My Writing Rules - 2016 Edition

 It has been a little over a year now since I started 'No One Will Recall' over again, from the metaphorical ashes of my old writing. With a lot of big changes in my life coming up I figured it was time to look back over some of this year's works and take a mental inventory. See how far I've come and where I should be going, and maybe revise my rules a little.

I think the most difficult issue that I've struggled with this year is actually writing about things I care about. I feel like for any normal person this is a non-issue. I've always had a problem with 'saving the best for last' because I don't want to waste an idea. I actually wrote about this very thing last year. I'm always afraid I'll ruin my interests and, to be fair, every time I have attempted my favorite ideas in the past I have butchered them. Unfortunately that's a necessary evil though. Your best ideas are also the best for practice because you know exactly how you want them to turn out. When I fail to live up to my own vision of a piece I can examine it and see exactly where I went wrong. Running your best ideas through the grinder is some of the best possible experience. Using a throw away idea doesn't provide the same sort of perspective, or even incentive. Messing up a throw-away idea carries no weight because, "It was a throw-away idea anyways". Perhaps that is an unmentioned rite of passage; feed your items to your creative flame, and the ideas that survive are those worthwhile...?

Another issue that I've run into has been dwelling on myself/my thoughts. In some posts, like this one, focusing on self-examination is pretty much unavoidable. I noticed though, that especially as my writing tapered off in January my posts were shifted towards dwelling on my failures and agonizing on my deficiencies. Overall I think I've reduced how often I agonize over my writing, but I need to extend that effort even further. I'm prone to bouts of depression, but adding a simple rule might help me to avoid long cyclical posts in which I don't really accomplish anything. I really wouldn't mind pouring my depressing thoughts onto a page as long as I have direction and an end goal.

Speaking of ruining interests and talking in circles, my last noticeable issue is a lack of interest. Not surprising really. I update inconsistently, my writing is still improving, and to be fair a lot of my posts probably aren't that interesting. Nobody wants to hear about me, you don't know who I am and my writing isn't refined enough to interest anyone in my process (what process). I've already decided to reduce posts dwelling on myself, which is a good first step but I need more than that. I don't know what people want to read but I know that traditional writing isn't cutting it for me. I wish there was a way to seamlessly combine visual media and the blocks of text I'm prone to. There has to be something else out there that works better for me. So I need to experiment. Which means I need to fail a lot. I need to explore and find what works for me, because if I find it interesting I'm sure some others will too.

Last, I'd like to improve on the humor of my writing; which is more of a personal goal so I'll be leaving that one off the list (below). Once, I used to pepper my writing with small jokes throughout, these days I tend toward the serious. Although, I still manage occasional dry or sarcastic humor. 'Things I Hate' has helped me work on comedic phrasing but I could definitely use more practice. I don't really have a message or cause I want to convey. I write because I want to evoke emotion and entertain, and comedy would be a valuable skill towards that end.

5 Basic Rules for Improving my Writing (2016 Edition)

1. Write often. 

2. Do not worry about what you will write about. If you write enough you will figure out what you really want to write. Ruin your interests- write about what you love most as often as you can stomach it.

3. Whenever possible: Wait at least 24 hours, reread, and revise.

4. Read often and actively, not passively. Read often; stop and think.

5. Explore different genres and styles both in writing and reading. Experiment until you find what works.

 

6. Don't dwell on yourself.

Naja & Sachi: Useless Musings Podcast Ep.003 - Top 5 Bad Guys (From movies, anime, and games)

Hey people and lack of people, we finished up another episode of Useless Musings. I know that next to no one actually listens to this stuff but this most recent episode is pretty good if you like anime and gaming, at least by our standards. Top 5 Villains gave us a much broader topic to discuss so we covered a diverse range of characters and really tried to determine what makes a villain good (or bad? help?)

This episode ended up coming out much later than I initially planned because I wanted to try adding in some visuals. So if you are the type to just listen and stare at the screen, well, then at least you'll have some cool character art to look at. If not, well, then you have something to reference if you hear a name and think, "Who the fuck is that?".

