Greetings!
Writer's Block is my mortal enemy, but at the same time I bow to it.
I'll get to a scene where everything is going smoothly and suddenly, I'll hit a wall. Usually I sit there impatiently, trying to think of something--anything to write down. After about two hours I'll know that I'm suffering from a case of Writer's Block.
I used to get really down when I got Writer's Block. I imagined that anyone who'd actually sat down and written a book didn't suffer from it. Of course, I've now learned that ALL writer's suffer from it and that we all love to procrastinate as well.
But when we've gotten bored of playing Robot Unicorn and Tertris online, and when our tweets start to turn into nothing but reiterating "I'm bored" in new and fancy ways over and over again, we have to get back to writing, and Writer's Block will still be there.
As I said before, it used to get me really down because I couldn't think of anything to write. But now I've realized, that's not true at all. I always have something in mind to write about. But the way my brain works is that I have to write everything in sequential order lest everything be thrown out of control.
I have learned to completely ignore my desire for order. The rest of my life runs on controlled chaos and it's worked great for me for the past 20 years. Why not just, apply it to my writing as well and then pull it all together like I do with the rest of my life?
This is probably the most brilliant thing I've ever done, which isn't saying much, but it pulls me out of my writer's block which is awesome. I simply skip ahead. What do I know I want to write about? What do I know is going to happen? What I can I write right now that is going to help me?
And I write that instead. Usually, after I've done that I've been able to think of what's going to happen before what I'd just written and then the block is gone.
It doesn't always work. Sometimes it just leads to more Writer's Block which will then lead to me over indulging in Oreos and Harry Potter fanfiction and, eventually, sleep. When my block is this severe I know that it's time to get up and walk away and do something productive. Most writers I know cringe at the thought of being productive, but eventually we have to put on pants and get some laundry done or do some dishes. Sometimes, Writer's Block is nothing more than your brain needing a break. And while our body's only impulse is to write until our we've rubbed off the letters from our keyboards, sometimes our brain says to us "look, Crazy Person, I'm not going to help you advance the plot until you make stop looking at this computer screen for a while."
The last technique I've developed for writer's block is eliminating distraction completely. This doesn't mean turning off my TV and getting off Twitter for a few hours, I have to leave my computer for a while, break out my purple binder and hand write my work. This, out of everything else, is what has proved to be the best thing I've ever done. It takes longer to hand write and my hand definitely cramps up when I do it, but I think without the temptation of the internet or solitaire, it's easier. Not only that, but I think because writing by hands takes longer, it also makes you think more because you have to take your time with every single word, whereas on my laptop, I can crank something out easily because my hands have memorized the keys and that makes it go by so much faster.
Writer's Block sucks. It totally sucks, but it's also challenging. My only desire in the whole world is to write and when I get blocked then I feel like a drug addict who can't get a fix. I just don't feel like I'm functioning unless I'm creating something with my words. The only way to get my fix is to find ways around Writer's Block so I can do what I need to do.
Fare thee well,
April
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
I Think I Hate You Facebook
Greetings!
So, I'm irritated and the only way I know how to properly express anger is by writing it down or making my followers on Twitter mad with a series "CAPSLOCK APRIL" tweets which are annoying and probably take away from my irritation by irritating other people. And thus, I turn here.
Today, what irritates me is something that has irritated me for a while now: Facebook.
I liked Facebook for a while, then I moved to Twitter which basically completes my social networking soul. And I always went back to Facebook every day to see how friends are doing, post a status update maybe, perhaps I'd post something funny or cool I found on the internet. I was just as quiet and friendly on Facebook as I am in real life.
It has just now occurred to me, however, that if my reserved personality can show through on Facebook people who are obnoxious in real life can most certainly be obnoxious on Facebook too.
People who post the same status four times in a week make me want to slam my head against my desk repeatedly. I understand that maybe you really do love your life. Maybe you really are happy just doin' you, but if you're going to clog my feed with your repetitiveness and make me waste 10 seconds (that I could spend about BBC or CNN or HuffPo or The Onion or seeing what's new in Star Trek) for the love of Helga Hufflepuff, could you at least mix it up a little.
