Long Time No See

OK, so February went by with almost no writing from me. I had intended to come up with SOME sort of habit to get into in Feb, but it didn't really happen. Well, I do some calisthenics before my shower in the mornings, but that's about it.

March is different. I hope. I plan to, each week, learn and implement a new pattern, practice, application block or technology. I realize that doesn't apply to writing, but I have to prioritize. I'm sure I will settle into the blog space in time.

I also plan to keep up my c# blog better. As I discover new things, I will try to blog about them. I've already got 2 ideas ready to research. I may also create a LiveJournal or something so I can write private stuff from anywhere.

Can't Talk

I've written more than I can post. That's actually a good thing. If I write to get something out of my system, then I'm writing purely for myself. I don't feel like I have to share everything -- in fact, if I were to share everything, then I wouldn't be able to publish a secret novel eventually. :)

Last Night

I have succeeded in posting every night since I started. I will cease to write every night, but I do plan to keep it up. Had this been the first of February, I would not have made an entry because I have a splitting headache. I wanted to keep my word, so I wouldn't lost momentum before blogging became a habit. We'll see how well I keep it up. I also won't be posting so much stuff about writing, though I may suggest topics now and then. This will become a forum for short rants and editorials.

I'm going to go curl up with my cat and try to sleep off this headache.

Staring at the Backs of my Hands

Just now I was staring at the backs of my hands, trying to come up with an idea to write. While that's not very interesting, I could use that activity as a part of a story. I could include a description of my hands, the laptop over which they're hovering, or I could just write about someone who has writer's block. If you're stumped for an idea, consider what you're doing while being stumped. You might find being stumped is actually inspirational.

Stupid Commercials

I'm so tired of crappy commercials. It seems that more and more commercials are so lame that I don't even realize what they're selling or so awful that I'm turned off. I understand the idea that a slightly irritating commercial catches the attention of viewers, but come on! Give me a commercial that has some thought behind it. I'm more likely to buy a product if I know what it is. For example, what the heck is this HeadOn crap? The ads are irritating and make no claims about the purpose of the product. Show me a commercial like the Honda Civic ad and I'm mesmerized. I haven't purchased a Honda yet, but I would consider one. I would never buy HeadOn.

Teachers Suck?

We've all heard the saying, "Those who can - do. Those who can't - teach." Where does that saying come from? Pay.

I do technical screenings for the recruiters at my company, and I have screened out some terrible candidates. Even some of the decent candidates are lacking some basic software development skills. I am blown away by the things these graduates didn't learn. It's times like that when I feel that teaching would help bring more light into the the software development world. Pushing a handful of developers each year into the world with truly useful skills could give me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction on a level is difficult to achieve developing software itself. Perhaps if I were to write software that saves lives I might have different feelings on the subject.

So why don't I teach then? I couldn't afford to have a teacher's salary and maintain my current lifestyle. Not only that, but I would have to go back to school to get at least a Master's degree. So not only would I make less -- I would have to pay for it.

Tools - Education

One great tool for writing is education. There are all sorts of writing classes from general creative writing to poetry to science fiction. Not only are writing classes useful, but other classes may help, too. History, science, literature, art, theatre, and more can help a writer hone his or her skills. There are stories to be told in all areas of study. Just because a class is called computer science, doesn't mean it's devoid of writing material!

Tools - Social Events

I just got home from a wine tasting party. I always experience wonderful conversation at them, and I thought it would be a good topic for my blog. A party can be a great source of inspiration for several reasons. First, the variety of guests can make good character studies. Second, each guest will bring at least one story that could be "borrowed." Third, someone will say something that triggers an idea. Last, someone will use a word or phrase that you don't know or that can be a great detail in a story.

Tools - Outlines

One great tool I use to organize writing is the outline. Blogging a paragraph or two won't require one, but essays are easier to write with an outline. If you're trying to make a point and back up your arguments, a well-organized document is much easier to write if it's organized from an outline. Not only is it easier to write, but it's easier to read, understand, and accept. If you find that you're having difficulty organizing your thoughts on paper or if you realize you're rambling, consider an outline.

