Power Level, Over Three Thousand?

Oh Dragon Ball Z… you still slay me after all these years.

But seriously… my blog has finally reached another milestone, of three thousand views. I want to thank all of you who actually swing by and donate some of your time to making me feel important. It may not seem like much to happen upon someone’s site and take a quick look, but to me? That means a lot! There aren’t many people in my life outside of this blog that I share my writing with and even fewer who actually care. Sometimes as a writer, you feel as though you are the only one who really gives a damn about your story. No one makes time for it. No one helps you with it. You are alone in a vast imaginary wasteland of your own devising.

Your quick stop by? It is like the shining light that makes me continue through that lonely darkness. The comments? Like a message in a bottle found on the beaches of despair. You are not alone, the only message inside.

No no, don’t read this wrong! I am not depressed! But I want to express the feelings of every blogger out there, that feeling of writing something and having no one view it or that feeling of having even just one person view it! Your few minutes is beyond welcome and I cannot express my gratitude enough.

*Sniff* So thanks again!

Ahem! *Cough* Moving on. So I’ve been embarking on a journey of trying to learn a third language… Which is harder than expected. Firstly, how the hell did I ever learn English?! Immersion definitely helped. But then how did I learn French?! Oh right… French Immersion (Ou, L’Immersion Francais… I know, difficult translation, right?) But now… I’m staring at these Kanji and Kana and my brain can recognize some of the Kana already and I know the sounds. But there is one thing I’m not sure on… grammar. Also, how certain things change depending on what symbol comes after it. My brain melted at trying to translate the very first line of one of the video games I bought while I visited Japan.

From what I have gathered… it has something to do with a birthday. Shortly thereafter, I had a nap. My Uncle had told me while I was in Japan he still can’t read some signs (he’s been there twenty five years… what chance do I have?), he also said learning to speak it was easier. Sadly, not all my games dictate what is happening on the screen to me. As it stands, I have three books on Japanese and a memory like game to help me recognize and register the different Kanji and Kana. My goal is to eventually write my uncle a letter in Japanese, admittedly most likely poor Japanese… but a letter nonetheless!

As for my writing, the blog has been doing well at getting me back into the habit. (Thanks again!) Sometimes I wish I could just head to a positive space for my writing needs every single day. Sadly my routine starts at six in the morning with the puppies and then work, followed by either cooking or cleaning from dinner followed by spending some time with my partner and the pups before heading back off to bed around ten in the evening. I’ve tried to write on my breaks at work (what an impossibility that is) and I never accomplish anything. Currently I am writing on my days off (so… see you next Tuesday most likely…) but hopefully soon I will be able to get out of work on time as we will be back up to the full compliment of management.

Also in the realm of writing, I appear to require more effort into describing scenes and people. My story is action and dialogue driven… but the feedback I have received is that there are only a few places where I have gone into detail. Perhaps I should have been a scriptwriter instead? Oh well… as an effort here is the scene I am currently writing in, from my own perspective, as practice.

***

My beard itches as I lean against the back of the couch. I remember now why we bought this one, as it’s embrace cuddles me like a throne of pillows. I satisfy my beard’s itch with my right hand, while my left one slides across the suede like texture of the cushions. I feel a quick prick, as my hand drifts onto the brown microfibre blanket covering the majority of the couch. Damn dogs… My fingers pluck a thin and pointed burr from the plush blanket. They’re lucky I love them. I secretly drop it into my girlfriend’s box of teaching things, which looks about as well organized as a game of fifty-two pick up. She wasn’t feeling well yesterday, so she probably just tossed it onto the couch, in my spot. I feel a bit like Sheldon Cooper from the TV Show, The Big Bang Theory. It’s in my spot… That’s my spot. I chuckle to myself as my right hand finds another pointed burr. I toss it onto the table, past my silver and black Chromebook.

With a twinge, I learn forward and push the tiny burr into a small pile of other similar pointy objects. Stupid back… stupid spot just below my ribs. I shrug the short dull pain off as I glance to a pile of three books on the “el cheapo” coffee table. The table was free, so I won’t argue. It still serves its purpose. The books are stacked three high; Japanese Bilingual Dictionary, The Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary and a book on Japanese Kanji and Kana. Roughly a sixty dollar investment into being frustrated. I’ve already managed my sixty dollars of frustration, time to move into productivity. Suddenly my laptop hits a song I like by Them Crooked Vultures and pumps it through my headphones. So much for that. I listen close as the song powers on, its distracting melody pleasuring my ear drums.

My eyes drift from the laptop to my beautiful TV as my fingers pump away at the Macbook-like keyboard before me. Fifty five inches of sexy LG goodness on top of a bookshelf from IKEA; one of those four by two even square shelves, The Kallax. The two latest Playstation consles sit just below the TV on top of the shelf, amid the blanket of dust. Seems I’m not only neglecting my writing… I consider playing a game, but the one I am in the middle of just isn’t keeping my attention. With so little time to do what I want, I’ve considered cutting it loose. The clutter below the consoles in the TV’s cabinet are behind glass and not as dusty at least. I skim across the spines of my collection of Marvel graphic novels, which when placed in order, create a landscape photo with the various heroes side by side. It’s a fantastic idea however, I’ve begun putting things in front of them. A card for my own birthday over a month ago, various Japanese knick-knacks and two books block the majority of the Marvel spines.