And another thing--why do people feel the need to put pointed statuses up on Facebook. For example: "I'm so over the Facebook drama. I didn't know we were still in high school, but it's okay. Go ahead and be childish. I'm on my own level" or something to that effect.(I've never had Facebook drama so excuse me if I'm not clear on how these ridiculous statuses are supposed to work.)
That's not just something you say in general. You are obviously talking about ONE person and you are obviously doing nothing but continuing the Facebook drama by making pointed comments.
What really, really, grinds my gears about Facebook is that people are exactly the same online as they are in real life, except BRAVER. I mean, pointed status updates are basically things you whisper to your friends behind other people's back. And you can put them on blast on Facebook , saying anything and everything you want about them WITHOUT using their name and when you see them IRL or if the pop-up chat you on Facebook you're going to be just as polite as possible even if you said 30 seconds ago that you were so over them and that you were going to be above the BS.
This leads me to one conclusion: I find people obnoxious in real life. If people are braver on the internet wouldn't it make them even MORE obnoxious? Facebook increases obnoxiousness dramatically. It increases stupid dramatically. It increases the amounts of face palms I do daily, dramatically.
And the obvious answer is to just delete all the stupid obnoxious people from your profile, from your life. But there are some people who you can't get rid of because that would leave to drama in your real life which you try desperately to avoid because no matter how much you love someone some people in your life are just annoying on the internet.
I'm sure people get tired of me always going on about Harry Potter on Facebook. I'm sure they think that's obnoxious, I'm sure they wish I would tone it down. I'm sure that in person they think "aw, April like Harry Potter. How cute." but on Facebook they feel like "If she posts about Deathly Hallows 2 again I will cut that bitch."
And if I can be obnoxious on the internet and adorable in real life then people can certainly be obnoxious online and just fine in real life.
But if you delete them on Facebook then obviously you have a problem with them because obviously Facebook is an accurate depiction of who your real friends are.
I know most people use Facebook to stalk people. I know you only friend some people so you can see their business and say "look at what this hoe is wearing. I always knew she was a skank. Let's look at her pictures and see how skanky she is."
But godforbid this person you don't even like deletes you. Then all of a sudden you're incredibly offended because how dare they dislike you.
I could keep going but I feel myself making less and less sense and understanding how much people and Facebook just annoy the crap out of me. Sometimes I just want to go on people's pages and post nasty Draco Malfoy type comments to shock them into shutting up.
But that is so not me. I feel guilty when I speak my mind about people making me upset. Like I have the balls to be nasty to people.
All though some day I really would like to use my favorite insult a la Sauruman from The Two Towers. "You stink of horse." That would be so boss.
*sigh*
To delete Facebook or not to delete Facebook. That is the question.
So, I'm irritated and the only way I know how to properly express anger is by writing it down or making my followers on Twitter mad with a series "CAPSLOCK APRIL" tweets which are annoying and probably take away from my irritation by irritating other people. And thus, I turn here.
Today, what irritates me is something that has irritated me for a while now: Facebook.
I liked Facebook for a while, then I moved to Twitter which basically completes my social networking soul. And I always went back to Facebook every day to see how friends are doing, post a status update maybe, perhaps I'd post something funny or cool I found on the internet. I was just as quiet and friendly on Facebook as I am in real life.
It has just now occurred to me, however, that if my reserved personality can show through on Facebook people who are obnoxious in real life can most certainly be obnoxious on Facebook too.
People who post the same status four times in a week make me want to slam my head against my desk repeatedly. I understand that maybe you really do love your life. Maybe you really are happy just doin' you, but if you're going to clog my feed with your repetitiveness and make me waste 10 seconds (that I could spend about BBC or CNN or HuffPo or The Onion or seeing what's new in Star Trek) for the love of Helga Hufflepuff, could you at least mix it up a little.
