"River Bandits vs Sgt. Amotep"  
 

Didn't write any prose but I did watch Romero's Land of the Dead AND write an article on naming characters for the Dragon Scroll newsletter for the Coffee Shop of the Fantasy Society or whatever they are called.

I also played Lego Zombie Wars with the boys. We all played ourselves in a zombie world with motorbikes. The boys job was to protect Daddy from the zombies while he fixed cars, gathered supplies, and rescued people. I even drew some quick cartoons of the action. Fun times.
 

Had a great heytell conversation with Wyrm this morning about the fantasy trilogy he is penning. He's even newer to writing then I am, but he's younger with a young mans drive and tenacity.

The conversation was great for me too. Not only was I getting him on track with his plotting, and prodding his strategists brain with my inventive one, but thoughts about his story motivated me towards my own. If only I hadn't have been on my way to work! I'll have to try and get ahold of him after work, and see if he can't motivate me some more.
 

One Minute Overview

"So you've got the foundations right, but what else must you aim for as a writer? This chapter takes you through several important strands involved in the art of writing. These aren't the only components - they are a further selection of building blocks, intended to give you a firm platform for the future. You'll have writing suggestions for most sections, so keep your notepaper handy - it helps if you work through any questions as you go. Some of them are ways into writing, following on points mentioned in Chapter 1; others are explanations of ingredients common to effective literature, which editors and readers will expect to see. Writing is an art form where you need to be fully engaged as a human being. Observing, using your senses, and being willing to stand in another's shoes are essential traits which you should develop early on if you want to write well and communicate."

Exercise 1
Select an author you admire. What is a typical subject choice for them. What kinds of words do they use - complete or simple? Are their texts rich in imagery? Emotionally engaged, or detached? Are they pushing home a message?
Write down the hallmarks of this person's style: what makes it a work by X instead of Y. Now try your hand at one of their favorite subjects, using the types of words and sentences they might choose.

 

Lots more in the article, link below, but here are the 10 tips to end writers procrastination. I'm putting this here for my edification as much as yours :)


http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/science-and-sensibility/201006/ten-top-tips-...



If you put off writing as long as you can, and you want to turn over a new leaf and start scribing scripts, here are 10 quick tips:

1. Look for your procrastination trigger. A complex form of writing procrastination can have different combinations of triggers including inertia, a natural tendency to avoid something you see as unpleasant, performance anxieties, self-doubts, intolerance for uncertainty, perfectionism, and not wanting to do something that may be arduous, unpleasant, or lengthy. As you examine your writing procrastination motivation, cope by pushing yourself to write.

2. Adopt a reasonable perspective. If you expect that writing should come easily, but written words don't come so easily, what supports your belief that "writing should come easy for you?" Whenever you find a contradiction between fantasy and reality, prefer reality.

3. Prepare to think independently. If you make your global self-worth depend on others' judgments of your writing, you may delay until you believe you have a guarantee for success. To counter this form of procrastination thinking, shift gears. Think about what you want to accomplish. This can take your focus off possible rejection fears. Then, ask yourself how you can express your ideas through writing to further your positive goals that involve writing? By focusing on what you are doing rather than on how others may or may not think, you will likely create a better product.

4. Map your cognitive-emotive-behavioral writing procrastination process. Tune into what you tell yourself about the writing assignment. How do you feel? How do your emotions affect what you do? What do you do to avoid the writing task? Use this information to start a cycle of positive change. For example, can you identify and punch holes in your writing procrastination thinking? What first step can you take to move from thinking about writing to the process?

5. Decide when to start, and commit to that time. You won't get far unless you start. That's obvious. State the "obvious" to yourself and this can help put the matter into perspective. Before that, commit five-minutes to create a plan: What you do first, second, third, and so forth. Include a schedule where you carve out time for each phase of your self-management writing plan. By pushing yourself to start on time, you may avoid the last minute rush and stresses that typically come at the end of a procrastination cycle.

6. To boost your motivation, set up a reward and penalty system. Identify what you like to do that is pleasurable but not time-consuming, such as reading your favorite news column. (1) After every hour of work (or other suitable time), take five to ten minutes for a planned enjoyable activity. Then get back to the writing activity until you finish. By having many small, meaningful, rewards, you play into your own human nature. People typically go for smaller quicker rewards in preference to the bigger reward that is often far in the future. Follow this path and you can get both. (2) Use penalties for procrastinating. For example, deprive yourself of something pleasurable, such as reading your favorite news column. As a support option for your reward system, write out a contract that included both rewards and penalties, Sign it. Perhaps have someone you know counter-sign as an added incentive to start and finish. This reward system yields a triple reward: A. You have short-term rewards at each phase of the writing process; B. You avoid a penalty by writing, and that is rewarding; C. You finish with less strain and more of a gain and that is rewarding.

