Author: Fallton Havenstonne

Writing as a Habit

Fallton Havenstonne

If I take a break from writing, it’s hard to get back into it when I start again. The words come out slowly, and it’s as if I must think about each word before I type it. Only after writing a lot do the words flow naturally from my fingertips.

It’s kind of like with exercising or jogging. In the beginning, one gets exhausted easily and they want to take a break. But after awhile, they can jog for longer distances and in longer intervals. The same applies to writing. It’s a muscle that must be exercised repeatedly in order to have a skill that can produce a serious amount of output. Without the practice, the output is minimal, and the skill isn’t solid yet.

One cannot rely on strong passion or inspiration to produce a lot of prose. That can wear off. It takes discipline and practice to write regularly. When writing becomes a habit, the quantity increases, and so does the skill.

Portfolio

Fallton Havenstonne

It’s curious to look at the works of artists in the past, such as painters and sculptors. We can see how much their work has evolved since their youth. Once they’ve reached their peak, we can see how polished their work is, and we understand that their success wasn’t something that happened overnight, but a long struggle of successes and failures.

At some point in their life, the volume of their work declines, and it seems as if something interrupted their productivity. It could be illness, or maybe it was the circumstances of the time. Perhaps the art world ignored them, and turned their attention to the next big thing at the time.

When we look at writers, some have written an extensive body of work, such as Isaac Asimov, while others only released a handful of books, such as Harper Lee. Sometimes it just takes one book for an author to become a huge success, while for others, it takes several books before they finally get published or reach wide acclaim.

Regardless of the size of our portfolio, what’s important is that the work itself is of great importance to us. If we feel that there is more to say in our body of work, then we should continue in our work. If not, we should find something else that is fulfilling to us.

Posted in Art

Older Stuff

Fallton Havenstonne

The stuff we have will eventually be older stuff given enough time. The question is whether we should keep it or not, or for how long we should hold onto the stuff?

Some of the stuff we have are collectibles, such as comic books, cards, etc., while others have a sentimental value for us, such as trophies and gifts. But then there are things we’ve accumulated, such as clothes, books, movies, etc., which had a value for us at a certain time, but not so much anymore.

We might get rid of things because they’re outdated. For example, CDs, VHS tapes, cassette tapes, older model cell phones and computers. We might even get rid of furniture if we intend to replace it with a new set. But how long do we wait for? How much stuff do we even need?

Certain things we keep because they have a utilitarian value, such as a car, kitchenware, tools, etc. If money is tight, we prioritize it on the essentials rather than on replacing older stuff with newer stuff. Similarly, we would keep driving a car until it becomes too expensive to repair. We don’t replace it every year or two. We keep it for as long as it works.

But what about everything else? When we don’t use something anymore, we put it away in a box or a container–stow it away in the closet or in the basement. We don’t see it for years. Overtime, that box collects dust, and when we finally open it, it’ll be like gazing into a time capsule. The stuff inside will bring back memories, but will we use it again?

In the end, everything eventually becomes older stuff. Time ticks forward, leaving the past behind. And when it comes time to surveying all the stuff we have, we must think about how much we currently have, and if we really need all of it.

Past Memories

Fallton Havenstonne

There are times when we remember something about our youth, or something that happened several years ago. It’s as if the memory rattled loose from its memory bank and shined a light in our eyes. It’s a memory of something that seemed insignificant then, but has relevance now.

It could be something mundane, such as staring out the window of a car during a road trip, or waiting in line at the grocery store. It could be something important like a birthday celebration or a job interview.

But more importantly, those memories serve as timestamps in our lives. Those timestamps highlight a certain phase that we went through, such as a phase in which we were living at a particular apartment, worked a certain job, or pursued specific goals.

Those memories cannot be recreated or re-experienced. There was a particular circumstance to those memories that make them unique to us. It’s as if those memories resurfaced to show us how far we’ve come, how much we’ve evolved, and how much has changed.

Crunch Time

Fallton Havenstonne

Are we more productive during crunch time, or do we do a poorer job because of it?

We’ve all faced crunch time before. Just think back to a deadline at work or when we had to turn in a paper or an assignment at a university. It happens in sports too, especially when the clock is winding down. But do deadlines give us an incentive to do better, or do we make a myriad of mistakes because we feel rushed?

Having deadlines is a part of life, and it’s really about time management and how realistic the expectations are in completing a task. If we had procrastinated on a project and then started on it at the last minute, then the chance of a high quality result will be lower than if we had worked on it earlier.

If we had started on the project earlier, then crunch time would be more about putting the finishing touches on it (or double checking the work) rather than starting from scratch. The earlier we start, the more leeway we have to try things out, experiment, make mistakes, and to see if we need more time or not.

