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Numerical values are what we often use to determine success. For business, it's how much money one makes or how many units of a product are sold. It may also be how many impressions we might have on social media or how many unique visitors to our webpages (like this one).
Writers, when we are actually writing use the time and the looming wordcount at the bottom of our document to measure the successful use of our writing sessions. However, this has never worked for me. It only ever resulted in my beating myself up for not producing the amount of work that I thought my peers were accomplishing in a similar timeframe. I ended up creating more stress and anxiety than I did words on the page, and at the end of my writing session, I felt a sense of failure as opposed to contentment stemming from participating in a most-beloved pastime. It took me several years longer than I care to admit to finally ask myself, "If I'm not even enjoying the creative process, then what is the point of me writing at all?" I needed to lessen the self-imposed burden I'd set upon my own shoulders, secured by the presumptuous facets of traditional university literary programs. (But that is a blog post in and of itself.) I began writing longhand again, where there was no wordcount looming at the bottom of my document or the threat of the clock blinking from my computer's taskbar. Fortunately, with today's technology, I am able to convert my handwriting into text, albeit with varied results, thus streamlining the process some when bouncing between mediums in a single project. Of course, any writer or anyone who has ever taken a typing class, can attest that it is much faster to type than it is to write with pen and paper (or stylus and tablet). It is simply more economical to type directly into a word processing program. For me, my brain is coming up with words much faster than my hands can complete a set of strokes for a single letter. (Or maybe that's just my ADHD talking.) My solution was this: when typing on a computer, I hide the taskbar. If you're a tad tech-savvy, you can turn off the clock in your taskbar settings instead. I do both. If the word processor I'm using has a wordcount somewhere visible on the screen, I hide that, too. No numerical values. No measurements. No stress. Without the means to compare my perceived success or lack thereof, I find myself at peace while I write, getting as lost in writing a book as I do while reading one. And most importantly, I find myself falling in love with my work and the writing art all over again, leaving each session feeling enriched and better for having the experience.
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 The Cat Who Would Be King by Bethany Hoeflich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars A book about a talking cat - of course I'm going to read it! And read it I did, with a calico sleeping upon my feet. Bethany Hoeflich indeed captures the regal, and let's face it, entitled mind of a cat. But in all seriousness, I appreciated the use of era-appropriate terminology throughout "The Cat Who Would Be King." It was very clear that Bethany has done her homework, and this lent to the narrative's believability. I certainly hope we get to read more tales (tails?) from Bastien! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3992436154  Scream of The White Bear by David Clement-DaviesMy rating: 5 of 5 stars In a word - stunning. David Clement-Davies does not disappoint with this newest tale. Breathtaking worldbuilding, as is usual for any of his works. Davies dives into complex topics including the metaphysical in a way unseen in the genre before. There are a couple grammatical errors within the manuscript, but these small blips do little to take away from the gravity of this magnificent piece of storytelling. A book that deserves more acclaim. View all my reviews What's been happening? Well you know, global pandemic and all. I am sure you are well-aware of current events. My household is currently in quarantine for a positive Covid test, and I am relatively certain I also had it last week. I was tested, or rather, I was given to the swab at the CVS drive-thru to do it myself. This test came back negative, but I also learned shortly after that I most likely did not insert the swab up far enough, since I did not get all the way into my sinus cavities. (Gross, I know!) I did, however, experience the same symptoms as the confirmed Covid case in our house, so I can only conclude logically that I too had Covid.
Fortunately, we've been blessed to only experience mild symptoms. Many are not so lucky. Regardless, I have been off work for several weeks. It is December 1st. I did start to participate in National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo. The last 4 years I have finished by writing 50,000 words over the month of Novemer. Unfortunately, this was not the case this year. I am not entirely sure what happened, but I just could not find the stamina this year. I am disappointed, as I was hoping to finish drafting the second half of Storm Wielders in November. This is not to say that progress is not being made, however, and I am looking forward towards moving into the editing and beta-read phase in 2021! Stay tuned!
I found my passion for writing sparked in my 8th grade classroom, but that spark ignited here on my parents' three-season porch. It has changed much, yet much of it has stayed the same. For instance, it did not host all my storage totes, which remind me that I recently moved home from the big city, where I adopted Gylfie, the cat featured to your left. Writing is a task I can usually only accomplish alone, though she is the exception. Often dozing nearby, she's a steady reminder as to not take myself too seriously.
I remember sitting out on that porch, even when it grew dark. I used the single lamp hanging from the wall and a small box tv that had been given us by my grandfather. I chose this spot in the house, because it was away from the eyes of my parents, who would have not approved of my delving into novice-level creative writing while my math homework sat open but vastly untouched nearby. It was on this porch that I penned my first novel, though all in pencil. Each finished page was placed in plastic sleeves to protect the graphite from rubbing off inside the binder. I still have that binder someplace, afraid to look, because the last time I looked at those pages, I was proud of them. Now I fret those writings from my youth would only summon chagrin. But how far I have come, should I dare to be a bit boastful. It was on this same porch that I wrote the very first draft (as there have been several first drafts in the years since) of Storm Wielders, or Elementals, as it was called back then. It is oddly refreshing to bring its current draft back like a pilgrimage to this place. -Epi Wildes In the midst off global pandemic, I've found myself hitting my writing stride in force, with work and overall life on hold, it gives us as writers the rare opportunity to work relentlessly, granted we've the willpower to turn a blind eye to the repetitive negativity in the headlines and the compliance to follow their instructions.
I've entered Act 2 of 3 of Storm Wielders, a little over 100 pages. I've found myself oddly pleased with the discoveries I am making in regard to its world and its inhabitants. Who was to know that a government insurrection was happening under my nose this entire time?! But let me not spoil it too much for you. Allow me to leave a reason for readers to pick up the end product. Storm Wielders initial drafting process is anticipated to be completed by the end of the 2020 calendar year and allowing much of 2021 to the process of editing and the conferring with beta readers in preparation for submission into the realm of publishing. I would like to take a moment to thank those who have taken it upon themselves to follow this and my social media pages. I cannot express enough gratitude. Your support means so much to me. I pray you remain safe, healthy, and cared for during these trying and unprecedented times. Sincerely, - Epi Wildes  After much convincing from friends, I've finally finished setting up and launching my writing Patreon. Thank you, friends, for your support! It really means the world.
Members of my Patreon will receive sneak peeks at my upcoming novel, The Storm Wielders, as well as access to a Patreon-exclusive installment series, Obduro, starting at the $1 tier. Patrons also get access to my Discord channel! Thank you for your support! -Epi Link Below! https://www.patreon.com/epiwrites |
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