New ground rules for productivity

1)

I will blog, regularly, not haphazardly and I will cease and desist being so particular over said blogging. It's a blog, it's not rocket science and I will from this point on stop treating it like a big mathematic equation I am incapable of solving. I will instead simply write.

2)

I will set dedicated times to write. Even if it's only for one hour, and I never actually produce anything worth keeping I will make time to write every day, and stop letting everything else come first.

3)

I will do a minimum of one warm up exercise per day, instead of letting the excessive books on the subject gather dust on over filled shelves.

4)

I will edit like a crazy woman and within the next two months accomplish moving on to draft two. Idealistically this would mean one chapter a day and finish exceedingly ahead of schedule, the two month buffer zone is for the fact that life often seems to get in the way of what is ideal. (Motivation to complete in two month deadline: Writing while moving is miserable, especially difficult when driving literally across country.)

5)

I will organize, categorize, and sub-folder all writing here forth. This means admitting that my writing files are a complete and total disaster and need to be revamped.

 

Ok, five new goals to increase my productivity, I will come back and edit this from time to time when I find something else that works, or that doesn't work. Now off to stick to it.

Letters to and from characters

Dear characters X, Y, and Z,

I understand that you want the story to go one way; however, what I am missing is how any of you got into a position of control. I know it's the story that you want to tell, I know that it's what you feel is important, but you seem to be forgetting I am in charge here.

Character X for instance. I understand that you have had a rough life, foster care gone wrong and growing up on the wet damp streets of Seattle, point taken. However, you're really starting to get on my nerves. This whole self sacrificing thing can be taken a step too far and as much as I know you would like to be the martyr of this story, I'm sorry, but I'm just simply not done with you yet. You have too much potential to simply do away with, and yes, I know it would make the ending easier to write but that really is isn't the point. That's not the way your life is going to end. I should know. I created you.

Character Y,

You are a milquetoast; I'm tired of you allowing the other characters to walk all over you. You're a man, act like one, at least once in a while. I am completely fine with your laid-back-good-guy attitude, but you're letting a dead guy steal your girlfriend, we really need to put a stop to that. Agreed? Because if you refuse I can always let him win, dead or not.

What's with you guys and having a death wish? When I say man up a smidge I don't mean do something foolish to prove your love. This will just piss character X off and create more problems than it will solve. Also, keep in mind she can bring you back from the dead.

Character Z,

Okay, you and I have issues. I wish we didn't but we do. Huge issues really, you think because I have granted you power over free will that suddenly you can rule the world. Ego much? Yes you can contort people's desires, and generally use that to do harm, but you're only one guy.

Yes, you could plausibly use character X's powers to dredge up your demonic minions and drinking buddies if I were willing to write it--I'm not. Your powers do not work on me, and most likely will never work on me (unless I somehow manage to lose my sanity completely.)

So, you may as well face the fact that you aren't going to rule the world. You don't even rule the underworld for that matter, what makes you think you'd do any better up here.

That voice of yours, the one that pours from your lips like hot chocolate on Christmas Eve, isn't going to secure you a position of all- controlling power.

The Characters Respond

From Character X,

So I'm a little self-sacrificing, verging perhaps on mildly suicidal, you would be, too, if you never got a moments peace. Maybe if I didn't need to listen to Angie whining in my ear every other day about how I ruined her life and I am the only reason she's dead, then I wouldn't be so willing to put an end to a bad situation the easiest way possible?

I never once whined or whimpered or complained about having grown up on the streets of Seattle. Those streets are what made me who I am, and they are something I am thankful for every day, what I'm not thankful for is this damn power you've given me. Then, as if this ability wasn't enough of a problem you felt the need to throw in a half-demon boyfriend. (Have I mentioned how much that word annoys me? Really, boyfriend, at my age, I'm pushing thirty you realize this right? Isn't boyfriend a little high school for the situation we're dealing with here, can't you pull anything more interesting out of that cavernous sized vocabulary of yours?)

From Character Y,

You do realize how contradictory your statements were, right? On one hand you are essentially calling me a loser and emasculating me, yet on the other claiming I am attempting to sacrifice myself for love, these two things do not naturally go hand- in-hand.

I also do not agree with the premise that I am allowing a non-living man to steal my girlfriend. I am carefully attempting not to destroy a delicate balance that she keeps her worlds in. She has no delusions of being with Jess. Perhaps the problem you are not noticing is that I know her better than you do. I do, in fact, concur that the situation should be carefully monitored as they both seem to have some form of attraction towards one another, though neither seems inclined to act upon it. I am not as passive as you perceive me.

I am in no way planning to die. I am particularly fond of life in its many aspects and forms, so I have no intentions of placing myself in the world of martyrdom. I do confirm that I would not hesitate to give my life to save hers, which is a flaw that I would prefer to keep if you don't mind.

From Character Z

Oh, my dear, how very wrong you are. I will indeed rule the world in one of its forms. I have before and I will again, no matter how much you think you have control over me as a creation, I am afraid that you do not.

As far as only being one creature (not man mind you, nor guy) it is amazing just how much damage someone with a smooth voice and the ability to change the greatest of minds can do. With a little cunning and ingenuity I could change the face of politics and religion as the world knows it.

Perhaps, my darling, you are underestimating the power you have given me.