The Writer's Life 1/31 - Weeee!

The third and, I hope, final proof copy of my rock n roll epic has shipped. I should have it by Wednesday - if this next storm doesn't disrupt service. Here's an excerpt, the start of chapter three:

 Susan saw herself gliding along a long, narrow strip of ice that stretched across a pond near her home. Bonnie followed, laughing hysterically. Suddenly large, warm waves were splashing over them. They were breathless from laughter. Susan wanted the pleasurable assault to continue, although she sensed it would eventually become harmful. "Stop, stop!" she pleaded, howling as waves continued to pound them. She didn't want it ever to stop.
   She was awakened by the ringing of the phone. She sprang to a sitting position and gazed about, trying to determine her whereabouts, panicking. Someone groaned beside her, bringing her back to reality.
   "Time to get up," she said, nudging him gently, sliding out of bed, reaching for the phone. "Hello?" She stifled a yawn.
   "Miss Klein? This's Paul Ranga of Rising Star."
   She paused, trying to recall which band that was.
   "John Doe."
   "Of course -- how could I've forgotten that?" she said ironically, reaching for a cigarette. She was irked, having truly forgotten, not merely pretended in order to impart an impression of success. "Sorry. I've seen so many bands lately they've blended into each other."
   "Can I stop by your office today?"
   "No, I'd rather get out of here. I've been cooped up all morning. I'll meet you in front of the Eighth Street Playhouse in an hour. Gotta go. I have another call."
   Her guest groaned and rolled over.
   "Hey...."
   She was stopped cold by thought. She tiptoed to the sofa and went through the pockets of the pants lying there. She quickly spread a line on the table, indulged, and put the packet back in place.
   "Weeee," she said with restraint, chuckling as she recalled the dream, imagining herself sliding along the strip of ice, bombarded by warm waves.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/20 - Evolutions

What I’ll miss most after the end of the NFL season is the NY Post’s Hondo’s column on his weekly picks, which largely ignores analysis for droll commentary on pop culture and politics. He had two gems this week, each regarding the “Deflategate” scandal. He proposes a new TV series: PSI: New England. And he has a great slogan for a strategy the Patriots might employ in employ in the Super Bowl: Ground and Minus Two Pounds. Since he gave credit to a host of contributors for other comments, I assume he came up with those on his own. Kudos, sir.


Another controversy has arisen on the NFL front, one that manifests how society and the role of males has changed. All-Pro DB Richard Sherman's girlfriend is pregnant with their first child. The woman may go into labor at any time. The Seahawks have left it up to him, should the baby decide to show on Sunday, whether to forgo the game. If it comes to that, he will be excoriated no matter what he decides. I think he should play and have transportation immediately available, if needed, after the game. The mother to be is with him in Phoenix.

The other night I watched a bit of The Misfits (1961), the last completed film of Marilyn Monroe, written by her third husband, Arthur Miller, the playwright who gave the world Death of a Salesman, A View from the Bridge, and The Crucible. It showcases her mystique so well. Her vulnerability and air of mystery were riveting. Whatever it is that screen greats had, that x-factor or je nais se quoi, she had it in tons. How interesting it would have been to see her evolve through the years. She was only 36 when she died, most likely a suicide, despite speculation to the contrary. She continues to haunt, forever young. There are more than 600 books about her. Photographs of her are a marvel. Here’s a quote I found at IMDb: “I love a natural look in pictures. I like people with a feeling one way or another - it shows an inner life. I like to see that there's something going on inside them.” Alas, what was going on inside Norma Jean that compelled her to leave us so soon?


Tiger Woods shot 82 today, missing the cut in his first start of the year. He seems lost. It's astonishing, given his former excellence. He once seemed a lock to break Jack Nicklaus' major victories mark of 18. Woods, 39, has 14. It brings to mind a lyric from That's Life, sung with such gusto by Frank Sinatra: "...You're ridin' high in April, shot down in May..." (Dean Kay/Kelly L. Gordon)


I had no luck selling books on the street today. The first hour was rather warm, despite the snow flurries that persisted despite the sunshine. The wind kicked up during the second hour, a harbinger of killer cold on the way.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/29 - Outrageous

A week ago there was an article at Yahoo Sports citing weak demand for tickets to the Super Bowl. They average ducat was then going for less than $2500. At the moment the cheapest seats are going for $8500. Why anyone would pay such a sum is beyond me. Even if the game were played in NYC, I'd rather go to a friend's party than pay even $10.

I’m ready to re-submit the file of my rock n roll epic, Rising Star. I found 19 errors. Five were an unwarranted space between words. Six were punctuation flubs. There were a few of missing words and two misspellings. I dropped a sentence (He gave her a once over.) I’d used twice in a short span. I changed “anger” to “ire” because a missing word threw the entire page out of whack in the Adobe file. Those two fewer letters did the trick. I will order a third proof just to make sure the book’s structure is sound. I’m done looking for my own mistakes. I will have to wait another day to re-submit, as I just blew the process, unintentionally approving it, which I’d done once before. I will get an email from Create Space saying the book is ready to go. Then I’ll have to go back and find the proper way to re-submit. It’s a pain in the butt, but I want those errors taken out, as there are probably a few I’ve missed. The less the better. The first two or so drafts of a short story or a novel are basically play. Revision is work. I’ll be so glad when this is finally done.  

Although the temperature was in the 20's, there wasn't a breath of wind, and the sun was only partially obscured, so there was no reason not to open the floating book shop. It was a very quiet session except for the appearance of Mountain Man, who went on one of his political tirades about the fraud and waste endemic in government. "Outrageous!" he complained again and again. I agree, but it merely discourages me. He lets it make him miserable.

