It Only Took 20,000 Words

NaNoWriMo started on the first. If you don't know what NaNoWriMo is, you should check it out. So, of course, in my stubborn determination, I shot for 20,000 words on day one. (And yay for me, I hit my goal!)

It was a good practice run.

See, a lot of people say to "test drive your characters" by throwing them into scenarios and learning how they act and react. That way when you get to your actual story, you'll have a full grasp of your characters within the plotline that you've created.

You see, I didn't have a real story yet when I started my 20k word run. And I hadn't test driven my characters yet. So I guess there's nothing like a 20,000 word test drive in a story you think is the one they should be in to learn what story your characters want to be in. That's right. This is the story of how my dramatic, dark, epic fantasy novel became a sassy, ridiculously over-the-top, urban fantasy novel.

Just Call Me "Cookie Master"

On a good day, I'm able to get a good post up here. I can discuss life's many problems, or review something that I've been reading or playing (or whatever). But today? Nope. Not today. Why not?

Because I've wasted my entire weekend clicking cookies.

That's right. There's a game in which all you do (many of you probably already know of it, and I apologize in advance for this) is click cookies. Clicking cookies gives you more cookies, which allows you to buy things that will auto-click cookies for you, which allows you to buy upgrades to generate cookies faster, which only gets put back into buying more things to click cookies for you.

Fresh and Distant

I'll try and be brief. I thought I'd come a long way with my current work in progress. Twenty thousand words in, I thought I was making pretty decent headway. Except I stopped a while back. Which, especially now, becomes a problem. Not even just a little problem, but a big, work-halting problem. 

It's not just a traditional case of writer's block. It's more of a reflective disappointment on my work since I'm no longer particularly close to it. Common advice dolled out is something like, "After you finish your first draft, put it away for a month or so and work on something else." This allows a fresh, distant perspective on the writing. Then you can cut, edit, and rewrite to your heart's content. 
 

There's another facet of that, come to find out. Just so happens that if, for some reason, you take a lengthy break from writing said project (as you would were it a complete first draft), you will experience that same "fresh" and "distant" perspective on your writing. Which is okay if you want to edit and rewrite it. 
 

Not if you want to finish it.

The Inevitable

It was inevitable that something like this would come. And, hey, here it is. I'm going to lay some things out about the blog (hopefully in a clear, concise manner), and by the end of this post you, my dear readers, will have a better grip of where I want to go and what I want to do with it. This is immensely important to me; this blog, what I have to say, and my readers as a whole. So, here goes.

A while back I started to try to blog on every odd day, which (besides a few month-change bumps) meant I was blogging every other day. It seemed easier than it turned out to be. You see these incredible people posting every single day and still having time to write books and stories (like Chuck Wendig, for example) and you figure, "Hey! I can totally manage to do, what, half of that? Seems easy enough." Turns out, it's a ton of work. Almost too much, in fact. I often find myself slacking on my writing, because, hey. I wrote a blog post. I'm good.

These are huge lies. Blogging is extremely tough. Now if blogging was all I was doing, blogging every other day might not be so difficult. But if blogging was all I was doing, well, I wouldn't exactly have many exciting things to blog about in the first place. And I don't want that to happen. Not for me. Not for you. Just, not really for anybody.

Valkyrja Album Review

Faroese metal band Tyr has long since claimed its seat among Viking metal legends, particularly as the Viking or folk metal band to listen to if that isn't what you're into. Well, the legend is still alive and kicking; Tyr released today their new album Valkyrja with Metal Blade Records today. The cover looks like this: 

Final Verdict: 5/5

Standout Tracks: The Lay Of Our Love, Valkyrja, Cemetery Gates
 

Being Tyr's seventh album release, Valkyrja does not disappoint. The recent signing  to Metal Blade Records changed little to nothing about Tyr's signature style and energy; a pleasant surprise to all. The band has provided on this album thirteen tracks which are sure to please, utilizing many different styles to achieve their desired theme and sound. 

The Circus At The End Of The World Album Review

Abney Park has long been known as the "essential Steampunk band." Starting with their Lost Horizons album, their music has been themed (both musically and lyrically) after the fascinating Steampunk genre and (more specifically) their fictional, post-apocalyptic Steampunk world in which they portray themselves as airship pirates. From deep, philosophical songs to just plain bouncy and fun, Abney Park covers a wide variety of flavors with their quirky, vintage sound. 

