Further than Last Year

Blog No. 202

I managed to make it all the way to October before bemoaning not having anything to write about. There was that one bit in the summer, but it was part of the intro where I did come up with a topic. This week, I feel like I’ve actually got nothing. Which is strange, because it’s not like I’ve been in a hole for a week. There are certainly times when I get overwhelmed and spend my evenings searching through Kodi for old movies I forgot about. Nothing happens those weeks (other than stuff my my fave with too much junk food and the movie watching). Surprisingly, while that used to be the way I lived (though with network TV) those weeks are getting farther apart. There always seems to be something going on in my life now.

I Miss Writing

Blog No. 160

The collection, No Light Tomorrow, is finally at the printers. After months of hard work, it is out of my hands and (though there were expected hiccups) the sample copy is on the way (or here by the time you read this) and everything is on track for a release event. By the way, unless something drastic happens, the release party will be January 9^th though the place is too be determined. We’ll make some serious announcements when a few more things are settled. Also, keep an eye out for poster plastered around the city, a facebook event, sky writing, carrier pigeons, and, if he got our lists, invitations delivered by Santa.

And Other Things

Blog No. 146

Here we are on another Thursday and I have another Blog post to do. This week was one of those weeks where I totally forgot that the blog existed until Tuesday then I fumbled around for an idea ultimately not coming up with anything good. The sad part is (as it usually the case) I remember coming up with an idea last week, then promptly forgetting it because I was doing something else, or couldn’t be bothered to write it down. Now I’m here, writing this, not really sure where I’m going with it. Who knows what that means (I hope good). We’ll have to hand on for the ride and see where the heck I take us.

Normally, when I sit down to write the weekly blog, I think back over what I’ve done in the past week to come up with the topic (adjusting for proper company and searching specifically for content about writing). Some weeks, looking back is a struggle—that is finding something in the past week to write about is a struggle. Often there are a bunch of usual things that get tedious to write about (therefore likely tedious to read). I generally go writing with Christian, we work on Adventure Worlds, the collection, and our novels. I can often be found at Anchor enjoying the great coffee and atmosphere when I’m not at work. There are very few days where I don’t waste time on too much television and floating around the internet. And oddly, I never seem to read enough. While my days are full, there are plenty of weeks where nothing of consequence happens.

How Much is too Much?

Blog No. 135

The other night, after a wedding rehearsal (not mine) and a lovely dinner with the family and friends from that event, I came home rather late and decided to catch up on a few shows. There was no reason for me to do it. It was already 10:30 (or nearly there) and I strive to get to bed before midnight. Besides, I am perpetually behind on my writing and spend far too much time watching TV shows. That evening though, I was tired and didn’t think I could muster the focus to get any work done. Along with being a lazy bum, I was down to the last one or two episodes of the shows I watch, so I was anxious, and I know other people in the house had seen them, so I wanted to avoid spoilers. One of the shows was Silicon Valley, a fun, tense show by Mike Judge, and the other was Game of Thrones, which is probably know and watched by everyone reading this blog. For the sake of those readers, I will do my best to avoid spoilers, but likely something is going to slip out, so brace yourself, or just skip this one for later.

Retreating

Blog No. 128

I am a person who craves solitude. Even as a child, I spent a lot of time alone in my room (almost as much time as I spent watching movies and TV). It would have been nice if I spent some of that time alone working on writing, or drawing, or something that would come in handy now, but most of it was wasted living in my, then, current trials and stumbles. I relived a lot of those foible, imagining how they would have turned out if I were more confident, or outgoing, or smart, or. In a way, that time cultivated my imagination, which as a loner, and now as a writer, has served me well. Being alone does not make a person lonely. Sometimes it is a symptom, but it’s possible to be content in solitude and feel desperately alone in a crowded room. It’s more about what battles the individual is fighting and less to do with the situation we imagine for them, based on outside observations. But I’m here to talk about my more recent past, and a little less about the hypothetical.

Comic, Comic, Comic-chameleon

Blog No. 108

 Last weekend was Windsor’s Christmas Comic Con. It was both my first time ever at a con and the first time I was at a table at any event (other than for work I suppose). No, that’s a lie. I did help my brother’s band once at a music festival in St. Catharines, but I was a small part of a larger team then. Last weekend I was helping Christian with his table (but really I think he just wanted me to help him carry things). It was the two of us, his book (which you should buy if you haven’t yet) and some of his personal collection of comics and horror movies. The main goal was to sell as many copies of his book as we could. The comics and movies were bait and fodder to help pay for the cost of the table. They helped, but it turned out they weren’t necessary. With the large number of connoisseurs, and my shilling skills, he made enough with books sales to cover the costs. I didn’t read the fine print though. My cut is a coffee.

Doing Nothing

Blog No. 97

For anyone who is a fan of Office Space, the idea of doing nothing isn’t a new one. In the movie the main character says that when he was asked by his guidance councilor what he would do if he had a million dollars, the answer was – nothing. That’s a statement I can agree with. If I had more money that I could ever spend, I would probably end up doing nothing but nothing for the rest of my life. I know this because with all the things I have to do (and want to do) I still end up spending most of my days off wasting time and goofing off. It’s not something I’m proud of, or even alone in doing. A lot of people I know suffer from the some problem. Sometimes it’s over prepping for a task, or wanting to catch up on something less important, or even just getting in a quick show before getting started and ending up spending the day watching netflix.

Save it for Later

Blog No. 95

Obligatory comment on 95. If my blog were a person we’d go celebrate with the few blog friends it has left, and probably a bit too much champagne. But it’s a blog, so I keep trucking along. Much like TV shows. (Transition!) I am a re-watcher. If there is a show, movie, book, etc, that I like, I enjoy revisiting it every so often. One of the things I notice that things happen was sooner than I expect them to. That may be confusing, so I’ll try to be clear in my explanation. I remember events happening on the show (like a character leaving, or joining, or relationships and junk) but I think that they happen a few seasons after they actually happen. I underestimate the amount of time the writers took before they had a major event happen to the characters.

Power Outage

Blog No. 92

Before getting to the meat of this week’s post, I want to talk about the Zine again. This time it’s all good news. Not only has it been printed, but it is now available around Windsor. Christian put it best with his last post:  http://christianlaforet.com/2014/08/12/advenutre-worlds-zine-available-now/.          He even listed where you can go pick them up. So, go do that. Hopefully we can find a way to have the PDF available on all the blogs, so you can download a copy if you can’t pick one up. For now, just send me a message and I’ll send you the file.

Good Vibes

Blog No. 90

TV and movies have introduced me to the idea of drugs. Other than a few past friends, I have no personal experience with anything harder than alcohol. I’m not going to bother getting into why, it’s just my decision, but everything I know, I learned from outside sources. I am lucky enough to be friends with a lot of talented people. Mostly they are artists of one kind or another, but some are gifted in business, athletics, or cooking. In talking with all those people (not necessarily at once) the idea of the feeling you get when you are perfectly in tune with your art (or craft) is ubiquitous. Whether it’s scoring an amazing goal in frot of a stadium of people, making the perfect dish for friends and family, or playing a show where everything comes together and the audience is completely invested, there is a feeling that everyone experiences.