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Words Counts And Plotlines And Drafts, Oh My!

Here we are, just over a week into NaNoWriMo. How am I doing? So far, I’m keeping up with the daily word count to hit 50K words in 30 days.

I’m also still blogging for 3 blogs, and a host of other projects.

But I’m also tired. Very, very tired. Not physically exhausted… no, I’m just mentally tired of running around and doing things. Or as one person put it, “I can’t brain. Don’t make me brain.” I find myself getting weary when I’m not writing or working or listening or driving or working some more or… whatever.

Granted, over the last few years I’ve learned to push a lot of that aside and get stuff done anyway. But is that really how we’re designed to live? Doing as much as we can, and not really being able to enjoy it?

I’d really like to be able to sit and *not* feel the crushing weight of a thousand things to do. Yes, I know some of them I took on of my own volition, but that doesn’t make them any less real, or any less heavy.

Sometimes my brain tricks me into thinking my life is like a TV show, and when the action’s over, nothing happens until the next episode. But real life doesn’t work that way. It just keeps going, and going, and going, like the Energizer Bunny (I hate the Energizer Bunny!)

So yeah, I’ve been writing up a storm. Does it make me feel more relaxed? No. Does it make me feel more accomplished? Kind of… it’s nice, but I’ve done it before. Does it make me a better person? Not really.

I’m very proud of who I am and what I’ve been able to do, but there are days when I don’t want to be a Supervillain any more. It would be nice to be a normal, dumbed-down guy from nowhere, doing nothing.

Heh. Yeah, right! Like that’s ever going to happen to me. I can’t help but be who God made me to be, so I’ll do what I can, and try to slow down long enough to not let life pass me by.

This past weekend, my eldest daughter turned eighteen. Eighteen. I don’t even know where to start with that… I guess out of all my evil plans for World Domination, having kids was one of the best. Cause she’s awesome, and crazy, and cool, and grounded, and all the things I wanted her to be. I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better minion.

So, enough reminiscing. It’s back to writing, and work, and everything else. I’ll catch you all when I come up for air.

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Weight Loss: Calories Vs. Nutrition

One of the things you’re going to have to deal with if you’re out of shape is slimming down and getting rid of unwanted fat. This is probably the least fun part of the process, but it’s also one of the most important.

Almost everybody understands that obesity is directly tied to more diseases and health problems than you can count. Therefore, if you want to be healthy, you need to get rid of the excess fat. You will feel better, look better, and your body will be able to function correctly, without fighting itself just to stay alive.

I’m not here to convince you of the importance of weight loss. Everybody knows that.

I’m here to convince you that this is where the Forge mindset will change your life. You see, losing weight is a simple game of input versus output. If you burn more calories than you eat, then you lose weight. Pretty simple.

But when you factor in the hunger pains, cravings, nutrition, and all the other things going wrong in your body, it seems like an insurmountable task. “Who can lose that much weight?” you might say. “They’re cheating, it can’t be that simple!” People wave their bag of chips in the air and shout, “Being thin is hard!” Continue reading “Weight Loss: Calories Vs. Nutrition”

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NaNoWriMo: The Journey Begins

For those who aren’t aware, November is National Novel Writing Month. What does that mean? It means that thousands of people will be trying to write 50,000 words in 30 days. I’ll probably do it, too.

The Bad News: If you need to find motivation to write 50,000 words, then you’re going to have a hard time. Chances are if your story isn’t just bursting out of your fingertips, you’re going to struggle. You’re probably going to feel like your story isn’t making progress, and you’ll feel frustrated if things don’t end up the way you imagined.

The Good News: You can still write 50,000 words. It will be a learning experience, and you’ll grow from it. You’ll find ways to get around writer’s block, you’ll figure out what works and what doesn’t.

If this is your first time attempting NaNoWriMo, then focus on learning to write consistently. That is more important than doing it “right” or making the perfect first novel (a bit of advice: that almost never happens). If you go into it understanding these truths, then your experience will be exactly what it’s meant to be: a learning experience. Continue reading “NaNoWriMo: The Journey Begins”

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Building A 2-Wheeled Urban Assault Vehicle: Part 1

As I’ve written about many times, cycling is a great way to get fit and be practical at the same time. The toughest part will be getting your human-powered Urban Assault Vehicle ready for action. But fear not! We aren’t going into uncharted territory. In fact, I’m going to show you just how easy it can be to build the Ultimate Pavement Bomber, on a budget.

Start With A Bike

Do you already own a bike? Good. You’re better off than most people. Chances are you’ve got one of these three types of bikes:

  • Mountain Bike – fat/knobby tires, flat handlebar, possibly suspension fork and frame
  • Hybrid – skinny tires, flat handlebar, usually a suspension fork
  • Cruiser – fat tires, swept back bars, usually 1 speed (not always)

Any one of them can be pressed into service, with a few tweaks. If you already own a drop-bar road bike, then you’re pretty much there. Hybrids are awesome for shorter trips (less than 20 miles) because the upright riding position is good for visibility in traffic, but longer rides can be hard when you’ve only got one position to put your hands in.