Not very long ago (September 14th according to iTunes), Abney Park released their newest album: The Circus At The End Of The World. Here's the album art: 

Final Verdict: 5/5

Standout Tracks: The Anthropophagists' Club, Dominion Of Dust, Katyusha

 

Abney Park carries on with their oh so familiar (yet oh so sweet) sound with this new release. Quirky yet fun, this album will easily find it's place among any Abney Park or Steampunk fan's music library, and probably more than that. Abney Park maintains the vintage "oldness" of past albums, but wraps it in a layer of circus-themed bounciness. 

This Is My Jam

With the current array of social media options there are, it can be difficult accept a new one. Oftentimes, however, new social media outlets become grandiose, huge, massively entertaining parts of lives. (Like, I d'know, Twitter...) If you would lend your ear for a few moments, I would like to present a new contender that has quickly found a place in my life. 

This Is My Jam.

Let's talk a little bit about it, so you have a feel before you go clicking links. This Is My Jam is a music sharing site that allows users to share their current "jam;" you know, that song that's stuck in your head and you've been humming for the past few hours. A jam stays active for up to seven days (or until you change it). During that time, people can listen to, like, and "rejam" your jam. At the end of that seven days, if you haven't set a new one already, your jam expires and you will be prompted to select a new jam. 

Once a jam expires or is changed, it is listed at the bottom of your profile (or jam) page with the rest of your past jams. From there people will be able to view every jam you've previously posted, including the source link to the music. (This Is My Jam uses source websites like YouTube and Hype Machine for their music.) That way if, say, you really like one of your friend's jams, you can listen to it even after they change it. 

Turisas2013 Album Review

Okay! Today is the North American release of Finnish Folk Metal band Turisas's new album, Turisas2013. Looks like this:

Final Verdict: 4/5

Standout Tracks: Greek Fire, We Ride Together

Turisas2013 presents a slightly new sound for the (commonly deemed) "Battle Metal" group. Changes in the group's lineup, and (especially) the addition of keyboard player Robert Engstrand mean big changes for the overall sound of the music. With this album, Turisas has leaned ever more towards the Power Metal side of their music. Including more pounding double bass, fewer harsh vocals, and even synths!

Static (In the Base of the Moon Nazis)

This is for a flash fiction challenge happening over at terribleminds this week. I rolled a fun number (17, for those who like spoilers), and I decided to take a shot at it. Totaled out at 1,013 words here.

“Harbinger. Do you read me?”

Static.

“Harbinger, this is Joni Best. Do you read?”

A voice through Joni’s earpiece, “This is Harbinger III; we read you, Agent Best. What is your location?”

“I’ve infiltrated the base,” she said.

“Perfect,” came the familiar voice. “You’re looking for wing fifty-six. Take the elevator to floor B twenty-five. Once you’re there, you’re on your own. Communication will be blocked.”

“Right,” Joni said.

“Remember: remove the power source and get out. Don’t waste time.”

“And don’t get caught. I got it.”

“Good luck, Joni.”

Re/Discovery

Today, I happened upon some music I had heard before, but could never remember the name to. The moment I started to hear that one song, I swore it was familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. It wasn't until halfway through the song when I realized it was that particular song I'd heard before. I looked into the artist, found their album, and bought it. And through "related" searches had another similar experience.

So, yeah, I bought two relatively old (07 and 04) albums today.

And that's alright. So, it isn't the most popular music around. That's okay. I remember first hearing these songs and loving them, and now that I have them, they mean even more. It was both sort of a discovery and a rediscovery. But, together. And that, I think, was the best part about it.

Shall I explain why? Yes? Alrighty then!

Classic Doctor Who

A day wasted (for me, at least) is a day informed. Not necessarily about current events or usually anything integrally important to the flow of the world, but interesting to me and generally able to hold my attention for long enough that I waste a few hours on it.

Well, I wasted just about an entire day... on Doctor Who. I mean, that shouldn't sound terribly surprising. It's easy to waste a day watching The Doctor's adventures through space and time. But I spent my day a little differently. Being caught up with the series (I found out about and started watching Who when they were airing the end of the 6th season), I found a different facet of the show: Classic Doctor Who.

Finish

I just turned down a publisher because I wasn't ready. You can imagine how many times my head has made contact with my desk.