When I was in school, I always hated writing an outline. I didn't "get it" as a tool for expression. I thought it was purely a way for the teachers to get proof that you did some research. More recently I have found it hard to write certain types of documents, and outlines made the work so much easier.

Artwork - Flame Fractals

I find many flame fractals beautiful. I have sat for hours rendering several generations of them to get some wonderful results. If you want to generate your own, check out the software called Apophysis. It take a bit getting used to, and it can be slow due to the calculations it has to do to create these beautiful images, but it's fun to see different shapes in them.

I have used the application mostly for generating desktop wallpaper, but I'm also working on some artwork based on them. I magazine clippings of some abstract art that I like, but the size is too small for my purposes. My partner suggested that I do similar artwork with flame fractals. I thought it was a brilliant idea. My goal is to create 3 separate pieces that work with some existing artwork and color scheme. One great thing about fractals is that they're self-similar. I could generate 3 pieces that all have the same look without looking too much like predictable copies. I'll end up using Photoshop to adjust the images even further, perhaps applying filters and effects.

An abstract painting leads to mathematical art. I'll have created something new (though I have no illusions that it's completely new). Consider how this might apply to writing -- mixing styles and techniques to produce something you've never done before -- you might find your calling.

Fry's Redo

I returned the hard drive to Fry's -- sort of. I returned it at the front of the store, and the guy at the returns desk took it back with no questions. We showed him the old and new drives and the different connectors. We got store credit for the drive and went to get the right one. We couldn't find one with the right connector, and then my partner, Edmond, determined that the old connector wasn't part of the drive itself -- it was an adapter! The hard drive the clerk sold me wasn't the wrong kind. It just needed the adapter to be attached! We told the guy at the returns counter and got the other hard drive back and voided the store credit voucher. We all felt a little stupid, but we also learned something new.

I still think the original clerk was a sad excuse for an employee. But at least he didn't give me the wrong device. He needs some serious training in customer service.

The deceptive adapter gives me a good idea for a story. I'll write THAT one down in my "secret" stash of ideas. :)

I love Fry's Electronics. I hate Fry's Electronics.

My hard drive is about to fail in my laptop, so I took it to Fry's Electronics to get a new one. I normally ponder for at least twenty minutes the finer details of my hardware selections before deciding on one, but I was in a hurry, so I asked the clerk for help. I showed him the old drive so that he would have no trouble finding me a compatible one. I wasn't sure if he were entirely conscious -- he just kind of gazed my general direction and slowly started moving like he were in a completely alien environment. He even looked a little horrified that I would ask for help. He looked like he wanted to say, "Do I look like I work here -- oh yeah, I guess I do, the name tag and all." Maybe he was on drugs -- I don't know. After checking some cheat-cheat, he mumbled about the 3 sizes he had, and I asked for the 100GB one. I bought it and brought it home. I opened the package, and it wasn't the right type. It's too late to take it back tonight, so I'll have to do it tomorrow. This is at least the third time a Fry's employee has sold me the wrong thing or promised something false about a product. Don't they train these people!? It took getting burned several times, but I've finally learned my lesson to never ask for help there again.

I think this could spark a good short story or scene in a novel. If they don't take the drive back, I think I'll just do that -- and post it to more than this blog.

Movies - Eragon

I watched Eragon today, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The visual effects were very well done. I am very particular about physics when it comes to computer generated characters, and I was not disappointed. I realize that wings that size can't support such a heavy beast, but the dragon's flying felt very real to me, unlike the effects in Dragonheart. I instinctively knew the dragon was CG, but nothing "screamed" it to me. I was really pleased to see that the dragon appeared to be more like a bird than in other films. Bravo for that! The film's story was cliche -- the poor boy gains a dragon to defeat an evil overlord. But it's always a fun cliche, and I can't wait for part 2.

