Richard Writes: Blog by Children's and Romance Writer, Richard Carlson Jr.

A few days ago, I received Barefoot at Summer Camp ( http://www.feelingsfeelings.com ), as it is now titled, from the editor with her suggestions and edits of which I am very happy with so far as I haven’t had the time to read everything.

Based on the little that I have looked over, I will be making changes to the beginning and adding a much better ending for starters. The WordsRU ( http://www.wordsru.com/ ) editor, Sarah has suggested that certain changes be made as she puts it to, “…[take] this story to the next level…” which I plan to do. I will devote much of my writing time to Barefoot at Summer Camp and will produce a great work of literature which will, I know, be loved by readers. By the way, the editor Sarah edited 9/11 Coloring Book ( http://www.911coloringbook.com/ ) and did a fantastic job! I highly recommend her and if you decide to do business with WordsRU, the client can (as far as I recall) request her from a drop down box during the submission process. Also, please let them know that Richard Carlson sent you-thanks.

9/11 Coloring Book: A Day We Remember has been available at Amazon.com for some time now. The proof I received looks great and I can see by the Amazon.com sales rank that it has at least one sale!

I have continued to improve with my paranoid schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). I am still becoming aware of more OCD that I have. I wish I didn’t have any more OCD as I am seeing how much it interferes with my life including writing as I don’t always use certain ideas I come up with. I see these ideas as plagiarism, for example and don’t use them. It’s not that it is plagiarism, it’s just that because of my OCD, I sometimes have a difficult time deciding what is and isn’t. I am not claiming that I plagiarize and not realize it: I have trouble with what is acceptable and seeing some of it as plagiarism when it isn’t and such.

I am getting better from my paranoid schizophrenia. I have experienced some paranoia which isn’t all that of a big deal accept that I might not do something I want or should do because of it. Most, if not all (I can’t absolutely tell) of it I overcome and see that it is paranoia.

The “voice” that I still hear is “fading” away and the best I can tell is becoming integrated sort of speak into normal thinking very gradually over time. It is difficult to explain my thinking and I wonder if it’s even more difficult to explain to someone who thinks normally as I’ve tried to with little or no luck.

Also, my autistic younger brother Kevin and my Web sites have been updated: http://www.richardcarlsonjr.com/ and http://www.kevincarlson.info/ . Please visit and of course order our books and download the e-books too.

My younger sister, Suzanne drew the cover illustration for Barefoot at Summer Camp which looks great. She’s talented and hopefully she’ll also be involved in the artwork part of our books in addition to Kevin.

Be sure to order Valentine’s Day Coloring Book which makes a perfect gift: http://www.kevincarlson.info/valentinesdaycoloringbook.phpThanks!

A few days ago, I received the proof for 9/11 Coloring Book ( http://www.911coloringbook.com/ ) and approved it. It should be available on Amazon.com within the next few days. Please let Kevin and I know what you think about it as we’re anxious to receive reader feedback.

Feelings and Barefoot at Summer Camp ( http://www.feelingsfeelings.com/ ) which is a young adult romance, is a story about a thirteen-year-old young man and a twelve-year-old young woman at as the title suggests, summer camp. The story contains a plethora of literary symbols as it symbolizes the Cold War between the United States and former Soviet Union making it irresistible. For example, the two main characters’ names stand for and “suggest” America and the Soviet Union. These deeper meanings are throughout the manuscript. I have a color scheme file to be used for the book cover background, which goes along with the deeper meanings as the colors represent America and the Soviet Union. The colors are “American flag” red, white and blue and a “Communist” red color.

It seems like Feelings and Barefoot at Summer Camp will be ready to submit to CreateSpace sometime early next year assuming it doesn’t need a lot of work after being edited by the WordsRU editor. In the meantime, I plan to revise other work in progress and submit another project to an editor soon as I have several manuscripts that are close to being complete. I will probably also work on my Christmas story project.

The book cover and book block files for 9/11 Coloring Book ( http://www.911coloringbook.com/ ) have been submitted to CreateSpace ( http://www.createspace.com/ ) and we’re waiting to receive the proof for final approval which hopefully will arrive today or tomorrow.

