The Changing Face Of The Sportscard Hobby

Jun 01

- See all 177 of my articles

No Comments

When I was a younger kid growing up in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, collecting baseball cards was something that most of the kids in the neighborhood would do.  We would run to the local grocery store in my small town to pick up the newest Topps cards of guys like Reggie Jackson, Tom Seaver, and who could forget the 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson card.

In those days, sports cards packs were still relatively cheap, and most people collected cards for the enjoyment, and of course to maybe make a buck or two.  Starting in the early 1980’s all of that changed as Topps Company had their monopoly broken up and Fleer and Donruss entered the marketplace also producing baseball cards.

Seemingly overnight hundreds of sports card shops and dealers were opening on corners in cities everywhere.  Flea Markets and Baseball Card shows were suddenly happening every weekend.  Weekly magazines started to be published indicating the relative market value of cards.

This simple hobby was turning from one of fun and collecting to one of investment and opportunity.

Fortunately for me, this was also the time that my interests turned to other things in my mid to late teen years and I held onto and then sold most of my Baseball Cards about the time I started college.  I made an absolute killing as it was the peak of the “sellers” market.  Matter of fact a couple of nice Michael Jordan Rookie cards paid for my wife’s engagement and wedding ring with some of those proceeds!

I recently had the chance to read a new book by Dave Jamieson titled MINT CONDITION – How Baseball Cards Became an American Obsession.  I would highly recommend it to anyone of you out there who has collected cards at any point in your youth or even now.

The sad story is that sports cards have now really turned into a two horse game.  One for the “middle aged collector”. A guy like me.  Who still yearns to put together some old sets from their younger days, but will often now utilize third party grading companies to make sure that the cards they are collecting are “authentic” and of a “certain grade”

The other side of the hobby has been around for many years and it is much more scary in my opinion.  It is basically nothing more than impulse gambling.

Sports cards store depend on this “impulse gambling” type of buyer.  With Millions and billions of cards produced throughout the 80- and 90’s most of that inventory they have is completely worthless.  While they will occasionally get the “old school” collector coming in looking for some football or baseball cards from the 50-s and 60’s, most of their business is derived from selling of packs costing anywhere from $5-$250 each, with “guaranteed odds” of pulling things such as fancy autographs, “authentic game used pieces” of jerseys, balls, hats, etc that have been cut up and placed onto cards, and even the occasional factory produced limited #’d cards.  Many times which are numbered to 1 of 1 made, thereby implying extra scarcity that you have the only one like it in the world.

This year is a great boon so far in the baseball market for basically none other than Washington Nationals Pitcher Stephen Strasburg.  He has yet to make a big league appearance, but you would not know it based on all of the baseball card industry hype.  I mean it appears this guy is projected to be a multi 30 game winner, pitch 12 no hitters, and have over nine thousand strikeouts.

He has already had a card produced by Topps under the Bowman name, a 1 of 1 numbered Superfractor card, sell for $16,093 just a week or so ago on EBAY (see the auction here).  Various other examples of Strasburg short printed refractors numbered to 25 or even 250 can be seen up for auction for multiple thousands of dollars right now.  Not bad for a guy that has not even played in a MLB game yet.

Of course the lucky ones are the guys who spend $100 for a box of these cards, and essentially hit the lottery.  With other players such as Jason Heyward from the Atlanta Braves having a great year, there is usually more than one rookie to be chasing.  But here in 2010, Strasburg is clearly leading the pack.

Scary thing is that there really has not been that much product released yet from Topps, who is now the exclusive licensed dealer for Major League Baseball cards period.  As Topps produces some of their more “premium” sets later this year, which will include, cards including autographs, actual “patches” from jersey etc, and you can bet there will be more of these one of one cards made….and you can also bet that thousands of potential sports card lottery winners will be out, spending some disposable income in hopes of hitting their big ticket Strasburg card and flipping it for a quick profit on a site such as eBay.

It is just too bad that for every one that gets lucky, there will be thousands that don’t.

Happy Collecting!


Sports, The Goodman File
 , ,

What Is Memorial Day?

