Complex Numbers

Wake Me Up When... Wait, NOW?

PROMPT September 30th

On this final day on the competition, reflect on the month. What was your favorite prompt, and which challenged you the most? Any highlights from your offline life? What are you looking forward to in October?

I'm used to the months flying by, these days, but this month sped even faster than usual. I must be older than I thought.

I'd have to say the "special place" prompt was my favorite, because I got to talk about my favorite thing: drinking. Reading others' responses was fun, too, but I especially enjoyed being able to relate a recent experience of my own, there. "Pappy? Happy!" 

Challenging? Probably the one about sports ("Athletic Non-Supporter" ), for the polar opposite reason: having to talk about one of my least favorite things. But hey, that's what I'm here for - stretching my topics. Honestly, I've enjoyed the prompts this month, maybe because it wasn't the standard weekly format. There weren't any that really felt like a chore.

Offline life? What's that? I haven't had one of those in decades. The closest I came was going to the conference in DC, but that was sponsored by a website I've been frequenting for even longer than I've been on Writing.Com - so no, the only part of it that was "offline" was the drinking, and even there, I have a social-media-for-drunks app that I use to record my alcoholic experiences.

And you know what? This is a good thing. The internet is the greatest advancement in human communication since movable type. Sure, it has its problems - doesn't everything? - but we have access to a body of literature and entertainment far more comprehensive than that of the famed, lost Library at Alexandria.

I'm always hearing people saying stuff like "I'm going out into the wilderness. No internet for a week! Hooray!" I don't know which is worse - the idea of being in the wilderness, or the idea of being without internet for a week. Like we should be feeling, I dunno, guilty or something about being connected to the entire fucking world.

Leave it to humans to create a vast, interconnected civilization to live, work and play in, and then get tired of it and go sleep on a damned rock.

Now, I understand that some people enjoy camping and whatnot. I even understand why. And I'm not being judgmental - hope they enjoy the experience. I'm just saying: uh-uh, not me.

...that said, I did spend a week on a mountaintop in Colorado last June, and didn't open my laptop even once, but again - not something I'd ever have had the opportunity to do if it weren't for meeting people on the internet. (To be clear, though, I was in a heated cabin with electricity, and I dined on fine food and drank wonderful beer. I have my limits.)

So. October. This is where I plug my friend's activity:

FORUM

October Novel Prep Challenge  (13+) 2023 Sign-ups are CLOSED. A month-long novel-planning challenge with prizes galore. #1474311 by Brandiwyn🎶

Because I'm a terrible person, I may not participate, myself. I'm out of novel ideas, and I have like four of them written and in desperate need of editing. Every time I start, though, I get frustrated and I go play video games or binge-watch Supernatural.

Still, I'm involved in running the activity, so come play along.

Another reason I'm being lame about it is that I'm way behind on my contest entry goal for the year, and I need to play catch-up. So that's a goal for October: play catch-up on the writing I've fallen behind on.

I've been at the French lessons for a month, and plan to continue that through October, also - even though I've already learned how to order "une bière." Deux bières, even. I mean, if that's the only French I ever remember, that's okay.

Not to mention the weight loss / exercise thing - over nine months, now, and while progress is slowing down, it's still... you know... progressing. Though the craving for a pepperoni pizza is starting to overwhelm me. One of these days, I will fail at the regimen. Today, however, is not that day.

If you're here from 30DBC, I hope you'll stick around - because I'm not planning to stop writing in here. Might not be every day, but I still have plenty to say. Either way, thanks for reading!