking off to make some coffee or sell some crumb-cake, talking to the coffee and crumb-cake suppliers, getting the coffee machine fixed, sweeping up the crumbs the last customer left. Meanwhile, they have to talk to the author about setting up a book-signing, and they need to figure where to fit it into the schedule and on and on and on, the bullshit grinding promotional machine.
I quail at the thought of it.
So either you are incredibly bifurcated in your efforts, or you're hiring someone to do some of the jobs.
There isn't enough money in books to be hiring someone to do all the other jobs. Quite simply.
So you work harder and harder to make a little less money every year, and then you're confronted by the awesome specter of e-books, and you quit. Because you bought into the -- 'let's work yourself into a promotional grave' -- ethos.
So here's the thing. I'm not saying you shouldn't carry best-sellers, only that you should be aware of the dangers.
I'm not saying you can't have author signings, or a couch and table, or sell coffee, only that you should be aware of the space, time, and energy costs.
Do only what you can reasonably do, and in a reasonably cost-effective manner.
I'm at one extreme -- the books only -- extreme. The more books the better. The better books the better.
Nowadays, I'm still concentrating on just finding what I think are good books, but I'm allowing an overlay of the new best-sellers as well. I still probably sell the mid-list, the Vonneguts, Cormac McCarthys, the Phillip K. Dicks, better than I do the latest New York Times best-seller. I still sell the classics, the Hemingways, the Dickens, the Austens, better than I do the latest N.Y.T.B.S. I still sell the quirky books, the World War Zs, the Magical Horses, the Darth Vader and Son, than I do the latest N.Y.T.B.S.
I also think every new bookstore should have a used bookstore component, these days. Very easy to find used books, the world is awash with them.
Above all, though is the bottom line of concentrating on books.
I'm almost certain that running a full line bookstore would take an involved owner, who both orders and stocks and sells the books. That he focuses on what books to carry, and how many, and when to get them.
If books are a valid product, then selling the product ought to be enough. If it takes lots of bells and whistles, and frosting on the cake, and smoke and mirrors -- then the product itself isn't valid.
My final bit of advice is the most controversial.
Ignore the digital.
And by all means, avoid being a digital enabler.
More on that later.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
The grinding bullshit image machine.
I started watching a C-Span talk about the future of bookstores, with a bookstore owner, an agent, and a publisher.
Trouble was, the bookstore owner, while a high-powered Washington insider, had owned her store for less than a year.
I'm sorry. I don't care how smart she is. I don't care how important her store is. She doesn't really know anything yet. Whatever she might say will be more likely pre-conceived notions, but certainly not experience.
The only reason I bring this up, is wanting to ask the festival organizer: "Do you actually believe a person who has owned a business for less than a year has enough first-hand experience to be handing out advice?"
From my perspective, the entire book industry seems to be split between newbies, who think they understand the new technology and how to make a transition to it. Or how to adjust to it. They have totally bought into the concept that they can be both a bookstore and a digital enabler.
And a second group which are the old-time bookstores, who are both overreacting to e-books and buying into the new notions of how to do business. These usually include having a digital component, an online presence, perhaps a book-making machine, more and more author events, a "third space" with couches and tables and chairs, and selling coffee and wine and whatever else they can think of that they think is "hip."
But no one is really challenging the conventional wisdom. They are all doing exactly the same thing, though it is becoming more and more obvious that most of what they are doing isn't working. Every day there is an article in Shelf Awareness about a bookstore who did all the above things and is going out of business.
No one seems to question that -- if they were doing all the 'right things' -- Why Did They Go Out Of Business? Is it at least possible that much of what they did only detracted from their real job of buying and displaying books? You know, selling books?
I've maintained that most of these old bookstores would be better off doing what they have always done, but try to do it better. That is, they need to rethink what books they carry and how they carry them and how they display them, but stick to the bookselling model.
Instead, they aren't doing any of that fundamental rethinking of what books to carry, how many to carry, how to display them, how to price them.
No -- the answer, they are being told -- isn't in those fundamentals. It's in the way they "Promote" themselves, how much "Online" presence, how many events and services they provide, and on and on with the bullshit -- IMAGE above all -- machinery.
Burnout city. Nothing fundamental has changed, they just doubled and tripled their workload. And why isn't it working?
Because their job isn't supposed to be a Host or a Coffee-nista or an Event Organizer.
Their job is supposed to be to SELL BOOKS!
As far as I know, I am the only one who believes this.
Trouble was, the bookstore owner, while a high-powered Washington insider, had owned her store for less than a year.
I'm sorry. I don't care how smart she is. I don't care how important her store is. She doesn't really know anything yet. Whatever she might say will be more likely pre-conceived notions, but certainly not experience.
The only reason I bring this up, is wanting to ask the festival organizer: "Do you actually believe a person who has owned a business for less than a year has enough first-hand experience to be handing out advice?"
From my perspective, the entire book industry seems to be split between newbies, who think they understand the new technology and how to make a transition to it. Or how to adjust to it. They have totally bought into the concept that they can be both a bookstore and a digital enabler.
And a second group which are the old-time bookstores, who are both overreacting to e-books and buying into the new notions of how to do business. These usually include having a digital component, an online presence, perhaps a book-making machine, more and more author events, a "third space" with couches and tables and chairs, and selling coffee and wine and whatever else they can think of that they think is "hip."
But no one is really challenging the conventional wisdom. They are all doing exactly the same thing, though it is becoming more and more obvious that most of what they are doing isn't working. Every day there is an article in Shelf Awareness about a bookstore who did all the above things and is going out of business.
No one seems to question that -- if they were doing all the 'right things' -- Why Did They Go Out Of Business? Is it at least possible that much of what they did only detracted from their real job of buying and displaying books? You know, selling books?
I've maintained that most of these old bookstores would be better off doing what they have always done, but try to do it better. That is, they need to rethink what books they carry and how they carry them and how they display them, but stick to the bookselling model.
Instead, they aren't doing any of that fundamental rethinking of what books to carry, how many to carry, how to display them, how to price them.
No -- the answer, they are being told -- isn't in those fundamentals. It's in the way they "Promote" themselves, how much "Online" presence, how many events and services they provide, and on and on with the bullshit -- IMAGE above all -- machinery.
Burnout city. Nothing fundamental has changed, they just doubled and tripled their workload. And why isn't it working?
Because their job isn't supposed to be a Host or a Coffee-nista or an Event Organizer.
Their job is supposed to be to SELL BOOKS!
As far as I know, I am the only one who believes this.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Take that, competitor!
So Walmart and Target have figured out that selling Kindles might be the equivalent of sending their customers to their biggest competitor:
...Amazon.
Now if Barnes and Noble could just figure out that selling Nooks is the equivalent of sending their customers to their biggest competitor:
...Barnes and Noble.
Wait. That can't be right.
...Amazon.
Now if Barnes and Noble could just figure out that selling Nooks is the equivalent of sending their customers to their biggest competitor:
...Barnes and Noble.
Wait. That can't be right.
(John) Calvin and (Thomas) Hobbes.
So both H. Bruce and Jim in Sisters were taking me to task yesterday, for letting my inner Calvinist out, when I talked about feeling guilty taking so much time writing.
I've decided they're right. What I really need to do is let my inner CALVIN AND HOBBES out.
Um.
NOT this Calvin:
"You must submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy."
John Calvin.
NOT this Hobbes:
"...the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
Thomas Hobbes.
I'm talking this Hobbes:
"Van Gogh would’ve sold more than one painting if he’d put tigers in them."
Interesting. Calvin. And Hobbes. Not a couple of fun guys. I don't know if I understood the true full irony of Bill Watterson's strip until now.
Finally, a little out of place but so apropos I can't resist, The Big Picture had a Bette Davis quote yesterday which spoke to me:
"To fulfill a dream, to be allowed to sweat over lonely labor, to be given a chance to create, is the meat and potatoes of life. The money is the gravy."
Bette Davis.
That's it. Never again will you read something with John Calvin, Thomas Hobbes and Bette Davis all quoted on the same page.
And a tiger.
I've decided they're right. What I really need to do is let my inner CALVIN AND HOBBES out.
Um.
NOT this Calvin:
"You must submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy."
John Calvin.
NOT this Hobbes:
"...the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
Thomas Hobbes.
I'm talking this Hobbes:
"Van Gogh would’ve sold more than one painting if he’d put tigers in them."
Interesting. Calvin. And Hobbes. Not a couple of fun guys. I don't know if I understood the true full irony of Bill Watterson's strip until now.
Finally, a little out of place but so apropos I can't resist, The Big Picture had a Bette Davis quote yesterday which spoke to me:
"To fulfill a dream, to be allowed to sweat over lonely labor, to be given a chance to create, is the meat and potatoes of life. The money is the gravy."
Bette Davis.
That's it. Never again will you read something with John Calvin, Thomas Hobbes and Bette Davis all quoted on the same page.
And a tiger.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Face it, we're already cyborgs.
Well, maybe we don't have our tech devices actually attached to our bodies mostly --- yet. But the devices have become so imbedded into our lives, it's the same thing.
Got home last night, and there was no internet connection. No cable. Most aggravating, no telephone in which to call the cable company and find out what's wrong. A year ago, I would've been shit out of luck.
But I have the cellphone that Linda thrust into the my life (and which I constantly forget to carry around or answer, frustrating her no end.)
Turns out, Linda had doubled paid on her store account, instead of covering the house account.
Whipped out my credit card and got the service up and running in about an hour.
But, boy, did the house feel empty there for awhile.
**********
Meanwhile, Blogger has switched to a new look, which I hate. When they did this awhile back, they left an option for switching back, but apparently not this time.
So my animal part rebels against my tech part.
**********
I finally got around to watching the videos of Gangnam Style and Call Me Maybe. So, you know, I'm only half a year behind.
But Linda is always at least a year or two behind. So I thought I'd short-circuit the inevitable question a year or two from now. (Who's Bieber? Who's Paris Hilton? Who's Lady Gaga? Who's Snooki?) and show her the videos.
We have a running joke in our house: "Dancing Fat Man!" Linda is always tickled by anything with a dancing fat man. (I'm pretty sure that's why she fell in love with me -- some early date I got drunk enough to do a little dance. I guessing...) It's amazing how many dancing fat men you see once you become aware of them....
So I knew she'd absolutely love Gangnam Style.
**********
So she walks into the Silver Moon bar last night, and there they were playing "Gangnam Style."
"I wouldn't have known what it was!" she marveled.
Wait. Did I bury the Lede?
Linda and the Silver Moon bar?
Our nephew, Max Brockman, plays in the indy band, The Good Hurt. Here's the Sources review of them:
"The Good Hurt is like when your stomach is sore from a laughing jag or how your belly feels after a Thanksgiving feast. More to the point its how your ears feel after listening to tracks like Only in Your Mind and how your body feels after dancing to Blowing Up Tryin’ 2b Somebody. The Good Hurt is an unsigned self managed band from Manchester, England that generates infectious beats and writes intelligent lyrics delivered in a sexy English accent by frontman James Lanman. Their sound draws from California pop, alternative rock and Motown funk. Listen to a few tracks off their debut album You Are Here and you’ll understand why they’ve played impressive venues like Slim’s in San Francisco and the Bitter End in Manhattan and at music festivals like SXSW. This is one of those rare opportunities Bendite’s sometimes get to see a band on the rise in an intimate venue for only $5. See you there. Silver Moon Brewing, 9:30pm".
I didn't know about the English connection, I thought they were based out of Seattle.
Anyway, I was really tired last night, but fortunately my son Todd was in town on his way to a rafting trip at Hell's Canyon. (Todd lives my alternate reality life, you know, where I actually do stuff.) So they went to represent the family. And yes, I do kind of regret I didn't screw up my courage enough to overcome my agoraphobic leanigs.
I have their C.D. and I like it -- the kind of music I listen to.
Anyway, Linda went in support and brought me back a nifty The Good Hurt t-shirt. She loved the music, but ....I was waiting for it....."It was too loud."
Sigh.
Got home last night, and there was no internet connection. No cable. Most aggravating, no telephone in which to call the cable company and find out what's wrong. A year ago, I would've been shit out of luck.
But I have the cellphone that Linda thrust into the my life (and which I constantly forget to carry around or answer, frustrating her no end.)
Turns out, Linda had doubled paid on her store account, instead of covering the house account.
Whipped out my credit card and got the service up and running in about an hour.
But, boy, did the house feel empty there for awhile.
**********
Meanwhile, Blogger has switched to a new look, which I hate. When they did this awhile back, they left an option for switching back, but apparently not this time.
So my animal part rebels against my tech part.
**********
I finally got around to watching the videos of Gangnam Style and Call Me Maybe. So, you know, I'm only half a year behind.
But Linda is always at least a year or two behind. So I thought I'd short-circuit the inevitable question a year or two from now. (Who's Bieber? Who's Paris Hilton? Who's Lady Gaga? Who's Snooki?) and show her the videos.
We have a running joke in our house: "Dancing Fat Man!" Linda is always tickled by anything with a dancing fat man. (I'm pretty sure that's why she fell in love with me -- some early date I got drunk enough to do a little dance. I guessing...) It's amazing how many dancing fat men you see once you become aware of them....
So I knew she'd absolutely love Gangnam Style.
**********
So she walks into the Silver Moon bar last night, and there they were playing "Gangnam Style."
"I wouldn't have known what it was!" she marveled.
Wait. Did I bury the Lede?
Linda and the Silver Moon bar?
Our nephew, Max Brockman, plays in the indy band, The Good Hurt. Here's the Sources review of them:
"The Good Hurt is like when your stomach is sore from a laughing jag or how your belly feels after a Thanksgiving feast. More to the point its how your ears feel after listening to tracks like Only in Your Mind and how your body feels after dancing to Blowing Up Tryin’ 2b Somebody. The Good Hurt is an unsigned self managed band from Manchester, England that generates infectious beats and writes intelligent lyrics delivered in a sexy English accent by frontman James Lanman. Their sound draws from California pop, alternative rock and Motown funk. Listen to a few tracks off their debut album You Are Here and you’ll understand why they’ve played impressive venues like Slim’s in San Francisco and the Bitter End in Manhattan and at music festivals like SXSW. This is one of those rare opportunities Bendite’s sometimes get to see a band on the rise in an intimate venue for only $5. See you there. Silver Moon Brewing, 9:30pm".
I didn't know about the English connection, I thought they were based out of Seattle.
Anyway, I was really tired last night, but fortunately my son Todd was in town on his way to a rafting trip at Hell's Canyon. (Todd lives my alternate reality life, you know, where I actually do stuff.) So they went to represent the family. And yes, I do kind of regret I didn't screw up my courage enough to overcome my agoraphobic leanigs.
I have their C.D. and I like it -- the kind of music I listen to.
Anyway, Linda went in support and brought me back a nifty The Good Hurt t-shirt. She loved the music, but ....I was waiting for it....."It was too loud."
Sigh.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Writing is stupid.
The writing tear I was on is starting to slow down. I figure I still have about six chapters to write, and I'm beginning to realize that I'll need to do a bunch of revisions. But it is also a real book, about 40,000 words, with an estimate of it ending up around 50,000.
Two things about writing a novel.
1.) It is a terribly inefficient process.
2.) It is very isolating and distracting.
As a small business owner, I'm accustomed to dealing with problems and projects, getting them done as efficiently and quickly as possible.
Writing? I figure when I'm totally into a story, I spend at least 3 or 4 times (10 times?) the amount of time "thinking" about the writing as I do actually writing. But it's a completely necessary step in the process. The creativity doesn't happen without that subconscious mulling over of the story and characters.
It's like being on call. I can't seem to do anything else; maybe nap, maybe walk around, maybe even play a game of solitaire. But not much else. I am tied to an invisible creative tether that doesn't allow me to accomplish anything. I haven't read a book in over a month, most of the T.V. shows are being dvr'd or saved up for one night of the week.
Yes, a book is being written, but I can't help but feel like I'm wasting huge swaths of time.
Meanwhile, everything else in my life sort of recedes. Necessary bill paying, or ordering, or anything else that requires any concentration. I hardly leave the house. Even the house sort of recedes from me, as I'm locked up in my head. I'll look up, and hour has gone by and I've been in some weird zone.
And for what?
I mean really! Writing is such a strange thing. Thinking you can write is either delusional or egotistical or -- most often -- both.
And the long odds of it ever getting published? Or of being noticed if it is published?
Why do people even start off?
I can understand why I tried this when I was my mid-twenties. I didn't KNOW any better. Ignorance was bliss. But I have to tell you, I kind of shiver about how I quit my job and wrote my book. There are so many ways that could have gone wrong!
I also understand why I quit writing when I got married and a family and a new business. I simply couldn't have done writing at the same time. I was lucky, I think. Being a writer is lonely and isolating -- and I have enough problems with those two tendencies. Thing is, I was both distracted from my real life and distracted from my fictional life.
