Stage set. Characters introduced. Tensions revealed. Possible motives laid out. Dead body discovered. That's Act 1 in the bag. Now the real fun starts. #amwriting

I sat down at 9:06 pm Friday to briefly--BRIEFLY--look over that morning's work on the WIP before shutting down the office for the night. It's now 12:08 am Saturday and the WIP is 2500 words longer. No matter what hour the muse knocks on your door, let her in. #amwriting #bookskychat

The closer you get to a black hole the stronger the pull of gravity. Go down deep enough and there's no escape. Today I was almost spaghettified by my KLR650. Six new shock-linkage grease seals are on the way and now I'm scared to think what else I'll find down there. #motosky #motorcycle

I'm 11,000 words into my WIP. This is usually where, if it's not working for me, I admit defeat, delete everything, and start over. (I did that six or seven times with the recently completed work.) Not this time. It's working. Really working. Onward to the finish. #amwriting

You know those posts about reading a book everyone is talking about, and it's just not working for you on any level? That's me right now. I'm giving it 10 more pages. If it doesn't give me a reason to keep going, the next person on the hold list can have it. #amreading #bookskychat

What's the first thing you'd buy if you won the lottery? Go to Common Tread to read about how I'd spend some of my megamillions. #motorcycle #motosky www.revzilla.com/common-tread...

"I wonder, who is he?" is a question. "I wonder who he is." is not a question. I'm DNFing a book because the author has no idea which is which, and because my brain's editing app runs in the background 24/7 and throws up a red flag every time a statement ends with a question mark. #bookskychat

Well, that's today in the books. I spent two hours learning how not to install the rear shock in a KLR650. My education resumes tomorrow. #motosky

A thousand posts?! Holy crap. What have I done with my life?

Wrapping up a paying job today, then it's back to the WIP where some poor jerk has been about ten pages away from getting murdered for about two weeks now. Take heart, Minor Character, your trials will be over soon. #amwriting

The human worked all day so Sophie got acquainted with her new blanket. Do golden retrievers have their own tartan? #dogsofbluesky #goldenretriever

I need only one more small part to mount the rear shock and get my KLR back on the road and it's taking FOREVER to get it here. (I'm talking to YOU, Progressive Suspension.) #motosky #motorcycle

Added another name today to my list of authors whose body of work consists of one book I really loved and a lot of others I DNFed. Hey, you win some, you lose some. #bookskychat

"You're saying things about me on the internet again, aren't you?" Only nice things. "You said I weigh 80 pounds now." Well, you do. "Keep fat shaming me, old man, and I'll post a picture of you." Wow. OK, message received. #dogsofbluesky #goldenretriever

While I wasn't paying attention closely, Sophie grew up. She weighed 10.5 pounds at seven weeks of age; today, at her annual physical, aged 5, she tipped the scales at 80. I guess I have to stop calling her Little One and Small Dog. #dogsofbluesky #goldenretriever

Before installing the oversize front brake rotor and stainless-steel line I had to drain the brake fluid. The cap screws must have had red Loctite on the threads. Easy-outs did the trick, followed by a trip to the hardware store for new screws. Tomorrow I start over... #motosky #motorcycle

"No, you CAN'T have just five damn minutes to yourself. You gave that up when you got a golden retriever. Now, pick one and throw it." #dogsofbluesky #goldenretriever

Before the first crewed mission to Mars, which could last up to 2.5 years, someone has to decide how many toothbrushes to take along. Somewhere on the ship will be a crate of them, taking up space and using fuel. I'd like to be at that meeting. I'm underqualified for anything else.

Pharmacist: You don't need the shingles shot if you never had chicken pox. Did you remember if you had chicken pox when you were a kid? Me (turning 74 next month): Are you kidding? I don't remember why I came in here.

Belated advice for the guy I just shut the door on: Never begin your sales pitch with a question that can be answered "No."

Sophie just got home from a toga party with the pit bulls next door. Someone brought catnip and now she has the munchies for a can of tuna. I'm going to get some Milk-Bones down her and put her to bed. She won't remember any of this in the morning. #dogsofbluesky #goldenretriever

Hurrah for anti-itch meds. Sophie's still tired tonight, but from playing, not scratching. I won't run out of those pills again. #dogsofbluesky #goldenretriever

Meet The Itchiest Dog In The World (TM). Her schedule has been scratch, nap, scratch, nap, chase tail, nap ever since I ran out of her daily anti-itch meds last week. We're waiting for a refill, which arrives today. I expect more napping as it takes effect. The poor pup's exhausted. #dogsofbluesky

I hate it when a book I'm reading bogs down in unnecessary detail or too much exposition, or in some other way fails to hold my interest. When I notice that I'm bored with my WIP I know I'm going down the wrong road. My tenuous attention span is finally paying off. #amwriting #bookskychat #author

I just got a high-dose flu shot. I'm not sure what "high dose" means with respect to side effects, nor did the pharmacist, but I'm sleeping in tomorrow and goofing off all day anyway, just in case. Good excuses are hard to come by.

