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I’d like to begin by expressing my sincere apologies for my extended absence as of late. This truancy on my part was neither warranted nor planned and for that I am profoundly regretful. As is often the case, the trappings of a normal life have required my undivided attention and as all things must be prioritized, my online presence has taken the proverbial back seat. But as the Lois McKendrick must drag itself from the gravity well, so must I. I hope to begin posting with some regularity in the future and look forward to interacting with you all.
Along with my online presence, my writing has sufferred as wll. This I also hope to remedy as I am still in the editing phase with Subversion, Sacrifice, and Salvation (S3). Work on Insurance to Die For is coming along, albeit slowly. I still have yet to formulate a novel for NaNoWriMo this fall. Much needs to be done if I am to truly get ‘back on track’.
As for podcasting and podcast novelling, I still plan to continue releasing TidBits as well as work on Podcasting an existing work, most likley from the Gutenberg Press. As stated previously, this is to build my reading and podcasting chops in preparation for the recording and release of my own fiction. The question of whether or not to produce a full cast audio presentation remains unanswered.
I haven’t yet recorded this for inclusion in the podcast. I might publish it as a secondary TidBit.
I am going to close this update with one of my very favorite poems, The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. For me, the telling phrase is not the last line, which is repeated universally, but an earlier sentiment. “Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.” Such it is our own lives, the forks we choose to take build the pathways of our life, and the journey continues.
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
And both that morning equally lay
in leaves no feet had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference.
This is a lot of speculation and conjecture out there on the state of the publishing industry and more importantly, it’s future. Some say it doesn’t even have one. The new model of self promotion, coupled with the enormous exposure proffered by social media, provides existing and prospective authors with an incredible opportunity to expand their fan (read: customer) base by leaps and bounds. Brand identity can now be established prior to any publication whatsoever and this places the ‘publishing industry’ in a mostly unique situation as to the roles in which it can operate given the new paradigm.
I say mostly unique in that they are beginning to see the writing on the proverbial wall much as the recording industry has been forced see it. Business models always change to suit the market. They always have, and they always will. This is no different within the publishing industry.
I could launch into the usual diatribe pertaining to big publishing versus print on demand versus self publishing ad nauseam, but that has been hashed over so many times I would merely be repeating what so many others have said. Do your own research and formulate your own opinions.
Why do I mention publishing as it relates to both content providers and content consumers? The hat tip goes to ExotiKali for tweeting me this YouTube link… You may or may not agree with all of the sentiments of this one, but it’s imaginative and well done. Rock on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Weq_sHxghcg
p.s. During the Boom Effect charity auction I bid on and won signed copies of the novels “LostGods” and “Zombonauts – Undead in the Universe” from a very talented author named Drew Beatty. I received both books in the mail and I’ve got to tell you. Excellent stuff. I was previously exposed to Drew Beatty when he serialized his novel “Lost Gods” on Podiobooks.com.
The Podiobook of “Lost Gods” can be found at http://www.podiobooks.com/title/lost-gods.
Drew’s website is http://www.drewbeatty.com/. Check him out.
That’s it for this tidbit. This is James Keeling and maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.
http://www.jameskeeling.com
James @ jameskeeling.com
Sounds provided by the FreeSound Project at http://www.freesound.org
My name is Jim, and I am a wallower. Yes, Wallowing is my trade. I am a wallower. My name is Jim the wallower, I contemplate, vacillate, and engage in wallowing.
In fact, lately, I’ve been wallowing to the obliviousness of all around me. Occasionally at least. I suppose I’m not much different from everyone else out there in that regard. Some call it a funk, some call it a midlife crisis, call it what you will, but it’s where I’ve been lately in relation to my creative endeavors. Be it writing, maintenance of the podcast, podcasting itself, recording of content, journaling, you name it. It seems that I’ve only allowed time for the normal mundane of life and not taken the initiative to incorporate those aspects of my existence as a fledgling podcast novelist into the normal stream of time. Even when moment after moment presented itself, I would either find something else to do, or just simply do nothing at all. Quite disheartening to say the least. Ancillary to this state of wallowing, I haven’t slept well. I feel like I haven’t gotten a good nights sleep for weeks.
The Boom Effect – Redux
Every once in a great while, opportunities arise to do great and noble things. The Boom Effect has been one such thing.
One of the great fathers of podcast novelling and social media expert Tee Morris recently lost his wife. He is now raising his five year old daughter as a single parent.
The online community pulled together to raise funds to help him through this difficult time.