Ultimately, it feels incredibly self-indulgent and self-absorbed. I'm concentrating on a "Fictional World" for god's sake! Days, weeks, and months -- I'm lost to the normal world. Thank goodness I have an understanding wife who is also a writer.
I used to wonder if I could write without expectation of being published. If I could write just for myself.
That was sort of missing the point. Sure, I can do that. But can I afford to take so much time on such an inefficient and isolating activity? Because, it turns out, after dabbling in writing for the last few years again, that the only way I can really write is to be a complete monomaniacal, obsessive/compulsive.
As it happens, these days, I can do it. But I don't know if I can keep doing it.
Two things about writing a novel.
1.) It is a terribly inefficient process.
2.) It is very isolating and distracting.
As a small business owner, I'm accustomed to dealing with problems and projects, getting them done as efficiently and quickly as possible.
Writing? I figure when I'm totally into a story, I spend at least 3 or 4 times (10 times?) the amount of time "thinking" about the writing as I do actually writing. But it's a completely necessary step in the process. The creativity doesn't happen without that subconscious mulling over of the story and characters.
It's like being on call. I can't seem to do anything else; maybe nap, maybe walk around, maybe even play a game of solitaire. But not much else. I am tied to an invisible creative tether that doesn't allow me to accomplish anything. I haven't read a book in over a month, most of the T.V. shows are being dvr'd or saved up for one night of the week.
Yes, a book is being written, but I can't help but feel like I'm wasting huge swaths of time.
Meanwhile, everything else in my life sort of recedes. Necessary bill paying, or ordering, or anything else that requires any concentration. I hardly leave the house. Even the house sort of recedes from me, as I'm locked up in my head. I'll look up, and hour has gone by and I've been in some weird zone.
And for what?
I mean really! Writing is such a strange thing. Thinking you can write is either delusional or egotistical or -- most often -- both.
And the long odds of it ever getting published? Or of being noticed if it is published?
Why do people even start off?
I can understand why I tried this when I was my mid-twenties. I didn't KNOW any better. Ignorance was bliss. But I have to tell you, I kind of shiver about how I quit my job and wrote my book. There are so many ways that could have gone wrong!
I also understand why I quit writing when I got married and a family and a new business. I simply couldn't have done writing at the same time. I was lucky, I think. Being a writer is lonely and isolating -- and I have enough problems with those two tendencies. Thing is, I was both distracted from my real life and distracted from my fictional life.
Ultimately, it feels incredibly self-indulgent and self-absorbed. I'm concentrating on a "Fictional World" for god's sake! Days, weeks, and months -- I'm lost to the normal world. Thank goodness I have an understanding wife who is also a writer.
I used to wonder if I could write without expectation of being published. If I could write just for myself.
That was sort of missing the point. Sure, I can do that. But can I afford to take so much time on such an inefficient and isolating activity? Because, it turns out, after dabbling in writing for the last few years again, that the only way I can really write is to be a complete monomaniacal, obsessive/compulsive.
As it happens, these days, I can do it. But I don't know if I can keep doing it.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Radagast.
I've always had this weird thing about Radagast the Brown.
I mean, he's barely mentioned in the appendices of Lord of the Rings, but I remember my reaction was: "Wait! There's another wizard in Middle Earth! Cool!"
My name Duncan, is from Dun -- "dark or brown" and Can -- "warrior."
So, you know for a fantasy writer, that's my moniker -- Dark Warrior. I even favored brown clothes for a couple of years when I was a teenager.
So, I hope they give Radagast more than a few moments in the new Hobbit movie.
I mean, he's barely mentioned in the appendices of Lord of the Rings, but I remember my reaction was: "Wait! There's another wizard in Middle Earth! Cool!"
My name Duncan, is from Dun -- "dark or brown" and Can -- "warrior."
So, you know for a fantasy writer, that's my moniker -- Dark Warrior. I even favored brown clothes for a couple of years when I was a teenager.
So, I hope they give Radagast more than a few moments in the new Hobbit movie.
Sorry politics.
I tweeted that Romney was making it easy for me not to talk about politics -- no need.
That was before yesterday.
Huffington Post is all but dancing on Romney's grave, which makes me nervous. Never think it's over until it's over.
But it does seem to me that the defenses of Romney in the comments sections get weaker and weaker, and that all the anti-Obama people have left is, well, being anti-Obama.
Romney has a ton of money to spend, and outside superpacs have even more money to spend.
Ironies abound, of course. But the people who are going to vote conservative from their gut aren't paying any attention to ironies.
That was before yesterday.
Huffington Post is all but dancing on Romney's grave, which makes me nervous. Never think it's over until it's over.
But it does seem to me that the defenses of Romney in the comments sections get weaker and weaker, and that all the anti-Obama people have left is, well, being anti-Obama.
Romney has a ton of money to spend, and outside superpacs have even more money to spend.
Ironies abound, of course. But the people who are going to vote conservative from their gut aren't paying any attention to ironies.
Monday, September 17, 2012
This is not the CLOUD ATLAS you're looking for.
CLOUD ATLAS would normally be exactly the kind of book that I'd be looking to carry.
It's a 'cult' favorite with fantasy leanings with a movie coming out (starring no less than Tom Hanks.)
But to my great surprise, I've been getting in used copies of the book, so I thought I was covered.
Had a customer in last week looking for it, and she said the author was 'Mitchell' but I couldn't find it, but I was certain I had it so I kept looking and -- there -- under Liam Callahan, was a copy of THE CLOUD ATLAS, with a very fantasy looking cover with kind of airy ships in the sky.
"No I don't think this is it," she says.
"I think it must be," I says.
But I start reading the back of it, and it's a novel set in Alaska and I'm pretty sure from the movie trailer that isn't right.
Anyway, long story short, it is a different book, that came out in October of 2004. The CLOUD ATLAS by David Mitchell came out in August of 2004 -- which means they came out within two months of each other, which probably means they didn't even know about each other.
In other words, not a cynical attempt to grab another author's audience. It's THE CLOUD ATLAS that I have in stock, not CLOUD ATLAS.
By the way, you apparently can't copyright a title, so if you feel like your book simply must be called GONE WITH THE WIND, have at it.
I'm going to immediately order CLOUD ATLAS, since, like I said above, it's the type of book I would normally carry (and read for that matter.) I'm also going to do my customers a favor and remove the copies of the other book so no one buys it by mistake. Ouch.
ADDENDUM. I say it's the type of book I would normally read, but that doesn't seem to be all that true anymore.
I haven't read a lot of the "cult" books lately -- The Alchemist, or Ishmeal, or House of Leaves. Those sorts of things I read when I was younger, they seem a little too earnest to me nowadays.
Maybe a mistake -- I mean, I would've hated to miss GAME OF THRONES. Then again, I was already a huge fan of George R.R. Martin because of FEVRE DREAM and TUFF VOYAGING and I read him before he was quite so popular.
That's right, you jump-on-the-bandwagon-come-latelies: I read it first.
It's a 'cult' favorite with fantasy leanings with a movie coming out (starring no less than Tom Hanks.)
But to my great surprise, I've been getting in used copies of the book, so I thought I was covered.
Had a customer in last week looking for it, and she said the author was 'Mitchell' but I couldn't find it, but I was certain I had it so I kept looking and -- there -- under Liam Callahan, was a copy of THE CLOUD ATLAS, with a very fantasy looking cover with kind of airy ships in the sky.
"No I don't think this is it," she says.
"I think it must be," I says.
But I start reading the back of it, and it's a novel set in Alaska and I'm pretty sure from the movie trailer that isn't right.
Anyway, long story short, it is a different book, that came out in October of 2004. The CLOUD ATLAS by David Mitchell came out in August of 2004 -- which means they came out within two months of each other, which probably means they didn't even know about each other.
In other words, not a cynical attempt to grab another author's audience. It's THE CLOUD ATLAS that I have in stock, not CLOUD ATLAS.
By the way, you apparently can't copyright a title, so if you feel like your book simply must be called GONE WITH THE WIND, have at it.
I'm going to immediately order CLOUD ATLAS, since, like I said above, it's the type of book I would normally carry (and read for that matter.) I'm also going to do my customers a favor and remove the copies of the other book so no one buys it by mistake. Ouch.
ADDENDUM. I say it's the type of book I would normally read, but that doesn't seem to be all that true anymore.
I haven't read a lot of the "cult" books lately -- The Alchemist, or Ishmeal, or House of Leaves. Those sorts of things I read when I was younger, they seem a little too earnest to me nowadays.
Maybe a mistake -- I mean, I would've hated to miss GAME OF THRONES. Then again, I was already a huge fan of George R.R. Martin because of FEVRE DREAM and TUFF VOYAGING and I read him before he was quite so popular.
That's right, you jump-on-the-bandwagon-come-latelies: I read it first.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Done, and well, not so done...
Spent the day writing again, so what else do I have to talk about?
I write best when I'm alone, when I can wander around in a daze, talk to myself occasionally, take a mini nap once in a while, and otherwise completely immerse myself.
Linda and my work days off overlap, mostly, so this isn't quite possible. But it's doable --certainly I can't afford to rent motel rooms every time I get the urge to write. I'm always conscious of her presence, but I can try to close the doors and mutter quietly.
When I came back from Florence, I thought I was "Done, and done" and that I had a 35,000 word manuscript.
I know from past experience that I usually need to go back and fill in, flesh it out, so it seemed like I was very close; "Done, and done" is the way I put it on this blog.
But, well, once it was transferred into a writing program, it turned out to be only 25,000 words. Even for a young adult, that's a little light. So, not so "Done, and done."
After a week rewriting, it was pushed up to 28,000 words. (I'm being very generous with my words -- with the intent of tightening it up later -- really, this isn't a bad thing for me, because I tend to get the plot down first, and everything else later. I call this fleshing out the "sloppy" phase of writing, and it always seems to make the manuscript more readable, somehow.)
Then I realized that the start of the book was just too slow, and I need a slam-bang beginning, to introduce major characters and foreshadow.
So I did that. Now I'm closer to 32,000 words, and thinking I'm more or less, "Done, and done." (You know, after a couple of revisions...)
Yesterday, I starting adding a few scenes with a major new character. And that worked out very well. All the elements fit, are connected, intertwined. Amazing how that happens. I can't tell if my subconscious has already worked all this out, or the coincidences just happen to fit.
Now I'm at 34,000 words.
Then, I get the bright idea of changing the order of chapters.
So I spend hours cut and pasting, back and forth, cutting here, adding here, and so on. It's like giant game of Concentration, and it is only possible because I am so deep into the story that I am able to keep track.
At the end of the process, it was almost exactly the same number of words (like I said, mostly a moving around of the order of chapters.) There were some good things about the rewrite, and some bad things. Overall, I think I like the first version better -- but I'm glad I did it, because I probably always would have wondered.
It also shows, somehow, the internal consistency of the story, that I was even able to make a radical reorganization and still have the story work.
After the two new chapters, yesterday, I'm at 36,000 words, with at least a couple of new chapters left to do.
Then I'm "Done, and done."
Heh.
I think it's necessary, somehow, for me to convince myself that I'm more or less writing the final version of the story. And that I seem to have an endless capacity to fool myself. (Even if, in the back of my mind, I know better.)
I think these new elements haven't complicated the original storyline too much, but have added a good number of "fantasy" elements, as well as some interesting "action" scenes, both of which were necessary.
All these additions have been improvements, in that they make the story more exciting, hopefully. My original story was more elegiac, if you will, which I liked and which I had a lot of feeling for, but which I realized might not be so charming for the average reader. That story is still there, but it's been dressed up a bit.
I think what I've been missing in writing over the last few years, is the concentration on "story" above all. It was what originally unlocked writing for me, 35 years or so ago. Just write a good story, I told myself.
Of course, I'm trying to write as well as I can, but I don't get too bogged down on word choice. It's all about getting a story down that moves, and characters the reader will hopefully care about.
Whether I succeed or not, that's a whole nother blog.
I write best when I'm alone, when I can wander around in a daze, talk to myself occasionally, take a mini nap once in a while, and otherwise completely immerse myself.
Linda and my work days off overlap, mostly, so this isn't quite possible. But it's doable --certainly I can't afford to rent motel rooms every time I get the urge to write. I'm always conscious of her presence, but I can try to close the doors and mutter quietly.
When I came back from Florence, I thought I was "Done, and done" and that I had a 35,000 word manuscript.
I know from past experience that I usually need to go back and fill in, flesh it out, so it seemed like I was very close; "Done, and done" is the way I put it on this blog.
But, well, once it was transferred into a writing program, it turned out to be only 25,000 words. Even for a young adult, that's a little light. So, not so "Done, and done."
After a week rewriting, it was pushed up to 28,000 words. (I'm being very generous with my words -- with the intent of tightening it up later -- really, this isn't a bad thing for me, because I tend to get the plot down first, and everything else later. I call this fleshing out the "sloppy" phase of writing, and it always seems to make the manuscript more readable, somehow.)
Then I realized that the start of the book was just too slow, and I need a slam-bang beginning, to introduce major characters and foreshadow.
So I did that. Now I'm closer to 32,000 words, and thinking I'm more or less, "Done, and done." (You know, after a couple of revisions...)
Yesterday, I starting adding a few scenes with a major new character. And that worked out very well. All the elements fit, are connected, intertwined. Amazing how that happens. I can't tell if my subconscious has already worked all this out, or the coincidences just happen to fit.
Now I'm at 34,000 words.
Then, I get the bright idea of changing the order of chapters.
So I spend hours cut and pasting, back and forth, cutting here, adding here, and so on. It's like giant game of Concentration, and it is only possible because I am so deep into the story that I am able to keep track.
At the end of the process, it was almost exactly the same number of words (like I said, mostly a moving around of the order of chapters.) There were some good things about the rewrite, and some bad things. Overall, I think I like the first version better -- but I'm glad I did it, because I probably always would have wondered.
It also shows, somehow, the internal consistency of the story, that I was even able to make a radical reorganization and still have the story work.
After the two new chapters, yesterday, I'm at 36,000 words, with at least a couple of new chapters left to do.
Then I'm "Done, and done."
Heh.
I think it's necessary, somehow, for me to convince myself that I'm more or less writing the final version of the story. And that I seem to have an endless capacity to fool myself. (Even if, in the back of my mind, I know better.)
I think these new elements haven't complicated the original storyline too much, but have added a good number of "fantasy" elements, as well as some interesting "action" scenes, both of which were necessary.
All these additions have been improvements, in that they make the story more exciting, hopefully. My original story was more elegiac, if you will, which I liked and which I had a lot of feeling for, but which I realized might not be so charming for the average reader. That story is still there, but it's been dressed up a bit.
I think what I've been missing in writing over the last few years, is the concentration on "story" above all. It was what originally unlocked writing for me, 35 years or so ago. Just write a good story, I told myself.
Of course, I'm trying to write as well as I can, but I don't get too bogged down on word choice. It's all about getting a story down that moves, and characters the reader will hopefully care about.
Whether I succeed or not, that's a whole nother blog.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
The end of a business cycle?
The end of a business cycle...and the beginning of another?
I get the sense that we are at the beginning of the end of the decline, or maybe midway. Possibly even a little further along.
It's around now in every business cycle that you start to see even more change, more turnover, than usual. Not sure why that happens -- you'd think anyone who stuck around this long would wait just a little longer. Then again, they could simply be out of resources, or even more likely, motivation.
What you often see at this point is that, yes, a recovery might be starting to happen, but it's going to be a long slow slog upward.
Anyway, it's often at the end of a cycle that you see those who jumped in at the height deciding it isn't worth waiting for the cycle to play all the way through.
I had three goals going into this crash.
1.) Leading up to the crash, it was my goal to get my sales up as high as I could get them, so that any precipitous percentage drop would still leave me enough room to maneuver. My goal wasn't profits at this point, per se, but building inventory so I'd have something to sell. I also wanted to do this incurring as little debt as possible; keeping my overhead lean, and not having any extra bills.
2.) My goal during the crash was to try to build a bottom, a platform to land on, to constantly shore up whatever I could, and hope that the bottom wasn't too far down.
3.) My goal at the end of the crash and beginning the upturn, was to manage to get to this point without too much debt, so that I wouldn't be handicapped trying to take advantage of any extra room.
It wasn't a perfect plan -- I was still adding product lines when the crash happened and I had to continue to build during the first couple years of the Great Recession. But I managed to do it without too much debt.
The bottom was indeed above the platform I was building -- I could've absorbed some further drop, but not without some pain.
And I feel prepared and ready for any kind of upturn. I'm in good shape to take advantage of it.
I guess we'll see.
I get the sense that we are at the beginning of the end of the decline, or maybe midway. Possibly even a little further along.
It's around now in every business cycle that you start to see even more change, more turnover, than usual. Not sure why that happens -- you'd think anyone who stuck around this long would wait just a little longer. Then again, they could simply be out of resources, or even more likely, motivation.
What you often see at this point is that, yes, a recovery might be starting to happen, but it's going to be a long slow slog upward.
