Book Review: Blue Like Jazz

     I enjoyed reading Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz and posted a review at Kronicles of KD. In a backwards fashion, I watched the movie before I read the book. The book and movie were cathartic journeys through kaleidoscopic emotions and differed delivery of the source material. Take a moment to check out the review, leave a comment here or checkout the book on Amazon.

 Thanks Again~

 

 

A Year With No Progress

     Another year, another Mother’s Day, came and went with little impression that I was serious about writing.  My intention was to take a few weeks and gather some steam then dive back in boldly.  Sadly that was not the case.  I looked back at the Forcing The Issue, Doin' Sh*t With Pat, and Kronicles of KD from time to time with feelings of amusement, longing and a dash of shame.

This is a Sunflower that I failed to cultivate
properly in the Three Sisters tradition.

Motivational Deficit

From "Must... use POWERS!"

     So I've had a little problem with motivation of late that no amount of passion and drive has been able to surmount.  I planned on writing about several of the projects I've completed for Doin' Sh*t With Pat, but family, work, prior commitments and a plethora of good movies seem wear my resolve.  That might have sounded like a humble-brag, but it was only intended to be the defining variable in this experiment in disciplined writing.  (P.S. I am really looking forward to the Avengers and the start of a summer of killer movies!)

Presently It's the Past

From "A Liliputian's Journey"

     Last week I utterly failed and I came pretty close to missing this week's deadline too.  One of these weeks I will focus on the "life of a writer" and see how some people find time to write while others are strapped for time, focus and overall energy.  That is a topic for the future, this week I will NOT fail, I will prevail in writing about my struggle with tenses!

Less Talk, More Rock

From "All Good Songs" Blog

     I’m keeping up with the plans laid out in the last article, but the vibrancy was nowhere to be found this week.  It may be the sophomore slump or a post holiday lull, but it’s been difficult to refocus on writing.  As the blog title states and this entry proposes; I will be forcing myself to shut-up and write!

Laying Down the Law

     I hope you had a happy start to 2012, because it’s going to be a lot of hard work from here on out.  I’ve finally recovered from the holiday slump and prepared some new guidelines for this blog (…and writing in general).  Some might call them resolutions, but I like to think of them as goals to aspire toward (aw… hell, they are resolutions).

Reaching the Finish Line… and Face Plant!

     I’ve completed the draft of the Christmas Kids’ Book and have moved on to the editing phase.  After a few sick days and plenty of family activities for the Holidays, I’m back on track.  This project reminds me of several projects; I start out great and work hard but then lose interest. I often tackle activities like an over-enthusiastic skater in a “bail video”

A Sweet Victory or A Photo Finish

     As the Holidays progress, time gets tighter and my writing focus gets blurred by all the lights and tinsel.  I am very close to completing the draft and preparing it for editing/binding.  In these final stages I will focus and work hard each night on writing and editing (This seems like a good time to have “Coach” give an inspiring locker room speech).  The following are notes about the deadlines for the final stages in completing the Kids’ Christmas Book.

Thanksgiving Update

Happy Thanksgiving~

     I hope you are having (or had) a wonderful time with friends and family.  Just a quick note this week about an upcoming article on Dave’s blog, dudeiminaband.com, about Christmas music.   

Guest Authors, Contributors and Bears… Oh My...

     Well I missed my self-imposed arbitrary deadline of posting on this blog once per week.  There are no excuses for my lack of discipline; I even had most of this blog entry written and ready to post.  I thought to myself, “Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming so I will be focusing more on the Kids’ Christmas Book and posting smaller or less frequent entries here”.  That’s a defeatist’s attitude and that is what I’m trying to disengage within myself. 

Ten Chapters (…and a Little More)

     Currently I have Ten "chapters" for the Kids’ Christmas Book (See - Trying to "Keep on, Keeping on") and will be finalizing the first draft within the next few weeks. The chapters need to link through "bridges" and then be edited for tone and content. Since I wrote most of the story out of sequence, similar to how movies are shot to maximize the time with actors and locations, it is going to be a messy editing process.

Trying to “Keep on, Keeping on”

     For the most part I have spent most of my free time reading (The 4-Hour Body), watching movies (Never Let Me Go), and writing approx. 100+ usable words per day. 

Starting the Show

Call it A.D.D., sloth, or good ol’ lack of gumption, but I rarely follow through with writing projects I begin.  The time to set goals, deadlines, and finally make a contribution to the culture has finally arrived.  Cliché cliché cliché.

Well after 30 years it is finally time to grow up and put on big boy pants.  Here are the Goals and Deadlines I have set for these projects:

·         Goal#1 – Write, edit and print a book for my nieces and nephews.

                Deadline – Christmas 2011

·         Goal#2 – Create d20 adventure module for friends.

                Deadline – January 2012


I am forcing myself to create and produce content both for this site and the projects listed above, hence Forcing the Issue.