Ben VS the Uncommon Cold

Blog No. 206

I work up on Sunday morning and knew something wasn’t right. My weekend had been the culmination of two solid weeks of work (no time off for good behaviour, or writing). Lots of terrible thing happened that had no choice but to be dealt with. Friday night was seven hours of crap that stuck to me through Saturday morning for my back-to-back shifts. While I managed to get a solid chunk of text written Friday morning, nothing was getting done on Saturday. As soon as I got home from my thankfully easier shift (minus having to mop the floors as the cleaners failed to do for the umpteenth time) I took a much needed nap and prepped all my stuff for Sundays RetroRama. No time for love Doctor Jones. I did my best to get to bed early Saturday night, knowing what was in store for me.

Update

Blog No. 204

In January, I decided to stop writing the book I was working on and started writing another one. The idea was that I would be able to knock out 40 000 words in a few months and have myself a finished novella. It took me until the end of July to reach my original goal, but by then, the story was nowhere near done. I shifted gears and from then on I’ve called the story a novel (or short novel) and had the intention of hitting 60 000 words. From the beginning of August (sitting at near 40 000 words) to the end of September, I struggled to get another 10 000 words. It was a rough time. I did poorly.

All the Other Ones

Blog No. 201

Last week I was invited to a book launch/reading/jazz show. The author (Vanessa Shields) is a friend of mine, and I was looking forward to going to the show. Not only do I try to go to as many local events as possible (and try is about the best word I can use since I tend to fall short with all the events I am lucky to be invited to) I make it a point to support those local artists (or businesses, etc) who go our of their way to support others. Plus, she is a nice person and does good work. Some days, getting out back out in the evening after a slog at work is insurmountable. There have been dozens of events I’ve missed (this year alone) where everything from interest to desire was urging me to go, but fatigue won out (with a healthy dose of being behind on my own work) and I didn’t make it out. There are some I regret missing, there are others that (from what I’ve heard) I didn’t miss much, but beyond the support and the enjoyment, there is another good reason for me to go to as many shows and events as possible (and I’m not talking about exposure).

Blog No. 200

Blog No. 200

Does reaching a goal count when it wasn’t a goal in the first place? When I first started this blog, it was to capitalize on the followers that my friend and I have gained from our podcast. We started in the early days of podcasting (especially video podcasing) taking inspiration from things like Diggnation. (Remember Digg? Man that was a big deal for a short time). My buddy had the idea and the desire, and I was happy to join in. We focused on the newly released Wii and amassed a large fan base. When the podcast was coming to an end (due to various reasons) I started up the blog. I’d done some blogging on the podcast’s website (mostly updates and excuses) and I expected to be a real writer long before the whole Adventure Worlds thing happened, so I asked the podcast followers to follow me. Then I didn’t do many posts.

When Will I Learn?

Blog No. 198

While it may not seem obvious, I’ve been working away on Pilot all year. I would agree with people commenting that it’s been taking too long and nine months to complete 45 000 words is sad. Yup. I’m right there with you. Still, it’s the longest story I’ve written (longer every time I plug away at it) and it’s only the third novel I’ve ever attempted to write. Again, having tried and failed twice before isn’t something I’m super proud to share, but it’s a fact, and I know I’m not the only person who’s been in that boat. The first try was just not a goo enough story to be a novel I made it to a forced fifth chapter, coming up with new things to add every day (padding out the lack of plot). Eventually I came to term with the faulty concept and moved on. The second one was much better. I was a huge idea and I managed to get to 35 000 words before floundering.

The Dying Days of Summer, The Birth of Autumn

Blog No. 197

This morning, while I was driving to work, I noticed a smell, and it wasn’t the sewage treatment plant I pass on the last leg of my journey. I was driving passed a beautiful wooded area (I’m lucky to have several small ones near me) and the air turned crisp. It didn’t last very long. By the time I was pulling into the parking lot (desperately searching for one good song before turning off the car and heading for the building) the sun was chasing the freshness away. We’re reaching an interesting time in our seasons, the transition into my favourite season. The mornings are going to become cooler and more invigorating (for me I suppose if you’re one of those people who can’t get enough blazing heat) but the afternoons still hang on to the summer sizzle. I never know how to dress, but at least I feel more alive for the start of the day.

The Loss of Routine

Blog No. 192

The struggle continues and I’ve been given another reminder of how important routines are. Naturally, I am a person drawn to routines, so it’s no wonder that the more structured my time, the more I get done, especially with writing. I’ve heard other writers balk at the idea, and even argue against daily writing habits. While no one thing is ever right for everyone, I think most people can agree that a schedule and consistency tend to help when it comes to making progress (writing being just one example). It’s the same thing all over my life. I’ve kept up with going to my boxing class, but the extra work has been interrupted. Even my reading suffers from a lack of consistency, and I love reading. It’s just so easy to waste a few hours on the internet, or play another video game with my brother.

Half Way or Dreams

Blog No 187

Just a short one this week. It’s been too hot and I haven’t been sleeping well. I had a dream about being in school (which I haven’t been for some time). I don’t think I could call it a recurring dream (or a nightmare) but it’s something I’ve dreamed about before and it’s always uncomfortable. Having never been a fan of school (specifically the testing and grading, I enjoyed the learning) dreaming about it isn’t fun. Specifically it’s a dream where I am unprepared. The unpreparedness varied from not studying for a test, or not having homework finished, to having not attended classes all year. I believe it all stems from my early days as a student, when all those fears were real, because I didn’t pay attention and didn’t do any work. Eventually I got my act together, so having those anxieties now is usually related to other things in my life.

Working in Coffee Shops

Blog No. 182

There is a running gag on the internet and television about people with MacBooks in coffee shops. It’s funny. The idea is that people are more interested in being seen than in actually doing work. Which is sometimes the case. Coffee shops and cafes are often filled with people either getting a quick lunch, enjoying a slow coffee, or the other thing. I’ve been in many places where nearly every table is beset by a laptop wielding individual (one per table). It doesn’t matter if it’s a Starbucks or local establishment. The coffee shop is a place to be.

Update

Blog No. 180

The other night I was in the car with my brother as he drove us to our weekly class at Boarder City Boxing Club. I made note that I didn’t have anything to write about for this week’s blog. Undeterred, he offered several suggestions that I summarily shot down with little thought.

“Why not write about us boxing?” he asked.

“I’ve already talked about it, besides, we’re not really boxing, just conditioning.”

“We’ve started playing Resident Evil 5. You can talk about that.”

“Sure, but Christian is doing this whole horror videogames thing on his blog and the last one was all Resident Evil.” (christianlaforet.com/2016/04/27/digital-death-part-2/)

“Gee man (paraphrasing). I don’t know then.”

“Meh. Thanks for the help, but I think I’ll just do an update. I’m due for one anyway.”