And another thing--why do people feel the need to put pointed statuses up on Facebook. For example: "I'm so over the Facebook drama. I didn't know we were still in high school, but it's okay. Go ahead and be childish. I'm on my own level" or something to that effect.(I've never had Facebook drama so excuse me if I'm not clear on how these ridiculous statuses are supposed to work.)
That's not just something you say in general. You are obviously talking about ONE person and you are obviously doing nothing but continuing the Facebook drama by making pointed comments.
What really, really, grinds my gears about Facebook is that people are exactly the same online as they are in real life, except BRAVER. I mean, pointed status updates are basically things you whisper to your friends behind other people's back. And you can put them on blast on Facebook , saying anything and everything you want about them WITHOUT using their name and when you see them IRL or if the pop-up chat you on Facebook you're going to be just as polite as possible even if you said 30 seconds ago that you were so over them and that you were going to be above the BS.
This leads me to one conclusion: I find people obnoxious in real life. If people are braver on the internet wouldn't it make them even MORE obnoxious? Facebook increases obnoxiousness dramatically. It increases stupid dramatically. It increases the amounts of face palms I do daily, dramatically.
And the obvious answer is to just delete all the stupid obnoxious people from your profile, from your life. But there are some people who you can't get rid of because that would leave to drama in your real life which you try desperately to avoid because no matter how much you love someone some people in your life are just annoying on the internet.
I'm sure people get tired of me always going on about Harry Potter on Facebook. I'm sure they think that's obnoxious, I'm sure they wish I would tone it down. I'm sure that in person they think "aw, April like Harry Potter. How cute." but on Facebook they feel like "If she posts about Deathly Hallows 2 again I will cut that bitch."
And if I can be obnoxious on the internet and adorable in real life then people can certainly be obnoxious online and just fine in real life.
But if you delete them on Facebook then obviously you have a problem with them because obviously Facebook is an accurate depiction of who your real friends are.
I know most people use Facebook to stalk people. I know you only friend some people so you can see their business and say "look at what this hoe is wearing. I always knew she was a skank. Let's look at her pictures and see how skanky she is."
But godforbid this person you don't even like deletes you. Then all of a sudden you're incredibly offended because how dare they dislike you.
I could keep going but I feel myself making less and less sense and understanding how much people and Facebook just annoy the crap out of me. Sometimes I just want to go on people's pages and post nasty Draco Malfoy type comments to shock them into shutting up.
But that is so not me. I feel guilty when I speak my mind about people making me upset. Like I have the balls to be nasty to people.
All though some day I really would like to use my favorite insult a la Sauruman from The Two Towers. "You stink of horse." That would be so boss.
*sigh*
To delete Facebook or not to delete Facebook. That is the question.
Monday, April 11, 2011
BDEA 11: It's Gettin' Hot In Hurr
Greetings!
Today is another one of those where I have nothing to talk about.
Target was not fun, again. Our scanners went down so I kept having to call people over the walkies to find stuff (or rather, tell me that we were out of things).
It's warm, which is nice but I'm hot because I'm wearing a hoodie because when I got to work I had to do a freezer pull (which is just stock for the feezer)and it was massive and I was cold. THen I never took the hoodie off. That was not smart.
My throat is sore. I'm drinking ghetto iced tea (Dairymens FTW) and eating popcorn for dinner.
I'll probably nom on some chewy cookies later.
A balanced diet.
Fare thee well,
April
Today is another one of those where I have nothing to talk about.
Target was not fun, again. Our scanners went down so I kept having to call people over the walkies to find stuff (or rather, tell me that we were out of things).
It's warm, which is nice but I'm hot because I'm wearing a hoodie because when I got to work I had to do a freezer pull (which is just stock for the feezer)and it was massive and I was cold. THen I never took the hoodie off. That was not smart.
My throat is sore. I'm drinking ghetto iced tea (Dairymens FTW) and eating popcorn for dinner.
I'll probably nom on some chewy cookies later.
A balanced diet.
Fare thee well,
April
Sunday, April 10, 2011
BEDA 10: Melting
Greetings!
This morning I woke up and it was hot as balls. Huzzah! The weather in bipolar Cleveland was finally starting to change in the right direction.
