What Inspires You?
Current mood: Motivated
Category: Motivated Life

I've been feeling motivated lately to do things in my life (work harder, write more, etc), and I was looking for what could cause such a thing. Where was I drawing this inspiration? Then, I thought about everything that inspires me, and I thought, why not share this with you (yes, you ) and find out what inspires you, too.

So, here are some of the places I draw inspiration from.

People Who Pursue Their Dreams
This is a biggie for me. People who have dreams and work towards them are the kind of people I love to be around. These people usually have uplifting spirits and know what it is like to fall and rise again. I love people who dream.

Love (feelings)
Another biggie. I put feelings in parenthesis' because, I don't only draw inspiration from the feeling of love, but also from infatuations or crushes. And, of course it jumps to the other side of the spectrum, and I can draw inspiration from anger or frustration. The more intense a feeling, the more I can use it. I'm known to write poems and stories when inspired by feelings.

Movies
Not just any movie. Good (by my judgment) movies. Not specific genres, either. It could be an action movie, a fantasy movie, a horror movie, a comedy, a musical, or even a love story (yeah, I'm known to watch some of those on occasion). I pay attention to the story, the cinematography, the acting ... and it makes me want to achieve more.

If you don't know by now, I'm a HUGE movie buff.

Weather (Nature)
I love the weather. From warm sunny days, to snowy days, to rainy days, to windy days, to lightning and thunderstorms. I love clouds, the color of the sky during sunrises and sunsets, starry nights. Nature's beauty is very inspiring.

Music
Need I say more? Honestly. I love music. I listen to it as often as I can. While I'm driving, while I'm writing, while I'm sleeping, while I'm working. Love music, and it moves me. All types (mostly).


This isn't just for writing, either. These things inspire me to greater heights, whether it be to further my education, expand my boundaries, take better care of myself, or even exercise. I'd love to know what inspires you to be ... better

5:00 PM - 35 Comments - 31 Kudos - Add Comment

NaNoWriMo has come to an end...
Category: Writing and Poetry

I decided to keep you guys up to date with my NaNoWriMo progress. Every now and again, I'll post excerpts and such to let you know how it's going, and I'll update the headline and the date/time stamp so those who subscribe will get notice when I've added stuff.


Nov. 30 - 8:30pm

"The end has come ... Every path you have trod, through wilderness, through war ... has led to this road."

-Lord Elrond

NaNoWriMo is finished. It's been a busy month, and an interesting one. I hope to keep working on this novel. I think it can go places. Editing it will be crazy though since I know there's a crap load of stuff that I'll probably be cutting.

Did anyone reach the mark? How close did you get? Share your "success" stories


Nov. 29 - 6:37pm

NaNoWriMo Finale Eve ...

I'll reiterate ... I won't even reach the halfway point, but this has kick started me writing more, which is want I wanted. I think I've learned to edit less for stream of thought. Still difficult, but I'm getting better at it. I'll post tomorrow for the Finale, and then perhaps in December when I'm not writing under a deadline (that I can't meet), I'll post an excerpt from my new novel.


Nov. 21 - 12:00pm

So, with less than 10 days to go, where are you? Well, you should be at over 30,000 words. Me? Don't even ask. I've been writing consistently, and yesterday I did 3 pages. But ... christ ... I didn't think it'd be that hard to not only make time to write, but to write with a goal in mind. I don't think I've written 2,000 words in a day yet, which is close to what you would have to write if you are to complete this. I might've scratched 1500 words one day, but that was my peek.

Regardless, I'm still loving it and still writing. I might post an excerpt later if I have the time.

Nov. 14 - 7:20pm

Brief update for the moment. My writing for today hasn't started, but I did get a good 3 pages in yesterday. I'm starting to get the hang of this, and I love it. Tomorrow is the midway point at which everyone should be at 25,000 words. I'll be lucky to have half that lol but it doesn't matter, cause I'm really enjoying this. I realize that I don't just love to write, I absolutely adore it.

Another update later :) T.T.F.N.


