Yep, what an original topic when you're in need of updating your website so people don't think it's abandoned. I expect to shortly begin merging Rehearsal into the main page so that the main page has less boring updates on it from now on hehe. I still have not been working as much on my stories as I should be. I'd say I'm blocked but I think it is more of an incubation period. I think a LOT about a lot of different stories, have even gotten several new ideas for novels and shorts and even poems and such. They are all in my head just not yet on paper.

Recently, I got some of my school loan money to buy books and supplies. Because we had to scrounge out of our own pocket while waiting for the loan, Delos decided I should use some of what we spent on my school books and buy myself a few non-school books since it had been awhile and because I've managed to ace every class so far.

So, I purchased two books on writing hehe. It came down to a book of essays by Ray Bradbury or the next book in the elementalist series by one of my favourite authors, Mercedes Lackey. I agonized over this decision. Turns out maybe I should have agonized over Misty (Mercedes Lackey) or the other writing book. Then again, I have yet to read the book on expressing emotions in writing without going cliché. Maybe that book tells me things I already know, but if it's about writing I'm interested anyway. Regardless of how that turns out, the book of essays by Ray Bradbury (who is not on my favourite author list though I consider him to be a good writer) was a good purchase. Mostly, his essays speak of things I already know, but they are things I needed to read somewhere.

The push to publish, to bring in money, especially since I'm putting my family more into debt with school, it definitely creates blocks for me. Before critique groups and writing workshops, before a push to publish, before a push to play the market, I enjoyed writing for what it was. It was part of my life, something I enjoyed and did daily without worrying about whether or not anyone would ever care. I want that back again. This book of essays is yet another voice telling me it's okay to do that, in fact, he recommends it! He also gives tips that helped him find himself in his writing again. The book, for any still reading and interested is called Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You.

I'm still incubating ideas, it's still been awhile since I've written anything creative, but the words and the scenes are playing themselves in my head. That's something. I'm also feeling the drive to grab back what I use to have, to lose myself in a page of words, barely conscious that they are appearing from my own fingertips as I rush to tell a story in my head, not caring what anyone else will think of the result. Daily practice letting my fingers type while I lose myself in the scenes that keep playing in my head.

My biggest challenges are dialogue and filler material, the things you write that connect one scene to another, for some reason, my filler material always feels like it gets in the way of the next scene I want to focus on.

Regardless, I'm going to try to stop caring what someone else might think of my writing and do it. Just do it...seems odd thinking of a Nike slogan for something you sit on your butt to just do. Instead of putting on your thinking cap, or your creativity hat...now, your brain needs to put on its Nikes and just do it! Yeah, okay, so I just now started amusing myself without caring what you might think of me!

I don't even wear Nikes...

Ja ne!