I've finally hit it. I knew I would. I pushed myself so hard, forgoing sleep in the effort to finish writing my books.
By no means am I giving up, but I am tired of spending every spare second I have working. At other times in my life, I've been able to physically push through it and continue to make meaningful progress. I could get up earlier, run harder, lift harder...you name it. Writing involves concentration and focus, and when those are missing, the writing becomes rough.
I haven't done much this week, and in retrospect know I need a lot more work. I guess I'll consider this a brief mental break. Hopefully I'll be back in the fold heading into this weekend. I need to go back to progress.
Until next time...
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Left 4 Dead
As I glance at the bottom right corner of my computer screen, I can see that the clock reads, "5:42." That's p.m., of course. Friday as I worked on my second of hour of sitting in rush hour, weekend traffic watching line after line of severe thunderstorms roll through, I couldn't wait for the weekend to get here. Now it's already over.
This weekend in particular was the first in a while where I really got to recharge my batteries. It was the first in almost a month that I wasn't going somewhere or attending to some sort of family obligation. My wife and I spent some quality time with each other, and I finished quite a bit of work on my re-write.
I'm nearly halfway finished with it, and I have mixed feelings about the whole project. It's a good idea in theory, but my execution (as of today) is lacking in parts. Plus I'm already sick of it this go round. That's not a good thing, either, because when I get bored I tend to get sloppy. It would be ideal to take a break from "The Plunge" and go to work on something else, even if it is just a short story or a rough few pages of one of my future endeavors. I can't though. Every time I try to break away from writing (during my limited free time), I feel like I'm wasting hours of the day. There's a sense of urgency pressing against me, forcing me to go on even when I don't have the desire to do it anymore. I'm proud of my self for pushing through this valley, but it's not easy.
One thing I know for certain is that I'm prone to excess. Anything I do, I go after it too hard then subsequently flame out and crash. Weightlifting, videogames...you name it. I go for it then I want to throw up my hands in disgust. I plan on striving for a more balanced life, filled with all the things I enjoy instead of just a select few. Maybe that will buoy my spirits during the tough times.
I hope that you all have a great week. Until next time...
This weekend in particular was the first in a while where I really got to recharge my batteries. It was the first in almost a month that I wasn't going somewhere or attending to some sort of family obligation. My wife and I spent some quality time with each other, and I finished quite a bit of work on my re-write.
I'm nearly halfway finished with it, and I have mixed feelings about the whole project. It's a good idea in theory, but my execution (as of today) is lacking in parts. Plus I'm already sick of it this go round. That's not a good thing, either, because when I get bored I tend to get sloppy. It would be ideal to take a break from "The Plunge" and go to work on something else, even if it is just a short story or a rough few pages of one of my future endeavors. I can't though. Every time I try to break away from writing (during my limited free time), I feel like I'm wasting hours of the day. There's a sense of urgency pressing against me, forcing me to go on even when I don't have the desire to do it anymore. I'm proud of my self for pushing through this valley, but it's not easy.
One thing I know for certain is that I'm prone to excess. Anything I do, I go after it too hard then subsequently flame out and crash. Weightlifting, videogames...you name it. I go for it then I want to throw up my hands in disgust. I plan on striving for a more balanced life, filled with all the things I enjoy instead of just a select few. Maybe that will buoy my spirits during the tough times.
I hope that you all have a great week. Until next time...
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
A Day Late, a Buck Short
Good Morning, All.
I understand that I promised a blog liberating the legion of adult (primarily male) gamers, and trust me, it's coming. As it's been a week since I last posted, I figured I ought to throw something up here for my five religious readers.
Two weeks proper into the rewrite my first book, I've already added 12 pages to the total. That's the reason it's taking so darned long. It's not clocking in at nearly 83,000 words, which is way longer than I want it to be. The additional content should do me good since I already know some parts upcoming that I plan to alter significantly or take out altogether. Right now I'm between a quarter and one-third through, and it's taking forever. I'm working hard, though, and all of the extra work has paid off. I've gone through and re-read some parts I've rewritten, and they are a lot better. Some parts need to be rewritten yet again. That's okay, though, because at the time I submit the manuscript for representation I want it to be a sleek and sexy piece of bad-assery as I've said earlier.