There were three things about the movie that I found particularly inspiring: The costumes near the end, the landscapes (or matte paintings), and the musical score. All three could be beautiful in themselves and inspiration for creating other art, including writing. The music would probably be the most inspirational to me for a story, since I'll probably buy the soundtrack to listen to while writing...though I will try to wait until after part 2 to get a boxed set. :)

Tools - Suffering

If you're suffering for any reason, that can be a tool for a writer. There are several ways it can be a tool:

1) You can write about the suffering itself.
2) You can write about how the suffering came to be.
3) You can write about how the suffering can end (or has ended)
4) You can sometimes even use your suffering as an excuse to write. It's a form of therapy you may NEED to get past the suffering.
5) You can write about how you could have avoided the suffering.
6) You can write about how others can avoid the suffering you experienced.

I don't advocate going out and seeking trouble just to write about it. There are enough opportunities to find it without looking. But if you have a problem that is making you unhappy, it can be transformed into a positive thing.

Tools - Word Processors

Okay, this is obvious, but I wanted to mention them anyway.

Most word processors can get in the way of writing. When you sit down to write, particularly a novel, you want to write, not to worry about font, line spacing, pagination, etc. I don't know how many times someone has asked me why a particular set of text in Word is a different font or spacing from the rest of the document. It often takes a while to fix it. I've run into it too.

If you're going to write using a word processor, keep it simple. Use one font, one color, etc. About the only thing special you should be doing is italicizing. No indenting, no bold, no fancy first letter of a page, no graphics, etc. Just text with double spaces between paragraphs.

Okay, okay, so some of the greatest novels have special things in them -- illustrations, quotations, section separators, maps, etc. Your writing should stand on its own without all that gimmickry. I don't have a problem with these things, but they shouldn't be given much thought or effort up front. Wait until the document is done to add them. Even a graphic novel needs to make sense without the pictures.

I use Word to write. The reason I don't use something like WordPad is that WordPad saves files in .doc format, and then Word is the default application to open them. Also, WordPad doesn't have spelling and grammar checkers. Maybe one day I will write a "Writer's Word Processor," if I don't find one first.

Tools - Google Notebook

One of my favorite free tools is Google Notebook. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it! It has three levels of organization -- The Notebook, the Section, and the Note. You can think of a notebook as a screen. For any given notebook you can have any number of sections. Your notes go in each section. You can expand an entire notebook or collapse the different notes or sections. You can even expose the notebook to the world if you like.

I use Google Notebook to write dreams, ideas, word lists, and more. I use it heavily for work -- writing notes about different technologies. The power of Google Notebook is that it's simple and accessible. Also, something most people don't think about, is that you organize your notes BEFORE you write them. How about that?!

Another great tool with similar functionality is Microsoft's OneNote. However, it's not free. I don't use it anymore because I've grown weary of having to rely on software that I may not always have access to. If you plan to use only one computer and sufficiently back it up, then I would suggest OneNote. However, if you rebuild your box every few months or if you work on multiple computers, you would probably be better off using Google Notebook. Now you CAN make OneNote post your data to a central location, but that's not really trivial to do, especially for non-technical people, plus you have hardware, maintenance, storage, and access issues. Google takes care of all that.

Tools - Blogspot

I'm going to talk about tools for the writer. I don't just mean tools for writing, but tools for inspiration, motivation, writing, organization, and publishing. Since I'm not a published writer, my knowledge of publishing will be limited to such things as blogs and Kinko's!

My first tool to list is blogging like blogspot or LiveJournal! Hear me out! OK, so you might think blogging isn't for you. I used to think blogging and journaling were vanity sites for people with too much time on their hands. I didn't think anybody ever read them, and I didn't read them. Eventually I started finding blog postings in my web searches for programming solutions. I ran across several programmers I have come to think of as gurus in certain areas. I don't read their blogs every day -- I know that they're good places to go for specific information when I need it. I don't expect my blog to have any regular visitors, and that doesn't bother me. I consider my blog to be a resource to others, but I could use it for myself. You can make your LiveJournal entries private.

