Writing Challenge Turned Q&A

March 30, 2016March 29, 2016 ~ shawnaborman ~ 5 Comments

Hello again! It’s that time of year again, where people start posting those weird “30 Day Writing Challenge” things. They always sound like a fun idea and every time I see one, I say that I should do it, but then I read the “challenges.” Honestly, they’re rarely creative and most often read as a list of Q&A topics. So, since I’m running low on things to ramble about, I thought I’d post one of these challenges here and let you guys pick a number between 1 and 30 (only one number per person, so choose wisely)! Each week, I’ll do one of the challenges you guys pick. I can think of a few people who will participate, so this should keep me busy for a few weeks at least.

30-day-writing-challenge-1 — It was the first list Google came up with. Pick a number and I’ll do the corresponding exercise!

To start this off randomly, I asked a friend to pick a number, but to be fair she had no idea why I asked and hadn’t seen the list, so she gets another number if she wants. Anyway, she chose 29. I suppose that means that I’m talking about my goals for next month!

Honestly, I don’t really plan that far ahead. I have trouble making up weekly goals, let alone monthly. I have my writing goals (which I’ve been struggling with). I’m trying to write at least 4,500 words a week, so I’m aiming for around 18,000 words for April. Otherwise, I want to post consistently on my author pages and of course do the weekly blog. I also want to finish the book I’m reading in the next couple of weeks. That’s about it, really.

5354927497_b50558716e_z — Maybe I should use a Daruma doll for my goals. I have a blank one somewhere.

If you’ve been stalking me, you know that I’m also trying to be better about keeping in touch with people. It’s not an easy thing, but I’m going to keep working at it. I did talk to someone last week about creating a daily goal calendar, though, so socializing does help! I already keep track of my word count, but it hasn’t been a big motivator lately. The daily goal calendar involves using stickers to denote certain achievements depending on what you want to accomplish and creating a key (example: gold star = 500 words, blue dot = half an hour of reading, purple heart = an hour of family time, etc.), then marking down what you do each day. I’m going to try to create a computer version for April to see if something visual like that helps me.

12916791_273486852983356_6246745458090268754_o — The example my friend sent me.

Anyway, my goals are basically the same as usual, but with a new way to keep track. That’s all I really have to say on that.

What do you guys think about the whole picking a number thing? If you’d like to choose one, comment here or find me on social media (Facebook, Twitter, or G+). I’m looking forward to seeing who chooses what!

See if you next week!

Murphy’s Law for Cripples

March 23, 2016March 22, 2016 ~ shawnaborman ~ 3 Comments

Howdy, howdy. Yesterday (actually, it’s today as I’m writing this) was (is?) one of those days. It’s always nice to wake up to one of your key pieces of machinery (naturally one of the few you don’t have a good spare for) being dead (again). Yes, the hydraulics on my patient lift (the thing that transfers me from bed to chair, etc.) decided it would be fun to go out in the middle of the night. I was stuck in bed until 4:00, 4:30, which didn’t really bother me aside from zapping any desire to be productive. And surprisingly, the medical equipment company sent someone out to look at it right away.

0d9ebacac1d15a01ed06bbf0255e2365 — Life rises to the challenge. Always.

Bad news! The hydraulic pump is dead (you don’t say?!). I’ve had this particular lift less than four years and this is the third or fourth time they’ve had to replace the pump. Normally, it gives us a little warning before performing a dramatic death scene, so we have time to fix it, but not this time. Granted, I’d lost complete faith in this piece of equipment long ago (after all, at least two of the replacement pumps had the following sticker on them, so trust is an issue), but I have no choice except to use it (it’s like my relationship with elevators: hate/no choice). Yeah.

083 — Front. They couldn’t spell front. How can I trust a company that can’t spell FRONT?

So, I was stuck in bed trying not to go down that “every bad outcome of this scenario” rabbit hole, and succeeding quite well with not panicking, when the “good” news came. They (the medical company) had a spare that we can borrow until mine gets fixed or replaced. The problem? It’s electric, so it’s not great for me in the first place. Plus there’re weird boxes that get in the way of my feet. And I’ve never used one before, so it’s a little terrifying. When I get nervous, I ask stupid questions and point out obvious problems and all of that, which annoys the person taking care of me (namely Dad) because he’s also trying to figure out how to make it work, which makes him snappy. On top of everything else, we were both a little hangry. Needless to say, issues arose.

