This blog isn’t the only thing collecting dust.

I haven’t been writing.

I’ve been reading though. More now that it’s summer and the library’s summer reading program kicked in. (Yes, summer reading program. That thing we use to do as kids we when turn in a log of books we’ve read and get to look in the prize box? They do it for adults. I can have a BOGO Chipotle coupon just for reading five books I would’ve read anyway? Yes, please!)

There are some really good books out there guys. Character growth galore and storylines that are just awesome. I read a book last night, a good chunk of it, all the way to the end and didn’t notice that it was four in the morning because I was so into it.

And I realized it’s been a long time since I’ve felt that way about one of my own stories.

I feel like plots slip through my fingers like trying to grip a handful of sand too hard. The idea is there but by the time I carry it anywhere it’s just a dusting of sand on my hands. The kind you brush off without a second thought. Not exciting. You can’t build a sandcastle with dust.

But I’m not going to even get the chance to build anything if I don’t even take myself to the beach.

Are you keeping up with me? I’m sorry. I went to bed at 4 this morning.

I’m doing two things next month. Camp NaNo, with a very vague idea with the goal of to just have fun, and Dungeons and Dragons. I’m am actually really excited about that one even though I have no idea how it’s going to go but more on that later.

The fun awaits, everyone. Go build your castles.

Brace yourselves, NaNo is coming...

In just a few short hours I will be embarking in the yearly month of caffeine driven brain farts and hand cramps, also known as National Novel Writing Month. For some (that’s me) 50000 words in one month can be stressful. It’s time to lay down some ground rules for myself.

My NaNoWriMo rules:

1. You do not have to stay up till midnight writing on the first day if you feel sleepy. Or any other day. You have to work the next day and unfortunately don’t have the privilege to stay home and write all day with nap breaks.
2. No writing at work. Multitasking to that degree stresses you out and you get so distracted even on slow days that you’d write like four words anyway. Relax. You can write when you clock out.
3. You must write every day. None of that ‘it’s been a long day’ or ‘I’ll make it up tomorrow’ nonsense. You know you’re lying. One page, one paragraph, one sentence. That’s all I’m asking.
4. Don’t make yourself get up early. You hate getting up early. You’ll stare at the page wishing you were sleep and write an amount of words that wasn’t worth it. Get your sleep.
5. Don’t make yourself stay up late. You love staying up late. But the less sleep you get the more likely you’ll stop to stare at the page and write an amount of words that wasn’t worth it. Sound familiar? Seriously, GET YOUR SLEEP.
6. You don’t have to be out of the house just to get stuff done. Except for write-ins, those are pretty productive. But if you can’t make it to one don’t use that as an excuse. You can write at home to.
7. Really though, just have fun. It’s not homework. No one is going to be mad or let down if you don’t make 50k. Just do the thing

I did the thing!

I'm awesome at starting things. I get ideas and I plan and I research and I get so pumped. It's like the first day the pools open in summer. It's refreshing. I jump in with both feet.

But then the pool gets crowded, all the floaties are taken, and your goggles start fogging up. You get out to try jumping in again but things keep floating where you're about to jump and your suit is all wet and heavy and...

I digress. My point is that while ideas are new and exciting it takes a lot of work to keep that momentum up. Life happens, you get to a hard part of the plot, new ideas, other goals and deadlines, and unsurpassable plot holes, just to name a few.

So when I wrote the closing scene of a story that I had going for years IT WAS SUCH A RELIEF. I'd been fighting with ideas for this thing, letting other ideas get me distracted, and just plain life happened so there are plenty of months where it just collected dust but it was always on my mind.

Finishing it was like when you finally drag yourself out of the pool and relax on your towel. It's like breaking open that cooler you packed and getting yourself a snack. Like getting comfortable with a good book while the sun warms you back up.

I mean that it's reaaaally nice to not have my brain running on one thing now. I've gotten distracted by how much fun it is to start things that I've forgotten how cool it is to finish them. Perhaps I need a Lazy River Method. You know, those skinny pools that go in a circle around a water park? How people get in and just float but the currant keeps them moving around and around that part of the park? I need a way to stay relaxed about a project but be always moving forward.

Anywho, I hope I figure something out soon because while it's nice here on my beach towel for now that pool is looking mighty tempting again.

What's New?

New day, new month, new year.

Its that time of year where people turn over their figurative leaves in hopes of bringing good changes into their lives. Or perhaps hope to do something cool that they never tried before so as to broaden their horizons.

Or perhaps theres some people I know *cough me cough* that make bold statements and follow through with them in rose colored glasses.... for all of two weeks or so when they then throw all their motivation into the void.

I've stopped making resolutions. I use to be really big on it. I even had a notebook one year (or one month if you want to be precise about it).  But I never kept with them, these resolutions.

That doesn't mean I've stopped trying new things or trying to better myself through whatever means. It's just now I'm finding new ways to motivate myself since essentially writing myself rules to follow was not working.

New things are coming to this blog. (How many times have you heard that though? Ha.) Maybe not with any regularity or consistent content themes but they're coming and they'll be here. Just keep me away from any voids.

This Kind of Dark

Something about the dark.
That 'too dark' dark.  You blink but nothing changes kind of dark.
Can't see your own hand kind of dark.
You go to bed at night?  You can handle that dark.  Shadows unnerve you there but they're welcome because a shadow lingering means a light's presence.
The moon, a street lamp, not in this kind of dark.
A window means no mercy in this kind of dark.
No familiar shapes in this kind of dark.
It's like a wrapping paper on a present your not sure you want to see inside.  It's a knife in a hand you don't trust. This kind of dark is not what gives you pause.
It's what's behind it.

Happy Halloween everyone.  :). Stay safe.

Haunted Drabble #2

Everyone has a go to shirt. The shirt that they change in to to relax at the end of the day. The shirt that gives you that boost of confidence you need to get through the day. That work shirt. That paint shirt. That go to shirt.

Alice had put one of her shirts away.

It was customary to wear black to funerals and that is what she did. However, her choices were limited and a wave of misfortune through her family and friends led her to using one shirt in particular quite often.

Though like a painters shirt collects splatters of color it seemed that Alice's shirt collect something from the each service. Every time she'd see the shirt it would bring a memory. Each one feeling fresh enough to cause her to return it to the hanger.

She convinced herself one day that she was being silly and wore the shirt for no special occasion. She was given an occasion a week later from that day.

That shirt was tainted. Alice wasn't one for superstitions but she didn't let a trend go unnoticed. That shirt was put away.

In fact, Alice was unaware that she still had it until she had some misfortune herself and was visited in the hospital.

Her sister was wearing Alice's shirt.

October Scribbles - Haunted Drabbles

October seems to be the month that gets my creative juices flowing. It must be the NaNoWriMo in the air. Being involved with two writer's groups must help too.

We've been taking inspiration from all things creepy because Halloween is on the brain, so I thought why not post some of the spooky things that come from this? Last week, in the high school writer's club I co-lead, we played with six word stories. I'll leave you with the two I came up with. Happy reading/writing/NaNo Planning and Plotting/spooking.

Her grave had two dates now.

None came to his second funeral.