Anyway, it's often at the end of a cycle that you see those who jumped in at the height deciding it isn't worth waiting for the cycle to play all the way through.
I had three goals going into this crash.
1.) Leading up to the crash, it was my goal to get my sales up as high as I could get them, so that any precipitous percentage drop would still leave me enough room to maneuver. My goal wasn't profits at this point, per se, but building inventory so I'd have something to sell. I also wanted to do this incurring as little debt as possible; keeping my overhead lean, and not having any extra bills.
2.) My goal during the crash was to try to build a bottom, a platform to land on, to constantly shore up whatever I could, and hope that the bottom wasn't too far down.
3.) My goal at the end of the crash and beginning the upturn, was to manage to get to this point without too much debt, so that I wouldn't be handicapped trying to take advantage of any extra room.
It wasn't a perfect plan -- I was still adding product lines when the crash happened and I had to continue to build during the first couple years of the Great Recession. But I managed to do it without too much debt.
The bottom was indeed above the platform I was building -- I could've absorbed some further drop, but not without some pain.
And I feel prepared and ready for any kind of upturn. I'm in good shape to take advantage of it.
I guess we'll see.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Downtown Comings and Goings. 9/14/12.
A new store has opened across the street, (the lease sign was only up for about 10 days).
Called The Cozy Lamb. Haven't been in yet. Looks like home decorating and decor, but not sure.
Also, got confirmation that a new Thai restaurant will be opening in Franklin Crossing. "Noi"
It appears the El Jimador has closed it doors.
NEW BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN
Crow's Feet Commons, Brooks Street, 9/21/12.
The Cozy Lamb, Minnesota Ave., 9/14/12.
Noi, Bond Street, 9/14/12.
Azillian Beads, Franklin Ave., 9/6/12.
Earth*Fire*Art, Oregon Av., 7/10/12.
Pastrami Deli, Franklin Av., 7/10/12.
Bend Your Imagination, Minnesota Av., 7/10/12.
Paul Scott Gallery), Brooks St., 7/10/12
Natural Edge Furniture, Bond St., 5/10/12
Hola!, Bond St., 3/3/12.
Amanda's, Franklin Ave., 2/24/12
Barrio, Minnesota Ave., 2/12/12.
Rescue Moderne, Harriman, 1/12/12.
Letzer's Deli, Franklin Ave. 2/12/12.
Navidi, Minnesota Ave., 2/9/12.
Mazza, Brooks St. , 2/9/12.
La Magie Bakery, Bond St., 1/6/12
Brother Jon's Ale House, Bond St., 12/10/11.
What Lola Wants, Wall St. , 12/2/11.
Jackalope Grill, 10/12/11.
Gypsy Soul, Wall St. 10/12/11.
Colour N' the City, Tin Pan Alley, 10/12/11.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St., 10/12/11.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 10/12/11.
Ruby, Minnesota Ave., 10, 12/11.
Kariella, Lava Road, 8/24, 11.
Plankers, Wall St., 7/11.
Faveur, Franklin, 7/11.
Dream Pebbles, Minnesota Ave., 6/15/11.
Bend Yogurt Factory, Franklin/Bond, 4/26/11.
High Desert Lotus, Bond St. , 4/4/11.
Tryst, Franklin Ave., 3/11/11. (Formerly Maryjanes, **Moved**).
D'Vine, Wall St. , 2/9/11.
Let it Ride!, Bond St., 1/29/11.
Gatsby's Brasserie Bar, Minnesota Ave., 1/8/11
Tres Jolie, Wall St., 12/20/10.
Caldera Grill, Bond St., 12/7/10
Bond Street Grill, 12/7/10.
Perspective(s), Minnesota Ave., 11/20/10
Toth Art Collective, Bond St. 11/20/10
Boken, Breezeway, 11/20/10
Dalia and Emilia, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Antiquarian Books, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Giddyup, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/10.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Ave., 8/11/10,
Red Chair Art Gallery, Oregon Ave. 7/13/10.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 7/12/10.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 6/2910
Common Table, Oregon Ave. , 6/29/10.
Looney Bean Coffee, Brooks St. , 6/29/10.
Bourbon Street, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
Feather's Edge, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
The BLVD., Wall St. , 6/13/10.
Volt, Minnesota Ave. 6/1/10.
Tart, Minnesota Ave. , 5/13/10
Olivia Hunter, Wall St. 4/5/10.
Tres Chic, 4/5/10 (Moved to Minnesota Av.)
Blue Star Salon, Wall St. 4/1/10.
Lululemon, Bond St. 3/31/10.
Diana's Jewel Box, Minnesota Ave., 3/25/10.
Amalia's, Wall St. (Ciao Mambo space), 3/12/10
River Bend Fine Art, Bond St. (Kebanu space) 2/23/10
Federal Express, Oregon Ave. 2/1/10
***10 Below, Minnesota Ave. 1/10/10
Tew Boots Gallery, Bond St. 1/8/10.
Top Leaf Mate, 12/10/09
Laughing Girls Studio, Minnesota Ave. 12/7/09
Lemon Drop, 5 Minnesota Ave., 11/12/09
The Curiosity Shoppe, 25 N.W. Minnesota Ave, Suite #7. 11/5/09
Wabi Sabi 11/4/09 (**Moved, Wall St.**)
Frugal Boutique 11/4/09
5 Spice 10/22/09
Cowgirls Cash 10/17/09
***Haven Home 10/17/09
Dog Patch 10/17/09
The Good Drop 10/12/09
Lola's 9/23/09
**Volcano Wines 9/15/09
Singing Sparrow Flowers 8/16/09
Northwest Home Interiors 8/5/09
High Desert Frameworks 7/23/09 (*Moved to Oregon Ave. 4/5/10.)
Wall Street Gifts 7/--/09
Ina Louise 7/14/09
Bend Home Hardware (Homestyle Hardware?) 7/1/09
Altera Real Estate 6/9/09
Honey 6/7/09
Azura Studio 6/7/09
Mary Jane's 6/1/09
c.c.McKenzie 6/1/09
Velvet 5/28/09
Bella Moda 3/25/09
High Desert Gallery (Bend) 3/25/09
Joolz
Zydeco
900 Wall
Great Outdoor Store
Luxe Home Interiors
Powell's Candy
Dudley's Used Books and Coffee
Goldsmith
Game Domain
Subway Sandwiches
Bend Burger Company
Showcase Hats
Pita Pit
Happy Nails
(List begun, Fall, 2008.)
BUSINESSES LEAVING
El Jimador, Wall Street, 9/1412.
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 9/1/12
Common Table, Oregon Ave., 8/11/12.
Honey Threads, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/12.
Bella Moda, Wall St., 8/11/12.
Giddy Up, Minnesota Ave., 5/10/12
Pottery Lounge, Oregon Ave., 5/17/12.
Boondocks, Newport Ave., 3/27/12
Game Domain, Oregon Ave., 3/27/12.
Toth Gallery, Bond St., 3/27/12.
Letzer's Deli, Franklin Ave., 3/22/12.
Clutch, Minnesota Ave., 3/22/12. (Moving to Tres Jolie).
High Desert Gallery, Minnesota Ave., 3/22/12.
Tart, Bond St., 3/3/12.
El Caporal West, Franklin Ave., 2/24/12
Bo Restobar, Franklin Ave., 2/9/12.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 2/9/12.
Arts Central, Brooks St., 2/7/12.
Typhoon!, Bond St., 2/5/12.
Gatsby's, Minnesota Ave., 2/5/12
The Dog Patch, Minnesota Av. 1/9/12.
Bend Mapping, Bond St., 1/9/12.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St. 1/9/12 (Moving into Tres Jolie)
Bond Street Grill, Bond St., 11/20/12.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 10/11.
Azu, Wall St., 10/25/11.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Av., 10/11.
Bourbon St., Minnesota Ave. 10/12/11.
Curiosity Shop, Minnesota Ave., 7/11
Luluemon, Bond St., 8/26, 11.
Shear Illusions, Franklin Ave., 7/11.
Crepe Place, Wall St., 7/11.
Pita Pit, Brooks St. , 6/28/11
Smith and Wade Salon, Minnesota, Av. , 6/3/11.
Perspectives, Minnesota Av., 6/1/11
River Bend Art Gallery, Bond St., 5/5/11.
Donner's Flowers, Wall St. 3/11/11. (**Moved out of downtown**)
Maryjanes, Wall St. , 3/11/11. (new name, Tryst, moved to Franklin.).
Di Lusso, Franklin/Bond, 2/9/11.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 1/2/11
Marz Bistro, Minnesota Av., 12/20/10.
The Decoy, Bond St., 12/7/10.
Giuseppe's, Bond St., 12/1/10.
Ina Louise, Minnesota Ave., 11/3/10.
Laughing Girl Studios, 10/21/10
Dolce Vita, Bond St, 10/21/10
Diana's Jewell Box, Minnesota Ave., 10/15/10.
Lola's, Breezeway, 10/8/10.
Oxygen Tattoo, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Great Outdoor Clothing, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Volcano Vineyards, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
Subway Sandwiches, Bond St. 9/2/10.
Old Bend Distillery, Brooks St., 6/19/10.
Staccato, Minnesota Ave. 6/18/10.
Showcase Hats, Minnesota Ave., 6/1/10 (Moved to Oregon Ave., 8/10/11.)
Cork, Oregon Ave., 5/27/10.
Wall Street Gifts, 5/26/10
Microsphere, Wall St. , 5/17/10.
Singing Sparrow, Franklin and Bond, 5/15/10
28, Minnesota Ave. and Bond, 5/13/10.
Glass Symphony, Wall St., 3/25/10
Bend Home Hardware, Minnesota Ave, 2/25/10
Ciao Mambo, Wall St. 2/4/10
***Angel Kisses 1/25/10 (Have moved to 'Honey.')
Ivy Rose Manor 8/20/09
***Downtowner 8/18/09 (moving into the Summit location)
Chocolate e Gateaux 8/16/09
Finders Keepers 8/15/09
Colourstone 7/25/09
Periwinkle 6/--/09
***Tangerine 7/21/09 (Got word, they are moving across the street.)
Micheal Cassidy Gallery 6/15/09
St. Claire Coffee 6/15/09
Luxe Home Interiors 6/4/09
Treefort 5/8/09
Blue 5/2/09
***Volcano Tasting Room 4/28/09** Moved to Minnesota Ave.
Habit 4/16/09
Mountain Comfort 4/14/09
Tetherow Property 4/11/09
Blue Moon Marketplace 3/25/09
Plenty 3/25/09
Downtown Doggie 3/25/09
***King of Sole (became Mary Janes)**
Santee Alley
Bistro Corlise
Made in Hawaii
EnVogue
Stewart Weinmann (leather)
Kebanu Gallery
Pella Doors and Windows
Olive company
Pink Frog
Little Italy
Deep
Merenda's
Volo
***Pomegranate (downtown branch)**
Norwalk
Pronghorn Real Estate office.
Speedshop Deli
Paper Place
Bluefish Bistro
(List begun, Fall, 2008 )
Called The Cozy Lamb. Haven't been in yet. Looks like home decorating and decor, but not sure.
Also, got confirmation that a new Thai restaurant will be opening in Franklin Crossing. "Noi"
It appears the El Jimador has closed it doors.
NEW BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN
Crow's Feet Commons, Brooks Street, 9/21/12.
The Cozy Lamb, Minnesota Ave., 9/14/12.
Noi, Bond Street, 9/14/12.
Azillian Beads, Franklin Ave., 9/6/12.
Earth*Fire*Art, Oregon Av., 7/10/12.
Pastrami Deli, Franklin Av., 7/10/12.
Bend Your Imagination, Minnesota Av., 7/10/12.
Paul Scott Gallery), Brooks St., 7/10/12
Natural Edge Furniture, Bond St., 5/10/12
Hola!, Bond St., 3/3/12.
Amanda's, Franklin Ave., 2/24/12
Barrio, Minnesota Ave., 2/12/12.
Rescue Moderne, Harriman, 1/12/12.
Letzer's Deli, Franklin Ave. 2/12/12.
Navidi, Minnesota Ave., 2/9/12.
Mazza, Brooks St. , 2/9/12.
La Magie Bakery, Bond St., 1/6/12
Brother Jon's Ale House, Bond St., 12/10/11.
What Lola Wants, Wall St. , 12/2/11.
Jackalope Grill, 10/12/11.
Gypsy Soul, Wall St. 10/12/11.
Colour N' the City, Tin Pan Alley, 10/12/11.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St., 10/12/11.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 10/12/11.
Ruby, Minnesota Ave., 10, 12/11.
Kariella, Lava Road, 8/24, 11.
Plankers, Wall St., 7/11.
Faveur, Franklin, 7/11.
Dream Pebbles, Minnesota Ave., 6/15/11.
Bend Yogurt Factory, Franklin/Bond, 4/26/11.
High Desert Lotus, Bond St. , 4/4/11.
Tryst, Franklin Ave., 3/11/11. (Formerly Maryjanes, **Moved**).
D'Vine, Wall St. , 2/9/11.
Let it Ride!, Bond St., 1/29/11.
Gatsby's Brasserie Bar, Minnesota Ave., 1/8/11
Tres Jolie, Wall St., 12/20/10.
Caldera Grill, Bond St., 12/7/10
Bond Street Grill, 12/7/10.
Perspective(s), Minnesota Ave., 11/20/10
Toth Art Collective, Bond St. 11/20/10
Boken, Breezeway, 11/20/10
Dalia and Emilia, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Antiquarian Books, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Giddyup, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/10.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Ave., 8/11/10,
Red Chair Art Gallery, Oregon Ave. 7/13/10.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 7/12/10.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 6/2910
Common Table, Oregon Ave. , 6/29/10.
Looney Bean Coffee, Brooks St. , 6/29/10.
Bourbon Street, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
Feather's Edge, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
The BLVD., Wall St. , 6/13/10.
Volt, Minnesota Ave. 6/1/10.
Tart, Minnesota Ave. , 5/13/10
Olivia Hunter, Wall St. 4/5/10.
Tres Chic, 4/5/10 (Moved to Minnesota Av.)
Blue Star Salon, Wall St. 4/1/10.
Lululemon, Bond St. 3/31/10.
Diana's Jewel Box, Minnesota Ave., 3/25/10.
Amalia's, Wall St. (Ciao Mambo space), 3/12/10
River Bend Fine Art, Bond St. (Kebanu space) 2/23/10
Federal Express, Oregon Ave. 2/1/10
***10 Below, Minnesota Ave. 1/10/10
Tew Boots Gallery, Bond St. 1/8/10.
Top Leaf Mate, 12/10/09
Laughing Girls Studio, Minnesota Ave. 12/7/09
Lemon Drop, 5 Minnesota Ave., 11/12/09
The Curiosity Shoppe, 25 N.W. Minnesota Ave, Suite #7. 11/5/09
Wabi Sabi 11/4/09 (**Moved, Wall St.**)
Frugal Boutique 11/4/09
5 Spice 10/22/09
Cowgirls Cash 10/17/09
***Haven Home 10/17/09
Dog Patch 10/17/09
The Good Drop 10/12/09
Lola's 9/23/09
**Volcano Wines 9/15/09
Singing Sparrow Flowers 8/16/09
Northwest Home Interiors 8/5/09
High Desert Frameworks 7/23/09 (*Moved to Oregon Ave. 4/5/10.)
Wall Street Gifts 7/--/09
Ina Louise 7/14/09
Bend Home Hardware (Homestyle Hardware?) 7/1/09
Altera Real Estate 6/9/09
Honey 6/7/09
Azura Studio 6/7/09
Mary Jane's 6/1/09
c.c.McKenzie 6/1/09
Velvet 5/28/09
Bella Moda 3/25/09
High Desert Gallery (Bend) 3/25/09
Joolz
Zydeco
900 Wall
Great Outdoor Store
Luxe Home Interiors
Powell's Candy
Dudley's Used Books and Coffee
Goldsmith
Game Domain
Subway Sandwiches
Bend Burger Company
Showcase Hats
Pita Pit
Happy Nails
(List begun, Fall, 2008.)
BUSINESSES LEAVING
El Jimador, Wall Street, 9/1412.
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 9/1/12
Common Table, Oregon Ave., 8/11/12.
Honey Threads, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/12.
Bella Moda, Wall St., 8/11/12.
Giddy Up, Minnesota Ave., 5/10/12
Pottery Lounge, Oregon Ave., 5/17/12.
Boondocks, Newport Ave., 3/27/12
Game Domain, Oregon Ave., 3/27/12.
Toth Gallery, Bond St., 3/27/12.
Letzer's Deli, Franklin Ave., 3/22/12.
Clutch, Minnesota Ave., 3/22/12. (Moving to Tres Jolie).
High Desert Gallery, Minnesota Ave., 3/22/12.
Tart, Bond St., 3/3/12.
