Wanna play a fun game? It's called "Where the heck did I put that?!" It's a simple game, really. All you have to do is wander around the house, muttering to yourself and look in every single nook and cranny. Then, when you still don't find what you are looking for, you do it all again!
Normally I am amazingly good at keeping tabs on all my stuff. I don't remember Civil War dates or sports stats, my memory is devoted to remembering where every single object I own currently resides. And it's not just limited to my stuff, but the people around me too. In college my roommate used to ask me where her things (like chapstick) were and about 99% of the time I could tell her.
That is why it is driving me extra crazy that I can't find this stupid thing... It's a program disk for my computer. Wait!!! Maybe I just downloaded it straight from the computer! That would stop me from thinking I am crazy but I don't think I did that! Which is too bad because I don't even have a guess where this thing might be!
That's my fun game for the night. What are you playing?
Monday, April 11, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
I don't post a ton
Sometimes when I get the urge to post status updates I write a blog post instead. I mean, I know that the whole point of Facebook is to waste time by looking at people's status updates and pictures and if people don't write them, how can people waste time? So maybe I should write more of them.
Sometimes I take a little break from posting RIGHT after I friend a couple of people, that way they don't friend me and suddenly get bombarded with my bullshit.
Do other people get self-conscious about their postings on Facebook or is that just me? I guess partly it is because I have heard SOOOOO many people complaining about the status updates (either quantity or stupidity) that their "facebook friends" do.
And sometimes, as you can see, my blog posts don't have much substance to them. My status updates would have even less so.
Sometimes I take a little break from posting RIGHT after I friend a couple of people, that way they don't friend me and suddenly get bombarded with my bullshit.
Do other people get self-conscious about their postings on Facebook or is that just me? I guess partly it is because I have heard SOOOOO many people complaining about the status updates (either quantity or stupidity) that their "facebook friends" do.
And sometimes, as you can see, my blog posts don't have much substance to them. My status updates would have even less so.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
habit and ritual
If there is one piece of advice that I have heard over and over again for writers it is that they should write every day.
Not as easy as it sounds, but not as hard either.
My teacher brought up a good point yesterday... we wouldn't expect a dancer to take a few months off and then get up on stage and dance perfectly. No, she will probably get a cramp or mess up. Or a soccer player to take a year off and then go play a whole game- no, he will be winded and is going to mishit the ball a bunch of times.
Yet, we expect ourselves to sit down at the computer and write brilliantly after taking weeks or months off. And if we don't, we are frustrated with ourselves.
Writing, like anything else, takes practice.
The more you write, the easier it becomes. Seriously.
Not as easy as it sounds, but not as hard either.
My teacher brought up a good point yesterday... we wouldn't expect a dancer to take a few months off and then get up on stage and dance perfectly. No, she will probably get a cramp or mess up. Or a soccer player to take a year off and then go play a whole game- no, he will be winded and is going to mishit the ball a bunch of times.
Yet, we expect ourselves to sit down at the computer and write brilliantly after taking weeks or months off. And if we don't, we are frustrated with ourselves.
Writing, like anything else, takes practice.
The more you write, the easier it becomes. Seriously.
junk
I started my Craft of Novel Writing class last night. I love it except for the part where the teacher says, "Ya know?" about thirty times a minute. I WISH that was an exaggeration. I want to videotape her and play it back for her so she can see how bad it is. It actually distracts me from what she is saying.
Other than that though, she's a good teacher.
She gave us a handout with "13 tips for creating the space, time and mental energy to begin, continue, get back to and maybe even complete your novel." Two of them were very similar but helpful and important.
7. Ask yourself what's in your toolbox (that is, what's in your brain?). What are you keeping in there? What are you adding to it? Junk? If so, then cut it out. "Revisit" this tip frequently.
8. Creativity begets creativity. Read wonderful books. Immerse yourself in art. Treat yourself to theater. Listen to good music. Kill your television or, if you must watch it, forgo the junk-food television and give your brain the gift of watching something informative.
You know the old saying, "You are what you eat"? I think a similar and also true saying is "You are what you read."
For the class we are simply reading one novel (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter) and discussing it, rather than having a ton of handouts. But she gave us a list of recommended readings. She brought up the point that they make great bathroom readings. You mean, rather than flipping through a Pottery Barn catalog, I could be expanding my brain?
There are many things that we "enjoy" watching or reading but do they enrich our lives? I'm already fairly good at not doing this stuff- for example, I've never seen an episode of The Real Housewives, but I could definitely be better. Perhaps if I cut my "Angry Birds" playing time in half, and picked up some of the recommended reading instead? Now there's a thought!
We all know life is short. And precious. And why fill it with junk when you could fill it with awesomeness?
And why be surprised that you have so much junk in your life when you fill it with junk??
Other than that though, she's a good teacher.
She gave us a handout with "13 tips for creating the space, time and mental energy to begin, continue, get back to and maybe even complete your novel." Two of them were very similar but helpful and important.
7. Ask yourself what's in your toolbox (that is, what's in your brain?). What are you keeping in there? What are you adding to it? Junk? If so, then cut it out. "Revisit" this tip frequently.
