People Watching: Physical Appearances

I have always been a people watcher, but just recently I have purposely been watching them for my writing. Sadly I don’t think I’m quite discreet about it, I don’t think I’ve ever been really 😛 I just remember to write it down now.

Yesterday I was sitting in the train station on my way back to my home state. I have a total of ten hour layover time, and it was a fun way to pass the time when I wasn’t reading. My people watching theme for yesterday was physical appearances. My favorite observation was a tall thin man with skinny jeans and a gray fancy pullover sweater. The best part was that he had a thin curly mustache, and a tiny cane with the tiniest curly handle.

While staring at his cane, the only thing that went through my mind was ‘Where do you find a cute little cane like that?‘ Seriously I thought it was adorable, but I’m sure it could have been a fashion statement for him. He was so interesting that I didn’t even try to put a story behind him. I just enjoyed the moment. I think I want to purposely go on creative inspiration trips and find three people who I want to be background characters. Just not the Greyhound Terminals. I’ve taken a bus trip once, and even getting a chance to see Space Man, a random fellow in an aluminum foil looking astronaut type suit, will not get me on the buses again. I’ve always thought it was interesting that I never see the odd or weird people of the world as odd or weird. I just see them as interesting, and just shy of amazing.

But all in all there were three people I took special notice of while I was there. The second person had skinny purple metallic fabric like jeans, a matching baggy sweater with multi-color stripes, and a blue bandanna over hair. It was another guy, who pulled it off in an artsy type of way. I always find it interesting the way that personality and “aura” helps people pull off certain styles.

The last person made me realize I love faces with large moles, or better termed “beauty spots” to make them sound more glamorous, but I think they are anyways. I have a feeling my next character will have one. And somewhere in the background, even if I don’t describe him, there will be a fancy dressed man, with a fancy curly mustache, and a tiny curly cane.

Finding My Purpose In Life Part 2

I have discovered that it is not easy to balance writing for self and writing as a career. I am trying to treat it as any job whether I am getting an income from it or not—and that is the hard part.

I love writing. You think I’d get tired of saying and typing that phrase over and over but I don’t. I get as bubbly over it and could write it over and in a journal with hearts and smiley faces.

♥♥I love writing.♥♥

But work is work. And when writing becomes work is when you have to write when you don’t feel like it. I am trying to get a schedule in place just for when that happens. So it’s no coincidence that I will primarily have posts Fri-Mon. I want to see if I can make a routine, and FOLLOW it.

Creative wise I know that it’s a chance that it is not possible, but I think it may work for me. Let’s all see 🙂 And guess what? It’s Friday and I’m writing even though I wasn’t in the mood for it. This, albeit small, accomplishment let’s me see that sometimes progress can be minuscule. And it sure does feel amazing to have done it!

I Hate Times New Roman

I can not tell anyone when, but at some point the sight of Times New Roman would just suck the creative juice out of me. Does it really matter what font you type in some may wonder. Who knows? All I know is that I am driven bonkers if I don’t have the perfect font and color for what I want to write. Right now I am in love with Candara, and I love Calibri too. As much as I love cutesy fonts like

I am not too inspired to write. In fact I’ll get distracted and write such nonsensical things it can’t even count towards free-writing or be of any use ever. Like my name over and over again. Or how I think Chris Pine is hot or something. Yeah…not helpful.

But something about Times New Roman just makes me upset. Especially if I’m using Open Source Software and it still defaults to Times New Roman. It makes me tick.

On the other hand, when I am writing fan fictions, (yes-yes I know, but it’s a non guilty pleasure of mine) I have a weakness for Comic Sans. I took much offense when a group of people wanted to remove it. I was like-why? Seriously why? Its a font. It’s an amusing font. Not one to put on an obituary, but it has it’s uses. Like helping me write when Times New Roman had me in fits, and Arial was too serious for my piece, and I was still bitter over seeing TNR over my sacred screen.

And yes I know getting on the Comic Sans group case has me meeting and calling the black kettle pink or something. But we all have our “thing” that must be in place when we write…don’t we? Hope I’m not the only strange one that needs to have everything right. I think I’ll save my ink pen and journal preferences for another day 😛

Finding My Purpose in Life Part 1

I don’t know what has gotten into me, but I love it. For years, I have jumped from major to major, job to job. And the biggest question is why? Not why did I continue doing that, but why didn’t I just seek out what I love all along? I love words. They’re a constant in my mind, always on the tip of my tongue, just waiting to tickle a listening ear.

It didn’t really matter what I took up. It could only have been temporary because I can not deny the words that have been pleading to get out. Words I wrongly judged as a hobby, as not a practical career move. How foolish I was to not listen to them. Just like a book they can fit in, they read me and understood what I need to be happy. And that is: nothing else. Because the source of my happiness is already inside me, and when I release my words they gift me with joy.

I’d have to be nuts to turn away something like that. So write I shall, everyday. Or until the joy runs out. But I have a feeling I have enough words wanting to have their say to keep me fulfilled several lifetimes, and even forever.

Writing can’t be done, until you do it.

