I”m not gifted. I’m not talented. Not today. Probably not tomorrow.

Then again, I could be wrong.

The family’s been around due to the MLK holiday. The normal peace and quiet didn’t enter into my day until late.

I feel a little less in control on those days.

But as I bantered back in forth between the running book of blues dialogues in my head while my sister and I watched Book of Eli, I started to wonder if I was simply overwhelmed by all the projects I’ve bombarded my plate with.

And I realized that I stopped feeling lethargic when I got in the car and got on the highway.

So I came to this conclusion:  I’m one of those people that doesn’t get moving til I feel the day moving forward.

And once I get perspective on my day, I get a proper view of my projects and what I’m able to do on them that day.

And the day gets a little better.

Now if I can only get them going sooner…

Anybody else have little tricks that help them start their day?

(photo credit:  Jammy via Flickr)

Popularity: 13% [?]

I woke up today still jazzed that oldold man Finn and I actually decided to roadtrip from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean and back. How many times does that get to happen?

I woke up today ready to write about the mushroom clouds of smoke and the apocalyptic haze we drove through as the sugar cane fields burned around us.

But as I woke up today I found oldold man Finn passed out on his La-Z-Boy. He had an upset stomach and said he went to bed with a bit of a chill. He talked with a bit of a drawl…

“You’re speech has me concerned.”

“You’re speech has always had me concerned.”

And after a couple yawns his cadence retruned.

After another nap he had more of a pep in his step. He thinks he’s going to go biking since it’s finally nice weather (~ 72 degrees) and that we’re still going to dinner and the Florida Gulf Coast University game tonight.

“Where are our seats tonight?”

“In the gym.”

But I couldn’t help but be concerned.

When do you tell the oldold man to ease up? Or do you?

Is it better to wear yourself out doing something you love or better to hold back and live to fight another day?

This is actually the initial question I explore on my Book of Blues Prequel. The repercussions of the situation are reverberated throughout the Prequel, Book of Blues and, eventually, the Sequel.

It was life imitating art imitating life.

I felt like I was living two nightmares and I didn’t know if I was creating the chaos. But that’s probably me giving myself too much credit. Either way, I need to realize I couldn’t think objectively at that point.

I still don’t know the answer. And that concerns me.

And in the end, I don’t know whether or not it was a good thing. Maybe it’s good to push a little if it brings the memories along with it. Maybe I’m selfish, concerned about tomorrow and making sure he’s a part of it.

Maybe life isn’t about longevity so much as it is about the footprint you leave behind.

Even if you wake up in the morning feeling a little closer to death.

Either way, I’m the one that’ll have to deal with the tomorrows.

What Do You Guys Think?

Popularity: 7% [?]

Muddy Waters vs. Howlin' Wolf - Good for Blues, Good for Business

I know when a day is going to be a good one if before I open my eyes my thoughts are about the 2 main characters in Book of Blues. Book of Blues is buoyed by character relationships. In one case, the relationship is so clear that the nicknames are Ying and Yang.

There’s only one public example which displays the complexities of the relationship and it makes me happy to consider this forthcoming example because the characters were made years before the blues and subsequent research trickled their way into the story. Even this example doesn’t tell the whole tale but it does share a great story. 

Allow me to introduce to you the ballad of McKinley Morganfield and Chester Arthur Burnett. To those outside The Blues this duo is more commonly known as Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf.

Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf are considered second generation Bluesmen, inspired by legends including Son House, Blind Willie Johnson and the like. Both born in the Mississippi Delta around the same time, Muddy n’ Wolf clawed their way on to the Chess Record label. (more…)

Popularity: 7% [?]

Prophet’s rebuilding a 3-wheeler, Marie is shaving down the carpet around the compartment doors on her brother’s bass boat, and since my handy man skill set consist of “being smart at lifting heavy things,” I’m on the sidelines out in the backyard at Prophet’s house chronicling the final steps of the great fishing boat restoration of 2009.

And I’ll take this job with glee. The soft Lake Michigan breeze is living up to the dreams n longings we had for it during last winter’s deep freeze. And I’ve got a great vantage point of the intersection where classic muscle cars keep driving through on their way to the first great Duneland cruise of 2009. (more…)

Popularity: 3% [?]

Hopin' to take our Books of Blues from the street to the store shelves. Someday.

Welcome to Nat Finn and DB Fraizer’s How to Publish a Book of Blues. Hopefully, where we combine Plan A and Plan B together in hopes that someday our lifelong dreams of publishing blues books become a reality.

Plan A:  To write about our adventures in getting our drafts edited and published. This includes trials, tribulations, influences, and the essentials that go into such a project.

Plan B: To use our careers in SEO/SMO, Social Media, and Copywriting to not only get the word out about our endeavors but to share, learn and grow as we go.

Sometimes we’ll use a word that will require finndexing. In order to understand “finndexing” and other custom terms, please visit our Glossary page.

Some people want to know why we never mention the working title of our works. Our Code Words page explains the reasonings.

Please also visit Nat Finn’s Professional Writing Samples page, especially if you’re a prospective agency, company, or publisher.

Want to guest write on our site about your writing, publishing, SEO/SMO, or Social Media adventures? Please leave us a comment and we’ll be sure to get back to you.

Thank you. – Fraiz & Finn

Please enjoy the read…

how to publish a book, publish a book, book publishing, blues book, book of blues

Popularity: 79% [?]