No download link yet but I'll try and have one up a bit later Download link for mp3 version here; for now you can watch using the Youtube link below. The video has actually been out for over a week now, but I figured if anyone still stops by my homely little blog/writing space they might be interested.

https://youtu.be/-v1Q3pMY3tw

 

 

I have a few other talks in mind for the upcoming weeks if I'm not too busy. I doubt anyone cares strongly at this point in time what Sachi and I cover next, but if you want to throw in your 2 cents leave a comment. We're thinking about covering Legend of Korra, Log Horizon, Sword Art Online, or possibly Elders Scrolls III: Morrowind.

By Moonlight My Words Indistinct

I was going to write about my college experiences and contrast the quintessential American college dream, but then I realized I was too tired to do it justice. Indeed, I probably shouldn't be writing this article right now either as, inevitably, I will end up cleaning up my paragraphs in the morning as surely as I'd be cleaning sloshed and spilled shots after a night of drinking. Writing fatigue is, unfortunately, something that I've had to deal with a lot since I picked writing back up. I do most of my writing after work now or after over-sleeping on the weekends and, as a result, I've had to contend with the many small errors and lapses of concentration that accompany being tired. For me though, this is just something that I have to deal with since waiting until I don't feel tired means that I don't write much, and I already don't write very often.

As I've gotten older I've noticed more and more how much fatigue influences my ability to perform. I don't think that I was ever really resistant to the effects of a sleep deficit when I was younger, I think I just didn't notice in the same way I do now. I've noticed the ways that it muddles my thinking, scatters my concentration, how it makes me feel physically weaker, and rasps my voice so that I can't sing right. I don't even always feel like I'm not performing well. When playing a game or practicing something I just slowly begin to mess up more frequently, until I reach a point where I feel as though I've somehow regressed. When typing tired I frequently make more mistakes like spelling errors, absentmindedly inserting wrong words, or repeating parts or repeating part of a sentence.

Writing fatigued makes practicing writing very difficult, because my memory is also affected. I don't retain as much of my practice as I would if I had practiced for the same amount of time in the morning. It's very easy to make mistakes when you are tired and, well, you play like practice. The lack of concentration further complicates the matter as it can make for weak or rambling sentences, lack of awareness (more spelling errors), and bland or reused word choice.

Writing is, mentally, a very high energy activity. My brain, and yours too, can only handle so much each day before it starts discarding bits of memory and attention. After a long day, especially one already spent dwelling on challenging thoughts, an activity like writing, (or chess, or detail-work) is daunting. Complex writing topics can feel like a wall when you're trying your best to make them work but your tired brain won't translate anything into text that doesn't read like a 5-year-old talking in circles. Even worse, sometimes my brain just outright quits like: "Nope, I've had enough. Sleep mode engage."

I look forward to a time in which I can write without feeling like I'm about to nod off at any moment. Most weekdays if I stop moving or drinking coffee long enough to catch my breath I feel like I'm about to fall asleep. I'd suspect that I have some sort of fatigue issue but the more likely story is that I'm over-worked, over-stressed, and highly over-caffeinated. I'm not sure if that affects my writing in ways beyond fatigue but it could go some way towards explaining why my posts feel like precariously stacked word-towers. I'm curious to know what sort of impression my writing gives readers; I'm far too biased to be able to tell what my own writing is like without a good two-month buffer between writing and review.

Perhaps the most detrimental aspect of writing tired is that I tend to focus on my problems. For me, at least, fatigue and negativity are closely related, it takes a lot of effort not to be negative when I am exhausted. My inspired ideas are easy drop when tired, that is, hard to keep vivid in my head. When I'm tired and negative however, all my negative thoughts are easy to pour out since they are at the forefront of my mind. People don't particularly care about your problems though unless they are invested in your life, or your particular problems For me this means that dwelling on my issues pretty much makes for uninteresting pieces. I end up working on writing about problems instead of working on something truly creative or challenging. Is writing about my problems cathartic? Yes, somewhat. As with most negative thoughts, however, I tend to go around in circles. The fatigue cycle is a difficult one to break without changing your circumstances and, unfortunately, my circumstances are not so easy to change.