Feelings and Barefoot at Summer Camp ( http://www.feelingsfeelings.com/ ) has been submitted to WordsRU ( http://www.wordsru.com/ ) for editing and proofreading and has a deadline of about two weeks from today or longer if necessary. I’m anxious to see the completed project as I just know readers will love it. My sister, who is a wonderful artist, has offered to draw the cover illustration. I know it will turn out great.

I’m also writing a children’s Christmas story which is something based on what I thought had happened when I was delusional and hallucinating and not doing well with my paranoid schizophrenia almost twenty years ago. I believe it will be a wonderful  story cherished every Christmas by young and old alike as it is extremely unique for which I must thank my ill mind for tricking me into believing the ideas behind it were what really happened. As a mentally ill person, it is nice to sometimes take advantage of being mentally ill.

I have been realizing that I still am obsessive-compulsive about certain things which makes me feel better to know about it than not as I don’t appreciate obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) interfering with my life. I also have had some episodes of paranoia which last a very short time affecting my decisions. Right after the paranoia, I have figured out that it is paranoia at least as far as I know I have every time assuming I don’t still have paranoia and not realize it which wouldn’t be good as it adversely affects my decisions.

9/11 Coloring Book: A Day We Remember ( http://www.911coloringbook.com/ ) is looking good as I’ve finished the cover PDF and only need one more illustration to be drawn by Kevin. It was received back from the editor several days ago and I am going to change one illustration as the text has changed a bit as per a suggestion by the editor. Everything else looks good. This Sunday, Kevin will be able to draw the final illustration and then I will upload the cover and book block files to CreateSpace that day or on Monday when I have the time. I assume the book will be available for order by December 20th hopefully.

Also, my sister will be drawing the cover illustration for a young adult romance book titled Feelings and Barefoot at Summer Camp: Young Teenagers in Love ( http://www.feelingsfeelings.com/ ) in progress on her winter break from college. She’s a great artist, like Kevin and will be doing an illustration of two teenagers holding hands. I just know she’ll do a wonderful job!

Also, I’m improving with my paranoid schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder as it seems that every evening when I take my paranoid schizophrenia medication, I notice a difference. I am growing impatient as I’ve been waiting over seven years to completely recover, assuming I do. I also have noticed a difference after taking my vitamins at times especially the niacin which I take as per Dr. Abram Hoffer’s book, (http://www.amazon.com/Orthomolecular-Treatment-Schizophrenia-Abram-Hoffer/dp/0879839104 ) and also under supervision from my psychiatrist and doctor.

9-11 Coloring Book ( www.911coloringbook.com ) is coming along very well as the illustrations are complete. I scanned them this morning. We will be submitting our book manuscript to a professional editor through http://www.wordsru.com/ as soon as it is ready which will be within the next few weeks. I apologize for promising it would be ready for the holidays, as I need to work on the interior book block file and insert the drawings before submitting it to the editor. Once it has been approved by an editor, we will create the book cover file. Also, I will ask my brother Steve, who speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese if he’d like to translate the coloring book for us. He is a great translator!

I have to continue revising one of my teen romance novels and get it prepared to submit to a http://www.wordsru.com/ editor, too. I was planning to ask my younger sister to draw the cover drawing for the book, but was waiting until it was complete. A few days ago, she volunteered to do some artwork for my books, which I accepted. I haven’t discussed the idea I have for the cover yet with her as I am going to wait until it has been through the editorial process and I’m completely satisfied with it. I hope she will agree as she is a great artist.

I still am trying to muster the discipline to stick to a realistic diet. I haven’t lost any weight. I am also going to exercise, but one thing that is in the way is the fact that my feet usually hurt a bit. I believe I have a temporary foot condition which I read about online. I got the condition, I believe, from injuring my feet from working at my job which requires me to do a lot of walking.

