If You Can’t Write- Read!

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Last year, I was very disappointed with myself with how I was not able to progress that much with NANOWRIMO. I also was not writing that much.

Looking back on what I have been doing – it was not so much as a lack of time, it was more of a lack of discipline. I was spending way too much time doing other things other than writing.

Well, to be fair to myself, I pursued film making more last year, rather than writing. I learned video editing and videography. We even invested in a professional-quality (though not state-of-the-art) camera that can take good videos. Film making on a smartphone can be a good form of practice, but there are a lot of limitations that a gear upgrade could solve. In any case, I did mention in this blog a couple of times that I ended up being the cameraman/producer for my wife’s youtube channel.

Is it really that hard to write?

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Is Blogging Hard?

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Blogging is writing. Therefore, the difficulty of maintaining a blog depends upon how much of a writer you are, and how easy it is for you to scrape up ideas for a post.

But what if you can’t write well? I think as long as you can cover the basics and can convey your thoughts and ideas well, you’d make it somehow. The techniques of writing an engaging and well-crafted blog post can come later. We do have to learn to crawl before we can run, right?

Remembering Linkin Park and Chester Bennington

It’s been three years, yet I am still feeling the devastation. To hear the news about the death of someone you look up to can hurt, but what is even more gut-wrenching is knowing that they lost to depression.

I started listening to Linkin Park in my teens in the year 2000. Their high-energy rock music mixed with hip-hop appealed to my teenage soul. In the age of NuMetal, their style rose up from the rest.

Over the years, their style evolved and changed. From what started as a scream fest and rhythmic beats, they also incorporated other types of music, including slow and acoustic songs. I initially did not like their slow songs. I have always thought of them as this fast, high energy band. Slow songs are for the weak, I thought.

After a few years, however, my view and perspective changed. Their change in style was not weakness. It was growth.

Even I grew to appreciate the different tones in their music. It all depends on the circumstance.

Feeling angry? I’d play a high energy song filled with Chester’s screaming voice that seemed to soothe my being.

Feeling down? Mike Shinoda’s rhythmic voice is a good pick-me-up.

Feeling sad? Well, this was new. I would normally pick an upbeat song to get myself out of this slump and forget about this emotion. However, sometimes it takes accepting the sadness before you can move forward. They got slow, haunting music for this, too.

Their music is like this friend that is there with you through thick and thin.

That is why it hit me hard when I heard depression took the life of Chester Bennington away.

Depression is an unseen enemy that is difficult to fight.

It is hard to judge a person who had lost to depression. There are a lot of things going on inside their heads, that is far and different from the facade that is seen when they face the world. The happiest man can also be the saddest man behind closed doors.

I have to admit, I barely know the guy. I mostly know them for their songs. I’m a fan. That’s all. Yet I am hurt by the turn of events. I can only imagine how much more hurt his friends and families must feel. I felt I lost a friend.

My life is far from perfect. It’s a struggle and sometimes it can be difficult to keep moving forward. When everything seems to be crashing and falling and going through life is difficult… I have to constantly remind myself that there has to be a bright side, that there has to be more to life than this.

When I think and remember that my heroes are dead, and the world I am living in is a pile of trash and that there is nothing to look forward to but the embrace of death and darkness… I stop and think. Those who have gone before us will only keep living through the memory of those who remain. I live so that those who have gone before me will keep on living in my memory. Hence, we must keep on living and keep on struggling, for that is the nature of man – to shine like a candle in the darkness and once our light is extinguished, inspire others to also shine.

If you ever feel that things are too overwhelming, and that you have no one to talk to. There are people who are certainly willing to listen to you, and at least ease you through the hardship of life.

Pardon my ramblings. Forgive my words. I’m feeling a bit emotional today.

But hey, I’m alive. I’ll keep on living, and hopefully I’ll make Chester proud, eh?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I will listen to some Linkin Park music.

 

Have a nice day!

Why I Wanted to Be A Writer

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There is a certain power in words, most specially the written one, that I find quite interesting.

However, I have found that fiction – fantastical and emotional, and even tragic stories hold great sway to a man’s heart and mind.

For the past few months I have felt uninspired to write anything. Sure, I can wrangle up some words to begin a story, yet I cannot seem to get the inspiration to continue it. My life seems empty and shallow, and I cannot seem to be able to craft something of value.

Does that mean I am doomed to not be a story-teller? Does that mean that I am destined to just be an avid reader?

Why do I want to write in the first place?

I want to share my thoughts. A person’s mind is a sealed world that is hard to enter. Without a granted access we can’t peer into what a person’s thoughts want to say. However, there is a certain art necessary to putting words together to make a story interesting. You can have the most interesting story in the world, but with terrible writing skills, it may be better to watch trash burning.

Williams once faced an evil wizard in a tower. They fought. Zap! Williams defeated the wizard with a piece of pie. It was a sight to behold.

Is it selfish of me to want to write a story that would have a great impact on people the same way that other’s writings and works have affected me as well? The adventures of a hero, the death of a character, the trials and tribulations of an ordinary man thrown into the depths of hell from a series of unfortunate events…

The wonder of reading and experiencing another life in another world – I also want others to experience it through my works.

Things may be a bit uninspiring now, things may not be moving forward, however I often need to remind myself the reason I want to be one. I may be terrible now, I may not be of much good as a novelist. Fine – I’ll write you short stories. If I can’t write fictitious stories, I’ll tell you stories drawn from my own life. I’ll write you articles, and essays.

I want to write because I want to be a positive influence in the world.

Thank you very much for reading!

If you like content like this, please hit that “Follow” button, if you haven’t yet, so you will get notified when I post.  If you wish to support me in anyway, please consider checking out my Ko-Fi page, or my Patreon Page or drop by my redbubble shop.

I hope you have a nice day!

 

What Does it Mean to Be a Good Writer? #AuthorToolboxBlogHop

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Have you ever doubted yourself whether you are a good enough writer? Have you ever thought to yourself that your work is bad?

What does it mean to be a good writer anyway?

Fiction: The Old Hospital

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I have always wanted to visit this old, abandoned hospital for a photo shoot. There was something about the place that pulled me in. I have figured it must have been the interesting textures and lighting I could get from the place.

I guess I was wrong.

Flash Fiction: The Silence in the Fog

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John and Mary had been looking forward to this vacation for quite some time. Being in the busy world of business made them figure a schedule with much difficulty.

John rolled down the windows of the RV for a bit to smell the cool mountain air. His face was assaulted by a rush of wind that rustled his hair and made his breathing quite difficult. He quickly closed the window, and glanced at Mary who was seated beside him.

Mary put down her phone, her face still illuminated by the screen.

“What?” She asked.

“There’s a fog up ahead.”

Flashfiction: The Cat with a Hat

I was on my way home passing by my usual paths when I encountered a strange and unusual sight.

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There, in the middle of the walkway sat an orange cat. At first it was busy cleaning and licking itself, but then it stopped and stared at me with those green eyes. However, it was not the way the cat looked at me that was unusual, it was that this cat wore a black top hat. The hat was small, just the right size for the cat’s small head.

Great words from Neil Gaiman

Let me just leave these words here from Neil Gaiman.

Flashfiction : Beware of the Night

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     Crickets chirped in the cool, quiet night as Earl sat on his porch. His hand cradled a warm cup of coffee which he occasionally sipped.

     It would have been a comfortable evening, but the mosquitoes buzzing in his ears made annoying companions. His left hand slapped on a mosquito who was fortunate enough to escape his wrath. 

     Earl grumbled when he examined his empty palm. The buzzing around his ear continued.

     “Is that you, Earl?” A man by the road called out and started to walk towards him.