May 31

- See all 164 of my articles

1 Comment

What is Memorial Day?  Is it a day of sales events?  Is it the official start of summer?  Is it time for the annual family bar-b-q?  Well it is all of those things and more.  In days gone by, Memorial Day was called Decoration Day.  It was a day to take fresh flowers and decorate the graves of loved ones, family and fallen service men.  It was a day to remember and a day to teach.  Seniors and veterans explained the history of family and country to the younger generations and provided role models for young people.

The name Memorial Day was established after WWII when it became a federal holiday.  The focus on those who lost their lives defending our nation was extremely important to the nation, and takes on added significance today.  During times of peace, such as the twenty years prior to 9/11, we generally forget the sacrifice that so many men and women have made for our freedoms.  Those who serve remember in silence and let the rest of us go about our daily lives; that is what they fought for after all.  But in times of conflict, when each of us has some direct contact with the pain and loss of friends and family, this focus returns.

I have never been a member of the military, although through out my professional career, I have had the opportunity to help our armed forces by making sure they have the best possible equipment to perform their duty.  I have had the privilege and honor to know many service men and women.  I have found that they are all heroes in some way.  My biggest hero served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during the Korean Conflict.  He was stationed in Okinawa and participated in several missions on board a B-28 bomber.  That man is my father.

Today, he is participating in several Memorial Day events.  Most of these events will be sparsely attended.  He will speak at the grave yard in his home town of Liberty Hill, Texas.  Over the weekend, he oversaw a group of Boy Scouts who put new flags at the graves of every veteran buried there.  Later at the VFW, he will address the veterans of his community.

When he asked me what I was doing for the holiday, I admitted that I would be spending the day with my wife and kids at home.  We have nothing special planned to honor anyone, to recognize anyone, or to celebrate anything other than a day off work.  I could hear his disappointment as he commented “just like everyone else.”

I have been thinking about this article for several days, trying to think of how to honor the heroes I know.  I asked the questions; who are my heroes?  Why are they heroes?  Is there anyone specific to me?  I had answers for all of those.  My heroes ranged from my old high school teachers, to police and firemen, soldiers, sailors, marines and guardsmen.  I remember mentors from every period of my life; people who touched me directly or helped people I know.

My father’s question made me realize that the remembering is what is important.  Even if we do not participate in any official activities, even if we are caught up in the sales and picnics, as long as we remember, we are fulfilling the intent of Memorial Day.  All I can ask each reader to do is remember.  Think of all of the people, alive and dead, who deserve your respect, have earned a place of honor, became a part of your life.


Ramblings from Martin

A Gentleman’s C

May 30

- See all 763 of my articles

1 Comment

When I was in college, Statistics 227 was a required course for all business majors.  Unfortunately, there were never enough openings in the class.  There was actually an endorsed workaround.  Instead of taking the 5 credits Stat 227 class, you could take Stat 101 (4 credits) and Stat 201 (2 credits).  In an effort to cross this degree requirement off my list, I took this alternative.

Within days of the start of class, I regretted my decision.  The concepts being taught in the class were very basics – concepts such as mean, median, and standard deviation that I had learned in high school.  I cursed myself for not having realized this.

The instructor was nice, and I gave the appearance of following along in class.  In actuality, I was only attending class because attendance was part of the grade.  I spent a minimal amount of time studying for the class – just glancing through the book before each test.  During the actual class, I was usually working on homework for another class.  I sailed through the course, earning the highest grade in the class.

That doesn’t mean that the class was without its challenges.  The guy who sat next to me was named Jay.  Jay had worked full time while attending college to ensure that he graduated without any debt.  It had taken him six years to get his degree in Sociology, but he would be graduating at the end of the semester.

Jay had one little problem.  He had an extreme aversion to math.  This statistics class was the only math-oriented class required for his degree.  The class that was a complete joke to me was a major problem for Jay.  He needed to pass this class in order to get his degree – and he wasn’t quite sure that he was up to the challenge.   

Jay seemed like a nice guy, so I didn’t want to see him fail.  He had a strong work ethic and a desire to succeed, but just seemed to have a mental block when it came to the subject.  Within weeks, my goal for Stat 101 was making sure that Jay passed.

Along with the lecture portion of the class, there was also a hands-on session once a week where the class would meet in small groups to solve problems.  Most of the groups would finish the assignment, hand it in, and then leave.