Writing a new novel feels like getting back on a motorcycle after a few months' layoff. A little wobbly at first, but after the first few corners your brain calls up all the old instincts and you're right back up to speed, cruising along happily, putting the miles behind you. #booksky

More evidence that some people want to sound smart without putting in the effort to learn stuff: Two guys at the next table arguing heatedly about something they could easily look up on their phones, which are RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF THEM FFS. We're so screwed.

I'm writing a scene in which a writer and his agent are discussing a popular (fictional) series of YA books. I came up with the dumbest-sounding, most unlikely combination of genres to describe the series, and then, on a hunch, I did a search--and it's actually a thing. #amwriting #booksky

I can't decide whether I should keep outlining my next book or just start writing certain in the knowledge that I'll blow off the outline about two chapters in. #amwriting #author #Booksky

I meant to hike the price back up to the original $15 but it's cold and rainy and I'm stuck in the house and bored and I just can't be bothered. Missed Shifts is now $10 in paperback and will be for the foreseeable future. My ennui is your gain. #motosky #motorcycle www.amazon.com/dp/1719235317

While I was in the shower every MS Word doc icon on my desktop changed to one I've never seen before and my heart is still going about 300bpm. Hey, Microflop, warn me next time, OK? #amwriting

I had planned a NYD ride on the KLR but yesterday I pulled the rear shock. Today I ordered lowering links and it's not worth putting it all back together until they get here. Also, it's cold and raining and the house is warm and dry, with a dog. Next year for sure. #motosky #motorcycle #klr650

I don't know or care how many books I read this year. But I wrote a book this year, and a few days ago an agent asked to read it. That's what I care about. #booksky

The KLR's mystery shock turns out to be an older Progressive Suspension 465 series. The previous owner installed it backward, blocking the 5-position damping adjuster. I took a half-inch out of the preload and left damping at 3. I'll grease all link bearings before reassembly. #motosky #motorcycle

The KLR is full of surprises, and not always good ones. Look closely under the bottom adjustment ring and you'll see there's only one collar holding the spring down. Thanks, previous owner. I needed another project. Anyone got a spring compressor I can borrow? #motosky #motorcycle #klr650

What's with the Random Capitalization I'm seeing now? Where did Everyone learn this? Am I supposed to Capitalize every Name and Noun from now on? Or just Every other Word? #editing #booksky

After two sportbikes (VFR800, Ninja 650R) I'm finding the KLR a very chill bike to ride. It doesn't reward heroics, thus eliminating the temptation to do stupid stuff. It's smoother, too, than I expected a big single to be. I'm glad I got it. Now, about that seat... #motosky #motorcycle #klr650

"When I was younger I could remember anything, whether it happened or not; but I am getting old, and soon I shall remember only the latter." - Mark Twain That's why I wrote Rolling Stops--to get it all down before I forgot. $2.99 www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBNQ792H #motosky #autobiography #motorcycle

"Master Bedroom" by Andrew Wyeth. #dogsofbluesky

I'm reading a novel by an English author who keeps writing things like "I wonder where he went?" and I'm going hoarse shouting "THAT'S NOT A QUESTION!" at the book. #booksky #editing

Ten-day weather forecast says two days of sun then back to rain for at least the next eight days. If you need to contact me today or tomorrow...good luck with that. #motosky #motorcycle

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about. Screw you, age and gravity. Thanks, Harbor Freight. #motosky #motorcycle

I just heard someone say, "Dead men tell no tales." Dude, go to the library. It's full of tales told by dead people. #booksky #author #libraries

Only a few days left to get $5 off Missed Shifts before I log onto my Kindle account, forget the password, reset it, attempt to change the price back, accidentally delete all my books, and spend the next two days reuploading everything. #motsky #motorcycle #books www.amazon.com/dp/1719235317

Mood of the day: cautious optimism. Updates as they occur. #booksky #amwriting #author

Life in the garage is about to get a lot easier. #motosky #motorcycle #klr650

Woody Allen's "Manhattan" is a very problematic movie today but it introduced me to one of my favorite pieces of music. Even today I see the opening scenes of the film as it plays. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U-I...

IYKYK: Lube chain on back of rear sprocket. Push bike two feet. Lube chain on back of sprocket. Push bike two feet. Lube... Screw this. I'm getting myself a motorcycle lift for Xmas. #motosky #motorcycle

I found this little gem on the library's free shelf today. It's a 103-year-old, pocket-sized copy of "A Tale of Two Cities". It now resides on my Shelf of Honor next to a book written and autographed by a man who mined for gold in California with Mark Twain. #booksky #libraries

This was a few years ago about this time of year. I think it was Sophie's first experience with snow. We don't get it often here, or get much of it when we do. It seems to smell different. She stood like that for half a minute, just breathing it in. #dogsofbluesky #goldenretriever