Category: Just Life

Updates May 31- June 04

Hello,

Thank you for the likes and the follows. 

The last two weeks I was kind of out of it. I have only been reaching about 1/3 of the goals set.  I wonder am I being over ambitious.  What am I doing wrong?  I still haven’t figured it out yet.  I will persevere and continue to work on.    With the help of two create-along or write along on Twitch with friends, I was able to write my characters out of the uber they were sitting in for about two months.    Also, I know these updates are horrible in structure. Have I been really updating anyone on my writing progress?   My plan is to get better at them.  I think when I make statements like this, my worst enemy is activated and works to self-sabotage my creative drive.  The only positive thing about these brief notes is consistency.  Sometimes I am not inclined to write on Sunday to post on Monday.  At the same time, I need to form a habit.    I can’t say when it will happen, but I don’t think I can maintain a weekly update.  I might have to change it up a bit.  The changes may be in August or September.  I have to figure out what I am doing and what exactly am I giving and getting from this site.  These are the thoughts going in my head concerning the JC Henry Universe. 

In Reading news, I am stuck on the nonfiction.  It means Guns, Germs and Steel has not been completed.  Then because I have low impulse control, I started to listen to another, nonfiction book Sex, Race, and Robots:  How to be Human in the Age of AI by Dr. Ayanna Howard and narrated by Amandla Stenberg.    Both books are fascinating in different ways, one is about the past, and one is about the future and our places in it.   The narrators are good.  Not sure if it was mentioned before, I often listened to audiobooks during my commutes and workday.  I am confined to my house and at one point I thought I would just be blazing through my books – audio, digital and physical.  This was before I realized I might have a slight YouTube addiction.  I am not endorsing or condemning what I have done.  I noticed how time consuming it could be.  It wouldn’t be a problem if all the information gathered was useless however I have learned things from YT that is useful for my over well-being and writing.   That will mostly likely be another thing I have to monitor and seriously deal with. 

I have listened to three fiction books, Audible recommended author Layla Hagen to me, her completed series is called Very Irresistible Bachelors.  They are interesting pieces of escapism.  The book universe is based in New York City. It is a different NYC than I know.  Which is fun.  The two books I have listened to are You’re the One and Just One Kiss.   The other fiction audio that I was reading was My Twisted Fate by Piper Rayne.  This is the prequel to the Greene Family series.  I also read the short novellas by Piper Rayne, about the Baileys, Operation: Weddings, Babies and Birthdays.  It concluded the series with the grandmother’s 90th birthday.  But also hinted on the continued romance that might connect the Greene and Bailey Families in Alaska.

These books tend to be easier to get through because I don’t think to much on them.  I like the seamless beginning middle and end.  Non-Fiction books are not that simple.  They have ramifications that are not always obvious but always there. 

This week’s goals are the same of last week.  I will write 8000 words.  I will be working on the romance novel Star Crossed.  I will be doing research on how to make this website more useful to everyone and post quotes, encouraging being creative, healthy, and content with your life.   I am praying that we all have a positive and safe week. 

End.

Updates May 16-21

Hello,

Thank you for the likes and follows.

The weather has been getting warmer every day. It is a good thing. The trees are green, and flowers are blooming, bugs are flying around. I no longer have any excuse not to do a recommended health walk outside.  Writing about walking outside in this update is apart of making myself accountable.   Writing can lead to health issues- posture, weight, sleep, and the most hated carpal tunnel syndrome.  If the writer is not careful.  Health and over all well-being have been something I have struggled with for years.  Health and being creative are connected.  Once that was understood, I stopped labelling parts of my life as writing life and real life.  They influence and affect each other.  Something to keep in mind if you are a creative person. 

In writing news, there is not much to tell.  I’m still not satisfied with word count but that is something that can be worked on.  So, it is a work in progress.  Thinking about the future, I considered entering a writing contest or two.   I don’t know if I am up to that challenge yet, but I started to look through stories I started as short works.  There are about five on file.  Two are supposed to be part of the same universe. 

May is called Asian and Pacific islander month.  I didn’t always know this.  A YouTube creator started an Asian readathon a few years ago.  I found these two books on the recommended reading list and I indulged.  A Pho Love Story by Loan Le.  It is a Romeo and Juliet type of story with Vietnamese families and food.  I think this is the author debut book, and full disclosure I am listening on audible.  The story is told in first person POV and just better for me on audio.   The other story also first person POV is the Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso.   It is fantasy told from perspective of the Queen and I am so there for it.  Often fantasies are told about the poor orphan from the country or bottom of the city. This is a story about a person in power and the haters that are after her.   The queen’s responsibility to her people and to herself is the conflict.  I find it interesting and comparing it to the graphic novel Vagrant Queen by Magdalene Visaggio.  A topic for the Wednesday review or essay.  Those are the fiction books.  I am still listening to Germs, Guns and Steel by Jared Diamond for non-fiction.  It was stated that it would take about 2 weeks to complete reading and listening to that book.  I promptly got distracted on other things.  My bad.  I used to take a commute to work and often listen to books all through the day at work.  I am no longer doing this, so adjustments are being made. 

This week’s goals are of course writing 8000+ words in the romance novel Star Crossed.  Deciding which short story will be worked on in the next month and the choice for the writing contest.   Once I write it here, I must keep to it and update you all later.   Nothing yet is confirmed I am just looking. 

I hope this week goes well for everyone. We may not get what we want, but let’s hope we get what we need.

End

Updates May 09-14

Hello,

Happy Mother’s Day

Thank you for the likes and follows.

Still working on the format for this post. I kind of dropped the ball last week. It was a bad mindset, and it took some time to repair. I don’t have the perfect method that got me out. I just know that I continued to write, read or listen to the required books. Listen to some music and on Thursday, the idea of being a writer of merit made sense to me again.

Over the last week, I have been anime-surfing. I don’t know if that is a word or not, but I am taking it to mean watching several anime or animations one or two episodes to see if I will like them. I have watched Cop Craft on Hulu. Dances with the Dragon, Back Arrow, Pretty Boy Detective Agency, and Kaguya-sama: Love is War on Funimation. Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You, Wakakozake and Black Clover on VRV. No Doubt in Us, Memories of Chang’an, and Legend of Exorcism from bilibili on YouTube. All these shows are interesting but for different reasons.  All shows were good but not enough to make me drop everything that I’ve been doing. 

The writing goal for the week has yet to be reached, but I am still working on it and making headway.  On Wednesday evening 8pm eastern time, I’ve been attending a write-along with Sarah Werner host of the Write Now Podcast, on Twitch.  Not just me many of her fans do it.  I found the experience to be worth it.  Writing in a group can be helpful with productivity.  Sarah Werner has always seemed like a nice person.  She has good advice for writers on her podcast and blog. The sessions on Twitch are laid back with no pressure.  I will go again.

This week writing goals are not different from last week. I apologize for posting this late. Time management is something to look into. I hope this week will be safe and full of positive opportunities for everyone.

End