Nov. 12 - 11:40pm

So, I started out pretty good on Friday. I wrote 4 pages, and I was very proud of myself. Then came Saturday which was a fruitless day. I was in Virginia or in a car for over 12 hours and didn't get to write a lick. Sunday ... eh, I wrote a VERY little bit, maybe half a page. But today, I did jump on the good foot a bit and got about 3 pages written.

I've come to the realization that at this pace, I'll never hit 50,000 words in 30 days, but this has kick-started my writing in a great way. I'm excited about where I can take this novel and looking forward to how it will unfold in the coming days. NaNoWriMo has been a success for me already


Nov. 8 - 11:45pm

Short update tonight. I missed a day of writing (as if I'm not far enough behind already), but I did scribble a page today. I should be scribbling about 4 pages a day, but ... what can I say. This is hard stuff! But I'm enjoying it. It's the most I've written in awhile. I imagine you guys are probably better off than me. But that's ok. That's why I didn't do it officially


Nov. 5 - 6:07pm

"Remember, remember
The fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot.
I know of no reason
Why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot."
- V

Well, the weekend has proven to be one of ... editing

I mean ... I did write a bit, but ... goodness, I think when it comes to my writing, I'm way too much of a perfectionist to NOT go back and edit. It nags me, unendingly, knowing I have to go back eventually. So, I just do it right then and there, for peace of mind.

I have something in the vicinity of 1000 words. I'm close to completing the first section though, so it should pick up soon. No excerpts yet. I'll keep you posted. Hopefully another update before I go to bed.

How are you fareing?


Nov. 1 - 11:59pm

I'm hand writing this, decided against typing on a computer since I spend most of the day on one. I've written about a page and a half, with ... a few scratch outs. It's not too bad. I was on a roll for a bit, but ... I lost my concentration somehow (no comment). I'd say, for day one ... I might have done between 500-750 words. Not too shabby, but I've gotta pick it up a notch. The average per day is supposed to be close to 1700 words (1666.66666667 to be exact). So, obviously, I'm behind. But, I'm committed!

My sister asked, "What're you doing?"

After a short hesitation, I said, "I'm writing a book." And I smiled. And it felt good

- 6:05pm

I tried to write a bit at work today, but, of course, I was very busy. I did manage to sneak in one line of text though:

Sarah Matthews stirred abruptly in her bed.

Exciting, I know. I've already crossed something out though, so I'm failing already. I'm gotta sit and churn out a couple pages tonight, so I might have an update before I go to bed.

Rocky start!

6:00 PM - 21 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

My Assignment, NaNoWriMo and What it Means to You and I
Category: Writing and Poetry

Hi 

So, as you know, I had to choose which story to send to my instructor for my class. After the votes and careful consideration, I did choose Mom's Wedding Ring, just because I think it was one of my stronger writings I had done during the course. However, I will be submitting at least that story and Sam's Big Jump, and, if I feel daring enough, even A Bear Dare to a few different magazines. I'll be waiting to hear back from my instructor first, then probably in mid to late November I will send them off. Just wanted you to know what I had chosen.

Moving on, November is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and I am participating, unofficially. This means I'll be attempting to churn out a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. I've decided I will turn off my garbage filter and just write to my heart's content with as few scratch outs as possible. That, in itself, will be quite a feat. For those who don't know, this is how my writing usually ends up:



Yeah, cross outs and inserts galore.

Those of you who have read my blogs before and even participated in some of my Writing Exercises may be in for a treat. I've decided to bring many of my writing worlds together for this project, so as not to run out of ideas. This means the following characters will be present: Brian Howard and Sarah Matthews. They are actually both central characters, so it should be interesting, to say the least. There are also several other characters I have written about, but you may not be aware of. Namely, Devin Howard (Brian's brother) and also his "patient" Lathyus.

The reason I'm letting you know all this is because I want to know something from you. If I were to post some of my writings from this novel as excerpts, would you be interested in reading? Would you be interested in my progress with NaNoWriMo? If yes, leave a comment. If there is enough interest, I'll definitely do it.

