Mindset

Day

To the casual onlooker, my day is ordinary.  I wake up, drive to work, handle my workload, drink coffee and go home.  In my head, however, the day is a little different...

The wail of my alarm reaches into the darkness of sleep and tugs at me like a gust of wind, pulling me from my inner Zen.  The noise grows louder, dragging me away from a good dream.  No.  Not a good dream.

An excellent dream.

A goddess was at my side in this dream and I felt the warmth of her presence, grateful for our time away from the world.  The alarm echoes with growing intensity and I realize she is fading from view so I try to hold on.  Even as I reach out to touch her once more, the alarm pierces the darkness and shards of morning light burn into my eyes.  The dream is lost and my hand finds empty blankets at my side.

Cool morning air drives away the warmth and comfort of sleep, prompting my attention to the alarm.  I shut it off, unsure if I should blame it for taking away the dream or myself for setting it.  I glance at the open window as it grows brighter and know the cool morning breeze will soon become a blast furnace.  Every minute will grow hotter, and by noon, the city will roast under the blazing sun.  Summer is a harsh time for night owls like myself.

I rise and approach the sink to wash up, staggering as sleep continues to drain away from my body.  Washing up in the morning is like a ritual.  Turning on the cool water provides a temporary wake-up call to my senses, splashing my nerves awake until my morning cup of java can jolt errant neurons into action even as they fight to hold onto the last remnants of a memorable dream before turning my attention on the day to come.  Shaving is done with care until I splash on some after shave.  Each splash of blue acid is a reminder of how much I will need to endure before day’s end.  I splash on more until the burning subsides and my skin is radiating heat and I am ready.

The ritual done, I leave my one-bedroom apartment in a rush, knowing my departure window to make it on time is closing.  I activate my artificial intelligence assistant, who provides an overview of the route and see the window to my on-time arrival is down to five minutes and closing with each passing second.  I rush down the stairs with a greater sense of urgency, unwilling to wait for the elevator.

Minutes whiz by and I am out of the garage, down the road and heading towards the traffic light that always gives me grief.  I approach it with dread, slowing to a stop as traffic speeds by.  I know there will be no helping my quiet plea for expediency but I stare intently, knowing the red light has no intention of giving me a break.  Traffic clears and I continue my war of wills against the red mocking eyeball.  The empty road feels like a scene from the old west and both hands grip the steering wheel, tightening moment by moment and wishing each grip could provide a pair of six-shooters so I could close the looming red eye at last.

An eternity later, my nerves have fried when the red light flickers out at last.  An emerald oracle ignites, granting me a reprieve from agitation and I am given safe passage to embark on the day’s adventure.

A moment later, I push into the fray, racing onto the raging rapids of rolling metal maniacs, twisting and turning on blacktop that will soon grow hot as my engine while I stomp on the accelerator, extending the closing window of time until my navigator reveals arrival time has matched the day’s schedule.  I breathe a sigh of relief, grateful for the kind oracle and feel the last of the cool air leading me into my workplace and the beginning of my workday.

I give out a few hasty greetings as I pass bodies and move eagerly towards my work station, aware many of my early-bird fellow employees are heading out for breakfast or coffee.  Coffee.  The word resonates in my head as if it were a thing of magic and I can already taste that nectar of the gods as it sets my mind on fire and my heart into overdrive.  So long as I can ingest that liquid of life, I know I can handle anything.

Yes, the world may crash and burn as the days stretch out into an inferno of triple digits that leaves everyone scrambling for shade before noon but as long as I can enjoy a cup of neuron-activating, heart-pounding java, I will welcome the chaos of the world, taking that first sip of the day with a smile.

Firing up the computer is the day’s second ritual, entering passwords, navigating a cyber-maze filled with access paths, network folders, launching one program after another, and of course, seeing what the calendar looks like for the day.

Soon, I am diving into work, tackling the high priority and simple tasks with ease.  Time-consuming appointments are arranged by location, handling the closest first and working my way out of the office building until the last one can be handled before the day is done.  I am a specialist in this world of stone and metal, and by day’s end, a pot of coffee has been consumed, many fires have been put out and outside the office window, I see the sun beginning its descent over the horizon, signalling me to call it a day.

Someone compliments my weight as I approach the elevator on the way out and I thank them as the doors close.  I look down and remember a year ago being heavier and struggling a bit to get some exercise before adjusting my diet.  Who knew making a few eating changes would give you results that others would notice?  Ah, well…

I make my way home, seeing the madness of the road get ugly as the heat drives even the prettiest of drivers to insanity.  I am less inclined to madness, knowing my day is done and my personal Zen awaits.  A few minutes later, I am back home, finding relief as I park and letting go of the fading stresses of work, wondering what lies ahead.

