The Beautiful Perseverance

(My 200th post!)

Today I posted the latest update for Eikasia (Chapter 41.3) and it made me think of something.

The beauty of perseverance.

I was down almost a thousand words until meeting my word count goal and I was in a funky mood this morning. I considered saying, “No, I won’t write today. I’ll do it some other day.” The lethargy pressed down on me hard, to the point that even sitting up and looking at my computer screen seemed to take great effort. Negative thoughts ran rampant through my head. “You can’t do this. Your story’s quality is declining–not that it was that high to begin with. This update is boring.” What loomed over me was a big thick wall, and spray painted across it was the phrase: YOU CAN’T DO IT.

Then I just started typing. I ignored it all as best I could and just started typing. Did the feelings go away? No, actually. I felt like crap the entire time I typed. Almost unto the point of tears, even. But the point is, I got it done. After I read it to my husband and heard his input, I realized afterwards that this really WAS all just in my head, and there was nothing wrong with my update as a whole.

I’ve been very open on this blog about my struggles with depression-anxiety, and I’m proud to say that I’ve handled my pregnancy just fine, and haven’t had the need to resort to medications again since I kicked them to the curb October 2012. The thing is, while perhaps the degree of my sudden funk is not what most experience, to have a funk AT ALL is something I think everyone can relate to, especially with writing. I guess the point of this little post was to just say…if I can do it, so can you. Sometimes you just have to chew through it. Yes, even when it is really bad. What perpetuates depression is not depression, it’s our willingness to allow for it.

My husband’s been watching The Ultimate Fighter on DVD, and while I recognize that many of you aren’t into MMA fighting (or even despise it) I wanted to share this insightful bit of advice from fighter, Chael Sonnen. I think it can be applied in any person’s career, hobby, or lifestyle, including writing.

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Inklewriter – Choose Your Own Adventure…and Write Your Own Too!

http://writer.inklestudios.com/

I came across this site after exploring a way to write a “choose your own adventure story” without wanting to rip my hair out. It all started after playing a CYOA called Zombie Exodus, which you can try for free on your Android phone. I don’t know if it’s available on iOS, but you can get the game on Google Play—first two chapters (which are quite meaty and have tons of replay value) are free. Third chapter onwards is just $0.99 to play. Great deal right? The writing is pretty good too.

Anyway, back to Inklewriter: So after getting inspired by Zombie Exodus, I came across this site which essentially serves as an HTML5 app for those wishing to write their own CYOAs. I’m starting one at the moment titled, “Wolf Skin.” I’ll just let you guess at the subject matter. If I ever get something concrete going (there are just so many story paths, omg!) then I’ll post a link here. Until then, you can check out the site yourself and maybe even write your own interactive tale. 🙂

Books Books Books (AGAIN)

So after a rousing little read and discussion over at MerylF’s excellent blog, Pressing Stories, I feel more motivated then ever to get my novel series, Eikasia, published.

Yeah, I know. Strange to feel so optimistic when I just missed an update. But y’know what…?

BITE ME!

I have two books all polished and pretty. Just another rub and they are essentially ready for the market I think. I mean…they are already FREE to you guys, but how many of you actually like reading on your computers? Not everyone has a smartphone, and not everyone has a tablet, but plenty of people have e-readers, right? So I want to make things easy on you guys, and this is the best way I know how.

To get myself into the writing spirit, I’ve decided to pick up my reading habit once more. I’m actually already halfway through The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I have too many books I’ve bought sitting on my “to-read” shelf, honestly. But what the heck! I went out and grabbed Carrie Vaughn’s new installment to the Kitty Norville series, Kitty Steals the Show, a paranormal adventure series with plenty of spunk and sexiness and my all time favorite supernatural beasts—WEREWOLVES. Carrie’s one of my all-time favorite authors–not to say there haven’t been a few books from her I didn’t like–but she’s clearly a prolific writer, and has great skill in crafting engaging stories. Plus…she’s a HUGE nerd, like me! Check out her blog here on WordPress, it’s awesome. I also bought Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, which seems like a quick thriller read with nice visual writing. Honestly, what I REALLY could use with right now, is something like Arthur Plotnik’s spicy and inspiring Spunk and Bite, or Christopher Vogler’s “controversial” modern interpretation of Joseph Campbell’s work in The Writer’s Journey. If I had the extra moolah, I might’ve even bought today, The Artist’s Way, which all three of my counselors in my life (yes I have issues) have recommended to me.

You know what would be even better though? I’ve been wanting to get the ball rolling on my writing projects for YEARS now. I’ve tried “networking” only to fall flat on my face, and now I only use social media in a sort of utilitarian fashion. I want to change that. That’s part of the reason I started seriously blogging again. But there’s more to just me being self-involved in my own little corner of the internet. I have to branch out.

So I’ve added to my long wish list, Kristen Lamb’s, We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media. Honestly? I try to avoid books that tell me “how” to write. I like to get books that give me inspiration and marketing tactics. This is one of them, and it comes highly recommended. I don’t know how many of you reading this are into writing, but if you are, I say give this book a shot with me. We’ll compare notes. 🙂

Kristen Lamb has her own blog here on WordPress.com, and you can read it here. She had a great post recently on protagonists as antagonists by proxy, using Darren Aronofsky’s The Black Swan as an example.

I might try my hand at a bit of writing tonight. Bedtime is midnight, as I have work tomorrow morning till the afternoon. Luckily, I have 3 days off after that! Yessssss…