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Re: sam444 & Everyone Else!
Thank you. Yes, I am aware of that issue.
But I'm still writing five to six articles a day for three or four twice-weekly newspapers. I get paid... well... for doing that. I've had many of my articles picked up by the Associated Press (AP).
I spend about six to eight hours a day, usually seven days a week, writing. Then I have to spend at least two or three hours with my wife. I neglected Judy until it was too late.... and I regret that every single day of the year. That leaves me about seven hours a day to sleep.
All that said, to help the community, I will make it a daily habit to stop by all the posts each day. As you will see tomorrow, I have always acknowledged this site and the netizens who come here at the end of every story I have written since 2015. Despite my not being here as much as I like, to keep getting paid, I gotta keep writing.
Now, I'm going to tell you a secret. I've downplayed it on FB because I said the same thing I'm going to tell you... And after that, all I got were questions about my health.
I have cancer. They got the easy stuff, but they have found a deeper problem, and right now, they don't think they can do anything with it. I have made over $60,000 writing for these companies. That kinda money is hard to find these days, and I want to make sure that if something happens to me with this cancer stuff, my wife will be able to live as she should. The last thing I want is pity. I'm gonna give the ol' Reaper a run for his money, and I will never stop pushing myself forward.
My motto is simple - Never give up! Never Surrender!
I've been with this place from almost its very inception. I used to post a lot, like what I used to do on FB... but on a good day, I make one or two posts. I am in my office 85% of the day. If and when God calls me home, Lisa will remain stable and live as she wants to live.
I love this place... always have. It will always be "HOME" to me.
Respectfully,
Verwayne
posted by
BigV
on December 17, 2025 at 11:39 AM
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Well written. Again, I think more people would read your work if you read their work. Just a humble thought.
posted by
sam444
on December 17, 2025 at 9:44 AM
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Re: Pat
Thank you, Pat. This site is the perfect place for me to post things to see how they look 'in print.'
Way back in 2002, when I first joined this site, if you posted more than 600 words, people would scold you for it. I don't 'write short,' I write stories, and stories need to be written until the story is told. I never sit down with the idea 'this story will be 48,000 words!' I write it until it is finished.
The story that came in raw at ~220,000 words was cut down into four different 'books in the series' that have reduced that word count down to 182,000 words. I have to go back through and do a final edit on them, and I suspect the four-book series (Now a five-book series... but more on that in a minute!) will end up with about 160,000 words.
Book Three is only ~12,000 words because it is a turning point in the story that couldn't be told in sequence, so it will be short... but it will serve as a marketing tool. The other chapters will be sold at $7.99 to $9.99. But lil' ol' Book Three will only be 99 cents... and quite frequently, I'll mark it as 'free' to grab attention.
As I was playing with Book Four last night, I realized I had left four, maybe five things unresolved... and without ever planning to do it, I pulled up a blank Word doc, and titled it "War of the Empaths - Book Five." I made notes of the things I hadn't given 'closure' to, and I'll start working on them today. I don't know how long it will be, because when I think to myself... 'this story is complete,' then it is done.
I have several other sci-fi stories done, but they are really novellas at 18,000 to 35,000 words. Until last year, I hadn't really played in the sci-fi genre, but I haven't had any problems writing them, so that's a lead-in for several other stories. It's weird because I have about 17 romance novellas done as well.
Take care, my friends!
V
posted by
BigV
on December 17, 2025 at 9:04 AM
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Keep writing and selling, V. Even if your Blogit friends don't read the whole story as you post it, if they're like me they want you to succeed. One reason I had to stop reading your story was that it was getting to me. I just couldn't deal with the stress and sorrow. Good work, author! 
posted by
Pat_B
on December 17, 2025 at 8:34 AM
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