markdj1973

Meh. I really suck at this online posting/ diary stuff. It's probably a good thing that I haven't been infected by twitter.- I can't imagine the heights (depths?) of crappiness I could attain.

Anyway.
Am pleased to say I did some more writing tonight- just over 1k, not exactly shocking numbers but 1k more than I had yesterday :)


I'm setting myself a goal of sorts, to get up to at least 50K before Eastercon next year. It may seem a while away, but these things have a way of surprising you.

I figured I'd go public with it to make it an official challenge to myself :)



Gulp.

Work.

Oh, how I despise thee.

I dream of the day the need to rise with the sun is no more, when these long, precious hours of the day are mine again to do with as I will.


*siiiiiiiigh*


Only a couple of weeks to go before our little holiday...

Today was my dedicated writing day.

I sat down at 08h30, hauled out my notebooks, plugged in my music and started on time. I have to say, it went.. well. I was worried I'd be sitting here headbutting the keyboard, but that didn't happen. I took my first break at around 11, which surprised me no end.

I had lunch around 12h30, watched a half hour of Iron Man, then went back to it. At around 16h00, I called it a day- I'd reached a pivotal point, and my concentration was going so I thought I'd get out while I was ahead.

The tally? Just over 5,400 words - around 11 pages for me.  I'm not sure how it measures up, but I'm happy with that- especially since I broke through a scene that was giving me a bit of grief :) now for the next one!

Hello.

My name is Mark, and I procrastinate.

I've been procrastinating for years now.

The subject of my procrastination? Writing. Yep, writing. The one thing I might possibly have a knack for in this world and I just can't seem to get my finger out and do something about it. There's always an excuse; the worse part is, in their own right they're all plausible, valid excuses. Or so they seem at the time; inevitably I sit there the next day, wracked with guilt, cursing myself for giving in to the temptation to fritter away another slice of time that could've been spent creating something cool.

But. I am going to give a damn good go this year, so help me. To this extent, I've booked a day off work this coming Monday, to do nothing else but write. It's an experiment, you see. By allocating this time for writing way in advance, I've given my brain plenty of time to get used to the idea that I'm going to be in front of the PC but not online- if I was, I'd find excuses to go "research" something on youtube or such. Like a morbidly obese person convincing themselves that, in fact, if they don't have another donut they're going to pass out from hunger and deprivation.

I want to see what I could accomplish if I tackle my writing as if it were my job. How much can I actually add if I devote some serious time and effort, rather than waiting to 'feel like doing it'. I must admit, I'm pretty nervous about it; my mind's having fun playing the What If? game. I'm even having attacks of my longest standing form of procrastination- other, cooler ideas and concepts popping into my head, tempting me to start something new and fresh. But I'm ready for it this time I think. We'll see.

Roll on Monday, this keyboard is miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.

 

The problem I have with most comics by the time I've a) discovered them and/or b) decided to buy them, they're on issue 314 of series 18, with a backstory I haven't got a snowballs chance in hell of ever catching up on. I try to ignore it and consider just jumping in at whatever point and picking it up from there, but it's too traumatic. I wind up buying them for the artwork, but not letting myself get into the story.

That's maybe why I like the Walking Dead series so much- not only are there truckloads of zombies and an excellent script, I've also been in on it from the start. It makes my very possessive about it; I get twitchy if I hear browsers badmouthing it or even just ignoring it.

That's why I reckon stand alone graphic novels are the way forward for me (just not the serious, angst ridden artsy fartsy ones). So much easier to get a handle on, and a meatier read. For me , trying to read one regular comic at a time is like being told to have just one jaffa cake and put the packet back in the cupboard. It's just not satisying enough.

The point of all this?
I want to build my shelf of graphic novels up. If you've got any recommendations, please pass them on.

Last week was a very quiet week at work. Very quiet.. as in on the verge of nodding off at my desk.

So I begged and borrowed whatever work I could from my colleagues, wishing as I did so that we were a little bit busier. Sigh. Schoolboy error.

That wish has been granted, and then some. Yesterday and particularly today whizzed past in a frenzied blur of trying to remember how do to do 3 things at once.

Please remind me to only ever to wish for more money in the future.

After a long break, I finally got to run a RPG again, the game in question being Dark Heresy .

Boy, am I rusty! It used to be second nature for me 'back in the day'.. I felt a bit self conscious tonight, but I know it's going to get better the more sessions we play.

D.H is a great game- as a setting, the 40K universe is an absolute gem; not only is the amount of background info/ fluff available staggering, it's all so damn cool as well. I just wish they'd (being the powers that be at Games Workshop HQ) would realise the enormous potential for a 40K movie!

Whahey.. we have *nothing* to do tomorrow apart from a couple of household chores..which means I get to scribble in my notebook for a few hours. I know it's a bit ...archaic, especially since we've got 3 'puters at home, but I simply can't get into the right frame of mind in front of the keyboard. I need a pen in my hand, my battered notebook and a tourist/child free zone. Once I've filled the notebook, I'll transpose it onto the PC, but until then, by pen it is.

I have to say that ever since the Nine Sign event at Forbidden Planet I've been itching to do some writing- I've set myself a target and I'm going to get there tomorrow even if I have to sit at the table until the stars burn out, or at least until I really, really need to go to the loo.

I must be some sort of creative energy vampire... I reckon I'm going to have to start stalking some authors on a regular basis so I can siphon off more inspiration.

Chocks away and tally ho.
I've finally taken the plunge and ventured into the hazy unknown of LJ.

Nothing seems to have broken. I've already found 2 friends, so I'm not Norman No Mates in the corner anymore. So far, so good.

I'll count that as job done for today and get out while I'm ahead.. if I hang around trying to purposefully think of something witty to say or do I'm 98% likely to regret it later. Trust me, I've been there before.  

Yes -and no! I'm a bad man.