The Big Day has arrived!

After 2 years of writing, editing, rewriting, reediting, numerous times of sore back, legs, and feet, blurry eyes, headaches, heartaches...

It is done and ready for the world. My first book, The Fingerprint of Jack, has been posted on Amazon's Direct to Kindle program.

Here's the link...

http://www.amazon.com/Fingerprint-Jack-Savers-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00AYQKHTO/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1358107431&sr=8-10&keywords=the+fingerprint+of+jack

CSM

The New Year

I don't make New Year's resolutions.  I don't see the point.  Life doesn't come to a halt at the stroke of midnight on December 31st.   On January 1st, I got up, took a shower, ate lunch, and went on.  Just like I did last New Year's Day.

Will I diet and loose that extra 20 lbs?
Will I exercise every day for at least 30 minutes?
Will I write eveyday, at least 1,000 words down?
Will I aim for a number of pages?

Maybe.

It's not about resolutions.  It's about making realistic goals.  I prefer to make short-term goals that will have bigger effects. You have to keep moving.   My first book is almost ready to go out into the world.  That has been the most rewarding experience and transformation that I have gone through in a LONG time.  I actually feel like I have accomplished something.  I'm excited and now working on book two... and three... and other books... and some short stories.   Writing has created a whole new road.   It will be a rough road, but still one I think is worth the trip.

I truly feel alive again.

I am looking forward to 2013... despite the fact that the number 13 is involved.

Every year, right after New Year's, the winter depression sits in.   In the past, I've spent a lot of time coming up with a list of to-dos.  Maybe 20 to 25 things I want to do.  One year I listed "learn to make bread."   Did I learn how to make bread?  No.   Another list had "Go to the movies once per month."  Did I go each month?  No.

The bottom line -- I took on too much.  So, it's time to let to notion go.

One idea that has lasted was to name the up-coming year.   I felt like it gave me an overall attitude about the coming 12 months.  So, this December, I decided a title for the year 2013 -- The Year of Moving Forward.

I recently gave myself an attitude make-over.   Let go of the old values, ideas, and preconceived notions.   First, my job is only a job.  It pays the bills.  Stuff is only stuff.  That sits around, draws dust, and I have to clean.  Negative thoughts for the most part are nothing.  I sit bad and wrote a book.  That's an accomplishment.  I know people who call themselves writers, but I don't see their names on book covers.

Mine is.   And you will see it soon.

My new focus is writing.  My characters and their stories are awaking and I can summon them up in my head with just a few short paragraphs and off we go.  I swear the other day I actually saw Sam, Rose, and Mrs. Steers as they talked in her front parlor!  It was clear as if I were there myself.

So, move over sun and give me some sky...  I've got me some wings I'm eager to try...   I'm making 2013 one hell of a year!

CSM 

Home

I tried to jot down my thoughts and feelings in this post.   As I've mentioned before, this is my scratch pad.  A chance for me to practice writing, but I never said it would be all fun and games.  There's always the rough stuff to write.  I have rough stuff to write in my books.  Yes -- books... with an "s".  I need more time to write!

And among all of the above, I'm dealing with a few of my own irritating demons.  When they rear their heads, I say "Down, damn you!"   They sometimes listen and other times don't.  Never fun.

Yet, Perry Como sings "There's no place like home for the holidays... For no matter where you roam..."  Dorothy says "There's no place like home..."   There's even old proverbs that go "People long to be at home" and "Your home is whatever place you long to be."
 
I hear the words, but sometimes I don't feel them.  Sometimes, I just can't seem to put my hands on it.  I'm holding items from that home, but they don't move... or cry... or laugh... You can hug them, but they don't hug back.

That's because home is a feeling. It's where I feel safe, comfort, and loved.   Mementos only remind you of those past days and places.  Of birthdays, Christmases, hugs and kisses...

Home can be a physical place.   Where I watch TV, read, write, sleep, and eat... It's my new place as the old place fades.  When the physical place is almost gone, I have struggled, feeling alone in the dark, trying to find it.   The place has to be nurtured, cultivated, and feed in order to make it a new home.   I have weakened mine.   Allowing it to wither, struggling for life, letting the pulse slow.  But, I know it still has life.

****
The other day I struck up a conversation with my heart.  My uninvited mind joined in.  

"Move away," I said.  "Find a new place."

"No, no you must stay," said my heart.  "You can't take it all with you and what you leave behind will only morph into a new set of irritations, agonies, and superstitions.  And there we create new problems."

"No, I need to move away," I said.  "Find a new place."
 
"Why?" said my heart.  "Do you think it will be better?

My mind rolled its eyes.  "Listen, if you want to, just move.  Don't listen to the old ticker."

My heart rebuffed.  "Stop listening to your mind and listen to me.  Why do you want to leave?"

"So I can find someplace to call home."

"Is that what you are really looking for?  Or are you just running away?"  My heart asked.

"Stupid heart," said my mind.  "Why would you ask that?  There's no home here anymore.  In the new home, there can be a new sense of hope, new adventures, new... new... new..."

"Is there?"  My heart tugged at me.  "Is it that there is no home or has it become stagnant, decayed, and blistered?  How long would it be until the new home meets the same fate?  If the old one has some life, you can water it, watch it bloom again, and journey into a new phase."

I had to ponder a moment.   What a conflict.   The old phrase "Hope springs eternal" jumps about.  I knew the correct answers.