El Caporal West, Franklin Ave., 2/24/12
Bo Restobar, Franklin Ave., 2/9/12.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 2/9/12.
Arts Central, Brooks St., 2/7/12.
Typhoon!, Bond St., 2/5/12.
Gatsby's, Minnesota Ave., 2/5/12
The Dog Patch, Minnesota Av. 1/9/12.
Bend Mapping, Bond St., 1/9/12.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St. 1/9/12 (Moving into Tres Jolie)
Bond Street Grill, Bond St., 11/20/12.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 10/11.
Azu, Wall St., 10/25/11.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Av., 10/11.
Bourbon St., Minnesota Ave. 10/12/11.
Curiosity Shop, Minnesota Ave., 7/11
Luluemon, Bond St., 8/26, 11.
Shear Illusions, Franklin Ave., 7/11.
Crepe Place, Wall St., 7/11.
Pita Pit, Brooks St. , 6/28/11
Smith and Wade Salon, Minnesota, Av. , 6/3/11.
Perspectives, Minnesota Av., 6/1/11
River Bend Art Gallery, Bond St., 5/5/11.
Donner's Flowers, Wall St. 3/11/11. (**Moved out of downtown**)
Maryjanes, Wall St. , 3/11/11. (new name, Tryst, moved to Franklin.).
Di Lusso, Franklin/Bond, 2/9/11.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 1/2/11
Marz Bistro, Minnesota Av., 12/20/10.
The Decoy, Bond St., 12/7/10.
Giuseppe's, Bond St., 12/1/10.
Ina Louise, Minnesota Ave., 11/3/10.
Laughing Girl Studios, 10/21/10
Dolce Vita, Bond St, 10/21/10
Diana's Jewell Box, Minnesota Ave., 10/15/10.
Lola's, Breezeway, 10/8/10.
Oxygen Tattoo, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Great Outdoor Clothing, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Volcano Vineyards, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
Subway Sandwiches, Bond St. 9/2/10.
Old Bend Distillery, Brooks St., 6/19/10.
Staccato, Minnesota Ave. 6/18/10.
Showcase Hats, Minnesota Ave., 6/1/10 (Moved to Oregon Ave., 8/10/11.)
Cork, Oregon Ave., 5/27/10.
Wall Street Gifts, 5/26/10
Microsphere, Wall St. , 5/17/10.
Singing Sparrow, Franklin and Bond, 5/15/10
28, Minnesota Ave. and Bond, 5/13/10.
Glass Symphony, Wall St., 3/25/10
Bend Home Hardware, Minnesota Ave, 2/25/10
Ciao Mambo, Wall St. 2/4/10
***Angel Kisses 1/25/10 (Have moved to 'Honey.')
Ivy Rose Manor 8/20/09
***Downtowner 8/18/09 (moving into the Summit location)
Chocolate e Gateaux 8/16/09
Finders Keepers 8/15/09
Colourstone 7/25/09
Periwinkle 6/--/09
***Tangerine 7/21/09 (Got word, they are moving across the street.)
Micheal Cassidy Gallery 6/15/09
St. Claire Coffee 6/15/09
Luxe Home Interiors 6/4/09
Treefort 5/8/09
Blue 5/2/09
***Volcano Tasting Room 4/28/09** Moved to Minnesota Ave.
Habit 4/16/09
Mountain Comfort 4/14/09
Tetherow Property 4/11/09
Blue Moon Marketplace 3/25/09
Plenty 3/25/09
Downtown Doggie 3/25/09
***King of Sole (became Mary Janes)**
Santee Alley
Bistro Corlise
Made in Hawaii
EnVogue
Stewart Weinmann (leather)
Kebanu Gallery
Pella Doors and Windows
Olive company
Pink Frog
Little Italy
Deep
Merenda's
Volo
***Pomegranate (downtown branch)**
Norwalk
Pronghorn Real Estate office.
Speedshop Deli
Paper Place
Bluefish Bistro
(List begun, Fall, 2008 )
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Man, the infighting at Charities!
Man, the infighting at Charities is vicious!
(I don't know anything more than what I read in the papers...)
The only thing wrong with non-profits are the people who volunteer for them. No...wait. That can't be right....
I've always been of the opinion that if you have any small group bigger than 2, you have in-fighting. Considering some marriages, maybe it's any group bigger than 1.
Which is why I own a independently owned business, where I make all the decisions.
Anyway, my guess on the non-profits is that they are almost by definition run by committee. And you can't run an efficient operation by committee.
Some of them, especially local ones, have strong founders and/or leaders, who sometimes run afoul of these committees. Meanwhile, the committees sometimes have out-of-control or dysfunctional managements that they have to try to rein in. All pretty much a recipe for disaster.
(And I suppose the opposite can be true -- dysfunctional committees, interfering with effective management.)
Since government is often run the same way, it's a wonder anything gets done.
If it was a for profit business, the dysfunctional leader would destroy the business, and it would just be another business failure, harming only those who are invested in it.
But charities have a higher mission. It ends up hurting those who they are trying to help.
Don't know what the answer it.
Just glad I don't have anyone looking over my shoulder.
(I don't know anything more than what I read in the papers...)
The only thing wrong with non-profits are the people who volunteer for them. No...wait. That can't be right....
I've always been of the opinion that if you have any small group bigger than 2, you have in-fighting. Considering some marriages, maybe it's any group bigger than 1.
Which is why I own a independently owned business, where I make all the decisions.
Anyway, my guess on the non-profits is that they are almost by definition run by committee. And you can't run an efficient operation by committee.
Some of them, especially local ones, have strong founders and/or leaders, who sometimes run afoul of these committees. Meanwhile, the committees sometimes have out-of-control or dysfunctional managements that they have to try to rein in. All pretty much a recipe for disaster.
(And I suppose the opposite can be true -- dysfunctional committees, interfering with effective management.)
Since government is often run the same way, it's a wonder anything gets done.
If it was a for profit business, the dysfunctional leader would destroy the business, and it would just be another business failure, harming only those who are invested in it.
But charities have a higher mission. It ends up hurting those who they are trying to help.
Don't know what the answer it.
Just glad I don't have anyone looking over my shoulder.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Two of the usual suspects.
Two of the usual Bend suspects were in the Bulletin lately.
The first, Tammy Sawyer, got another -- a fifth -- extension to her trial.
I expect she'll be suing any day now about a "delay" of justice.
Meanwhile, Jody Denton seems to be working for Frito-lay, taking credit for the Doritos flavored taco from Taco Bell.
As a native Bendite, I've always been somewhat allergic to the "big-time" entrepreneur coming to our little ol' town and showing us how to do it.
Not that it probably doesn't happen, but the ones who succeed probably don't insult the locals by saying so.
The one's who make it their basic theme -- they seem to be the ones who disappear in the middle of the night.
There is a classic quote in the article: "...he has found the more professional atmosphere at Frito-lay agreeable. 'Restaurants are just full of drama. That's just a fact. They are."
Indeed.
The first, Tammy Sawyer, got another -- a fifth -- extension to her trial.
I expect she'll be suing any day now about a "delay" of justice.
Meanwhile, Jody Denton seems to be working for Frito-lay, taking credit for the Doritos flavored taco from Taco Bell.
As a native Bendite, I've always been somewhat allergic to the "big-time" entrepreneur coming to our little ol' town and showing us how to do it.
Not that it probably doesn't happen, but the ones who succeed probably don't insult the locals by saying so.
The one's who make it their basic theme -- they seem to be the ones who disappear in the middle of the night.
There is a classic quote in the article: "...he has found the more professional atmosphere at Frito-lay agreeable. 'Restaurants are just full of drama. That's just a fact. They are."
Indeed.
Doubling down, Amazon, tripling down.
"AMAZON'S BIG BET: BUILD, BUILD, BUILD...." Bulletin front page, 9/12/12.
Here's one of those simple observations that I can't prove, unless it happens. And which almost no one will agree with me.
But this constant growing of Amazon at the cost of profits is a very dangerous technique.
For this reason: What if something -- some new technology, some new gadget, makes their model obsolete? What if someone -- some new competitor, with a better algorithm or something comes along and knocks them off?
That headline is right: What they're doing is the equivalent of putting every winning hand in the poker pot -- because if they lose the last hand, they lose it all.
I know, it doesn't look likely at the moment -- but when does it ever? Who would've though Apple would come roaring back? Who would've thought G.M or Sears would become nearly bankrupt?
I did this kind of growing of marketshare in my own store for about a decade -- in my own small, insignificant way. Sales got extraordinarily high (for me) at the peak. But competition set in; product became obsolete. It was all for nothing -- I was just churning large amounts of cash, none of which stuck.
I've tried not to make that mistake again. I grow slower now. I make sure I make a profit as I go along. I don't mistake size and sales for being profitable.
Just saying.
Here's one of those simple observations that I can't prove, unless it happens. And which almost no one will agree with me.
But this constant growing of Amazon at the cost of profits is a very dangerous technique.
For this reason: What if something -- some new technology, some new gadget, makes their model obsolete? What if someone -- some new competitor, with a better algorithm or something comes along and knocks them off?
That headline is right: What they're doing is the equivalent of putting every winning hand in the poker pot -- because if they lose the last hand, they lose it all.
I know, it doesn't look likely at the moment -- but when does it ever? Who would've though Apple would come roaring back? Who would've thought G.M or Sears would become nearly bankrupt?
I did this kind of growing of marketshare in my own store for about a decade -- in my own small, insignificant way. Sales got extraordinarily high (for me) at the peak. But competition set in; product became obsolete. It was all for nothing -- I was just churning large amounts of cash, none of which stuck.
I've tried not to make that mistake again. I grow slower now. I make sure I make a profit as I go along. I don't mistake size and sales for being profitable.
Just saying.
Distracted, daydreaming and handicapped.
Writing a novel is extraordinarily disruptive to a normal life.
At least the way I write a novel. At least in so far as my life is normal.
It's pretty much all I've been doing, 24/7. My sleep cycle is off, my eating cycle -- what eating cycle? Forget exercise, forget diet. I've watched no T.V., no movies, read no books.
For weeks now.
It's all I can write about on this blog, because it's all I've been doing.
It's disruptive and self-absorbed and all-consuming. It's only as I've been writing this novel, that I've come to remember how I used to write back in the day. The kind of fiction writing I've been doing for the last couple of years until now was more like doodling -- compared to this.
But it seems to be what it takes. A totally immersive experience. Either I'm writing, or I'm thinking about writing. Even those moments when I'm choosing not to write are strategic rests so that I can go back to writing.
So it takes a life-style that doesn't ask much from you. No friends or family. No responsibilities.
Last week I realized I hadn't sent off the usual week's check to my supplier. Then I realized that one of my earlier checks hadn't arrived -- it came back yesterday with "Insufficient Address" stamped on it.
It's like I've had a normal life lobotomy. I just seem to let absolutely everything slide.
My yard is overgrown. My taxes are waiting to be done. The repairs to the house that I'd hoped to get done before winter are undone.
It's a selfish activity, writing.
And for what? The long odds of being published?? For the likely pittance I might be paid even if I am published? (You should see the number of novels I sift through at the clearance houses -- these are good books, some of which I've read...discarded and disregarded.)
So what it has made me realize is -- I made the right decision to put writing on the back-burner 30 years ago.
Hell, I made the only decision I could make.
I can choose to write now, but I'm going to have to be conscious that I'm walking through my "normal" life distracted, daydreaming, and handicapped.
Not to mention boringly maniacally obsessive/compulsive. Sorry about that.
At least the way I write a novel. At least in so far as my life is normal.
It's pretty much all I've been doing, 24/7. My sleep cycle is off, my eating cycle -- what eating cycle? Forget exercise, forget diet. I've watched no T.V., no movies, read no books.
For weeks now.
It's all I can write about on this blog, because it's all I've been doing.
It's disruptive and self-absorbed and all-consuming. It's only as I've been writing this novel, that I've come to remember how I used to write back in the day. The kind of fiction writing I've been doing for the last couple of years until now was more like doodling -- compared to this.
But it seems to be what it takes. A totally immersive experience. Either I'm writing, or I'm thinking about writing. Even those moments when I'm choosing not to write are strategic rests so that I can go back to writing.
So it takes a life-style that doesn't ask much from you. No friends or family. No responsibilities.
Last week I realized I hadn't sent off the usual week's check to my supplier. Then I realized that one of my earlier checks hadn't arrived -- it came back yesterday with "Insufficient Address" stamped on it.
It's like I've had a normal life lobotomy. I just seem to let absolutely everything slide.
My yard is overgrown. My taxes are waiting to be done. The repairs to the house that I'd hoped to get done before winter are undone.
It's a selfish activity, writing.
And for what? The long odds of being published?? For the likely pittance I might be paid even if I am published? (You should see the number of novels I sift through at the clearance houses -- these are good books, some of which I've read...discarded and disregarded.)
So what it has made me realize is -- I made the right decision to put writing on the back-burner 30 years ago.
Hell, I made the only decision I could make.
I can choose to write now, but I'm going to have to be conscious that I'm walking through my "normal" life distracted, daydreaming, and handicapped.
Not to mention boringly maniacally obsessive/compulsive. Sorry about that.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
The left side of the brain is an exacting bastard.
I let the critical parts of myself into the process last night.
And immediately had doubts about my book.
Two things are for certain.
1.) A rewrite is unavoidable.
2.) I hate rewrites.
I love the creative process of a first draft, but that only gets me halfway there.
I got home early afternoon, driving straight from Florence in about 3 hrs and 15 minutes. I drove like a maniac. I not only started passing cars, I started having fun passing cars. Some of my passes were dubious. You have to understand, I NEVER do this.
For some reason, I was a speed demon yesterday, and if felt good.
Anyway, got home and Linda had bought the Word Program. Did you know that Mac's don't have a word processing program built in? Anyway, Word has a novel writing feature and I transferred The Reluctant Wizard onto it. I have been trying to work with Scrivener, but was struggling with it. I think Word's 'Help' feature is much better. Aaron came over and helped us get it set up.
Found out right away that I was about a ten thousand words shorter than I thought I was. The novel was already probably on the short end, even for a young adult. Yet I felt it was a complete story.
Then, I started getting critical of the writing.
The doubts set in. As I spent the hours of getting the novel formatted correctly, I started feeling a kind of despair. "Never mind," I told myself. "Give yourself a week and come back to it."
But, strangely, at the end of the day, my fondness for the characters and the story were what I came away with. I'm going to set about trying to make it better. I've decided the shortness of it is actually to my benefit. My writing can always benefit from filling out.
Especially the beginning.
I kind of object to the new mantra that you have to "Grab" the reader. So many great books I've read that start off slow and leisurely. I don't think you need a "Shot in the Dark" opening, and in fact I get kind of annoyed sometimes with the concept.
However, agents and publishers are only going to look at the first few pages, so I'm sort of having to give in.
Last night, I had the realization that I could have a more "active" beginning after all. Introduce the two dangers, the villains, the Big Bads, in the first few pages. The moment where everything changes for young Lore Stripling and the sleepy town of Elbow.
One of the features I've liked about this book is the linear nature of it, the straight beginning to end progression, and the fact it has one viewpoint character throughout.
Fine -- that is still the basis of the book.
But it doesn't mean I can't add other viewpoint characters here and there, or have things happen elsewhere or at another time. As long as I don't mess with the basis of the book.
The more exotic aspects of the book -- which any fantasy reader is going to be looking for -- are probably going to need to be brought in, from the outside.
The beginning I have in mind, introduces some major, more dangerous characters earlier, but doesn't disrupt the story as far as I can see.
So I'm not done with the "creative", right brain part after all.
I like my right brain -- it's kinda crazy.
Oh, without a word processing program, I've been writing my entire book as a draft of a blog entry.
I know, crazy.
But it worked really well. I could find myself in any part of the story I needed to be, simply by scrolling. All in one place, always in the cloud. I could even write on the blog when I wasn't hooked onto the intertubenet, as long as it was on my screen before I started.
But it's single line, doubt paragraph line, with no indentation. So that all has to be corrected.
I think, after six years of writing this blog every day, that I'm extremely comfortable with the format. Maybe I'm just trying to fool myself into thinking I'm just writing another blog. Easy peasy. I'll probably continue doing that.
And immediately had doubts about my book.
Two things are for certain.
1.) A rewrite is unavoidable.
2.) I hate rewrites.
I love the creative process of a first draft, but that only gets me halfway there.
I got home early afternoon, driving straight from Florence in about 3 hrs and 15 minutes. I drove like a maniac. I not only started passing cars, I started having fun passing cars. Some of my passes were dubious. You have to understand, I NEVER do this.
For some reason, I was a speed demon yesterday, and if felt good.
Anyway, got home and Linda had bought the Word Program. Did you know that Mac's don't have a word processing program built in? Anyway, Word has a novel writing feature and I transferred The Reluctant Wizard onto it. I have been trying to work with Scrivener, but was struggling with it. I think Word's 'Help' feature is much better. Aaron came over and helped us get it set up.
