Sleeplessness and Procrastination

So, I'm supposed to be writing or editing some fiction now. My twin (Cansas) started a new work the other day and it makes me happy to see her writing again. Still, something is keeping me from writing. It isn't writer's block. I just don't really feel like writing. Obviously, I've decided to write a blog post instead of getting actual writing work done.

I'm finding it funny to see how easy it is to avoid sleep as well as writing. Something about being exhausted and energized at the same time makes it that much easier to procrastinate on things that really need to be done. I've got 2.5 novels and that collection to finish, edit, and rewrite. That's a lot of crap to do even for me.

Anyone else have these sorts of feelings after NaNo or another big binge of writing?

Perhaps its just that I still don't have my own computer up and running again after I accidentally crashed all the computers (other than this ten year old iMac) in the house. Something about writing on someone else's system seems odd to me. I guess we get comfortable with our computers in the same way we do with our rooms and houses and apartments.

On a positive note, I'm loving the New Year already anyway!

Cansas and I went to the fireworks over in downtown Carlisle, PA. Standing there in the street with a handful of revelers in front of Dickinson College's beautiful campus felt good. It amazes me how holidays and other events are just that much greater with the right person. My new-found twin-flame is...well, she's awesome. We have more fun together than I thought was possible for two so different individuals good have. Our personalities are exactly half the same and half different and we were raised in near-opposite environs.  Still, we fit as if we really were born and raised together in many ways.

In any event, I'm looking forward to an exciting year of writing, web development, travels, and pranks with her, my friends, and my family.

Cheers to 2014! I hope you all had a great New Year's Eve/Day as well!

Good luck to you in the new and out with the old.

In Earnest,

Adam King

The Problem with -isms

People love the suffixes -ism and -ist.

We see them in the names of our religions and philosophies, in our political systems, and in virtually any meaningful conversation about people and the way they think and express themselves. As human beings, we (at least here in the "western world") love classifying and pigeonholing people, ideas, and things so we can streamline our thought processes. Essentially, we are lazy.

Now, there is certainly a use for such phrases and other "labels." In order to be understood and have important conversations about serious issues (like feminism, racism, and other such things) we must use these sorts of words. The problems begin, however, due to the very purpose of such terms. Calling someone a feminist, a racist, a pugilist, or a vegetarian is a way of separating them from the rest of society/population. Yes, we are individuals, we are unique. Few value individuality as much as I do and I am fiercely dedicated to being who I am as well as encouraging others to be who they are.

That being said, when we really get down to the simple facts of what we are as humans, when we strip away all the psychological red tape and sociological labels, what are we left with?

The simple fact that we are all living things. We all eat. We all drink water. We all breathe. We all need to be loved and cared for by others and to love and care for others. We are all made up of cells and chemicals and atoms. We are all the same, we are all interconnected with everything else in the world, and we are all one.

So, anytime we label things or people we are adding a layer to what is really there. No one actually is anything other than a living thing (and many people aren't even sure that is ultimately true 0.o ). These qualities that allow us to separate and classify people are created in the mind. I am only a feminist as much as I think I am and as much as you see that I am. You are no more male or female or anything in between or outside of those genders than you feel you are and society tells you that you are. It's all parts, people. We're made up of the same elements.

Be careful applying labels to others. In fact, be careful applying any labels to yourself. When we get so wrapped up in fitting into these labels that we fail to see what is actually in front of us except through those lenses we put over our eyes, there is a serious problem. I am an antifascist, but that doesn't mean I automatically assume a police officer just doing his job so he can feed his family is fascist. I am a feminist, that does not mean that I need to ask why a particular photo in a particular blog post about an unrelated topic regarding human rights and tolerance only contains men. I am a left libertarian but that doesn't mean I agree with other liberals or libertarians and it doesn't make me anti-conservative. I do not need to make everything about the isms I sometimes happen to fit in with. My labels are not me and they do not make me what or who I am. Neither do yours and neither do anyone else's.

So, next time you want to apply a label to someone or think something is vaguely offensive to you "as an x-ist" or "as a y-ist," please, stop and think for a moment. Is it really necessary to respond to someone else's stereotyping? Do you really need to fight fire with fire and begin a hate-spewing war of words every time some "misogynist" that posts something rude or disrespectful about a woman? There are times such responses are absolutely warranted and I support you all the way for standing up for what you believe. But, question yourself before you heed your gut reaction. Are you really fighting that fire with fire because you are standing up for WHO you are? Or are you merely fighting to perpetuate a label or stereotype someone else crafted for you? Do you even put that label on yourself for a good reason? Do you even fit with your labels at all when it really comes down to it? Or are you who you are? Please, don't disrespect yourself by identifying as a label or labels. You are not a hash tag.

As for me? Well, I prefer to fight fire with water. Better yet, I can choose to simply avoid the fires altogether and let the firestarters burn themselves on their own recklessness and blindness to what actually is.

NaNo in 1 Week? Holy Mackeral!

So, my SciFi novel is completed. I finished on Day 7 with just over 67,000 words. Despite the astonishing achievement that represents for myself, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. I really wanted to hang on for at least 75k or 100, but the story just decided it was over. So, we'll see what happens in the rewrite. Its possible I might add entire chapters/sections.

Once I finished my novel I hit the "week 2 blahs" pretty hard. Trying to stretch my novel to 75,000 when it just wasn't going to make it really took a lot out of me. In fact, I sort of hit a mini-depression sort of feeling for a few days. However, I decided (with the invaluable encouragement and support of my fellow Over Achiever WriMo's) to move on to another story. So, after completing a short fanfiction Harry Potter crossover with Alice in Wonderland, I decided to start working on the sequel of my first novel.