7. Expect inertia and prepare to meet that challenge. If you experience inertia, refuse to collapse. If you con yourself into thinking you "can't" break through inertia, could you break through inertia one time for $1 million dollars? Would the feeling of resistance prove too much? If you can break through inertia under these circumstances, then why not apply the same energy to gain ground in both starting and finishing your writing task?

8. Distinguish between "can't" start and "won't" start thinking. Can't implies that an action is outside of your capability. Is it really true that you can't start? Can you start but won't because you perceive and believe the writing project is difficult, uncertain, time-consuming, unpleasant, or other? Won't thinking is a reason for optimism because this thinking is changeable.

9. Plan for re-writes. Completing formal writing tasks typically involves developing ideas, paring them down, and repeating this "draft" process until the work is in good shape. Through revisions you gain control over the shape of the content and of your written expression.

10. Rather than view yourself as stuck in a writing procrastination rut, focus on the free-will component of writing. William James, the founder of American psychology, once wrote less than he wanted and lamented this situation. Following reading the work of the 19th century French Philosopher, Charles Renouvier, James had an epiphany. Renouvier described free-will, or the power to choose one path when you might have chosen another. James thought he could choose a different way, did so, and got much more self-directed written word done.
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJkwbq8Nsw8

{embed:YOUTUBEURL} 1


 

My books and short stories for this month of May.



The Watering Place of Good Peace by Geoffrey Jenkins. Randomly picked this up out of bookcase. Incredibly tense and captivating first chapter. It's an adventure story about sharks, and in particular one man who survived a shark attack 10 years earlier (losing both his legs) and is out for an excruciating revenge.
On the Edge, an anthology edited by some guy called Barry.
Reading my way through Ambrose Beirce's short story collection on shortstories.com
A selection of Zane Grey western novels for research.
 

My personal goal for the weekend just passed was to get cracking on either my Ethan Drane western short or my installment of the No Rest horror novella. I did not achieve this. What I did achieve was this: burning off; completed the.nArrative drive exercise in starting to write; completed. An exercise in "you can write science fiction"; built an action figure fortress for jet; made 3 craft books complete with glue binding and proper book spine; filled out 5 forms for the missus; played wii with tiger and instigated an "I love you" day where everyone had to say "I love you" before someone's name. Little 3 yr old Maxie took to it with gusto. I wont be surprised if he's still doing it when I get home from work today.

Did you achieve your personal goals (writing) this weekend?

This week my personal goal (writing) is to enter Heart & Soul into my download trial of Scrivener. Hopefully, this will motivate he completion of its novelisation.
 

Craft day with the kids! Bugging the missus because she thought she'd spend the day giving me jobs to do. Lucky for me, it's craft day!

About to fire up the glue gun and make some new craft books. Tigerbelle tells me she was the only kid in her class who didn't burn herself with the school's glue gun. Reminds me of Bart Simpson burning himself on the stove and saying "Hot!" then putting his hand back on the burner, repeatedly. Sounds like a valuable lesson but probably not one in the school's syllabus. Burning little kids with glue guns? Hmmm. Method teaching?

Anyway, time to let Tigerbelle show me her stuff with a gun! P-yow!
 

I am five years old. I am into Star Wars figures and Match Box Cars. Tantrums and getting my own way. For the most part, I don't wear shoes. We live in the country, in Outback W.A, but I am fascinated by the city that my mother comes from. Melbourne. It's on the other side of Australia. I know that I will live there some day. My tracksuit always has to match, top to bottom. I get quite upset if it doesn't. I get upset quite a bit. The other day, I wrote "fuk" on the cover of my brother's Invaders comic book. He knew it was me, because out of all the kids there I was the dumbest, he said. I know I am the smartest. I know that one day I will sit by the throne of God, Jesus on one side and me on the other. I think Darth Vader is my father too.

Nine years old. I live in the country. I live in the country on the other side of Australia now. Regional Victoria. I don’t like this town as much as my old one. I have lots of cousins here though. That is why we moved here. My teacher always tells me off for slouching in my seat. She tells me off for everything. We don’t get along very well. I’m confused because I thought that teachers had to like the kids they taught? My Mum just laughs when I tell her this. I also get in trouble a lot for drawing in the columns of my exercise books. I’m into Transformers toys and GI Joe action figures and M.A.S.K. My brother often gets angry with me because I won’t give him my pocket money to help him buy comic books. We get our pocket money from our Dad, who we ran away from in the middle of the night, but he found us. I use my pocket money to buy toys, why would I buy comic books when I can read his? I saw my first real life naked woman the other night. I didn’t mean to. But I did.

