Dragon*Con / Discipline
Dragon*Con was awesome. I would love to go back and bring friends along and dress up. Inside the hotels (Marriot,
Hyatt or the Hilton) there weren't windows so the lighting was the same,
whether it was noon or midnight. There was also only the slightest
difference in how crowded the place was with oddly dressed individuals.
The effect this had was to make you absolutely lose track of time and the
entire conference seemed like a long, single day...
The panels I went to were mainly for writers and some were great, some were ok. I met several authors, including two of my favorites. To see how accommodating and friendly these authors were toward their fans was inspiring. I'm not naming names but one artist skipped an award ceremony to continue signing autographs instead of just getting up and leaving when time was up, like he could have. A lady he was with walked in later carrying the trophy he had won. He did this not begrudgingly but with a genuine smile on his face because it was for us that he was there, not himself. Again, I was inspired.
Another author (that I semi-stalked and spoke to often and even gave an excerpt of my manuscript to) also stayed well past when he could have gotten up and left. AND when he left panels, he didn't disappear behind an entourage or into a limo, he walked right out to his admiring fans and had impromptu signings and pictures.
When I left and came home and then went back to work the next day I was in a deep funk. I love my job. People at my job appreciate me. But I thoroughly don't believe it is what I was made for. I need to create. Need to.
Which brings me to my next point... Discipline.
What I lack is experience and discipline. I don't mind admitting that. And honestly I just realized while typing this that with one comes the other.
This said, I'm going to turn off the tv, facebook*, youtube, blog, website, certain emails, definitely video games, and anything else that comes up UNTIL the second draft of A Sawmill's Hope is finished. Regardless of whether I spend a couple minutes or hours a day on any of these things, it has become enough to compromise my productivity entirely.
My heart was in the initial writing so it came easily.
It's not so much in the editing. Therefore I'm just going to have to put forth more effort.
I will miss you all and if something crazy happens, I'll make an exception to my rule and come tell you...
Don't forget about me while I'm gone. Hopefully I'll be back very soon... And with good news.
The panels I went to were mainly for writers and some were great, some were ok. I met several authors, including two of my favorites. To see how accommodating and friendly these authors were toward their fans was inspiring. I'm not naming names but one artist skipped an award ceremony to continue signing autographs instead of just getting up and leaving when time was up, like he could have. A lady he was with walked in later carrying the trophy he had won. He did this not begrudgingly but with a genuine smile on his face because it was for us that he was there, not himself. Again, I was inspired.
Another author (that I semi-stalked and spoke to often and even gave an excerpt of my manuscript to) also stayed well past when he could have gotten up and left. AND when he left panels, he didn't disappear behind an entourage or into a limo, he walked right out to his admiring fans and had impromptu signings and pictures.
When I left and came home and then went back to work the next day I was in a deep funk. I love my job. People at my job appreciate me. But I thoroughly don't believe it is what I was made for. I need to create. Need to.
Which brings me to my next point... Discipline.
What I lack is experience and discipline. I don't mind admitting that. And honestly I just realized while typing this that with one comes the other.
This said, I'm going to turn off the tv, facebook*, youtube, blog, website, certain emails, definitely video games, and anything else that comes up UNTIL the second draft of A Sawmill's Hope is finished. Regardless of whether I spend a couple minutes or hours a day on any of these things, it has become enough to compromise my productivity entirely.
(*I DO have to log onto facebook every day to promote the cute baby contest Simon has entered but then I will promptly log out!!)
My heart was in the initial writing so it came easily.
It's not so much in the editing. Therefore I'm just going to have to put forth more effort.
I will miss you all and if something crazy happens, I'll make an exception to my rule and come tell you...
Don't forget about me while I'm gone. Hopefully I'll be back very soon... And with good news.
Anyway, enough rambling. Here's what you have been waiting for!