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Things More Interesting Than the Royal Wedding

4/27/2011

Not a Royal Watcher? Take heart! It's a big world out there, and if Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding doesn't captivate you, you can rest in knowing there are plenty of things coming this summer that, in my opinion, are much more interesting. For example:

1. Smallville Series Finale - The longest running sci-fi series comes to a close on May 13th, when young Clark Kent finally meets his destiny and becomes the Man of Steel. And to add more excitement, the original Lex Luthor is coming back. Check out espisodes, previews and more at http://www.cwtv.com/shows/smallville .

2. X-Men - First Class. Oh come on, you know you love the muntants! Opens June 3, but you can check out the preview at http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/x-men-first-class.html?showVideo=1#belowNav .

3. The Green Lantern - This was my favorite superhero as a child, and the preview I saw this past weekend blew me away! They're getting all the way into the story: Aliens, universal war, and the end of the world - hooray! Movie opens in 3D on June 17. Check it out at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/23/green-lantern-extended-trailer_n_852851.html

4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 - opens on July 15th. Even though I found myself saying "the board is set; the pieces are moving" at the end of Part 1, I'm interested in seeing how "it all ends." The first preview comes tonight on ABC Family and, no doubt, will be just a web search away come tomorrow morning.

5. Captain America - The First Avenger opens July 22. Watch the trailer at http://www.bing.com/movies/search/trailers?q=The+First+Avenger%3a+Captain+America&id=222f3d09-83db-4249-97c6-11c4e1ad3dcb&v=15b91e31-0187-447b-828e-66d60c1fba4a&FORM=DTPMVO .

Maybe it's silly, but it seems to me that this summer, fiction will be much more interesting than reality. Then again, I'm a novelist. You should expect as much from me.

So if you aren't setting your DVR for 4AM Friday morning, don't fret. There are 6 billion people in the world. If they expect 2 billion to tune in, well, that makes the non-watchers the majority!

Have a happy week all, whether you watch the wedding or not.

Writer's Block?

4/21/2011

I recently had the realization that it's been a long time since I wrote a short story. In fact, I can only recall writing 2 short stories and maybe 2 or 3 flash fiction pieces in the past year. I know I've been working on novels for the past 18 months, but I think this is the longest I've gone without writing something short, be it a short story, flash fiction, or a devotional. And since I completed the final draft of Splinter, I haven't written anything new. I've been working on updating this website and setting up promotional things for the eventual release of Anywhere But Here.

In one way this is normal. I am a novelist, and hitting a dry spell after completing a novel is completely normal for me. My muse is usually running on fumes when a novel is completed and badly in need of a break. Writer's block happens to every writer, and fighting it is usually an exercise in futility. You can't force yourself to write. You just have to wait it out, keep on living, and hope that somewhere in having a life you find something that inspires you and sparks the muse again. It's just frustrating to have the desire to write, but not the ability because you lack - what? Ideas? Inspiration? What's missing?

I do want to write short stories again. I've been eyeing contests and calls for submissions more and more lately, and I'd love to have something to submit. Don't get me wrong. I love writing novels. But short stories are also fun in a different way. There's something just as captivating in weaving a slice of life together as there is in creating an entire world.

*Sigh* This too shall pass. I know. I've been writing for 10 years and I usually hit a dry spell at least once a year. I just hope it isn't a long one. In the meantime, I guess I'll keep researching how to promote my work and become a better writer.

Have a happy weekend and a great Resurrection Celebration!

How's My Head?

4/16/2011

Ok, I guess. At least, I'm feeling better these days than I have in a while, which is a very good sign.

I won't lie: Last year was the year from hell. I faced a great deal of change in my personal and professional life. I also learned a great deal about my life, myself and reality. I literally had to change the way that I thought about life. That was difficult, but it was also the best thing I did. The world didn't change, but I did. I realize so much now that I didn't see before. There were truths and strengths hidden in me that I never saw until the pressure of a changing reality forced them out.

I wouldn't trade what I learned this past year, but I wouldn't go through it again either. Wisdom is worth the effort, but that doesn't mean that it's pleasant or pretty.

I see now that it's time to move on. What's done is done and I've finally reached the point where I see the advantages of the radical changes that rewrote my life last year. Progress comes with change and I'm tired of beating my head against the past. What's gone is gone and it's gone for a reason. I'm finally ready to let go and move on. I've mourned what was sufficiently and am ready to embrace what is. I believe that if the Lord takes something away, it's because He has something greater in store, but we must let go of what's holding us back. I've already seen some new things come into my life that I have been hoping for, and the potential for more is shining on the horizon.

It's not easy to change how you think. In fact, I believe it's the most difficult thing in the world. But one thing is for certain: When you're unhappy and you can't change the world, then changing how you think is the only way to cope. There's a reason we lose control of life every now and then. It's God's way of showing us He is in control, and prodding us to be faithful and make appropriate changes to prepare for greater blessings ahead.