A quiet evening with a book and a little music?  Dinner and a movie with a goddess?  As I wait for the elevator, a grin crosses my lips.  No matter how challenging the day or hot the weather, the world around me may see my life as one of traffic, work and stress.

To me, it remains an adventure.

I see the world as a grand place to live, with something different at every turn and where dreams can be real.  I wait for the elevator doors to open and soon I am lifted off the ground, a smile growing on my face.

I am going home.

Going upwards.

Life is good.

Habit

Music

Among the most common questions posed to a writer pertains to what music we listen to while writing.

Music in and of itself is an art form. As a creative, it stands to reason that partaking in another form of art is beneficial when in pursuit of individual outlets. Like novel writing, music can transport us to other worlds and I am grateful when I discover a new artist who lifts me away with voice and melody.

I enjoy listening to many styles of music. However, when I am creating, I like listening to music that does not distract. For me, that means music that does not tempt me to visualize a story or sing along. I enjoy song lyrics as much as I enjoy stories, so they take me away from my own imaginings when I am in creative mode.

Therefore, the music I listen to when I am creating a story will often consist of classical works comprised of Mozart, Beethoven, Grieg and Strauss. I also listen to Jazz or movie scores when the mood strikes. (Kenny G holds a playlist all his own) I prefer the longer movie tracks rather than the shorter selections which are too brief to enjoy. Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, Lawrence of Arabia, Gone With The Wind, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly,… to name a few.

Revising my stories is another matter. When revising or editing my works, the music I listen to is entirely different. Once the story is in place, I have no issue with words. I do not have two voices to separate in my imagination so my selections expand as I return to retrace my steps along the paths laid out.

If I don’t want to use a playlist while revising or editing, I cycle through Classic Rock favorites: Queen, Bon Jovi or Elvis (Long live the king!). If I want to work with a mood for a scene or chapter, I can go with The Doors or Pink Floyd (The Wall, of course)

Relationship scenes with dialogue or constant character interactions will be accompanied by Whitney Houston, Lenka, Sara Bareilles, or Colbie Caillat. (Again, just to name a few)
Dealing with action and the climax of a book can spread out across the spectrum. For these scenes I write with Beethoven, Queen, AC/DC, Quiet Riot, Judas Priest, Pantera, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath…and maybe some Kiss to settle back down. (Destroyer).

For the story resolutions and epilogues, I return to classical or cross with IZ (Over The Rainbow) or Louis Armstrong (What a Wonderful World).

Hopefully my list helps anyone interested in creating their own playlists or coming up with their own music preferences while the creative juices flow.

Ad – If you like music, you might also like reading my books since I listened to music as I wrote them and, of course, great minds think alike.

Time

Okay.  Days, weeks and (yikes!) months have passed since my last blog and despite life’s trials and tribulations, the writing bug keeps following me.  So here I am.  Onwards!

As a writer, TIME is one of the elements we must be aware of as we craft our stories.  (See what I did there?)

The standard concept of a story entails a beginning, middle and end.  However, every story has more than just a simple plot to follow.  There are sub-plots, side stories, flashbacks and many other things that shape a novel.  When crafting your novel, it is imperative to know and follow your timeline carefully.  This applies even more so when your story has no linear path to tell your tale.  What is linear time?  Linear time is simple.  You start with the beginning of your story and continue to the end.  This can be from the past to the present and then ending in the future.

If all stories were that simple, the limitations of writing would be painful.

As it so happens, writing a story does not have to happen in the present and move forward.  It can start in the past and end in the present.  Perhaps it begins in the present with your main character sitting at a park bench eating a box of chocolates before leading the reader to many adventures growing up until we arrive in the present once more to conclude the story.  (Sound familiar?)

We can also start a story at the climax of the tale.  Your main character might be in the middle of a boss fight, shooting bad guys, pulling out samurai swords and turning thugs into shish-kabob.  Then moving back to an earlier place before the story moves forward and we can enjoy the ending where the hero beats the bad guy, finds love and grows as a person.

Throughout each story we tell, a timeline needs to be in place.  We need to know what order things happen in and what order we will need to tell the story.  If your story is straight-forward and goes from now to later with no deviation then keeping track of events is not an issue.  However, if you throw in a flashback or make any reference to events that are not in the present, you need to know as much about those events as what is happening in the present.  In order to keep a reader from losing their place in the story, we must guide them through the tale with as much clarity as possible.  Make each shift in time relevant.  Use past foreshadowing to predict the story climax.

Create a timeline for yourself to illustrate the events of your story.  Make each significant event a highlight.  If you use a flashback, sub-plot or foreshadow to your ending, be sure to know how and when each event takes place leading the story where you want.  Keeping track of your timeline is essential, otherwise it will be the readers who find the holes in your plot or discrepancies in your timeline.  As story tellers, we need to find these errors first so the tales we tell can be enjoyed rather than questioned.

