Monthly Archives: March 2010

Adjusting to a laptop

I’m accustomed to working on a desktop computer, but my PC still isn’t back from Best Buy… and may never be again since they’ve become real asses about welching on their no-lemon policy. I’m more committed than ever to building my next desktop system myself, from high-quality parts, not this bargain-basement crap Acer and Best …

March 29, 2010 – 11:45 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in Rants and asides | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Title absconded by Hollywood!

It had to happen eventually; it was a title too good to mess with. I revealed on my blog some time ago that the title for my supernatural murder mystery dramedy was Thirty Minutes Or Less: A Pizza Delivery Mystery. I worried about making it public, but I also knew it was rather obvious and …

March 29, 2010 – 11:36 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in writing | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Novel version 3.0?

On their day off, some folks like to puff on those trendy new electronic cigarettes. Not me; I’m not a smoker. No, instead, I like to find time to write… or read, as inspiration to get back to writing more on my novel. Believe it or not, I’m contemplating a 3.0 start on my novel, …

March 29, 2010 – 11:29 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in creativity | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

A couple interesting reads…

One of the most unique authors I’ve encountered of late is Seth Grahame-Smith. While I’m not about to go out and buy custom mugs with his name on them just yet, you have to admire his creativity. His first novel caught my eye but never really compelled me to buy; Pride and Prejudice and Zombies …

March 16, 2010 – 1:21 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in creativity | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

A new laptop

With spring teasing that it might stick around after a somewhat early appearance this year, many folks are thinking about fun stuff like outdoor furniture. As for me, I’m excited that I finally have a new laptop! Sure, my desktop can’t seem to stay fixed and out of Geek Squad customer service for more than …

March 16, 2010 – 1:12 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in Rants and asides | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Print solutions

I’ve been thinking a bit about print solutions for my workstation. My wife and I bought a printer with bluetooth wireless about six months ago, but unfortunately we don’t have all the extras that are needed to make such a set-up work, and the cost of the accessories is actually less than just getting a …

March 6, 2010 – 9:20 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in Rants and asides | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

West Coast daydreams

My wife and I for years have been talking about wanting to move out to the West Coast someday. While that might seem like purely a writer’s paradise, with every passing winter it seems desirable for more reasons than milder winters alone. Sure, winter seems all cozy and romantic with visions of cuddling before a …

March 5, 2010 – 1:45 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in Rants and asides | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Just a time out for a rave

No, I don’t mean a dance. But I do want to rave about my new mp3 player, since it is no longer and off-brand but one of Apple’s iPods: namely, a fifth-generation 16GB nano! Sure, there’s not a lot that an iPod can do to improve my writing directly, but I can listen to audio …

March 5, 2010 – 1:03 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in Rants and asides | Tagged , | Comments (0)

RIP Robert B. Parker

It’s been a fact since January, but I only recently found out about the death of mystery novelist Robert B. Parker. Parker was a huge influence on my back in the late 1980s when I was in college and trying my hand at mystery novels; his Spenser series was hot at the time and I …

March 3, 2010 – 12:18 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in writing | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Treading water

Even though I’ve had mostly legitimate setbacks on my novel project, I’m really starting to feel like I’m treading water and, to mix metaphors, in need of some roadside assistance to get going again. I started this current novel over 18 months ago, when I first learned my mother was stage four in her cancer …

March 3, 2010 – 12:08 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in late night writing | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Time, look what’s become of me…

Time is the enemy of us all, but lately it’s been the enemy of my novel-writing. Five weeks and counting, and my desktop PC still isn’t back from Best Buy because they keep not fixing it completely. If one more thing goes wrong, I actually qualify for their “no lemon” policy and get a new …

March 2, 2010 – 11:42 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in Rants and asides | Tagged , | Comments (0)