Let me explain...

Yesterday, I talked with a publishing company whom I had briefly contacted approximately a year ago. I sent them a short story I had "finished" without thinking anything of it. It was a short story that had the potential to (and eventually would evolve to become) a full-fledged novel (idea). In reality, this publisher publishes books. Not short stories. So if they read it, they most likely read it under the assumption that it was a prologue or first chapter of sorts. (It would eventually become the prologue to something, so it kind of makes sense. I suppose.)

Well, for NaNoWriMo (I know, I talk about NaNo a lot, but it's a big part of my life) last year, I started writing this story down. Managing 50,000 wasn't all that one story though. It was also the beginnings of the story before that story that wasn't really a story and needed to just be back-story for one character... But that's a little confusing, so I'll skip that full explanation. Now, for real, I got about a quarter of the way through this novel's full word count expectancy. But it was so bad. (I know, NaNo produces quantity, not quality, but still.) I hid it within my folders on my computer and never looked at it again.

Reversion

I want to write. Seems simple. Probably should be. But it isn't... This could be really deep, and probably really personal. And long. Yeah, definitely long. I thought I'd inform you before I really got into it.

Since I was little, I've written stories and always read books with my own little twist on them. It's always been my dream. Especially not too long ago, I got really serious about finishing and publishing. Overall, though, it's kind of been my thing. So much so that half the people I'm acquainted with I'm acquainted with through or for writing. It's become a huge part of my life. I label myself as an unpublished author, because that's what I always wanted to be. I wanted to create my own little worlds and characters; create stories with epic battles and quiet, memorable moments; to show the world the scope of my imagination. And getting paid for it? A dream come true.

But, writing is a religion. All on its own it encompasses the time and mental capabilities required to keep faith. Seriously, when you're a writer it's an integral part of your being unlike any other hobby or occupation. Because, as a human being, you're always thinking about something. Even if that something is mind-numbing nothingness. But, as a writer, you're mind is always dually thinking and imagining. There's literally a different lens life is viewed through. Like any religion would, writing acts at the forefront of anything a writer does. Which is why when someone says "I'm a writer," it's not only an occupation, but also a religious affiliation (whether they deem it that or not).

Just Do It

WAKE UP! You have been sleeping while I have not been blogging, but no more. I have returned from an elongated trip. It being over, I have returned. Albeit with a few different perspectives on a few different things. That doesn't mean that I won't continue to share things.

There are times, where something is sitting in front of you. It might be a ways off, or it could be right in your face (for some reason I have more experience with in your face things than far off things). Either way, they will have to be confronted. Everything will be, but these things (which, for some reason, I imagine as little imps) especially. You can push them off as long as you want to, but eventually you will have to face them.

There is a saying that I hear a lot of the time. It's both amusing and very, very true. Procrastination is just like masturbation; in the end, you're only screwing yourself. Because the longer you push that little imp away, the bigger and meaner-looking his horns get, and (in the token of Hellboy) the larger and more menacing the flame on his head will get.

So, when it comes down to it, you just have to do it. You just have to get out there and solve the issue, start fighting for your dream, do that thing you want to do. Or need to do. (Need to do, in my case.) Because it will only get harder the longer you push it off. So do it while it's at least relatively easier, because eventually, if you don't, it'll become impossible.

Through the Slog

Write. It all starts with a word. You put one word onto the page and then another. You follow that word with one more, and then one more, and one more. Soon enough there's a sentence. Then another sentence. A paragraph. A page. A scene. A chapter. And the more you write the more the characters come to life. The more the plot is revealed and the setting explored.

At first you are driven by sheer inspiration and force of the initial story. Then suddenly your running off of wisps of energy left by that inspiration and more of a desire for the characters to make it to the end. Eventually you're left with fumes of that desire, and the only fuel you've got left is pure force of will to finish that damn story. But even that doesn't last. That will, indeed, run out too.

Now you have, what? An unfinished story with no will or desire to really finish it? Oh, but what about that one scene? You know, that one that comes later in the story. The one you were really excited about writing before. You aren't there yet, and there's a good amount of slog to... well, to slog your way through. (Slog is a fun word.) And that just doesn't sound exciting. In fact, it seems irritating, boring, and you generally just don't want to.

