Michael Pickell

  Song mood: Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles. I’m not sure what story I’m writing.  Although I am editing the novella that I wrote this year.  Initial process is to run the sections through my editing software.  Then pasting the sections into the word document that is formated for print.  So I can see first hand how it will look like.  I thought I put all sections in the order I wanted but found one out of sequence.  Upon reading I may find it was in the right sequence.   My idea or current philosophy on editing is I will read it and correct  it until it reads like a story I want to read.  Currently the title is ‘The Castle of the Dark Prince.’  My current realization is that I write things and find excuses not to do anything further, not to edit, not to seek publication or self-publication because it’s not good enough.  So I need to work with these projects and get them as good as I can get them, self-publish, and move on to the next project.  The idea is to get as many

Song mood: Mysterious Ways by U2. Currently I’m listening to The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan.  I’ve listened to a couple of novellas that she wrote where her detective Cormac Reilly briefly shows up in and liked them.  This is the first book with her star detective.  Between McTiernan and Trevor on who writes better suspense, I would say hands down McTiernan.   A person who writes mysteries as a genre follow a set of conventions so that the reader isn’t in a state of confusion.  One great example is putting dates before each section or series of sections.  Literary writers don’t follow conventions and the confusion at times come from the writing.  Where I say, let the characters mislead the reader not the writing itself. I am enjoying The Ruin .  It’s nice to get back to a solid mystery. I continue to walk at the lake.  Although, it’s a modified path where I get around 2.5 miles instead 4 miles.  I still need to figure out what to do for exercise in the winter.  I want to get a rowing m

  Tonight, I’m watching Dirk Gently with Stephen Mangan playing the wholistic detective.   First off, I don’t know why I haven’t watched this before.   I’m thoroughly enjoying it.   I think it really is taking place in Islington.   The latest rendition takes place in Seattle.   I lived in a suburb of a suburb of Seattle for six months. The reason I booked a place in Islington was because that was where Douglas Adams lived.  Unfortunately, I had gone through a website that was dubious when I booked a B&B at Islington.  I won’t make the same mistake again.  When I go back, I will book through hotel chains.  So my first night in England, was horrific because I found out that the B&B I booked wasn’t legit.  Fortunately, I got my money back, but it made for an interesting night.  Also, fortunately, was the Irish bar owner who helped me find a place and the coppers that pointed me in the right direction. The bar owner looked like John Hurt.  He was very helpful to me.  He calmed m

  Song mood: Everything She Does is Magic by The Police.   This song was playing on the radio as made my way to the mall three years ago on this day. From now until next spring, I think I will work on my support base.  Making connections with writer’s and artists.  I will work on short stories and editing the novella that I wrote earlier this year. Twelfth day in no shave November, and my beard is beginning to be itchy.  Three years ago for Halloween I dressed up as Martin from Dirk Gently’s Wholistic Detective Agency .  I grew out my goatee and dyed both my hair and goatee to match. I’m thinking of doing a new website next year.  Something different.  I’m looking at webcomics as a source of inspiration.  One I’m looking at because I met the artist is Alison Wilgus who does the Chronin Series.  Although my website probably won’t look anything like a webcomic.   What it will probably have will be short stories or sections of a novella I worked on last year that I called The Rad

 18 minutes to 1 am

  Song mood: The Valley of the Pagans by Gorillaz featuring Beck.   The song popped up on my Pandora and I recognized Beck’s voice. I wrote a flash fiction short story I’m naming Running From the Devil .  The name may or may not stick.  It’s about a guy who is running and realizes that has been running for an unusually long time and his life is flashing before him.  Probably not my greatest story ever, but I wrote it.  Been working on writing at least one hundred words a day to keep my writer card. There’s a story I’m thinking of writing which I’m going to call The Bass Player Who Looked Death in the Eye .  Which be kind of a spin off from my short story The Grimm Presents .  The new story will be about the unnamed Asian guy.  Who turns out to be a bass player for a semi-famous band.  I haven’t decided if the story takes place after The Grimm Presents or intersects with it. Currently, I’m listening to Felicia’s Journey by William Trevor.  It’s okay.  I like it for painting a sli