Found out right away that I was about a ten thousand words shorter than I thought I was. The novel was already probably on the short end, even for a young adult. Yet I felt it was a complete story.
Then, I started getting critical of the writing.
The doubts set in. As I spent the hours of getting the novel formatted correctly, I started feeling a kind of despair. "Never mind," I told myself. "Give yourself a week and come back to it."
But, strangely, at the end of the day, my fondness for the characters and the story were what I came away with. I'm going to set about trying to make it better. I've decided the shortness of it is actually to my benefit. My writing can always benefit from filling out.
Especially the beginning.
I kind of object to the new mantra that you have to "Grab" the reader. So many great books I've read that start off slow and leisurely. I don't think you need a "Shot in the Dark" opening, and in fact I get kind of annoyed sometimes with the concept.
However, agents and publishers are only going to look at the first few pages, so I'm sort of having to give in.
Last night, I had the realization that I could have a more "active" beginning after all. Introduce the two dangers, the villains, the Big Bads, in the first few pages. The moment where everything changes for young Lore Stripling and the sleepy town of Elbow.
One of the features I've liked about this book is the linear nature of it, the straight beginning to end progression, and the fact it has one viewpoint character throughout.
Fine -- that is still the basis of the book.
But it doesn't mean I can't add other viewpoint characters here and there, or have things happen elsewhere or at another time. As long as I don't mess with the basis of the book.
The more exotic aspects of the book -- which any fantasy reader is going to be looking for -- are probably going to need to be brought in, from the outside.
The beginning I have in mind, introduces some major, more dangerous characters earlier, but doesn't disrupt the story as far as I can see.
So I'm not done with the "creative", right brain part after all.
I like my right brain -- it's kinda crazy.
Oh, without a word processing program, I've been writing my entire book as a draft of a blog entry.
I know, crazy.
But it worked really well. I could find myself in any part of the story I needed to be, simply by scrolling. All in one place, always in the cloud. I could even write on the blog when I wasn't hooked onto the intertubenet, as long as it was on my screen before I started.
But it's single line, doubt paragraph line, with no indentation. So that all has to be corrected.
I think, after six years of writing this blog every day, that I'm extremely comfortable with the format. Maybe I'm just trying to fool myself into thinking I'm just writing another blog. Easy peasy. I'll probably continue doing that.
Monday, September 10, 2012
DONE and done....
Because I wasn't going to work on the book until evening, sit back with a glass of wine and read it, I was at loose ends most of the day.
I wrote a synopsis of the book, since that seems to be what agents want, and a cover letter. Both preliminary, but it's a start.
Getting everything prepared to present to the agents and publishers is the hardest part of writing for me. I wonder how many writers don't get any farther? How many try for only a while and give up?
I'm thinking as many writers as never actually finish the novel they started.
LATER: Read and edited the last 7 chapters of The Reluctant Wizard.
It didn't come as easily as the first 13 chapters, because the accumulated changes from earlier in the book caught up to me. Some motivations changed, a big 'reveal' which changed the tone of two later chapters.
It's a mix of saving what parts you can, changing what you can, subtracting what doesn't make sense, and adding what you need to make the scene work. Much more awkward than when the first draft just flows.
Still, this is probably the least number of changes I've ever had to make between a first draft and a second draft.
I'm up to 38,000 words, with a target of 40,000. Most young adult novels are between 40K and 60K, so this is on the lower end of that scale, but the story is complete.
I tend to add a few thousand words with every go through -- filling in, explaining, describing. Most often, a scene seems to shift abruptly, and I realized I'm missing a line or two of dialogue or an explanation or something, so it doesn't seem incomplete.
So the book will no doubt be over 40K before I'm done.
O.K. So.
Now I can start being critical of the book. Now I can let my editorial brain take over. Nowhere near as fun, but necessary.
I pretty much have to fool myself that I'm "DONE" and done, before I move on to the next stage, and then once again, I'm "DONE" and done, and so on.
I'm thinking this book is mostly done. I want to read it out loud, and catch any awkward phrasing, any repeated words, and tonal malfunctions.
Fiddle with it, as long as it's in my possession.
But I'm happy with it.
Does that mean it might get published? The odds are against it -- no matter whether I think it is good, or not. No matter if it really is good or not. There are so many other factors that I can't control.
But I'll give it a shot.
I wrote a synopsis of the book, since that seems to be what agents want, and a cover letter. Both preliminary, but it's a start.
Getting everything prepared to present to the agents and publishers is the hardest part of writing for me. I wonder how many writers don't get any farther? How many try for only a while and give up?
I'm thinking as many writers as never actually finish the novel they started.
LATER: Read and edited the last 7 chapters of The Reluctant Wizard.
It didn't come as easily as the first 13 chapters, because the accumulated changes from earlier in the book caught up to me. Some motivations changed, a big 'reveal' which changed the tone of two later chapters.
It's a mix of saving what parts you can, changing what you can, subtracting what doesn't make sense, and adding what you need to make the scene work. Much more awkward than when the first draft just flows.
Still, this is probably the least number of changes I've ever had to make between a first draft and a second draft.
I'm up to 38,000 words, with a target of 40,000. Most young adult novels are between 40K and 60K, so this is on the lower end of that scale, but the story is complete.
I tend to add a few thousand words with every go through -- filling in, explaining, describing. Most often, a scene seems to shift abruptly, and I realized I'm missing a line or two of dialogue or an explanation or something, so it doesn't seem incomplete.
So the book will no doubt be over 40K before I'm done.
O.K. So.
Now I can start being critical of the book. Now I can let my editorial brain take over. Nowhere near as fun, but necessary.
I pretty much have to fool myself that I'm "DONE" and done, before I move on to the next stage, and then once again, I'm "DONE" and done, and so on.
I'm thinking this book is mostly done. I want to read it out loud, and catch any awkward phrasing, any repeated words, and tonal malfunctions.
Fiddle with it, as long as it's in my possession.
But I'm happy with it.
Does that mean it might get published? The odds are against it -- no matter whether I think it is good, or not. No matter if it really is good or not. There are so many other factors that I can't control.
But I'll give it a shot.
Oh, oh! I want to talk politics!!!
Last election at this time, Bendbubble 2 was up and running and I could indulge in all the politics I wanted.
I could even be Anonymous!
See, when I read some other blogs, and they start spouting stuff I disagree with, well, I just stop reading them. So, I'm pretty sure that would happen here, too, if I start letting my liberal freak flag fly. I don't want to lose half my readers, or more likely more than half, here in Bend.
Last election, I was saying Sarah was a joke, and I was being told, she was a winner. Hey, guess what.
Anyway, yesterday, I was looking at the picture of Obama being picked up in a bear hug by a small business owner, and thinking -- that's it. That's the election.
Some other columnist (Joan Walsh, Salon) was saying the same thing, and being told that was pretty pathetic.
But here's the thing. The critics are tone-deaf, just like Romney is. They don't get it. Romney can't keep his story straight because it isn't what he really believes.
Obama gets picked up in a bear hug, cause, well -- because Obama's a good guy.
That's the election.
I could even be Anonymous!
See, when I read some other blogs, and they start spouting stuff I disagree with, well, I just stop reading them. So, I'm pretty sure that would happen here, too, if I start letting my liberal freak flag fly. I don't want to lose half my readers, or more likely more than half, here in Bend.
Last election, I was saying Sarah was a joke, and I was being told, she was a winner. Hey, guess what.
Anyway, yesterday, I was looking at the picture of Obama being picked up in a bear hug by a small business owner, and thinking -- that's it. That's the election.
Some other columnist (Joan Walsh, Salon) was saying the same thing, and being told that was pretty pathetic.
But here's the thing. The critics are tone-deaf, just like Romney is. They don't get it. Romney can't keep his story straight because it isn't what he really believes.
Obama gets picked up in a bear hug, cause, well -- because Obama's a good guy.
That's the election.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
I wrote another book.
Don't laugh.
Almost all the entries about novel writing I've made here have been about I'M ONLY HUMAN, the book I started last year around this time. When I say started, I mean started getting serious. I was about 50 pages in and going nowhere, so I took a writing vacation to Baker City and pushed through the blockage.
I was still struggling with it 8 months later, but finally produced a manuscript.
The book seems to have structural problems I can't quite solve -- the same kind of structural problems as the last book I wrote, 30 years ago. I get an idea, and go back and add it in. Then another idea, and add that. And pretty soon, it's unwieldy.
There are parts I really, really like, but it doesn't quite hold together. It's a clever, high concept sort of book. But it wasn't really written from the heart -- more from the head.
The manuscript has been sitting on my desk for most of the last few months, while I was hoping for a lightning bolt of inspiration about how to fix it. I still think there is a book there. There is a solution.
It was summer, and I was busy anyway.
Not so long ago, I decided that what I really wanted to write was another fantasy. At the time I thought it would be an "epic" fantasy. Fantasy is my natural inclination. I seem to have an aptitude for it.
I wrote the first scene.
Then the next scene came and the next, and then, one night, the plot, the themes, the characters, the background of the whole book came to me.
THE RELUCTANT WIZARD
I realized it was Part One of a young adult series. But was it Part One, or the first book in a three part series?
Dared I take the time to try to write it, when I wasn't finished with the last one? What if it didn't get done, what would that say about my stick-to-it-ness?
I decided to immerse myself in the experience, much like I used to do back when I was writing full time, when I didn't have a job 0r a business or a family.
I decided to write from the heart, from the inside out, and not show it to anyone but just to try to write a 'good' book, one that satisfied me. Every time a doubt would creep in, I'd shunt it aside and say, that has nothing to do with what I'm doing here.
I hinted at what was going on here on this blog, but never talked about it.
I cleared the decks and did nothing but writing, taking days off from work, spending most of every day either thinking about the book, or actually writing the book. It came together with almost no effort, almost as if it already existed.
There are no flashbacks, just a straightforward narrative. Just one viewpoint character, but written third person. No extraneous settings and characters -- it's all set in one place, with the same characters and friends.
I'm in Florence this weekend finishing it.
I had two chapters left to write before I left Bend on Thursday, and they came as easy as the rest of the book. It all seems to hold together, and it seems complete. I spent a day doing some embellishments and additions.
Lo and behold, a book!
Last night, I sat down with a glass of wine and started reading it, as a reader. Burnishing it, and smoothing it as I went along, but mostly just trying to get a sense of whether it flowed. I read 13 out of the 20 chapters.
And I liked it.
Well, I loved it, but I'm still in the honeymoon phase.
Tonight I'm going to read the last 7 chapters, but those are the chapters I worked on last and I already think they are pretty good. The beginnings are always the hardest for me -- later chapters, with the action scenes, are a bit easier, especially if I've prepared properly for them.
By the time I leave Florence tomorrow, I'll be finished.
Now I can let some of the more editorial, critical parts of my brain work on it. But I really don't think I'll be changing much. Linda has read most of it, and she seems to like it. "It's as good as anything you've ever done," was her comment, which might not be the hosanna's I was hoping for, but I'll take it.
At this point, I'm thinking I should dive into Part Two, while I still have this creative delusion going.
It probably doesn't surprise anyone who reads this blog that I can be a prolific writer.
Almost all the entries about novel writing I've made here have been about I'M ONLY HUMAN, the book I started last year around this time. When I say started, I mean started getting serious. I was about 50 pages in and going nowhere, so I took a writing vacation to Baker City and pushed through the blockage.
I was still struggling with it 8 months later, but finally produced a manuscript.
The book seems to have structural problems I can't quite solve -- the same kind of structural problems as the last book I wrote, 30 years ago. I get an idea, and go back and add it in. Then another idea, and add that. And pretty soon, it's unwieldy.
There are parts I really, really like, but it doesn't quite hold together. It's a clever, high concept sort of book. But it wasn't really written from the heart -- more from the head.
The manuscript has been sitting on my desk for most of the last few months, while I was hoping for a lightning bolt of inspiration about how to fix it. I still think there is a book there. There is a solution.
It was summer, and I was busy anyway.
Not so long ago, I decided that what I really wanted to write was another fantasy. At the time I thought it would be an "epic" fantasy. Fantasy is my natural inclination. I seem to have an aptitude for it.
I wrote the first scene.
Then the next scene came and the next, and then, one night, the plot, the themes, the characters, the background of the whole book came to me.
THE RELUCTANT WIZARD
I realized it was Part One of a young adult series. But was it Part One, or the first book in a three part series?
Dared I take the time to try to write it, when I wasn't finished with the last one? What if it didn't get done, what would that say about my stick-to-it-ness?
I decided to immerse myself in the experience, much like I used to do back when I was writing full time, when I didn't have a job 0r a business or a family.
I decided to write from the heart, from the inside out, and not show it to anyone but just to try to write a 'good' book, one that satisfied me. Every time a doubt would creep in, I'd shunt it aside and say, that has nothing to do with what I'm doing here.
I hinted at what was going on here on this blog, but never talked about it.
I cleared the decks and did nothing but writing, taking days off from work, spending most of every day either thinking about the book, or actually writing the book. It came together with almost no effort, almost as if it already existed.
There are no flashbacks, just a straightforward narrative. Just one viewpoint character, but written third person. No extraneous settings and characters -- it's all set in one place, with the same characters and friends.
I'm in Florence this weekend finishing it.
I had two chapters left to write before I left Bend on Thursday, and they came as easy as the rest of the book. It all seems to hold together, and it seems complete. I spent a day doing some embellishments and additions.
Lo and behold, a book!
Last night, I sat down with a glass of wine and started reading it, as a reader. Burnishing it, and smoothing it as I went along, but mostly just trying to get a sense of whether it flowed. I read 13 out of the 20 chapters.
And I liked it.
Well, I loved it, but I'm still in the honeymoon phase.
Tonight I'm going to read the last 7 chapters, but those are the chapters I worked on last and I already think they are pretty good. The beginnings are always the hardest for me -- later chapters, with the action scenes, are a bit easier, especially if I've prepared properly for them.
By the time I leave Florence tomorrow, I'll be finished.
Now I can let some of the more editorial, critical parts of my brain work on it. But I really don't think I'll be changing much. Linda has read most of it, and she seems to like it. "It's as good as anything you've ever done," was her comment, which might not be the hosanna's I was hoping for, but I'll take it.
At this point, I'm thinking I should dive into Part Two, while I still have this creative delusion going.
It probably doesn't surprise anyone who reads this blog that I can be a prolific writer.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
I really don't know Eugene at all.
It's amazing how you can have memory assumptions that are just wrong. Not just false memories, it's a whole set of assumptions built on them.
For instance, I thought I knew Eugene, but I really don't know Eugene at all.
I've gone for years thinking that I did, assuming that I did. But evidently, I was wrong.
Blissfully wrong for 30 years.
What brought about this realization was a trip to Florence.
I was driving through Eugene and I just kept following the signs to the coast, thinking I'd go straight on through on the highway. Instead, I ended up on 6th St. somehow. Kept following 6th until it turned in Hwy. 99 and was soon approaching Junction City.
I knew that wasn't right, so I pulled over and asked a pedestrian.
"Turn right on Roosevelt, left on Seneca, and right on 11th."
(Got me right where I wanted to go -- some people really do know how to give instructions...)
Anyway, got back on track and saw the sign to the Beltway and realized THAT was the route I should have taken, the route I always took when I lived in Eugene.
So here's the deal. I lived in Eugene for over 5 years, not only that but I made dozens and dozens of trips from Eugene to Bend.
But all that was in my 20's.
As I was driving through Eugene it suddenly occurred to me that I've only been through Eugene a handful of times since. I mean, 30 years is a long time. Only it doesn't seem like that long ago.
Most of the last 30 years are a blur of working and family. But my time in Eugene seems to be like yesterday.
Anyway, while I was sitting stuck in traffic, it struck me that I didn't even know Eugene when I lived there. Not really.
I've mentioned that I used to be pretty agoraphobic. Let's put it this way, I'd go to class, and then scurry back to my dorm room. Later, I'd go to work and then hurried back to my apartment.
When I did get out, I really got out -- like out of town. Up into the mountains, or over to the coast, or back to Bend. Thus my familiarity with the Beltway.
Oh, well. You know what? I didn't really enjoy Eugene when I was there.
To heck with it.
Stinkin' town.
***This is off the subject. But sometimes I write a post and it's all wrong, all jumbled.
When I try to fix it, it only makes it worse, because now half of it is jumbled and half of it is normal.
The above is one of those posts, but there it is -- I write every day, what'ya want?
For instance, I thought I knew Eugene, but I really don't know Eugene at all.
I've gone for years thinking that I did, assuming that I did. But evidently, I was wrong.
Blissfully wrong for 30 years.
What brought about this realization was a trip to Florence.
I was driving through Eugene and I just kept following the signs to the coast, thinking I'd go straight on through on the highway. Instead, I ended up on 6th St. somehow. Kept following 6th until it turned in Hwy. 99 and was soon approaching Junction City.