Naja & Sachi: Useless Musings Podcast Ep.002 - Introduction to Final Fantasy XIV

Before I ramble too much: Mp3 can be found here.
Youtube version is available lower on the page.

I decided to branch out from writing a little bit. I have been having a lot of fun working on my new podcast series with Sachi the past two weeks. Starting up the podcast was kind of spur of the moment but I had been thinking about it for a long time. These days, well, actually for a while now, time has been a major limiting factor for all my creative endeavors. Motivation is probably a close second. So I've taken to using a 'whatever works' approach to my creative projects. It's why you haven't seen me posting here very often for a while; writing is something I enjoy very much but it takes a lot out of me. The podcasts, however, I have actually been able to muster some motivation for and they allow me to continue expanding creatively.

 I've wanted to do something collaborative for a long time but could never really get my other friends behind any of my ideas. I wanted to try Let's Plays but poring over recorded footage is very time consuming and I haven't had time for quite a while (though that might finally change later this year). I also considered doing reviews or funny shorts, but due to either time, technical issues, or general lack of interest I had to back down. When I examined why those projects never got off the ground I decided it was because I wasn't playing to my strengths, or rather, my group's strength. My friends and I aren't particularly funny people (though we have our moments), but we are great at interesting and often weird discussions; from Physics and Philosophy, to Anime and Gaming.

Right now it's just Sachi and myself, but I have future plans to drag my other friends into if I really latch onto this podcast idea. (And so far I really like it.)

Well that's enough irrelevant blabbing for now, let me get to the actual podcast. In this episode Sachi and I talk about Final Fantasy XIV, Square Enix's 2nd MMORPG final fantasy. We were originally supposed to discuss the game at large but it more or less turned into a crazy introduction mixed with stories. We're still getting the hang of this. One change you might notice is that we now have an intro. Also, in this particular episode I played around with some music in the background. Let me know your thoughts on that here or in the comments of the Youtube video.

Right now I'm using just a simple static splash screen but episode 003 will include some simple visuals to add a little interest for anybody listening through Youtube. As with all my projects suggestions and comments are very appreciated.

 

Naja & Sachi: Useless Musings Podcast Ep.001 - One Punch Man

I finally had a chance to work on a project I've wanted to try for a long time now. I present a new podcast/webcast: Useless Musings with myself, fatalerrer (or Naja Thrashe after my Final Fantasy XIV character),  and my lovely co-host Sachi Tajima.

In our pilot episode we discuss One Punch Man, touch on Bleach, and wander into Final Fantasy territory. We're still very new at this so feedback and suggestions are very welcome!

Things I Hate #8 - Absolutely Avoid This

And I'm back with another 'Things I Hate'! Laugh, cry, be educated...kinda, explore new...profound depths? Look, I don't know, scroll down and start reading.

1. Top 10 Great Movies that Failed

Hey, off to a great start. Just don't bother to capitalize 'that' in the title. It's not like anyone will notice, or fixate on it like an itch that they are unable to scratch. Nope. Can't think of a single person. *twitch* While I'm nit-picking though, what kind of name is Movieseum? You can't just stick parts of words together and call it a day! That's literally what comedies when they need to come up with a terrible name. It's like if I took a pair of glasses, covered them in glitter, and then called them Spectactacles™ (spec-TAC-ta-culs). That's the same level of effort your site name is on. Now, what was I going to talk about again? Oh, yeah, movies. I'm assuming they mean the movies failed financially, because if they failed in any other way I'm not really sure how they can be 'great'. Also, should I recognize that picture from something? I feel like I'm supposed to recognize that as a specific movie. Anyhow, I'm sure it's harmless click bait but it's not worth your time. Usually articles like those don't even manage to successfully stick to their theme the entire way through. I bet the only real effort put into the article was the title hook.