Whichever direction you choose in your timeline, follow it carefully and adhere to it so your readers understand each twist and turn of the world you have created.

Happy writing!

Promo!  As an added bonus to my blog, I will add a promotion for my books.  I know.  Who doesn’t like ads?

If your life could use more time and is filled with ups and downs then you might enjoy reading one of my books.  They are filled with ups and downs, good people and bad, killers and pets…  Grand things that make life worthwhile.

First Draft

Among the many nuggets of wisdom shared between writers, one is repeated on a regular basis that I do my best to agree with, but mostly see as a promotion for discouragement:

“Every first draft is crap.”

When holding a stack of paper, knowing you have filled every page with adventures of love, hate, life, death and most of all, passion – the thought of having it called “crap” is akin to being called a failure.  Creative folk are often their worst critics and constantly strive for improvement.  Like someone looking back at how they started riding a bike after years of riding, it might seem a valid form of criticism, but to someone just beginning the process...

I am currently revising and editing the first book I ever published. Do I think it was crap?  Honestly?  No.  Re-reading that story has made me recall a world I created with excitement.  A tale rekindling the thrill of writing for me at a time when I was ready to give it up. Was it written to the absolute best of my ability?  No. It was my first book, and as such - a first step.

Writing your first story is step one. If you are positive you have written a great story or are supremely confident you are a great writer, it should be known that even the gifted among us have more to do. When you write “The End” no matter how well you write, it should be clear that the process you have embarked upon has just begun.

At this point, you now have a new journey to undertake.  First and foremost, you need to look at your writing through another’s eyes.

This is an important step simply because after reading your story over and over, it becomes a part of your mental memory.  The analytical, detached observer is in the back seat playing with his cell phone and your imagination takes each sentence and constructs the rest of the story around it without even acknowledging those pesky adverbs.  Therefore, a fresh perspective is in order and you must hand off your story to get different points of view.

These wondrous people are called "First, Alpha or Beta Readers”.  They can be enlisted from friends, family or volunteers discovered through social media.  Yes, we must... (shudder) socialize.  Their help can be received a chapter at a time for more concise reviews as you go or all at once for an overview of your story.  With these reviews, we writers are given valuable insight into what a typical reader will think. A reader reveals to us what did or did not work.  Once you feel enough of them have gone through the book, you can proceed to the next step: 

Employing an editor.

This can start with a Line or a Copy Editor as both are important and both should be used. A Copy Editor will be able to tell you if the story is sound or if there are plot holes as numerous as craters on the moon. The reality of what is discovered may be painful, but necessary.  A Line Editor finds grammar, formatting and spelling errors. Sometimes both editors are listed as one so you get the best of both worlds. (Yay!)

Keep in mind: The stories we create are like shining gems discovered by our imagination. They fill our minds with possibilities and potential greatness. Those shimmering gems must be treated with care so the world discovers them in the best possible light.

As soon as you write “The End” on that last page, know that you have completed what a mere fraction of people the world over have tried. You, my friend, have written a book! That accomplishment is worthy of note and no matter what anyone tells you, you have scaled a mountain few others dared consider possible.

So remember to scrutinize anyone who says that your first draft is “crap”.

Our first draft is a first step.  When it is done, we know that we’ve navigated through the intricacies of story-telling, brought a hero to life, tossed in one challenge after another and faced each obstacle on a long road to success.  Every thread to our story has been woven with care, adjusting for every twist and turn with hopes that it all works out in the end.

So even if you must later fix grammar, story arcs or plot holes, understand this first step you’ve taken following “The End” is also the first step on your own path as a Writer.

To Like Or...

Over the past few years (Okay, decades) I have noticed a change in people around me. I am among the quiet folk, so I keep such observations to myself.

True, changes happen all the time. Weather changes from season to season. Cars change year after year. Technology changes more and more. This post, for instance, would have once been a mere journal entry or letter to the editor in some newspaper.

However, the change I mean has to do with how people like and “dislike”. I see it in Facebook and Twitter as well as Amazon and all other web sites dedicated to showing what is trending or what people are talking about.

When I went to school long ago, I recall people joining The Debate Club. It was simply a club where people would learn to argue with one another. What I remember most is how they would do this while still maintaining respect for one another. The job of each participant was simple: Find a topic that has opposing viewpoints and present the best argument so that in the end, one would be the clear winner. In order to do this, you would have to study everything about the opposite side and know why that argument is being presented. Once that is known, you take each point and do what you can to prove your point of view is better. It sounds simple, and for the most part, it is.

You could always tell who studied more because every time someone tried to argue a point with holes in their reasoning, the one who was prepared made their point more convincing. The opponent would then stutter or backtrack on their reasoning, trying to think of some way to rephrase what they said when it was clear they were losing.

