Thursday, April 2, 2009
Clear Writing Leads Website
Clear Writing Leads . . . is the name of our publishing/writing business. The website is under construction; I'll update you as soon as the link actually links.
Outdoor Writing
I've written about my plinking and plunking activities in several magazines and newspapers over the years, but I do less of that than I used to. Outdoor writing is a tough game if you're doing it for money.
I've belonged to three outdoor writing organizations, but recently reduced that to one, the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association, a western United States and Canada group. I have served in most of its offices, including president. I attend the annual conferences, but now it's mostly to meet and talk with old friends because I'm not looking for new markets the organization might provide me.
I'm attempting to create my own market, and that's what this blog is all about. If it doesn't work, I'll just call it "Plinking and Plunking" and claim I was never serious about selling my books. Either way, it's a new adventure.
I've belonged to three outdoor writing organizations, but recently reduced that to one, the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association, a western United States and Canada group. I have served in most of its offices, including president. I attend the annual conferences, but now it's mostly to meet and talk with old friends because I'm not looking for new markets the organization might provide me.
I'm attempting to create my own market, and that's what this blog is all about. If it doesn't work, I'll just call it "Plinking and Plunking" and claim I was never serious about selling my books. Either way, it's a new adventure.
Perusing
Peruse: To read thoroughly.
Some of my stuff needs to be perused; some doesn't. If you're reading my fishing book From Bonneville to the Border learning how and where to successfully catch fish on the Columbia River system, you need to "PERUSE," drinking in every detail. It's paying attention to the details that often means the difference between a successful fishing trip and a less successful one.
If you're reading my novel Cliff's Journals, you need to "Peruse." It covers seventy years and has many characters, so you'll need to remember who does what - certainly with the main characters.
If you're reading A Horse Named Hummer, it doesn't matter Use peruse any way you want because it's a humor book. If you think it's funny, it was worth the price and I'm happy about that. A guy doesn't need to remember all the details about what made him laugh, does he? I think that's the reason I'm so bad about remembering good jokes.
I'll be adding to this blog on a regular basis, and some of that will be digression. If you enjoy my digressions but know some details I don't, call me. My name is in the Yakima phone book.
Some of my stuff needs to be perused; some doesn't. If you're reading my fishing book From Bonneville to the Border learning how and where to successfully catch fish on the Columbia River system, you need to "PERUSE," drinking in every detail. It's paying attention to the details that often means the difference between a successful fishing trip and a less successful one.
If you're reading my novel Cliff's Journals, you need to "Peruse." It covers seventy years and has many characters, so you'll need to remember who does what - certainly with the main characters.
If you're reading A Horse Named Hummer, it doesn't matter Use peruse any way you want because it's a humor book. If you think it's funny, it was worth the price and I'm happy about that. A guy doesn't need to remember all the details about what made him laugh, does he? I think that's the reason I'm so bad about remembering good jokes.
I'll be adding to this blog on a regular basis, and some of that will be digression. If you enjoy my digressions but know some details I don't, call me. My name is in the Yakima phone book.
Plunking (Fishing)
Plunking is the fishing part, and the Columbia River system is close to home. I'm counting the Snake River and the smaller rivers that feed into them as "the system." In that system, I chase perch, crappies, walleyes, whitefish, smallmouth bass, sturgeon, shad, and even carp. I go after salmon and steelhead, too, but those aren't subjects for the book I'm putting together. My goal is to help you catch fish on the system without having to learn the spots the hard way like I so often have.
The subjects are the less glamorous fish which are plentiful, although you may have to catch several sturgeon before you get to take one home to eat. These "less glamorous" fish are good to eat, too. Well, maybe carp is stretching it a bit. My often times fishing and hunting companion, Tom Perry, will cook anything, and he tells me carp are inedible. But this isn't a recipe book, although I might include one occasionally. It's a book designed to help you catch fish in the Columbia River system, so I intend to be specific. If you're bank fishing, you can literally stand in the spot I'm talking about because I'll be describing landmarks and sometimes I'll even include GPS coordinates.If you're boat fishing, you can drop the anchor where I dropped mine-that is, if you want to plunk. But sometimes I troll, and now you're going to have to watch the depthfinder in order to hit the exact spots I recommend.
Maybe sometime when you're on the river, you will see an eighteen-foot Wooldridge jet sled named Smokey II. That will be me researching my subject.
The subjects are the less glamorous fish which are plentiful, although you may have to catch several sturgeon before you get to take one home to eat. These "less glamorous" fish are good to eat, too. Well, maybe carp is stretching it a bit. My often times fishing and hunting companion, Tom Perry, will cook anything, and he tells me carp are inedible. But this isn't a recipe book, although I might include one occasionally. It's a book designed to help you catch fish in the Columbia River system, so I intend to be specific. If you're bank fishing, you can literally stand in the spot I'm talking about because I'll be describing landmarks and sometimes I'll even include GPS coordinates.If you're boat fishing, you can drop the anchor where I dropped mine-that is, if you want to plunk. But sometimes I troll, and now you're going to have to watch the depthfinder in order to hit the exact spots I recommend.
Maybe sometime when you're on the river, you will see an eighteen-foot Wooldridge jet sled named Smokey II. That will be me researching my subject.
Plinking (Target Shooting and Hunting)
I plink a lot, but it wasn't always that way. I shot highpower rifle competitively for several years, but that was expensive. Once they found out I had an NRA master rating, the National Guard assured me I had a spot on their team if I enlisted. Oh, what a guy will do for free ammunition and entry fees.
I shot and coached for many years on unit level squads as well as on the national level. When the NRA created a hi-master rating, I shot my way to that in registered competition using a National Match M-14 rifle shooting at ranges from 200 to 600 yards.
When I had 20 1/2 years toward retirement, I quit. I was an E-8 (master sergeant). I had retired from my teaching job a few months prior to that (I taught high school English for 27 years), and I set out to catch up on my fishing and hunting.
So now I plink, but I don't have to turn in scores. I hunt varmints as well as big game and birds. I have hunted in Africa four times, but I probably won't go again. That plane ride across the pond is a killer.
I shot and coached for many years on unit level squads as well as on the national level. When the NRA created a hi-master rating, I shot my way to that in registered competition using a National Match M-14 rifle shooting at ranges from 200 to 600 yards.
When I had 20 1/2 years toward retirement, I quit. I was an E-8 (master sergeant). I had retired from my teaching job a few months prior to that (I taught high school English for 27 years), and I set out to catch up on my fishing and hunting.
So now I plink, but I don't have to turn in scores. I hunt varmints as well as big game and birds. I have hunted in Africa four times, but I probably won't go again. That plane ride across the pond is a killer.
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