Day 78 - Themes - Writing Wisdom

A few weeks ago, when I was a bit more on top of my game, I realized and wrote about how I really like the idea of a recurring theme in association with Writing Wisdom. Mini-Series if you will. In the past I did one about the role of morals in writing, which focused on the methods of description and how they can affect the moral tone we use. I really enjoyed it and learned a fair amount. So now I am looking or ideas for mini-series. Here are a few ideas I have: 1) Budgeting: Time, Money, Inner Energy 2) Morals in Writing: The Moral Obligation of  Person of Faith in Writing 3) Technology and Writing 4) Becoming a Zealous Writer instead of a Zealot and Why it Matters 5) The Art of Research (Side Note: I spend an inordinate amount of time researching and it is what I am professionally...

Day 77 - What is Self Improvement? - Self Improvement

What does it mean to "Self Improve"? In a sense, I don't think their is very much stock in the "self" part of self improvement. Can we improve our self, or being? Absolutely. But grammatically, it appears that by placing self first, it implies we are doing it on our own. In reality however we are influenced by the books and blogs we read, social media, friends and family, our successes and failures, and even our environment in general. Improving one's self can thus only be done by combining those experiences and events with change in ourselves. Perhaps we don't choose the change, in which case it may be negative. When we will ourselves to utilize our experiences though, we often move forward and upward. Vague philosophies aside, I mention this or a purpose: When we recognize we cannot improve...

Day 76 - Still here... - The Writing Report

Well, I am starting to sound like a broken record now. I missed several days, but I am still here. In retrospect, I realize I mainly miss the two most intensive days: Interviews and Weekly News Roundup. I think there is a message here... I have come down with a severe case of work aversion! I have also written less over the weekend and am stalling badly. In part I blame school. I've had mid-terms and such. In part I also blame beautiful weather and a lawn and garden that need attention. I also blame holidays. And I have been reading A LOT (for me). Finished our books in the last month, working on a fifth. Several genres, and all of them have brought ideas to my mind. The ideas aren't for stories themselves, but I have been paying attention to why certain scenes appeal to me, evaluating what...

Day 71 - When you know you are struggling... - Writing Wisdom

I have to admit it. I am struggling with my novel right now and writing in general. It's true. I've had legitimate excuses for slacking, and some not so legitimate. The reality is that I have lost my focus. I am not as motivated. I still try to write, because if I don't, it could be months before I pick it back up again, maybe longer. This blog has been a life saver for keeping my dream alive. Some people have writing partners. I don't. So this blog is my writing partner. It keeps me honest. Everyone who follows and comment keeps me honest. I feel that I have many writing partners, all whom I cheer for and wish the greatest success, and who I hope are cheering me on too. So for Writing Wisdom, I simply say: Find a way to stay motivated, even in the hardest times. It will get better, and...

Day 70 - Memrise - Self Improvement

Okay, I know this is a day late, but I have a really good excuse! I was at my office until 9:45 PM, came home, and just had to get some sleep. I was passing out on the drive home and barely made it into bed half an hour later. But I DID do some self improvement! I found a way awesome website called Memrise.com. Go there. Check it out. I'll wait... So here's the deal: A couple of months ago I listened to the audio book edition of Moonwalking with Einstein. For starters, a book title can't get much cooler than that. Secondly, it currently has 188 reviews at Amazon with 4.5 stars. That is incredible. Finally, it's a half story, have self-help, and a sprinkling of autobiography all rolled into one. From the dust jacket: Moonwalking with Einstein follows Joshua Foer's compelling journey as...

Day 69 - I'm Not Going Away... - The Writing Report

Well, contrary to what some may believe, I have not disappeared. A hiatus, yes. Disappeared, no. It wasn't intentional either really. Thursday left me with a ton of studying and a sudden mental crash (plus I lacked an interview again... I really need to plan for those!) and Friday found me in the ever beautiful Park City with my even more beautiful wife due to winning tickets to an annual garden tour/show (think Parade of Homes, but with awesome gardens instead!). It turned into a great date in perfect weather with incredible food, and I decided that date night was more important than blogging. It's also a lesson in needing to post the blog in the morning, not the evening. I have been writing nearly daily in my novel also. This is the area I wish I had more time on at the moment. I have missed...

Day 64 - Technology and the Writer - Writing Wisdom

First came writing on caves and pottery shards. Thousands of years later, we created the alphabet and wrote on clay tablets that would be baked. Fast forward hundreds of years again and we get parchment, complete with scrolls. Hundreds of years later, we advance our communication abilities once again with... the codex (book), first via wooden tablets with wax, then via parchment and bindings. Another 1,000+ years brings us the ever so awesome printing press, and a hundred or so years later we create movable type. Over the course of several hundred more years, the printing press evolved to become more efficient. This was followed with the first type-writers, a massive leap forward in the ability of the individual to communicate effectively. Let's also not forget the invention of the telephone. Thousands...