Burn Out

"Yeah, I only got three-hundred words today. I write really slow."

"Dude, you act like you never get burned out."

"What do you mean?"

"You participate in, like, three NaNoWriMo events a year."

This is an actual conversation someone had with me. And it's true, I've participated in every NaNo event since my first one in 2011. But, even through that, my answer really should have been, "No, not really." Because that's something about me that's maybe confusing to some people. Allow me to explain.

I don't burn out. I can't. Sure, I can get tired. I can hit writer's block. It happens. But burning out? I'm honestly curious as to how that happens. See, my problem is that I have so many ideas churning about in my head. There is too much to be done, and very little time to do so. At the speed which I write (not very fast at all), every story that I decide to actually put down will take immeasurable amounts of time. If I sustained the capability to burn out, then I would never finish anything. In fact, that may quite be the reason I have yet to finish anything to this point.

There is too much to say, too many stories to tell, to let myself burn out. And if I am to make the career that I wish to make out of writing, then assuredly this will come in handy.

RWBY: Episode the First

For those who are uninformed, I'd like to inform you that Rooster Teeth's RWBY released yesterday. The first episode was put up on their website, and after a good few months of waiting I am satisfied with the result.

Four trailers were released before the show officially came out. One for each of the main character's (and labeled by the color of that character). Red first, which featured kickass action from my favorite character of the four (Ruby). White released next, Weiss showed off her musical talent and her magical capabilities (along with some interesting yet elegant swordplay). I discovered and jumped onboard just before the Black trailer was released. It was the first with actual dialogue, and Blake robs a train (or something like that). Finally, the most epic (and longest) of the trailers was Yellow, featuring Yang and her beast as hell fighting style.

A Seesaw

I have an analogy for you today. It's an analogy you probably won't understand until you get to the end of this post, but that's okay. I just want you to imagine this with me.

There is a seesaw. It's this really giant, awesome seesaw (cause seesaws are awesome). For all intents and purposes, the seesaw is in the middle of the ocean, okay? And when I say it's giant, I mean it. There's a dragon on one side. And there's a pirate ship on the other side. Now, on that pirate ship there is (obviously) a pirate crew. But that pirate crew is fighting for control of the ship with a group of ninjas. The dragon is at a stalemate with the pirate-ninja ship on the seesaw. Neither of them are going up or down.

Following? Good. Cause it gets better.

Suddenly, a wizard appears in the center of the seesaw. He's a little guy; you wouldn't really expect much from him. But that little bastard whips out his staff and ZAP! The pirates and ninjas are allies. They've formed a pirate-ninja alliance that will last through the centuries. Another ZAP! and the dragon shrinks. Smaller and smaller until... SPLASH! The pirate-ninja ship is in the water again! They unfurl the sails and (with a gust of wind from the wizard) they're on their way to treasures untold!

Sequels

Oddly enough, this is actually a bit of a touchy subject for me. (Sometimes I marvel at how weird I am about some things.) A sequel (that includes third, fourth, etc. installments) can be very good or very bad. It depends on a lot of things. And the sequels also say a few things about the people behind them. (If you aren't catching on, I'll be talking pretty much on writing here.) 

I like sequels. I love reading them; they're a return to familiar settings and characters with new twists. It reminds you why you loved the story in the first place (or the author, too). Sequels show you more of a world that you already were interested in, and series give the opportunity to tell many stories inside of an overarching main story, which can be used to glorious effect. (Keep all this in mind as you read on.)

I'm picky about sequels. Especially for myself. I plan to write stand alone fiction. (Okay, except for this one idea for a series, but that spans four different genres and plentifully diverse characters. So it doesn't count.) my reasoning for this is complicated, or at least I think it is. You see, first off, I don't get how authors write these seven to fifteen book series. My mind flits through hundreds of ideas, and no matter how many I mash together, there are still to many. If I focused on one series for that long, I would never get that many ideas out. It simply could not happen. Stand alone fiction gives me the opportunity to put down an idea and then check it off the list. Move to the next one. 

Better Late Than Never

Today, we woke up early. The last morning in Idaho. We spent it working. Laid sod. Did I want to? Course not. (Why the hell would I really want to work?) Eventually I found a groove. Plugged some music in and started cutting and slamming down sod. I liked it. Felt like a giant puzzle we were creating and solving simultaneously. I got a lot of time to think (tasks like that tend to give you that), and I realize there was a point where my work began to seem a lot more efficient and meaningful. Like I was getting something done and I love that feeling.