On a side note-Who in the hell cares about the presidential and vice-presidential dogs? As I started my morning workout (5:00 a.m.), CNN talked for fifteen minutes about Obama and Biden's dogs. Really, CNN? I understand you all are Obama lackeys, (much the same as Fox are Limbaugh lackeys, to be fair), but aren't there more pressing issues to talk about, such as Korea's continuous move toward nuclear proliferation? Or perhaps the markets that have tumbled substantially since Obama has taken office? CNN, go beat it with the Obama dog garbage, and shame on you, America, for actually giving a damn about it.
Until next time...
I understand that I promised a blog liberating the legion of adult (primarily male) gamers, and trust me, it's coming. As it's been a week since I last posted, I figured I ought to throw something up here for my five religious readers.
Two weeks proper into the rewrite my first book, I've already added 12 pages to the total. That's the reason it's taking so darned long. It's not clocking in at nearly 83,000 words, which is way longer than I want it to be. The additional content should do me good since I already know some parts upcoming that I plan to alter significantly or take out altogether. Right now I'm between a quarter and one-third through, and it's taking forever. I'm working hard, though, and all of the extra work has paid off. I've gone through and re-read some parts I've rewritten, and they are a lot better. Some parts need to be rewritten yet again. That's okay, though, because at the time I submit the manuscript for representation I want it to be a sleek and sexy piece of bad-assery as I've said earlier.
On a side note-Who in the hell cares about the presidential and vice-presidential dogs? As I started my morning workout (5:00 a.m.), CNN talked for fifteen minutes about Obama and Biden's dogs. Really, CNN? I understand you all are Obama lackeys, (much the same as Fox are Limbaugh lackeys, to be fair), but aren't there more pressing issues to talk about, such as Korea's continuous move toward nuclear proliferation? Or perhaps the markets that have tumbled substantially since Obama has taken office? CNN, go beat it with the Obama dog garbage, and shame on you, America, for actually giving a damn about it.
Until next time...
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
To Be The Man
Some day soon I'm going to create a nice, new layout for my blog and find a picture that wasn't taken for use in a videogame. Every other head shot I have for myself was posted on Myspace some three years ago when I was trolling for women after a desperate night of 20 McNuggets and a six pack.
I've been working for the last week on the first rewrite of, "The Plunge," and I've already added 3,000 words to the manuscript. That's right, it's actually getting longer! (that's what she said) Due to time constraints and the fact that I can't stop trying to make things better, I've had to push back my initial goals of getting both books done by the end of May. If I get one of them done by the end of May, it will be a miracle.
It's a heck of a lot more fun to write than it is to rewrite. Rewriting is laborious and not much fun, kind of like a hangover after a raucous night of boozing it up. I'm still progressing, albeit slowly, through the copy and making it much, much better.
Look soon for a post on videogames. For all of you out there that catch hell for videogames being 'childish' or 'immature', then this post will be for you...basically hitting your detractors with a blast of cold truth! I got two words for you: American Idol.
Until next time...
I've been working for the last week on the first rewrite of, "The Plunge," and I've already added 3,000 words to the manuscript. That's right, it's actually getting longer! (that's what she said) Due to time constraints and the fact that I can't stop trying to make things better, I've had to push back my initial goals of getting both books done by the end of May. If I get one of them done by the end of May, it will be a miracle.
It's a heck of a lot more fun to write than it is to rewrite. Rewriting is laborious and not much fun, kind of like a hangover after a raucous night of boozing it up. I'm still progressing, albeit slowly, through the copy and making it much, much better.
Look soon for a post on videogames. For all of you out there that catch hell for videogames being 'childish' or 'immature', then this post will be for you...basically hitting your detractors with a blast of cold truth! I got two words for you: American Idol.
Until next time...
Sunday, March 29, 2009
If we don't get rid of these clowns, we'll be up to our balls in jugglers.
Tonight I come to you live (well, kind of) from my brand new laptop. I'm very excited about it, as it's completely loaded with all of the unnecessary things I need for writing (4GB Ram, 1 GB Nvidia Graphics Card, 320 GB HD, etc.) And of course, Microsoft Word, which I do actually need for writing is included with the Microsoft (sigh) Vista package. It's a very flashy system, and I'd like to personally thank the generous donor who contributed to the cause.
Against my own best advice, I've begun a basic outline for my next project (sequels notwithstanding). I'm keeping this one tightly under wraps, though I've talked about it for years. It's a themed story that requires a ton of research as it would be historical fiction piece, set in my favorite historical period.
Now that I'm armed with my newest piece of weaponry, I'll need to practice what I preach and stay focused on the writing and not so much on the new PC gaming and movie viewing. I'm expecting things to move fairly quickly now, and I'll adhere to my "hour a day" work schedule. Often I'll write longer than that, but as a goal I look to get in an hour. It is rewriting, though, which is quite different than crafting a story. Every line is scrutinized to nausea, then scrutinized again the next day. The bad news is, I kill myself over every sentence. The good news is that by the time it reaches your hands it should be a finely tuned piece of badassery.
On a separate note...
The picture posted on the blog is in regards to the subject of my next book, which is going from bachelorhood to married man. In no way is it referring to the relationship I share with my beautiful wife.
She is my best friend and confidant, and I can't imagine spending a second of my life without her.
Remember, there ain't a horse that can't be rode, and ain't a cowboy that can't be throwed.
Until next time...
Against my own best advice, I've begun a basic outline for my next project (sequels notwithstanding). I'm keeping this one tightly under wraps, though I've talked about it for years. It's a themed story that requires a ton of research as it would be historical fiction piece, set in my favorite historical period.
Now that I'm armed with my newest piece of weaponry, I'll need to practice what I preach and stay focused on the writing and not so much on the new PC gaming and movie viewing. I'm expecting things to move fairly quickly now, and I'll adhere to my "hour a day" work schedule. Often I'll write longer than that, but as a goal I look to get in an hour. It is rewriting, though, which is quite different than crafting a story. Every line is scrutinized to nausea, then scrutinized again the next day. The bad news is, I kill myself over every sentence. The good news is that by the time it reaches your hands it should be a finely tuned piece of badassery.
On a separate note...
The picture posted on the blog is in regards to the subject of my next book, which is going from bachelorhood to married man. In no way is it referring to the relationship I share with my beautiful wife.
She is my best friend and confidant, and I can't imagine spending a second of my life without her.
Remember, there ain't a horse that can't be rode, and ain't a cowboy that can't be throwed.
Until next time...
Friday, March 20, 2009
Detox just to Retox
Suddenly the meaning of 'TGIF' means a hell of a lot more than crappy sitcoms on Friday night.
Thanks once again for checking out my meager pittance of a blog. It's quite depressing to look at how my blog is formatted. There's nothing unique about it. It's about as standard as standard goes for the 'blogspot' realm except for the outstanding job I do by occasionally inserting a new photo on the title where the blog's name is nearly unreadable. Well, at least I"m doing that.
Weeks are flying by at a Doc Brown pace, and I swear I don't remember the last four days. I nearly finished reading "The Plunge" in its first iteration, and predictably I'm underwhelmed. I typically dislike everything I do as a point of self-criticism, but upon reading my first pass at "The Plunge" I can definitively say that there's much, much more to do.
I compare writing to building a house. The first step is to construct the frame, which is the foundation upon which the rest of the aesthetics of the home is shaped. Upon that you add the sheet rock, insulation, paint, texturing, fixtures, etc. to complete a home. As for the "The Plunge," I've only got the frame built.
As I'm going back through and reading the sentences I laid down awhile ago, I'm shocked at how bare they are. There's lots more to add and lots more to do before this 'house' is ready to hit the market. I'm excited to one day slap the 'For Sale' sign in the front yard.
