Research in Learning Technology

Last week I had another publishing win (see HERE). This time it came via a peer-reviewed journal. Last year, I submitted an article to a peer-reviewed journal out of the UK, Research in Learning Technology. 

In January or so, I got a letter that told me they had accepted it for publication. There has never been a moment where I felt more fulfilled in what I've been doing than in that moment. 

Essential Reading

I've said it many times before, and I can't imagine that I'll ever stop saying this, but what motivates me more than anything else in my writing are reviews from readers. 

This one hit home. It's been a while since I got many reviews on Vapor Trail and the one prior to this was good but strangely only rated three stars. 

I'm a LEADER Writer

As this is called, Publish or Perish, and not, "Publish only Novels or Perish," I think I can safely go ahead and update this space with information regarding my most recent publishing success HERE. 

This one comes by way of the VPPPA LEADER magazine. 

Tweaking the Plot and Story

I am about 30,000 words into my draft of Sunset Perfect. I'm really thinking this draft has a very good chance of being the final version that I take all the way to publication. I changed up the model by which I am introducing the story. Instead of the hero being involved in the first partner, he comes into the storyline with the second murder. I also like the fact that he is an outsider to the professional football team, which means he has heard about professional football with the reader.

I also like the fact that he is an outsider to the professional football team, which means he has heard about professional football with the reader.

Touching and Relatable is Good

I know there are many who get fed up with these, but the truth is, they’re one of the reasons that I love to keep writing and producing novels. They motivate me like few other things. It’s like a spike of adrenaline to an otherwise staid and steady job. 

This first one, where the reviewer says that my writing is “touching and relatable”, is short, quick, and yet still quite inspiring. 

A Duller Discount

Anyone who wants to purchase my novels, feel free to contact me HERE or to purchase them full price . . . you can go to Amazon, HERE.

For those of you new to this experience, I have four novels, all thrillers for sure . . . well, maybe not thrillers, but definitely not dullers!

Writing in Katy

Someone from another writer’s forum asked me where I write. They are much younger than I am and they were picking my brain for pointers on how to write more and write more effectively. 

One of the best and my favorite places to write is this Starbuck’s in Katy. 

Just 500

Right now I’m a word counter.

The other day I wrote that I’m flipping ole Sunset Perfect on it’s head. I’m simplifying a lot! Like a lot a a lot. Which is good. I think the story through the years had taken on a bit of a Frankenstein’s Monster look. It had become something it wasn’t. It was several stories lumped into one. Worst of all, it was boring. 

Now, I think it’s far sleeker, far more to the point. TOTALLY brand new characters who are all an amalgamation of the ones that were in the Frankenstein version, and the EXACT same plot and story, just told from a different, more appealing angle. 

Epiphanies

I love when inspiration strikes. 

One of the most memorable moments of inspiration for me was one day while I worked with that contractor organization and I was on a jog trying to figure out how I was going to design the craft certification training that Brad and Rick wanted to be completed. Now, I don't remember exactly what hit me, but I remember how it hit me and where. BOOM! I had been chewing on the problem, and it just hit me. It was almost like a dog worrying on a bone, and then POOF the problem was fixed when I least expected it. It was a great feeling. And the idea was a great one.

Well, it happened again. This time with my writing. 

Taking a Break (and Breaking Apart)

Loyal readers might notice that a very large subset of information on this blog is gone. Poof! 

Yep, I split the old blog up. There is now a NEW blog on just adult education posts and self-authorship journal entries. Why? Well, it’s a bit of mix isn’t it? I started posting on adult ed stuff here just so I had some place to put all the junk I was writing. Now that I’m done with my dissertation, I think it deserves it’s own place. So there ya have it. Wander over to the new blog if you like the adult ed posts. This one will go back to just writing and reading nonsense. - this is the “break apart” aspect of the title. 

What about the taking a break aspect?