My eyes stop on the final of the four top panels and behind the class door is a small obsession of mine. Seven books, all silk bound hard covers, all philosophy and self help books. My self diagnosed O.C.D. arranged them in colour order: Yellow, Orange, Red, Maroon, Purple, Blue, Green. My eyes drift over the titles: The Prince, The Art of the Samurai, The Art of War, Marco Polo’s Silk Road, The Prophet, Tao Te Ching and The Five Rings. The amount of wisdom contained within those books is like having your own life lesson course in a glass case. I shift my legs out from under me and stretch across to the other lounge chair, until I’m comfortably on my side. What is the point of all of this? Will this make me a better writer?

The shelf in the corner looms in the shadows of the room, with virtually the entire Barnes & Noble leather-bound collection on its top two shelves. I shift back into a cross legged position as my back protests resting on my elbow, while I consider pulling down a book to read. George R. R. Martin’s advice was to read, anything and everything, fiction and non, in the quest to write better. From Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy to Poe’s complete Tales and Poems and further along to Ray Bradbury and HP Lovecraft; I stare at the shelf in awe. It is as if I have all my favourite authors watching over me, trying to guide me onto the path to success. I lean back and stare at what I’ve written on my Macbook mockery. The word count rings in at nearly fifteen hundred as Them Crooked Vultures loops back around and breaks into possibly my favourite riff of all time. I shrug off the idea of editing the blog post, and smile at my reflection in the TV before me. Welcome back my muse, shall we get started then?

***

Practice makes perfect right? If anyone has any suggestions into my ability to describe or how I could better use description… I’d love to know. I don’t think I used smell in my above description, but then again… I hope my house doesn’t smell at all! Anyway, I’m off to eat and write a quick short story before I practice some Japanese! It’s noon already and the day flies by when you’re having fun… hope you’re all having a good day out there and thanks again for stopping by! If you’d like me to read some of your stuff, just post it in the comments! I will get to it eventually, I promise! (I still have a few to read already, so it may be a bit!) Anyway thanks and take care! Hope everyone out there is winning!

Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, Treachery… And Other Ways To Live Your Life To The Fullest

Limbo…

A place where every procrastinator, myself included, spends most of their time. A philosophical question… is to not try, failing? A hockey player once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” He is right, statistically, but he also had a gift which got him into an arena where he could take as many shots as he wanted. If writing was like a sports team, I’d have quit my day job years ago and started practicing to get paid where I could take all the shots I wanted. Sadly, this is not the case… so I work, to pay the bills. By the end of the work day, I am tired to the point of ADD and cannot focus. I hear that coffee stuff does wonders… too bad I hate the taste. So here I sit… writing a blog… in Limbo.

Lust…

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Isn’t that true? Whether it’s a job or a story idea… there’s always something us silly humans are lusting after. More money? I want it. More free time? Sign me up. Story about a boy magician or a story about  fighting for the iron throne? I wish I’d written that. Despite my best efforts, I always see some shinier idea and leap upon it… leaving my old idea sad, alone and unfinished. If I could somehow tie all my incomplete stories together, I’d have one badass series of books. Sadly, the moment that I came up with a better idea, I’d be off lusting after that one too… damn sexy ideas. I blame the characters.

Gluttony…

Do I overindulge into my worldly pleasures? Perhaps… I only have a hundred games or so and a hundred books… or more. I do not eat to health, but instead to convenience. I do not drink, unless we count drinking in the stories of other creative types who have made it. As for those, I am drowning in them. I have more books than I have free time. I have more games than I have books. I am a glutton for a good story and even more so for great media in general. They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem… right?

Greed…

As I sit among all my things, I realise that I probably relate closer to Smaug than anything else. I am rational for the most part. Until I want something. Then I can ignore prices and my own common sense. For instance, my obsession with collector’s edition books has managed to get to the point where my bookshelf is starting to bow. They are all books that I wish to read, but never make time for. Do I buy more? Of course. Who doesn’t? Does that make me greedy? Yes, yes it does.

Anger…

No one is more frustrated with me, than me. My girlfriend is probably a close second, and my coworkers a close third. Work is fulfilling. Numbers do not lie and when you are doing well, you see it reflected in the numbers. That is why I like work so much. My brain releases endorphins when I succeed. I succeed at work, through others. That is why I love it. I can pump them up, get them excited, start them on the task and leave… only to come back and follow up. Easy right? Now to accomplish anything in my personal life, it is not so easy. I am angry that I have lost the focus and the capacity to accomplish outside of the work setting. I am angry that I get distracted easily. I am angry that I seemingly have tons of time for a bunch of things I have no actual interest in, and no time for the things I want to accomplish. I’m just an angry guy apparently.