I've FINALLY begun work on the computer document itself, which is a liberating feeling. Without a laptop I feel naked, and without one I'm rendered unproductive. Hopefully that will change soon, but until it does, I'll be struggling to do serious work on the title. How did Dickens do it without 4 gigs of ram and a wireless mouse?
Thanks to everyone for their kind words concerning the small blurb I posted on the site awhile back. It's good to know that there are some folks out there looking to read my work. I hope to have final copies of both books completed by June. I've already got four ideas in the hopper for the next one, assuming that neither of these are published/deserving of a sequel. Trust me, everyday I encounter something in my life that is sequel-worthy to "The Plunge."
Until next time...
Thanks once again for checking out my meager pittance of a blog. It's quite depressing to look at how my blog is formatted. There's nothing unique about it. It's about as standard as standard goes for the 'blogspot' realm except for the outstanding job I do by occasionally inserting a new photo on the title where the blog's name is nearly unreadable. Well, at least I"m doing that.
Weeks are flying by at a Doc Brown pace, and I swear I don't remember the last four days. I nearly finished reading "The Plunge" in its first iteration, and predictably I'm underwhelmed. I typically dislike everything I do as a point of self-criticism, but upon reading my first pass at "The Plunge" I can definitively say that there's much, much more to do.
I compare writing to building a house. The first step is to construct the frame, which is the foundation upon which the rest of the aesthetics of the home is shaped. Upon that you add the sheet rock, insulation, paint, texturing, fixtures, etc. to complete a home. As for the "The Plunge," I've only got the frame built.
As I'm going back through and reading the sentences I laid down awhile ago, I'm shocked at how bare they are. There's lots more to add and lots more to do before this 'house' is ready to hit the market. I'm excited to one day slap the 'For Sale' sign in the front yard.
I've FINALLY begun work on the computer document itself, which is a liberating feeling. Without a laptop I feel naked, and without one I'm rendered unproductive. Hopefully that will change soon, but until it does, I'll be struggling to do serious work on the title. How did Dickens do it without 4 gigs of ram and a wireless mouse?
Thanks to everyone for their kind words concerning the small blurb I posted on the site awhile back. It's good to know that there are some folks out there looking to read my work. I hope to have final copies of both books completed by June. I've already got four ideas in the hopper for the next one, assuming that neither of these are published/deserving of a sequel. Trust me, everyday I encounter something in my life that is sequel-worthy to "The Plunge."
Until next time...
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Lando System?
When your mind is exhausted and your body has had all it can stand, occasionally you can reach a heightened sense of concentration and revelation.
By now I've begun to wrap my head around what my daily schedule will be going forward, which isn't really optimistic for book-writing. The end of each day provides me with an hour or so most of the time to utilize it in the best possible way I can. There are so many things that I want to do and accomplish that for some reason work doesn't fit into the equation. Often enough I use every free second to write or edit in some form or fashion, while blending in family time and the odd television program that previously ensnared me in its web. Frustration sets in at times, and it's in those moments that I have to keep my eye on what's most important.
Everyone has responsibilities, which inevitably interfere with all of the fun stuff in life. Time is so short that it's easy to lament that you can't go to the movies or shopping even on the weekends. With time so precious, it's important to focus on what makes you the happiest and most complete. Sure, one could become enraptured by ten different television shows, which would consume an entire week's worth of time. Or one could focus on physical fitness and exercise, while ignoring other interests altogether. If watching twelve hours of television per week, or working out non-stop makes you feel productive then by all means enjoy. Productivity is a relative term.
Sorry for jaunting off the beaten path there for a second. I hear many people all too often complain about not having time to learn to play instruments, or write or read a classic novel. Time is wasted constantly throughout the day. Next time you sit down to play XBOX or watch the latest episode of "Dancing With the Stars," think about all of the things you think you'll never have time to do. Then ask yourself where your priorities lie.
So, back to the first sentence of this blog...
Around the middle of last week I was laying in bed, editing "The Plunge," in the moments before sleep overcame me. My wife was sleeping, and the puppy was already in his kennel for the night. The grind of the week's commute had already stripped any last vestige of energy from my system, and I worked on the book for the sake of moving forward with the project. My eyes skimmed the lines of words, and like fine wine revelations of improvement flowed into a streaming conscious. Suddenly I became a better writer, and I quickly scribbled the improved sentences and anecdotes next to the original text. The new output was simply amazing.
