Taking a different approach to writing.

I think what's bothering me about my new book, is that I don't feel fully engaged in it. Not like I used to be.

Some of this is the way I'm doing it in a measured, cold-blooded way. This was on purpose, to be effective. But I don't seem to have a lot of emotion in there. I mean, I wanted to tell a story with Star Axe, but I also had quite of bit of empathetic feelings in there. Snowcastles and Icetowers were light, but I still was reaching for symbolic level.

So...I'm not sure, but I want to imbue the second draft with a bit more feeling and drama. I really need to totally immerse myself in the book --- totally commit. Can I find the time to do that?

I think, if I wait until January and don't have interruptions for a good few months, I could maybe really go for it.

I'm not sure the story has enough meaning -- but then again, a story has the meaning I put into it. I need to think about that.

I think a lot of the "meaning" I had in the earlier books came from my drinking, at least to some extent. I'm much more emotional when I drink, and I think I'm confusing that emotion with what was actually being accomplished on paper.

I don't think there is more emotion in those earlier manuscripts, but the illusion. It was weighted with ambition and desire and feeling and wish fulfillment.

Whereas, this book is much more workmanlike. Like a puzzle. To see if I can do it.


Later:

My original motivation for writing, I think, was to recreate those wonderful moments in books where I was excited and emotionally fulfilled. LOTR's, for instance. Watership Down. The Once and Future King.

I'm well aware of how hard it is to actually accomplish that.

But that's my goal, my motivation.

Well, I probably had that ambition from the time I was 12 years old. I wanted to own a bookstore and be a writer.

But I couldn't get anywhere, until one night, when I was about 20 years old, when I found the key to getting started. I told myself:

"Tell A Story."

I had the basic ideas for Star Axe within one night of feverish thinking.

Actually being an effective writer, however, is a whole nother thing. It took me another 5 years of writing classes and workshops before I finished my first book.

The second and third books came relatively easy. The fourth and fifth books were duds. The sixth book, I remember trying to stretch my boundaries -- trying something new. And being put through my paces by the publishers and editors -- rewriting to their specifications. And my seventh book was written while Linda and I were getting together, so there was a rosy glow.

However, my work process was so all encompassing and intrusive, that I couldn't continue once I owned a business and had a family.

So when I decided after 25 years to write another book, I knew that I wanted to take a different approach. I wanted to be effective. It wouldn't do any good to burn myself out again, if I create a 25 year writer's block.

What went wrong the first time?

I think that I immersed myself a little too much in those first drafts, constantly writing and rewriting and changing. I was totally obsessive, compulsive. I can remember going with sleep or food, of being actually dizzy when I went out into the world.

Then, when I wrote the second drafts, I tried to be more workmanlike and structured. But by then, I was worn out. I just wanted my book to go out. I wasn't really willing to put that effort into it.

I couldn't work that way anymore. Nor was it -- in the end -- truly effective.


So I tried with this new book to take a new approach. To learn from past mistakes.

The start: "Write a Story." Still the most effective key to unlocking my creativity.

So that's what I've been doing. In a measured way. About a chapter every 2 weeks. Yes, I could do it faster, but I'm purposely doing it this way. When I was stuck at page 50, I went on a writing trip, and was able to write a bunch and figure out the plot. But then I went back to the measured writing.

No drinking. No compulsive days on end, dizzying writing sessions. No obsessive rewriting over small changes.

So now, as I approach the end of the first draft (two chapters!) I'm starting to look at what I'm going to do in my second draft.

I think I'm going to continue the more workmanlike method for the second draft. I have exposed most of my story to my writer's group, and they made comments and corrections, so I'm going to use those as my springboard. Concentrate on the outline, the consistency, the writing.

And then -- when I'm ready to write the third and final draft, I'm going to totally immerse myself compulsive obsessive like. Do it in a month. No distractions. Completely committed. Imbue it with all the depth and feeling I can.

So in a sense, I'm going about this in a completely backward way from the way I used to do it. The three steps are reversed, almost.

I have more patience now -- and I've come to realize that having great emotion and depth of feeling doesn't necessarily translate into effective writing, unless I do it right.