2. 5 Exercises That Age You FASTER (Avoid #1 at All Costs)

 25 Signs That Your Walls Are Secretly Filled to the Brim With Snakes (#17 is Terrifying)! 11 Dance Moves That Will Spontaneously Eject Bones From Your Body (Absolutely Avoid #3)! See? I can make up nonsense titles too. Exercise isn't going to 'age' you faster. There are lighter exercises and more intense exercises, but regardless getting your heart rate up is generally healthy for you. Now, high impact exercises can do some damage in the long-run but they don't age you. For example, running is hard on your knees so if you do a lot of running you are more likely to develop knee problems. If you exercise by punching walls, suplexing weight bags, or, if you're a complete masochist and practice gymnastics you're probably going to feel it in a few years. With that all I have to say is....Run old man! Run! They'll devour you if they catch you!

3. Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Meryl Davis are Back Together! (PHOTO)

Who are these people and why should I care? No, seriously, I have no freakin' clue who these people are. I'm pretty sure with a name like Maksim I'd know if I'd heard of them. Alright time to break out Google. So...Maksim is apparently a dancing champion and instructor. And Meryl Davis is an ice dancing Olympic gold medalist. Uh...huh. As click bait I have to feel this ad has already failed. Are there enough people out there who know these people, much less care that they are a couple? They sound like interesting people but I still can't see why I should care about their personal lives. In fact, here's how much I care: (PHOTO) 

Okay, no photo, I was lying.

4. 10 Evil People You Won't Believe Existed

This could be a really cool article...if it was hosted on a reputable site. Somehow I don't expect OMGmoments to do a list like this justice, or even check their facts. I suspect a list like this is full of the legends surrounding 'evil' people like Elizabeth Bathory bathing in blood, or Rasputin being a bonafide wizard. OMG! I can't believe people like that existed!Lolololololratchet

5. An Interesting Way to Pay Off Mortgage Faster

Hold up bills.com, I'm going to stop you right there. There is nothing interesting about mortgage unless you're a banker. Mortgage is such a boring subject that they threw in a picture of a rainbow coloured house in the hopes that your interest might be piqued. I'd like to point out that too that the picture is pretty much irrelevant. Also a rainbow coloured paint job is probably going to lower your property value. Just sayin'. But that's not what we're hear to discuss, we want to know an interesting way to pay off mortgage faster. What confuses me though is that there is really only one way to pay off mortgage faster and that's by making an extra payment directly to the principle (Zzzzz). So... How else can you pay off a mortgage other than making more money? Out of curiosity I looked up some methods offered by Bankrate.com and there were things listed like refinancing to a shorter mortgage (30 years to 15 for example) or making week-based payments which amounts to a couple extra payments a year. So in the end the only way to pay off a mortgage faster is to pay more money. Kinda depressing.

6. Warren Buffet Reveals How Anyone With $40 Could Become a Millionaire

I hate articles like these. Really hate them. They're like the lottery, full of false hope and outlandish promises. I'd like to draw your attention to one word in the article's title though: "Could". Just like you could win the lottery. Just like you could become a movie star. Just like you could become a world class performer. You have to understand one thing though, in all those examples minus the lottery, the people who achieved those goals started young and pursued their goals obsessively, often to the exclusion of many other things, like starting a family. Warren Buffet grew up poor and became obsessed with making money. He dedicated his life to business and finances and pursued his opportunities aggressively. Even if you followed in his foot-steps though no amount of hard work is going to guarantee that you will meet with the same success. It's a long-shot that depends largely on the people you meet and to some degree luck. The implication that Buffet is revealing some secret to making millions is absurd and misleading. 

Well that's all I got, I'll get off my soap box now. Leave me some tasty tasty comments. Let the hate flow through you.