Let’s assume the bike is in decent working shape: brakes and gears are adjusted and working, no loose hardware, and the bike is roughly the right size for you. If you have one of these rare unicorns, consider yourself blessed. If your bike needs work, then spend some time on Youtube learning how to adjust it, or bring it to a bike shop and have them do it for you (I recommend learning it yourself, for obvious reasons). Once your bike is in good working condition, it’s time to make its conversion to the dark side complete!
Continue reading “Building A 2-Wheeled Urban Assault Vehicle: Part 1”

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Life In Perspective

Sometimes life just clips along, and we merrily go through it, paying no mind to anything. We’re the happy center of our own universe, and nothing matters except what’s immediately in front of us.

And then there are days where you come face to face with the reaper, and you realize you’re just a single breath away from eternity.

This past week, a guy at work died of cancer. He only knew about it 2 months before he succumbed to it. I’ve known other people who were diagnosed with and died of cancer within 2 weeks. Two Weeks.

So what’s the point of it all, if we’re just dust? If we’re such insignificant specks in the flotsam of the universe, why do we even bother? Continue reading “Life In Perspective”

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Gear Review: Axiom Journey Rack

If you’ve ever tried riding somewhere with a heavy backpack, you can appreciate the practicality of having a rear rack to carry stuff.

When I built my bike years ago, I used cheap second-hand racks made of steel, and all of them broke under regular commuting use. So I went about finding a proper replacement, and stumbled upon the Axiom Journey rear rack.

The rack itself is made of welded aluminum tubing. It’s surprisingly light for how strong it is, as it’s rated for 150 pounds and only weighs 1.5 pounds! Believe me when I say this thing is beefy. The most I’ve carried on it is about 80 pounds…. one of my kids rode sitting on it with no problems. I’ll just say my rear wheel would probably blow spokes before the rack breaks. Continue reading “Gear Review: Axiom Journey Rack”

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Mental Toughness

As we’ve touched on previously, the ability to be fit and strong really comes down to a mental struggle. Everybody wants to be fit, right? But it’s work. And not everybody wants to work. So how do you become fit if you’re reluctant to work? How do you become strong if you’re… weak?

Well, that’s the problem, isn’t it? We live in an age where the hardest thing we overcome is whether we want White Mocha or Pumpkin Spice lattes.

How can you expect to succeed in a heroic effort if you have nothing to fight for? Sure, going to the gym is hard, physically, but its not exactly life-threatening. And doing aerobics or riding your bike to work isn’t going to earn you a Purple Heart.

There can be external motivations, but they’re fleeting and easily forgotten. The real motivation, your intrinsic reason for doing it, is because you want to be that hero. You have to crave being that strong person. Because if you don’t want it… you’ll find any excuse not to be that person. Continue reading “Mental Toughness”

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Being Grounded In A Subversive World

sub•vert (səb-vûrtˈ)

  • v. To destroy completely; ruin: “schemes to subvert the liberties of a great community” (Alexander Hamilton).
  • v. To undermine the character, morals, or allegiance of; corrupt.
  • v. To overthrow completely.

Whether we like it or not, we live in a world filled with subversion. Everywhere we go, people want to undermine common sense in order to warp reality to fit their own ends.

Specifically, I’m talking about definition #2: “To undermine the character, morals, or allegiance of; corrupt.”

You have to understand that in order for morals and character to be undermined, there have to be morals and character there to begin with. You can’t subvert or corrupt something that doesn’t exist. Continue reading “Being Grounded In A Subversive World”

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Pre-November Preview

Things have been steadily moving forward with my current novel project. I’m getting the outline to the point where it almost writes itself, which is exactly where it needs to be.

This is the time where I decide if I want to officially try to “win” at NaNoWriMo this year. I’m of course thinking about how all the horrible fanfic and chick-lit authors will swarm the NaNo boards and discussions, talking about stuff I’m not the least bit interested in. I don’t have to participate, of course, but that takes some of the fun out of it.

I am noticing that more and more writers are foregoing the whole “story” idea and just writing mush. As I’ve written previously, I have issues with contrived stories that lack focus… I ought to know, I wrote one! Continue reading “Pre-November Preview”

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Book Review: Monster Hunter International

I finally had the chance to read through Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia. In a nutshell, the book is a fun read, and I’d recommend it. But that’s not really a review, so I’m going to give it the proper treatment it deserves.

As the first book in a series, MHI is about Owen Zastava Pitt; a simple corporate accountant who ends up shoving his boss out of a 14th floor window. But that’s because his boss was a werewolf. After nearly being mauled to death, Pitt wakes up in the hospital with lots of scars, and a job offer from a shady character.

I generally judge a book or film on how well the writer achieves their goal, and how entertaining the journey was to get there. Now, with a name like “Monster Hunter International” I had a pretty good idea of where the story was going to go. And since I’m cool with blowing monsters to bits, I’m willing to overlook a few things here and there if the story is fun. Continue reading “Book Review: Monster Hunter International”