Late to the party.

You'll probably just laugh at this, but I spent a whole afternoon yesterday listening to Daniel Johnston songs.

O.K. I knew who he was -- vaguely. But I was really liking Beck's version of True Love Will Find in the End, so I went to YouTube.

But once I started really listening, I was Gobsmacked.

I loved them all. Every song. Just kept listening and listening.

At first, I wondered how they would sound with professional backup. Maybe cover versions.

Because-- I thought -- he isn't the greatest singer or musician in the world.

Except it turns out he is -- none of the covers are as good as his original songs.

This is one of those cases where I can actually understand why others don't care for him -- without being defensive. And where I could be accused of just being another hipster who likes him as a pity party. But I actually thought his music was pretty interesting. No doubt, though, it's an acquired taste.

I'm also kind of glad I discovered his music without having seen the movie. "The Devil and Daniel Johnston." (Damn Netflix streaming once again doesn't have a movie I'm looking for....)

There is a danger of romanticizing depression and craziness, and having had a major depression episode earlier in my life I know it ain't romantic in any way. But there is something about someone just -- as he says in his song -- living his "broken dreams."

So ........ I know I'm not the first or the last to find this guy, but just marking the moment.

God (nature) bestows it's gifts in mysterious ways.

Saturday suds.

We've worn out the "mute" button on our remote.

What does that say?

**********

I suppose it wouldn't have helped if Joe Paterno had retired earlier -- the sex abuse scandal would still reflect negatively on him in a retroactive sense.

**********

Linda said, watching House Hunters, "I can't believe the U.S. has Virgin Islands."

"I can't either. I'm can't believe the U.S. would leave them virgins for long."

**********

Unexpectedly, I've been watching lots of documentaries on Netflix streaming. These are the kinds of movies that seem to never show up either on the cable channels or at the theaters.

"The Art of the Steal, Herb and Dorothy, Van Gogh: Brush with Genius, Objectified, Helvetica, Basqiat: Radiant Child, and several others that have dropped off my "Recently Watched" list.

I didn't realize Netflix was like Pandora, recommending movies based on what you've watched.

I tend to like documentaries about art and/or commerce. Not the kind of thing you can find, even on PBS.

Kind of funny to see what categories they think we like:

"Art and Design."

"Campy Action Thrillers."

"Gritty British Crime."

"Science and Tech Documentaries."

That all fits, right?

Friday fraps.

"Earlier Store Openings Anger Some" Bulletin, 11/11/11.

Oh, boo hoo.

**********

What's today's date again? I think it's 11/11........don't help me here, I'll remember......11/11.......

**********

Told firmly by Paul not to try to be funny. Sorry.

**********

So here it is, 11/11/11, and home prices are still dropping.

**********

"Oregon Economic Forecast is for 'Tepid Growth'."

You know, like so tepid you don't notice it.

**********

Seven former mayors of Bend sign a petition to rethink the water filtration plan.

I think it's a case of -- if the current city council felt like they didn't have the money, they'd come up with a viable alternative.

It looks to me like they really didn't consider the viable alternatives, but went for the biggest option. (And a 40% increase in water rates.)

Bend always goes for the biggest option....

**********

Paul said I was being too downbeat, lately.

Which kind of surprised me, because I'm actually feeling pretty good about things.

**********

So a city councilor, running for county commissioner, went bankrupt.

What stood out to me was that he bought his house in 20o6.

By 2006, a bunch of us bubble bloggers were already having long discussions about how unwise it was to buy a house at those prices. I mean, it was pretty obvious. Seriously, it wasn't that hard to see, especially in Bend.

**********

I started watching the Talk of the Town local access show about the downtown street closures, but I can only take 10 minutes without tearing my hair out in frustration.

It seems to me that the Downtowners, the city, and the event coordinators managed to dilute the message within 5 minutes.

In fact, they made it about MESSAGE, which I don't think is the issue at all.

It's frustrating to hear another retailer say, "Well, yeah, sales are down considerably for the day, but it's still good for us."

Argghh.

**********

Paul also mentioned that he thought I was done commenting about street closures.