Heresy…

For this particular circle of awesomeness, I am a heretic on multiple levels I suppose. I believe the future of movies lies in video games. *GASP* Although I have also lived the majority of my life believing in no God, and also with the belief that if we are indeed creatures of a God’s creating he will be happy with how I have lived my life and the lessons I have learned and will hopefully learn before I die. Let us take a look at the commandments. 

  1. You shall have no other gods before Me. (What about no God at all?)
  2. You shall not make idols. (George R.R. Martin is my hero.)
  3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. (Didn’t anyone work retail back in those days?)
  4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Which one is that? My day off?)
  5. Honor your father and your mother. (I have cursed them and loved them dearly throughout my entire life. I still hate it when Mom is right.)
  6. You shall not murder. (That’s easy, unless he means anything. In which case… I’m sorry, but spiders are terrifying.)
  7. You shall not commit adultery. (What constitutes adultery anyway? I mean, if a man can take many wives… where is the line?)
  8. You shall not steal. (I was young! I did it to be popular! I learned!)
  9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Who hasn’t lied to get out of something?)
  10. You shall not covet. (See Lust above. Whoops.)

So there you have it… I’ve broken most of those outdated commandments and people consider me to be a nice guy. I’m sure my version of God will be impressed I’m not a lunatic… sadly if it is the biblical version, well… I’ll fit into any of the nine circles of hell. Party on the lake of fire. Whoo.

Violence…

I’m not a violent person… unless I get frustrated with a video game or get backed into a corner. I’ve been in a few fights over my years, but hey, we’re all fighting for something, right?

Fraud…

I talk of being a writer, when really I’m not. I’m a manager first and a writer… umm… roughly twelfth. It is nice to be something that you’re not occasionally, like when I am a writer first and foremost. In a sense, we may all be frauds until we truly discover who we actually want to be. I can fit into virtually any group, but that doesn’t mean that is who I am.

Treachery… 

Betrayal of trust. So many people believe that I have lied about completing a book because it is still in the editing phase. *Shrug* Well it is. But when I was young, I betrayed the trust of many people; Friends, family and strangers. Lies became a basis of what I did to get out of things and eventually it took getting out of that crowd and a fight to realise what was happening. Although anyone can be deceptive if they put their mind to it. After all, I am in customer service… deception sometimes keeps both the customer happy and the business’s image untarnished while everything gets sorted out.

So… as you see above, if I were in the Divine Comedy… I would fit comfortably in most circles of Hell. As it stands for now, they are the nine circles of my own personal torment, but I’ll get there someday. After reading some tips and hints from one of my favourite authors, George R. R. Martin, I think it is about time to start giving my writing back some priority. Ironically, I am still awaiting my copy of the Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics Edition of The Divine Comedy. Curse you back orders, curse you!

One final note too, that made me quite the “happy chappy” was this quote from Mr. Martin himself: “I’ve always said there are – to oversimplify it – two kinds of writers. There are architects and gardeners. The architects do blueprints before they drive the first nail, they design the entire house, where the pipes are running, and how many rooms there are going to be, how high the roof will be. But the gardeners just dig a hole and plant the seed and see what comes up. I think all writers are partly architects and partly gardeners, but they tend to one side or another, and I am definitely more of a gardener. In my Hollywood years when everything does work on outlines, I had to put on my architect’s clothes and pretend to be an architect. But my natural inclinations, the way I work, is to give my characters the head and to follow them.” That is how I wrote my story to completion was to have a few plot points to hit, and let the characters do the walking. I’m also starting to believe the game idea I had where six characters all affect the same world should be more like how I write. It’s been right there all along!

The Journey…

Life has an incredible way of throwing curve balls. Whether I’m at work, or at home… there is no end to the surprises in store for me. This year was supposed to be the year I manage to get published, or at least put in a solid effort towards it. In case you haven’t noticed, writing has drifted somewhere into Neverland along with this poor, dusty old blog. Does that mean I’ve been unproductive? Not at all! But the things that mean the most to me for the most part come in last. Since I last wrote on this blog… Wow… Has it been that long?

The last thing I wrote was a scene I’d had in mind for a long time. Almost two months ago. That is embarrassing. So much has happened since then! 

Firstly, I finally achieved one of my biggest goals in life; To travel to Japan and visit my Uncle. It has been a long time coming and it did not disappoint. From seeing my extended family, to gaming culture, to the Japanese culture and even further onto the history and beauty that is Japan… It was not hard to see why I know so many people who love Japan, and miss it so. For me, it felt like home; Safe and comfortable, yet exciting and new. 