My thanks to Marsha, who bought Danielle Steel's Hotel Vendome.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/28 - One-Percent

Last night PBS ran yet another fascinating documentary, part of its American Experience series. It focused on Thomas Edison, who changed the world. We so often take things for granted that we forget the debt civilization owes to people like The Wizard of Menlo Park. He invented the phonograph, light bulb and moving pictures. The ideas may have come from others, but he brought them to the public. As is so typical of such innovators, he worked an 80 hour week, often sleeping in one of his factories rather than going home to his wife and kids. Of course, he made tons of mistakes, personally and professionally, but his pluses outweighed his minuses by a wide margin. In regards to AC/DC, he stuck with the latter, Direct Current, although the former was far superior. No one would argue that he wasn’t a genius, but the mathematics of AC was beyond him. He had hardly any formal education. His strength was problem solving, and his relentlessness toward it. Would these marvels have been invented had Edison not been born? I’m sure they would have, but perhaps not for decades. He accelerated the world’s modernization. He is near the top of that one-percent of the most influential humans of all time.

The media is having a field day criticizing NY politicians regarding the actions used in preparation for the blizzard that wasn’t. I despise both Mayor DeBlasio and Governor Cuomo, who are closer to the rear than to the top one-percent of humanity, but the ridicule seems 20-20 hindsight -- except in terms of the shutting down of the subway, which was built in part so that people would be able to get around during severe weather. Oddly, that call falls in the province of the Governorship. Okay, he blew it, but we should be grateful we escaped the worst of the storm. Move on.

I took my morning walk as usual at 6 AM and found the sidewalks shoveled and the streets cleared. The only people who have a complaint are those parked on the right hand side of the street, although the vehicles are not plowed in as severely as in many storms. I went out again at eleven and cleared the area around my car. Although it was only 20 degrees, the sun was shining and there was a little melting. I was done in ten minutes. I wasn't ready to return to the apartment, so I hung out for a while at my usual book nook. If it'd been ten degrees warmer, I might have set up shop. It was too windy to spend two hours out there. I conversed with several people who always wish me well, and one woman asked if I had any titles she hadn't seen. I took her to my car and she picked out five paperback romances. My thanks.
Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/  

The Writer's Life 1/27 - Shift

I'd like to thank mother nature for shifting the blizzard eastward. NYC got off rather easy. I was out at 6:30 AM and after noon and I'd guess there is less than a foot on the ground. On a scale of ten, the storm was a six. The people complaining about the city's over-reaction are silly. A simple shift westward and we would have been digging out for a month. Unfortunately, it looks like there won't be much melting for a while, as the forecast calls for temperatures below freezing and spotty sunshine. I was hoping the book shop would be back in business by Sunday, but now I'm not so sure. It will be a last minute decision. They usually do a great job clearing the front of the Chase bank, which gets sunshine almost the entire day, but parking becomes even more of a problem in such conditions. There's hardly any snow at my usual nook on E. 13th, but it only gets the sun a couple hours this time of year. The worst part of this day was no newspaper delivery. I usually spend an hour reading it in the morning, and another hour on the puzzle page in the afternoon, which makes up for the hour lost to the cold at the book shop.

With so much time to kill, I've read a lot of the second proof copy of my rock n roll epic, Rising Star. I've done 353 pages, 47 to go. So far I've spotted 17 errors, four of which were an unwarranted space between words. The only aspect I'm unhappy with is the text not filling every line on many pages. Since it doesn't appear that way in the file, I have no idea how to fix it. I'll leave it alone. Barring the unforeseen, I should be done tomorrow. Then I must decide whether to order another proof to make sure nothing changed but my corrections on the new upload. That would be the prudent course, I suppose. No sense paying for 100 copies and then finding gross errors.

My thanks to RewardTV, which sent me a ten dollar gift certificate for Amazon. I've built the account up to $85. I'm going to need copies of Killing soon, and I might use that option.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/26 - The Wait

Resurrection completed its second and possibly final season last night. It seems the creators weren’t sure where to take it after exhausting the premise of the novel on which it’s based,  The Returned by Jason Mott. It was on a treadmill for several episodes, then segued to a common plot element: Is the baby carried by a woman who came back from the dead demonic? Of course, this was not resolved, unless one believes the insects piling up on the window of the baby’s room in the final scene confirms it. If so, I wouldn’t renew the series. The theme has been done many times. Then again, where else would the storyline go? It’s time to let it go. It was a good idea that petered out.

While I was at my buddy Bags’ Saturday, Secret Agent Man came up on his vast play list at itunes. I asked who played lead guitar on it. To my surprise, he didn’t know. I finally got around to Googling it. Johnny Rivers not only sang, he did the guitar work, including the famous riff every buff tries to master at some point. I use it as part of my warmup every time I sit down to play. It’s tricky and I flub it as often as not. The tune also includes one of my favorites lines: “You let the robbers slip, while kissing persuasive lips.” Not a perfect rhyme, but brilliant nonetheless. It was written by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri. Sloan also wrote Barry McGuire’s Eve of Destruction, Herman Hermit’s A Must to Avoid, and the Turtles You Baby, a damn fine legacy. According to Wiki, Barri worked mostly in collaboration and production. 

One of the worst aspects of the deflate-gate NFL story is the constant coverage in the press. To my surprise, there was a break today from the negativism at Yahoo Sports. DT Landon Cohen, 6'1", 300 pounds, was profiled in a story. Who? Four weeks ago he was parking cars in South Carolina at a valet service he and two associates own. An injury opened up a spot on the Seahawks' roster, and Cohen got the call. He played collegiately at Ohio University and has been bouncing around the league for seven years on eight teams, including the Patriots twice. This is his second stint with Seattle. He played 14 snaps in the win against Green Bay. He may not be active for the Super Bowl, but he will be on the sideline.

New Yorkers are awaiting the blizzard. At the moment it seems eastern Long Island will get the worst of it. Projection for the city is a foot. I'd never thought I'd see the day I hoped for a foot of snow, but that's an amount that shouldn't take more than a few days from which to recover. I took a walk this afternoon, anticipating being indoors all of Tuesday. I have no idea when I'll be able to re-open the floating book shop. I'm hoping Sunday.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/25 - Tomorrow

RIP NYC legendary talk show host Joe Franklin, 88. Bronx born, his career spanned decades and he interviewed just about everybody in the arts, usually when they were just starting out. His guests ran the gamut from Al Jolson to Frank Sinatra to Weird Al Yankovic. Salvador Dali appeared on the show, as did scores of other oddballs, including Captain Lou Albano. He is credited with being the first TV talk show host, in 1950. He wrote 26 books. He was always positive and referred to his guests as “the greatest, the best.” He follows Ernie Banks down "Memory Lane" and into celebrity heaven. Kudos.

