How Will I Fit It ALL In?

I was hit with another idea for a novel last night. Doesn't mean it will be any good, or that I have to pursue it. But it sounds very cool to me and I will at least have to explore it. I've written a synopsis and started a fresh notebook (always critical to my writing endeavors is a fresh notebook. Not neccesarily new—I'd prefer brand new, but a rejuvenated used one with scribbles removed works.)

Now, how do I fit it all in? Time is not my friend! I often think I can write at work, but that's difficult: creativity is stunted when the phone rings or I have to track down a pickup number for a driver. But I do scribble down scenes and snippets of dialogue. And I add to this blog!

At home, I try to write on my "weekends" (Thursday & Friday) after everyone else goes to bed, but by that time my muse often has gone to sleep too and reading or watching a movie seems more appealing to my wide awake but creativity-numbed mind. The ideal time seems to be the first 2 hours after I wake up. My internal censor still seems to be sleeping and I can really smith some words! On days when Minda and Andrew are on an outing, I try to get a few hundreed words down.

So that is one thing I would like to ask God for: time and focus to write on my novel(s).

My wife, Minda, has listed 10 things she is asking God for, knowing that God loves her and wants to give her the desires of her heart. I don't want to copy my wife's blog too much (she was first to do a Geocaching post), but our lives are intertwined, so there's bound to be some overlap in the blogosphere! And I think we both know that God knows what are truly the desires of our hearts and we can only hope to line up our list with His.

Here's my list, in no particular order:

1. The time and focus to write (deeply) on a regular basis
2. Success with publishing/marketing the novels I am writing
3. Healing or a final resolution for my mother (Yes, Father God, I am asking you to take Mom or heal her.)
4. Enough money to live my dream lifestyle without worrying about bills/taxes (Dear Father God, please note this is NOT a desire to be rich, just comfortably worry-free)
5. A home that allows me to keep and work 2 hawks and 2 Vizslas
6. A new, successful business that allows me to include my stepson Jason as well as a legacy to leave for Andrew (and Jason if he wants; I know he has entrepreneurial plans of his own.)
7. To live long enough and healthy enough to enjoy Andrew's children (sorry, Father God, I know that's a tall order!)
8. Success at meeting my weight goals and more importantly, success at keeping it off to the end of my days. (Approximately 5 pounds away from April 14 goal!)
9. Successfully bowhunt deer this year (and grow my friendship with Mike along the way to that.)
10. Most importantly: A perpetually deepening relationship with God.

There it is. I'm not asking too much am I? My wife seems to think I'm a dreamer! Me!

Words Are Knock-Knock-Knocking At My Door

Ahhhh!! I'm drowning in creative ideas and asphyxiating on a lack of time to pursue them! I've managed a little longhand writing on my novel. But I also have another article idea, I've been refreshed on two of my product ideas, my "For Dummies" book idea keeps tickling my brain. Plus I have confirmation from my photography collaborator on an article I hope to sell that she is closer to providing the photos. Speaking of new product ideas, I almost delved too deeply into my "future products" file folder this weekend. But I postponed that trip for now. I just don't have the time to get fired up on another project!! Oh yeah, I also started a journal last night as an exercise in writing as well as draining the brain.

I wonder how I am to prioritize things and actually accomplish something. I know praying is at the top of my list: praying for clarity of thought, or a succinct vision of what my next step is supposed to be. I should probably stop thinking about tools, like a cool fountain pen to write in a moleskine notebook, or visiting writing blogs where I learn of the romance of writing in moleskine* notebooks with cool fountain pens.

I really want to work on my novel, but I'm at a bit of a crossroads and I feel that focusing on other writings might give me a fresh perspective.

I know, I think I'll just start writing and see what happens. Bye!

*Here's a cool blog quote about moleskines appropos for obvious reasons:
Labeling Moleskines: Since I use three or four Moleskines at the same time, for different uses, I paint the rims of the pages with a highlighter. Just close the book, hold it tight, and run the thing through. Green is for my geocaching logbook, orange for my diary/planner, yellow for my profession, and blank for my personal use Moleskine. Can spot them a mile away.

The same blogger mentions my favorite (non-fountain) pen:
Pilot G-2 is the smoothest, darkest, silkiest pen around. Best for general use.

Now I'm really going to go write on my novel!