Seeing my Uncle was incredible, after all, the last time we had seen each other was my father’s funeral (his brother). It was a rough time then, but we made the best of our time together given the circumstances. This time was not like that at all, but despite him running his own business and rushing everywhere, it was fantastic to spend the time with him and share some laughs and learn some family history. It was great spending some time with my wonderful Aunt and my cousins (who are both much taller, older and funnier than their shy younger years). I cannot thank them enough for opening up their home to us for the first few nights of our stay. Started off with some great relaxing for the trip ahead!

After this we went straight to Tokyo (stayed in Shinjuku) and enjoyed the sights and the city. Despite the enormous amount of people walking near the train station (which Japan’s trains are the best system I’ve been on, crammed, but efficient), there was always a sense of order and it seemed almost as if people moved in well coordinated lines. Also unlike most other places, people make the effort to move out of the way and make space for you no matter where you are. Just little kindnesses here and there, but they all added up. Our room was spacious and decently close to most of the areas we wanted to hit before moving on from Tokyo. 

I became obsessed with BookOff and the many small gaming shops around the city. We saw so much in regards to anime and gaming that my mind began to melt (and my wallet began to empty). I definitely picked up a Dragonball, some merchandise at a Pokemon Center (just one of many visits across Japan), some games that are never to be released in english speaking countries and paid my tribute at the Square-Enix cafe. All honesty, I could live there tomorrow if things were going differently. 

Next we headed into Kyoto with a bit of unease as we arrived. We had heard stories such as: it was hard to get around, experienced racism and people generally aren’t helpful. Within moments all of this was drowned with the kindness from the people around us and the fact that Kyoto has a bus pass that is a hop on, hop off anywhere pass for an entire day. Handy for the traveller there for a few days. Kyoto was absolutely beautiful; the history, the traditions and the people. Seeing kimonos first hand was extremely interesting as it still it the fashion there, unlike the budding metropolis we had visited just days earlier. Also in Kyoto, we found a restaurant… no, THE restaurant. It was a Do-It-Yourself Tempura feast, you paid one price and ate until your time was up. We may have gone back there again the next night… no regrets. 

From there we headed into Osaka. To me, I loved Osaka, both heart and soul. Tokyo was too crammed to feel quite comfortable for me, but Osaka was almost the calmer version. It still had the rich gaming culture and anime everywhere, but without the foot traffic and regular traffic of Tokyo. Here is where I did most of my shopping (games I held onto for years were available here for roughly $5 and were still popular!) and I made the decision I will need to learn Japanese. I’ll get to that later. For an afternoon, my girlfriend and I parted ways and I ventured around the city. I swung by many small back alley shops and marvelled at games that cost in the upwards of $6000 (first editions and rarities). It was hard to leave Osaka, but we still had another stop.

Atami was our stop in at a hotel that was styled like a traditional Japanese guest house. We wore our robes and went to eat dinner, when we realised that we were most certainly the only white people in the whole building (or perhaps even city…) We felt out of place for a few minutes as people pointed us out and the such, but then everything went about as if nothing happened. It was an odd feeling, but I’m sure to them, it was an odd sight! Here I fell in love with melon soda (or green, delicious, fizzy nectar of the gods as I like to call it) and we then headed back to the airport for the trip home.

So that was my journey into Japan. Before we left however my boss told me he had news. All of the sales managers for the local area were shifting stores. Without so much as a chance to say goodbye, I found out that was my last day and when I arrived back in Australia, I’d be headed into a different store. Going from a mall store to a destination store is tricky, especially now that Christmas is gone. That means I can work on growing the clientèle until then, but when Christmas hits we have to be in tip top shape. It is the only time of year you can hit a huge customer base and work hard to keep them for after the season. I did it with EB Games, and now it’s my plan with this store. Just means it’s going to be a long wait until then.

As for my writing… it has fallen off the wagon. Getting puppies was a fantastic idea, and I love them to death… but my productivity has disintegrated. I feel terribly guilty when I don’t pay attention to them as we have to pretty much lock them in the laundry while we work during the day. In our home we don’t have a nice yard they can just play in (hopefully in our next place they will) so we both feel as though we owe it to them to give them our undivided attention while we’re home. As one of my days off falls during the week, I still keep them away while I am home so not only as to get things done, but keep their during the week routine consistent as my day off may not be the same from week to week.

Also trying to fit gaming, writing and learning Japanese into my non existent free time has proven quite the challenge. My last days off were spent weeding the garden (AKA TJ Versus the Plant Spires Of DOOOM), cleaning the house (AKA Revenge of the Dust Hares), catching up on the laundry (AKA Attack of the Pasta Stains 2) and IKEA Furniture Assembly (AKA How Not To Assemble Furniture). The last game I played was on my iPhone (I’m so ashamed… all these game consoles and no playing time on them as of late) and in the washroom, where I have uninterrupted free time! Hurray for irritable bowel syndrome!

Anyway I am hoping to get back into it pretty soon, most likely in about two weeks time when my boss returns from holidays and I can focus on getting out of work on time. As for gaming, I’ll get there when I retire. *Sigh* Any one out there have any decent time management strategies/books they’d like to suggest or tips!? I’m all ears!