Yes! Warm weather!
Although I'm not the best at heat (it makes me weak) I was excited. Time to break out the shorts and the tank tops (except at Target where apparently I'll still be doomed to red and khaki pants.
So I get upstairs from sleeping in the basement and the house is, as always, melting.
But I sit down on the couch and prepare to wait Bait Car and then I smell something. A smelly sort of smell.
The smell that you smell when you turn the heat on in your house.
IT WAS 80 DEGREES AND SOMEONE HAD TURNED ON THE HEAT!
I did not understand. I still do not understand why, on the first hot day of summer, after staying here house sitting in the cold for three days THIS was the day that someone turned on the heat.
My brain was confused.
It was simple as turning the heat off and opening a few doors and blowing a fan to cool it down slightly, but still--it is hot as balls out here.
It is incredibly hot. But tomorrow it will be 60 and slowly the temperature will drop to the 40 again, just in time for me to turn 20. Boo!
Ah, the sun is setting. I can already feel it cooling down.
Time for me to relax...
Fare thee well,
April
This morning I woke up and it was hot as balls. Huzzah! The weather in bipolar Cleveland was finally starting to change in the right direction.
Yes! Warm weather!
Although I'm not the best at heat (it makes me weak) I was excited. Time to break out the shorts and the tank tops (except at Target where apparently I'll still be doomed to red and khaki pants.
So I get upstairs from sleeping in the basement and the house is, as always, melting.
But I sit down on the couch and prepare to wait Bait Car and then I smell something. A smelly sort of smell.
The smell that you smell when you turn the heat on in your house.
IT WAS 80 DEGREES AND SOMEONE HAD TURNED ON THE HEAT!
I did not understand. I still do not understand why, on the first hot day of summer, after staying here house sitting in the cold for three days THIS was the day that someone turned on the heat.
My brain was confused.
It was simple as turning the heat off and opening a few doors and blowing a fan to cool it down slightly, but still--it is hot as balls out here.
It is incredibly hot. But tomorrow it will be 60 and slowly the temperature will drop to the 40 again, just in time for me to turn 20. Boo!
Ah, the sun is setting. I can already feel it cooling down.
Time for me to relax...
Fare thee well,
April
Saturday, April 9, 2011
BEDA 9: 20 More Little Things
Greetings!
So, I've been feeling incredibly stressed out and angry as of late and I've been having a hard time relaxing. So, I decided to use to day to make another list of 20 more little things that make me happy, to remind myself that life is not as horrible as I think it is currently:
1. Walking inside from the cold into a warm house.
2. A nice cup of green tea with honey.
3. Listening to Picard say "Make it so" and "Energize"
4. Listening to Wizard Rock.
5. Rereading Blogging Twilight.
6. Getting to watch Attack of the Show.
7. Really hot, really tasty bacon pizza.
8. Reading Sonnets.
9. That irritated look Dana Scully gets on her face every time Mulder finds evidence of aliens that can be easily dismissed by science.
10. Dragon Ball Z Abridged "I have green skin, pointy ears, and a turban. Oh, yeah--I must look like so many other people."
11. Horatio Caine one liners.
12. Trying to teach my boyfriend's nephew to say "April" without him saying "ball?" instead.
13. Rereading my old writing and cringing at how bad I used to be.
14. Blasting my music and singing along to it.
15. Yu-Yu Hakusho Abridged. "Damn, Hiei. When'd you have time to chop him up like that?" "About 2 seconds after I nailed your mother." "Haha. And I thought you didn't have a sense of humor." "I don't."
16. Watching Mystery Diagnosis and making myself even more of a hypochondriac one episode at a time.
17. Dancing--when people aren't watching me of course.
18. Successfully making and consuming Shake and Bake.
19. Hanging out with people I haven't seen in a while.
20. Coloring in a color book with crayons.
Whew. Tough to do when I'm not feeling at 100% April. I'll be honest though, watching the Horatio one liner really perked me up quite a lot.
