Writing

Absence

I have not posted on this site in quite some time. There are reasons. I’m not sure what those reasons are.

It has more to do with the fact that I am simply not writing as much as I used to. I guess I’m filling my time with more programming related things because it is fun and I get something out of it. Additionally, it helps me as far as my daytime job is concerned.

I won’t promise that I’ll write or post more often.

I have no idea.

Writing Update

The last short story I wrote was back in November. We had a lot of things happening around the homestead so my writing pace was affected.

I’ll be off from my regular job through the holiday season and I plan to pick up the pace and resume writing on a proper schedule.

I’ve gotten a couple of great HDWGH stories that I’ll be releasing soon. I love writing the short stories so I am looking forward to picking that back up as well.

Happy Holidays!

Article Titles to Avoid

I have a lot of ideas about what a good title should be when writing an article, book, chapters, or anything else that literally requires some sort of title.

In my most humble opinion, I don’t see the value in taking leaps or making assumptions about how the reader should “feel” about your article. Look at the following example.

19 Photos From Dumpster Divers That’ll Make Anyone Who Hates Waste Scream At The Top Of Their Lungs

Really? If I hate waste (hate is a strong word) then logically (in your mind) I should scream at the top of my lungs?

I don’t think so.

That headline isn’t even good click bait.

I don’t think that you should ever tell anyone how they should feel, how they should live, or anything else really. Why? No one is smart enough to do that. Let’s face it. People are dumb. ALL of us.

Yes. I include myself in that.

Perhaps, the article title could be written in a much better way.

19 Photos from Dumpster Divers.

That title alone peaks my interest. No need to tell me how I should feel about it. I can make that determination on my own. Thank you.

Writing Through Pain

A great article and couldn’t be timelier for me.

Grief is the ultimate thief of creativity. As artists, we have a duty to observe and experience those poignant moments so we can better portray them in our art. But experiencing them isn’t always conducive to our deadlines. Grief is different than your run-of-the-mill writer’s block. There is the desire to write, the words are there ready to be put on paper but the energy to put pen to paper is lacking. The normal remedies of researching, journaling or even reading no longer work.

Read the whole article here.

Great Idea

I have been pondering writing a screenplay. I’ve been working on a crapload of short stories because I love writing them. Every once in a while as a writer, you come up with a story that would probably make a good movie.

I think I have that story.

I am currently finishing up the last chapter and rather than wrapping the whole thing up into a nice bow, I’m going to leave it hanging.

To be continued…

That sort of thing.

The Next Big Thing

Last night I began work on the 5th story in my 60 Pages project.

I have already laid out the nine story ideas I want to use but surprisingly enough, I’ve been following the structure. I am picking and choosing the order that I am writing them out.

I may end up choosing to write different stories for the remaining four. I am not sure. There is really only one idea that grabs me. In addition to that, I’d love to write something about Marilyn Manson and undue process. Society has literally turned into a guilty before proven innocent mind set.

I’m so excited to be where I am in only a few short months. The basic premise for anyone who wants to become a writer is just…write. Keep writing. Write often. It doesn’t matter what it is or even how good those first few things are. It will get better over time. My writing still sucks but I feel like I am getting better at it. I do it everyday and in many different forms. I write a journal. I write a blog post. I write short stories. I write emails however, we won’t count those. That is the kind of writing I’d like to steer clear of but life pulls me in.

Ok. Wicked little post about nothing in general or possibly just a writing update.

Have a super sparkly day!

Once Upon a Time on Earth

I just finished writing the fourth entry into my short story collection called 60 Pages.

I like this story and definitely felt like this could have easily been a novel. I even left the end of the story open for that purpose.

Here is a summary I wrote for it…

An alien fleet discovers that Earth has unlocked the powers of magic. In a universe still reeling from a previous conflict the goals are clear.

This new threat must be neutralized.

With help from an unlikely source, the humans prepare for the battle of their lives as they defend their world and their way of life from a threat light years more technically advanced than they are.

In the end, the only real question is who will win? Will the aliens save the galaxy from the new magical threat or will humanity survive to fight another day?

A New Way of Writing

I am writing this using Ulysses. The program has been around for a very long time but I’ve only just got around to trying it out. It is now a part of Setapp so I didn’t have to spend the money.

So far, I like the simplicity of it. I could write blog posts, stories, or whatever hits me and basically keep all of those things in the same place. The only exceptions to that would be Final Draft and Scrivener. Let’s face it, Final Draft is the standard for writing scripts. To me, Scrivener is the standard for writing short stories or novels.

This will probably be the perfect place to write all of those HDWGH stories. Of course, there are more of those on the way.

I’ll look forward to writing a detailed review in the days ahead.

ASMR and What it Means for Writing

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. That is what it stands for. Check out the article over at inkygirl.com.

Writing against a nice background is always soothing for me. I can’t say that I use this technique pertaining to the YouTube channels but my office overlooks a busy intersection in the middle of farm country, USA.

If you write and need some extra help staying focused, this might help.