Here are the benefits to blogging:
It's online, so it's accessible from almost anywhere.
It's digital, so you gain the benefits of searchability and no worries about storage!
It's online, so you won't lose it when your hard drive crashes.
It's online, so you can share it if you want.
There is time associated with each post, so you can track events if you like.
If your blog is public, you will feel obligated to write more often -- if you intend to keep it up.
It can spark comments and discussion.
Over time you will feel a sense of accomplishment if you post regularly.
If you have information that is interesting or useful to others, it's a great way to give back to the community.

I can't say that my blog is a shining star at all -- I think I've had one or two visitors, and no comments. However, I feel good every time I post. That's good enough for me. If someone else gets benefit from a single post, then I feel that I've accomplished a lot. I don't know if that has happened or ever will, but I'm happy.

Words

I occasionally run into words or combinations of words that have some impact on me. Usually someone says them in passing or in error, but they sound fun or interesting. Sometimes they're misspellings or Freudian slips. Instead of trying to remember them later, I keep them in my various online notebooks -- now slowly migrating to Google Notebook.

These words might simply hold some emotional quality I want to use in a story. They might simply sound cool when used alone or together. Maybe they are particularly offensive. Maybe they are the best words to describe something. Perhaps they make a good band name or story title. In any case, I don't want to lose these gems, so I log them.

Words you hear from others can be inspiration in themselves. Unless you have a photographic memory, why not write them down for future use?

Sidetracked

If you don't think you have time to write, try sneaking it in to other tasks. Every time I compile my code, I have several seconds, even a minute to write. Usually I just check email or write snippets of work-related emails. I may not write the most stunning prose when I'm sidetracked, but it gets words down. For some of us that's the worst part.

By writing while you're sidetracked, you may write incoherent crap that nobody wants to read, but at least you've written. You can always edit it later.

That brings me to a final note for today. So far this month, I've written with the idea that you're avoiding writing, and that you need a kick in the butt. I realize that I've been targeting too narrow of an audience, but it's given ME a kick in the butt. I think I've gotten it out of my system. Moving forward, my posts will less about motivation and more about inspiration and subjects for stories and essays, if not stories and essays themselves.

Write What You Know

Yes, it's 1/14. It's just after midnight, so I haven't gone to bed yet, so I haven't broken my resolution to write every night before bed. :)

I'm sure you've already heard the directive to write what you know. That actually does work very well, especially if you're writing a story that takes place in modern times. If you haven't experienced something yourself or haven't done your research, your readers will know -- maybe not all of them, but something wont ring true to them.

One area that this is apparent is regarding sex. I read two novels fairly recently of which the authors were female. They were both authors who were new to me, and one I actually assumed to be male -- the name on the cover was abbreviated, and I don't usually read the author info. In each story, the male main characters had some physical experiences involving their sex organs. In the book by the abbreviated-name author, I thought, "This MUST have been written by a woman" and looked in the cover to confirm my suspicions. I have read some sexually explicit work by women, and women look at sex in a very different way from men. And a woman can't know how a kick in the nuts feels, just as a man can't know how carrying a baby in a womb feels (at least not with today's technology!). These authors did not do their research. The rest of each of the novels was very good, but that small lack of truth somewhat tarnished each story for me.

If you want to write about something you are not familiar with, research it. Otherwise, stick to things you know.

Pay Attention!

Pay attention to the world around you. You never know where an idea may come from. When an event happens, no matter how small, take notice. A story idea can come from the shape of a cloud or the paper boy stomping through your flowerbed.

I see people in swirls of my bathroom tile floors, I see dragons and cities in the clouds. Sometimes I see something for what it is and consider its purpose in the world. A story idea can come from that.

BUT! Don't think that some small object has to have an entire story written around it. To make a story feel authentic, consider what kinds of details we run into every day. Consider the next sentences about someone looking in an office fridge:

1) He opened the fridge and found an array of Tupperware containers and a moldy orange.

2) He opened the fridge and found an array of leftover and takeout containers, a mushy orange, and a pile of Arby's Sauce packets spilling out of the butter receptacle.

