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Sunday, May 20, 2007
Happy 2007 All! (Sorry that's it's been three and a half years since I updated this.)
Just a recap for those of you who are new. The Nitpicker's Guides were published from 1993-1997--one a year, each in the fall of the year. There was supposed to be a Nitpicker's Guide for Star Wars, released one month before Phantom Menance. Unfortunately, there were some lawsuits in the industry over copyright infringement on "media tie-in" products. While the lawsuits had nothing to do with the Guides (and in fact, some industry lawyers had even used the Guides as an example of what was legal), the publishers all fled.
Since then, I've been doing computer consulting and I'm hoping to retire early and return to writing (although I did have an 18 month detour where I was a music minister in addition to a computer consultant.
In the mean time, I self published my first novel, The Son, the Wind and the Reign. I was tired of it sitting on the shelf.
And, about a year ago I finally got frustrated enough with dial-up at home that I investigated my options and eventually decided to start my own wireless internet service provider business. If you're interested, you can read about it at zarks.net.
Aside from that I'm just working away and putting money in savings. There are still lots of universes banging around in my head with lots and lots of charaters that want out but I just keep telling them to be patient. Their time will come later. And, interestingly enough, it's only been within the last year that I finally realized precisely why I should write (which is better than just knowing what and how to write). More to come...
As always, you can reach me at chief@nitcentral.com . Bear in mind, however, that I only check this email address once a week--usually on Saturday or Sunday. And please, put "FOR THE CHIEF" in the subject line somewhere so I don't accidentally throw away your email as junk mail!!
Now...it is virtually impossible to keep a website going with the human touch and for that I rely on my moderators, a courageous group of non-paid, valiant, wonderful individuals who are kind enough to share the vision of Nitpicker Central and keep it alive while the chief is off pursuing the dream of writing again. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate them and the indisputable fact that they are sustaining Nitcentral. (Especially since Nitcentral has the potential to be the starting point of a distribution chain for my fiction once I get back to writing. Hint, hint.)
And so, it is with deep appreciation that I say a huge public thank you to the magnanimous and magnificent Moderators of the Nitpickers Guild. (And perhaps after I get this first novel published, I'll have a bit more concrete mechanism with which to thank you all!)
United We Nitpick!
Phil