They say for true artists, art is supposed to come easy, not forced. It sometimes starts as a whisper inside, slightly nudging our processes. It’s a warm familiar feeling, so familiar that you feel something lacking inside when it isn’t present. And after a while that whisper becomes more so insistent, and what it speaks to us it makes our eyes open to the nonexistent and intangible, and then we’re suddenly filled with the insight on how to express them in reality. But I’ve discovered that as artists sometimes we’re reluctant to bring it into reality. We stay content with our creation inside. But eventually what started as a whisper will yowl and scream to be free if we keep it captive too long. And like any wild untamed beast we lock up it, we are uncertain, even scared of how to deal with it. But we know what we have to do. We have to release it. We have to build up the courage to unlock that cage. Have the knowledge that we can’t and shouldn’t control it. And lastly faith, that we should trust it to run free.

So, let it free. I’m not saying it’s easy. I want to share a quote that changed my life. I read it early this year, and since then I know one of my weaknesses. And the bad thing about my weaknesses is that one of my strengths is resilience, so I attack it until it’s merely an occasional personality flaw 🙂

But the quote was “Writers like to have done, not do.” We all like to look at a job well done, but not many like the current process of working. The great thing about art is that it is enjoyable once you start. But not many people would just run up to a caged beast and let it out without hesitation, yet how often is that caged beast something you gave birth to? (Don’t get queasy at the symbolism, it’s true. 😛 )

And this quote came from a marvelous book called “Walking on Alligators: A Book of Meditations for Writers”. And I would love to tell you more about this extremely inspiring book, except my Mother has it. She said I “left”” it when I visited her out of state. *suspicious* Suuure I did. Perhaps I should mention she’s a writer too, and an excellent one at that, who really loves that book. But I can’t get mad at her because she’s my sometimes muse, and if my muse isn’t inspired, than how will I fare?? I’m working on Operation: Steal My Book Back later this month. I’ll tell you all how it goes.

My Projects 2012

CURRENT PROJECTS

Although I am primarily a writer I like to do fun experiments with family and friends! And sometimes they mix together! These are just current projects and I tend to make a new few projects a month.

30 Days of Indirect Socializing.

For 30 days text or ask a select group of people questions ranging from personal preferences to deep complex issues. They are permitted to “pass” if too personal. For me I didn’t want to do “What is something you are in denial about?” Hah, my denial warms my heart and I’m not giving it up. At the end of the 30 days everyone’s answers are put in a book and shared! It’s going to be great! I will share just my responses on here though 🙂

Word A Week

A smaller group of friends come up with a word we don’t use everyday but that we love. I have a passion for words, and thankfully my friends do too. Or most of them…which is why this is a “smaller group of friends,” haha. After a year I’m making our own dictionary full of cool words we like, and some we invented.

Magazine-With my Team Amazing!

I am in the process of making a new magazine. The first issue will not be in circulation, but based upon how successful we are in making it, I will put it in circulation. The demographic it is aimed at, is Art, Culture, and Lifestyle. And features all sorts of random interesting subjects.

Interactive Dance Show

I am moving back to my home state, but not before a party! But it won’t be the usual dance party, it will be interrupted by sound effects alerting people to get off the dance floor for a performance (dance, singing, skit, etc)

Various Videos I want to Make

1. My Michigan Road Trip Video
2. Going Away Party Video
3. Numerous AMVs that I need to finish!

 

MY STORIES

All of my stories are Work In Progress, but the ones I plan to finish I will post my progress here. Some don’t have titles yet, or just have temporary titles, and from those I will just put the character name.

4 Part Young Adult Series

Book 1-This is Me-I Think (Tori Morgan)

Book 2. Haylie Carter

Book 3. Hannah

Book 4: Allandrah “Alli” Michaels

Rana Murray

My NaNoWriMo 2012 and the book I want to publish is untitled, uncharactered, yet has a setting and plot that I am in love with.

I have never wrote a short story, I always start novels, but I think I will use this blog to just try some. I tell oral short stories all the time, but I never wrote them down. I just liked to do long epic sagas I guess *rolls eyes* It’s time for me to branch out. I need to find a little widget or something that’ll help me keep track.

Countdown to Insanity!

So it’s 2 am and I am getting excited over NaNoWriMo and it’s stil 21 days away. What is that, you ask? It’s National Novel Writing Month and it’s 30 days of constant writing to get at least 50,000 words. And when you’re not writing you’re thinking about writing, and if you’re not doing either you either succumbed to sleep after days without or passed out from exhaustion. Sometimes you remember to eat when your stomach growls loudly enough to jarr you away from your writing jamming session.

I can’t wait.

This year I’ve already have the setting and some of the plot, and my main character has been floating in my head for the past couple of days. Pretty soon she’ll materialize and I’ll be able to meet her. She’s taking her sweet time, which has me extremely eager to see what she’ll turn out to be.

I need to get my NaNoWriMo playlist together. Start with some pure instrumental and then let it transcend into some of catchy pop songs and then when I’m completely in the zone all my favorites can rock it out in the background once my reality turns into my subconscious. Writing is truly one of the things I enjoy most in life. Which is why I decided to blog about it. Only makes sense.

I’d like this to be a journal detailing me finally bridging the gap between being a writer and then being a novelist. Where I don’t just have notebooks full of half finished stories, or scribbles here, and scribbles there, but a finished book in my hand.

And whether I get my  50,000+ words written by the end of November or not, it won’t be the end. I won’t be discouraged. I still am a writer, and no matter what happens, what goals I reach, that is what I’ll always do, and always be.