But, I made it to my chair (which has also been acting up) without getting anything broken. I tried to figure out some Medicare problems I’ve been having. Then I wrote this. I’m officially done with today (yesterday as you’re reading this).

So, what does all of this mean? Absolutely nothing. I needed to rant and I needed a blog topic. You can take it as a glance into cripple problems if you want. Feel free to send me a rant since you’ve made it this far! I’ll gladly listen to your woes since you paid attention to mine. Fingers crossed tomorrow is better. Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Date With A Dentist

March 16, 2016March 15, 2016 ~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Hello, hello! I have nothing to ramble about, so this is probably going to be shorter than usual. I suppose I should say that I have been writing again the past couple of weeks (only four days a week so far, but that’s better than nothing). I’ve been trying to socialize a little. Had a movie date on Monday with a friend. Go watch Kinky Boots if you haven’t already! Anyway, yesterday I had a dentist appointment, which is pretty much the only thing I have to talk about (sad, I know).

max1139610528-frontback-cover — It’s on Netflix. You have no excuse.

I go to Forney Wellness for my dental hygiene needs. I totally recommend them. At least one of the dentists and one of the hygienists have experience working with people in wheelchairs, which is pretty important to me. Everyone is nice. It’s a little expensive (though not the worst I’ve come across by far) and they have a tendency to tell me a different price each time. But they’re generally great, at least for cleanings (I haven’t had to have any other procedures done *knocks on wood*), and I only see them twice a year, so it’s really not that bad moneywise.

Now, I fully admit that I hate going to the dentist. You can probably tell by the fact that dentists are demons in pretty much all of my stories when they pop up. I even bit one as a child (yeah, I was that kid, but she totally deserved it). Despite all that, my dad and I have a running joke about going to Forney Wellness, which is totally worth the usual anxiety. First, realize that they have this water pick scraper tool called a Lil Beaver 2.0.

timthumb — Oh, Internet. You always know what I need.

So, being the perverts we are, we giggle like little schoolgirls a the prospect of me having a beaver in my mouth. It’s even better when the fact that it’s wet comes up. And that it’s expensive and never as pleasant as one would hope. But we can’t be too loud. There are usually children around, after all. Yeah, going to the dentist as an adult is definitely more entertaining.

Anyway! Not that anyone really wants to know, but I’m still cavity free. There are spots to watch, but there always are. What does this mean? I can eat all the things guilt free!

6359198011037144991934733144_chocolate-main — Like that. Only without the makeup.

Wow, I almost managed to ramble the usual amount. Awesome! But, in conclusion, go check out Forney Wellness if you’re in the area and looking for a dentist. Also, feel free to share your funniest/scariest/whateverest dentist story! Do you have running jokes about your dental hygiene? Share those too!

Grey Days

March 9, 2016March 7, 2016 ~ shawnaborman ~ 2 Comments

Hello, hello! I’m writing this a little earlier than usual (Monday instead of Tuesday), and it’s a really drab (cloudy and humid) day. In fact, it’s supposed to be dull and potentially rainy most of the week. A lot of people I know talk about how wonderful days like this are for writing, but I just don’t see it. Back when I did most of my writing at like two in the morning, weather didn’t really affect me. The only time it bothered me back then was during thunderstorms and that was only because of a fear of random tornadoes springing up, so I’m fairly jittery during them anyway. It wasn’t until I started writing during the day that I noticed how the sun affected my writing moods.

Stolen from Google. Maybe if this were my view, grey skies wouldn’t bother me.

People are different, I know, so I’m just saying that writing is harder for me on grey days. I feel more lathargic than usual. A headache is almost always involved. So, I’m one of those people who wants to binge watch Netflix or read manga and munch on chocolate until the sun comes back out. It’s worse if it’s super humid and warm. If it’s freezing cold (that’d be 60 or below in Texas), I don’t mind it as much. Maybe because it’s supposed to be yucky outside at that point (or at least that’s what I tell myself). Who knows. It’s just not conducive to writing for me.

On the flip side of that coin, if it’s sunny and beautiful and warm out, I also get distracted a lot. The sunny weather is energizing and all that, so it’s not because I’m lethargic and feel like crap, which makes it a lot easier to push through the writing avoidance. On those days, I simply tend to have a ton more “ooo shiny” moments than usual (also known as “Squirrel!” moments ever since Up came out). But, like I said, it’s easier to work around those moment.

squirrel-up-dog-gif — Focus… focus… SQUIRREL! Yeah, like that.