Jay and I were usually among the last people to leave.  After finishing the actual assignment, we would delve into discussions on any topic that was causing Jay problems.  I served as an unofficial (and, of course, unpaid) tutor, helping Jay through these topics.

I won’t lie to you and say that Jay aced the class.  He didn’t.  However, he compiled acceptable grade time after time.  By the time the end of the semester rolled around, Jay had earned a C and had satisfied all of his degree requirements.  Never in my life have I seen someone so happy about a C.

Jay and I had a deal.  If I could tutor him well enough to pass the class, he’d buy me a pizza.  However, the end of the semester can get hectic, and we lost touch without a pizza ever changing hands.

So, Jay, if you’re out there, you owe me a pizza – preferably Canadian bacon.


Assorted
 ,

When Will The Nationals Call up Stephen Strasburg?

May 29

- See all 763 of my articles

No Comments

The blogosphere has been chattering about the potential of a Strasburg call up all week.  Strasburg, the top overall pick in the 2009 draft, has been dominating the minor leagues.  Strasburg is 6-1 with a 0.99 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings for the year – while allowing just 22 hits and ten walks.  He actually kicked his game up a notch after being promoted to AAA Syracuse – he has a miniscule 0.39 ERA with the Chiefs.

Earlier rumors had Strasburg in line for a start on June 4th against the Reds.  Later in the week, June 8th against the Pirates was the unofficial date.  The June 4th date made some sense.  It was the first home game after a road trip, and it’s late enough that it’s nearly certain Strasburg would not qualify as a Super 2.  (More on why Strasburg was sent to the minors here).  There’s some confusion on why the Nationals are choosing to push the date back until the 8th.  Strasburg seems to have nothing to prove in AAA, and they have pushed back his arbitration a year, there is no financial reason to keep him down.

The only reason I can fathom for delaying Strasburg’s debut is that he’ll have a better chance at a win.  The Reds are in first place in the NL Central, while the Pie Rats are on pace for their 18th consecutive losing season.  The Pirates don’t have the worst record in baseball yet, but they have by far the worst run differential – so it’s quite likely that Pittsburgh will be picking first in the 2011 draft.  The Nationals – laughingstocks for more years – on the other hand, are in contention in the NL East.  Can the positive energy of a Strasburg promotion push them to a division title?  I’m going to say no for this year, but watch for them in 2011.

How will Strasburg do once he is promoted?  Well, I doubt that he’ll post a 0.99 ERA in the Majors, of course.  In fact, I do think he’ll hit some rough spots during the season, once hitters get a second look at him.  Almost every rookie struggles at some point during their debut campaign.  I do think Strasburg right the ship and end the season with strong numbers – perhaps a 3.50 ERA.

THE RESIN BAG

The other member of the “young pitchers who signed big deals” club, Aroldis “Chappy” Chapman has experienced some struggles after a hot start to the season.  I expect the Reds farmhand to get a June call up after establishing more consistency.  It’s important to remember that the Cuban defector is adjusting to a new home country as well as playing baseball.

Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez continues to dominate the National League.  U-Ball gave up no runs in 8 innings on Wednesday night, pushing his record to 9-1 with a 0.88 ERA.  In 71 1/3 innings this year, Jimenez has given up ONE home run.  His only loss on the year was on May 9th against the Dodgers – Jimenez gave up one run in seven innings, but Clayton Kershaw and Jonathan Broxton combined for a shutout for LA.  Jimenez attempts to notch his 10th win of the year on Memorial Day against reigning Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum.  The Giants ace has struggled lately, and I’m hoping Timmmmmmmmmmmmmmy has another rough outing.

Speaking of struggles … Charlie Morton of the Pirates picked up another loss on Thursday night.  Morton is 1-9 on the year with a 9.35 ERA.  Morton has allowed 66 hits and 16 walks in 43 1/3 innings.  Morton has allowed 12 homers and has also hit four batters.  Morton’s only win this year was against the Cubs – who are somehow 1-5 against the hapless Bucs.


Sports
 , , , ,

The Cardinals / Cubs Rivalry

May 28

- See all 20 of my articles

No Comments

Editor’s note: Today is the start of the first series between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals this year. I have lived my entire life in the midwest, in the heart of Cubs and Cardinals territory. For five of those years, I was situated in central Illinois – where it’s possible to have half a family rooting for the Cubs and the other half rooting for the Cardinals.