Those two sentences aren't masterpieces, but they illustrate what I mean.

Sentence 1 is boring and imprecise. Tupperware is a brand name, and I doubt very many containers in office refrigerators are actually Tupperware. Most office fridges I've seen contain many kinds of containers -- including Styrofoam takeout boxes. A moldy orange is probably cliche, but it's also very boring. Also, this description is not unique to offices. It could be any home fridge.

Sentence 2 is more precise about the containers. The orange is mush -- not moldy -- this distinction isn't profound, but it tells the reader that the subject must have picked up the orange to feel it or it's become a soggy lump and no touching is necessary. The array of containers is more appropriate to an office fridge, and the Arby's sauce indicates the type of worker eating there.

If you have trouble adding realism, maybe document the little details you find in daily life in a "details" journal. You can always go back through the list.

No Excuses

Well, my friend didn't write again last night. She gave another excuse. Granted, many of her excuses are plausible, even understandable. However, the sad thing is that almost all of her excuses are great ideas for story scenes! She ends up buying her own excuses and never jumps on them as life experiences -- they're all fuel for her own misery. I think she enjoys suffering. It gets her attention. This is codependence, and I don't want to be an enabler. So I think it's time for me to back off for a while. I'll wait for her to come to me if she has any writing to discuss. I'll focus on my own writing until then.

I'm actually feeling very ill tonight (massive headache). I'm not using it as an excuse to shirk my blogging promise -- every night in January no matter what. Writing is like exercise. Until it becomes a habit or an integral part of one's life, it is a disruption. Supposedly it takes 3 weeks for something to become a habit or to break a habit, so a month of "disruption" should make blogging a habit for me. An excuse like a headache would undermine the promise and the purpose. I don't think I could start any other habits right now otherwise it would be overwhelming. Baby steps! Maybe I'll tackle exercise next month.

On another note, a colleague at work is preparing to start a writing group. It will be held over Skype or some other online meeting technology. The members would be in Texas and California -- people he already knows. I think this would be a great way to share writing ideas and get critiques. I know this colleague will give me his honest opinion -- he and I have pretty candid discussions at work, and I value his thoughts, even if I don't always agree with him. He has a unique way of looking at things, and he makes me think.

What‽ Scrapbooking‽

Do you have piles of magazines or catalogs in your home? Can you not bring yourself to throw them away because there are a few things that you like in each one? CUT THEM UP! Actually, cut out what you like and recycle the rest. It will cut down clutter (which is a liberating feeling) and it will help you find a well of inspiration. You can scrapbook the clippings in whatever fashion you like!

For some reason, scrapbooking is a very popular craft right now. However, I think the purpose needs to be examined. There are many reasons people do it. I think perhaps the most common is to keep a fancy photo album. Others use them to keep flat remembrances of an event such as a party, cruise, or vacation. Some use them as visual documentation of one's life. Some people keep them as collections of clippings from magazines -- people, places, and things they dream of meeting, visiting, and owning. I think some even scrapbook for the purpose of the craft itself as a hobby.

I do not scrapbook per se. I take clippings from magazines and scan them. Most of these clippings are of beautiful or interesting things that inspire me or feel like they could inspire me. Granted, they would inspire me to paint or sculpt more than write, but some of them inspire stories.

If you have a stack of 20 or more magazines, I recommend picking one up RIGHT NOW. Find Post-it pad. Then go through the magazine slowly in a comfortable chair. Put a Post-it on any page with something you find truly inspiring or interesting, and then keep going. When you're done, if most of the pages are tagged, keep the magazine. If only a dozen or so pages are tagged, tear or cut out the images of interest. Put them in a folder/scrapbook/box. Decide to go through two magazines a day until they're all done. Don't think of the task ahead. Just think, '2 magazines -- I can do that!' If you want to organize them right away, you may. You can also wait until they're all done so you have an idea of how many "piles" you'll have.

