Get your poetry out of my narrative!

So, I’m a bit of a weirdo. One of the hardest things about being a weirdo is that you don’t know if you’re weird in any given moment, or if how you are is actually normal in this one case. There’s a reason I love the internet so much: It reveals that my weirdness is often shared by so many people!

So, this is a thing that I think is weird, but maybe it’s not. Let me know what you think.

I have a hard time reading poetry and songs when they appear in novels. Continue reading “Get your poetry out of my narrative!”

How to Ruin Movies

It’s really hard for me to watch movies these days. Really, just about any fictional narrative that’s on a screen. The problem is that I’m so used to analyzing my own stories, figuring out holes in the narratives, where plotting or characterization is weak, that I can’t turn that off when I watch a movie.

So, spoilers ahead for How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World ahead. If you’ve not seen it and care about the ending, go no further. Just watch and listen to this great arrangement of music from the movie I’ll be discussing: 

Continue reading “How to Ruin Movies”

Blood, Sweat, and Ink

Guys, writing is hard.

Like, I have to put in effort and stuff. The words don’t just show up on the screen. People don’t praise me for my genius like they should. And I have to, like, actually be consistent in what I write? It’s such a drag! I think I’ll just go watch more Youtube videos on how to be a better writer instead of actually writing…

…

OK, maybe I got a little whiny there.

A little.

Just a titch.

Something that’s so easy to forget, though: Writing is work. And work is difficult. You don’t always feel like going to work, do you? You don’t always want to put in effort. Continue reading “Blood, Sweat, and Ink”

I am so not the expert here.

Did you see? I got interviewed!

It was a lot of fun, and Anne is a wonderful person. You really should check out her blog; I learn a lot from her write-ups about World War Two and a bunch of cultural stuff that happened around it.

But here’s the funny thing: I’m being interviewed like I have any idea what I’m doing.

Whoops! Continue reading “I am so not the expert here.”

#firstworldwriterproblems

When I’m firing on all cylinders, my goal is to write, polish, and submit a short story a week. That’s what I did this past summer, and that’s what I’ve been aiming to get back to since finally getting going with writing again. That doesn’t always happen, of course. There are babies. Right now my ministry is kicking up because it’s that time of year.

But sometimes I can’t write allthestories because I’m tackling another project. (That link goes to my other blog – so yeah, it’s still me writing there!)

And what happens is… I get frustrated. I want to be writing fiction, but now I’m writing something else. Now, yes, I do want to write that other project. I wouldn’t have chosen to pursue it if I didn’t want to. But… I want to do both!

That’s… unlikely to happen, unless my other obligations suddenly lighten in dramatic fashion.

So, one thing at a time, I guess. Sigh. Continue reading “#firstworldwriterproblems”