Archive for the ‘writing’ Category
The Big October Challenge(s)
It has been a long time since I’ve written anything. The last post frighten a couple of people and some thought that I was going to kill myself. But, that is simply not true, besides, I have so much to live for.
I’ve already started this challenge and will post from time to time on the progress I’m making towards both goals.
The year is almost done and still is the best year of my life, so far. I’ve learned many things about myself through various challenges I’ve put myself through, and taken a dream and made it a reality. I’m already thinking of next year and how I want to push myself even more towards my passions, business endeavors, and family and friends.
The Novel Challenge
I still have plenty of plenty of fight in me this year and have started the last quarter of the year off grandly. What I have done and will continue to do for the month of October is to write everyday towards my novel. So far so good, the novel is picking up and now managing to provide content by averaging 1200 words per day.
Tags: it feels good, writing
Appreciation to Esther
Many times, we don’t know what we will learn from somebody else. It could be one aspect of our daily routine that this person sees and politely or not tells you to change. We are in our own world and feel that the world is centered around us. Most of the time we feel that we are the makers of our own destiny and steps in life. BUT, this is a big BUT, this shit isn’t true. We need people to help us and we need to give back and help others, too. At times, we just don’t know the best way, but, for the most part, I feel the best way a person can help out others is to be aware and just say something: this is what this person has done!
This is what this appreciation is all about that this very person gave me. A realization that life is all about helping each other and not asking for anything in return.
I’ve known this person for almost 2 years, I met her through my girlfriend. During the first year of my girlfriend and I’s relationship I didn’t see her much. But since the beginning of this year she and I have been helping each other stay on track with our writing–she more of the keeping me on track than the other way around.
For now, this person is a high school teacher, but wants to be a full-time writer, and in fact, has just finished her first novel. I’ve read a couple of pages, and would like to read the whole novel, but just holding the notebook filled with pages of her work was quite amazing.
Tags: appreciation
What I see… My Apartment
It was a bitter sweet feeling, when I woke up early on a Saturday morning in late November of last year. I knew this was to be my last time with roommates. I knew that I will be in a place where I could learn about myself, take my writing to a new level, and grow. Besides, I could be butt-naked and enjoy my girlfriend without the added pressure of other people to worry about.
Damn, this door represents so, so much.
Move-In Day - Uhaul stops, my friend and I get out, I look around and smile with excitement. I see an older gentleman of 50 or so, who, is watering his plants. He looks puzzled and confused, he doesn’t make much eye-contact, but is aware of my presence. I go up the stairs, I have this smile on my face, I go to greet him - and the fucker shafts me. He looks me dead in my face and proceeds to water his plants…
2 Days Later - Afterwork I’m eager to get back home. I was ready to shout to the world that I was living by myself. I get off the bus, I walk 4 minutes or so to my apartment, and instantly am greeted with more neighbors. Another older guy of 50 or much older said his name, where he lived, welcomed me to the apartment and neighborhood…mentioned something briefly about his partner. I saw other people from time to time during that first day. I didn’t think much about it…
Tags: apartment, photo journalism, what i see
What I See - The J.O.B.
From the looks of this building it is scary, uninviting, and like a jail cell.
I go through the heavy, solid glass door, walk through the carnival style security bar, by elevator I arrive on the 15th floor, swipe my badge and my day officially begins.
Everyday is the same, for the most part. I pour smelly, seldom dirty city water into my Brita filter, make toast, and slowly start my working day.
My workplace consist of 13 men and 4 women. They range in age from 25 to 60 something. They have different characteristics that are cool, but at times piss me off.
Tags: Job, photo journalism
My Writing Teacher Lied to Me!
It’s true…
It all started almost a year ago, this was the time I was in between jobs and had 5 or so weeks off. I did some reading, tons of exercising, and writing here and there. I knew I was preparing myself to become a writer, before I made my declaration at the end of last year. For sure though, I knew I wanted to write fiction. I thought fiction would allow me to dream and become as creative as possible. So I signed up for a 5-week leisure learning fiction writing class.
“I want you guys to remember, that you are writers. Okay. Now repeat after me, I’M A WRITER, I’M A WRITER, I’M A WRITER…”, the writer teacher, who has written one novel said.
I believed everything she said to me: I felt strong, I felt I could write anything (well when I was in that room with 10 or so other people). Everyone came from different backgrounds, but as I looked around the room and noticed the confidence from the other people, who was also saying this bullshit of a mantra - I knew my life was going to be different from this point on!
Ironically speaking, I was listening to Stephen King’s audio book, which he explained the art of writing, during the time of my class. So, it was as if I was getting conflicting information from 2 published authors, one more famous and has written on the subject more than the other. I, being reasonable with myself, listened to both lessons.