Last night I got good news about my cholesterol. Someone at my doctor’s office called earlier that day and spoke with my dad. My dad explained to me that my high cholesterol was now at an acceptable level. I have been watching what I eat, but I believe it has to do with me taking niacin (B3) which also helps with my paranoid schizophrenia. I take regular niacin, not flush-free or time-released capsules which I heard from one source are not what I should be taking. If you have high cholesterol, ask your doctor about it!

I just read an online article  about a paranoid schizophrenic man going on a shooting, killing and wounding people which saddens me; I am mentally ill too, with the same illness. Please be aware of a relative or friend who is having mental troubles, even though it is unlikely that the affected person would do something to hurt someone or him/herself which I cannot imagine doing.

When I was delusional and didn’t know I had paranoid schizophrenia for over twelve years, I became angry and frustrated at times because of thoughts that weren’t based on reality. I am so relieved that I eventually received treatment and didn’t continue feeling very ill which I guess could have resulted in me possibly doing something very wrong, like what the ill man did.

Today, I am very pleased with my recovery which is still taking place, for over seven years now.

9/11 Coloring Book is coming along very well as I revise it every so on and once a week when Kevin comes over to visit, he draws an illustration or two which look great. We hope to have the coloring book ready and published before the holiday season.

I am still obsessive-compulsive. Please excuse me while I realize and “overcome” it. I am going to admit to some of it right now. I have trouble with my body language at times which makes more sense to me as I type. For example, I will not (at least until now) do body language at work which suggests that I am relaxed or taking advantage such as standing with my weight on one leg while the other is bent a little at the knee because I have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

I am going to get over it, though.

Also, I experienced a little bit of paranoia within the past two weeks which I figured out was paranoia, fortunately which means I am still a paranoid schizophrenic who needs to recover completely, at least I hope I do. I am going to, I know deep down inside as I think about it and I know I will soon.

I haven’t weighed myself recently. I don’t believe I’ve lost any more weight which isn’t good for my health. I must fight my desires and eat and drink healthy so I can improve.

My paranoid schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorders are doing better. Recovery is still gradual and improvement is noticeable over time. I am going to recover completely, I hope, as my illness(s) negatively affect my verbal communication mainly.

Kevin and I are working on a new project, 9/11 Coloring Book (http://www.911coloringbook.com/), which has been what he’s been drawing the illustrations for recently when I see him on Sundays. I hope to be on TV when I am recovered and this book is one I really look forward to talking about as it means so much to so many Americans and others affected by 9/11.

Also, my romance novels are coming along. I had been focusing on one in particular. I hope to completely recover and then do the final editing before sending it off to a professional editor who will do a great job as I highly recommend, wordsru.com editor, Stephanie who edited Another, our children’s chapter book.

I have lost about six pounds since starting my diet. As of today, I’ve started taking two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to help lower my “bad” cholesterol. I also take fish oil tablets three times daily and the niacin I take for my paranoid schizophrenia also is supposed to help lower cholesterol.

My mental conditions are still gradually improving, as the voice is slowly going away and I am getting over, at least it seems, the obsessive-compulsive (OCD) symptoms I noticed recently.

Kevin and I have many writing and illustrating projects in progress of which, I see having two done as soon (or soon after) my complete recovery from paranoid schizophrenia and OCD, assuming I recover completely. He often does a drawing or two when he visits once a week.

One of those writing projects is a teen romance novel which is presently about 25,000 words and is coming along very well. It needs some revision and editing. I might see about having my sister draw a cover illustration. She is a great artist, like Kevin and is presently attending college.

“You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”- Zig Ziglar

I got the above quote from Zig Ziglar from a mail advertisement from the self-improvement company, Nightingale Conant. I hope you like it as much as I do!

I am in the process of compiling a list of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms I had and still have to help in explaining them to my father and my psychiatrist who I will see next week. I plan to show my father today or tomorrow. I have cut back on many of the vitamins I have been taking, basically and for the most part, reducing the ones with mega doses to normal.

About ten to fifteen minutes ago, I took about six of those vitamins and noticed an improvement with my paranoid schizophrenia and OCD.

There is a new product on the market to treat OCD. I haven’t tried it, but you can find out more about it here: https://www.headstrongnutrition.com/ .