Seventeen years old. I'm into smoking cigarettes, drinking southern comfort straight, smoking marajuana, taking acid, having sex with my girlfriend, cutting school and reading comic books. I like grunge music and I have a fringe that reaches past my chin. I have the longest fringe amongst all my long fringe friends. I've been kicked out of home, I live in a townhouse in a retirement village with 2 guys from Melbourne who moved here to escape the big city guns-and-drugs scene. My friends come around, not to see me, but to use my housemates giant bong. I write and draw my own comic books now, as well as reading other peoples. I plan on moving to the city when my girlfriend finishes school and becoming a comic book publisher by night and a printer by day. I do not live with my head up my arse. That is for mid-thirties bald guys who sit at the kitchen table completing exercises from writing books about their youth.
 

Kind of a shitty prompt this month, but I'm trying something new. Less choices, more straightforward.



http://www.writing.com/main/forums/item_id/1814391-The-Detailed-Writing-Prompt-C...

G.I Jane Austen was driving home from her job at (insert crazy steampunk factory here).
She was just turning into her driveway in her (insert crazy steampunk vehicle here) when she noticed a huge package sitting on the front steps of her (insert crazy steam punk house here). It was wrapped in patterned paper, and it had a large, elaborate bow on top.
As Jane walked closer to the stairs, she saw that there was a note attached to the top of the package. She tore it off, and began to read:
"You have been selected to receive this free gift from the Robot Trading Company! (fun fact! That's a real company's name) That's right...free! Please read the instruction booklet VERY CAREFULLY! Your personal robot is able to do many tasks that you must do now, not just household tasks.
Remember to read ALL the instructions before using your robot.

[ finish the crazy steam punk story ]

Monthly Prize:
10000 GPS to user.
10000 Awardicon for item.
Slot in an e-book anthology for winning piece and another piece of writing by author.

More details at the comp page.

I'm working on a FAQ for the publication I'll be producing but in a nutshell don't get to excited - I'm a self-publisher who hails from the zine/comix DIY world. It will be an ebook made for the usual suspects (amazon,etc). I'll probably make a sweet print version for the contributors too.




 

Images are officially a pain in the arse on this site. I have a photobucket account, I sometimes post my pictures and things on other sites (livejournal, wordpress, facebook, twitter etc). It would be incredibly convenient to be able to hotlink an image or upload an image from an url.

I've thought of uploading some of my comic strips into my portfolio but the thought of meticulously uploading each individual image first is a great deterrent.
 

Your First Practice Poem

Write down some abstract qualities, emotions, or states of mind. Suitable ideas would be: anger, hope, disappointment, love. Try to choose something strong and worth writing about. List as many images or comparisons as you can. Try to write at least fifteen images.


Purpose-built; like a steam train.
Journey through life; chugging along the track.
Over high, wrought of iron bridges.
Deep valleys, deeper rivers.
Deeper dangers below.
Creaky passage, wind-swept driving.
Throwing coal,
Furnace-heat burning skin, blackening face.
I'll pause for effect.
And appreciation.
Going strong; hard work
but good work.
Whistle blowing,
This train stops for no man.
I am a father, there's no stopping me.

Life and Other Tragedies...My biggest accomplishment to do with the 30-Day Blogging Challenge, is that I managed to not let my wife know I was doing it until last night. I had to spend about 4 hours tallying and catching up on the final days blogs. If I had have let her know what I was up to the past month, I don't think I could have pulled it off. I certainly tested her patience...her anxiety...her fatigue...her nausea...with that final round of judging. They say that you shouldn't keep secrets in a marriage but when one partner suffers from depression, anxiety, and MS-related fatigue, a secret can be a good thing. Less stress for everybody that way.

Things to do in May:
- Finish Ethan Drane story.
- Start next No Rest installment.
- Finish Mike and Kylie story.
- Work on novel.

If I can get 2 of those 4 done, I will be happy. Shit, if I can get 1, I'll call that a victory!
 

....

ALL OF YOU!

1st Place: Winner of the very first 50,000GP Awardicon to be awarded for a blog challenge PLUS a journaling merit badge.

Fivesixer...blog CHAMP!! (77) ... with a score of 977!

2nd Place: Winner of a 25,000GP Awardicon PLUS a journaling merit badge.

blainecindy - I love my WDC! (252) ... with a score of 975!

3rd Place: Winner of a 10,000GP Awardicon PLUS a journaling merit badge.

Prosperous Snow (175) ... with a score of 945!

Honorable Mentions:
Bonnie14222 (16) with a score of 933!
Brother Nature (15) with a score of 931!

Congratulations! It was a very, very close competition!

And, a very special honorable mention goes to Earl-FollowMeBlogging (25) for having the best blog title!



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Michael Thundersbeard
Artist, Writer, Father, Factory Worker.
http://www.lifeandothertragedies.com
(and husband too!)