I used to cal l such times of change "dark seasons," but I see that they aren't dark at all. I believe, in fact, that I've seen the light of faith and hope clearer over the past year than the previous ten years combined. And that's a good thing. A very good thing indeed. But I wouldn't go back. No way. Not ever.

Yes indeed, it's time to move on and I'm just getting started. I don't know what the future holds, but for the first time in a long time, I trust it's something good.

Thanks be to God!

What's the Difference?

4/13/2011

I was talking to a friend a while back who sheepishly admitted that their doctor put them on an antidepressant. This friend was very unhappy to be on medication and said they wanted off the pills ASAP.

I countered by asking this friend if they thought it was bad for me to take antihistimines everyday to manage my allergy and sinus problems.

"No, why would that be a problem?" they asked. "After all, you have to take it to be able to function every day.It's a maintenance medication"

"Well, how is that different from you taking an antidepressant?" I asked. "If it helps you feel more energetic and you're able to go about your daily tasks easier, what's the difference?"

They never thought of it that way. And in my experience, it seems most people don't.

I don't understand why we're so hesitant to take care of our mind. We don't mind popping an aspirin for a headache, or taking antacids for heartburn. We'll mention an ache or pain to a doctor in a minute. But if it's our emotions that hurt, well, that's different. That's personal. That's nobody's business.

Well, my allergies aren't anybody's business, but I'm not ashamed of them. I don't advertise this health issue, but I don't hide it either. And while I understand that an anxiety attack and sniffling and sneezing are perceived differently by the general public, well, relief is available. Shouldn't we take advantage of it?

I think that as a whole, society has come a long way in understanding mental illness, but they still have a long way to go. One thing we can do to progress this effort is to be honest with ourselves. If you've lacked motivation for six months or more and getting out of bed every day is a challenge, treat it like the flu and see your doctor. Relief is available.

There may not be a cure for many of the emotional disorders that plague us, but they can be managed. And with the right treatment, you can have a good and productive life, just like you deserve.

You don't life in bondage to your physical ailments - you manage them. don't live in bondage to your emotions or your mind either. Don't be shy. Don't be embarassed. Don't let it define you. Manage it, so you define yourself in spite of it.

Managing Stress

4/7/2011

Stress levels have been at an all time high at my work, as we've spent the past month going through a major internal reorganization. There's a lot of anxiety and confusion on the redistrubution of duties and responsibilities. Yes indeed, a lot of nail biting is going on.

Only thing is, I'm so used to this that I barely feel it. Every job I've ever been at has gone through some sort of a major internal change within my first three years there. To me, this is almost normal. I can't count the number of times I've been moved, shifted, and re-trained for my job. My father-in-law once told me that nothing changed in his job in his entire 20+ year career. I laughed, having lost track of the changes by the time I had been in my job 7 years.

I think that harkens to a very important change that's taken place in our society. I recently read that the level of stress we currently consider "normal" would have been considered "acute" 50 years ago. I can see why. Advances in technology have sped the world up to the speed of light, and we've become accustomed to a lifestyle that would have left our forebearer's breathless just to hear about! Needless to say, in this fast paced, time crunched society, "slow and easy" are not terms used to describe the modern lifestyle of most. Well, at least most people that aren't retired, according to what I hear. ;) But that's another blog post.

The question is; how do we deal with these increasing levels of stress? We all know the problems it can cause with our health, but it seems to me that most people don't know how to combat it. There are many ways, and I'd like to explore some of them in the next few entries. I'll start this series by telling my first secret, which is having a hobby. I believe it's very important to have something that is wholly and completely your own for no other purpose than to bring you personal happiness and satisfaction in life. Something the rest of the world can't touch. Something that serves no purpose than to bring you joy.

We all need at least one hobby. I believe it's important to our emotional well being. If your life is too busy to carve out a few minutes of your own during the day, then there is a serious need to sit down and set some priorities in your life. You MUST take care of yourself. Otherwise, you're going to break down (physically or emotionally), and then you'll be no good to anyone. So if you want to be the most productive and helpful to others, then you need to take some time out for yourself.

My writing is my hobby. This is my place to create my own worlds, to decompress, and to work out issues and concerns in my life in a context that I'm comfortable with. It gives me a place to handle things my way, and to work things out through alternate realities. It helps me to reconcile the rabbit hole of my life, so to speak.

So what's your hobby? This is the topic of my latest forum post. If you don't have one, I believe now would be a good time to consider what you could do to carve out some time and space of your own in the world.

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Things More Interesting Than the Royal Wedding

Writer's Block?

How's My Head?

What's the Difference?

Managing Stress

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