My mind is hazy as I stir from my slumber as my head pounds with the force of a thousand jack hammers. Despite my eyes being wide open, I see only darkness. The rope bites into my wrists as I struggle to move from my sitting position. Tied to a chair. Never a good sign.

“Shh… He’s awake…”

The voice is slightly accented, but not welcoming at all. I turn toward the sound of footsteps as they draw near. Suddenly the darkness is lifted like a shroud and the light tears at my eyes. The stinging sensation rings alarms in my head, which accents the existing pain perfectly.

“Alex. Lovely to see you again.”

I squint through the agony into the man’s face and watch as his features refocus into someone I know. The man before me with the fantastic moustache and dark hair slicked to the side was none other than the man I was sent to investigate. “Jackson? What’s going on…” Of course, I already knew the answer to that. He had been discovered as a double agent for a few different countries, so he was put on a blacklist, which is why I was here.

“Yeah, we’re not going to play that game.” Jackson said as he stepped back and withdrew a pistol. “It’s a shame they sent you.” He nodded to a man standing behind me and suddenly the sound of jack hammers became much louder as the wind whistled in through the room. “I almost liked you.” 

He placed a single foot between my legs and tilted the chair backwards until I realised what the jack hammers were. We were on a train… and I was leaning out the door, my life at the mercy of a double agent. I stared down at his foot until he laughed. 

“Don’t bother.” Jackson laughed. “The number one agent in the world? Hardly.” He raised the gun and pointed it at my head. “Good bye Mr. Avanti. You’ll be sorely missed.”

The gun’s discharge felt as though it were in slow motion. I saw my life flash before my eyes. Training new recruits. First kiss. Broken and left for dead. As the world went dark, the whistling was almost soothing as I plummeted from the train to the waters below. My last clear image was Jackson watching my corpse falling to its doom before being taken by the darkness.

 

This is a scene I have had in mind for forever, but I hate writing full stories when I’m tired. I still will revisit this at some point, but I would love to be able to write the next Bond movie with this scene in it and also instead of being crazy action being a much more psychological thriller with action. That’d be fun! Anyway, I’m going to eat and sleep because I feel exhausted. But hopefully I’ll get some editing done tonight!

How go your own projects?

Counting Chickens

Two weeks ago, I had a minor moment of panic when the company I work for told me that in a mere few days, they would be reclaiming my work vehicle. I wasn’t a huge van of the van I was driving, but it was a lease which meant everything was covered and paid for out of an illusionary sum that went towards it. It worked out much cheaper in the end and with gas prices being what they are are, it was awesome!

But now I’d be losing the van in only a short days… lucky for me I had given my old one thousand dollar beater to my girlfriend’s parents as a run car for their newsagency. As I summoned the beast back into my possession, I realized I needed this new car… badly. My old beater was now fast approaching three hundred and seventeen thousand kilometers and idles like I imagine leaving the atmosphere feels like.

So I got into gear and contacted the lease company with my idea to get my dream car; A Blue Volkswagen Jetta. I know, aim high right? But seriously ever since I saw the original 1999 Jetta, I fell in love. Once I finally owned a Jetta with its beautiful forest green exterior and tan leather interior, I was sunk. It drove smooth, was a beast in the winter and was the most reliable and wonderful car I’ve ever driven. I sold it to a friend who I hope is taking care of it. I’m sure he is.

So back to my beautiful Tempest Blue, 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. I figured I would settle with a used one, a few years old, a couple of thousand kilometers on it. The offer they shot me back was the brand new one, no kilometers… mine. MINE. I stared at the sheet, only had to pay thirty dollars a week out of pocket to get it. My dream car. My precious…

I signed the lease so fast the pen nearly shredded the paper. Every time the lease company asked for more information it got back to them within moments. I was skipping the aisles at work. A Jetta! Blue! Mine! I began to consider in my head what I would do in the next few days to prepare for its arrival. Then I pushed back a bit and shook my head. Now, now… don’t get too excited. She hasn’t made you sign the lease yet. I thought to myself. I’ve always been cautious, I hate heartbreak. Then eventually she asked for one final thing; A copy of my Australian Visa.

I thought nothing of it. Scanned and emailed it and rejoiced. At that point, she could only ask for a blood sample and some hair… she knew everything pretty well by that moment in time. So I began to rejoice. This actually seemed like it was going to happen, after all, she had ordered the car to the dealership. Companies don’t really order cars until they are paid for them.

I began to sing glory and dance and plan on how fast I could clean out the garage and get an automatic roller door installed. I had a day off coming up, I could do it then! I posted to Facebook with a picture of the potential car I would be getting. Excitement and relief set in.

Only to have it all shattered.