Crunch time happens all the time, but it’s really about how prepared we are for it. Will we start at the last minute, or will we work ahead and be ready for the deadline?

Desk Space

Fallton Havenstonne

A desk space should have enough room for us to be productive, and also be organized enough so that nothing gets in the way of that. In designing our desk space, we attempt to find the right balance of both so that neither our productivity nor organization are compromised.

In the past, I’ve tried to keep my desk space clear and uncluttered. When I’m working on a project, however, it becomes messy and cluttered in just a matter of minutes. For example, I’ll scribble ideas down on scratch paper, jot things down on post-it notes, have books out on the desk, and draw my ideas as I brainstorm. Not before long, the desk is in disarray. The process of creation is chaotic, untidy–the opposite of tidiness and organization.

Although it’s nice to have a desk that looks clean and uncluttered, it isn’t always conducive to creativity. I find that creativity is kind of like painting on a blank canvas or sculpting with clay. You’re bound to make mistakes and experiment with shapes and colors until it all comes together.

When we’re creative, we go into zone–have tunnel vision: we only focus on the work itself. Thus, creativity doesn’t want to be confined nor restricted. It wants to be set free. But to be organized means we must restrict it, or else everything gets disorganized.

To find the right balance, we must do a combination of both: create and then organize. As long as we have system in place, the chaos can be brought back in to order.

Stages of Editing

Fallton Havenstonne

Before I begin proofreading, I will analyze the structure of the story. I will analyze the plot, the characters, and how it all fits together. This takes a lot of planning, a lot of outlining, scribbling notes, and careful attention to detail. After the structural analysis, I’ll begin the proofreading process.

I usually go through several stages of editing and number each document in order so that I can compare the newest version with the last. I do at least 4 or 5 edits on a manuscript, sometimes more, depending on how much I change the story in each pass.

But no matter how many times I edit my story, I’ve learned that someone else will catch mistakes (i.e. a reader or an editor)–even if I’ve read it a hundred times. Why? Because my mind knows the story so well that it doesn’t see the mistakes anymore. It knows what was corrected, and thus, it knows not to fix the same thing twice.

Editing is a long and tedious process. It takes a lot of persistence, focus, and energy to finish each pass. But at the end, having a polished and finished product is worth all the effort.

Reading Text Aloud

Fallton Havenstonne

I used to read the text aloud as a way of proofreading my stories. Now, I will read certain sentences or paragraphs aloud if I notice that the text flows awkwardly or doesn’t sound right.

It’s useful to read aloud to catch errors when a word is missing or if the words are in the wrong order. When you read aloud, you’re sounding out each syllable, each word. You will catch missing letters, or notice that something is present tense when it should be plural (like a missing “s” at the end of a word).

Reading aloud is a useful way to edit, catching mistakes that can be glaring, yet, so easily missed.

Idioms

Fallton Havenstonne

I like to use idioms both in dialogue and in the prose. When used in dialogue, it can illuminate the characters personality and use of speech. In prose, it can make the text read like the author is speaking to you directly.

Idioms express an idea through an analogy that gives our words a boost–a sense of style. For example, “It’s a piece of cake,” means that something is easy, but would it have been better to use the word “easy” instead? If one were to write “that test was a piece of cake” instead of “that test was easy,” the former sparks the imagination, whereas the latter simply gives us information.

Idioms can be useful to brighten up conversation or give texture to our writing. But using too many idioms can make it sound like we’re talking in code rather than conveying ideas. Just as with adjectives and adverbs, we must be careful of overuse and redundancy, since it can sound jarring and tiresome after awhile. But if used in the right amount, everything works harmoniously together.

Paycheck – Short Story Review

Fallton Havenstonne

Paycheck, by Philip K. Dick, is a short story about a man, Jennings, who has no memory of the work he did for the last two years at Rethrick Construction. Soon, he finds out that they had wiped his memory of those years, and that he will receive compensation for the work he had done for them.

But when he goes into their office to collect his “paycheck,” they hand him an envelope instead, which contains a receipt, a key, etc. Later, the Security Police pick him up for questioning. They ask him about the work he had done for Rethrick Construction. Of course, he has no answer to give.

Using a couple of the items in the envelope, he escapes their custody and goes into hiding to find out what work he had done for the company. As the story unfolds, he uses the items in the envelope to evade being captured and to find out key information about Rethrick Construction.

The story is packed with fascinating ideas about technology and time through a dystopian backdrop. It’s neat to see how Jenning figures out how to use the items at the right moment to get himself out of trouble or to find out what he needs to know. The more I read, the more I wanted to dive into the story to find out what happened next.