Having More Time

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Don’t you ever wish you had more time to read or write? It’s as if the number of books we want to read or the stories we want to write far exceed the time we have to pursue them.

Thus, we must focus on only a particular set of books and story ideas. We must limit ourselves to what we can accomplish–what we have time to invest in.

But the truth of the matter is is that there would never be enough time to complete all the things we want to read or write. We will always find a new book that will pique our interest, and stumble upon a new idea that inspires us.

Out of all the possible books and story ideas we could possibly choose from, we must choose the ones that will hold our attention the most.

Writing Goals

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One of my writing goals this year is to complete at least 20 short stories. I’ve been writing more of them recently, and enjoy creating vignettes and scenes that are either extraordinary, strange, or surreal.

My other goal is to write a novel. Last year, my goal was to write four novels, but this year, because I’m focusing on short stories instead, I will limit myself to one novel. But we will see. Who knows what great novel-length concept grabs me in the coming months.

The length of each short story will vary–according to how much depth is needed to complete each one. When an idea jumps out at you, you have to write it before the idea wanes.

How Many Words?

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When I write a story, I often wonder how long it needs to be. In other words, how many words does it need to be?

When writing a novel, I know it has to be at least 40,000 words minimum. For a short story, it can be 1,000 words, 2,000 words, etc. The word limit for a story is just the fencing for the concept and narrative. But that fence can expand depending on how much yardage is needed to complete the garden, so to speak.

I often go over the limit of what I set for myself. If I am aiming for a 40,000 word novel, the story will often exceed it. The same holds true for short stories. For the story itself is organic and evolving.

A Useful Thing

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When we own something that is of high quality, we don’t need to replace it. It’s kind of like a car that is reliable and has plenty of miles left in it, or tools that are just as strong and durable as when they were new.

Owning these quality things brings a sense of confidence in our lives. We can trust on them to do what they are designed to, and don’t have splurge money to replace them. They don’t break easily, and they have a consistency that makes them dependable.

We might see something new in a store or in an advertisement and be tempted to buy something that we already have. It’s not that the product is necessarily great (how could we know if we don’t own it), but our want stems from the fact that it is new. We believe that newer things are better than older things, forgetting the proverb: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

eBooks and Physical Books Part 2

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Here is part 1 of my post: eBooks and Physical Books.

In the past year, I’ve amassed more ebooks than I ever have. Strangely enough. Even after accumulating more ebooks than physical books, I still prefer to read books on paper.

Why you might ask? Because when I read books on a tablet or on my phone, it feels like I’m continuously staring at a computer screen. In other words, it’s as if I’m still on my computer when my intention is to be off of it.

When reading for long hours on my phone or tablet, it strains my eyes and makes for an uncomfortable reading experience. Even though I’ve been reading a lot more on digital devices, I can’t read on them as long as I could on paper.

Granted, ebooks don’t use any paper, and they can be bought and read instantaneously. Thus, they are more economical and accessible than having to pick up the book from a store or to have them be delivered via mail. And although there are obvious advantages to the digital format, there’s something about having a physical book that elevates the experience beyond a digital one. It’s as if words themselves live on the page.

Seizing Opportunity

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An opportunity may come and we wonder if we should seize it. We might second guess ourselves because we want to analyze all of the possibilities/outcomes. But when we do spend the time to analyze them, the moment may pass, and so will the opportunity.

Seizing the opportunity is about taking risks. Whether it’s an opportunity for a new job, a trip, a new project, or even a creative idea that pops in our mind (i.e. a peculiar story), we must use our intuition to assess whether it is worth it or not. It is only in hindsight that we find out if the choice was a mistake or not.

Some opportunities come and go while others return–our second chance. When they do return, we already know the outcome of not seizing them. What is the outcome if we do?

Notepad

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Notepads aren’t something we use regularly given technology nowadays. Laptops, cellphones, and other devices make communication and recording information convenient and quick. Using a word processor program, we can spellcheck our work, add page numbering, change the font size and style, etc.

With a notepad, we must do all the editing ourselves. Even though it doesn’t have access to the Internet or a word processor (for obvious reasons), we can still use it to jot down notes, to brainstorm, to sketch, and we can even tear it out a sheet if we need to carry it with us or bring it somewhere.

Instead of using the computer, I use small notepads to write notes to myself as reminders. I find that it’s a lot easier to see the notes on the wall or on the desk than having to see them when I’m on the computer. I use notepads for my to-do list, as well as for my shopping list.

Notepads are one of those things that is a matter preference. Depending on what that is determines whether we record our notes on a digital device, or on something tangible and manipulative like paper.

Being Remembered

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I used to think that it was important to be remembered. As I got wiser, I realized that that wasn’t so important, since it’s more important to build a great life for yourself.

People will remember you from the fruits you left in this life. It’s not about the possessions, but about how you affected people that they will remember you by.

During our lifetime, we don’t think about being remembered as we’re living in the present. Instead, we’re focused on achieving our goals, raising our standard of living. Being remembered is the last thing from our mind.

Rather, life occurs in the moment, not in the distant future. We can plan for it, but who knows what unforeseen event might change it all. Being remembered is something that will happen anyway.

Writing as a Habit

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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

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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.

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