Writing Randomness, From the Heart

I should be doing something else right now, specifically writing a paper, but I find myself needing to expound first.  I know I will not be able to write anything intelligible until I pontificate on something completely pointless or random.  Anyone else get those random urges?  Randomness is almost like a disease or compulsion.  Probably more of a compulsion for me.

Anyhow, I am seriously having withdrawal from my camera.  I love love love my new camera and I have been taking pictures with it, but I have not been able to get outside and really exercise its capabilities except for one day when I found a remarkable wasp specimen (sadly I believe it died in the extreme heat).  I had to take a picture because its markings were so clear and beautiful.  It was not exactly what I had in mind for picture-taking…I had been thinking more along the lines of trees and meadows and such.  Whatever works though, right? I really don’t want to write my paper at the moment (I am sure you can tell), I would much prefer to be writing more on The Chronicles of Jane Windall, as well as another story that I am working on.  I am not working on those stories right now though, because I would feel too guilty to write well.  I would be thinking about this paper that I should be writing, but am not (or amn’t depending on where you are from).  

When I feel stuck like this, I usually like to do something completely contrary to what I should be doing and to what I need to do.  Watching a movie, for example, usually helps me a great deal. Sadly, I am unable to do that at the moment.  I found myself thinking of what I will do when I have my first successful book (hopefully sooner rather than later) and decided that I would like to get a Tassimo coffee machine.  It’s like having liquid creativity at your fingertips! Coffee, tea, hot cocoa, cappuccino, latte…need I say more? In my ideal world, when an author gets published, one of those machines would be a standard accompaniment to the first paycheck.  A writer needs their caffeine stimulus, am I right? Perhaps I should opt for a cruise instead, but I figure that the coffee machine will keep on giving back for years to come.  It’s like an investment in my literary future.  Hmm, maybe I could declare that on my taxes.  

I wonder if I were to put up a picture of the Tassimo coffee maker, would it be an adequate motivator? Would I be more likely to complete my writings? Perhaps I will try it. Well, now I really do need to attempt to write this paper. Cheery-O!

Back to Writing, Randomness and The Chronicles of Jane Windall

~GASP~

Oh no! I have left you poor souls in the lurch for a number of days without random writing or ranting craziness! I apologize and sincerely hope no one has been ill-effected by this turn of events. I had my computer in for repair. Nothing serious, no need to panic. The protective plastic coating on the bottom was coming off. and I must say that there is a certain feeling of incompleteness when one’s laptop is missing. I found it more difficult to write on my desktop. Terrible excuse, I know.

My laptop is back though, and in the meantime I was working on an additional installment of a free online story which I have decided to call The Chronicles of Jane Windall. I posted a little bit about what I want to do in a previous blog post: http://camikahayes.blogspot.com/2012/07/writing-decisions.html

The idea is to use our wonderful internet as a means to help improve my writing on a consistent basis, while also offering anyone who has a few moments to waste, the opportunity to read free content.  This stems from a time when periodicals included short stories, or a long story broken into intervals.  Readers were able to follow a story a little at a time until its conclusion and I thought it sad that this trend fell by the wayside.  I know there are fanfiction sites, and other writing sites but I don’t feel that it is quite the same. The first section of The Chronicles of Jane Windall is not great, was just a writing exercise for like 15 mins and unedited.  Bad idea.  Second section is hopefully better.  If you want you can check it out here:

http://crampedwriting.wordpress.com/storystuff/

Also, I had a slight epiphany yesterday having to do with writer’s grief. I figured out I was grieving for a manuscript which turned out quite different from what I originally had envisioned.  I literally could not jump into the editing process and finally realized I had needed time to grieve for what I knew would never be.  The story still has potential, but my characters sent it in a completely different (albeit, better) direction. Aside from my epiphany though, I will list my other accomplishments of the week:

1)    Sliced the tip of my finger on an aluminum foil cutting edge (that serrated thingy)

2)    Wore my coffee to work

3)    Barely made it home when my car died in the middle of a turn

4)    Finished my 2^nd installment in The Chronicles of Jane Windall (sorry, redundant but I’m proud of finishing another section)

5)    Hit myself in the eye with a clothes hanger (don’t ask)

6)    Had an epiphany about writer’s grief (also redundant but I have to put a couple good things on here)

7)    Got my laptop repaired

8)    Got an unexpected day off, and not in a “don’t come back again” way either, which was very cool

9)    Wrecked my challenge by forgetting to freewrite yesterday (The Chronicles of Jane Windall could count for that though, right?)

As you can see, it has been an absolutely riveting week! Still not done with the books I am reading, so I guess it will be a while before I’ll be able to do a review.  In the meantime if you want to read about my epiphany regarding my writer’s grief you can read my post:

http://crampedwriting.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/grief-chronicles-of-jane-windall-and-other-such-coolness/

< pic of my manuscript in its box 

Happy Ninjawriting!