Projects

This is what I love about the writing life.  I'm sitting in a narghila lounge (hookah bar) in Montreal with coffee, orange shisha...and I'm working.

I have two hours free before I have to prep for the class tonight.  It will be easy.  ConCom isn't sweaty or equipment intensive.  Make sure I have a couple of different options for the PowerPoint in case there is a compatibility issue.  Have my laptop and a thumb drive and a disk.  All easy.

For the free time, it's just good times with friends.  Mauricio, like a hero, came through despite plane delays (didn't get in until well after midnight).  Andrew was waiting up and went on my morning wander with me.  Haven't seen Teo yet.  He'll be at the class tonight.

Wandering time, writing time, thinking time.

Projects in the works right now (and one I want help with):

YMAA wants to do a print version of the Drills Manual, and I want to expand it by about 50% from the e-version.  Deadline is end of the month.

The anthology.  Kami did a beautiful cover (you can see it here) but I'm still not happy with the title.  This book covers an amazingly broad range. A lot of it is about survival and violence, but it's too narrow to call it a martial arts or self-defense book.  It is kind of what you would get if a bunch of experienced people were just talking around a campfire.  I know that without reading it, the possibility of coming up with a good title is hard, and I don't want to turn the title search into a committee thing.  The cool thing with e-books is how fast you can do them well.  This could have gone from idea to publication in less than a month, but people kept offering to add good stuff.

As it stands now, I'm waiting for one more piece (Dr. Anderson on everything that we know works for PTSD).  Then a final format pass, then a proofread by someone else, then let each of the authors sign off on any changes.  Then it is done.  Upload to SmashWords and Kindle.  This is a gift for a friend to help pay medical bills.  Everyone contributed their work and time.

Alone, it would be less than two days of work.  Other people are involved, so I'm thinking two weeks.  Maybe more.

Here's the Table of Contents:

Introduction

Editor’s Note

Section 1: Technical

All Fighting is on Drugs by “MG, FAM”

Historical European Martial Arts by Bert Bruijnen

Stage Fighting is not Real Fighting by Michael Johnson

Let’s Talk Trauma by Eric Gaden

How to Read Your Opponent by Terry Trahan

The Independent, A Variation of the Alpha by Michael Johnson

Talking to Cops by Marc MacYoung

Everything We Know About PTSD by Dr. Drew Anderson

Section 2: Training

Do You Want to Win? Learn How to Lose by Dan Gilardi

Louis the Legionnaire by Wim Demeere

Teaching, Training and Conditioning by Rory Miller

There Are No Secrets by Kevin Menard

Breaking: Why We Fail, How We Can Succeed by Jesse J. Alcorta

Interlude: Fiction

Marc MacYoung Meets John Rain by Barry Eisler and Marc MacYoung

Section 3: War Stories

Guards and Rails by Lawrence Kane

The O Menace by Bert Bruijnen

Zero to Sixty by Alain Burrese

Sensei and the Hockey Dad by Lawrence Kane

A Little Social Violence Over Who Gets in the Last Word by DJ Dasko

Even in Small Town Louisiana by Michael Johnson

Section 4: Places You Don’t Want to Go

Bouncer Advice: What Your Sensei Didn’t Tell You by Clint Overland

How to Stay Out of Trouble as a Psych Ward Patient by “D. Osborne”

Martial Arts Cults by “Chop Ki”

Antarctic Martial Traditions by Jesse J. Alcorta

Kamioooka Prison by “Douglas Hill”

Checklist for Leaving an Abusive Relationship by “Jael”

Death, the Teacher by E. Rushton Gilbert

Hope Your Fantasy Stays One by “D. Weeks

Section 5: Advice

Things I Know Now That I Wish I Knew Then by Kasey Keckeisen

Be Nice by Alain Burrese

Choosing to Leave a Cult by “Chop Ki”

Section 6: Philosophy

Gambling With Your Life by Marc MacYoung

There is No Magic by Fred Ross

Learn the Old to Understand the New by Don Roley

Where The Journey Ends by Rory Miller

About the Authors

Any title title ideas jump out at you?

Otherwise, Montreal this weekend; London, Ontario next; Brampton the weekend after that. Then Scotland, England, Israel, Slovenia and Greece.  Coolness