Well, sure.

But then everyone else brought it up.

*********

Shut up, Paul.

When I'm wrong.

That the parking garage in downtown Bend wouldn't be used. Can't imagine downtown without it.

That Magic, the Gathering was on it's last legs a couple of years ago. Wizards of the Coast has just announced that volume has doubled since 2008.


O.K. I'm thinking, I'm thinking. I'm sure I've been wrong about something else.


Oh, yeah.


Big one. That the internet was a waste of time. I didn't have time for it. Hah.

That the Old Mill was one shopping area too many.

That Northwest Crossing would empty out.

The Bend, overall, would lose population and people would quit moving here.

That the vacancy rate downtown would increase. (I didn't think downtown would empty out, boarded windows and all, but I thought there would be SOME consequence...)

That I would never get a cell phone. Or use it.



Still Not Sure:

Whether books and comics have any future. Or DVD's.

Whether the big box stores are Ponzi Schemes and will collapse from pressure from the internet.

Whether there will still be enough business for small independents to take their place.

Personal advice by Mickey Spillane.

I dreamed of a personal advice column by Mickey Spillane.

"Dear Mickey,

My husband won't help with the housework, what do I do?"

Dear houseworthless,

Wait until your worthless piece of shit husband is watching the 4rth quarter of an important game and then whack him to the side of the head with an iron frying pan.

Scream at him, 'Do the fuckin' dishes!'

That should take care of your problem, babe.



"Dear Mickey,

I'm being sexually harassed by a coworker, what should I do?"


Dear Her-ass,

Wear your most sexy dress and lure him to the balcony. Grab him by the balls and push him over the edge.

Be sure and hang onto the balls.

Capeesh?


"Dear Mickey,

My neighbor's dogs won't stop barking, what do I do?"


Dear barking-mad,

Knock on his door and when he answers, punch him in the nose.

Tie him to his lounge chair, and take away the dog food.

Lock the door behind you...



I could go on and on with this....I have weird dreams.

Anyone else want to contribute?

The Difference Engine

If you were intrigued by the article in today's Bulletin about Babbage's Analytical Engine, there is a terrific book by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, which describes the world as it might have been if the "The Difference Engine" had actually been built.

Steampunk and adventure and speculative fiction at it's best.

I love these 'out-of-time' inventions. I love good old Tesla. Einstein. Napoleon.

People who come out of nowhere. (They are also examples of why doubting Shakespeare is moronic.)

Black Swan people.

Jeff is always upbeat.

Interesting article about Jeff Valley. He was in my graduating class, and my shop used to be on his bike route. When I came back to town after college, he still remembered me from high school.

He'd pop his head in the door, and give me a moose call.

"Hooot. Hooooooot." Big laugh.

"Kinda cold today, Jeff?"

"Yeah, Dunc."

"Don't you get tired riding that bike?"

"Yeah, Dunc."

"You doin' good?

"Yeah, Dunc. Hey, Dunc.....hooot, hoooooot."


I can still hear the "Yeah, Dunc's," clipped and cheerful.


Stopped seeing him awhile back and was wondering where he went.

**********

Success breeds success.

Marvel Comics has a twelve month rolling average for my highest wholesale discount. (Qualifying for roughly an extra 3%.)

DC has a six month rolling average. (extra 3%)

I've qualified for the Marvel discount for a number of years now.

I was always about 25% below the DC discount, and even when I piled on reorders, I could only get to within about 5%. So I gave up, and more or less dropped back down to being about 35% below the necessary levels. (Discount levels apparently can be a de-motivator as well as a motivator.)

Anyway, I was so far below the DC level, that I quit trying.

The DC New 52 has been so dramatic that I've reached the necessary discount level with one dramatic month. Not only was it a five week month, but it just seemed like everything arrived in that time frame.

So the extra 3% went from being unreachable, to totally blowing it out of the water. I'm enough over the level that it would carry me for several months even at the old level of sales. I don't think that will be necessary, because sales --while they've dropped to more moderate numbers -- are still well above the old numbers. So...it probably means I can count on the extra 3% for the foreseeable future.