 

“It is important that you recognize your progress and take pride in your accomplishments. Share your achievements with others. Brag a little. The recognition and support of those around you is nurturing.”

- Rosemarie Rossetti

CONGRATULATIONS!!

You have been chosen as "The WDC Angel Army"  [ASR]'s Port Raid Author of the Month!


Quite an honour, I am guessing. So far though, all they've done is reclassify all my stuff as unfit for minors.

Lol.

Sometimes being put in the spotlight just makes it easier for the sniper.





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ID: 1814391   (Rated: E) The Detailed Writing Prompt Comp  Great resource for comparing writing. 10000 gp monthly plus PUBLICATION. MAY Prompt up! by Thundersbeard

ID: 1808259   (Rated: 18+) Starting to Write  Documenting my writing life as I complete the exercises in the book Starting To Write. by Thundersbeard

ID: 1832624   (Rated: 18+) No Rest  A joint project taking turns to write about the Zombie Apocolypse by Wyrm

“It is important that you recognize your progress and take pride in your accomplishments. Share your achievements with others. Brag a little. The recognition and support of those around you is nurturing.”

- Rosemarie Rossetti

CONGRATULATIONS!!

You have been chosen as "The WDC Angel Army"  [ASR]'s Port Raid Author of the Month!


Quite an honour, I am guessing. So far though, all they've done is reclassify all my stuff as unfit for minors.

Lol.

Sometimes being put in the spotlight just makes it easier for the sniper.





---

ID: 1814391   (Rated: E) The Detailed Writing Prompt Comp  Great resource for comparing writing. 10000 gp monthly plus PUBLICATION. MAY Prompt up! by Thundersbeard

ID: 1808259   (Rated: 18+) Starting to Write  Documenting my writing life as I complete the exercises in the book Starting To Write. by Thundersbeard

ID: 1832624   (Rated: 18+) No Rest  A joint project taking turns to write about the Zombie Apocolypse by Wyrm

“One thing that helps is to give myself permission to write badly. I tell myself that I’m going to do my five or 10 pages no matter what, and that I can always tear them up the following morning if I want. I’ll have lost nothing—writing and tearing up five pages would leave me no further behind than if I took the day off.”
—Lawrence Block, June 1981
 

Last days of the blogging challenge. I think it went well. I'm not sure though. There wasn't much controversy this time round. I wondering if my plan for the machinations of the challenge to blend into the background, blended into the background a little too efficiently.

Watched Empire Strikes Back with the kids on Saturday night. Still a great movie that really holds up well, in my opinion. A few scary bits, but it was actually kinda fun talking to the kids all the way through and telling them what was going to happen.

From there, I went and researched the Star Wars mythology. I ended up downloading a young adult book series to read to them called The Last of the Jedi. It's set on Tattoine when Luke Skywalker is a baby, after the events of Revenge of the Sith and Ben Kenobi is in hiding. We've read the first chapter and it's very good writing by Jude Watson.

It was interesting to read that in Star Wars: A New Hope, Darth Vader wasn't Luke's father. And that in the Empire Strikes Back, Leia wasn't Luke's sister. At both those stages, there was meant to be a third trilogy where Luke finds his sister (not Leia) and together they beat the Emperor. It was while planning Return of the Jedi, that Lucas realised the whole story was ready to be tied up.

Although, Lucas has gone on record as saying he is sick of the abuse that has come with Star Wars, I would have loved to see a high quality television drama featuring Han Solo and Luke Skywalker after Return of the Jedi. There were rumours a few years ago about just that kind of thing.

The other thing I did this weekend was play Dungeons and Dragons. A good session that lasted from 10.30am to 5pm. We were missing one of our regulars, but we had a new player who wants to be a regular. We have a very good GM and he handled us all very well. My character even died twice, once in body and once in spirit. Luckily, one of our regulars new characters is a cleric and I was brought back from the brink of ruin.

I'm hoping the dnd session will motivate me a bit more, as will reading the Last of the Jedi series (which looks to be quite good). I know I just need to sit down and do some writing but I'm afraid I have quite a problem with starting things.

Still, my plan is to finish my Ethan Drane story by the end of May and to get stuck into the "Starting to Write" book in these pages.
 

Today. Today I went and got petrol, bought a pair of sunglasses, got a trailer load of dirt for the floor of the shed I am restoring, deposited said dirt on said floor of shed, said got a trailer load of old goat shit and straw from one shed, and moved it to another shed. Played star wars with Sky and Lego, briefly, with the older two when they came home from school. Now, instead of working on finishing my Ethan Drane story I am entering blog scores into a spreadsheet. Instead of writing my next turn in the No Rest novella, later on I plan to examine more steam trains on you tube and Wikipedia. The thing with procrastination, and I mean this sincerely, is that these things are all so much fun!