I decided that I was determined to get that yard done. And it fucking got done. (In hindsight, I should have gotten pictures. It was a damn fine looking yard.) After that point where the determination set in, I felt more inspired (if that's even the right word for that), and a start dropping pieces into slots and cutting things. Someone called for a break, but I wasn't done with my puzzle yet. I kept going. The music was break enough for me; my puzzle was getting done.

It's taken way to long, but I got it. (Not just laying sod. In life.) I realize life is coming at me. It comes at everyone. Like a freight train. Starts off slow. Picks up. Picks up some more. Picks up so damn much nothing can stop it. Suddenly it slams you. You've gotta ride along on the front; if you don't have the strength or endurance to climb around and into a car then you're in for a hell of a ride. I finally am taking more effort to get my shit together. Everything I can to be ready for the real world.

Taking the Hand

So in the past few days I've done more than I expected to. (Consequently, that is also why I missed my last update.) I have, surprisingly, been white water rafting (crazy shit included), jumped off a big ass rock into a river (scary as hell, but fun), was on a boat (on a lake) for eight hours, went tubing, tried to wakeboard, and played a damn good game of bowling (that I decided to join on a whim).

Unfortunately, I got the biggest and most painful damn sunburn ever despite the layers of sunscreen I had on. A friend of mine helped me soak it in vinegar and god, that hurt worse than the sunburn itself. There were a lot of words said that night... 

But there ya go. A brief rundown of what's been going on for me. There is something in all of this that I do want to say a few words on, however. Opportunity. See, I'm not an outdoors kind of guy (which is immediately noticeable upon meeting me). I like the solitary indoor life. My problem is, I want to do stuff. And should the opportunity arise, I'm gonna fucking take it. I'll shoot for thrill and if I die, I die. I'm like an opportunity guy/adrenaline junkie combo, which is very dangerous. But oh so fun. 

Fundamentally Different

Sometimes I wonder. Why am I me? Why  did someone else not end up being me and me being somewhere else as someone else. How come I have the name that I do and know the people I do? Why am I who I am?

Yeah yeah, I know, parents, genetics, etc. I got that. That's not really what I'm asking here. Why do I have the parents and the genetics I have? Don't go telling me about how "God ordained it" and "it's His purpose." Yeah. Heard that one before, and it didn't answer any of my questions. 

See, I've gotten to thinking. Maybe there isn't a reason, and we're only different because, hey, that's just the way the world works. Normally an answer like that wouldn't convince a guy like me. (No really, answers like that have radically changed parts of my life. I hate those kind of answers.) But this time... this time it makes sense.

Let me explain; say (just for this example) that everyone is the same. We all look the same, have the same living conditions, etc. We would still be different. (Well, that or the world would collapse. But we'll get to that.) See, inside of everybody, we are all still fundamentally different. We inherently change our beliefs and behaviors because of one major factor that determines who every last one of us is: experience. 

Talk to Yourself About Yourself

After an interesting conversation with a friend of mine, I figured I'd share some of the same stuff I shared with her there. Except better, because things always sound better on a blog than a text message (at least in my experience). So here goes, we're going to talk about psychology a little bit.

It's been proven that acting a certain way (regardless of how different it is from what you really feel like) will affect the way feel. For example, smiling and acting as though you're happy even though deep inside you're really flaming with hellish anger will actually help to put you in a better mood. One rather cool thing as well, normally when you're pretending or acting, you're giving yourself mental reminders the whole time to remain that way, intentional or no.

This is called "self talk" and it's what I'd really like to discuss. (Not dismissing the previously mentioned idea, though; that's important too.) Self talk is a key in changing an outlook, an attitude, actions, beliefs, etc. because self talk is the things that you tell yourself on a normal basis. It's the voice in your head that tells you that you're going to screw up so badly right before you give a speech or that you're definitely prepared for the final exam you're about to take. And usually? Well, usually you're self talk is right. Why? Because if you tell yourself something enough, you will believe it. (Seriously.)

Living Up

Ever expected something but ended up being not so thrilled with the result? Happens to me all of the time. Happens to other people about me pretty often, too. Because, the thing is, you don't always live up to expectations. Sometimes you're not spectacular. Sometimes you're just different. Sometimes... Well, sometimes it takes some work to find out exactly what you are.