So, today, a special double column with insights from fans on both sides of the rivalry. Our own Crunchy Conservative talks about her love of the Cubs, while Archie Jefferson explains why he cheers for the Cardinals.

 

The Crunchy Conservative

When interviewing for my current job, my future employer asked me if I considered myself an optimist or a pessimist.

I responded, “I’m a Cubs fan.”

I got the job. To be a Cubs fan one must be an eternal optimist. Yes, eternal. As in some fans have lived their entire lives hoping for a World Series. Never to see it happen. But there’s always next year—at least there is if you’re a Cubs fan.

I have been a Cubs fan for as long as I can remember. I’m not sure why I started liking the Cubs, but I did. My maternal grandfather LOVED to watch baseball. I recall many summers when he would be “babysitting” me and my younger brother and he would fall asleep in front of the game. I don’t recall which team was his favorite overall, but I fondly remember watching games with him.

I’ve shared my love for the Cubs with my two (and soon to be three) boys. Maybe I’ve shared a bit much. My oldest (then three years old) son came into the living room last summer afternoon last year and asked me, “Who is playing the frickin Cubs?” Yes, he did say “frickin”. Maybe I need to tone down my language before the next two start talking.

I didn’t attend my first Cubs game until I was 25, and that was in Minneapolis. I didn’t get to see a game at Wrigley until I was 28. Both were magical. And the Cubs won both of the games. The Cubs came from behind to win during both of the games.

And maybe that’s why I’m a Cubs fan. Life is full of ups and downs, just like a season with the Cubs. But as the Cubs have shown me, you can always come from behind and surprise everyone.

And as long as you believe and keep the faith, there’s always next year.

 

 


Sports
 , , ,

The Politics of Russell Pearce

May 27

- See all 34 of my articles

No Comments

I hate to spend a second month in a row talking about “immigration reform” in Arizona, but it is still a hot topic.  The currently passed bill is not what I am going to talk about today. On the near horizon Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce, the man behind SB 1070 sometimes referreed to as “Mr. Ethnic Cleansing” is ready to unleash a fury of new proposals, many of which he has tried before that thankfully failed, but in the current climate that is the patients running the asylum of Arizona state politics they frighteningly will be likely to pass. One proposal will be to only allow Americans to marry Americans. Seeing as Pearce hates legal immigration just as much as he hates illegal immigrants I am supposing he means that only naturally born citizens will be allowed to marry natural born citizens. But even if it is just a restriction on allowing people not to marry someone who is a citizen of another country it is insane and unconstitutional. What is next Mr. Pearce? No race mixing? I guess Rand Paul may not be the only one wanting to revisit the Civil Rights Act after all.

Another proposal Pearce has already being debated titled Arizona SB 1097 that in general would require all schools in Arizona to count students who are in the country illegally or whose parents are in the country illegally. After doing so the school district would have to compile a report of the cost to taxpayers for their enrollment, expel the student and turn them and their families over to the proper officials. School districts that refuse to comply under this statue if it gets passed, then the state would be forced to withhold ALL funding the school district receives. I guess Pearce is willing to make sure every student suffers on his quest to rid Arizona of those pesky foreigners.

Education, or lack thereof in Pearce’s case, leads me to the next item that he could be bringing back on the agenda. In the past Pearce had proposed a law that would require all Arizona schools, K-12 and universities to disallow groups that as any part deal with ones ethnicity or race to be a member. Such as Black Business Leaders of Tomorrow or Native Americans United. The proposal Pearce says is to make sure that students are not indoctrinated by any anti- American teachings. What a crock of shit. From the company he keeps, American values for Pearce are expressed only by those with white skin. So I am guessing those types or groups would be excluded from any law made on this.

The mother of them all legislation Pearce is ready to bring to onslaught again is one that will be in direct conflict with the 14th amendment. This proposal would be to bar hospitals from issuing birth certificates to the children of illegal immigrants or as Pearce and his crowd refer to them as “Anchor Babies”. Pierce also takes things a step further stripping the citizenship granted in the past through being born to an illegal immigrant “If we are going to have an effect on the anchor baby racket, we need to target the mother” Pierce said. “Call it sexist, but that’s the way nature made it. Men don’t drop anchor babies, illegal alien mothers do.” However this type of law would be immediately stomped because it is clear as day unconstitutional.