At this point I'm at just over 15k for that novel and the story is just now really starting to unfold in my mind. I do not outline, so up until this point I only had vague ideas about where I wanted things to go. Now, however, I'm considering simply tacking on this "novel" as a second part of the first book and making it all one big piece. Something like Tolkien's 6 books in 3 novels scheme might suit this book. I'm not sure whether there will be a third portion, or if the story will be all over at the end of this one, but I can't wait to find out.

It's funny how readily my mind slipped back into the world of that series, though. The only difficulty I had at the beginning really was the normal "pantsing" problem of getting into the character's voice and getting the story to flow. Now, though, things are coming along just fine.

With a total word count quickly approaching 90k I am impressed by my own fortitude. I expected to burnout sometime last week, but somehow I managed to push through week 2 and now I'm looking at week 3 with no intentions of slowing.

Shout out to all my Over Achiever friends! Write all the words!

Day Three!

Well, I'm over 13k in my word count now. It feels OK, but not as epic as last month. I think I went somewhere around 18k by this time in October. Still, I'm on pace for, well, let's see...

A 50k completion around the 11th and a total word count topping at over 125k. That makes me feel much better. Shoot, if I can overachieve by that much I'll be ecstatic. I really had to muscle through my first novel's last ten thousand words or so. Its a good feeling to have one novel under my belt. This badass novelist just has to replicate the results +2 or 3 points.

Even if I only meet my goal of 60,000 by the 30th I'll be happy. That's +8k my final total for "Fool's Gold." In fact, at this pace I may end up doing a second book this month after all. I said I'd spend the end of the month editing and rewriting Fool's Gold...but I don't know. People are pushing me in the Overachiever's threads on the NaNo site.

In any case, I am still having fun writing this SciFi book. The Captain is a crossdesser after he snapped and went bonkers. The female main character is kickass, and the Russo-American Pirate speak is really working. Haha.

Writer's Tip: If writing about pirates or those that speak like pirates Alestorm or other Pirate metal really helps.

In any case, good luck to all the WriMos! Keep it up comrades!

NaNoWriMo!!!

OK folks, we're just over a day away from November 1st now. That means that we all need to polish off our prep work, get some good rest, and eat hearty! Here there be monsters! Abandon all hope ye who enter here. Still, chins up, dead men tell no tales!

Sorry, I think SpaceEx patois is bleeding into my everyday writing. Since I switched to SciFi I developed the cultures of 50 years from now. SpaceEx are cosmic sailors stationed on spacecraft and satellites. Their dialect is a cross between Russian, English, Victorian "pirate" speak, and tiny bits of Japanese. So, in prepping I've had a hearty dose of pirate lingo me buckos!

In any event, I'm looking forward to the joy and the agony of writing a novel in under 30 days once more. I plan to take a more sane pace this time, but who knows how that'll work out. Any WriMos reading this? If so drop me a line! I'm Lykeios on the NaNoWriMo site if you prefer there.

I wish you all a wonderful Hallowe'en and happy writing! Good luck to ya!

Well, I'm back

So, I've been neglecting my written blog in favor of my Vlog on another account. I suppose its time to come back to the world of writing. Still, multimedia is great stuff! I love it when authors and other artists take the effort and time to make their work a multimedia explosion of goodness rather than just one medium. Don't get me wrong, operating in one specialized medium is still great! I just like being immersed in the art that I take in sometimes so its cool to see different forms of the same stuff.

In any event, I'm back and I'm having a dilemma. There are two plots/ideas buzzing around inside my skull for my first NaNoWriMo novel in November. Its coming down to the wire here with November about a week away, so I need to make a decision. Anyone with an idea or suggestion please comment!

OK, so I was going to do my novel in the fantasy world I've been building for almost 10 years. I've designed a new nation, culture, and even their language as part of the planning process for the book. However, just yesterday I had a flash of inspiration for a wicked badass SciFi plot. So, my question is this:

Which idea should I go with? The primitive rainforest dwelling tribes being invaded and annexed by the Empire in a High Fantasy medeival sort of environment? Or the futuristic SciFi novel where we've all nearly become cyborgs and there are only three massive empires to serve as political bodies in the world? OR, the dangerous option, BOTH?

Now, I'm already going back-to-back with novels in October and November. I also feel like I might be gearing up for 6 back-to-back month novels, possibly even a whole year of books. Still, my first book was done in 10 days! So its entirely plausible I could complete two novels in a month. What do you all think?

I have a sneaking suspicion I'll end up doing both, but I'm unsure. I did say I'd take my second novel at a more sane pace to try and get it really right. This new plot is just so delicious though.

Its Almost Here

Well, with NaNoWriMo just around the corner I'm trying very hard to be a good little busy bee. Unfortunately, like The best lazy bees I've been distracted. Other things, work, sleep, TV ans a few other unnecessary things have been filling my days.

I had a wonderful weekend with my fiancée, Sammi, though! It was marvelous! Had a lot of fun just relaxing and having a good time together. I miss her often and we aren't very stable when it comes to money at the moment, so any time we get together is great! I love you Sammi! ^_^

Now, however, as yet another week begins, it is time to continue my Nano planning! Conlanging and world crafting here I am! Come steal me away into my own fictional world! I think most of the cultures I want in my NaNoWriMo novel are fairly fleshed out. It's characters and plot that I'll need to work on.

Hmm, maybe its time I finally give outlining and such a shot. We'll see! I will keep you posted and if I get any work done on that first novel's rewrite I'll do an update for that as well!

Thanks for stopping by! Have an unbelievable day!

In earnest,

Adam/Lykeios