If you already have a story in mind but need some inspiration, pull out your scrapbook or clippings. Flip through them to find images that fit your story. You can make a collage out of the winners. You can have the collage hanging in your writing place to refer back to. Feel free to draw or write on it. If you have pictures to represent your characters, their clothes, home, or car, you may find it easier to describe them when you write. You also won't forget what they look like!

Until next time!

I hope the Interrobang symbol shows up in the title when I post this.

The Pain of Writing

Architects don't necessarily build houses. Does such a thing have a name in the writing world? The absolutely fabulous movie Auntie Mame comes to mind. If I recall correctly, Mame had a woman, Agnes Gooch following her around recording everything she said, and those notes were to be eventually transformed into a biography/memoirs by a ghost writer. Mame didn't write herself, and shouldn't really be called a writer. Can anyone help me here?

I mentioned before that I was trying to help a friend to write. Well, she wrote again last night finally! I hope for her sake that she keeps it up. Although, it occurred to me that maybe she doesn't necessarily want to write. Maybe she wants to express herself with the written word but doesn't want to actually craft the words to get the job done. Perhaps this "writing architect" role is something she would like -- and to have someone else craft the words for her. I'm not saying this is what she wants/needs. I'll have to ask her tomorrow.

If you don't enjoy the act of writing but still want to express yourself with the written word, a ghost writer might be for you.

Diaries Aren't Just for Secrets!

Over my lifetime I tried keeping a diary or journal several times, but I never kept it up beyond a week. When I was younger, I thought a journal was intended to log one's day, and my days were pretty dull, therefore writing about it was depressing. I thought a diary was intended to store only the most juicy bits of one's life, and since my life wasn't very juicy, it was kind of pointless.

As an adult, every time I started a journal or diary, it was because I felt an overwhelming urge to write and thought I needed more than one entry to get the job done. I felt better having written each time. However, whenever I lost that initial urge and the fiery topics in my head evaporated, I lost interest.

Since college up until recently, my most memorable dreams were the only things I've written (as potential story ideas), and they've not been written in a single location. I would have to gather them from all their "homes" to compile them into one "dream repository" -- which I might just do!

Journals/Diaries/Blogs aren't about about the clinical chronicling (say that 3 times fast) of daily life. They aren't only about one's deepest secrets or most amazing epiphanies. They're about creative expression, great and small.

I don't know about anyone else, but my head is full of thoughts going in all sorts of directions. When I write, it sort of moves the thoughts/worries/fears from my head onto "paper." [I have GOT to find a new word to mean all written media!] Then I'm not worried about it anymore. It is very similar to feeling one might get when giving troubles up to God/the Universe. However, when it's written, it can be edited and transformed into a short story, novel, essay, or other work.

Blogging is my new diary. Time will tell whether I keep with it. It's been about a week, and I don't foresee running out of things to say yet. My topics might shift from avoiding writer's block to short stories or various rants, but I think I'll be sticking with this for a while. :)

Split Up!

Each of us has many facets to our personalities. One day we may think we would NEVER behave in a certain way, but we find ourselves in a situation that makes us behave contrary to our ideals. We have different motivators, and it's that mix that makes us all unique.

Something that might even count as therapy is to split yourself up into your individual "selves" and create a character out of each. You will probably find archetypes with whom you identify and some you find horrible! If you're writing a story based on your own life, sometimes it may be beneficial to take several of these and pit them against each other as individual characters.

I often want to lie around on the weekends and do nothing before 2pm. I think some of my neighbors think of me that way, since that's often all they see of me! That could be a character in itself-- the slothful neighbor. Sometimes I aggressively go after a project I'm working on. People are amazed at how much work I put into a costume for one day of the year. That could be the crazy-busy costume freak! At work I'm always very professional and try to avoid conflict. To some, I may come across as an uptight goody goody.

If I were to write a story about the above characters, I might have the uptight high-bloodpressure guy live between the slothful neighbor who never rakes his lawn and the crazy costume guy who decorates his house with garish lights for every holiday.

Who lives in you?