I got a call, it was the lease company. Calls are never good, especially when all of your prior correspondence has been through email. I was notified because of the type of visa I’m on, I wouldn’t be eligible for a lease until it changed over. That would be in September twenty fifteen as I am a temporary resident, but you simply must wait for two years to become permanent. She promised me she’d do what she could… but something tells me it is not going to happen. I blame Facebook. Once I went all social media happy… that was when I got the call. People had already seen it, commented, understood how much I loved the car.

It was heartbreaking.

So now I drive a station wagon instead of a Volkswagen, a 1994 instead of a 2014 and white (which I detest) instead of blue (my favorite color). Irony has a wonderful way of bending me over the barrel. It could be worse though. I could have no car at all. But the lesson to be learned folks?

Don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched.

Or in this case, cars before you’ve got the keys.

*Sob*

I suppose I should cancel my Volkswagen merchandise order. *Sigh*

As for writing, I have bought more books and am currently awaiting the Harry Potter series for me to reread. As JK Rowling is an inspiration to me, I am hoping that I can reread her series to sharpen my descriptions and structure. My story is too dialogue driven and would almost be a better movie script in its current form than a book. But hey, that’s what editing is for, right?

Right!

Dazed And Confused

I haven’t been productive in my writing once again. I know. I’m shaking my head at myself as we speak. I am trying to figure out a way to tie my writing directly into my life somehow and if being a published and successful author isn’t enough I need a new and diabolical way to motivate myself. I’m ashamed because now that my girlfriend has read my story, I’ve been making all the excuses not to run through and edit without her. Really, I can (and probably should) do that. But also I could be creatively writing on the side, lord knows I have enough damned stories building up en masse in the back of my mind.

So I’ve decided that one way or another, I will be paid to write.

This may fail. This may work miracles. I may suffer unlike I have ever before. I am working on a rate to which to pay myself (Per word? Per hundred or five hundred words? Per page? Per hour?) I have also been trying to curb my spending, so this can also help there as well. I won’t think of it as money so much as words written. I shudder to even consider that. Especially if I average roughly only twelve hundred words an hour. If I pay myself a single dollar per five hundred words that works out to two dollars twenty per hour.

Not too bad, am I write?

See what I did there? Oh man, this has been a long day. Also I just figured out I will be paying myself exactly one fifth of a cent for every word. Not a bad rate if I do say so myself! I’ve also decided I can earn a bonus per hour if I’m editing (Two dollars sound like too much?) That way if I’m editing and add words, I can make more money! Hurray! I wonder if I can claim my own business working for myself, and employing myself? I’m sure there’s some sort of tax write off there somewhere!

On the spending money side of things my obsession with things runs deep as I have snagged a few final books from Barnes & Noble for the ever growing collection of judgement. I bought a few books for my partner as well as Crime and Punishment, The Holy Bible (I’m not religious, but it has been awhile since I read it) and lastly Don Quixote. In an attempt to be a better writer and understand the craft, I have been looking around to see what supposedly the best books are. Crime and Punishment made many a list while Don Quixote topped many a list as the best fiction novel of all time. This has made me incredibly curious about the stories within as well as the characters that many of the judges have spoken about. Crime and Punishment is supposed to be a fantastic read, although I am concerned when some say that it can be boring at times. Makes me wonder about the lesser known books in the top ten!

Oh the wondrous things us procrastinators get up to hey? Perhaps that’s why you’re here reading and I’m here writing. Either way, time to get back to work!

(This post earned me, $1.10, This is going to suck.)

New, Shiny, Distracting…

Are you a writer?

New… Shiny… Distracting…

Do the above words describe the creative process?

These are your ideas: beautiful as a newborn, shiny as gold bars and eating up your brain space.

I understand. No, really I do. You see in the world of a writer, there are an INFINITE number of distractions from your writing. Many of them are in the world around you. In your pocket. In the browser window below. This article you’re reading. But the one distraction you cannot avoid is…

Your mind.

Dun dun DUNNNNNN.

So, I’m most certainly not here to tell or teach you how to control it. In fact, a writer’s mind can be focused but something always pops up. Maybe this isn’t everyone. But for me (and I know a fair few others) we write one idea and during that time we stumble across a mine shaft of shinier ideas.

My ideas hit me whenever and wherever. Just the other day I thought a great start to a novel would be the initial meeting between a master assassin and his unsuspecting contract. As the assassin holds the knife to his/her throat, the contract wakes up and stares into the assassin’s eyes, almost as cold as his heart. Suddenly, the assassin too has an epiphany. “You’re already dead. Your family wanted you out of the picture. How do you feel about a career in killing others?” With a silent nod, the contract agrees to the terms and the pair make off into the night. Thus starts the protagonist’s journey into becoming an assassin, while planning their own revenge on the side.

So my point? I don’t really have one. That’s the best part about this blog post… I’m just letting you know you’re not alone. I have yet to overcome this huge challenge. I have curbed it through excessive planning, but that is as close as I’ve come.