Last night I watched Edge of Tomorrow (2014), courtesy of Netflix. It is a combination of War of the Worlds (1953 & 2005) and Groundhog Day (1993), not quite as good as either of those films but entertaining. Tom Cruise stars as a soldier killed in combat by aliens. The blood of one he has dispatched seeps into his wounds, and he develops their ability to alter time. He is killed again and again, at least 20 times, I’d guess, trying to find a way to defeat the enemy. Emily Blunt plays his heroic sidekick. Screen vets Brendan Gleeson and Bill Paxton lend their considerable gifts to the proceedings. I didn’t understand all the elements, but that doesn’t really matter in a work of strict escapism, although it is interesting to read about them in the arguments in the commentary section at IMDb. The film is based on a novel, All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. From what I’ve read, the box office take was modest, probably greater overseas than in the U.S., and I'm sure the production more than recouped its costs after DVD sales and rentals, downloads and streaming. 273,000+ users have rated it at IMDb, forging to a consensus of eight on a scale of ten. I would not go that high. Seven seems about right. Doug Liman, who has many more credits as a producer, directed. He was also at the helm of The Bourne Identity (2002), which I really liked, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), which I hated. Although there is a lot of killing in Edge of Tomorrow, the violence is not the gross out kind. The film-makers were smart enough to realize it is light entertainment, not realism, and also smart enough to keep it under two hours.

My thanks to the kind folks who bought books today on Bay Parkway. It was almost spring-like, which makes news of the coming blizzard hard to believe.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/24 - Players

RIP Ernie Banks, Mr. Cub, 83, a first ballot Hall of Famer and great ambassador for MLB. He played his entire career for the Cubbies, starting out as a shortstop, where he won a gold glove, then moving to first base. He hit 512 home runs. He was the epitome of positivism and frequently espoused “Let’s play two.” He never made it to the World Series. His best chance was in 1969, when Chicago led the Mets by nine-and-a-half games in early August and wilted under the Amazin’s incredible run. He was named NL MVP in '58 & '59. He also had the distinction of being the only player to have multi-homer games vs. two of the game's greatest pitchers, Warren Spahn and Sandy Koufax. Heaven awaits. Well done, sir. (Facts culled from  articles at Yahoo Sports)

A record was set late last night in California. Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors experienced a rare hot streak. He scored 37 points in the third quarter alone, a league record. He hit all 13 of his field goal attempts, including nine threes, and both of his free throws. He scored 52 points in all, despite leaving the game with more than nine minutes remaining. The Sacramento Kings were the victims of the onslaught. Thompson has averaged 21.9 points per game this season. The Warriors have the most wins in the NBA. After last season, management canned its coach, former Knicks point guard Mark Jackson, and hired Steve Kerr, also a former point guard. Does Jackson share credit for the team’s emergence, or has his firing made the players freer to reach their potential?

I’ve hit my first area of concern in my second effort to finalize the publication of my rock n roll epic, Rising Star. The physical structure of the book looks fine through the first 184 pages. I’ve spotted seven of my own errors, an unnecessary apostrophe, an unwarranted space between words, stuff that might go unnoticed by most readers. I eliminate them because there may be others I miss. I want the novel to be as clean as possible. This morning I came upon a phrase, "He gave her a once over", that I used twice in a brief period. I wanted to replace it with "He looked at her." I’m keeping three files. The most important one, Adobe, scrunched two lines together, leaving no space between them, and I could not figure out how to correct it. I eliminated the sentence entirely and added "Miss" to the next as clarification. Now the spacing is more than it’s supposed to be. I’m worried it might throw a wrench into the upload to Create Space. Since the forecast is for wintry weather beginning Monday, I anticipate finishing the latest round by mid week. The floating book shop was rained out today.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/23 - Pay Dirt

There are two hot stories I really didn’t want to broach, as my opinion of the subjects is so biased. All humans cheat to a degree. The best people keep it to a bare minimum. I’ve never been a fan of Bill Belichick, even when he was a Giants assistant. I thought he got too much credit for the defensive prowess of a unit that was blessed with unbelievable talent. However, his record since then has been remarkable and he ranks as one of the best NFL coaches of all time, one of the very few who actually make a difference. Perhaps my dislike is rooted in simple professional jealousy. I coached at the high school level for six years with less than mediocre results. The current controversy regarding the deflated balls seems silly, although it would not have been perpetrated if it didn’t provide an advantage. Would the Colts have won had all things been equal? Who can say for sure, although it seems highly doubtful? So what’s the league to do? Suspend Belichick or Brady or both, which would severely detract from the already tainted big bash? I think any penalty should not been imposed until next season. And since this is not a first offense, Belichick should receive more than a slap on the wrist.

Despite one’s political leanings, no one should be happy when a government official is accused of fraud and arrested. I am contemptuous of career politicians, and NYC’s Shelley Silver in that class. He has been accused of conflict of interest for years, drawing a second impressive salary as a lawyer. Finally, there seems to be enough evidence to convict him. Conservatives may gloat, but what difference will the arrest make? NYC is a liberal town and likely will always be so. There will be no change in governing. My prediction: a light sentence, or he will walk after only months behind bars.

Last night I watched the premiere of Backstrom on Fox. It stars Rainn Wilson, who shot to fame as a weirdo in the long-running sitcom, The Office. The part, a talented, unconventional detective in ill health, is perfect for him. The episode was mildly entertaining. The show features modern clichés including the know-it-all attractive female partner and the super smart gay roommate. While viewing, I realized how much I missed the realism of the original Law & Order, and the professionalism of its characters. I’m not sure if I’ll give Backstrom another look.