Every little bit adds up.

I qualified for another 5% discount from DC on backstock in December because I filled out a survey, so I'm going to spend some of my savings on buying up as much Evergreen product as possible. Multiple copies of Sandman and Y-the Last Man and such. Hopefully, I won't have any more instances where I have shortages for a few weeks.

Kudo's to DC for taking a risk and making it work.

Do No Harm.

My eyes glaze over whenever I start to read about the Greece crisis.

I can't absorb it.

**********

It's worth remembering that Oregon's one loss was to the team that's beat everyone else; L.S.U.

Of course, they still have to beat Stanford.

**********

Why can't they make movies that look as cool as video games? Everytime I see an ad, I think that wonderful imagery ought to be in a full length movie. Instead, most video game movies suck.

**********

This year has gone by so fast, I've got whiplash.

**********

One woman, two women, three women, four,
How many women does it take,
to show Herman Cain the door.

**********

Sunday has Dexter and Hell on Wheels and Boardwalk Empire and Once Upon a Time (for Linda) and The Good Wife and Homeland and Walking Dead.

Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Sat. have hardly anything at all.

What's with these people?

***********

I hate to agree with a Bulletin editorial.

But it does seem that the city of Bend consistently underestimates the costs of their projects.

As well as consistently underestimating the effect of the economy on revenues.

The common characteristic is huge projects, under the mantra of building for future growth. Which may or may not be right. Thing is, it probably isn't affordable. But because they can justify it, they are going ahead and hoping revenues catch up.

Sometimes a delay isn't such a bad thing.

The motto ought to be: Do No Harm.

**********

Speaking of Do No Harm.

This also ought to be the guiding principle to downtown street closures.

If some businesses are helped by these events, and some are hurt, the people being hurt should have greater weight, not less. If no events means neither hurt nor help, that is maybe what should happen.

I don't buy into the notion that we'll somehow lose our momentum downtown. Downtowners like to crow that we have almost no vacancies. I don't think that would stop, if we suddenly didn't close streets.

According to sources, when asked if the downtown events helped business, half the people at the downtown meeting raised their hands.

Hey, how do they know? From my keeping track, about 40% of them have only been around for a couple of years. What do they have to compare it with? They've never seen an alternative.
How do they know that summer weekends wouldn't even be BETTER without the events.

And, harsh as it may sound, I'm convinced some business owners are so out of touch with what's happening, they can't even judge it correctly.

But even if it's true that a majority of businesses are helped, like I said above, the fact that some businesses are hurt should have a strong weight. If not doing the events is neutral.

So the motto ought to be: Do No Harm.

Sunday splat.

I have absolutely zero interest in the movie, J.Edgar. I can't think of a less appealing person to base a movie on. In fact, he is actively repellent.

So, you know, it'll probably be a big hit.

**********

What would happen if, every time the stock market went up 500 points, you sold? And every time the stock market went down 500 points, you bought?

Just wondering.

**********

I wonder why it seems like half my customers love Tintin and Asterix, and half my customers have never heard of them?

It's either one or the other. No vague familiarity.

Love them, or haven't heard of them.

Of course, after Christmas, EVERYONE will know who Tintin is. Because they know who Spielberg is....don't you know.

One of the more frustrating things about being "in the know" and being a "retailer" is the disconnect to those customers who "aren't in the know" but are potential customers.

"Hey, this young adult book, Hunger Games is really cool. And it's going to be BIG! when the movie comes out...."

"ummmm.....I'll think about it."

So I spend a couple of years talking up Game of Thrones, or The Walking Dead, and getting blank looks and rejection and I'm nearly begging them to give it a try -- and then the shows come out, and it seems like all of a sudden EVERYONE wants them.

Doh.

I make it a habit not to recommend anything I don't actually really, really like.

But I guess the customers don't know that.

**********

See what happens when you retire, Andy Rooney? Happens every time, I tell you.

**********

Check out the Triumph the Comic Insult Dog video about Occupy Wall Street. On the Conan show. Or, it's over on the local The Source site. Genius.