On a side note, Jefferson & The Magician’s Curse underwent its first reading by my lovely partner. Sadly for me, she wore a poker face for the whole thing (which lead me to believe she was forcing herself through it) but finally she gave me her verdict. She liked the story and characters (gave them an eight out of ten) and her only issue was she felt there wasn’t enough description (which I have always had an issue with balanced description). She gave my mechanics a five or six out of ten because she could tell when I had been writing while trying to stay awake and she wanted more description.

Still not as bad as I expected for a first draft. I now need her to ask questions about the things she didn’t understand and any gaps that I missed (because I know everything about it… it’s all in my head with the voices). Although a few things I will need to do are break it up into chapters as well as add in some more description. I need to get back into reading as well (it’s been too long) and I fear my writing mind may be ready to write, but the tools of the trade are a bit rusty. The good news is I have a ton of books to read that have come through in recent weeks (my obsession with Barnes & Noble’s Collectible Editions runs too deep) and any of them would simply sharpen my skills a bit. 

Although there is something odd about knowing you have written something longer than some popular fiction. I did a few quick word count searches on the internet and found out where my book sits. This list includes some of my favourite novels as well!

  • Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone (J.K. Rowling) = 76,944
  • The Crystal Shard (R.A. Salvatore) = 86,000 (ish)
  • The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien) = 95,022
  • Jefferson & The Magician’s Curse (ME!) = 98,657
  • Game of Thrones (George R.R. Martin) = 284,000 (ish)

So all in all, not too bad for my first completed book. Once I add in some description and cut some of the sections I wrote while only half awake, I should probably be sitting comfortably over 100k at least. But as always, it’s not the quantity, it’s the quality.

Anyway plot points have begun to rear their heads for Book Two, Jefferson & The Eternal Mana. Should be an interesting write considering I have some things to look back over. There may be an event or two pushed from the end of book one and into book two. I had an idea of how I wanted book one to end so I may go back and revisit that ending as I felt it would have been more powerful. We will see once I further edit book one. Anyway, what are you ladies and gents working on out there? How’s it going? I feel like I’ve already lost touch with many of you out there! Let me know what’s happening and I promise I’ll get back to you ASAP! After all, I have tomorrow off!

*Cue Elevator Music*

I finished my book a week ago today!

Now I wait anxiously while the most important person in my life reads what could possibly be the most intimate thing I’ve ever shared with her. That may sound strange to many of you out there, as I have a blog about my writing, I have self published a short story and frequently talk about my writing; however this is different.

My writing on here is probably never going to reach commercial status.

My short story may be available to the public, but as far as I can tell, very few have read it.

I’m always talking about my story and my ideas, but even still that only talks of my passion.

Even before self publishing my short story, it took twenty unbiased reviews to give me the confidence to put it out there and hope people enjoyed it. It also stung every time someone was exceptionally harsh, but I still took in what they said and made some changes. The thing that also worries me is that I have met and known other people who are far better writers than I and have written far more than me; yet they have not managed to get published.

As for life around writing, my store is doing well at hitting sales targets but we get destroyed on stats week in and week out. I’ll be the first to say that we are not perfect, but also that we are heading in the right direction. I just need to work on consistency with the ladies and gents. This does tie back in to writing though as I am using writing to drive my sales at work. How you ask? Simple. At work, if the store performs well for the month, I get a bonus for making target. So outside of work, I have written this wonderful book. Now, in order to get it published, I am relying on those bonuses to pay for a quality editor and hopefully get some manuscripts printed off and send them out to a few publishers in the next few months. I’m prepared for rejection, but also prepared to push through and write the next book, “Jefferson & The Eternal Mana” followed by “Jefferson & The Celestial of Spells”.

As for today, it is rainy and miserable and I am one step away from falling back to sleep. I may set my twenty thousand word targets for the next two stories and play some Thief for my PS4. That way I don’t feel like i spent all that money for a paperweight. It’s hard to say I love my PS4 when there hasn’t really been anything out for it. Anyway, as always if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them and I’ll get back to you ASAP!

Actually before I run… how is everyone doing with writing this year? You saving your word counts for November and NaNoWriMo? Or are you smashing it out? I’d love to hear from you!

Third Post, One Day, Productivity 1, Procrastination… 2746289447621

Well, well, well. I failed at somethings while I did annihilate others!

Shall we do the final tally? I think so!

So for those of you just tuning in this is my final post for today, probably for the best (especially those of you who see me in your feed, or get emails when I post… I’m sorry!) but right now I have some exciting news!

I AM DONE BOOK ONE!

That’s right folks! After today’s intense writing session my book sits at a whopping 98,657 words. I could stretch it out, but I am so satisfied with the ending. I’ll talk to my partner about it eventually, but first she must read it all!