Failure was inevitable.

Rare was the evenly matched debaters who could stand toe to toe and argue a point endlessly, each giving convincing arguments for their side and neither stepping back. It was a good way of showing what was truly logical and what well-presented facts could accomplish in a debate.

Over the last few years I have watched several debates that made me think of those club members. These debates were in television shows, celebrity interviews, political meetings and many web sites. Unfortunately, I no longer see anyone treated with standard respect in any of these places. Worse, I see the exact opposite. I see people on television simply yelling at one another rather than listening. I hear name calling and personal attacks that quickly deviate from any topic at hand.

In other words, rational discussions are becoming a thing of the past.

Search for a topic in a favorite site that you find interesting. It might be political in nature or religious. It might have to do with a coming movie or the price of gas. Lately, I have seen topics on police brutality and others on sexual orientation. Each of these could easily begin with a handful of comments from one person or another.   They could, but do not.  Instead, they spark hundreds, or even thousands of attacks. Not only that, but the more sensitive the topic, the more the attacks tend to escalate, becoming personal attacks, swearing, threats and in the end, the original topic has no possible means of becoming resolved calmly.

When people refuse to listen to one another, the most convincing facts cannot be heard because hate is too prevalent. That is where I see topics go to these days: HATE

It’s not just that you like this politician or dislike that one, it’s now about how MUCH you hate that politician or party or group or religion or, or, or… Hate is quickly becoming the only means of debate. We no longer bring up how much we like something or someone. We hesitate. We stop and think twice instead of allowing ourselves to like what we like.

I like the Apple iPhone. I have liked how it works since its inception and I like what it can do. It is a useful gadget and I am amazed at how technology has brought us to this level of achievement.

But…

If I go on a news site and post my praise under an article highlighting a new i-gadget, the comments that follow might begin with a simple “Me too!” but end with personal attacks against me and the store that sells it, the cashier who sold it and the company as a whole. There appears to be no one teaching respect for one another in school anymore. No care for your fellow man and no self-respect by those who post hate-filled comments online.

Why?

Where did all this come from? I would much rather find others who like something and have a discussion about what it is and where it can go from there. I would prefer to say I like the new Avengers movie and talk about the comics that had the original story followed by where the movies will go from here. Instead, I will hear about what the actors might have said or done in an interview that people hate or what the director believes or doesn’t believe and even how unrealistic the special effects or action scenes are.

Really? It’s a movie! A form of entertainment! You’re not supposed to go in and find things to hate about it, you’re supposed to go in because it looks cool and you want to spend a couple of hours enjoying the story and action so you can depart from the real world within a given bubble of time.

Sadly, discussions have continued to degenerate all around us. Rational thought continues to fade. What’s the point of learning what is true and what isn’t when all you need to do is raise your voice and make personal attacks to shut the other person down? Stores can now be shut down if they don’t cater to people demanding they violate their religion.  States are being boycotted for passing a law trying to safeguard religion in some form or another.  News stories are now used as encouragement to riot and burn cities with no consideration for order or reason.

Mindless destruction is now acceptable.

Yes, schools are at the front of the line when it comes to blame as well as parents, but politicians are now in the mix alongside the media. Those who were not around when News truly meant something and was watched by grownups for truth and world events can’t know what it was like to have a time when you could enjoy a day with friends and laugh about multiple topics… even when you took a different side.

We all have a different point of view. How can we not? We don’t live the same lives. We see different things and learn different lessons. What matters is what we do when we find someone who likes the opposite. Steak eater meets Vegan, Gay meets Straight, Democrat meets Republican, Apple meets Windows…

I like many things: The outdoors on a sunny day. Chocolate caramel ice cream. Gadgets that make things easier or more enjoyable. Writing down stories that I imagine and dream of. I also like tales of adventure, stories of true love, self-sacrifice… heroes. I even like some speeches given by politicians. Their party affiliation never matters to me and I hope it never does. If I start cheering for a team instead of a person then it is only a matter of time before that team can be switched out with those I would never want to support.

I would like to find out what it is that people like rather than the things they hate. Think of it as a balancing act. If you imagine a scale of your preferences and you load one side with things you enjoy or people you like then good feelings will follow. However, if you take the other side and overflow it with things you hate, movies you despise and people you can’t stand, religion you don't want or opinions you disagree with... Throwing one personal hatred on top of after… How long before you realize that the side you pile within you is making you lean your entire way of life in that direction until it is the only side you see?

My hope and advice is simple: Stay positive in your life by adding “likes” to yourself and to others. Add something every day to your well-being. Add to your joys. Add to the things and people you love.  Hate will subtract all of these from you if you let it.

The choice, as always, is yours.