Let's use pirates as an example. Why pirates? Because pirates are fucking cool. That, and they don't live up to their name either. Let me explain.

I've had this craze with pirates as of late. It started with this Wizkids pirate game they stopped making a few years back. Then came Alestorm, the (awesome) pirate metal band. (Check them out at www.alestorm.net.) After that, I rewatched all four of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Which, by the way, are excellent movies. Finally, I began to recall and toy with Captain Viktor and his pirate crew, who are my main characters in a collab project I'm currently working on with my friend Amelia Lynn. So, I did some research (out of pure curiosity, mind you) and very quickly I began to realize that Disney's freedom-fighter pirates only vaguely resembled actual, historical pirates.

Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep (Borderlands 2 DLC)

Tiny Tina is back. And she's brought with her more than any Borderlands player could have expected. This DLC is a game within a game; the vault hunters of Borderlands 1 play a spinoff version of Dungeons and Dragons titled 'Bunkers and Badasses.'  You are their character(s). 

 

Enter Flame Rock Refuge, where it's eternal night and things have gotten a little out of hand. The queen has gone missing, captured by the Handsome Sorcerer (pleasantly bringing back with him the voice of Handsome Jack). A curse has been placed upon the land, and it's up to you and a few unlikely allies to save the queen and break the curse. 

The Blue Blazes - Chuck Wendig

Chuck Wendig just recently released his new book, The Blue Blazes, and I will admit I'm interested. I don't normally find myself reading things like this, but I've been following Mr. Wendig for long enough that I finally decided to snatch up a book of his.

The Blue Blazes is the story of Mookie Pearl. He's a big guy with a lot going on. He's part of New York's criminal underworld. He fights the supernatural underworld beneath our world. Things go as usual (if fighting goblins and finding Blue can be considered usual) until his daughter shows up at his place after several years of silence. That's when everything changes, and everything starts falling to pieces.

Hobby

Writing is a hobby, not a career. Yes, you can get payed for a hobby. Yes, some people manage to make decent careers off of them. But you have to be good to do that. You have to have the skill set right out the door to be a writer. You have to be patient. You have to be determined and able to finish. You have to be strong willed and able to swallow rejection to be a writer.

I am not a writer. 
 

It kills me to think that, even moreso to type it. But the truth is unavoidable. You have to have the skill before practicing to make it in the bloody, competitive, tooth and claw writing world. You need to be some sort of prodigy before you even try. You already are at a disadvantage if you need to practice to get good. You're already behind. In the creative community, every disadvantage is killer. There are however many more gladiators, if you will, above you in the chain with that many fewer opponents to cut through than you do. It's deadly, entering the world of creatives. Just putting your foot in, a story story written on the side, is dangerous. Trying to make a career out of it? That's like leaping right into the lion's den--no, right into the mouth of the lion.  

And sure, a an average writer from the start I am, I think, probably ahead of some people. But how many others are above average, or even above that? Already ahead of me with the skills and determination to get better. I tell myself I'll get better; I tell myself I'll put in more effort; I tell myself I'll take writing more seriously. But it never lasts. How could it with so many other things? Things that take me away from it while I think, "why?" Because I'm not a writer, that's why. 

It begs the question, then, what am I? That, my friends, is what I intend to find out. 

Ideas

I'm full of ideas for blog posts, but it always takes an undue amount of effort to sort out my loose thoughts and structure them into sensible words. It's almost as though my ideas are a waterfall and I stand at the bottom with a plastic cup trying to catch all of them. For some reason they always end up spilling over or not filling the the cup enough. It's difficult to get the right amount of an idea. I find myself thinking for days how great one of my ideas are, and then when I try and capture that idea into words it doesn't actually match up. 

That stands for every idea; not just blog posts. Be that in writing or life in general. I imagine a world whose magic is fueled by the hearts of deceased dragons; then when I write it I suffer through pages of cliches until I abandon the idea. I think--for once--to go for the girl; and then am left to wander when she chooses someone else anyways. I come up with an entire world on the brink of full scale war; and suddenly I am lost as to where the plot should go. I think I can make a career from a hobby; and am confronted with fears so great that I'm unsure I could accomplish it.