**********

I swore I wouldn't watch any videos or look at any pictures of The Hobbit movie-- but I couldn't resist.

It looks fantastic. Kind of seems like it will be lighter, more humorous than LOTR's; but then, so was the book.

Go, Radagast the Brown!

(I always related to Radagast, because my name, Duncan, can be translated as Brown (dark) Warrior.)

**********

Old technology that still works. Trains and books!

**********

Here's why I don't bother to look at the bestseller lists.

The current top 5. Publisher's Weekly.

1. The Litigators, John Grisham.
2. 1Q84, by Haruki Murakami
3. The Snow Angel, Glenn Beck.
4. The Best of Me, Nicholas Sparks.
5. The Christmas Wedding, by James Patterson and some other guy (who probably actually wrote the book.)

At least three out of the top five are utter pap, and the fourth is probably pretty workmanlike. I'll let you guess which three. (Well....Glenn Beck? Shoot me now.)

I have ordered 1Q84 by Murakami, however; as well as trying to get his back list as much as possible.

**********

Being a card shop.

I was trying to imagine how hard being a full service card shop would be right now. One of the big three sports isn't even playing. And since Basketball is the only big league sport in Oregon, that's even more impactful.

Panini (the Italian sticker company who has exclusive rights to NBA basketball cards, and what does that say?) hasn't even bothered to put out a brand so far this year.

It's as if a third (or more) of the product that your store sells, just disappears.

What sport card shops who still survive have, is what I call Cockroachability -- not even a nuclear bomb will completely wipe them out. I suspect, mostly, because most current owners don't actually live off their business...

What's interesting to me how demanding sports card customers can still be. They usually give me a "treat me right or else" vibe, to which I usually give a, "here's what I got at what price, buy if you like" answer. As you can imagine, that very often doesn't work.

So I sell the occasional packs to casual customers. And the even more occasional boxes.

The price structure to sports cards is completely dysfunctional. The only way you can survive is to be MORE expensive than S.R.P., and yet, like I said, the customers expect you to be CHEAPER than S.R.P., because there are plenty of people online selling for near cost.

Crazy industry.

I've managed to eke out small profits by doing it my way, but it's constantly on the edge.

I recently had a customer think that I was raising my prices so that I could give him a 10% discount. The truth was, I was actually doing the opposite!

I was keeping my prices lower than usual because he was buying so much.

In the old days, I would've been paying enough attention to know what I had priced something the last time, but nowadays, I do a quick calculation and put the price sticker on. Since I have a fixed formula, I tend to average it out either upward or downward, depending on a number of factors that aren't always the same.

So, say I arrive at a retail target price of 73. 40. So, I'll average that out to either 69.99 or 74.99, depending. But like I said, I may not remember what I did the last time.

What gets me, I suppose, and why I'm writing this, is that this card customer automatically assumes the worst motivation.

Arrggghh.

The solution, I've decided, it to put a price on the box and not offer discounts. That way, there can be no misunderstandings. The price is what the price is.

So I raised all the prices on the boxes to the prices I normally would charge, and I'll stick with that.

Back to doing this the no fuss, no muss way.

The customer can decide. I totally understand if they don't want to pay my price. There are always a few customers who will, fortunately.

A retail store shouldn't try to be a flea market. I don't offer those kinds of automatic discounts for any other product in my store. Well, I give 10% for comic subscription customers, and I give a "Buy 5 packs and get the 6th pack free deal" to Magic customers. But that's it. Everything else is retail priced.

And now, so too are sports cards. No more unnecessary discounts.

I wonder why I was ever tempted to do so? Tradition? Industry norms? Customer pressure?

Whatever it was, it's come to an end.

The Great God Pegasus To Whom All Glorious Sacrifice Must Be Made.

I realized something this week. Cutting the number of days I work, has not necessarily cut the amount of work I do. It's just more concentrated.

I barely keep up with the work I need to do on the days I work. I don't remember that being true when I was working more days.

Back when I worked just about every day, I got very good about pacing myself. I'd plan for orders one day, receive orders on another day, rearrange another day, pay bills another day, clean another day. It seemed almost effortless.