Day 63 - Audio Blogging Research - Self Improvement

As it turns out, finding free AND decent podcasting software is more difficult than I would have thought. Many have quietly passed away, and few have arisen to take their place. As I am not about to pay for one right now, I guess I will have to keep on searching. The goal is to have the first podcast up this Friday, so Self Improvement Tuesday is probably going to stretch the entire week on the backside of things....

Day 62 - Onward and Forward - The Writing Report

I put a lot of thought into topic and theme changes, restructuring of days, and more. To John, Canda, and Donna, thank you for your input. I'm always open for more, and glad  gave some food for thought to y'all too. So here are my conclusions: 1) I will no longer be posting on Saturday or Sunday unless really feeling the urge. I am dedicated, but it's hard to create quality in the other days. The weekend can give my mind a rest as well as help me prepare for the coming week. 2) I will be generally reducing the size of posts, but don't expect the ones of substance to be reduced too much! What needs to be said will be said in the best way possible for the moment. 3) I have consolidated various days, eliminated others, and added one. The new weekly calendar is as follows: Monday: The...

Day 61 - Braintstorming on Blogging - Self Improvement

In many ways, I feel my blog and my writing has stalled. I hate to say it, but I am being completely honest. I'm not talking about in gaining followers. I've done pretty well for being around about 60 days and having been a complete unknown. I'm talking about motivation and depth in general. When I began this blog, my posts were longer and had greater detail. Writing Wednesday had a theme. Monday Musings were legitimate. Recently however, I feel my posts have not only been too short, but essentially without substance. My writing in general has suffered also. I write a lot less. I still write daily, but the drive has diminished. I have great ideas for continuing, but let them lay so I can do other things or because it's simply too late in the day. In looking to balance my writing with my...

Day 60 - Slacking - Week End Report

This week has seen me with only one a couple minor posts. This is in part because of Independence Day, in part because yesterday was the 6th anniversary of meeting my wife and our first date, and in part because of laziness. Did I mention that Steam, a game distributor for the PC, has been having a mind blowing sale and people have been buying me games to play with them? Yeah, I've been distracted lately... That said, I wrote in my novel most days and I am back on track. I'll still be distracted of course with my many shiny new games, but no more holidays/events for a whi...

Day 58 - Social Media Doesn't Care About Vacations - Hard Knocks

There's a simple lesson I've learned about going on vacation from blogging and writing: don't even think about trying to catch up on any missed social media. Trust me, I tried. I also gave it up after 20 minutes of straight reading when I realized I was less than a tenth of the way through the backlog. Now, I could have kept abreast, but it was made more difficult by my drowning phone, which is where I mainly used tweetdeck to deck. So there is always a concern that perhaps someone will feel like I ignored them. Or more likely, that I missed out on something cool or awesome or terrible. What can I say... I'm a news junky. In instances like these though, it is important to realize that writing and socializing in the now is infinitely more useful for my writing career than reading the here...

Day 57 - Thoughts on a First and Second Novel Release - Writing Wisdom

Today is my first day back from my Independence Day hiatus, and let me tell you, it's tough. The feeling I've experienced in forcing myself to sit down and blog is much akin to that feeling you have on a lazy Saturday morning when you walk near the bed and it reaches out with it's softy, fluffy tentacles of happiness, threatening your day of possible productivity to certain doom. But I have overcome! Okay, let me be honest about that... I was supposed to return yesterday, but felt like I needed one extra day. That was the fluffy tentacles of doom holding me down. Over the last week, I have thought a lot about how I would succeed as an author. David Farland was one of many who offered some sage information and I thought I would pass on the main points he made about selling eBooks successfully: ------------------------------------------------------...

Day 52 - Happy Indpendence Day Weekend! Time for a Vacation!

So, it is Independence weekend, and I have a lot of late night and early morning activities planned out. Family is staying over night, firework shows, Freedom Festival and Colonial Village, and more. As such, I am taking a blogging (but not writing) vacation until Tuesday, July 5th. Go celebrate the day we declared Independence here in the united states of America! Capitalization is intentional in that last part, as that's how it was originally written...

Day 51 - The Cat and the Matt - Hard Knocks

The title of this post is misleading. There are two cats involved, but it just wasn't as witty of a title that way! So I haven't been using the office portion of the home office/craft room because my wonderful wife has essentially converted the entire room to crafting and sewing. I am not overly shocked.;-) In her defense, it is mainly due to still organizing the tons of material and other items onto shelves, and we need to grab more storage items for them. Now here's the rub. I go down to the basement tonight to help her clean up that room and the living room. We've been keeping the two cats downstairs also. Be it known, I am allergic to cats, yet still have two of them and a dog in a small home. But we have a special litterbox, and having lived with them for a couple of years in 800 sq/ft...