8. Creativity begets creativity. Read wonderful books. Immerse yourself in art. Treat yourself to theater. Listen to good music. Kill your television or, if you must watch it, forgo the junk-food television and give your brain the gift of watching something informative.
You know the old saying, "You are what you eat"? I think a similar and also true saying is "You are what you read."
For the class we are simply reading one novel (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter) and discussing it, rather than having a ton of handouts. But she gave us a list of recommended readings. She brought up the point that they make great bathroom readings. You mean, rather than flipping through a Pottery Barn catalog, I could be expanding my brain?
There are many things that we "enjoy" watching or reading but do they enrich our lives? I'm already fairly good at not doing this stuff- for example, I've never seen an episode of The Real Housewives, but I could definitely be better. Perhaps if I cut my "Angry Birds" playing time in half, and picked up some of the recommended reading instead? Now there's a thought!
We all know life is short. And precious. And why fill it with junk when you could fill it with awesomeness?
And why be surprised that you have so much junk in your life when you fill it with junk??
happiness
In the last writing class I took, one of my fellow students brought in an article she had written (for a Ukranian newspaper) for us to critique. The article dealt with the topic of happiness and basically asked, "Are you happy?"
The first people she interviewed responded by saying, "Sure, I guess I'm happy. I have a good job and a big house, etc."
Which is such a typical way for people nowadays to respond... by looking at their things. They had an idea in their mind that if they could get these "things" they would be happy, and now they have those things, so that means that they are happy, right?
Sure, my first thought was to scoff at them and say, "Oh you stupid people!" but then I realized that it is hard to talk tangibly about an intangible thing. So people put it into concrete things. Which doesn't really work, but at least I understand why they do that.
I turned the question on myself yesterday and thought, "Am I happy?" And I am delighted to inform you that I am! I didn't even have to think about it or qualify it! I am happy!
Again, as I have talked about before, there is no such place as Happy Land where I can permanently reside, there are just moments of happiness... but I seem to be having a ton of them.
I know I talk about this a lot, but similar to how my perfect 20/20 laser vision eye sight never gets old (I didn't have to put on glasses and I can see!!!) being happy when you have struggled with depression in the past is a friggin' miracle!
Are you happy?
Why?
Why not?
Sure, you can tell me about bad things happening, but that's no excuse not to be happy. Sure, I wish that my foot didn't hurt so much or that my mom didn't have cancer, but those things can't stop me from being happy. Of course, having my awesome hypnotist work on me also helps. But so does wearing this comfy sweatshirt, and drinking from my favorite mug and waking up to daylight (if not actual sunshine on this gray, gray day.)
(sorry for another random, all disjointed blog post, when I am happy I don't care as much about what I am blogging either!)
The first people she interviewed responded by saying, "Sure, I guess I'm happy. I have a good job and a big house, etc."
Which is such a typical way for people nowadays to respond... by looking at their things. They had an idea in their mind that if they could get these "things" they would be happy, and now they have those things, so that means that they are happy, right?
Sure, my first thought was to scoff at them and say, "Oh you stupid people!" but then I realized that it is hard to talk tangibly about an intangible thing. So people put it into concrete things. Which doesn't really work, but at least I understand why they do that.
I turned the question on myself yesterday and thought, "Am I happy?" And I am delighted to inform you that I am! I didn't even have to think about it or qualify it! I am happy!
Again, as I have talked about before, there is no such place as Happy Land where I can permanently reside, there are just moments of happiness... but I seem to be having a ton of them.
I know I talk about this a lot, but similar to how my perfect 20/20 laser vision eye sight never gets old (I didn't have to put on glasses and I can see!!!) being happy when you have struggled with depression in the past is a friggin' miracle!
Are you happy?
Why?
Why not?
Sure, you can tell me about bad things happening, but that's no excuse not to be happy. Sure, I wish that my foot didn't hurt so much or that my mom didn't have cancer, but those things can't stop me from being happy. Of course, having my awesome hypnotist work on me also helps. But so does wearing this comfy sweatshirt, and drinking from my favorite mug and waking up to daylight (if not actual sunshine on this gray, gray day.)
(sorry for another random, all disjointed blog post, when I am happy I don't care as much about what I am blogging either!)
Monday, April 4, 2011
writing writing writing
My writing teacher was saying that even professional writers usually only write about three pages per day. That makes me feel better. I wrote two pages today. That's something.
Writing will often make me really tired too. Writing my blog doesn't make me tired. But writing this novel does... because I'm not just writing down some of my thoughts and feelings... I am making up an entire world! It's exhausting! Even God rested on the Seventh day! And he is God. I'm just little ol' Nikki Becker!
Writing will often make me really tired too. Writing my blog doesn't make me tired. But writing this novel does... because I'm not just writing down some of my thoughts and feelings... I am making up an entire world! It's exhausting! Even God rested on the Seventh day! And he is God. I'm just little ol' Nikki Becker!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
crazy
I'm seriously beginning to believe that one of the biggest differences between crazy people and non-crazy people is simply self-control.
We all have weird thoughts. We all get angry and want to yell at people. The question is whether we let it all out or reign it in.
We all have weird thoughts. We all get angry and want to yell at people. The question is whether we let it all out or reign it in.
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