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Showing posts from May, 2018

Write What You Know

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I don’t want to sound like the rest of the writers out there who use this phrase endlessly. Would-be writers see this phrase and get ideas, but don’t put it down on paper well. Perhaps I don’t even understand what it means. Maybe it’s even something different to everyone. But what I am thinking may ring true to someone reading, and/or I am resonating with the actual meaning in some way. We'll see.  When I write what I know, I’m not just writing about something I’ve been through, something I’ve seen happen. That's part of it. But when I read the advice "write what you know," I feel this has to do with actually writing real things. Things inside your mind.  Think about it. You have a character. What makes that character? Thoughts. Life experience. Physical appearance. And so on.  I read an interesting thing once, where the writer explained writing what you know can be applied to anything. Of course you have never stepped foot in space, at le

Memorial Day

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Almost forgot it was Monday, being I'm used to getting these posts done on my morning commute in to work.  Just want to take a moment and honor the men and women in the services who work so hard to protect us every moment of the day. While we enjoy a BBQ and honor these brave people, think about their sacrifice.  For my friends in other countries, be thankful for your freedoms and the hopes of more to come.  WCM Enjoy this episode of Horror with Marchese and Buller. We have on Brian James Lewis and it's one of those hilarious episodes.  Please Like and most important subscribe. 

Fit Reading In

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Reading.  I’ve been getting myself ready to do a whole love of reading. I really want to fit more in, because like a lot of famous writers say, almost to a nauseating degree, reading is very important to a writer. To anyone, really. You can learn a lot from the words that create scenes in your head: different cultures; different points of view; entertainment; structure for writing; and so on. But there’s more. It feeds your imagination and sparks new ideas. It can be your best friend in hard times, or a companion on a lonely night. So, that’s why I want to get more of it in. The only thing is it seems so daunting with how many daily obligations I have. Life (which I don’t want to miss any more than I have to), work, and the various things I do. Blogging, YouTube and writing. It’s hard. But I've read a few articles which break down the mental aspect of reading. Sort of hacks, if you will.  I took from that and will explain it lik

The Meaning of Life

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Don't Waste your life.  I was watching Fear the Walking Dead and Morgan said this to John, the new gunslinger character. We never know how much time we have. Don’t know what you got ‘till it’s gone. Things happen so fast and if you blink you’ll miss it. Days turn into weeks turn into months and so on. You look back and it’s done, gone.  Thinking about it gets me down. Because that event that I thought would never come came and is now a dot in the rear mirror of life. Moments that can only be remembered. Never again lived. Loved.  Did I live them to the fullest? Then I ponder the times that I wanted time to rush by, when I sat at work and wanted the day to be finished with. And look back and see all that time (life) I wished away. I think about the future and how things are different now.  Events that got me to that point, aged me and loved ones around me. Those moments so precious  now a memory.  And then I think about the meaning of li

My Ideas Scare Me At Times

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Do you scare yourself with what you think about?  Sometimes I have thoughts about crazy things. Situations that are like movie scenes. At times they can seem like day dreams, or fantasies. They are things I don't want to see, and things I love to see. Sometimes they can drive me crazy--make me look at life in a different way.  Sometimes they are scenes I enjoy while trying to fall to sleep.  I remember when I did them as a kid. I'd daydream I was with my school crush, and we'd start a life together. My imagination would add all the details and i'd watch a movie unfold.  Or sometimes I'd be a kid with karate skills taking on the bullies. Or as Iron Man with a suit I could stop villains with.  These are all cool, and even if you don't have too much of a life, one who has an imagination can really create a world with which to escape.  A great book can do this for you, as well.  But then there are those times when something takes over. Thoughts you ma

Changes

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If you were to tell me a year and a half ago that I’d be writing and posting three blog posts a week, I’d have thought you were nuts. But that’s what I’m doing. The change is drastic looking back through the lens of time, but if thrown on me all at once I’d probably have caved from anxiety. It’s funny how when gradually exposed to something it makes it easier to accept. Sort of like the government when they want to introduce something on the masses. They don’t just do it all at once. They gradually change things, then push, then change some more. And before you know it, you look back a year or two and see such a drastic change you don’t know how you got to that point. Research it, if you want to go down that rabbit hole. Anyway. It was the basis of the comedy What about Bob with Bill Murray. Baby steps.  But change happens. And anything can happen. You have to start that change. I realize that now. That’s why when it comes to new things I’m less reluctant t