It was one of those fluke sessions of the floating book shop. My thanks to Judith, who purchased Killing, and Jacqueline, who bought A Hitch in Twilight minutes later. Thanks also to Crazy Joe, scourge of local talk radio hosts, who overpaid for Sally McMillen's Seneca Falls and the Origins of the Women's Rights Movement, which I'm sure will provide ammunition for one of his arguments. He was wearing a protective boot on his right foot, having torn something in the ankle. Special thanks to Gary, who gushed about A Hitch in Twilight, which he bought a couple of months ago.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/22 - Parallel

Last night at ten PBS in NYC ran another in its long line of fascinating documentaries. This one was part of the series Nazi Mega Weapons, which has so far aired nine episodes over two seasons. I’d seen parts of others and was only mildly interested. This one hooked me from the get go, focusing on the SS, Hitler’s secret police, which ran Germany with an iron fist. There were two particularly astonishing aspects. To justify the invasion of Poland, which is regarded as the official start of WWII, a group of SS dressed as Polish dissidents attacked a Nazi radio station near the border that separates the two countries. One even took to the microphone and broadcast an incendiary message in fluent Polish… The bunker to which Hitler fled in his final days is familiar to most. There was also an elaborate system in another part of the country, designed as a place to make a last stand. Since their forces were spread so thin by the end of the war, the structure went unused. The film-makers took the cameras inside. It was spooky. The Nazis showed such ingenuity in their evil. Watching the piece, I began to wonder just how many Germans approved of Hitler’s Third Reich. It’s impossible to tell, but certainly there were enough to kill millions. There is a parallel to today’s world. We do not know how many Muslims support violent Jihad. One observes and wonders how so many can be convinced that mass killing is good. That’s scary.

The second proof copy of my rock n roll epic arrived yesterday evening. So far, it looks great. I've read seven chapters, 66 pages. I've spotted two errors. One was forgetting to drop the g on "something" and including the apostrophe at the end of it as well. The other was an extraneous "to" in an instance where I probably changed the wordage. I took the book to the floating book shop to see how people would react to the ten-point font. Four had no problem with it. The one who did, the Lady Eve, will be reading it on Kindle, where she can adjust the font to her preference.

My thanks to Cabbie, who donated six books and bought four, and to Barbara, who gave me a can of candy similar to Swedish Fish, only a solid rather than opaque red. I made the mistake of trying one and suffered the temptation of going back for more. I'll keep them with the books and offer them to customers.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/21 - Sun of a Gun

There were a lot of interesting stats across a broad spectrum in today’s NY Post: the average price of a ticket to the Super Bowl -- $2929, lower, at least momentarily, than in recent years but still incredibly ridiculous; Facebook is cited in one-third of divorce cases, as cheating spouses communicate with lovers or brag in posts; last year in Japan more people died than were born, which sounds like something out of science fiction; the controversial film, The Interview, has surpassed 40 million in download sales, a victory for free speech; Twiggy has turned 65. Here are then and now pics of this icon of the always fascinating world pop culture:

Although I’m not eligible until May 1st, I’ve received my Medicare card and an instruction booklet. I doubt I’ll need more than the basics at present. I dread the thought of reading up on it, having heard so many people bemoan the labyrinth. One positive aspect, I’ll be without coverage three weeks less than I’d expected. Now all I have to do is remain healthy until then.

It looked like it would be a disappointing session of the floating book shop. I had only one sale in the first hour-and-a-half in the cold, as a woman bought Thomas Keneally's Schindler's List. Then Ol' Smoky showed. He's alive and as well as can be expected given his mental state and the fact that he's sleeping on subway trains these days. He was in a foul mood at the start, cursing up a storm, disgusted with his inability to get his free cell phone working, blaming the mob and the CIA. He was wearing new cargo pants and a pristine heavy denim coat, which he must have picked up from a charity. His mood lightened after he'd dug a plastic spoon into a plastic jar of a generic peanut butter, and later a cup of peaches. By then the sun had come out, and I decided to prolong my stay. Smoky gave me a large paperback on animal spirituality, which I planned to leave in the lobby of Atlantic Towers 3. Soon after he left, a young woman reversed her steps, having noticed the same name on five of the books. She pulled out her iphone and typed in the info. I told her to look for my Amazon page, but forgot to mention she could sample a ton of my short stories for free. Although nothing will likely come of it, that alone made staying worth it. I was rewarded further when a gentleman with a heavy Russian accent purchased books on vocabulary and grammar, and a huge text on Psychology, which must weigh two pounds. And darn if my most faithful customer, Marie, doesn't show up and immediately spot the book on animal spirituality, which she had just been discussing with a friend. I gave it to her, a small token of my appreciation for her generosity. Thanks, folks.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/20 - Dancing on Rocks

The left is on an extended losing streak, at least in the public’s perception of it. Their policies continue to dominate our society and likely always will. The latest foolishness is their snit about the critical praise and popularity of American Sniper, based on the autobiography of the same title by Chris Kyle, who served four tours of duty in Iraq. He was awarded two Silver Stars, five Bronze, one Navy and Marine Commendation Medal, and two Navy and Marine Achievement Medals. He was wounded twice and survived six IED attacks. He was murdered at a shooting range by a troubled ex-soldier. He was only 38. The naïve condemn warriors. I thank our lucky stars that such men exist. Yesterday ISIS executed a group of teenage boys for the crime of viewing a televised soccer match. Who else but warriors would face such evil? Film-makers and screenwriters?

Rose Senehi, who grew up in Michigan, graduated from Syracuse University. She settled in that frigid part of New York and entered the corporate world, where she eventually was in charge of opening walls. She wrote part time. She moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and fell in love with the Southern Blue Ridge Mountain area of North Carolina, particularly Hickory Nut Gorge. I just finished Dancing on Rocks, her seventh novel. It is the story of the effect the disappearance of a little girl has had on the surviving members of her family. It is told with utmost decency, sans profanity, with only the mildest of sexual content. I cared about the characters and enjoyed the story, even though I knew where it was headed from the first appearance of one of the characters, and although it avoided an interesting conflict by dispatching a romantic rival. The prose could have used tweaking. Still, I don’t know how anyone would not be moved by the circumstances. She is to be commended for her extensive research of the area and its history. Unfortunately, I am satisfied with just a glance at natural beauty, so that aspect was a chore for me, slowing what otherwise was a fast read at 258 pages. 17 users have rated the novel at Amazon, forging to a consensus of 4.8 of five, which reveals an enthusiastic, if modest, fan base. The book’s sales have been so-so. I wish mine were so so-so. On a scale of five, I rate Dancing on Rocks three. Senehi now writes full time and lives in the small town where the action is set, Chimney Rock.