If you can't tell, I have a lot of ideas. And most of them fall through in the end. It's why I'm not published yet, or even have anything finished writing-wise. And life-wise that's why I'm such a mess. I have this insane lack of ability to finish. Perhaps, though, overcoming that will be the reason I continue doing what I do. Perhaps the feeling of "I finished this" will push me onward to greater tasks than before.

A Proposal on Reading

For writers of all sorts, the best piece of advice anyone can give is to read. Read, read, and read some more. Because if you don't read, how do you know what you like? Another great bit of advice you often hear as a writer is to write what you would want to read. And if you don't read? The obvious conclusion: you don't write.

A big part of reading, especially as a writer, is reading like a writer. When you read, you don't just dive into the story and submerge yourself into the characters and put yourself in the setting, though that's still important. No, as a writer, you've got to analyze. Analyze the style the author uses in certain situations, their overall voice, how they meld different styles together. Analyze how they establish the setting, how they keep you grounded in the reality they're creating, how they drive home the emotion of the locations. Analyze the characters themselves, how the author brings them to life, how they react to each other, how they act under duress, how they talk. You have to analyze how the author uses all of this to their advantage in the actual plot of the story, how they string everything together, where the beginning and end are, the pacing between each major event, the impact the climax and resolution really have upon the story. All of these things are majorly important as the writer reads anything.

The real problem begins, then, in deciding what stories to read? Many many people will say to read anything and everything you can get your hands on--which is true to an extent. However, I would like to argue that there are enough books published that if that you can easily get your hands in anything you want. The real issue at hand is choosing which books are more worth reading than others.

Lives, Lived, Will Live: Bioshock Infinite

 

Irrational Games' Bioshock Infinite is set in 1912, in the floating city of Columbia, and centers around the character Booker DeWitt. Booker's mission is to make his way into the city, retrieve the girl Elizabeth, and take her back to his employers. "Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt." It couldn't be simpler than that. Right...?

Reading: The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack - Mark Hodder

Everything that I read is not necessarily new. That doesn't stop it from being good or make it unreadable.That said, Mark Hodder's The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack is a steampunk mystery novel that is acclaimed by many a steampunk reader, and I've finaly decided to pick it up and see what all the hubbub is about.

The story follows Sir Richard Francis Burton, an explorer (among many other things) whose reputation has been tarnished and his partner missing and most likely dead, as well as Algernon Charles Swinburn, an unsuccessful poet and friend of Burton's. The city of London is changing with new technologies and specialized animal species, as well as a division in the opinion of the population. These two are assigned to investigate a case that leads them to a strange apparition called Spring Heeled Jack and werewolves that terrorize London's East End. Their investigation will lead them to an age-defining event, and the possible discovery that the world they reside in shouldn't even exist.

Camp Nanowrimo: April, 2013

That's right. There's a camp for Nanowrimo. Seeing as my writing has been lacking, especially as of late, I've decided once and for all to participate. The idea of setting your wordcount goal at whatever you please is specifically appealing to me, which was the deciding factor in me doing it. I figure the boost of writing will pick me back up, and not only will I continue at my novel writing efforts, but also to pick this blog back up in earnest.

A toast. To writing. And to something new.

My Spot

There is always an empty spot. Every time I come here I can see it. A gap between the others just large enough for one more. It moves occasionally, but it never fails to be there. I used to see that spot and be motivated immediately to action. "That's my spot," I would think. And for days afterwards I would work, stopping at nothing to one day fill it.

Just Keep Swimming...

Since my last post, I've been wondering what it is I should do with this blog. That post was the very reason I started a blog in the first place. Now that I wrote it, I feel like I don't know where to go. I mean, certainly I can keep talking about my opinions, movies I've seen, books I'm reading, etc. but with my "dream post" written, I feel like the dream's already done. Already accomplished.

So, let's talk about that feeling in relation to dreams and goals in general, hmm? After you accomplish something you've been striving for, the first reaction is normally to celebrate. You did it! How awesome! You made your goal!

But then the question you've been avoiding creeps up on you. What do I do now?

The First Time

I've wanted to do a blog post on this for a long time now. In light of some recent events, I figured it was about time I tried to put my thoughts into words. We're going to do a little thinking together, okay?

