Blog Post with the Vampire

It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's the posting day for the Insecure Writer's Support Group! Click here to learn more and sign up!

This month's optional question is: What fantasy character would you like to fight, go on a quest with, or have a beer/glass of wine with?

I'd have to go with a character I've loved since I was a teenager: Lestat de Lioncourt from Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. I guess only one of us would be drinking wine, though...

I've always loved this book series and Lestat is a really fascinating character. Not to mention the fact that he's immortal, so I'd probably never run out of questions to ask him. 

I do think it's the writer in me that's drawn to this type of character. I've always loved characters with strong personalities, and antiheroes are also really fun characters to work with. Since I've been reading from Lestat's point of view when I was probably around 14 years old, I definitely think his voice has influenced me as a writer. I prefer to write in first person and really love crafting a voice for the book in that way. 

I definitely think there was some subconscious influence from Lestat when I created Jordan, the main character from my WIP (who would disagree and say he created himself, which is a very Lestat thing to say...). He's also an antihero and the nickname "The Brat Prince" would also apply. I have vaguely thought about this connection before, but I feel like it's really just dawning on me now. Maybe that's why Jordan wants to be a rock star...

So I guess in a way, I have my own Lestat to hang out with (IF HE WAS AROUND). 

How Do You Write Every Second You're Alive??

It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's the posting day for the Insecure Writer's Support Group! Click here to learn more and sign up!

This month's optional question is: If for one day you could be anyone or *thing* in the world, what would it be? Describe, tell why, and any themes, goals, or values they/it inspire in you.

Well, my immediate response to this question is that I would want to be a house cat. Just living the good life, taking lots of naps, looking cute, and getting fed. But that's not really what the question meant, is it??

I don't know if I would necessarily want to be any particular person for a day, but I would like to understand how certain people's minds work. Anyone who is able to just keep constantly writing, constantly coming up with new ideas and churning out project after project. I feel like even when I was actively writing, I was only able to focus on one idea at a time and didn't have too many other ideas on the back burner. 

I would love to absorb the drive these kinds of people have. I want to be able to just keep writing and writing and writing and then writing some more. 

Finding inspiration and drive has been really hard for me for a long time now. I know there's no secret to finding it, but it's hard to understand how other writers can keep coming up with new ideas and getting them done so quickly. I wish there was some kind of switch in my brain that I could turn on and make the writer in me go into hyperdrive. 

I guess I'll just have to keep plugging away day by day, trying to find scraps of inspiration. I have been listening to my book's playlist when I'm at the gym lately, and while it does make me think of that story, I haven't actually brought that inspiration home with me and done anything with it. But, baby steps, right? Maybe one of these days I'll pick up a pen and start brainstorming again. 

Are you always writing or coming up with new ideas? What's your secret??

A Day Late and Several Dollars Short

 **YESTERDAY was the first Wednesday of the month, which was the posting day for the Insecure Writer's Support Group! Click here to learn more and sign up!**

Well, well, well, look who forgot to post AGAIN. To be honest, the days tend to blur together sometimes and all I really know is whether I have to go to work or not. Last night it dawned on me that it was indeed IWSG day, and I was way too tired to come with a post at that point. I wasn't even going to write this post since at least I knew I posted last month and didn't skip two months in a row, but last night I actually dreamt of the title and so I decided I needed to do it. I'm also off work today so I'll have the time and mental capacity to go read everyone else's posts. 

I feel like I've said this a million times before, but there never seems to be enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do. I'm trying to lose weight so I need to time to exercise and cook healthy meals and research recipes and so on. I'm also always exhausted after work so that makes doing more physical activity difficult. 

But writing doesn't require much physical activity, right? Sure, but is my brain ready to write yet? Nope. I just have no desire to do it. I know I would be happier if I was writing, but at the same time, I'm not exactly unhappy that I'm not, if that makes sense. It might just be that it's been so long since I've written anything that I'm used to the feeling, or maybe other things in life just seem bigger and more upsetting. 

I might be moving soon which I hope will be good for my mental health and for my creativity. Hubby and I have been in the same tiny apartment for over 13 years and we've been planning for a while to move into the apartment above my mother-in-law's house which is three times the size. It'll also be a lot quieter over there, with no neighbors literally on the other side of the wall to bother us. Maybe I can set up an acutal desk to write at, instead of it basically being the nightstand on hubby's side of the bed. I'll also have room for a couch! We've never had one where we are now. It's funny how the little things like that actually seem exciting. 

I'm hoping that between the peace and quiet, as well as more space and less clutter, my mind will feel more free to want to start focusing on writing again. I've felt stagnant for quite some time and a big change like this could be good. 

We also have a couple trips planned in the next few months (are we still paying back our New Orleans trip? No comment...). Hubby and I are going back to Las Vegas at the end of March for his 40th birthday. We haven't been there since our first anniversary in 2017. The hotel and flights were pretty cheap but I'm sure we'll spend a fortune on food and activities while we're there. 

I also just bought tickets to a Broadway musical for July since my favorite actor is in it and the theater is going to be set up like a nightclub with some actual seats on the stage. Did I have the money for that? Not really. Did I have to buy them anyway? Why yes! Hubby knew this would happen if I passed this up: 

Anyhoo, I've rambled sufficiently, I think. The next few months may be busy and chaotic, but we shall see what they bring! 

It's Been Rough

It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's the posting day for the Insecure Writer's Support Group! Click here to learn more and sign up!

I kinda sorta forgot to post last month. I did think about it once the day before, like, "huh, I need to do that." And then I forgot. In my defense, it's been a rough couple of months. I got sick with pneumonia at the end of November and it took a long time to get over it. In fact, when I was almost completely better, just a little bit of a cough left, I got a cold. So it was almost like starting over the healing process. I'm still not 100% and just going to work takes a lot out of me. 

My father-in-law was also in and out of the hospital since October, and finally lost his battle with cancer this past Saturday. I've been trying to help out my husband and his mom and sisters as much as I can. I helped edit the obituary since it wasn't up to my writer's standards! 

Other than that, have I been writing? Of course not! Are you new here?? 

I feel like I usually have some kind of plan with the start of a new year, but I don't even have that. I do have a planner, though. So...baby steps. I really just want to start reading more and going through the different writing workbooks and guides and figuring out where to even start when it comes to writing. 

I did get an interesting fortune cookie on New Year's Eve, though: 

Food plays a huge role in my main WIP, so I would gladly welcome this. Still hasn't happened yet, but I can dream. Literally.