My thanks to the kind folks who bought books today.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/19 - Chronicles

The Vagina Chronicles created controversy several years ago, lauded for its frankness by feminists, bashed for its vulgarity by many. It had been staged annually at Mount Holyoke College, an all-female institution, until this year. A student spokesman criticized its “narrow perspective” and called it “inherently reductionist…and exclusive.” I guess it no longer pushes the envelope far enough. Maybe the next shocker will feature actual sexual acts. That would truly be theater of the absurd.

Anyone traveling to Indonesia be forewarned. Despite pleas from other countries, yesterday its government executed six people, five of them foreigners, for drug-trafficking. The method was firing squad. I wonder how its citizens’ illegal drug use compares to that of other societies. I’ve always had trouble with the death penalty, so I can’t support Indonesia’s methods, but its decisiveness is as impressive as it is shocking.

NFL: There were no surprises yesterday. Seattle won what figured to be a close contest, and New England rolled. As much as I hate the Patriots, this is a dream matchup -- the precision of the Belichick machine vs. Carroll's undisciplined wild bunch, whose bizarre penchant for penalties, especially the personal foul, has so far been negated by its awesome talent. In fact, the pairing is strikingly similar to last year’s. I doubt there will be a blowout this time. It looks like a toss-up.

A few days ago I emailed AuthorHouse, publisher of my first novel, Close to the Edge, and asked if they'd send me the file they use to print the book so that I could make it available on Kindle. Of course they will -- for 50 bucks, and the contract, which should soon be up for renewal, will then be voided. I'd love to switch it Create Space, which might allow me to lower the cost of a print copy from its current $16.73. I won't pay the asking price, however. My only options are finding a way to recover the file, which is on a floppy disc, or retyping the entire manuscript.

Since it was so windy at my usual nook, I took the floating book shop to Bay Parkway, where the Chase bank, which was closed, provided shelter. For the first two hours there wasn't much activity. I sold only The Manhunter, a memoir by John Pascucci, who specialized in capturing evil men, including Nazi mastermind Josef Mengele. After two, a Polish woman who has donated scores of books gave me seven pristine paperback best-sellers. Minutes later a gentleman purchased Close to the Edge. Thanks, folks. I celebrated by picking up a couple of squares at L&B.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/18 - People

In an op-ed piece in today’s NY Post, Jonathan Podhoretz explains the President’s "trolling" strategy. He believes Obama throws out plans like free community college simply to create an uproar among conservatives, hoping it will make them look bad. Has it worked? Since 2010 Democrats have lost 69 seats in the House, 14 in the Senate, and 913 in state legislatures. These days the only policy in which the numbers break the President's way among the public is immigration.

Whether one prefers the term karma or poetic justice, it’s most satisfying to see Hollywood’s limousine liberals embarrassed. This year’s 20 Oscar  nominees in the four acting categories are all white. This has bean counters in an uproar. The Reverend Al is on his way. Enjoy as the elites cower and whip out their checkbooks.

What would you do if you found a sack full of money? This has been a common theme in many films, including Good People (2014), which I watched last night courtesy of Netflix. Set in London, it stars James Franco and Kate Hudson as the recipients of the windfall, and Tom Wilkinson as the cop investigating the overdose of the criminal who lived in their basement. The best aspect of the film is its economy. It comes in under 90 minutes and takes leaps in time, leaving out the extraneous, trusting the audience to follow. It is also viscerally satisfying. Is it believable? Hardly. Is it entertaining? Very. Usually, my opinion on a movie does not vary much from the general consensus. This is an instance where I’m much more enthusiastic than the masses. 6500+ have rated it at IMDb, forging to a grade of 5.5 of ten. I say 3.5 of five. Good People was directed by Henrik Ruben Ganz, who has 25 credits across shorts, TV series and films. It was my first look at his work and I am impressed. Anyone squeamish about violence should pass.

The deluge put the kibosh on the floating book shop. At least it's not snow. After hitting Stop n Shop with the recyclables and picking up my laundry at the old house, there wasn't much to do but read and tackle the puzzle page in the Post. What will tomorrow bring?

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/17 - Bonus

Quiz: Which player has appeared in the most Super Bowls? He is profiled in an article at Yahoo Sports. I had only a vague recollection of him. He was in six championship games, on the losing side in four with the Buffalo Bills, a two-time winner with the Denver Broncos. He was a substitute defensive lineman, and his name is Mike Lodish. And what’s he doing these days? He's a salesman for a gourmet peanut brittle company. His record will be tied, barring injury, by one of two players, kicker Adam Vinatieri of the Colts or QB Tom Brady of the Patriots, whose teams will square off this weekend.

The second proof copy of my rock n roll epic is on the way. It’s nervous time. In scanning through the online reviewer, I was pleased that the spacing between chapters held together much better than last time. I regret not having placed an icon between them, something like a G-clef. I can make changes anytime I want, but if the book looks good I’d rather leave well enough alone. It’s not a perfect production. In some instances a page’s text still does not extend to the bottom, but only by a few lines. There aren’t the gulfs that characterized the previous proof. Of course, the biggest worry is whether I caught all the misspellings and such. I dread the possibility that there are many I still have missed. Knowing me, I’ll go back and make changes even if there are just a few. I hope I don’t have to go through the entire process again. I’d rather submit the update and approve publication rather than having to order another draft. If the ten point font is eminently readable, it will be a boon not only to me but to anyone who buys the book online. Changing from twelve point knocked the price down from almost $19 to $14.73. I'm not yet sure how much the Kindle version will be.

