progress

Revitalizing Break

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In my last post I mentioned I felt an approaching burnout. To prevent that from happening, I decided to take a break for a week. Take the time to relax a little before stress could kill the creative muse, so to speak. While I managed to write some when I was relaxed. Including one really bizarre phoenix metaphor I still don’t understand why it came to me.

Yet despite that I feel oddly recharged from a creative perspective. A little scatterbrained sometimes but it is strangley productive. While my main focus is still my post-apocalyptic sci-fi short story, and my fantasy inspired noir short story.   In addition to those two things, I have managed to make three outlines. One for the upcoming WEP contest for next month, and two for more things a little more large in scope.

 

Busy, busy, busy

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It has been a busy thirteen days, as work gets busier with leagues and band nights resuming. Yet I know there is more to come once the temperature drops over the coming weeks. Ignoring the irritation that causes me since it has limited my ability to write at work greatly.  Which limits it even more outside of work since I will be sleeping longer to recharge and refuel for the next shift. Either I need to start drinking more coffee or figure out a way to get a more restful respite? File Jul 27, 11 08 23 AM

Moving away from that, my writing routine is in flux. Sometimes I meet exceed my goal, and other times I just don’t have any motivation to write at all. I haven’t decided if it burnout or just mental stress from life zapping away my creative juices. Which leads me to conclude I either need to change my routine into something more flexible and practical to prevent burnout. The question is how much of it do I change?

I may have a new opportunity as an outlet for my stories, waiting to hear back at the moment from my trending stories.  Which should be exciting I hope and ignite my creative spark to a brighter flame.  Once I learn more and hear back, I will share what I can.

 

 

Two weeks and a day of a writing routine

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After 15 days of writing 8 paragraphs split between two increasingly large short stories, I have realized something. My ability to write short stories is limited unless I have a word or, page limit for it. Which is either practical or a tremendous hassle for me. Given my desire to publish a physical novel. Yet it does have its practical purpose if I would want to do a serial, or annual installment in a story for a magazine or anthology. It is an oddly vexing contradiction within the nature of a being creative I think. Do you limit the scope of the story, or do you allow yourself to fulfill its full potential?

Outside of that slight paradox of frustration, and inspiration writing is going well most days. I have struggled a few days in this routine due to a mixture of sinus problems, mind-grains, and mental stress. On those days I try to at minimum do a paragraph in both stories just to keep the creative juices flowing. Usually, the day after if I’m feeling clearer, I double the goal to sixteen paragraphs plus whatever didn’t get done the previous day.

Given now that the busy season at work is beginning, I have decided to write six paragraphs a piece in both stories. Since writing at work may pose to be almost impossible when work is busy. It seems to be a rational step forward, instead of doubling the 8 paragraphs to 16 paragraphs in both stories. I would prefer to avoid writer’s block or a mental burnout.

18 days….

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It has been an interesting eighteen days, as work gets ready to go back to being busy. Which, will be a nice change of pace to the snail’s pace drag summer has been. Yet, there is a small upside for work being slow. By now you have probably guessed what it is. If you guessed, “writing,” you are correct. Allowing me to do three things, which I would consider are beneficial. The first being, I can keep my routine of writing every day going. While the second is one, it frequently allows me to reach and surpass my two paragraph a day goal in each of the two stories I’m writing.  The final thing is it allows me to type up small sections of chapters to catch up, and get the digital versions up to date.  Now to up the goal for another two weeks to four paragraphs a day.

Arranging Bookshelves: The Bibliophiles Jenga, and update

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Every time I buy more books, I realize reorganizing my bookshelves is a lot like playing Jenga. Trying to keep everything stable, close together to keep everything from toppling over. Providing a challenge as you move books from shelf to shelf. Sometimes stacking books horizontally, and vertical at other times. Especially when in 7 days  (8/1/16-8/7/16)  you manage to pick up a good amount of books (pictures below).

The routine of writing two paragraphs a days is progressing well. Keeping the creative juices flowing, as I make sure to do that at minimum everyday. Some days are harder then others, while other days the creative juices are never-ending.

 

Writing routine progress after a month

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After a full month of writing every day, I will admit it has been productive. I imagine being determined to stick to it has allowed the creative juices to stay in constant flow, or as close to constant as they can be. Yet, I’m not sure how much I actually wrote since most days I passed my paragraph a day goal. Given the fruitful nature of it so far, I’m realizing it is time to increase it. Doubling the goal for next two weeks, than deciding how to proceed from there.  

Even though I will admit, I have fallen slightly behind in typing them up. Which is seems to be simultaneously good, and bad. I should work on keeping the digital document version as updated as possible, just finding the time is a challenge. Maybe I just need more coffee, and less sleep, haha. File Jul 27, 11 08 46 AM

Now before I forget, I have now exceeded 125 followers on here. Thanks for the follow, everyone

Mid-July already???

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Hard to believe it mid-July already. Summer has gone by quicker then I thought it would. Yet it always seems that way, despite the massive slow down at work. Upside to that it allows me to write at work. Which honestly, seems to be the only thing that seems to make the time move a little bit faster, compared to it making an eight hour shift feel like a fifteen hour shift. That has been productive as I have managed to start part II of my post-apocalyptic, sci-fi tale. The hybrid noir and fantasy story, is just getting complicated for something I originally intended to be a short story.

In addition to thaupdatet, my digitally published book The Nightshadow Chronicles was selected to be reviewed by a large group on Goodreads. While I don’t know how many reviews I will receive at the moment, it will be my first set of reviews for it. Given how long the book sat un-reviewed, I’m curious to see what they think.

Also I went through and did some minor tweaks on the blog. Changed the color scheme to match the Canva made header. Thoughts on the changes would be appreciated.

Progress and a small test post

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Since I seem to have problems getting my drafted post to publish on schedule, I will be using this as a makeshift test and update. Hopefully this works, since I really hope to be in bed before 6am (eastern time).

Outside of that brief set of statements, it is time to update. For the most part, I think my routine is helping a lot more than expected. Most days surpassing my paragraph a goal day. Other days a paragraph seems to be all I can write as my mind tries to figure out which direction to go in either story. Along with trying to clarify, mental pictures of some of the more important details.

 

Routine progress, and a small question

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writitng.gifWhile it may not a secret, or at times the most convenient plan, having a writing routine seems to help keep the creative juices flowing. My main daily goal is to get at minimum a paragraph written in each of the short stories concepts I’m writing. Most of the time I hit that, which at is good. The question remains will increasing that simple goal, make it easier to write, or will it burn me out?

That isn’t a lot word, or story wise but, it helps to keep the worlds in my thoughts. Even though writing on small Jr legal pads, makes it hard to know if I have written a full typed page, or not. From the pages I have typed up, the average is about 3.5-4 of those pages equals a full written page. The only reason is I tend to use them is convenience, and portability since I can put them in my pocket and walk to work. Which as slow as it some shifts, it manages to keep me busy if I don’t have much else to do.

Now for the small question; is anyone else having problems setting up scheduled posts?  Any help would be much appreciated, since I keep scheduling post and nothing happens. Just not really clear on why they aren’t posting.

Pre-Father’s Day update

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It has about ten days since my last update, I really should get back to updating/posting more often on here. Outside of that I’m trying to resume my writing routine when I wrote everyday before I got a job. Which personally, I think that helps a lot more than I suspected in keeping the creative juices flowing. For the most part I have been successful, trying to write at least a paragraph a day. Sometimes it is more, sometimes it is less but, progress is progress no matter how slow. Am I right, haha.

Have an enjoyable and pleasant weekend, followers and subscribers.