*****

This time of year, this Christmas Season, I am reminded of a physical home.   An actual place that will soon be gone.  Along with an era.  Closing.  Only moments in time.   With burial, goes the last of the former home.  I can't deny that.

I can only stand and look at the footsteps left on the road behind me.   It will become an impassable route.   A bridge burnt by its own hand.  I tell myself "Don't look back, just remember."  Now, I evaluate where you are and how you got here and adjust.  I hate the change.  I hate the loss.

I can only hate so long, before I have to return to the journey.  There's nothing wrong with pause.  It's only wrong if I pause and move forward without learning.

I watched a great film called Big Eden.  It's about a guy whose seeking something that he can't find.   He finds what he was looking for without even seeing it.   It just comes to him.  Grace Cornwell played by the lovely Louise Fletcher has this great line.  She's talking to Henry, the main character --

Listen, you know what they say when you get lost in the woods? If you stay put, stay in one place and don't wander, they'll find you. And I was just hoping you'd let yourself be found this time. I was hoping you'd let us find you. But you keep wandering and we can't.

I had a similar piece of advice from friend, Jim Kyle --

It's not whether you're looking, it's whether you're out there to be found.

I know my choices.  I know the answer.   Let This Christmas Season roll on.  I can't stop the inevitable, but I can control the evitable.

Wow.  Did I just write all of that?
CSM

This Christmas Season

"When it rains, it pours." I have mentioned that to my sister before. Her response -- "We don't have rain storms, this family has hurricanes." So true.

I've been slow on the blogging this month. First, I've been busy with my holiday traditions. To the Phoenix Theater with my friend Lois to see their annual Christmas show. Loved it! Loved it! To Theatre on the Square with my friend Joe and his friends The Mikes. Guys -- I think we should do something different next year. Just sayin'.

Onto the Indianapolis Men's Chorus to see Joe perform. I saw a couple of good friends -- Kathy and Elizabeth. This year's concert was wonderful. Great job! Joe -- you need to project a little -- no, just kidding. You were fine. And you weren't the only one that was fine...

Meanwhile, among the festiveness, I've dealt with a father whose lost 40 lbs. in just over two months. I've watched him age fast. I'm reminded of my mother and how she seemed to age over night. He's got kidney failure, congestive heart failure, diabetes, high blood pressure... The guy didn't get the best warehouse to work with this round. Hopefully, when he moves on, they'll give him something better.

I just can't help but feel scared and sad. You never think your parents will die. They should live on and on and on. And in a sense, they do. It's not a final parting. It's a temporary separation. Someday, we'll shake hands again. There be no fear of the past or secrets.

CSM

New Directions... No, I don't mean the boy band.

With the changing of my blog address, I already feel like I am now on my way down a whole new path.   I have lived with The Fingerprint of Jack for two and half years.   Now, I near completion of the last round of editing.  The cover will be unveiled hopefully next week.

It's been a two year project.   It's time to move onto the next one.

Cleo and Edgar:  A Time Savers Club Adventure is the title of book two.   I had no issue finding names for the first two books, but book three of the trilogy has yet to provide me with its name.

Keep watching for more chapters, materials from The Time Savers Club archives, and who knows what else on my other blog.

Watch this blog for my shameless self-promotion, short stories, and who knows what else.

Also, I just found a sci-fi writer by the name Christopher Marshall who lives in Ohio.  Guess I'll have to go by Christopher S. Marshall.   Sorry other Christopher Marshall -- I would prefer the credit for my book.  I suspect that you would prefer your credits as well.
CSM

Official Notice

Hey everyone

I am officially changing the web address of this blog from -- http://fingerprintofjack.blogspot.com/ -- to http://christophermarshallwriter.blogspot.com.

Since I am now moving onto other projects, like book two and three, plus other short stories, and then there's that other novel unrelated to anything I've scratched out so far...

So many words, plots, ideas, characters all jumping around in my head!  I may go crazy!

Yours

CSM

My First Writers Conference

Last Saturday, I attended my first writers conference sponsored by the Writers Center of Indiana.  "The Gathering of Writers" at Indiana Landmarks Center proved to be well worth the money.   I enjoyed my chosen sessions -- all on fiction. 

Melissa Fraterrigo's session focused on effective openings that captured the reader's imagination.  Sarah Layden led us through exercises and discussions on "mapping fictional places and spaces."  And last, but not least, Ben Wintes gave "a fast-and-furious, down-and-dirty lesson" on plotting and structure.  I am still in awe of all three!

OK, this will sound very strange!  I learned nothing, but learned an amazing amount about writing.  Here's what I took away from listening to these three generous writers --

You are the producer, the director, the set-designer, the costumer, the actor, the actress, the screenwriter...  It's yours totally to own.  No one can take it away.

You take common (and not-so common) words turn them into any sized story you want.  Treat it like silly putty and stretch it any direction you want, into any space or time, and create characters who can be simple or complex.

You take your reader by the hand and say "Hey... Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination."  (Thank you, Gene Wilder's Willie Wonka!)   Be it down the river, up the mountain, through the woods, under the earth, up to the moon or beyond.   Anywhere.

You have the ability to escape and take a few readers with you.

I just have to remember that it's a rough road filled with patience, perseverance, tough choices, tears, fears, laughter, and simple joy.

Now, when's the next conference?  I'm ready!