Whenever someone promises to return to the floating book shop, it's about a 99% certainty he/she will not. Today the one percent occurred. It was a day of brilliant sunshine and low wind, which negated the sub-freezing temperature. Although business was disappointing, it felt as if it were a bonus session. I'd planned to close at 2:45. At 2:30 a gentleman uttered the dreaded words: "When I come back." I waited until three. He returned while I was packing up and bought Caught by Margaret Peterson Haddix, a young adult novel published by Scholastic. My thanks, and also to the gentleman who purchased Talon, a fantasy by Julie Kagawa.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/16 - Queen of Marks

My thanks to the two gentlemen who bought books on the this windy day. After going half crazy working on getting the file for Rising Star ready for publication, it’s time for some light entertainment. Here’s an excerpt from a short story, Defining Moment, available in the A Hitch in Twilight collection. In it, a wrestler is called out of retirement to replace another who has gone MIA. The setting is MSG.

   A short, frail, mustachioed, balding man was in the center of the ring, microphone in hand, announcing next month's card. Len strode forward, largely ignored. A few young males shouted insults regarding his girth and baldness. He stifled the urge to respond. A whipping boy was to do nothing to draw attention to himself, to detract from the star.
   As he neared ringside, he did a quick shuffle step away from the railing that separated the audience from the "squared circle." He'd recognized an old, sour-faced woman clutching a large handbag. He was amazed she was still alive. Then again, it seemed she hadn't aged since the first time he'd seen her 20 years ago. The wrestlers referred to her as the "Queen of Marks." It was said she carried a brick in her purse. It certainly felt like it. She'd once delivered a blow to his back following a match in which he'd accidentally inflicted a deep gash in the forehead of a rising star. Did she still remember that moment? Perhaps she'd grown so feeble-minded as to no longer be able to distinguish good guy from bad. He was glad he'd denied her opportunity.
   As he passed the broadcast table, he patted lightly at the back of a giant wearing a headset. "Hi, Gino," he mouthed, winking. Formally known as the Siberian Assassin, Gino was responsible for the periodic stiffness of the neck that Len suffered, the result of a Piledriver executed too well.
   "Entering the ring," said the announcer, "at a weight of two hundred ninety-three pounds - the Bronx Bomber."
   Only the jokers in the crowd reacted, raising a mock cheer. The perpetual buzz that characterized live events was at its lowest volume.
   Two ninety? thought Len, irked; I'm fat, but not that fat.
   "And his opponent...." Eeerie percussive music burst through the sound system.  "...weighing in at three hundred fifty-seven pounds, from parts unknown - Doctor Voooo-doooo."
   Spectators rose, necks craned, as the behemoth skulked into the arena gazing about as if he were mad. Paper balls ricocheted from his massive torso. Beverage was hurled at him. He paused and eyed several of his detractors, most of who remained defiant. Reaction was rather subdued, as the matchup was not worthy of a major card.
   Len fought to repress laughter. Having been away from the game for so long, he lacked the discipline to take it seriously. He was sweating profusely. He'd forgotten how hot it was under the lights, how hot it could get in such a place, especially in summer.
   A short Hispanic in a bow tie and light blue shirt climbed into the ring.
   "Hi, Gilly," said Len softly, hand covering his mouth. "Long time no see."
   "Lenny? I thought you retired."
   He explained.
   "Just be careful. This guy might really be crazy. Maybe it's the stuff they're all takin' to bulk up."

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/15 - Closer

I’m sure most people would like to learn something new each day. The name Vladimir Jabotinsky is probably unfamiliar to almost all non-Jews. It was to me until this morning. In an op-ed piece in today’s NY Post, How France Can Keep Its Jews, Seth Lipsky relates the aforementioned’s beliefs to the current situation. In the 1920’s, well before the Holocaust, Jabotinsky urged Jews to flee Europe for Palestine. Vilified in his time, he is now considered a prophet. His essay, The Iron Wall, was a landmark in journalism. It refers to the cordon of defense Jews needed to protect themselves. Although he believed Jews and Muslims could live in peace, he was certain they would never resolve their differences, that no amount of negotiations would ever change things between them. Lipsky asserts that France must now create a metaphorical wall by vowing to fight anti-Semitism, embracing free speech and ending its devotion to political correctness.

I'm getting close to cracking the code regarding the production of a sound file for the publication of my rock n roll epic, Rising Star. The final aspect that has me baffled is pagination. All the pages in the manuscript read "1" at the moment. My literary angel, Victoria Valentine, sent me a representation of the page that creates the consecutive numbers, and I seem to have done things right, although obviously I haven't. I'm going with 10 point font, which has come out to 418 pages. 11 came to just over 600, 12 to 650. Those numbers don't make sense, but I'm done playing with them. The book will be less bulky and less expensive to produce, but tougher to read for those who have a vision problem.

It was still really cold today. Fortunately, there wasn't much wind or I would have packed up early and missed two valuable visits. My thanks to the gentleman who bought a canvas bag full of books. I didn't look through all of them, but there was a Grisham and a Steele among the batch. Special thanks to my most faithful customer, Marie, who I hadn't seen since before Christmas. She purchased her fifth copy of A Hitch in Twilight, which she plans to give to a friend. My thanks also to the other kind folks who bought, donated and swapped books.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/14 - Progress

I've made progress on getting the file of Rising Star right for submission, but the frustration is still high. I finally stumbled upon the procedure to reduce the page to 6x9, but when I experimented with other aspects I forgot how I'd done it, having failed to write it down. It was hours before I found it - Page Setup - duh! Now the headers and footers and numbering are not cooperating. I want them to begin on page five, where the novel starts, but they insist on appearing from page two, no matter how many times I click on the tab indicating they should start at page five. The Create Space custom template runs 648 pages, even using 10 point font, so I doubt I'll be using that. The basic runs 450, so there's a chance I may up that one to 12 point. My head is spinning right now, and the urge to get it done isn't making it any easier. It has to be done right.