The 14th amendment states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside,” and that, “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.”

You can say what you want about illegal immigrants having children and them being citizens, but until there actually is a change to it, there it is in plain black and white text unconstitutional. As far as making it retroactive is downright wrong as well as you create a whole secondary class of citizens that would be in the US illegally now and have no country they belong to. However I fully expect Sith Lord, I mean Senator John McCain, to fully back this legislation as the next cure all pill for immigration reform as he did with SB 1070 just to save his political life. But needless to say, thanks to the birthers, the tea party and Mr. Pearce and his long time supporters, SB 1070 is not the last thing you are going to be hearing out of Arizona for the foreseeable future. Mr. Pearce you are truly an American Idiot, if I can call you that of course as I have not seen your papers. May I have your papers please Mr. Pearce?


The Political Observers
 ,

Where Should LeBron James Sign?

May 25

- See all 763 of my articles

No Comments

Unless you’ve been living under a rock – or just don’t care about sports – you know that LeBron James is about to become a free agent.

The 25 year old James is arguably the best player in the NBA. The financial piece of the equation is very easy. Under NBA rules, his current team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, can offer him more money than any other team. If he simply wants the cash, he stays with the Cavs.  The financial negotiations would not be complex.  The Cavaliers would simply write down the maximum salary allowed by NBA rules and wait for LeBron to sign the contract.

Over the course of the past few years, there has been widespread speculation that the New York Knicks would try to snap up James and some other top free agents. In an effort to gain “cap space”, the Knicks have rid themselves of expensive players. In addition to reducing payroll, this has also reduced wins.  The Knicks finished this season with a record of 29-53.

If LeBron picks the Knicks, he’ll be playing in the media capital of the world, and can become an even bigger star than he is now. There’s also the possibility that the Knicks can throw enough money around to build a championship caliber team.

If I were James, though, I’d be very cautious. Throwing money at players doesn’t guarantee that the team will meld into a championship contender. It’s just as likely that the Knicks will end up with a huge payroll and a crappy team.  The Cavaliers, on the other hand, have already proven that they are able to build a contender around him.  Yesterday, they fired Mike Brown – whose .663 winning percentage is tops in Cavaliers history – apparently to make way for LeBron’s choice of coach.  LeBron has a huge amount of influence over the future of the Cavs organization.

In terms of media exposure, I’m really not sure how much more exposure James can get. He’s already the most popular player in the NBA and a cultural icon. What does he really want – his own late night talk show?  At some point, don’t you get to a level of “global icon” that makes your geographic location irrelevant?

Although James may gain a bunch of fans by moving to another city, he might lose a lot of his existing fans.  Certainly Cavalier fans would leave in droves, but so would many other fans around the country.  LeBron is an Ohio kid (from Akron).  Watching him attempt to lead his hometown team to an NBA title is a great story line for me.  If LeBron is trying to lead the Knicks to a title, I’m not nearly as interested.  If he’s playing for Phil Jackson in Chicago (the Bulls are rumored to be courting Jackson) then I would be actively rooting against him.

As you can guess, my advice to LeBron is to stay in Cleveland.  He may make a few less bucks in endorsements, but he’ll be treated like royalty in Cleveland.  He’ll also continue to be just a short car ride away from family and old friends.  How will he be treated in New York if the Knicks plans to rebuild around him fail?  Sometimes being a big fish in a small pond can be the better choice – especially when that team can pay you better and contend for a title.

THE RESIN BAG

The US Supreme Court ruled against the NFL in an anti-trust lawsuit.  The league is being sued by apparel maker American Needle, Inc.  The company alleges that the manner in which the NFL collectively bargains with apparel companies is in violation of anti-trust laws. In the case of American Needle, they had produced hats for a variety of NFL teams before the NFL awarded an exclusive headgear contract to Reebok.  American Needle would prefer that teams could make independent decisions on apparel licensing.  It is important to note that the scope of this case was limited to apparel licensing and does not impact the league’s collective bargaining with players.  The case now goes back to a lower court that had previously ruled against American Needle. 