Now, I feel like I'm scrambling from the moment I get there. I feel like I've pretty much delegated the things I can delegated, and the things that are left to do, are the things only I can do.

I noticed once that Linda would rather work fewer but longer days, while I preferred more but shorter days.


Yep....... I'm whining about working fewer days....

Double down doubtful fodder scraping.

Personally, I've decided the default notices rate don't mean a thing.

"Default notices drop in October." Bulletin, 11/4/11.

It's in the banks interest to keep the current 'owners' in the sweatbox as long as they can, to wring that last ounce of moisture out of their poor desiccated bodies. Besides, that way, the banks can escape liability for the property taxes.

Any time they want them, they can get them.

I think that's all that's happening.

**********

I can sort of tell when another blog is scraping for fodder. Takes one to know one, you know?

Anyway, there is a story over on The Beat that correlates the number of young men living in their parents basement with the strength of the entertainment industry:

"Almost one in five men between the ages of 25 to 34 are living with their parents, according to a Census Bureau report released Thursday."

What's more:

59 percent of men and 50 percent of women ages 18-24 still live at home.

As well as being somewhat insulting:

We’re not saying that all comics are purchased by nerds who live in their moms’ basements. We’re just saying that a lot of people are living in their moms’ basements. Of course, they may not have the most discretionary income in the world, either. Either way, a lack of upward mobility can be a powerful influence towards escaping into a fantasy world.

All this seems pretty dubious evidence of anything but a bad economy and coddling parents.

Of course, me talking about it is probably just doubling down on the doubtful fodder scraping.

**********

According to my math (talk about dubious!) roughly 40% of the downtown retail and restuarant spaces have folded in the last 3 years, since I started my Comings and Goings list.

Of course, even more stores have come in to take their place.

Nevertheless, 40% in 3 years.

From my perspective, it seems like hardly anyone really makes it over the long run in small business. I mean, I know that can't be right, but the more years that pass, the less long lived businesses I see.

Creative destruction, indeed.

I mean, it must benefit the economy somehow, right? Is being in business 5 years enough to be a net plus? 3 years? 1 year?

Hard to figure.

***********

"I've been giving the store everything It wants this year," I said to Linda.

She laughs. "You make it sound like it's a very demanding person."

"No. It's the Great God Pegasus, to Whom all Glorious Sacrifice Must be Made."

**********

A Company Will Expand to its Level of Incompetence.

There's a story on Shelf Awareness of a longtime online discount bookstore opening a bricks and mortar location.

Owner says it's gotten too competitive online. And she talks about what an irony it is that she was opening a store, when just a few years ago she was encouraging her dad to close his stores and go online.

heh.

**********

"OSU-Cascades May Offer Master's in Creative Writing." Bulletin, 11/3/11.

Just what the world needs. More pretentious writers.

heh.

**********

Oh, the power of it all. The Greeks have complete control of my stock portfolio.

Mention a 'referendum' and the stocks go into freefall. Back off a 'referendum' and they go back up.

That can't be healthy.

As I twittereded. "Oh, stock market. You son of a bitch."

heh.

**********

A paranoid local district attorney creates enemies which makes him paranoid which creates enemies which makes him paranoid.

That can't be good.

heh.

**********

Another local, apparently thriving company, PV Powered, gets bought by a bigger out-of-town rival, and immediately seems to collapse.

Funny how when the parent company gets in trouble, the costs get cut at the new merger.

I hereby call it McGeary's law: A company will expand to it's level of incompetence.

heh.

**********

Linda and I saw that four point buck in the Bulletin on our Sunday drive on the west side. It was standing in the middle of the road when we turned a corner.

It had a look, as if to say: "What's your problem, bud?"

Saw two other batches of deer that day, within a few blocks.

Rodents with hooves.

heh.

All action movies are based on the 7 Samurai.

By coincidence last night, I watched two movies more or less based on the Seven Samurai.


****SPOILERS****

The first was an English movie called Ironclad. I thought it was going to be a thud and blunder movie, but it actually turned out to be a fairly historically accurate story of the Siege of Rochester castle, by King John (of Magna Carta -- apparently, he didn't accept history's verdict.)