I hope everyone is well. November is upon us, and the end of year approaches. 07 has been way too quick. Take care everyone, and I hope to hear from you soon.

~Matt

4:00 PM - 6 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

Need Your Thoughts ...
Current mood: contemplating
Category: contemplating Writing and Poetry

I just heard back from my instructor for my class.

For our next assignment, I will be preparing a short story for submission to a magazine. Thing is, I have to choose between 4 assignments, one being a non-fiction article I wrote, the others being fiction.

I'm thinking I may submit the non-fiction article, regardless of this particular assignment, so I'm counting that out. I am going to submit one of my fiction pieces.

So, this is where YOU come into play. I'm not going to post the actual stories, but I will tell you what each is about, and I'd like to know your thoughts about which you think I should submit. Also, remember, this class is for writing for children, and the majority of stories I have written thus far have been geared mostly toward young ones between the ages of 6 to 9.

With that in mind, here are the choices:

1) A Bear Dare: This is a short tale about three little bears playing Truth or Dare, and the protagonist is dared to swipe his little brother's rubber ducky without getting caught.

2) Sam's Big Jump: This is about a flying squirrel who is afraid of "flying." But he has to overcome his fear to pass his course and graduate from squirrel school.

3) Mom's Wedding Ring: This is about a young child (I modeled him after my nephew) who finds out his parents have rings that give them powers. One day, his mother loses her wedding ring. Fearing his Mom won't be able to take him to the park because she lost her powers, he tries to find it for her.

So, these are my choices. I will end up rewriting one of them, and preparing them for submission with a cover letter.

Which do you think I should send?

Your thoughts and suggestions are very much appreciated.

6:02 PM - 21 Comments - 13 Kudos - Add Comment

Writing, Exercises, Life, and What Have You ...
Current mood: Expectant ...
Category: Expectant ... Life

So, it's been awhile, huh?

Truth be told, I've been neglecting a lot of things. My writing had dwindled to just enough for my class, and I wasn't dedicating any me time to actually enjoy writing. So, that must come to a swift death. It's also been a bit since I've gone out to hang with some friends (you know who you are). I got a chance to see a few of them last week, and I had forgotten how much I missed them. Good times, with a bit of sauce to keep me loose

Well, I've decided to dedicate more time to stuff I love doing. Isn't that great? It's a conscious effort, and a lot harder than some people think, especially when you are used to a routine. So, I'm looking forward to better days.

This should mean I will be updating my Myspace page soon. Some pics with be forth coming of stuff other than my face (I know you're tired of seeing that). Some family, and maybe even some friends will make appearances (cross your fingers).

About those exercises ... hmmmm ...

Well, I'm still deciding on them. I always enjoy conducting the exercises, and I love to participate. At the moment, as I'm getting my bearings, I know I wouldn't be wholeheartedly into them, so they must be delayed for the moment. Also, it's been so long, I may have to re-do them when we get around to it, and ask for any who would like to participate again. We'll see, when the time is right.


Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.

4:45 PM - 8 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

Concerning The Writing Exercises ...
Current mood: Anxious
Category: Anxious Writing and Poetry

So, I have a question to ask those who are still around and wanting to participate in the writing exercises.

In the past couple writing exercises that I conducted, I always wrote along with those who participated. Now, I am offering up a free service, and a choice, to you.

As you know, or should know, or are about to know, I am taking a writing class with an accomplished author. This is actually my 2nd author to work with. I've learned some important things in writing, and I feel as though it may be possible to pass a good portion of that knowledge onto you.

So, the choice is as follows:

1) I can participate alongside those who are doing the writing exercises, and offer some general thoughts and comments on your story

or

2) I can actually do an in-depth critique, and have an open discussion with each individual about their writing.

The second choice would rule me out in actually writing with you, but it would mean that I would print your stories out, and spend time reading and re-reading, critiquing, and offering advice, as well as personal thoughts, on your stories.

So, I'm leaving the choice up to you.

Let me know what you think.

4:43 PM - 5 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment