Writer's BLOG   -   Henry Stratmann III 11/24/07 After finally passing my driver’s test I’m getting my first car.  It’s a new Honda Accord with all the bells and whistles.  They offered me two colors sage and silver.  I decided to get the sage because the silver was just too common a choice. I’ll be picking it up next Friday and maybe driving it to school.  I’m a bit nervous about driving myself considering I’ve only driven with my Dad and instructor.  Hopefully I’ll survive.  It would be a shame to ruin that Honda Accord.  Wish me luck! 11/23/07 Thanksgiving came and went but the weight I’ve gained is here to stay.  That is of course, if I can’t work it off.  My family and I drove up to St. Louis (we used to live there) this year because of all the relatives we have. It’s funny how after you change locations, your old house doesn’t seem to be your home any more.  You see it and it seems foreign. 11/17/07 I'm attaching some pictures from the LDA meeting yesterday.  If you have ADHD or another learning disablity like me, join your state LDA or encourge your parents to join it.  You will get a lot of useful tips from them. 11/15/07 I’ll be accepting an award tomorrow from the LDA of Missouri.  It’s one of those formal gatherings and I’ll have to dress up.  The good news is I get out of class. 11/07/07 The movie Beowulf comes out in theaters soon.  It’s a coincidence that this movie is coming out because our English class has just finished reading Beowulf. The movie looks promising, but I wonder if they added any padding to it for effect?  The actually Beowulf story was only a short poem.  Most books that become movies are usually changed. I guess I’ll see you at the movies! 11/6/07 The other day I got to look at some new cars.  The Honda Civic was really easy to drive. I’m going to pass my driver’s test when I take it again this Friday.  Just wait… 10/31/07 I don’t live in St. Louis, Missouri anymore but there is a tradition there that you have to tell a joke to get your candy, so I’ll tell a clean joke now: Q:  What is a ghost’s favorite kind of pie? A:  Boo-berry. Haaaaa! 10/14/07 Today I met with Sandy Clark, a freelance writer.  He hosted a barbecue along with Meta Games, a local games’ trader.  I really enjoyed the arcade they had. You don’t see many arcades any more.  The 1984 Arcade sponsored the games.  I even competed in a tournament they held! 10/1/07 It’s October now and Halloween is almost here!  Time for chills, spills, and ghost stories.  I think I’ll tell a story today: This story occurs on Halloween day when I was in kindergarten.  I wore a cute little pumpkin costume for the occasion.  I was sitting in my mother’s car. I stuck my head out the window to wave goodbye to a friend.  That’s when my mother closed the automatic window on me.  The glass pressed against my neck and I screamed. My mother finally opened the window, but I’ll never forget the moment.  My mother still has nightmares about how she nearly cut my head off that Halloween day. 9/24/07 Halo 3!  Halo 3!  HALO 3!  It’s everywhere.  The gaming side of me has been looking forward to this release forever. Unfortunately the writer side of me has been dreading it.  I’m never going to make time to write this week after it comes out tomorrow, what with me playing it and all… But hey, it’s going to be great, and who can complain? 9/14/07 I just failed my driver’s exam! I didn’t know how to start the windshield wipers or the lights.  (It was my Dad’s car, and I never drove it before).  About the only thing I could find was the accelerator. I forgot to put on my emergency brake.  I also hit the cones when I was parallel parking. The only good thing that happened was that I wrote an essay about my experience for English class, and got an “A.”  My teacher said clever but my dad said never. 9/2/07 I just finished my first week of school.  It wasn't too bad, but I already have to study for a sociology test. Over the summer, I wrote a pamphlet for other ADHD kids like me.  It's called, "How to Go from Making D's to A's."   Watch my blog to find out how you can get a copy. 8/22/07 My cousin got accepted into college and she’s only 14.  Fourteen!  Her Mom won’t let her go, because she thinks she’s too young. School starts tomorrow for me (senior year).  My supplies are packed and I’m ready to go! 8/7/07 I’ve returned from Archon 31 and it was amazing!  Click the Archon button to the left to check out the pictures. I met authors like Hugo-winning Peter S. Beagle.  Besides the art gallery and shopping center, there was a masquerade too.  I’m already looking forward to Archon 32. 7/25/07 I’m not only a writer but also a gamer!  I just finished playing Empire Earth II.  StarCraft and Half-Life 2 are also popular games among my classmates.  A German foreign exchange student at my school told me these games are popular in Eurasia too. I’m looking forward to StarCraft 2 next year! 7/18/07 From August 2-5 I will be at Archon 31. I’m so looking forward to this because it takes place in Saint Louis where I was born.  I’ll not only get to see my family and relatives again but also sell books. I bet you didn't know I'm a huge fan of the 90’s show Mystery Science Theater 3000.  I’ve found out that two of the cast, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett who starred on the show will make an appearance.  I’ve got to get something autographed! 7/10/07 WoW, I just googled myself today and I didn't know I was so famous.  I'm here, there, I'm everywhere! I actually just took a course today on web design, meaning that you might just see a revamped website sometime soon.  There was also a photographer taking pictures for a brochure.  I made sure they didn't miss me! 7/7/07 Today I worked with Teen Council at the Springfield Greene County Library.  We worked together to select books for the young adults.  The one’s I selected were fiction this time, but next time that might change. It was interesting to see the inner workings of the library.  I also got to meet and work with librarian Beth Snow again who organized the summer reading program for teenagers. 7/2/07 I got braces today!  It didn’t take long; I was surprised by the speed, only about a half-hour.  They feel like someone’s yanking on my teeth. I actually don’t have a full set, only the top front six.  Usually you have to wear braces for about 1-2 years but mine are done after six months (lucky me)! 7/1/07 Today I had lunch with Missouri Author Barri L. Bumgarner, author of the new young adult novel Dregs.  Check it out! 6/25/07 Today I saw Night At The Museum with Ben Stiller.  Wehrenburg was showing it as a summer movie special.  I was shocked this movie didn’t get a better review when it had come out.  It was REALLY GOOD!  If you haven’t seen it, you should rent it. 6/14/07 I taught myself how to play harmonica today (o.k, just Oh, Susanna)!  I’ve taken violin, drum, and piano lessons in the past, but there’s just something special about a harmonica.  I mean, can you go to a party and pull a piano out of your pocket? 6/8/07 I helped kick off the summer reading program for teenagers at the Springfield-Greene Brentwood Library, part of the Springfield-Greene Public Library System.  It really rocked!  We even had a great DJ. Thank you, young adult librarian Beth Snow, who helped to get it together.  We played charades and had a prize drawing at the end. 6/2/07 I signed books at the Ozarks Romance Writers meeting today.  I also listened to there guest speakers give tips and tutorials on writing (of course)! 6/1/07 Today, I just found out my book won first place in the competition held by the Learning Disabilities Association of Missouri! My teacher, Mrs. Lyons, was the one who told me about the competition.   She was even more excited about it then I was when the letter came. I'm truly lucky (and thankful) to Mrs. Lyons for her help, supporting me in my Writing, and informing me of this chance. 5/27/07 I have just concluded my weekend at Conquest 38! The group of sci-fi and fantasy fans was nothing short of amazing.  Shortly after arriving, I witnessed a masquerade show, talent show, and panel of fantasy fans.  I loved meeting authors and seeing the merchandise in the gathering room (some venders sold poison rings)! The food in Kansas City was also great.  The tastiest Barbeque ever. But the best part was I got to sell my book, Eye Has Not Seen. 5/25/07 I will be leaving for Conquest 38 today, Kansas City MO's Sci-fi convention!  I expect the four-hour drive will leave me tired, but I'm sure to be fully energized when I see phasers, lightsabers, and other random space elements all in one place. I'll be looking forward to selling my book, Eye Has Not Seen, to the fantasy fans there! 5/19/07 Today, at the Ozark Writers League, I met Nancy Robinson Masters.  She is an inspirational speaker who spoke to us on our writing.  Not only did I learn new things, but I returned home with a new book to add towards my collection: All My Downs Have Been Ups! 5/15/07 I went to school today regardless of yesterday's mishap.  The rumor is that the "bomb" was a make-up case? 5/14/07 There was a bomb threat at my high school today.  The entire student body and faculty stood outside for nearly a 50 minutes. I'm told that if students are required to stay outside for more than an hour in the case of a bomb threat, they are to be sent home. Although we were sent back in, I felt somewhat safe.  The weather had been nice outside. 5/5/07 Today, I gave a talk about writng Flash Fiction to the Ozark Romance Writiers. Here's what they had to say: "I thought Henry's talk on Flash Ficiton was awesome!" ~ JR "Great!" ~ DL "...Natural exuberence and passion for your topic..." ~ GM If you would like me to speak with your book talk group or writers league by telephone or e-mail, just give me a buzz at:  Amatomd@aol.com 5/4/07 A few days have passed by and a few more storys have been written. Tommorow I'll be giving a talk about Flash Ficiton at the local writers guild.  I'll be discussing how to write FF and passing around some of my storys. 4/28/07 So the month of May is just around the corner now and with it comes flowers and such- Well, I've been looking into contests, but I've heard all these horror stories about how writers get their stories stolen :(   But, ah well, what can you do. 4/17/07 Another day goes by…  I seem to find it increasingly difficult to write as of lately.  But I assure you it’s just a bit of writer’s block (and ADHD). 4/8/07 Happy Easter! I hope you have a great weekend! 4/1/07 Am I in a great mood!  My book, Eye Has Not Seen, was just picked up by the New York Times Best Seller List! APRIL FOOLS! But hey, you never know... 3/26/07 Today was interesting for me, especially as an author.  I was jostled awake by my parents who explained, "We're going to a printing press." I only then recalled the day before they had told me that we would be visiting Gospel Publishing House here in town. At first, I was turned off by the idea of a religious printer.  But then again, I suppose somebody's gotta print all those Bibles. Things got extremely interesting when we exited the chapel and entered the factory.  The smell of fresh ink and cold steel made the trip worthwhile. I also now know where they get the phrase, "Hot Off the Press!"