Alright. Think with me about the first time you heard a song. Pick one of your favorites and think about everything that went through your head as you listened to the lyrics and felt the music rush into your ears. Reflect on what was going on in your life as you heard it. What kind of emotions come back to you? What memories appear in your mind? How about the song itself? What about the song did you find so appealing the first time you heard it? Was it the music? If so, what about the music? Was it the beat? The way all the pieces came together? Was it the lyrics? If so, what about them? Did they speak to a situation in your life? Did they resonate with you on a deeper level? Did they teach you something? Take a minute to answer before continuing...

Reading: The Iron Wyrm Affair - Lilith Saintcrow

Lilith Saintcrow wrote a steampunk mystery novel that was published back in November. Thanks to Nano, I didn't get to read it, but I've finally found the time. The Iron Wyrm Affair presents an alternate London (which seems to be a big deal in steampunk...) in which magic has flipped the Industrial Revolution all around. Ms. Bannon is a sorceress in service to the Queen and her mission is to protect Archibald Clare, one of the great minds called mentaths. However, conpiracies killing off both mentaths and sorcerers may just get them killed, or it may just turn them against the Queen. Oh, did I forget to mention? The two of them can't stand each other.

The Inside Joke

Have you ever had the moment where something comical happens, and you never expected it to? And the people that saw it happen laugh whenever it's brought up, but anyone who wasn't looks at them and wonders what could possibly be so funny?

It's an inside joke, they say.

But that's just it. Inside jokes don't even have to be a joke or even funny. Sure they can make you smile, but it's usually from the memory of what happened or the knowledge of what it really means. This happens all the time with friends in reality, but a really unappreciated form of the inside joke is in writing.

Success

In all honesty, I have almost always had a very loose definition of "success" as it comes to writing, or in general. I've never thought in depth on what I would consider a successful life, especially when it comes to writing. I've always just wanted to write. Just wanted to get my ideas down on paper and get published. I never really thought past that point in life. But I can't turn down a challenge. (This whole post here is a challenge...)

To define what I see success as is a little strange for me. I really had to think about the details of what I wanted from my writing and from my life as a whole... I always just wanted "to be that guy whose name you say or whose book you mention and anybody, whether they read the genre or not would recognize what your saying. Perhaps not like J.K. Rowling or J.R.R. Tolkien but more along the lines of Christopher Paolini or Orson Scott Card. But I could now say I've decided. I will consider myself a successful person when I have managed a short (just because it's short doesn't make it easy) list of things.

Looper: Your Own Little Paradox

I'm a bit slow at the movie watching game, I know. But still, there are some movies that you see that afterwards you say, "I just gotta tell someone about this."

For me, that includes Rian Johnson's Looper.

I have this thing with paradoxes, especially time paradoxes. They're the strangest thing because even if you do understand them they'll never make perfect sense. This is why you don't often see the film industry dipping into paradoxes; the obvious analasys that if your movie makes no sense, you won't make any money. However, it was grand to see that there are such things as exceptions in the film industry. Looper did not disappoint.

The story is set in 2044, a near future where time travel is outlawed. Despite this, a mafia sort of organization has set up a method of murder which involves sending the victim to the past for the killers, known as "loopers," to dispose of them. It's simple and clean.

Read: The Lazarus Machine - Paul Crilley

Paul Crilley realeased this Steampunk mystery novel November 27th of last year. I pre-ordered it because it looked so interesting, and have been itching to dive into it since then. It has recieved glowing reviews thus far. According to the author, it's writing was heavily influenced by Sir Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes (whose original stories I will one day read). Due to my (rather hidden) fascination with Sherlock Holmes and Steampunk style mystery as a whole, I'm taking this book up on everything people are saying it has to offer.

What's New

A new goal. My 500 words a day challenge starts with the new year. A goal to meet and get me a novel made and finally say that I've written one. To finally say that I've accomplished something as a writer.

A new idea. However, what I didn't know was that I would be writing an idea completely unfamiliar to me and with characters whom I've never met before. It's a mixture of new and old ideas together, but the core of it all is new. And that thought both scares and excites me.

An old genre. Fantasy. How I missed the fantasy genre, whether I knew it or not. To be or not to be a Steampunk author was the question. The answer was yes. But I'm not ready for it yet. I haven't read enough yet. Haven't researched enough yet. I'm unfamiliar with the idea. It's a scary thought, entering into a new genre. So for my new novel, I return to old ways.