I knew that wasn't right, so I pulled over and asked a pedestrian.
"Turn right on Roosevelt, left on Seneca, and right on 11th."
(Got me right where I wanted to go -- some people really do know how to give instructions...)
Anyway, got back on track and saw the sign to the Beltway and realized THAT was the route I should have taken, the route I always took when I lived in Eugene.
So here's the deal. I lived in Eugene for over 5 years, not only that but I made dozens and dozens of trips from Eugene to Bend.
But all that was in my 20's.
As I was driving through Eugene it suddenly occurred to me that I've only been through Eugene a handful of times since. I mean, 30 years is a long time. Only it doesn't seem like that long ago.
Most of the last 30 years are a blur of working and family. But my time in Eugene seems to be like yesterday.
Anyway, while I was sitting stuck in traffic, it struck me that I didn't even know Eugene when I lived there. Not really.
I've mentioned that I used to be pretty agoraphobic. Let's put it this way, I'd go to class, and then scurry back to my dorm room. Later, I'd go to work and then hurried back to my apartment.
When I did get out, I really got out -- like out of town. Up into the mountains, or over to the coast, or back to Bend. Thus my familiarity with the Beltway.
Oh, well. You know what? I didn't really enjoy Eugene when I was there.
To heck with it.
Stinkin' town.
***This is off the subject. But sometimes I write a post and it's all wrong, all jumbled.
When I try to fix it, it only makes it worse, because now half of it is jumbled and half of it is normal.
The above is one of those posts, but there it is -- I write every day, what'ya want?
Friday, September 7, 2012
Speaking as an old white guy -- what happens to old white guys?
Maybe because I'm not that far away from being a middle aged guy with a minimum wage job, I'm still pretty liberal. I can still remember what it's like to work hard but still struggle. I can remember when it would have taken 40% of my income to have health insurance.
I hope when I'm 80, I don't turn into Clint Eastwood, who has gone are screwy and rogue and all. Kinda sad.
I was told for years that I would resent property taxes when I owned my own house, but it hasn't really made any difference in my attitude. As a small business owner I'm supposed to resent government intrusion, but I'll be damned if I know what that intrusion is supposed to be -- requiring I have two exits? Requiring I have a fire extinguisher?
I mean, I'm like everyone else -- I don't much like taxes. But I understand why they are needed.
I watched Obama get blocked every chance the Republicans could -- how could other guys my age, who should have heads on their shoulders and eyes in their heads -- have seen it any differently?
Hey, I understand the cranky. "Get off my lawn, you damn kids!"
I get the "Things were better when I was younger."
But as an 'old' guy, shouldn't I have some perspective? Sure that may be my knee-jerk reaction, but I know from history it isn't really true. I don't really think kids are all that different than 30 years ago when I first started interacting with them. Even the reading thing -- when I'm being fair, I can remember being a kid who read when most kids my age didn't really seem to want to.
I'm very careful not to talk politics in my store, especially to guys who look like me -- not unless we feel each other out and can be sure that we already reasonably agree.
Because what I seem to be hearing from cranky old white guys, especially wealthy cranky old white guys, sounds an awful lot like -- I've got mine.
I hope when I'm 80, I don't turn into Clint Eastwood, who has gone are screwy and rogue and all. Kinda sad.
I was told for years that I would resent property taxes when I owned my own house, but it hasn't really made any difference in my attitude. As a small business owner I'm supposed to resent government intrusion, but I'll be damned if I know what that intrusion is supposed to be -- requiring I have two exits? Requiring I have a fire extinguisher?
I mean, I'm like everyone else -- I don't much like taxes. But I understand why they are needed.
I watched Obama get blocked every chance the Republicans could -- how could other guys my age, who should have heads on their shoulders and eyes in their heads -- have seen it any differently?
Hey, I understand the cranky. "Get off my lawn, you damn kids!"
I get the "Things were better when I was younger."
But as an 'old' guy, shouldn't I have some perspective? Sure that may be my knee-jerk reaction, but I know from history it isn't really true. I don't really think kids are all that different than 30 years ago when I first started interacting with them. Even the reading thing -- when I'm being fair, I can remember being a kid who read when most kids my age didn't really seem to want to.
I'm very careful not to talk politics in my store, especially to guys who look like me -- not unless we feel each other out and can be sure that we already reasonably agree.
Because what I seem to be hearing from cranky old white guys, especially wealthy cranky old white guys, sounds an awful lot like -- I've got mine.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Downtown Comings and Goings. 9/6/12.
Azillian Beads is moving downtown to the front of the old Boomtown building.
This is the very farthest corner of what I consider to be part of downtown, but I think it qualifies.
It's the first new business I can document since early July, but I expect to see a couple in the building across from my store. They never stay vacant for long...
NEW BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN
Azillian Beads, Franklin Ave., 9/6/12.
Earth*Fire*Art, Oregon Av., 7/10/12.
Pastrami Deli, Franklin Av., 7/10/12.
Bend Your Imagination, Minnesota Av., 7/10/12.
Paul Scott Gallery), Brooks St., 7/10/12
Natural Edge Furniture, Bond St., 5/10/12
Hola!, Bond St., 3/3/12.
Amanda's, Franklin Ave., 2/24/12
Barrio, Minnesota Ave., 2/12/12.
Rescue Moderne, Harriman, 1/12/12.
Letzer's Deli, Franklin Ave. 2/12/12.
Navidi, Minnesota Ave., 2/9/12.
Mazza, Brooks St. , 2/9/12.
La Magie Bakery, Bond St., 1/6/12
Brother Jon's Ale House, Bond St., 12/10/11.
What Lola Wants, Wall St. , 12/2/11.
Jackalope Grill, 10/12/11.
Gypsy Soul, Wall St. 10/12/11.
Colour N' the City, Tin Pan Alley, 10/12/11.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St., 10/12/11.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 10/12/11.
Ruby, Minnesota Ave., 10, 12/11.
Kariella, Lava Road, 8/24, 11.
Plankers, Wall St., 7/11.
Faveur, Franklin, 7/11.
Dream Pebbles, Minnesota Ave., 6/15/11.
Bend Yogurt Factory, Franklin/Bond, 4/26/11.
High Desert Lotus, Bond St. , 4/4/11.
Tryst, Franklin Ave., 3/11/11. (Formerly Maryjanes, **Moved**).
D'Vine, Wall St. , 2/9/11.
Let it Ride!, Bond St., 1/29/11.
Gatsby's Brasserie Bar, Minnesota Ave., 1/8/11
Tres Jolie, Wall St., 12/20/10.
Caldera Grill, Bond St., 12/7/10
Bond Street Grill, 12/7/10.
Perspective(s), Minnesota Ave., 11/20/10
Toth Art Collective, Bond St. 11/20/10
Boken, Breezeway, 11/20/10
Dalia and Emilia, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Antiquarian Books, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Giddyup, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/10.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Ave., 8/11/10,
Red Chair Art Gallery, Oregon Ave. 7/13/10.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 7/12/10.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 6/2910
Common Table, Oregon Ave. , 6/29/10.
Looney Bean Coffee, Brooks St. , 6/29/10.
Bourbon Street, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
Feather's Edge, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
The BLVD., Wall St. , 6/13/10.
Volt, Minnesota Ave. 6/1/10.
Tart, Minnesota Ave. , 5/13/10
Olivia Hunter, Wall St. 4/5/10.
Tres Chic, 4/5/10 (Moved to Minnesota Av.)
Blue Star Salon, Wall St. 4/1/10.
Lululemon, Bond St. 3/31/10.
Diana's Jewel Box, Minnesota Ave., 3/25/10.
Amalia's, Wall St. (Ciao Mambo space), 3/12/10
River Bend Fine Art, Bond St. (Kebanu space) 2/23/10
Federal Express, Oregon Ave. 2/1/10
***10 Below, Minnesota Ave. 1/10/10
Tew Boots Gallery, Bond St. 1/8/10.
Top Leaf Mate, 12/10/09
Laughing Girls Studio, Minnesota Ave. 12/7/09
Lemon Drop, 5 Minnesota Ave., 11/12/09
The Curiosity Shoppe, 25 N.W. Minnesota Ave, Suite #7. 11/5/09
Wabi Sabi 11/4/09 (**Moved, Wall St.**)
Frugal Boutique 11/4/09
5 Spice 10/22/09
Cowgirls Cash 10/17/09
***Haven Home 10/17/09
Dog Patch 10/17/09
The Good Drop 10/12/09
Lola's 9/23/09
**Volcano Wines 9/15/09
Singing Sparrow Flowers 8/16/09
Northwest Home Interiors 8/5/09
High Desert Frameworks 7/23/09 (*Moved to Oregon Ave. 4/5/10.)
Wall Street Gifts 7/--/09
Ina Louise 7/14/09
Bend Home Hardware (Homestyle Hardware?) 7/1/09
Altera Real Estate 6/9/09
Honey 6/7/09
Azura Studio 6/7/09
Mary Jane's 6/1/09
c.c.McKenzie 6/1/09
Velvet 5/28/09
Bella Moda 3/25/09
High Desert Gallery (Bend) 3/25/09
Joolz
Zydeco
900 Wall
Great Outdoor Store
Luxe Home Interiors
Powell's Candy
Dudley's Used Books and Coffee
Goldsmith
Game Domain
Subway Sandwiches
Bend Burger Company
Showcase Hats
Pita Pit
Happy Nails
(List begun, Fall, 2008.)
BUSINESSES LEAVING
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 9/1/12
Common Table, Oregon Ave., 8/11/12.
Honey Threads, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/12.
Bella Moda, Wall St., 8/11/12.
Giddy Up, Minnesota Ave., 5/10/12
Pottery Lounge, Oregon Ave., 5/17/12.
Boondocks, Newport Ave., 3/27/12
Game Domain, Oregon Ave., 3/27/12.
Toth Gallery, Bond St., 3/27/12.
Letzer's Deli, Franklin Ave., 3/22/12.
Clutch, Minnesota Ave., 3/22/12. (Moving to Tres Jolie).
High Desert Gallery, Minnesota Ave., 3/22/12.
Tart, Bond St., 3/3/12.
El Caporal West, Franklin Ave., 2/24/12
Bo Restobar, Franklin Ave., 2/9/12.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 2/9/12.
Arts Central, Brooks St., 2/7/12.
Typhoon!, Bond St., 2/5/12.
Gatsby's, Minnesota Ave., 2/5/12
The Dog Patch, Minnesota Av. 1/9/12.
Bend Mapping, Bond St., 1/9/12.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St. 1/9/12 (Moving into Tres Jolie)
Bond Street Grill, Bond St., 11/20/12.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 10/11.
Azu, Wall St., 10/25/11.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Av., 10/11.
Bourbon St., Minnesota Ave. 10/12/11.
Curiosity Shop, Minnesota Ave., 7/11
Luluemon, Bond St., 8/26, 11.
Shear Illusions, Franklin Ave., 7/11.
Crepe Place, Wall St., 7/11.
Pita Pit, Brooks St. , 6/28/11
Smith and Wade Salon, Minnesota, Av. , 6/3/11.
Perspectives, Minnesota Av., 6/1/11
River Bend Art Gallery, Bond St., 5/5/11.
Donner's Flowers, Wall St. 3/11/11. (**Moved out of downtown**)
Maryjanes, Wall St. , 3/11/11. (new name, Tryst, moved to Franklin.).
Di Lusso, Franklin/Bond, 2/9/11.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 1/2/11
Marz Bistro, Minnesota Av., 12/20/10.
The Decoy, Bond St., 12/7/10.
Giuseppe's, Bond St., 12/1/10.
Ina Louise, Minnesota Ave., 11/3/10.
Laughing Girl Studios, 10/21/10
Dolce Vita, Bond St, 10/21/10
Diana's Jewell Box, Minnesota Ave., 10/15/10.
Lola's, Breezeway, 10/8/10.
Oxygen Tattoo, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Great Outdoor Clothing, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Volcano Vineyards, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
Subway Sandwiches, Bond St. 9/2/10.
Old Bend Distillery, Brooks St., 6/19/10.
Staccato, Minnesota Ave. 6/18/10.
Showcase Hats, Minnesota Ave., 6/1/10 (Moved to Oregon Ave., 8/10/11.)
Cork, Oregon Ave., 5/27/10.
Wall Street Gifts, 5/26/10
Microsphere, Wall St. , 5/17/10.
Singing Sparrow, Franklin and Bond, 5/15/10
28, Minnesota Ave. and Bond, 5/13/10.
Glass Symphony, Wall St., 3/25/10
Bend Home Hardware, Minnesota Ave, 2/25/10
Ciao Mambo, Wall St. 2/4/10
***Angel Kisses 1/25/10 (Have moved to 'Honey.')
Ivy Rose Manor 8/20/09
***Downtowner 8/18/09 (moving into the Summit location)
Chocolate e Gateaux 8/16/09
Finders Keepers 8/15/09
Colourstone 7/25/09
Periwinkle 6/--/09
***Tangerine 7/21/09 (Got word, they are moving across the street.)
Micheal Cassidy Gallery 6/15/09
St. Claire Coffee 6/15/09
Luxe Home Interiors 6/4/09
Treefort 5/8/09
Blue 5/2/09
***Volcano Tasting Room 4/28/09** Moved to Minnesota Ave.
Habit 4/16/09
Mountain Comfort 4/14/09
Tetherow Property 4/11/09
Blue Moon Marketplace 3/25/09
Plenty 3/25/09
Downtown Doggie 3/25/09
***King of Sole (became Mary Janes)**
Santee Alley
Bistro Corlise
Made in Hawaii
EnVogue
Stewart Weinmann (leather)
Kebanu Gallery
Pella Doors and Windows
Olive company
Pink Frog
Little Italy
Deep
Merenda's
Volo
***Pomegranate (downtown branch)**
Norwalk
Pronghorn Real Estate office.
Speedshop Deli
Paper Place
Bluefish Bistro
(List begun, Fall, 2008 )
This is the very farthest corner of what I consider to be part of downtown, but I think it qualifies.
It's the first new business I can document since early July, but I expect to see a couple in the building across from my store. They never stay vacant for long...
NEW BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN
Azillian Beads, Franklin Ave., 9/6/12.
Earth*Fire*Art, Oregon Av., 7/10/12.
Pastrami Deli, Franklin Av., 7/10/12.
Bend Your Imagination, Minnesota Av., 7/10/12.
Paul Scott Gallery), Brooks St., 7/10/12
Natural Edge Furniture, Bond St., 5/10/12
Hola!, Bond St., 3/3/12.
Amanda's, Franklin Ave., 2/24/12
Barrio, Minnesota Ave., 2/12/12.
Rescue Moderne, Harriman, 1/12/12.
Letzer's Deli, Franklin Ave. 2/12/12.
Navidi, Minnesota Ave., 2/9/12.
Mazza, Brooks St. , 2/9/12.
La Magie Bakery, Bond St., 1/6/12
Brother Jon's Ale House, Bond St., 12/10/11.
What Lola Wants, Wall St. , 12/2/11.
Jackalope Grill, 10/12/11.
Gypsy Soul, Wall St. 10/12/11.
Colour N' the City, Tin Pan Alley, 10/12/11.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St., 10/12/11.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 10/12/11.
Ruby, Minnesota Ave., 10, 12/11.
Kariella, Lava Road, 8/24, 11.
Plankers, Wall St., 7/11.
Faveur, Franklin, 7/11.
Dream Pebbles, Minnesota Ave., 6/15/11.
Bend Yogurt Factory, Franklin/Bond, 4/26/11.
High Desert Lotus, Bond St. , 4/4/11.
Tryst, Franklin Ave., 3/11/11. (Formerly Maryjanes, **Moved**).
D'Vine, Wall St. , 2/9/11.
Let it Ride!, Bond St., 1/29/11.
Gatsby's Brasserie Bar, Minnesota Ave., 1/8/11
Tres Jolie, Wall St., 12/20/10.
Caldera Grill, Bond St., 12/7/10
Bond Street Grill, 12/7/10.
Perspective(s), Minnesota Ave., 11/20/10
Toth Art Collective, Bond St. 11/20/10
Boken, Breezeway, 11/20/10
Dalia and Emilia, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Antiquarian Books, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Giddyup, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/10.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Ave., 8/11/10,
Red Chair Art Gallery, Oregon Ave. 7/13/10.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 7/12/10.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 6/2910
Common Table, Oregon Ave. , 6/29/10.
Looney Bean Coffee, Brooks St. , 6/29/10.
Bourbon Street, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
Feather's Edge, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
The BLVD., Wall St. , 6/13/10.
Volt, Minnesota Ave. 6/1/10.
Tart, Minnesota Ave. , 5/13/10
Olivia Hunter, Wall St. 4/5/10.
Tres Chic, 4/5/10 (Moved to Minnesota Av.)
Blue Star Salon, Wall St. 4/1/10.
Lululemon, Bond St. 3/31/10.
Diana's Jewel Box, Minnesota Ave., 3/25/10.
