No more excuses

Ah! My first post of the New Year. Took me long enough…

zapatoverde graphic design motion design error quit

So, 2016 didn’t much live up to the expectations of the gen pop–but you already knew this. You’ve watched the news, seen the memes, followed the feeds, read the blogs–you, my friend, are in the ‘know!’

And I respect that about you.

2016 has become the punchline–no, the *excuse* of a decade. It is the reason we are sad. It is used as the basis for what is lacking in your life, or this world. 2016 is the quote, it is the comparison, it is rational for every last thing we’ve lost control of or never had control of in the first place.

Well, it’s no longer 2016. Thus, it no longer applies.

Now, I could go into a rant (one that is political in nature) and confabulate with you on what is waiting over the next ridge–but I will not. I could grab a sandwich board and slap some paint on that baby, before draping it over my bony shoulders with a message painted in my scratch writing–but I won’t.

All of this nonsense are distractions. What is the point of this lollygagging when there is so much to do?

I shouldn’t have waited so long to come here and post, but the holidays are a big deal in my life–so I’m here now. I’m here to say, no excuses in 2017. It may not be the best year. It may be worse than the *dreaded* 2016. But it may also be the best year you’ve ever known. This is how I’m looking at it: I know what I want, I’ve known since I was seven–and I’ll keep working to make it happen.

the karate kid
Time to be Daniel and Crane Kick 2017 in the face.

The only wise words I have for those reading this is, “there is no such thing as an over night success.” Remember that when you’re a slave to your craft–to your words. Hard word and dedication are the key to success. The only true failure in life is quitting (unless you’re a smoker, than it’s the opposite.)

Happy New Year, friends! And happy writing–xxoo-A

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One can only care so much

This is the truth.

One can really only care so much

Because reality won’t let you care about stupid for too long

If you do

You’ll go mad

If you think too much

You’re brain will fry

Most of the shit I see on the internet

Is nothing more than fodder

It’s trash

Basic lies created to make you feel something you shouldn’t

Ashamed

Angry

Uncomfortable

Everyone with a blog is a fucking expert now a days.

Guess that makes me brilliant

But then again, I know it doesn’t

Because at the end of the day, I know my limitations

When we spend our time caring about things

Other people think we should find important

We only waste our time

Time is precious my friend

It’s like land

There is only so much, and they’re not making more

Using it to get angry about the errant stupidity of the world

Will only lessen the amount you have

So care less, my friends

Care little

Save your energy for things that are important

Realize you are allowed to have an opinion–yet not allowed to shove it up everyone else’s butts

Life it too short for bullshit

But it’s just right for a nap

Sophie’s choice (of writing…)

I have spent the last 2 years working on the same WIP. I’ve written, rewritten, and rewritten some more. After that I took the 400+ page book and split the it into two, bringing it down the 50k-80k words, a respectable word count for a young adult novel, and after that it was rewritten again, but here I am, getting nowhere. Happy form letters, generic form letter – silence! No one wants it, no matter how much I love it.

I believe in the story, but I know that I need to rethink the direction and to do that properly it was take time. So, I finally made the decision to move on. I know it is for the best and as I rationalize why I was doing what I was doing it  left me with one question…

How do you know that it is time to let go of one piece  and start another?

I wish I could say I have an answer, but I don’t. I’m looking at it is like every other hard decision I’ve made in my life. I’m relying on my gut to tell me it’s time to move on, and to let go. I know that if I stay it will only be out of love (which I really do), but by doing that I’m risking running myself into the ground, and taking the story with me. I fear I will grow to hate this story I love, and I don’t want that.

While I dive into a new WIP filled with new ideas, characters, themes, a whole new world I find myself growing excited, but I do  hope that one day I’ll be able to return and fix things and get her where she needs to be.

That’s the problem with writing. Everything you create is a child of your imagination, and no one wants to leave their child behind.

When you start asking if it’s time to let things go, it probably is, but even with that knowledge it doesn’t make it less of heart wrenching choice. My very own personal Sophie’s choice…