Fare thee well,
April
So, I've been feeling incredibly stressed out and angry as of late and I've been having a hard time relaxing. So, I decided to use to day to make another list of 20 more little things that make me happy, to remind myself that life is not as horrible as I think it is currently:
1. Walking inside from the cold into a warm house.
2. A nice cup of green tea with honey.
4. Listening to Wizard Rock.
5. Rereading Blogging Twilight.
6. Getting to watch Attack of the Show.
7. Really hot, really tasty bacon pizza.
8. Reading Sonnets.
9. That irritated look Dana Scully gets on her face every time Mulder finds evidence of aliens that can be easily dismissed by science.
10. Dragon Ball Z Abridged "I have green skin, pointy ears, and a turban. Oh, yeah--I must look like so many other people."
11. Horatio Caine one liners.
12. Trying to teach my boyfriend's nephew to say "April" without him saying "ball?" instead.
13. Rereading my old writing and cringing at how bad I used to be.
14. Blasting my music and singing along to it.
15. Yu-Yu Hakusho Abridged. "Damn, Hiei. When'd you have time to chop him up like that?" "About 2 seconds after I nailed your mother." "Haha. And I thought you didn't have a sense of humor." "I don't."
16. Watching Mystery Diagnosis and making myself even more of a hypochondriac one episode at a time.
17. Dancing--when people aren't watching me of course.
18. Successfully making and consuming Shake and Bake.
19. Hanging out with people I haven't seen in a while.
20. Coloring in a color book with crayons.
Whew. Tough to do when I'm not feeling at 100% April. I'll be honest though, watching the Horatio one liner really perked me up quite a lot.
Fare thee well,
April
Friday, April 8, 2011
BEDA 8: Relax
Greetings.
I don't feel like blogging today.
I woke up to an anxiety attack and have been handling it all day.
So, I don't feel like blogging.
Instead I'd like to crawl into a hole and sleep or something.
But I can't. I've been trying and I can't.
Today has been a horrible day and I fear it I am the only one to blame for it.
*sigh*
Fare thee well,
April
I don't feel like blogging today.
I woke up to an anxiety attack and have been handling it all day.
So, I don't feel like blogging.
Instead I'd like to crawl into a hole and sleep or something.
But I can't. I've been trying and I can't.
Today has been a horrible day and I fear it I am the only one to blame for it.
*sigh*
Fare thee well,
April
Thursday, April 7, 2011
BEDA 7: Weird Nerd Love Part 2
Greetings!
I love anime.
Most of the anime I watch is mainstream, but still, what I've watched, I've loved. And just like with books and TV personalities who host the news, I am in love with a few anime characters.
We'll begin with my firs anime love. I thought it was Gary Oak from Pokemon, ah Gary.
But then I realized that there was one character I've been crushing on since LONG before Gary.
Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon.
Ah, yes, just thinking about him makes the five-year-old girl in me weak in the knees. That top hat, that cap, the roses. I was sold. I'm still sold.
And I still can't explain why Serena never could tell that Tuxedo Mask was her beloved Darien because it was so obvious.
Tuxedo mask was so dreamy, not only because of the dreamy effects that they used on the screen--surrounding him with flower petals, make the screen all foggy and what not--but because he was a super hero. He would always come out of nowhere and save the day and Sailor Moon would be like "Oh, Tuxedo Mask, you're so awesome and dreamy" and he'd be all like, "Yes. Yes I am" and then disappear.
I still swoon just thinking about it.
Number two on my list is Uryu Ishida from Bleach.
I know, Uryu? The nerd? Mr. Handy-Crafts?
Yes. I mean, hello. I love to knit and I love nerds. And he wears glasses. I am a sucker for a guy with glasses.
And look at the bow and arrow. Gaze and be amazed at the size. The sheer strength. . .
Uryu is a champ too. He constantly has to put up Ichigo and Renji and lord knows their more than occasional stupidity makes you want to ram your head through a wall.
Plus he's a sweetheart. I know you saw the Bount Arc. I know you were sad when his lady friend went away forever.