Wild Abandon - More 'Thoughts of the Day'

- Upon hearing that there were endless variants of our own reality I took it upon myself to stray from my place in the dimensional spectrum to see what lay within the realm of possibility. In one reality society was distinctly more feline. Although, saying it like that is perhaps a bit misleading. It would be more accurate to say that evolution of public sanitation was distinctly more feline. Bathrooms were, rather, box rooms or litter rooms. You would politely find a corner of the sandy room and do your business, using either a litter shovel or kicking motions to bury your deed. The box rooms, so named because they were usually a disconnected room within a larger structure, typically included a comfortable carpeted area on top of the box/room. In that society it was normal to wait on top of the box, lounging on the plush carpet. It was accepted, no, expected even that if you had been kept waiting for some time that as the occupant exited the box that you reach down and thump them on the head. In some high-end establishments there were even employees whose job entailed tapping each person on the head as they exited. The gesture was between a nod and a 'high five', and niceties such as warm towels or colognes/perfumes were tossed down afterwards. (Or slowly pushed over the edge as it were.)


- Ever notice how small, trivial details can collude to create a memorable moment out of an otherwise ordinary event? It happens to me most often while I am enjoying a book or a show, the combination of emotions and my circumstances blend together into a moment that, in memory, is more than the sum of the parts. I read the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and enjoyed it immensely, but my experience while reading it made it all the more memorable. After a long day of work followed by several hours of home renovation and a lazy dinner I would find a comfortable position on our old couch, wrap up in a blanket and crack a window enough to circulate the air but not let in too much of the winter cold. I'd light a cigar and spend several hours reading by the diffuse light of our tower lamp mixed with the glow of flames from the pellet stove. Usually a cat was draped over me purring loudly. Another favorite of mine was sitting cross legged on my computer chair at 1am, my arms tucked into a sweatshirt while our failing boiler strained to keep the house at a modest 60-65 (F) degrees. I was watching Steins;Gate on my computer with the volume turned down (so as not to disturb my wife) and occasionally sipping coffee. It was particularly memorable because several weeks earlier we had swapped our computers out of the office and into the living room.


- Move tile inspiration - Wizard of OZ III: Toto Vengeance


- Sometimes I feel phantom pains and I wonder if in some adjacent reality whether some accident or injury befell my counterpart.


- Sometimes I feel the need to pick up an obscure or relatively pointless skill. Like learning Morse Code for example. Honestly, who even knows Morse code anymore?


- Sometimes I become oddly focused on certain aspects of my body. Sometimes I notice how my pulse actually interferes with my ability to hold my hand steady. When it's really quiet I notice how it  sounds like there is a really high-pitched noise just at the edge of hearing (that's not actually there). Occasionally I'll feel two tiny rings, symmetrical, in roughly opposite spots, whenever I touch the roof of my mouth with my tongue. When I chew I sometimes fixate on the muscle that flexes just above my temple.
     I became annoyed when I discovered one day that I could bend my pinky finger on my left hand to my palm independently of the other fingers. Yet, on my right hand, I was unable to touch my pinky to my palm without uncontrollably bending the finger next to it. Luckily I'm fairly certain I figured out why. I regularly use my left pinky independently to hit CTRL or SHIFT on the keyboard, my right hand does not.
     Before I regularly kept a mustache I used to trace the groove in my upper lip. Everyone has it but I'm not sure why it's there. On the subject of facial hair, I also absent-mindedly twirl my soul patch when I'm studying something. I think it's a requirement or something.


- I had a dream about a WWII museum in which all the exhibits were represented with housecats. There were tanks and planes, all the real stuff, all appropriately scaled down and accurate, except the people were replaced by cats standing on their hind legs. Imagine a Hitler cat at a podium, talking to a field of other cats saluting. Imagine a cat dressed in an army uniform, his paw outstretched pointing forward, while behind him a field of tanks began advancing. Manning the guns on the tanks are cats of all colours, some of them only kittens. In a paratrooper exhibit a line of cats waits for their turn to jump, lit red by the glow of the jump light, while the jump captain cat looks out the open hatch, his head tilted as if looking at something that had just fallen over the edge. Call me crazy...but if someone actually built this I think it would be huge.