The Writer's Life

Thursday, January 15, 2015

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/

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

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 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/

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

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 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/

Monday, January 12, 2015

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 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/

Sunday, January 11, 2015

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 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/

Saturday, January 10, 2015

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 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/

Friday, January 9, 2015

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 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/