It was a cross between the Alamo and the Seven Samurai.

Where it varied from history was in the scope of the thing. They have 20 knights and soldiers holding off an army of 1000. Whereas the real battle was between about 140 knights and many more soldiers as defenders.

You kind of wonder why, if they are going to be 70% accurate, why not be 100% accurate? I don't think it was just a matter of having the hero ride off into the sunset with the damsel. I think it probably had more to due with budget constraints.

I wonder if the book, The Religion, (Siege of Malta) could ever be made affordably, and without offending Islam. That would be a great story.

***********

Then I tried the movie The 13 Assassins.

Again ******SPOILERS****


What an awesomely cool movie. I mean, it's great. For god's sake, if you like action movies, you got to see it.

Apparently it's based on another movie with the same title, but -- really, it's more a remake of the Seven Samurai.

It had some creepy, atmospheric set-up, as befits the director of Audition, Miike, but when it gets to the action scenes -- it's incredible.

I loved the ending, when the last surviving samurai moves to throw away his sword, and at the last second hangs onto it. And the 13th assassin (who isn't samurai and proud of it) skips merrily down the street like a forest sprite, jumping over piles of bodies. Amazing.

How could I have not seen this movie yet?

Booksellers or content providers?

Linda came in to my office waving a flier from Barnes and Noble. "I think they're getting desperate," she said.

Offering $25 off Nook; 40% off hardcover bestsellers.

"How do they make any money?" she asked.


I wonder if the divide I see with digital versus book/book is one of perception.

I simply don't believe that digital books are the same experience as reading a book/book. Based on my trying the two methods, I much prefer the book/book.

Others see no difference, apparently, and I'll take them at their word.

But fundamentally, I don't think books are the same as music. I don't think pirating is as big a problem, either.

I remember about 5 or 8 years ago when Topps was offering "digital" cards. If ever there was a more acquisitive group of customers than sports card collectors, I don't want to know it. I mean, that was just about the stupidest thing I'd ever heard. And yet, someone came up with the idea, and someone at Topps greenlighted it.

WTF? Really? Did they really think that would work?

Not everything digital is an improvement, just because it's digital.

I think books will be just fine.

I'm not so sure about Barnes and Noble. There was an article in the Bulletin today that fake iPads were "flooding the market;" which just points out that pirating and stealing is going to be a problem no matter what approach the manufacturers and producers take.

So, you don't stop selling something just because it might be stolen, do you?

The whole scenario about digital music and dvd's -- that if you can't beat them, join them, just seems the wrong approach. Make the physical more attractive -- but don't just give up! Lot of good it did the music publishers!

I guess I'm saying, I believe the physical book and comic still has inherent virtues, and the solution isn't to subvert the platform, but to support it.

There is a hypocrisy at the root of Barnes and Noble and Amazon; they are book sellers who don't care enough about books to support them. Now, they are content providers. But who needs them? I can put my own damn book online, if it's going to be digital. (Yes, I'm conscious of the irony but I'm not going to try to explain it...)

Crazy.

Quislings.

There is a new book out, FREE RIDE, by Robert Levine, subtitled: "How Digital Parasites Are Destroying the Culture Business and How the Culture Business Can Fight Back.”

Salon describes it this way: "Levine’s book looks at how publishing, the music industry, newspapers and other industries drank the dot.com Kool-Aid, effectively killing themselves off."

"...dot.com Kool-Aid...."

Well, exactly. It's what I've been saying ever since I first started looking at what the magazines and book publishers and mass market bookstores were doing. It seemed really clear to me that it was a faulty premise and that it could only end in self-destruction.

So what do you do when you're threatened?

You fight.

You don't just say, wow, you're probably going to overcome us with overwhelming force so we'll just become what we would've become if you had won, even though you will probably win anyway....

What a strange reaction.

Look up the word Quisling.

Store status report.

Despite a big drop off in sales the last week, we still beat last year handily for the month of October. Since November was so low last year, I'm thinking we're likely to beat last year this month, too.