Geocaching, or Walking With a Goal in Mind

We've discovered GEOCACHING and had great success our very first day. In fact, our first day was a hat trick: we managed to find all three of our first caches within about three hours. In the process we collected a "geocoin", a couple of "DSTs" (dumb stupid toys similar to McDonalds kids meals junk) and a "tracking bug" (a metal dog tag with an engraved number that you can track on the Internet. Ours started in Georgia wth stops in NM, OK, MO and WI on its way to MN). And here's our dirty little secret: we don't even own a GPS unit!

Realistically we could call (and did call our excursions) GoogleCaching. Using Google Maps in the Hybrid mode, we were able to see the approximate locations of the caches. The satellite photos were able to give us clues (such as the really big shadow must be the tallest tree in the little pocket of woods about 20 yards from the cache and the cache is parallel to the first row of parking spots to the west of the woodlot, etc.). GeoPurists would probably call us infidels—or maybe not; they don't strike me as the name-calling types.

So, what does this have to do with creativity? By the conclusion of our second successful cache hunt, I was already planning the day when we would plant a cache of our own. It will have to wait until we do own a GPS device because you have to post the coordinates of your cache. I'm thinking of themed caches: "Harry Potter" memorablillia exchanged at the cache site or photos of your pets. Or how about the idea of a "BaudelaireCache", with a series of unfortunate caches you track down in order, with the coordinates for each successive one located in the previous one. All for fun and creativity! Not to mention another excuse to get out and enjoy the Minnesota spring.

Inspiration 2, or Child's Play

My son is incredibly creative. He scrapbooks, primarily about our cat, Kitty. He draws and colors monsters. When he plays, he comes up with storylines that can bring smiles to his parents' faces.


He also can inspire my creativity. We love to build vehicles with Legos. About a year ago he came up with a way to make "Transformers" out of Legos using the hinged, swivel and folding parts (they come in special kits or special order them online). It was all his idea to make "Transformers", but here's what I came up with:

Another "former child" who inspires me is a friend's son, Chris Samnee who modified a going away greeting card for me when I left Missouri for Minnesota. He was a 10 or 11 year-old kid back then. Now he is an award-winning comic artist. Very inspiring. A few of his books.

Inspiration, or Dream Follow-through

Contrary to what some people may think, I did not grow up with the burning desire to be a squirrel-feeder inventor. But so far, that is my claim to fame (SQUNGEE) . It has, however, been my dream to be a writer since I first pasted a noun and verb together on paper and called it a story.

So I find it inspiring to meet people who have pursued their dreams and seen them come to fruition. My sister, Vivian has self-published a children’s book (Giraffes) illustrated with quilts that she hand-stitched. I believe she is nearly ready to publish her second book.

My friend at work, Eric, recently discovered he has diabetes. He turned the despair he was feeling into a comic strip of recurring characters he created. His follow through: he has posted them on a website he created, I Bleed Syrup, to help others new to the disease. And if that’s not enough inspiration for me, he’s lost over 60 pounds in the same time it took me to lose 30!

And then there’s Wes, who followed his FIRST documentary film on Christian biker clubs Brethern with a documentary on scrapbooking, Scrapped . My wife and I had the honor of joining Wes and his wife at their house for a rough-cut screening. By the end of the movie, which hints heavily that scrapbooking isn’t just for women, I was raring to scrapbook. But in talking to Wes and seeing his dedication to his dream, I found myself inspired to do much more: finish that novel I started 5 years ago, and try my hand at a writing a screenplay.

And whereas Wes inspired me to start scrapbooking, my wife, Minda, gets the credit for inspiring my scrapbooking style. I don’t know if I’m any good at scrapping, but I like most of my completed pages (Minda says I’m good, but she thinks I’m sexy too, so…). Here’s an example:

The 2-page layout is three-dimensional, so it will never see the interior of a scrapbook. I plan to mount it on a couple of artist canvases and hang them on the wall.

Wordsmithery for $$ or, I Actually Made Money Writing!

Once upon a time, I sold an article I wrote to the Minnesota DNR's magazine. Here's a link to the online version: Article What was exciting is they paid me for the article plus an additional $100 to post it on their website!

Words,Words, Words or My Creativity Cup Runneth Over

I don't know what's happening, but I can't seem to stop creating. That which I create may not even be worth creating, but I can't seem to stop.

As of right now on my "metaphorical sketchpad" I have 2 novels started, 1 at 17,000 words the other 3 or 4,000, a nascent screenplay, a "For Dummies"-type book beginning, a goal-oriented scrapbook, a 2-page scrapbook layout that won't fit in a scrapbook so it will hang on the wall, 3 new product ideas, a new business idea, and now a new blog.

Wish I had time for all this creativity!!