People Watch

People-watching is often a great way to come up with characters. Find a place with lots of people and observe the people for a while. Pick someone who catches your eye or maybe someone who's as boring as possible. Then look at their appearance, including clothes, hair, shoes, makeup, accessories, and companions. Look at what they're doing. Watch how they carry their body and how they react to their surroundings.

Now comes the fun part -- make up stories about them! You're not judging them -- they're just stories based on your perceptions. In fact, it's fun sometimes if you find out you're 180 degrees off! You can't judge a book by its cover!

Here are some places you can do some great people-watching:

Book store (This is a great one since you can sit and write about them!)
Popular public park
Restaurant
Hotel Lobby
Drinking establishment/club
Grocery store
Fitness center
Airport (try to find the terrorists)

Not all of those places are good for writing while you watch, but you can casually people-watch while out to dinner. Sometimes it's fun to share your stories with your dining partner!

This one can bring a lot of giggles. You might even notice that the hottie sitting at the table at your 11-o-clock is cruising you!

Dreams

Dreams give me a lot of story ideas -- or even entire stories! I keep a dream journal -- actually, it's not so much a journal as however I can document my dreams when I remember them -- a sheet of paper, a notebook by my bed, my Palm Tungsten, my Google Notebook, or a notepad document. It's almost never a convenient time to fully flesh out a dream, so I jot them down for later when I have time to fill in the blanks or make suppositions about how I ended up being chased by aliens through the parking lot of Kmart wearing only a bath towel. ;)

It's when I need a story idea that I go through my documented dreams to find something suitable. Most of my dreams aren't complete stories, but I can sometimes find two or three to put together or make several stories based on one.

I've tried lucid dreaming, but that hasn't really worked for me yet. I don't believe in reincarnation, but I've tried past life regressions before (with a borrowed audio tape), and that would probably be considered lucid dreaming. Each regression was an interesting ride with lots of stuff to write down and sketch. Regardless of whether you believe a regression really makes you remember a past life, is a lucid dream, or is something different, I would recommend trying it purely for entertainment value and for coming up with interesting story ideas.

It's time for me to go to bed. I hope I dream!

Generating Ideas

So far I've talked mostly about motivation. Now I want to talk about inspiration. Those two are very different things. I am often inspired but don't allow myself to do anything about it. Or I'm motivated but uninspired (I would call this boredom). The next few posts will be about ways I've found to inspire writing.

Some ways to find inspiration are simple "instant gratification" means of getting inspired. Some are long-term projects used as insurance against boredom. I want to give each possibility its own blog entry so I can give enough time to each.

A Secret to Keep Going

Yesterday I told you I had a secret to help me keep writing. If you'll notice, the date on this post is not a new day. It's because I started it yesterday. When I was done with my post last night, I wrote a few lines of today's to get the ball rolling. That way, I'm not starting a new post -- I'm finishing one. It's a lot easier to edit/continue a post than to start one! When I'm done with this, I'll write a few lines of a post for tomorrow.

I don't have to write only one day in advance. I can write several. It's a way to get ideas down, even if I don't have the time or energy to flesh out each one. I wouldn't write too many, though. Otherwise it will start to look like a lot of unfinished work. The idea is not to overwhelm, but to nudge and prepare. If I had a ton of ideas in my head, such that they would take up a dozen entries, I would probably make a list of those ideas and not individual posts.

Nothing forbids me from writing something completely different when I get to the point. Nothing forces me to complete all the items in the list. I'm sure that I will never write everything I consider worthy, and I'm sure I'll write things that are pointless. If I worry about that, then I would be paralyzed and wouldn't write anything.

One Day at a Time

My mother has lupus and related illnesses. Until it was diagnosed, she was in constant pain, even agony. She dealt with frustrations of misdiagnosis and, in my opinion, malpractice. Her emotions were all over the place, and she had a high amount of stress. She started attending self-help programs such as Living in Process and Emotions Anonymous (where they use the 12 Step Program).