It has to do with some of our product selling unexpectedly well, more than it has to do with the economy (local or national). The New DC52, obviously. Magic continues to sell better than last year, and I had a surge on sports cards that probably won't be duplicated anytime soon.

Still, that makes four months in a row. And the likelihood that we'll beat last year overall.

I've been using that extra money to take advantage of any bargains that come along. Gives me the chance to stock the store to the tippytop. As well as keeping the evergreens at a high level.

Space, as always, is the problem.

I qualified for an extra 5% in DC items for December; that plus the extra 3% I gain from my higher discount level means that I'll probably stock up on all the great DC graphic novels I can.

DC has a backstock of the best graphic novels out there; Sandman, Preacher, Y-the Last Man, etc. etc. If I can get two or three copies of the best-sellers, instead of my Just-in-Time one or two copies, it will mean I can always have a copy in stock.

That's been the biggest change in the store this year. I'm trying to catch those small savings; 2 or 3 or 5% points, consistently accrued over the long run. (In the years of the boom, I spent most of my efforts on bringing in new product lines, like new books and boardgames. After that, I concentrated on bringing in piles of heavily discounted product. So this constant angling for small increases in savings is the icing on the cake.)

That plus trying to save a little money on small fees and postage. I've saved about 450.00 in just trying to be smarter, which the equivalent of 1000.00 in sales.

Overall, I'm liking the store.

Be genre and be proud!

An article in the Observer of 10 graphic novels that "transcend the comic medium."

It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken.
Shortcomings.
Ethel and Ernest.
Persepolis.
Fun Home.
From Hell.
Black Hole.
Blankets.
Alice in Sunderland.
The Castlefiore Emerald (Tintin).

See I have a problem with the word "transcend." As if comics need to be "transcended."

They do the same kind of rescuing with science fiction books, and, well, just about any other genre. It's a bit condescending.

(I'm carrying G.N. 4-10. I think I've got at least two of the first three).

**********

Went to see The Three Musketeers, which was about as bad as we expected. But I'll sit through a lot for a few moments of steam punk, I guess.

***********

And then there is a review of Colson Whitehead's 'Zone One' in the N.Y.T. Book Review that starts: "A literary novelist writing a genre novel is like an intellectual dating a porn star. "

Well, yuck.

Suddenly, I don't want to read this book.

The same with the Night Circus review.

In both cases, it sounds that that unholy "serious" genre novel. The best example I can come up with is, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel, which seemed to be almost apologizing for being a fantasy novel. I know other people enjoyed this book, but I found it underwhelming.

And, yes, I watch too much T.V.

Saw Puss and Boots.

It was charming, but as I feared, most of the big laughs were in the commercials.

Still, it was fun.


We've slowed down -- slightly -- on our movie going. And we aren't trying so hard to see movies in 3-D or Imax. In fact, I still haven't seen an Imax.


Meanwhile, on T.V., I've liked two new shows on the networks. Persons of Interest, is very good for a formula show. And I think Grimm has great potential. I hated Once Upon a Time, which was a polyester fantasy. Bad Halloween costumes and idiotic plot. Gives fantasy a bad name.

By the way, both of these networks had optioned the Fables comic series, which is pretty close to the same general idea.

I'd make more of that, if I wasn't myself writing a book that combines Fairy with the human realm. (Central Oregon, as a matter of fact.) I think the idea is just in the air right now.

On cable, I really like Homeland so far. I've never much cared for Claire Danes for some reason, but she is perfect in this role.

I've dropped Ringer, which is bland, and Nikita, which is contrived. I'm barely hanging in there on the Mentalist, and C.S.I. Las Vegas just doesn't seem to have the occasional great episode they used to have. (The other C.S.I.'s are awful and awfuller.)

Speaking of contrived, I still enjoy House. The Good Wife is the best show on T.V. I liked Alphas when it was on, and loved Game of Thrones. True Blood and Dexter and Boardwalk Empire aren't great this year, but still better than most anything else.

Walking Dead has been fun.

I'm eyeing several shows to watch full seasons on Netflex. Justified, Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, to mention a few. But maybe when the T.V. is full of reruns.

And yes, I watch too much T.V.