  • 6:30 AM – Get out of bed, help my partner walk dogs.
  • 7:00 AM – Feed dogs.
  • 7:30 AM – Play with dogs to settle them.
  • 8:00 AM – Hang out laundry.
  • 8:30 AM – Stack and put on dishwasher.
  • 9:00 AM – Write: Jefferson & The Magician’s Curse. 1200+ Words!
  • 10:00 AM – Tidy Lounge Room.
  • 10:30 AM – Tidy Kitchen.
  • 11:00 AM – Write: Jefferson & The Magician’s Curse. 1200+ Words!
  • 12:00 PM – Lunch & Free Play! Yay!
  • 1:00 PM – Tidy Bedroom.
  • 1:30 PM – Tidy & Clean Bathroom.
  • 2:00 PM – Write: Jefferson & The Magician’s Curse. 1400+ Words!
  • 3:00 PM – Write New Blog Post. Kept writing! Final tally, 5288 Words!
  • 3:30 PM – Vacuum House. Skipped to finish!
  • 4:00 PM – Take dogs out for play time. Shortly!
  • 5:00 PM – Cook & Eat dinner. (Pesto Gnocchi and Garlic Bread!)
  • 6:00 PM – Feed Pups.
  • 6:30 PM – Puppy playtime and free time.
  • 9:00 PM – Shower.
  • 9:30 PM – Puppies to bed.
  • 10:00 PM – Bed.

So after all that today, I don’t really care how my night goes. I don’t care if the gnocchi bursts into flames and the puppies attack me for letting them out late. Even if I have to clean up poop… well, that’ll suck, but-

I’VE FINISHED BOOK ONE!

HUZZAH!

Alright, on that note. Thanks for tuning in and watching me beat my Instant Gratification Monkey senseless. Yes I know how that sounds. I still won. Hurray!

Does time management really work? In a sense it did, because I broke up my writing it gave me time to think about what I would write next which allowed my to hash out the scenes! Will I do this all the time? Probably not! But I definitely should! See you on the other side!

It's Lunch Time Free Time!

  • 6:30 AM – Get out of bed, help my partner walk dogs.
  • 7:00 AM – Feed dogs.
  • 7:30 AM – Play with dogs to settle them.
  • 8:00 AM – Hang out laundry.
  • 8:30 AM – Stack and put on dishwasher.
  • 9:00 AM – Write: Jefferson & The Magician’s Curse. 1200+ Words
  • 10:00 AM – Tidy Lounge Room.
  • 10:30 AM – Tidy Kitchen.
  • 11:00 AM – Write: Jefferson & The Magician’s Curse. 1200+ Words
  • 12:00 PM – Lunch & Free Play! Yay!
  • 1:00 PM – Tidy Bedroom.
  • 1:30 PM – Tidy & Clean Bathroom.
  • 2:00 PM – Write: Jefferson & The Magician’s Curse.
  • 3:00 PM – Write New Blog Post.
  • 3:30 PM – Vacuum House.
  • 4:00 PM – Take dogs out for play time.
  • 5:00 PM – Cook & Eat dinner.
  • 6:00 PM – Feed Pups.
  • 6:30 PM – Puppy playtime and free time.
  • 9:00 PM – Shower.
  • 9:30 PM – Puppies to bed.
  • 10:00 PM – Bed.

Okay, so today has been going swimmingly. I have smashed out over 2400 words for Jefferson & The Magician’s Curse and cleaned up a few areas (needed more time for the kitchen, can always go back later). Also, glad I gave myself an hour for lunch and free time because that got me back to my blog (Hello!) and also I had to clean up some fresh puppy poop. There are downsides to owning animals for sure, but we are still on target. Also I’d like to extend out a very personal thanks to past me for pre making me lunch for today. Nothing like a Chicken, Fetta and Bacon sandwich with pesto sauce all on a rosemary turkish bun. MMM.

So I will admit, my system isn’t perfect. For example I gave myself 30 minutes to clean the lounge room and then another 30 for the kitchen. The kitchen is borderline ravaged (we cooked some indian food the other night that the sauce apparently splattered in new and creative spots that physics alone could not reach) but it looks a lot better, seeing the counter helps. Also thanks for the heads up to njwriter that my twitter had been hacked. Super annoying and not only that but they posted more in thirty minutes than I have yet this year! Well, that is also embarrassing. But no matter what, let me know if any of you get any dodgy links from me. If you’ve been following me here, you’ll know I have been virtually dormant this year, so always come back here before clicking any sketchy links. I mostly communicate through email or the comments!

On a secondary note, I am feeling really good about the ending to my book. It is fast approaching and I already have the scene in mind. As all of my characters are about to hear about the same sort of catastrophe that will be the ticking time bomb for the next book not to mention reveal the protagonist’s new struggle. It is both exciting and exhausting, but after today I will either be one smashing writing session away from completion OR I will be complete. Can’t wait for my partner to read it so I can tell where exactly I need to add more detail… or take out! Anyway I must head but between my two blog posts and two writing sessions I have smashed out nearly 4000 words (1200 x 2 for Jeffers, 600 x 2 blog posts!) This has been a wonderfully productive day and I must say… it feels good to be winning!

See you at my later block! TJ out!