Saturday, December 29, 2012

Looking Ahead to 2013

Fatherhood
To encourage my daughter more in the creative department. We do well, but we can always do better. She loves to draw, color, and create structures with her toddler construction set pieces. Secondly, to continue her love of reading. She has now memorized a large number of her books, and as she turns the pages, she ‘reads’ aloud to herself. Priceless as they say. Btw one of her current favorites is The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood with beautiful illustrations by Don Wood.

Writing
I’ll probably stay in the hardboiled western arena but branch out with some new characters. The Lawyer, featured in the anthology Protectors, comes to mind, as well as the vivacious daughter of Cash Laramie, Veranda Jane. I also have a couple of crime fiction stories to complete.

Beer
Considering switching from Corona to Yuengling but I’ll never pass on Sam Adams Summer Ale during the warm months. Any other suggestions?

Publishing
BEAT to a PULP has books from Thomas Pluck, Heath Lowrance, Wayne D. Dundee, and many more lined up. First out of the gate will be Chad Eagleton with a continuation of A RIP THROUGH TIME, followed by Hardboiled 2 which is currently under the careful editing eye of Scott D. Parker.

Connections
Post more Charles Bukowski-style ramblings on Blogger. Give some love to Google+ by posting some short-short stories. Continue on as I am annoying folks on Twitter. Upload more personal photos to Pinterest. And, maybe, add Instagram to the list. Don’t know why, but since all my friends are doing it … “If they jumped off a cliff, would you?” as Mom would have said.

Maine
Somehow find my way back to the beauty and serenity of The Way Life Should Be state. Win, lose, or draw.

Reading
To read more non-fiction: political science and history and art. I have the genre department nailed down.

And, most importantly, lose no more than three pounds. How about you? What are your plans for 2013?

22 comments:

Randy Johnson said...

Basically(can't believe I just used that word) surviving and reading.

David Cranmer said...

Randy, If you ever decide to write a story send it my way.

Dave King said...

That's a pretty awesome set - and awesome is a word I never use. Thanks for all your kind thoughts over the past year and a great New Year to you and yours.

David Cranmer said...

Right back at you, Dave. Hope your 2013 is both prosperous and healthy for you, sir. And more poems!

Charles Gramlich said...

Write more than last year, which shouldn't be too hard. Try to do a few exericises here and there just to try and maintain. Spend time with Lana. Eat good food. That would be about it.

Scott Harbison said...

I always enjoy reading more (my goal is always a minimum of one book a month and I usually exceed that) and I sure as hell need to make time to write more. My writing goals in 2013 are:
1. Finish my two crime short stories
2. Polish my new short screenplay
3. Submit at least one of my short stories to an online magazine

Real life and my day job always seem to take up too much of my time though!

Happy New Year!

Unknown said...

Really enjoy your tweets and looking forward to reading some of your westerns. I am in the middle of writing a western of my own but am buried in the research. Happy New Year

David Cranmer said...

Storm and Steven, If you both send me an e-mail address, I will send a Cash Laramie novel to you. My e-mail is paladin-1@hotmail.com. And I appreciate you both stopping by.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I just started drinking beer this year and so far only really like the wheat beers. Especially Blue Moon. I suppose I should try once more to get a novel published but probably will not. It is just too fatiguing. I had an off year of reading books because of the short story challenge. But I saw too many movies. Must become more selective.

Oscar Case said...

Work on my next two novels and get them published. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

John DuMond said...

Can't go wrong with Yuengling, David. Best American-brewed beer, in my opinion.

As for plans for 2013, I'm going to try something new this year: finishing things I've started. Or, to be more specific, finishing them in a timely manner. I have way to many incomplete projects sitting on my hard drive.

Kieran Shea said...

2013 resolution? Burn everything down. Focus on aesthetic beauty and primal ferocity. Oh, yeah...and drink more tea. Best wishes, my friend.

Sabrina E. Ogden said...

I'm hoping to write more than five reviews this year, finish a short story I started almost two years ago, and most of all... not let the little things bother me so much.

David Cranmer said...

Patti, Blue Moon is tasty as hell. I haven't had some in quite awhile. And book? I'm not Random House but I'd love to take a look.

Best of luck with the books, Oscar. And Happy New Year, sir!

Know that feeling, John. For every project I finish, I have three more. Good luck!

Sabrina, And then work on a second story for BTAP? Yep,I just added to your list. :)

David Cranmer said...

Kieran, (Almost missed you in there.) 2013 is your year, brother. And I will be shouting your name from the tallest mountain. Happy New Year, amigo.

G. B. Miller said...

On the personal front, I have absolutely no problem in annoying people, although it seems that I'm starting to mellow out as I get older.

Looking to continue my pattern of alternating genres for reading: non-fiction for fun, fiction for reviews. Maybe when finances get better, get an upgrade to my Nook so that I can read all of those other books that the first version can't grasp.

And finally, looking to continue my streak of getting at least one story published per year. Got a novella that looks promising, so that will be the item of choice for 2013.

Oh and hit 1,000 posts for my blog.

Anonymous said...

Great post, David. If the year goes entirely according to plan... I'd like to lose more than three pounds, read a bunch of books, write a bunch of short stories, and finish the novel I'm working on.

Richard Prosch said...

Beer --lots of nice IPAs out there. For me, the stronger the better, stopping just this side of bitter. Doesn't Parker have Spenser drinking Blue Moon somewhere?

David Cranmer said...

G, Sounds like you have it all worked out. That novella you mentioned, what genre?

Erik, Did I say lose three pounds? Yeah. GAIN at least three. Good luck with your pursuits, sir.

Yes, Rich. Spenser drank Blue Moon in one of the last few books that Parker wrote.

G. B. Miller said...

Good question.

Like the problem I had with "Line 21", which was trying to properly label the genre for it, so have I with this.

But at the moment, I'm thinking along the lines of paranormal/spiritual, in that it has characters from the spiritual world (Heaven, Hell & Purgatory). Some violence and some sex.

New twist on the tried and true plot device called revenge, written in present tense.

Sarah Laurence said...

Wow, Ava is growing up so quickly! My son memorized every word of Where the Wild Things Are at two. I miss those reading together days but now he recommends adult literary fiction.

As for beers I favor British pale ales. Have you tried Bass or Hobgoblin? I also like Shipyard IPA from Maine. Have you left Maine?

I got burnt out on political science in graduate school but I still read/edit my husband's stuff. He's working on a book about the politics of public broadcasting from radio to tv to internet. Interesting stuff.

Aren't you busy enough with blog, twitter etc without adding more?

Rayzer Sharpie said...

Bass pale ale? A British beer that can't be bought in Britain. Don't believe it. Like a lot of beers Ben Trueman and Whatneys all gone.
Beat To A Pulp:Round 2 - great stuff. Love short stories.