Practice Makes Perfect

I've been working hard to make some changes in my life (what else is new), to try to hunker down and finish a writing project, start sending stuff out to publishing houses, you know, the regular stuff. I also told myself I would stop blogging and writing while at work, but here I am, staring out at the beautiful sun beating down on me, my desk covered with paperwork and my supervisor harrassing me about unrealistic deadlines, typing away on Blogger without a care at all. Well, that's a bit of hyperbole; obviously I have some cares or else I wouldn't be trying to overhaul my entire lifestyle. But you get what I'm saying...

I'm currently reading (or almost finished with) Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir. This is a great book, especially for aspiring writers as myself who just want to get some inspiration and maybe a kick in the pants to get going. It's working...a bit. I've spent the last two days trying to stick to a pattern: read a physical book whenever I'm traveling or waiting for something; write for a minimum of two hours each day (or approx. 1000 words); knit and listen to an audiobook for 2-3 hours in the evening. It's worked out pretty well, actually. I find it somehow amusing that when I straighten up with some things in my life, other, less desirable chores start falling into place as well. Like taking out the trash and cleaning the litter box on a daily basis. Yesterday I spent about a half hour attempting to convince myself of the merits of moving the television/playstation out of the bedroom and into the living room. "There's a demon in my room!" I kept telling myself. It needs to be done; Stephen King doesn't approve, neither does any feng shui practitioner. The bottom line is that it's distracting, unhealthy and promotes the worst kind of laziness. But it's also so great to just lie back in bed, especially with a friend, and watch a movie. You don't get that kind of intimacy in the living room. But, alas, if I want to become a "serious writer" I need to actually have a dedicated place to write in my apartment. And really, what's more intimate than right by my bedroom window?

I almost felt last nght - after my two days of being really really good - that I just can't keep up this kind of reading pace. I was feeling a bit over-saturated with the written word. Yesterday alone I probably read for a combined 6 hours, give or take. Usually when I go through these kinds of binges (Les Mis comes to mind...shudder) I tend to take a break from reading for a long long time. Don't get me wrong, I love to read. But I think there comes a point when there are just too many books, and too many varied stories rolling around in my head. My headaches start encroaching on me when I read too much. I think my distate with reading might also have a lot to do with the kinds of books I decide to read at one time. A book lightly admonishing me about my laziness as a writer combined with an epic like Dune might not have been the best combination. I think epics need to be balanced with fluff. So I think my next few books need to be a bit more fluffy and not so serious.

We'll see. As I look over my inventory on GoodReads.com, I realize that my "currently reading" books are far from being labeled "fluff". Perhaps I'll start balancing these intense books with book reviews on BNS Review. If I accomplish another two books down in one month, along with another knitting project, I'll feel quite proud of myself indeed.

Book Review: Dune by Frank Herbert

Dune by Frank Herbert


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the second time I have read Dune. My first attempt was as a youngster, problably at 12 or 13 years old. I have to give myself credit that I made it about 1/3 of the way through the book then. This time I enlisted the help of Audible.com and my trusty knitting needles. I often found myself paused in my shawl pattern, transfixed as I listened to the plight of Paul and the Fremen. Herbert does an amazing job of carefully crafting the story. He doesn't rush through with plot twist after plot twist but really focuses on developing characters and making the universe he created believable. The pace picks up dramatically as we head towards the climax (actually I was taken a bit off guard at how quickly the pace picks up) and he gives us a roaring finish.

Although the audiobook was 21+ hours long, I was entranced throughout the entire reading. I'm even looking forward to picking up the next installment in the series, but I might take a break before I do that...

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Phases of Oblivion

So, I haven't really been writing and I haven't been blogging for a bit. Why, you ask? To put it simply, I've been too busy playing video games and listening to audiobooks. But, enough of that! Now that I have emerged from yet another phase of playing too much Oblivion, I can go back to what I once was.

Now, seriously, I've only spent the last two days playing Oblivion, but somehow it seems like forever. Video games are generally weekend-only hobbies and maybe only twice a month at that. What's really been eating up my time is knitting and listening to Dune on Audible.com. I don't know why I must always go for epic books (eg Lord of the Rings) but I figured "21 hours guaranteed knitting time". I have been knitting and listening to audio books and podcasts every day since Ash Wednesday, and it seems that this book is never going to end. I'm really enjoying the experience, though. I often think to myself while at work, "what was that sci-fi movie I was watching last night? Oh, I was listening to Dune".

Today's excuse for not writing is that the landlady is blasting the heat again and I can't think straight. I'm currently sitting in front of an open window with a gusty wind blowing on my back and will probably come down with a cold this week. That's just a guess. I've written four chapters of Education of Gareth, mapped out a basic sketch of how the rest of the story is going to go, and have absolutely no desire to write any of it. I have a Writer's Meeting in one hour and honestly all I want to do is play Dune! It's a shame, a real shame. I think my current addiction has everything to do with the fact that I don't have cable and there's nothing to watch on TV. Oh well, might as well get an hour in there while I can...