There's a quasi-famous philosopher/author named Colin Wilson who has written many books on a variety of topics. He is perhaps best know for his work, "The Occult," which is a broad research on various topics of the unknown. Throughout "The Occult," Wilson speaks frequently of, "Faculty X," which he claims is man's latent and lost missing sense, like sight or sound. Over time, so he claims, we have lost the ability to connect with this faculty as technology has evolved and made life so easy. According to Wilson, "Faculty X" sleeps deep within us and is an untapped resource that is dulled by modern conveniences, but at times it shows itself when our mind is at its most quiet. "Faculty X" is most likely to show itself when we're on the brink of exhaustion, and as I rested on the bed, almost asleep, I couldn't help but wonder if my new insight into my work was spurned on by the missing ability.
Work still continues on both books at this time. Early feedback on "Waterglade" has been extremely positive, and I continue to tweak "The Plunge" daily. I've set a tentative summer deadline to have both works prepared to send to prospective agents. We'll see if I can hit the mark.
Until next time...
By now I've begun to wrap my head around what my daily schedule will be going forward, which isn't really optimistic for book-writing. The end of each day provides me with an hour or so most of the time to utilize it in the best possible way I can. There are so many things that I want to do and accomplish that for some reason work doesn't fit into the equation. Often enough I use every free second to write or edit in some form or fashion, while blending in family time and the odd television program that previously ensnared me in its web. Frustration sets in at times, and it's in those moments that I have to keep my eye on what's most important.
Everyone has responsibilities, which inevitably interfere with all of the fun stuff in life. Time is so short that it's easy to lament that you can't go to the movies or shopping even on the weekends. With time so precious, it's important to focus on what makes you the happiest and most complete. Sure, one could become enraptured by ten different television shows, which would consume an entire week's worth of time. Or one could focus on physical fitness and exercise, while ignoring other interests altogether. If watching twelve hours of television per week, or working out non-stop makes you feel productive then by all means enjoy. Productivity is a relative term.
Sorry for jaunting off the beaten path there for a second. I hear many people all too often complain about not having time to learn to play instruments, or write or read a classic novel. Time is wasted constantly throughout the day. Next time you sit down to play XBOX or watch the latest episode of "Dancing With the Stars," think about all of the things you think you'll never have time to do. Then ask yourself where your priorities lie.
So, back to the first sentence of this blog...
Around the middle of last week I was laying in bed, editing "The Plunge," in the moments before sleep overcame me. My wife was sleeping, and the puppy was already in his kennel for the night. The grind of the week's commute had already stripped any last vestige of energy from my system, and I worked on the book for the sake of moving forward with the project. My eyes skimmed the lines of words, and like fine wine revelations of improvement flowed into a streaming conscious. Suddenly I became a better writer, and I quickly scribbled the improved sentences and anecdotes next to the original text. The new output was simply amazing.
There's a quasi-famous philosopher/author named Colin Wilson who has written many books on a variety of topics. He is perhaps best know for his work, "The Occult," which is a broad research on various topics of the unknown. Throughout "The Occult," Wilson speaks frequently of, "Faculty X," which he claims is man's latent and lost missing sense, like sight or sound. Over time, so he claims, we have lost the ability to connect with this faculty as technology has evolved and made life so easy. According to Wilson, "Faculty X" sleeps deep within us and is an untapped resource that is dulled by modern conveniences, but at times it shows itself when our mind is at its most quiet. "Faculty X" is most likely to show itself when we're on the brink of exhaustion, and as I rested on the bed, almost asleep, I couldn't help but wonder if my new insight into my work was spurned on by the missing ability.
Work still continues on both books at this time. Early feedback on "Waterglade" has been extremely positive, and I continue to tweak "The Plunge" daily. I've set a tentative summer deadline to have both works prepared to send to prospective agents. We'll see if I can hit the mark.
Until next time...
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