Tags: books, fiction writing, Stephen King, writer
What I See, Story 2 - Bus Transporation
This is a new series of post I will do on Friday that is called, What I See. During the week I will take photos of various events around me. I will provide a story behind the photo. This is essentially giving my readers a glimpse into my writing, the way I think, and also about my life. It wouldn’t be fair to only talk about writing, I have to be willing to show yall my pieces, too. Let me know what you think.
It’s hard getting up early in the morning. To be exact, around 4:30. Well more like 4:50 after all the snoozing is needed to convince myself to at least write. After I write I have to drag my ass into the shower, then probably make breakfast or get it on the way to work. I run, run, run to the bus stop, this is done because I have terrible time-management skills.
The bus, that object with 4 wheels, that is transportation to annoying and nice people. That grotesque-never-been-washed hand rail and those uncomfortable seats I have to force my not-flat-ass into every single morning. For the most part, I run to the bus stop because I’m either making sure I didn’t forget anything and making sure I set my a/c past 90 degrees (apartment is an oven when I get back). If I didn’t decide to use the bus I could either jog at a decent pace (30-35 minutes) or ride my road bike (15 minutes). I can’t eat on the bus or drink (I wouldn’t want to drink a thing on a bus that is constantly stopping and jerking my body forward), but I can listen to a podcast with total concentration, I can read a couple of pages of a novel or blog post via iphone, or observing others.
Tags: photo journalism, transportation
What I See, Story 1- Mr. Homeless guy
This is a new series of post I will do on friday that is called, What I See. During the week I will take photos of various events around me. I will provide a story behind the photo. This is essentially giving my readers a glimpse into my writing, the way I think, and also about my life. It wouldn’t be fair to only talk about writing, I have to be willing to show yall my pieces, too. Let me know what you think.
Mr. Homeless guy was packing up his belongings to begin his day. He had on some old adidas’ sneakers that barely held his feet in place, due to worn out shoe strings. He wore the same outfit every single day, however, whenever I pass him he didn’t smell of an odor. He is a man around the age of his mid 40’s to early 50’s, he is probably younger, but the weathered look of living on the streets for however long, has aged him.
Many people walk pass him, especially during the work-week, I also am a victim of passing him without any care.
Tags: homeless, lost, passion, photography, writing
The Art of Becoming: There is a Path for Everyone.
My Writing…
My writing is getting better: I’m writing everyday, and reading. To become a writer I have to tackle all things: all that I’m reasonable at and all that I’m shitty at (which is a lot). I have a friend who turned me on to Merriam Dictionary Word of the Day. I needed it so so badly, as you can see my words are basic. I have found out that learning new words helps me express myself more and specifically. Now it is time to take my diction and whatever else that I learn along the way to a new destination.
Always Trying to Improve
So far, most of the things I write about are what I see around me and have gone through in my life. There isn’t a problem with that, I just need to find a better way of expressing myself to the readers who read my stuff. Whenever I do things, I tend to go to the extreme.
Earlier this month I sporadically started reading Urban Dictionary. As the month kept moving along I viewed the site more and more, and then I wanted to see if they had a book on Amazon. I read many reviews of other books in the same category, and made the quick decision to order, Talk the Talk: The Slang of 65 American Subcultures. I also bought Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.
I’m Back Online!
Photo Taken by: zappowbang
Hello all I’m back online! I will respond to comments and give an update of what I went through and learned during my the weeks I was offline tomorrow. Here is a quick poem I wrote a couple of weeks ago unedited, enjoy:
As I look at the leafs in the autumn sky I see a tree that was once full, but now almost bare. I try to record the life of a leaf through my small hand-held camcorder and it is hard as hell. I am zooming in to get all that the leaf is doing; spinning, diving down to the grass, being lifted up again by the wind, picks up speed when it is clear away from it’s mother tree and all of the other surrounding trees. As the I’m watching this leaf through the lense I back up, dock down, run after it as if I am taking the same journey. I get frustrated because I can’t really follow the travel of the leaf, I yell at the leaf to come back to me, and the leaf doesn’t listen. I come to realize that the leaf doesn’t have a mind of it’s own, the wind controls it; the ups and downs, spins, increase in speed and decrease in elevation, and once that damn leaf touches the ground it is over. There is no way possible for the leaf to pick itself up. Once the wind gets done with the leaf it continues on it’s way to do the same to all of the other leafs. I start to get pissed at the wind because of all that it has done to the leaf, but then realize that it isn’t the wind’s fault. It is the leaf’s fault for letting the wind determine it’s destiny of going and not making it’s own decisions of the direction of it’s own short and in this case meaningless life…
- @YEAdamMcFarland The full screen editor are badass, I get plenty done, but there shouldn't be a reason for so many choices. 12:37:20 PM November 13, 2009