I went out at eleven AM. There was little sun and still too much wind, but I decided to set up shop for an hour to keep me away from the computer a little longer. As I was closing up, Herbie showed and bought four paperback thrillers. Thank you, sir. I then killed more time by taking a long walk to the HSBC on Avenue U & E. 17th. With virtually no funds coming in from the floating book shop, I had to hit the ATM. Before heading home I stopped at Waj's gyro truck and bought chicken over rice. I then forced myself to read a chapter in a book and do the puzzle page in the NY Post rather than logging on. After a nap and dinner, I'm back at it, ready to bang my head against the wall. I remind myself that I saw the outline of a homeless guy beneath a large canvas outside the train station this morning. That's a tough life, not mine.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/ 

The Writer's Life 1/13 - Help!

Ohio St. may have won the four team tournament, but I’m naming TCU, which was unjustly left out of the mix, as the number one team in the country. It’s hard to believe the Buckeyes lost to a mediocre Virginia Tech squad in the opening week of the season. Their closing run was most impressive, especially since the offense was led by a third string QB. Kudos… Also on the football front -- the Broncos fired Coach John Fox, who in four years went 46-18, and took them to the Super Bowl last February, his second appearance in the Big Show. He was the head man for the Carolina Panthers in 2003, and came close to winning it all with Jake Delhomme as his signal caller. Rumor already has it that he will end up in Chicago, which seems to have underachieved. Fox did wonders with Delhomme, who wasn’t nearly as talented as Jay Cutler, who, unfortunately, has a demeanor that does not inspire confidence.

I finished the tedious task of assigning page numbers to the PDF of my rock n roll epic, Rising Star. I re-submitted the file to Create Space and, as I expected, there were a slew of problems with it, most stemming from the fact that the system had to crop the 8.5x11 to 6x9. I read a slew of stuff about it online, but found no solution. It's surprising, given the sophistication of modern technology, that it apparently cannot be done by striking a few keys. I hated to do it, but I've asked my literary angel, Victoria Valentine of Water Forest Press, for help.

It was a gorgeous day, but too windy for the floating book shop. It's been almost two weeks since I set up at my usual nook. Maybe tomorrow.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/12 - Rallies

Yesterday’s rally in Paris was impressive, but I’m not sure it accomplished anything but catharsis for the participants. The enemies of freedom will not be deterred. I don’t know what the gun laws are in Europe. Given its socialist bent, I imagine they’re restrictive. Any attack not detected by intelligence will be stopped only one way -- by the presence of an armed citizen, civilian or police. As for the absence of top U.S. politicians at the rally, it certainly looks bad, but our Ambassador, Jane Hartley, was present. I’m no fan of the President and have almost zero confidence in him, but the criticism seems like another case of partisanship.

And in matters far less important: the Cowboys were served what their detractors believe was poetic justice, brought down by a controversial ruling one week after being saved by one… I’m very surprised the Colts won. I thought the Broncos would prevail at home despite Peyton Manning’s deterioration. Can Indy win at New England? That would be an upset for the ages. I think the Packers have an excellent shot in Seattle. Despite the Seahawk’s talent, I’m always leery of their penchant for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. If they lost that way, it would indeed be poetic justice... Some people are surprised Rex Ryan has chosen the Buffalo Bills. I'm not. They seem a team on the rise. Good luck with the weather, though, Coach.

A friend sent me a youtube clip of the meatball skit from The Abbott and Costello Show. It’s not one of their best, as for some bizarre, unexplained reason the Italian-American Costello, born Cristillo in Paterson NJ, hates meatballs. Its saving grace is the presence of one of my favorites characters from the show, Bacciagalupe, played by Joe Kirk, born Ignazio Curcuruto in NYC. Although he has only 61 credits listed at IMDb, he extensively worked in vaudeville and radio. The series, which ran two seasons, 52 episodes, also features another great mainstay, Sid Fields, born Feldman in Milwaukee. I was shocked he has only 20 credits as an actor at IMDb. He too worked extensively in carnivals, vaudeville and radio. I was surprised to learn he was also a writer, contributing to screenplays and to 25 episodes of A&C. (Facts also from Wiki) Here are pics of these talented comics, Kirk first:

I've spent a good portion of this rainy day assigning pages to my rock n roll epic, Rising Star. To keep it from be more tedious than it has to be, I do it in increments of 25. I should be done tomorrow. I will then re-submit the file and check the Create Space reviewer to see what it looks like. I'm not optimistic.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/11 - Whining

It was one of those days I had to remind myself that my life is far easier than most people's. At 64, of course, that might change tomorrow, but right now I should be thanking my lucky stars every minute of the day. I was cranky when I left the house at 11 AM, frustrated by the difficulty I'm having preparing my rock n roll epic, Rising Star, for publication. I haven't been able to figure out how to assign page numbers en masse in the upper right corner. I've begun to do it page by page. I'm up to 65 -- of 520, and I have no idea whether it will throw the entire file out of kilter. At least I'll have something to do during tomorrow's storm. I also noticed more space than I'd allowed between two of the chapters. To keep the number of pages to a sane minimum, I separated each chapter by just five lines. Two have more than half a page between them, and I couldn't figure out how to close the gap within the file. I'm sure the problem will show in several other spots.  I suppose it's not that big a deal, but I'd like the product to be as close to what publishing houses issue. Many readers expect a self-published book to be shoddy.
   As I turned toward my car I noticed a massive cloud formation approaching. I muttered aloud. The floating book shop would be an unpleasant experience. Fortunately, I found a spot in front of the Chase bank, so I'd be able to duck into the car if the cold got to me. An hour later the sun returned. I was so relieved, and I felt foolish about the inner whining I'd done. I could feel my toes thawing. I thought business would be good, as my inventory is excellent at the moment. Alas, there was only one buyer, and I had to speak up to make the sale. I remembered a woman telling me she was a fan of Barbara Taylor Bradford, and I had a pristine paperback of Just Rewards. Thank you, madam. Another woman, who has read all of James Patterson's work, passed on my recommendation of David Baldacci. If one enjoys Patterson, there is a 99% chance one will enjoy Baldacci. Ugh! I was so tense my head and neck were aching. I've taken a couple of ibuprofen for the first time in more than a month. I hope they've warded off what might be a migraine, which I haven't suffered in ages. I'm seeing something akin to a movie marquee, which an eye doctor told me long ago was a symptom. The last two times it happened the headache didn't follow. It makes reading difficult, though. Anyway, it's small stuff compared to what some poor souls suffer. Oddly, being miffed about such  negativeness contributes to it. The mind never ceases to amaze.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/10 - Light

