NICK POFF - AUTHOR OF THE HANDYMAN SERIES

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Friday, October 19, 2007

Out and About
It's been a busy month around here.  When I haven't been working furiously on Ed and Rick's latest adventures I've been racking up mileage on the car attending book related events across the state. 
 
The isolation a writer experiences when he's working is both good and bad.  I for one certainly need to be alone with my thoughts when I'm working on a story, but I do have a tendency to be a bit hermit-like at these times.  Therefore I'm very grateful to the students at IUPUI for inviting me to their GLBT Author Showcase, and equally grateful to Greg and the Men's Group at the Michiana GLBT Resource Center for the invitation to discuss my books with them.  It was great to get out of the house, enjoy the October scenery, and hear what Ed and Rick's fans had to say about the books and the characters. 
 
I seem to be finished with the road trips for the moment, so it's back to Porterfield -- a short trip to my study which does not require a vehicle or gasoline.  I've been taking flights of fancy my entire life, so you can only imagine what a joy it is to write them down, and then discover that so many other people are enjoying them as well.  The recent encounters have deepened my determination to have Book #3 available in 2008, and I'll do my best to make it a story worth the wait.
 
So as always, here's a big thank you and warm Hoosier hugs to all of the readers out there.  It it wasn't for your support and enthusiasm I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing.       
9:10 am est

Friday, October 5, 2007

Return to Porterfield
Just a quick note here for Indiana folks to let them know I have a couple of personal appearances coming up this month.  Please click on THE HANDYMAN'S REALITY Information and Links page for all the details.
 
I'm spending a good deal of time in Porterfield, Indiana, these days.  As Porterfield really only exists in my mind that means I'm actually locked in my study, feverishly writing away.  Ed and Rick are doing well, and hopefully, if progress continues, readers will be able to find out what they've been up to in 2008. 
 
9:29 am est


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When I'm Not Writing...
 
UPDATE:  If you are on Facebook I hope you'll join the NICK POFF Author of the HANDYMAN series group for discussions, updates, and more. 
 
 
 
 
The sad but honest truth is that most writers need to supplement their income with something other than writing.  I've worked in the radio industry since the tender age of sixteen, and for the same two radio stations for the past fourteen years.  We call it The Hotel California -- you can check out but you can never leave!  It's amazing how people go, but then seem to come back at some time, including me.  Radio has been good to me, and although there are still times I regret not sticking with the writing thing at an earlier age, it's been an interesting ride. 
 

Things I'm Enjoying....

In The Handyman's Dream Ed and Rick spend time at a cabin on a small lake in southern Michigan.  In a weird fiction-meets-non-fiction kind of way, John Sellers writes about just such a place in his latest book, The Old Man and the Swamp. It is a must-read for anyone who, like me, has been intrigued by that strange part of the world at the borders of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio; fears and respects snakes, and has enitrely too much memory space dedicated to the 70's & 80's.
 
I enjoyed Joyce Maynard's latest, The Good Daughters.
 
I still can't believe All My Children is leaving ABC this September. I was a SLAVE to this soap opera for 27 years. Even though I stopped watching every day back in '01, I've checked in occasionally, and talked with co-workers about what was going on in Pine Valley. I mean......a world without Erica Kane? That, to me, is scarier than facing the end of the Mayan calendar!  I have, of course, read Susan Lucci's recent memoir, All My Life. It's a nice, breezy read, but for diehard AMC fans only. Still...Ms. Lucci is on my list of people I hope to meet someday, if only to say "THANKS!"  
 
The wonderful thing about "All My Children" is that it was, for many years, more than "just a soap opera." It was a second family of sorts to its most loyal fans. We can thank the amazing Agnes Nixon, the show's creator for that, but I also think thanks must be given to the entire production staff, and those incredible actors who made those characters so special to us. Did I learn some basic facts about life from watching this daytime drama? Yes. Did I learn how to write a good story from watching "All My Children?" You betcha. Anyone who reads and enjoys the HANDYMAN books can be grateful for the hours I spent in front of the TV, absorbing the finest writing in daytime television.
 
Just below is the link to the YouTube video from the intro of the 20th Anniversary special from 1990. It contains some brief clips from the first 20 years of the show.  Although AMC soared wonderfully into the 21st Century, I gotta admit the best stories were from the first 20 years.  
 
 
This show ain't dead yet, but it will be in September. Yeah, I'll probably be watching those final episodes. In the meantime, I want to celebrate some of the best creative writing classes I ever attended. Thanks, "All My Children!"
 
 
And I'm truly finding a great deal of joy in producing and broadcasting my little internet radio show on www.live365.com.  I hope you'll tune in some Wednesday evening for some wonderful old music and chat.
 
 
 It's all RETRO here at the House of Nick. I also love the occasional old game show clip on YouTube.  I'm all about the retro fun stuff.  I'd like to think it reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously in the here and now.  I celebrate old pop music on my internet radio show, NICK POFF RADIO 45. 
 
As most writers do, I love word games, so I always enjoyed the game shows dealing with words. I loved the $10,000 Pyramid (and the $20,000 and the $25,000 Pyramid, etc.). For those with a short attention span, here's Billy Crystal's record-breaking trip to the top.
 
 
 
 
"I can't even watch The New Treasure Hunt anymore because you give me so much shit about it!"
 
(The above line of dialogue was deleted from the final draft of The Handyman's Dream. Ed's enjoyment of game shows and Rick's dislike of them would continue to be a source of irritation.) 
 
 
 

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Meet two potential victims of global warming.  If you want to save the bears as much as I do, vote wisely in each and every election, and check out the link on my Favorite Links page.

Nick Poff