Former Major League pitcher Jose Lima passed away on Sunday at the age of 37.  In 1999, Lima won 21 games and was named to the All Star team.  In 1998 and 1999, Lima went a combined  37-18 with a 3.64 ERA.  For the rest of his career, he was 52-84.  As an encore to his 1999 campaign, Lima struggled to a 7-16 record with a 6.65 ERA.  His final full season in the majors (2005) was marked by a 5-16 record and a 6.99 ERA.  Through the good times and the bad, Jose Lima appeared to be the happiest guy on the world, declaring it to be “Lima Time” and, in general, acting like a guy who was being paid large sums of money to play a child’s game.  RIP, Jose.  Coincidentally, Lima was on the same Astros pitching staff as Darryl Kile, who died at the age of 33 in 2002.

The Colorado Rockies have been very average so far this year.  After hammering reigning AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke on Sunday, the Rockies went into play on Tuesday with a record of 22-22.  Oddly, they haven’t been more than two games above or below .500 all year.  There are signs that the Rockies could be about to bust out, though.  Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki had been mired in a power slump all year.  After hitting 32 homers last year, he had just a single homer during the first 38 games of the year.  In the last four games, Tulo has hit three homers – all on the road.

Nationals prospect Stephen Strasburg is on the cusp of being called up to the majors.  Delaying the callup this long will allow the Nationals to push back Strasburg’s free agency and arbitration eligibility by a year.  With the Nationals beginning a road trip today, Strasburg’s debut will likely be on June 4th against the Reds in D.C.


Sports
 , , , ,

Why Graduation Parties?

May 24

- See all 164 of my articles

No Comments

It is that time of year, when high school and college students leave the perceived safety of the status quo to move on to new adventures and challenges.  For some reason, people across America (students and parents) feel the need to celebrate this transition with a party.  We have just experienced such an event as our second child (a daughter) graduates from high school.

There is always a great deal of preparation.  What do we cook?  What do buy?  What do we serve?  How many people do we invite?  How much seating should we provide?  Will there be any decorations?  As the dad, I do not have to be part of the discussion, I just have to perform the assigned tasks.

What is difficult to understand about these events is how truly eclectic they are.  They cannot be on the day of graduation, or there would be too many at once.  They cannot last too long, because people have to go to many parties on the same day.  Gifts are usually only given by people who cannot attend the event.  The students cycle through during the allotted time; eating, talking, then moving on to the next party.  The honored student disappears with special friends for a while, or shows up late from a preceding party, then leaves early to catch the next one.  Parents invite their own friends and sometimes old neighbors.  This group rarely intermingles with the younger crowd and seldom even discusses the future plans of the student, although there is always the obligatory “I remember when she was only this tall” comment.

We had a relatively easy time of it.  I had to grill hamburgers and hotdogs.  We made some pasta salad, cookies and brownies the night before.  Everything else was prepackaged; from carbonated beverages to the cutlery.  Even though over 200 people were invited, we only cooked for 50 so the costs were not that bad.  Clean up was easy, what wasn’t eaten was tossed, and the kids who came were very helpful before they left.  Much more mature than I was at that age.

The older crowd stayed well beyond the published end time for the party.  It was nice to reminisce with old neighbors and friends.  You can find out so much about other peoples plans, dreams, troubles and histories by just sitting and talking on a warm May evening.

So why have a graduation party?  I say for the parents to enjoy themselves.  My daughters say it is for the students.  My son, who had six pizzas and six friends in the basement for video games, claims it is all for the stores to make money.  In the end, a party is for everyone who plans, throws or attends it.


Ramblings from Martin

Will I Ever Finish My Novel?

May 23

- See all 763 of my articles

No Comments

For the last year, I have been spending a fair amount of time writing fiction.  Every Friday, with very few exceptions, there has been a brand new short story.  There have been occasional bonus stories on other days, and even holiday specials like Friends for Thanksgiving.

Most of these stories are less than a thousand words.  Every few months, I have had the goal of writing a 10,000 word longer story to be included in the short story collections that I sell in the Hyrax Publications store.

The longer stories have a dual purpose.  First of all, they provide exclusive content for the purchasers of the short story collections.  Purchasing the eBooks is the only way you can obtain these stories.  The main goal, however, is to get me into the habit of stretching my ideas into longer stories in preparation for my novel.