Through all of her healing and self discovery, I picked up on a lot of what she learned. I can't say I practice all of it, but I'm at least aware of many of the lessons.

On important lesson is that when things get difficult, take one day at a time. If that doesn't work, then try one hour at a time. If that still doesn't work, try a minute at a time. For addicts, it would mean try to go one day without the vice. If that is too painful to imagine, try to go one hour. etc. Is it too painful to go one second without the vice? I realize this is easier said than done, but it doesn't apply just to addictions like in AA. It can apply to the fear we might have when it comes to a blank sheet of paper.

If I consider how intimidating a blank page is, I become paralyzed. I can't even put down a single word. When I cease thinking about how I have to write a novel and focus on writing something small like a blog, I feel better. I can write a few paragraphs. Once I get started, the words keep flowing. It's hard to shut it off. Also, a blog is digital, so there's no risk of "killing a tree" if my writing sucks.

I have another trick. But I will tell you tomorrow!

Keep it Going

It's way past my bed time, but I don't want to lose momentum. I want to blog once a day in January so this becomes a habit. I'm not going to let myself fall into the trap of making myself write 3 times a week and then putting it off until the last 3 days, and then pushing the deadline. EVERY day for the first month will make it a habit.

It's like cleaning the kitty litter. I don't do it when it's full. I do it nightly. If I were to wait to do it when it's full, my cats wouldn't be happy, and I would have a daunting task every few days. If I write a little every day, it won't seem so daunting, and I'll get practice with the craft. If anyone else keeps putting off writing, don't put it off until next weekend/month/year/whatever. Do it NOW. No matter how exhausted you are, no matter how much you lack inspiration, no matter how much you lack MOTIVATION! If you put it off today, then you'll put it off tomorrow, and so on, and you'll wonder where the time went.

Keep it Going!

Writing to the Wrong Audience

When I was 18 or 19 in junior college, I took a required speech class. For one of my assignments, I adapted one of my honors papers about the dehumanizing effects of technologies. I "dumbed it down" so it would be more appropriate for my audience. I shortened it. I simplified it. I stripped out all the fancy language, leaving only words and phrases that I thought were basic high-school graduate level. I took out references to specialized technologies and added concise explanations of others.

My audience was completely lost. Perhaps the topic were too foreign. Maybe I needed to dumb it down more. Maybe my writing just sucked. It was frustrating and a little frightening to spend all that effort to be repaid by the blank stares of my classmates, most of whom were older than I.

However, I didn't let that situation get me down. I presented the original version at an honors symposium, and the attendees loved it.

I have no idea who will read my blog, though I'm betting that most of you who read this already know me! Most everyone I know wouldn't have any trouble reading my writing. :) I don't use big words very often. If I do, I'll try to define it or link to the definition. Isn't the web great? I write with parenthetical expressions, dashes, ellipses, and emoticons. :) Don't be surprised if you see posts edited after their original post date! Don't be afraid to correct me!

Happy New Year. Let's Write!

I want to explore writing more this year. I took a few creative writing classes in college on my way to a minor in English, so I'm no stranger to the written word, but I have a long way to go before I can comfortably call myself an author. Blogs and software requirements documents don't count!

I don't plan to undertake this journey alone. I have a friend who wants to write a novel. I'm taking her along with me, kicking and screaming! Writing a novel is a dream she's had for quite a while, but she's afraid to put anything on paper. I've been trying to help her write for over a year now. She and I IM all the time, so it's not like she can't type. Several weeks ago I wrote her an IM and demanded that she write a paragraph about a random topic -- snow -- right then! I'm not a very demanding person, but I was getting frustrated with my progress with her. I was both shocked and happy that she actually did it. She didn't write a paragraph. She wrote a whole short story! It could tell that her own emotions helped sculpt the first-person tale. I haven't seen another bit of writing since then, though the holidays can be a viable excuse...I guess...

I haven't even looked into Austin writers groups. I don't think my friend is up to it, and I feel a little rusty. However, this blog and maybe comments from readers will push me into the world of being an author.