The Boom Effect was an online auction held on the 27th of February to raise monies for a trust for Tee’s daughter (nickname Sonic Boom – Hence the auction’s moniker The Boom Effect). A website was quickly established at WWW.THEBOOMEFFECT.ORG.
One at a time, individuals from the podcasting, writing, and social media communities came forward and donated items to be sold at the auction. Authors donated signed copies of their books, artisans donated everything from quilts to jewelry, Service Professionals donated their time and effort, everything from the writing and production of music, to professional editing services. The range of donations was nothing short of incredible. There were 90 donors. The complete list is available at The Boom Effect.
The auction was streamed live through uStream and interaction and bidding took place within two chat windows. The event was hosted by podcastings very own Rich Sigfrit, along with Billy Flynn, SusanZ, Christiana Ellis, and Mistress Jett. I myself bid and won signed copies of Lost Gods by Drew Beatty and Zombonauts an anthology of short stories about the undead in space. Looking forward to getting those.
According to the site this morning, the event raised $8,343.75 for the Sonic Boom Trust. AWESOME!
The highest thanks and praise however, go to the Kiwi known as Pip. Without her tireless efforts, this event would never have been possible.
So is it all over? Is it too late to do anything to help? No! Of course not.
You can go to either my site or The Boom Effect and donate by clicking on the ChipIn button on the right hand side of the screen.
A complete list of donors is available at the bottom of this post as well as at the Boom Effect website. If you know them or see their names associated with anything, send them a quick thank you.
Posted by James Keeling (James@JamesKeeling.com)
http://www.JamesKeeling.com
Anyone who has spent any amount of time paying any attention at all to the spread of viral video and memes that target youtube has seen the countless Hitler parodies. These are numerous and speak to everything from Brett Favre playing for the vikings to Hitler vs. Kahn (ala Star Trek).
Well, now we have one to beat them all. The ultimate Hitler-meme YouTube video.
Props for this go to JC Hutchins and his Podcast entry Here.
Questions, comments, and what-not can be directed to James@JamesKeeling.com
http://www.JamesKeeling.com
This tidbit goes out to everyone. For those not familiar with the plight of Tee Morris and his daughter, known to social media addicts as ‘Sonic Boom’, Tee is a Podcast Author Original whose wife recently passed, leaving him a single parent. A collection has been started to help provide for them.
Using Chip-In, over 500 people have contributed to thier future. The Chip-In Widget is available from both my page as well as The Boom Effect. Simply click on the Chip In button to contribute.
Or, you can attend the special Boom Effect Auction happening this weekend! Lots of great items to be auctioned off from a variety of sources. Listen to the announcement and maybe I’ll see you there.
James Keeling
http://www.jameskeeling.com
James@JamesKeeling.com
The Boom Effect: http://www.theboomeffect.org/
This podcast is a special Synaptic Jam Tidbit Extra. In this podcast I review the new movie Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
As I mentioned in my last tidbit, what you walk away with, from this movie, is heavily dependent, on what you walk in with. The best advice I have is to go into this film with an understanding and appreciation for who the characters are from the novels. Their motivations, and their histories. Past that, let the movie tell you a tale peopled with these imaginative characters. If you’re an experienced PercyJackson-o-phile, and you can still manage to do that, I think you’ll be pleased.
Feel free to comment here on the blog or send me an email.
http://www.jameskeeling.com
james@jameskeeling.com
Welcome to Synaptic Jam Tidbit #2!
It’s been a little while since the last tidbit, and I think it’s about time I released another one into the wild.
In this episode I recount how I was pwned by my wife and I send out some Valentine’s day love..
That’s right boys and girls Synaptic Jam got hisself PWNED!
In this tidbit I also reference a video by the ever entertaining TeeHee crew.
Watch the video Here.
Website can be found here: http://www.jameskeeling.com
Email can be directed to James@jameskeeling.com
Sounds used the this podcast generously provided by the FreeSound Project at http://www.freesound.org.
“SynapticJam has 1 fans”
Yoohoo! Do the happy dance!
One kind soul, bless his heart, actually signed up as a fan for my SynapticJam page on Facebook. Fred Weimer an educator from Great Britain chose to take pity on me. I’ve already added him to my “blogroll” on the bottom right hand side of the page. Here is a link to his Wingdisk blog. Drop by and say hi. I’ve asked him a couple of web style questions and he’s a jolly good chap.
Yes, I updated the site design. The other one was very nice, but just wasn’t customizable in the way that I needed it to be.
So this is it! Hope you like it. Please let me know what you think by either emailing me at james@jameskeeling.com or by leaving a comment.
Thank you.
Click on the link below to access the feed page.
Prove my better half wrong. People can and will give to those they care about.