Several months ago, I began work on a novel focusing on the exploits of a serial killer.  I sketched out a synopsis of the story, and quickly got 6000 words written.  At that point, life got much busier.  Unfortunately, I haven’t written a single word in the novel in months.  In fact, I have struggled even to write the 10,000 word stories.

I expect to be able to begin making progress on the novel again, as the kids settle into a more predictable bedtime routine.  However, at age 35, I seem to be getting a bit of a late start.  What if I never finish my novel?

Throughout most of my entire writing career (dating back to elementary school), I have considered the novel to be the highest art form.  All other forms of writing – shorter fiction, poetry, and non-fiction –  were of considerably less interest to me.  In the words of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, I wanted to be a paperback writer.

I still do want to finish my novel.  However, over the course of the last year, my opinion of short stories has changed considerably.  When I began writing short stories, the main goal was to refine my writing style and experiment with various techniques – all in an effort to improve the writing in my eventual novel.

At some point along the way, the stories stopped being stepping stones toward a future goal and became writings that I was proud of.  Is it possible that I’ll never become a novelist, and will instead spend my time churning out hundreds of short stories?    The one downside is financial – as mentioned in my guide to short story writing, publishers don’t pay very much for the stories.  However, there’s a certain feeling of accomplishment in writing an interesting, yet compact story.  At times, I can hammer out a short story in 20 minutes (which, given my typing speed, is very near the theoretical minimum time).  Others have taken an hour or more.  Interestingly, there’s not a strong correlation between the time taken the write the story and the quality of the story.  Some of the more popular stories have been written during an episode of The Office.


Assorted

Kosmo Looks At 35

May 22

- See all 763 of my articles

2 Comments

Today, I celebrate my 35th birthday.  Or, as I like to refer to it, “the end of the first third of my life.” Here are some Casual Observations from my first 35 years.

  • Laughter is the best medicine.  It’s not always the most effective – insulin is much more effective for treating diabetes, for example – but it’s free, and it can be used to treat any ailment known to man.
  • When I was younger, I always assumed that the Challenger disaster would be the dominant news memory of my lifetime.  In fact, I had the foresight to save two newspapers from the next day.  Then came 9-11 and took Challenger down a notch.
  • I am now old enough to run for president.  I think I’ll take a pass on that for the moment.
  • Fantasy baseball teaches some great skills.  Most notable are negotiation and scarcity of resources.  A shortstop who hits 40 homers is worth a lot more than an outfielder with a similar offensive skill set.
  • Everyone should hike in the mountains and play in the ocean at least once in their life.  I’m what swim coaches refer to as a “drowner”, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ocean at Daytona Beach.
  • You have some control over the stress in your life.  A favorite quote of mine comes from Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer:

    God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

  • Technology is a tool, but not a panacea.  It cannot be used as a substitution for adequate parenting, teaching, or training.
  • Past performance is no guarantee of future results – but it can often be a solid predictor.
  • Take time to stop and smell the roses.  Or even better, watch the birds and squirrels play.
  • Tolerance breeds peace.
  • Eat lots of bacon.
  • One of the best ways to improve your writing is to read books written by great writers.
  • College is a time to learn.  You’ll certainly gain academic knowledge during these 4 (or 6) years, but just as important are the life skills you’ll acquire.
  • Wave a pedestrian across the crosswalk when you’re at a stop sign.  Really, are you in that big of a hurry?
  • I have been a baseball fan since I was very young.  My teams have made the playoffs five times – the ’84 and ’89 Cubs and the ’95, ’07, and ’09 Rockies.  The long waits make the eventual experience even sweeter.
  • Don’t confuse education with intelligence.  You can have education without intelligence or intelligence without education.
  • Tackle a fear every now and then.  I went from being afraid of roller coasters to being a huge fan – literally in a matter of minutes.  In the words of President Franklin Roosevelt, we have nothing to fear but fear itself.
  • Whether you support the actions of your government, show support for the armed forces.  These brave men and women don’t have the ability to choose their work assignments.

Well, that’s all for now.  This turned a bit more into advice than I intended, so I’ll hop off my soapbox now.


Assorted

Older Entries Newer Entries