Amalia's, Wall St. (Ciao Mambo space), 3/12/10
River Bend Fine Art, Bond St. (Kebanu space) 2/23/10
Federal Express, Oregon Ave. 2/1/10
***10 Below, Minnesota Ave. 1/10/10
Tew Boots Gallery, Bond St. 1/8/10.
Top Leaf Mate, 12/10/09
Laughing Girls Studio, Minnesota Ave. 12/7/09
Lemon Drop, 5 Minnesota Ave., 11/12/09
The Curiosity Shoppe, 25 N.W. Minnesota Ave, Suite #7. 11/5/09
Wabi Sabi 11/4/09 (**Moved, Wall St.**)
Frugal Boutique 11/4/09
5 Spice 10/22/09
Cowgirls Cash 10/17/09
***Haven Home 10/17/09
Dog Patch 10/17/09
The Good Drop 10/12/09
Lola's 9/23/09
**Volcano Wines 9/15/09
Singing Sparrow Flowers 8/16/09
Northwest Home Interiors 8/5/09
High Desert Frameworks 7/23/09 (*Moved to Oregon Ave. 4/5/10.)
Wall Street Gifts 7/--/09
Ina Louise 7/14/09
Bend Home Hardware (Homestyle Hardware?) 7/1/09
Altera Real Estate 6/9/09
Honey 6/7/09
Azura Studio 6/7/09
Mary Jane's 6/1/09
c.c.McKenzie 6/1/09
Velvet 5/28/09
Bella Moda 3/25/09
High Desert Gallery (Bend) 3/25/09
Joolz
Zydeco
900 Wall
Great Outdoor Store
Luxe Home Interiors
Powell's Candy
Dudley's Used Books and Coffee
Goldsmith
Game Domain
Subway Sandwiches
Bend Burger Company
Showcase Hats
Pita Pit
Happy Nails
(List begun, Fall, 2008.)
BUSINESSES LEAVING
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 9/1/12
Common Table, Oregon Ave., 8/11/12.
Honey Threads, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/12.
Bella Moda, Wall St., 8/11/12.
Giddy Up, Minnesota Ave., 5/10/12
Pottery Lounge, Oregon Ave., 5/17/12.
Boondocks, Newport Ave., 3/27/12
Game Domain, Oregon Ave., 3/27/12.
Toth Gallery, Bond St., 3/27/12.
Letzer's Deli, Franklin Ave., 3/22/12.
Clutch, Minnesota Ave., 3/22/12. (Moving to Tres Jolie).
High Desert Gallery, Minnesota Ave., 3/22/12.
Tart, Bond St., 3/3/12.
El Caporal West, Franklin Ave., 2/24/12
Bo Restobar, Franklin Ave., 2/9/12.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 2/9/12.
Arts Central, Brooks St., 2/7/12.
Typhoon!, Bond St., 2/5/12.
Gatsby's, Minnesota Ave., 2/5/12
The Dog Patch, Minnesota Av. 1/9/12.
Bend Mapping, Bond St., 1/9/12.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St. 1/9/12 (Moving into Tres Jolie)
Bond Street Grill, Bond St., 11/20/12.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 10/11.
Azu, Wall St., 10/25/11.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Av., 10/11.
Bourbon St., Minnesota Ave. 10/12/11.
Curiosity Shop, Minnesota Ave., 7/11
Luluemon, Bond St., 8/26, 11.
Shear Illusions, Franklin Ave., 7/11.
Crepe Place, Wall St., 7/11.
Pita Pit, Brooks St. , 6/28/11
Smith and Wade Salon, Minnesota, Av. , 6/3/11.
Perspectives, Minnesota Av., 6/1/11
River Bend Art Gallery, Bond St., 5/5/11.
Donner's Flowers, Wall St. 3/11/11. (**Moved out of downtown**)
Maryjanes, Wall St. , 3/11/11. (new name, Tryst, moved to Franklin.).
Di Lusso, Franklin/Bond, 2/9/11.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 1/2/11
Marz Bistro, Minnesota Av., 12/20/10.
The Decoy, Bond St., 12/7/10.
Giuseppe's, Bond St., 12/1/10.
Ina Louise, Minnesota Ave., 11/3/10.
Laughing Girl Studios, 10/21/10
Dolce Vita, Bond St, 10/21/10
Diana's Jewell Box, Minnesota Ave., 10/15/10.
Lola's, Breezeway, 10/8/10.
Oxygen Tattoo, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Great Outdoor Clothing, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Volcano Vineyards, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
Subway Sandwiches, Bond St. 9/2/10.
Old Bend Distillery, Brooks St., 6/19/10.
Staccato, Minnesota Ave. 6/18/10.
Showcase Hats, Minnesota Ave., 6/1/10 (Moved to Oregon Ave., 8/10/11.)
Cork, Oregon Ave., 5/27/10.
Wall Street Gifts, 5/26/10
Microsphere, Wall St. , 5/17/10.
Singing Sparrow, Franklin and Bond, 5/15/10
28, Minnesota Ave. and Bond, 5/13/10.
Glass Symphony, Wall St., 3/25/10
Bend Home Hardware, Minnesota Ave, 2/25/10
Ciao Mambo, Wall St. 2/4/10
***Angel Kisses 1/25/10 (Have moved to 'Honey.')
Ivy Rose Manor 8/20/09
***Downtowner 8/18/09 (moving into the Summit location)
Chocolate e Gateaux 8/16/09
Finders Keepers 8/15/09
Colourstone 7/25/09
Periwinkle 6/--/09
***Tangerine 7/21/09 (Got word, they are moving across the street.)
Micheal Cassidy Gallery 6/15/09
St. Claire Coffee 6/15/09
Luxe Home Interiors 6/4/09
Treefort 5/8/09
Blue 5/2/09
***Volcano Tasting Room 4/28/09** Moved to Minnesota Ave.
Habit 4/16/09
Mountain Comfort 4/14/09
Tetherow Property 4/11/09
Blue Moon Marketplace 3/25/09
Plenty 3/25/09
Downtown Doggie 3/25/09
***King of Sole (became Mary Janes)**
Santee Alley
Bistro Corlise
Made in Hawaii
EnVogue
Stewart Weinmann (leather)
Kebanu Gallery
Pella Doors and Windows
Olive company
Pink Frog
Little Italy
Deep
Merenda's
Volo
***Pomegranate (downtown branch)**
Norwalk
Pronghorn Real Estate office.
Speedshop Deli
Paper Place
Bluefish Bistro
(List begun, Fall, 2008 )
I take it back; conventions aren't a waste of time.
I've mentioned I think the conventions are a waste of time.
Well, I may have to backtrack on that.
After reading a ton of compliments to Clinton's speech, Linda and I Youtubed it and watched the whole thing.
I thought it was more a prosecutor's presentation at court than a speech. A point by point dismantling of the Republican agenda. This is the kind of speech we would make in high school debate -- point by point refutation of the opponents argument. Elementary. I was wondering why no one does this anymore.
Though coming from anyone else it would have probably seemed pedantic and rambling.
But every word counted -- even the folk-isms that he prefaced his biting remarks with. When he attacked, he seemed conciliatory. When he defended, he seemed to be on the offense.
Takes some brass.
I watched the conservative commentators for a few minutes -- but they apparently saw a different speech. Where I saw Clinton bow respectfully to Obama, they saw Clinton taking a bow. (heh, fair enough...)
Anyway, as much as I loved the speech, I don't think it isn't something that Obama could do, or a thousand other politicians.
But why bother, in most cases? The media is only going to pick 20 seconds of any speech for broadcast. The more any politician veers from the safe and tidy, already vetted, innocuous remarks, the more trouble he or she can get into to.
So the national conventions do still have a role. If they can get people to sit down and listen to a nicely reasoned, common sense speech for 48 minutes, more power to them.
Well, I may have to backtrack on that.
After reading a ton of compliments to Clinton's speech, Linda and I Youtubed it and watched the whole thing.
I thought it was more a prosecutor's presentation at court than a speech. A point by point dismantling of the Republican agenda. This is the kind of speech we would make in high school debate -- point by point refutation of the opponents argument. Elementary. I was wondering why no one does this anymore.
Though coming from anyone else it would have probably seemed pedantic and rambling.
But every word counted -- even the folk-isms that he prefaced his biting remarks with. When he attacked, he seemed conciliatory. When he defended, he seemed to be on the offense.
Takes some brass.
I watched the conservative commentators for a few minutes -- but they apparently saw a different speech. Where I saw Clinton bow respectfully to Obama, they saw Clinton taking a bow. (heh, fair enough...)
Anyway, as much as I loved the speech, I don't think it isn't something that Obama could do, or a thousand other politicians.
But why bother, in most cases? The media is only going to pick 20 seconds of any speech for broadcast. The more any politician veers from the safe and tidy, already vetted, innocuous remarks, the more trouble he or she can get into to.
So the national conventions do still have a role. If they can get people to sit down and listen to a nicely reasoned, common sense speech for 48 minutes, more power to them.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Creative Euphoria/ Delusional Euphoria.
I have to be honest with you. I have been totally immersed in a new novel I'm writing. It's very near finished, and I really like it. I've sort of kept this one to myself, this whole time, reading it to Linda, but otherwise just kind of nurturing it.
I was talking about an "Epic" fantasy, but it quickly turned into a straight-forward young adult fantasy. It doesn't have the structural problems I've had with my last two finished novels.
Not sure what I'm going to do when I'm finished.
I need to finish it first, then perhaps contact an agent and try to get signed up.
I'm still in the throes of Creative Euphoria -- which is what I think you need to carry you through an entire novel.
I also call it Delusional Euphoria, because you need to think what you are writing is great.
I was talking about an "Epic" fantasy, but it quickly turned into a straight-forward young adult fantasy. It doesn't have the structural problems I've had with my last two finished novels.
Not sure what I'm going to do when I'm finished.
I need to finish it first, then perhaps contact an agent and try to get signed up.
I'm still in the throes of Creative Euphoria -- which is what I think you need to carry you through an entire novel.
I also call it Delusional Euphoria, because you need to think what you are writing is great.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Pegasus August results.
Another big month, about 23% better than last August.
That makes 14 months in a row of better than last year. The average increase over those 14 months is 18%, (January was only a 2% increase and dragged it down.)
However, it was in September of last year that most the major increases started -- and much of that was due to the introduction of the DC New 52 comics.
So from now on, we'll be comparing to dramatic increases in sales, versus either lower sales or slightly improving sales.
In other words, I'm not expecting the big numbers anymore -- the 20%+ in increases. In fact, I would not be terribly surprised if we see a down month or two. But if we can stay even with last year, considering that the DC New 52 comics have trailed off considerably, we'll still be accomplishing something.
COMICS: +40. Even though the DC New 52 numbers aren't what they once were, the whole effort gave comics a big boost. Which encouraged me to invest in other comics, such as the new line of Image titles (they are currently producing my favorite two comics, SAGE and MANHATTAN PROJECTS.)
Like I said, I think this kind of dramatic increase is probably at an end, because we are rolling over on one of the biggest boosts in comics we've ever seen.
I think -- though it's hard the quantify, that the big movies -- especially AVENGERS -- didn't hurt.
USED BOOKS: My register's button broke, and I'm combining them back with books overall.
However, I'm glad I tried to keep track for the last 8 months, because I found to my surprise that new books were outselling used books 4 to 1. Who'dathunk?
COLLECTOR CARDS: +40%, which sounds dramatic, but they are pretty small numbers so increases don't take much. About 4% of my total sales. Someday this category will take off again! (Which I've only been thinking for about 20 years now.)
GAME CARDS: -35%. Disappointing. Not sure why this happened. I've actually lost two competitors in the last six months. (It could be, this is one of those rare cases where competition actually helps, by keeping larger numbers of interested players in the game.)
These sales seem to have more to do with the overall world of gaming, the popularity of specific sets, and all kinds of factors beyond my control.
I'm going to consider this total an anomaly, unless it happens again for a couple months.
BOOKS: -4%. Not sure why this happened. But it is a minor decrease, within the margin of error, so to speak. I do feel like the customers who are most likely to buy books from me were being distracted as much as possible by those agencies who are supposed to be helping me. Still think the upside potential is strong.
GAMES: +13%. Still loving this category -- though I am starting to get concerned by the sheer numbers of new games. A boardgame bubble?
TOYS: Up three and one/half times over last year!! I've been really working on this category over the last year, and it's nice to see this reward. Bodes well for Christmas.
GRAPHIC NOVELS: +18%. Solid, solid category. A mature category, which I do my best to keep up.
That makes 14 months in a row of better than last year. The average increase over those 14 months is 18%, (January was only a 2% increase and dragged it down.)
However, it was in September of last year that most the major increases started -- and much of that was due to the introduction of the DC New 52 comics.
So from now on, we'll be comparing to dramatic increases in sales, versus either lower sales or slightly improving sales.
In other words, I'm not expecting the big numbers anymore -- the 20%+ in increases. In fact, I would not be terribly surprised if we see a down month or two. But if we can stay even with last year, considering that the DC New 52 comics have trailed off considerably, we'll still be accomplishing something.
COMICS: +40. Even though the DC New 52 numbers aren't what they once were, the whole effort gave comics a big boost. Which encouraged me to invest in other comics, such as the new line of Image titles (they are currently producing my favorite two comics, SAGE and MANHATTAN PROJECTS.)
Like I said, I think this kind of dramatic increase is probably at an end, because we are rolling over on one of the biggest boosts in comics we've ever seen.
I think -- though it's hard the quantify, that the big movies -- especially AVENGERS -- didn't hurt.
USED BOOKS: My register's button broke, and I'm combining them back with books overall.
However, I'm glad I tried to keep track for the last 8 months, because I found to my surprise that new books were outselling used books 4 to 1. Who'dathunk?
COLLECTOR CARDS: +40%, which sounds dramatic, but they are pretty small numbers so increases don't take much. About 4% of my total sales. Someday this category will take off again! (Which I've only been thinking for about 20 years now.)
GAME CARDS: -35%. Disappointing. Not sure why this happened. I've actually lost two competitors in the last six months. (It could be, this is one of those rare cases where competition actually helps, by keeping larger numbers of interested players in the game.)
These sales seem to have more to do with the overall world of gaming, the popularity of specific sets, and all kinds of factors beyond my control.
I'm going to consider this total an anomaly, unless it happens again for a couple months.
BOOKS: -4%. Not sure why this happened. But it is a minor decrease, within the margin of error, so to speak. I do feel like the customers who are most likely to buy books from me were being distracted as much as possible by those agencies who are supposed to be helping me. Still think the upside potential is strong.
GAMES: +13%. Still loving this category -- though I am starting to get concerned by the sheer numbers of new games. A boardgame bubble?
TOYS: Up three and one/half times over last year!! I've been really working on this category over the last year, and it's nice to see this reward. Bodes well for Christmas.
GRAPHIC NOVELS: +18%. Solid, solid category. A mature category, which I do my best to keep up.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Downtown Comings and Goings. 9/3/12.
The Closet has left Minnesota Ave., making a clean sweep this year of the four business on that end of the building.
I expected a few more, but I haven't been downtown in the last few days, so there might be.
Nevertheless, I now count 103 Comings and 102 Goings, the closest to equilibrium yet.
NEW BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN
Earth*Fire*Art, Oregon Av., 7/10/12.
Pastrami Deli, Franklin Av., 7/10/12.
Bend Your Imagination, Minnesota Av., 7/10/12.
Paul Scott Gallery), Brooks St., 7/10/12
Natural Edge Furniture, Bond St., 5/10/12
Hola!, Bond St., 3/3/12.
Amanda's, Franklin Ave., 2/24/12
Barrio, Minnesota Ave., 2/12/12.
Rescue Moderne, Harriman, 1/12/12.
Letzer's Deli, Franklin Ave. 2/12/12.
Navidi, Minnesota Ave., 2/9/12.
Mazza, Brooks St. , 2/9/12.
La Magie Bakery, Bond St., 1/6/12
Brother Jon's Ale House, Bond St., 12/10/11.
What Lola Wants, Wall St. , 12/2/11.
Jackalope Grill, 10/12/11.
Gypsy Soul, Wall St. 10/12/11.
Colour N' the City, Tin Pan Alley, 10/12/11.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St., 10/12/11.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 10/12/11.
Ruby, Minnesota Ave., 10, 12/11.
Kariella, Lava Road, 8/24, 11.
Plankers, Wall St., 7/11.
Faveur, Franklin, 7/11.
Dream Pebbles, Minnesota Ave., 6/15/11.
Bend Yogurt Factory, Franklin/Bond, 4/26/11.
High Desert Lotus, Bond St. , 4/4/11.
Tryst, Franklin Ave., 3/11/11. (Formerly Maryjanes, **Moved**).
D'Vine, Wall St. , 2/9/11.
Let it Ride!, Bond St., 1/29/11.