Sue Monk Kidd scored critical and commercial success with her novel, The Secret Life of Bees. Published in 2003, it has sold six million copies in 35 countries. At last look the print version was ranked 3349th, the Kindle version 2105th at Amazon, remarkable for a book more than a decade old. She has written 12 overall, a blend of fiction and non. Among a recent donation was Firstlight, which I would categorized as spiritual. It is a collection of pieces, her views on life. She includes personal experiences that are touching. It is grounded in a firm belief in God. She says: “Everything is in God, and God is in everything.” If God exists, this would have to be true, and evil would have to be included. She describes sorrow but does not touch upon the heinous acts some humans perpetrate. I have no trouble believing the universe was created. After all, how can something so wondrous have come from nothing? However, I do not believe God intercedes in life on earth. He has left it up to us and moved on. Although prayer is a comfort to many, I believe it accomplishes nothing else. I do not mean to imply that Kidd is a phony. On the contrary, I sense she is an exemplary person, and I wish I believed as she and millions do. I simply don’t. That said, Firstlight is still a valuable read. My eyes glazed occasionally at the accounts. And it is wonderfully written in as unpretentious a prose as there ever was. 39 users at Amazon have rated it, forging to a consensus of 4.5 of ten. On a scale of five, I say 3.25.

Last night I watched Man of the West (1958), courtesy of Netflix. I saw it for the first time at the Loew’s Oriental in the early 60’s, when it was re-released on a double bill with Garden of Evil (1954), which is unavailable at Netflix. Man of the West must have been groundbreaking in its original release, as there is much sexual tension, which was rare back then. Of course, what goes on would seem rather tame to modern audiences used to explicitness. The film also lacks the constant action of today’s fare. It is mature. The cast is a movie buff’s dream: Gary Cooper, Julie London, equally successful as a singer or actress; Lee J. Cobb; the always genial Arthur O’Connell; Jack Lord, who would later do 281 episodes of Hawaii Five-0; John Dehner, who has 285 credits listed at IMDb; Royal Dano, who was a master at playing the down and out; and Robert J. Wilke, who has 300 credits, most as a villain, I’d guess. The film was directed by Anthony Mann, whose stature has grown through the years. Reginald Rose ( 12 Angry Men {1957}) adapted the screenplay from a novel by Will C. Brown, The Border Jumpers. I’d bet the film was a big influence on David Peoples screenplay for Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven (1992). 

The management of our co-op has placed tablets in the elevators and on the walls outside them on the ground floors of the complex. They show advertisements. I assume they receive payment, which I hope will place Atlantic Towers on solid footing and keep maintenance fees in check. I've had the feeling the place is a house of cards waiting to crumble.

Since the forecast for Monday and Tuesday is so bleak, I was sorely tempted to set up the floating book shop today, despite the frigid temperature. Common sense prevailed. I'll be back in action tomorrow.

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 1/9 - Serious Men

Every now and then a person comes along whose accomplishments are so positive and staggering it makes the rest of us look tiny. An article at Yahoo Sports profiles Nate Boyer, who in 2004, inspired by a piece in a magazine, paid his own way to Africa, where he talked his way onto a U.N. flight headed for the Darfur region of Sudan, where mayhem was underway. There he went to work for Catholic Relief Services. Upon his return home he joined Special Forces, earning a Green Beret, one of eleven in the class of 150 to do so. He then served in Iraq. After his tour, 27, he enrolled at the University of Texas and tried out for its legendary football team, although he didn't even play high school football. He taught himself to be a long-snapper on punts and extra points, earning a scholarship. During the summer those years, he served in Afghanistan in the Special forces branch of the National Guard. He has graduated with a Bachelor's in Kinesiology and a Master's in Advertising. He now wants to try out for the NFL in the same role he played for the Longhorns, despite the fact that he is small by pro standards, 5'11, 198 pounds. If I were a GM I'd certainly give him a look. Here's a picture of this remarkable young man:

In a similar vein, Sean Hannity just introduced a radio guest, running down his impressive resume`. "Is there anything you haven't done?" said Hannity. Without missing a beat, the guy said: "I've never been a liberal." The guy should have his own show.

 In his op-ed piece in today's NY Post, George Will tackles the subject of climate change, as he does occasionally. He cites two new books: The Third Horseman: Climate Change and the Great Famine of the 14th Century by William Rosen, and Global Crisis: War, Climate Change & Catastrophe in the Seventeenth Century by Geoffrey Parker. It's the type of stuff serious men read, unlike a certain writer who reads fiction almost exclusively. The most interesting aspect of the article is that, in the past, periods of warming have been a boon to mankind, chiefly in their friendliness to agriculture, while periods of cooling have led to disaster. Of course, these things may not hold true in the modern world. Will, a conservative, refers to changes in climate, as I've come to, as "weather." There have been times when I've almost been convinced by the alarmists. I regret having once used the phrase "the argument has been settled." The weather is constantly changing. Are severe events caused by man's use of fossil fuels? I doubt it. I became skeptical when many climatologists substituted "climate change" for "global warming" when evidence of warming dried up. And, in the hands of ruthless politicians, climate alarmism is cover for policies designed to redistribute wealth.

While modern books are printed in a more friendly style to the reader, I am often aghast at the wasted space in them. This hit home the past two days as I've completed the latest proofing of my rock n roll epic, Rising Star. Using the Create Space custom template, the file came to a whopping 950 pages in twelve point font, 750 in ten point. I sent an email asking if eliminating the double spacing between paragraphs would disrupt the entire template. I'm awaiting a response before proceeding. It will be a pain in the butt to do, but I wouldn't be surprised if the size would decrease almost by half.  

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/