What I'm Working On

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Sitting here, thinking of something to write. Yup, one of those days. I have back up blog posts I can use, but they are good subjects that I don't just want to slap on.  Hmmmm, think.  Well. I'm helping someone out with a story they sent me. There's something.  And I'm writing a story for an anthology.  Then there's something else that's top secret. Can't give any details as of yet.  I haven't been able to really do much writing. I've been sort of going through a phase- restructuring the storytelling program inside my head.  This goes on and off. Reading, learning, thinking of new techniques. And so on.  This blog, the YouTube channel and the show with Gary, add to that the thumbnails and artwork I do for my posts to gain attention, and even working on some video editing projects, have kept me quite busy.  But I am working on a story.  I will soon start editing a novel and sending out to an agent come Fall, hopefully.  Working on

This, That, It, Something, huh?

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This is an important subject I've noticed I fall prey to many times. I have to go back and catch it (no, not "it" explain what IT is!)  See? I can go back and say, "I have to go back and catch these minor things." But then things is sort of in the same realm. What things? Though, if there is a modefier I guess it's ok. Depends on the situation.  Surly the reader knows what you're talking about with these words, no? If you put it in the prior paragraphs. Right?  Sometimes.  See, your average reader doesn't recall everything. Most of the time they are on the subway, or being bothered from all sides, many times. Kids, the phone, the boss lol.  To concentrate in these busy times is very. If you fill in an action, or thing, or anything, with this, that, it, something--words like those--then you can confuse the reader and make your article, or story, cryptic.  I like that word. It reminds me of Tales From the Crypt.  Your building a

Your Job Or Your Dream?

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Your job or your dream?  So I have a very important choice. I have a change coming up at work.  The manager there, just as all the ones that came before, wants to make their mark and torment the workers, old and new, to make some sort of mark that will never get noticed and they'll probably just end up leaving shortly anyway--this particular manager already expressed as much a few months ago. Plus, as long as I've been there, I've seen it all before.  The dilemma lies with me looking for another job.  The problem expands with my dream not having enough time.  My writing.  I have a road map of sorts laid down and this was definitely not on that path.  I got a few offers to go inside where i'm working (as i'm working through an outside company through my current company), but that would require a new learning period, and possibly longer hours and take away from the little writing time I already have.  Plus I don't really want to be there at all. 

Do The Opposite - Go Your Own Way

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Should you take advice from others? Let's say there’s an important step you have to take. A new job, or a new direction with your dream. But you are unsure of which path to choose. To make it worse, you ask people and get mixed answers. Deep inside you know what that answer is, because if the answers you are getting don’t match what you feel then you will not like the answers you received. You may want to rebel against what others say, it just feels so right to go with what you believe. But you just don't know.  You may be steered wrong by individuals who have malicious intent, yet parading as an ally. Other times the person you ask is not equipped with the experience to give you advice. You have to understand what you feel inside, what you want from life. You will make the decision sooner or later. Will you choose the wrong direction? Only you know that. Don’t let other’s run your life.  Or like James Caan says, "Observe the masses and do the o

Juggle Life, Work and Your Dream

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How do you juggle your life, work and your dream?  For many this is impossible, only because they don't want to make the effort and go for it.  Life is very hard, I'm not going to deny that. To work a full-time job, come home to take care of children and spend time with your spouse and those children, and then make time to do what you love to do is very daunting.  What's more, you feel (at least I do) so guilty working on your dream while you realize you could be spending time with those most important to you.  I think about how I'm not with them all day while at work, only to come home and work on this thing that could very well be my primary job one day, but it certainly doesn't look that way at the time you are doing it.  And there is always the negative what-ifs.  Then there's the fact that after you come home from work you're mind is fried, you can't really get into that state of thought necessary to, in my case, write.  No