Gatsby's Brasserie Bar, Minnesota Ave., 1/8/11
Tres Jolie, Wall St., 12/20/10.
Caldera Grill, Bond St., 12/7/10
Bond Street Grill, 12/7/10.
Perspective(s), Minnesota Ave., 11/20/10
Toth Art Collective, Bond St. 11/20/10
Boken, Breezeway, 11/20/10
Dalia and Emilia, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Antiquarian Books, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Giddyup, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/10.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Ave., 8/11/10,
Red Chair Art Gallery, Oregon Ave. 7/13/10.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 7/12/10.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 6/2910
Common Table, Oregon Ave. , 6/29/10.
Looney Bean Coffee, Brooks St. , 6/29/10.
Bourbon Street, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
Feather's Edge, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
The BLVD., Wall St. , 6/13/10.
Volt, Minnesota Ave. 6/1/10.
Tart, Minnesota Ave. , 5/13/10
Olivia Hunter, Wall St. 4/5/10.
Tres Chic, 4/5/10 (Moved to Minnesota Av.)
Blue Star Salon, Wall St. 4/1/10.
Lululemon, Bond St. 3/31/10.
Diana's Jewel Box, Minnesota Ave., 3/25/10.
Amalia's, Wall St. (Ciao Mambo space), 3/12/10
River Bend Fine Art, Bond St. (Kebanu space) 2/23/10
Federal Express, Oregon Ave. 2/1/10
***10 Below, Minnesota Ave. 1/10/10
Tew Boots Gallery, Bond St. 1/8/10.
Top Leaf Mate, 12/10/09
Laughing Girls Studio, Minnesota Ave. 12/7/09
Lemon Drop, 5 Minnesota Ave., 11/12/09
The Curiosity Shoppe, 25 N.W. Minnesota Ave, Suite #7. 11/5/09
Wabi Sabi 11/4/09 (**Moved, Wall St.**)
Frugal Boutique 11/4/09
5 Spice 10/22/09
Cowgirls Cash 10/17/09
***Haven Home 10/17/09
Dog Patch 10/17/09
The Good Drop 10/12/09
Lola's 9/23/09
**Volcano Wines 9/15/09
Singing Sparrow Flowers 8/16/09
Northwest Home Interiors 8/5/09
High Desert Frameworks 7/23/09 (*Moved to Oregon Ave. 4/5/10.)
Wall Street Gifts 7/--/09
Ina Louise 7/14/09
Bend Home Hardware (Homestyle Hardware?) 7/1/09
Altera Real Estate 6/9/09
Honey 6/7/09
Azura Studio 6/7/09
Mary Jane's 6/1/09
c.c.McKenzie 6/1/09
Velvet 5/28/09
Bella Moda 3/25/09
High Desert Gallery (Bend) 3/25/09
Joolz
Zydeco
900 Wall
Great Outdoor Store
Luxe Home Interiors
Powell's Candy
Dudley's Used Books and Coffee
Goldsmith
Game Domain
Subway Sandwiches
Bend Burger Company
Showcase Hats
Pita Pit
Happy Nails
(List begun, Fall, 2008.)
BUSINESSES LEAVING
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 9/1/12
Common Table, Oregon Ave., 8/11/12.
Honey Threads, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/12.
Bella Moda, Wall St., 8/11/12.
Giddy Up, Minnesota Ave., 5/10/12
Pottery Lounge, Oregon Ave., 5/17/12.
Boondocks, Newport Ave., 3/27/12
Game Domain, Oregon Ave., 3/27/12.
Toth Gallery, Bond St., 3/27/12.
Letzer's Deli, Franklin Ave., 3/22/12.
Clutch, Minnesota Ave., 3/22/12. (Moving to Tres Jolie).
High Desert Gallery, Minnesota Ave., 3/22/12.
Tart, Bond St., 3/3/12.
El Caporal West, Franklin Ave., 2/24/12
Bo Restobar, Franklin Ave., 2/9/12.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 2/9/12.
Arts Central, Brooks St., 2/7/12.
Typhoon!, Bond St., 2/5/12.
Gatsby's, Minnesota Ave., 2/5/12
The Dog Patch, Minnesota Av. 1/9/12.
Bend Mapping, Bond St., 1/9/12.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St. 1/9/12 (Moving into Tres Jolie)
Bond Street Grill, Bond St., 11/20/12.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 10/11.
Azu, Wall St., 10/25/11.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Av., 10/11.
Bourbon St., Minnesota Ave. 10/12/11.
Curiosity Shop, Minnesota Ave., 7/11
Luluemon, Bond St., 8/26, 11.
Shear Illusions, Franklin Ave., 7/11.
Crepe Place, Wall St., 7/11.
Pita Pit, Brooks St. , 6/28/11
Smith and Wade Salon, Minnesota, Av. , 6/3/11.
Perspectives, Minnesota Av., 6/1/11
River Bend Art Gallery, Bond St., 5/5/11.
Donner's Flowers, Wall St. 3/11/11. (**Moved out of downtown**)
Maryjanes, Wall St. , 3/11/11. (new name, Tryst, moved to Franklin.).
Di Lusso, Franklin/Bond, 2/9/11.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 1/2/11
Marz Bistro, Minnesota Av., 12/20/10.
The Decoy, Bond St., 12/7/10.
Giuseppe's, Bond St., 12/1/10.
Ina Louise, Minnesota Ave., 11/3/10.
Laughing Girl Studios, 10/21/10
Dolce Vita, Bond St, 10/21/10
Diana's Jewell Box, Minnesota Ave., 10/15/10.
Lola's, Breezeway, 10/8/10.
Oxygen Tattoo, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Great Outdoor Clothing, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Volcano Vineyards, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
Subway Sandwiches, Bond St. 9/2/10.
Old Bend Distillery, Brooks St., 6/19/10.
Staccato, Minnesota Ave. 6/18/10.
Showcase Hats, Minnesota Ave., 6/1/10 (Moved to Oregon Ave., 8/10/11.)
Cork, Oregon Ave., 5/27/10.
Wall Street Gifts, 5/26/10
Microsphere, Wall St. , 5/17/10.
Singing Sparrow, Franklin and Bond, 5/15/10
28, Minnesota Ave. and Bond, 5/13/10.
Glass Symphony, Wall St., 3/25/10
Bend Home Hardware, Minnesota Ave, 2/25/10
Ciao Mambo, Wall St. 2/4/10
***Angel Kisses 1/25/10 (Have moved to 'Honey.')
Ivy Rose Manor 8/20/09
***Downtowner 8/18/09 (moving into the Summit location)
Chocolate e Gateaux 8/16/09
Finders Keepers 8/15/09
Colourstone 7/25/09
Periwinkle 6/--/09
***Tangerine 7/21/09 (Got word, they are moving across the street.)
Micheal Cassidy Gallery 6/15/09
St. Claire Coffee 6/15/09
Luxe Home Interiors 6/4/09
Treefort 5/8/09
Blue 5/2/09
***Volcano Tasting Room 4/28/09** Moved to Minnesota Ave.
Habit 4/16/09
Mountain Comfort 4/14/09
Tetherow Property 4/11/09
Blue Moon Marketplace 3/25/09
Plenty 3/25/09
Downtown Doggie 3/25/09
***King of Sole (became Mary Janes)**
Santee Alley
Bistro Corlise
Made in Hawaii
EnVogue
Stewart Weinmann (leather)
Kebanu Gallery
Pella Doors and Windows
Olive company
Pink Frog
Little Italy
Deep
Merenda's
Volo
***Pomegranate (downtown branch)**
Norwalk
Pronghorn Real Estate office.
Speedshop Deli
Paper Place
Bluefish Bistro
(List begun, Fall, 2008 )
I expected a few more, but I haven't been downtown in the last few days, so there might be.
Nevertheless, I now count 103 Comings and 102 Goings, the closest to equilibrium yet.
NEW BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN
Earth*Fire*Art, Oregon Av., 7/10/12.
Pastrami Deli, Franklin Av., 7/10/12.
Bend Your Imagination, Minnesota Av., 7/10/12.
Paul Scott Gallery), Brooks St., 7/10/12
Natural Edge Furniture, Bond St., 5/10/12
Hola!, Bond St., 3/3/12.
Amanda's, Franklin Ave., 2/24/12
Barrio, Minnesota Ave., 2/12/12.
Rescue Moderne, Harriman, 1/12/12.
Letzer's Deli, Franklin Ave. 2/12/12.
Navidi, Minnesota Ave., 2/9/12.
Mazza, Brooks St. , 2/9/12.
La Magie Bakery, Bond St., 1/6/12
Brother Jon's Ale House, Bond St., 12/10/11.
What Lola Wants, Wall St. , 12/2/11.
Jackalope Grill, 10/12/11.
Gypsy Soul, Wall St. 10/12/11.
Colour N' the City, Tin Pan Alley, 10/12/11.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St., 10/12/11.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 10/12/11.
Ruby, Minnesota Ave., 10, 12/11.
Kariella, Lava Road, 8/24, 11.
Plankers, Wall St., 7/11.
Faveur, Franklin, 7/11.
Dream Pebbles, Minnesota Ave., 6/15/11.
Bend Yogurt Factory, Franklin/Bond, 4/26/11.
High Desert Lotus, Bond St. , 4/4/11.
Tryst, Franklin Ave., 3/11/11. (Formerly Maryjanes, **Moved**).
D'Vine, Wall St. , 2/9/11.
Let it Ride!, Bond St., 1/29/11.
Gatsby's Brasserie Bar, Minnesota Ave., 1/8/11
Tres Jolie, Wall St., 12/20/10.
Caldera Grill, Bond St., 12/7/10
Bond Street Grill, 12/7/10.
Perspective(s), Minnesota Ave., 11/20/10
Toth Art Collective, Bond St. 11/20/10
Boken, Breezeway, 11/20/10
Dalia and Emilia, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Antiquarian Books, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Giddyup, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/10.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Ave., 8/11/10,
Red Chair Art Gallery, Oregon Ave. 7/13/10.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 7/12/10.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 6/2910
Common Table, Oregon Ave. , 6/29/10.
Looney Bean Coffee, Brooks St. , 6/29/10.
Bourbon Street, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
Feather's Edge, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
The BLVD., Wall St. , 6/13/10.
Volt, Minnesota Ave. 6/1/10.
Tart, Minnesota Ave. , 5/13/10
Olivia Hunter, Wall St. 4/5/10.
Tres Chic, 4/5/10 (Moved to Minnesota Av.)
Blue Star Salon, Wall St. 4/1/10.
Lululemon, Bond St. 3/31/10.
Diana's Jewel Box, Minnesota Ave., 3/25/10.
Amalia's, Wall St. (Ciao Mambo space), 3/12/10
River Bend Fine Art, Bond St. (Kebanu space) 2/23/10
Federal Express, Oregon Ave. 2/1/10
***10 Below, Minnesota Ave. 1/10/10
Tew Boots Gallery, Bond St. 1/8/10.
Top Leaf Mate, 12/10/09
Laughing Girls Studio, Minnesota Ave. 12/7/09
Lemon Drop, 5 Minnesota Ave., 11/12/09
The Curiosity Shoppe, 25 N.W. Minnesota Ave, Suite #7. 11/5/09
Wabi Sabi 11/4/09 (**Moved, Wall St.**)
Frugal Boutique 11/4/09
5 Spice 10/22/09
Cowgirls Cash 10/17/09
***Haven Home 10/17/09
Dog Patch 10/17/09
The Good Drop 10/12/09
Lola's 9/23/09
**Volcano Wines 9/15/09
Singing Sparrow Flowers 8/16/09
Northwest Home Interiors 8/5/09
High Desert Frameworks 7/23/09 (*Moved to Oregon Ave. 4/5/10.)
Wall Street Gifts 7/--/09
Ina Louise 7/14/09
Bend Home Hardware (Homestyle Hardware?) 7/1/09
Altera Real Estate 6/9/09
Honey 6/7/09
Azura Studio 6/7/09
Mary Jane's 6/1/09
c.c.McKenzie 6/1/09
Velvet 5/28/09
Bella Moda 3/25/09
High Desert Gallery (Bend) 3/25/09
Joolz
Zydeco
900 Wall
Great Outdoor Store
Luxe Home Interiors
Powell's Candy
Dudley's Used Books and Coffee
Goldsmith
Game Domain
Subway Sandwiches
Bend Burger Company
Showcase Hats
Pita Pit
Happy Nails
(List begun, Fall, 2008.)
BUSINESSES LEAVING
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 9/1/12
Common Table, Oregon Ave., 8/11/12.
Honey Threads, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/12.
Bella Moda, Wall St., 8/11/12.
Giddy Up, Minnesota Ave., 5/10/12
Pottery Lounge, Oregon Ave., 5/17/12.
Boondocks, Newport Ave., 3/27/12
Game Domain, Oregon Ave., 3/27/12.
Toth Gallery, Bond St., 3/27/12.
Letzer's Deli, Franklin Ave., 3/22/12.
Clutch, Minnesota Ave., 3/22/12. (Moving to Tres Jolie).
High Desert Gallery, Minnesota Ave., 3/22/12.
Tart, Bond St., 3/3/12.
El Caporal West, Franklin Ave., 2/24/12
Bo Restobar, Franklin Ave., 2/9/12.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 2/9/12.
Arts Central, Brooks St., 2/7/12.
Typhoon!, Bond St., 2/5/12.
Gatsby's, Minnesota Ave., 2/5/12
The Dog Patch, Minnesota Av. 1/9/12.
Bend Mapping, Bond St., 1/9/12.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St. 1/9/12 (Moving into Tres Jolie)
Bond Street Grill, Bond St., 11/20/12.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 10/11.
Azu, Wall St., 10/25/11.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Av., 10/11.
Bourbon St., Minnesota Ave. 10/12/11.
Curiosity Shop, Minnesota Ave., 7/11
Luluemon, Bond St., 8/26, 11.
Shear Illusions, Franklin Ave., 7/11.
Crepe Place, Wall St., 7/11.
Pita Pit, Brooks St. , 6/28/11
Smith and Wade Salon, Minnesota, Av. , 6/3/11.
Perspectives, Minnesota Av., 6/1/11
River Bend Art Gallery, Bond St., 5/5/11.
Donner's Flowers, Wall St. 3/11/11. (**Moved out of downtown**)
Maryjanes, Wall St. , 3/11/11. (new name, Tryst, moved to Franklin.).
Di Lusso, Franklin/Bond, 2/9/11.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 1/2/11
Marz Bistro, Minnesota Av., 12/20/10.
The Decoy, Bond St., 12/7/10.
Giuseppe's, Bond St., 12/1/10.
Ina Louise, Minnesota Ave., 11/3/10.
Laughing Girl Studios, 10/21/10
Dolce Vita, Bond St, 10/21/10
Diana's Jewell Box, Minnesota Ave., 10/15/10.
Lola's, Breezeway, 10/8/10.
Oxygen Tattoo, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Great Outdoor Clothing, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Volcano Vineyards, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
Subway Sandwiches, Bond St. 9/2/10.
Old Bend Distillery, Brooks St., 6/19/10.
Staccato, Minnesota Ave. 6/18/10.
Showcase Hats, Minnesota Ave., 6/1/10 (Moved to Oregon Ave., 8/10/11.)
Cork, Oregon Ave., 5/27/10.
Wall Street Gifts, 5/26/10
Microsphere, Wall St. , 5/17/10.
Singing Sparrow, Franklin and Bond, 5/15/10
28, Minnesota Ave. and Bond, 5/13/10.
Glass Symphony, Wall St., 3/25/10
Bend Home Hardware, Minnesota Ave, 2/25/10
Ciao Mambo, Wall St. 2/4/10
***Angel Kisses 1/25/10 (Have moved to 'Honey.')
Ivy Rose Manor 8/20/09
***Downtowner 8/18/09 (moving into the Summit location)
Chocolate e Gateaux 8/16/09
Finders Keepers 8/15/09
Colourstone 7/25/09
Periwinkle 6/--/09
***Tangerine 7/21/09 (Got word, they are moving across the street.)
Micheal Cassidy Gallery 6/15/09
St. Claire Coffee 6/15/09
Luxe Home Interiors 6/4/09
Treefort 5/8/09
Blue 5/2/09
***Volcano Tasting Room 4/28/09** Moved to Minnesota Ave.
Habit 4/16/09
Mountain Comfort 4/14/09
Tetherow Property 4/11/09
Blue Moon Marketplace 3/25/09
Plenty 3/25/09
Downtown Doggie 3/25/09
***King of Sole (became Mary Janes)**
Santee Alley
Bistro Corlise
Made in Hawaii
EnVogue
Stewart Weinmann (leather)
Kebanu Gallery
Pella Doors and Windows
Olive company
Pink Frog
Little Italy
Deep
Merenda's
Volo
***Pomegranate (downtown branch)**
Norwalk
Pronghorn Real Estate office.
Speedshop Deli
Paper Place
Bluefish Bistro
(List begun, Fall, 2008 )
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