And yes, he kind of starts out as a douche--I know, but he redeems himself. He gets to be awesome.
Not to mention, he's a pretty snazzy dresser.
I am such a weirdo.
Last, but certainly not least, is Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist.
Sure, he's not the tallest guy around standing at about 4'11" (poor guy), and sure he may have an automail arm and leg.
But Ed's heart is always in the right place. His morals started off pretty bad, attempting the whole human transmutation, but he only did it because he was a little kid who missed him mommy and used his special talent to try to get her back. You can't really fault him for that.
And he and Alphonse and tight. And it's so cute. You don't see brotherly love like that. My brothers don't love each other like that.
And then there's Ed and Winry. Sure, he keeps her at arms length, but it's only because he obviously loves her so much. Remember Barry the Chopper (and I'm thinking FMa not FMA Brotherhood)? Remember how sad he felt when she got attacked and he almost couldn't save her?
How bad he feels every time he hurts her? Or hurts Al? Or how he felt when he let his teacher down.
Edward Elric has such a big heart despite his small size. Plus he can use alchemy and kicks ass with his automail.
So Tuxedo Mask, Utryu, and Edward don't have much cross over at all in anyway, but whatever. My brain is scattered around all over the place so that should explain some things obviously.
Until tomorrow.
Fare thee well,
April
I love anime.
Most of the anime I watch is mainstream, but still, what I've watched, I've loved. And just like with books and TV personalities who host the news, I am in love with a few anime characters.
We'll begin with my firs anime love. I thought it was Gary Oak from Pokemon, ah Gary.
But then I realized that there was one character I've been crushing on since LONG before Gary.
Ah, yes, just thinking about him makes the five-year-old girl in me weak in the knees. That top hat, that cap, the roses. I was sold. I'm still sold.
And I still can't explain why Serena never could tell that Tuxedo Mask was her beloved Darien because it was so obvious.
Tuxedo mask was so dreamy, not only because of the dreamy effects that they used on the screen--surrounding him with flower petals, make the screen all foggy and what not--but because he was a super hero. He would always come out of nowhere and save the day and Sailor Moon would be like "Oh, Tuxedo Mask, you're so awesome and dreamy" and he'd be all like, "Yes. Yes I am" and then disappear.
I still swoon just thinking about it.
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I know, Uryu? The nerd? Mr. Handy-Crafts?
Yes. I mean, hello. I love to knit and I love nerds. And he wears glasses. I am a sucker for a guy with glasses.
And look at the bow and arrow. Gaze and be amazed at the size. The sheer strength. . .
Uryu is a champ too. He constantly has to put up Ichigo and Renji and lord knows their more than occasional stupidity makes you want to ram your head through a wall.
Plus he's a sweetheart. I know you saw the Bount Arc. I know you were sad when his lady friend went away forever.
And yes, he kind of starts out as a douche--I know, but he redeems himself. He gets to be awesome.
Not to mention, he's a pretty snazzy dresser.
I am such a weirdo.
Sure, he's not the tallest guy around standing at about 4'11" (poor guy), and sure he may have an automail arm and leg.
But Ed's heart is always in the right place. His morals started off pretty bad, attempting the whole human transmutation, but he only did it because he was a little kid who missed him mommy and used his special talent to try to get her back. You can't really fault him for that.
And he and Alphonse and tight. And it's so cute. You don't see brotherly love like that. My brothers don't love each other like that.
And then there's Ed and Winry. Sure, he keeps her at arms length, but it's only because he obviously loves her so much. Remember Barry the Chopper (and I'm thinking FMa not FMA Brotherhood)? Remember how sad he felt when she got attacked and he almost couldn't save her?
How bad he feels every time he hurts her? Or hurts Al? Or how he felt when he let his teacher down.
Edward Elric has such a big heart despite his small size. Plus he can use alchemy and kicks ass with his automail.
So Tuxedo Mask, Utryu, and Edward don't have much cross over at all in anyway, but whatever. My brain is scattered around all over the place so that should explain some things obviously.
Until tomorrow.
Fare thee well,
April
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