I suppose my preferred writing weather is probably sunny and cold or sunny and super hot. Something energizing, but not anything I want to be out in. The kind of weather I can occasionally glance out of the window at and be satisfied. I’m not an outdoorsy person anyway, so most days are okay for writing. It’s just those super blah days and the incredibly beautiful ones that get to me. The in between is fine.

362d3b78f44d8641fa1b8cd53f45b0f6 — At least I’m not the only one.

So, what about you? Do you find certain weather patterns to be more conducive to writing than others? Are you a sunshine or stormy day writer? What about daytime writing versus nighttime writing? Or maybe you don’t care either way. Maybe I’m just trying to rationalize my avoidance of writing on certain days. Feel free to share your thoughts here or on any of my social media links!

Until next time! Write on.

I Might’ve Broken The Rules

March 2, 2016March 1, 2016 ~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Happy March! How was your Leap Day? Mine was actually pretty productive. It was the first day in a long time that I met my “this is acceptable” word count (1000+ words). I broke one of my golden rules to do it, but the writing is what’s important, right? Rules are made to be broken and all that. Or maybe I’m just nuts. Or trying to rationalize things that don’t really matter. I mean, it’s not like anyone’s going to punish me for breaking my own rule, right? It’s just the voices in my head that complain about it. They’ll deal eventually. Do you have rules you stick to when writing? Or is that just something crazy people do?

Nancy Holder! Blame her for the rules thing.

I suppose the whole “rules” thing started during my first semester at Stonecoast. Up until then, I had no rules, no discipline, and all I was writing was short stories. I wrote when I felt like it or when something was due. Deadline induced panic was an essential part of my process. Then Stonecoast happened.

I was actually pretty terrified at the prospect of writing a novel, but I wanted to do it. My mentor at the time was Nancy Holder, and she’s a super supportive type, so she encouraged me to do it. There was no “try,” there was just “do it.” Of course, I asked “how?” Her response was “keep writing!” Yeah, it wasn’t helpful at the time, but she was right (as mentors tend to be). So I wrote, got past twenty pages (my usual stopping point), and kept writing. Around page fifty, I wanted to stop and work on something else. Nancy said no.

She explained that starting a new project was a form of procrastination that all writers are tempted by. If you’re constantly stopping one thing to start something else, you’ll never finish anything. It made a lot of sense, especially for something as large as a novel. And thus, my first rule (the one I broke) was born. I’d never start a new novel while one was sitting half-finished and waiting on me (aka one I haven’t given up on). I’d wait until I at least had a first draft. It only applied to novels, so I admit to writing flash fiction, short stories, poetry, etc. Basically anything to give me a break here and there, but that could be finished in a few days was acceptable procrastination.

But, since I’ve been in a slump, I finally decided to say “screw it!” and started a new WIP. It doesn’t mean that I love the old one any less, it just means I can’t get into that world right now. Same goes for the screenplay. I love it, but my heart just isn’t in it. Hopefully that will change as I get back to a normal rhythm, but for now, I needed something new that no one has seen or heard about. Something strictly mine. Something that doesn’t have any expectations to live up to. It can fail completely, I can trash it, and no one will ever be able to ask “what happened to that novel about that thing?” Does that even make sense?

I still have a bunch of other rules that I haven’t broken, but I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s okay to break a rule once in a while if nothing else is working for you. So, what are your rules? Have you ever broken them? Did it help? Or am I just crazy?

Writing Prompts: Useful or a Time Suck?

February 24, 2016February 23, 2016 ~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Hello there! In my attempts to get back to a steady writing schedule, I’ve been lurking (and occasionally conversing) in some writing forums. I figured the advice from the writers I’m normally in touch with wasn’t working, so why not see if I could find different advice in new places? Unfortunately, I haven’t found much in the way of new tricks to try, but one constant I noticed was the encouragement to use writing prompts. So, today I want to chat about how useful writing prompts actually are in the grand scheme of things. Feel free to chime in at any time!

11351475_1047832401910747_3775845314634164203_n — My favorite prompts tend to have a visual aspect.

In all honesty, I don’t have much luck with prompts. Of the hundreds I’ve tried over the years (everything from the ones at the end of each chapter in pretty much every craft book to random ones I find online), I’ve produced something readable from maybe three of them. I’ve written a lot of crap I’ve never looked at again because of them! But overall, I’m not entirely sure prompts are worth it for me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy them immensely, especially when I just want to get words on the page, but the majority of them never go beyond a rough sketch.

My favorites always seem to have images attached or encourage you to go forth and find an image to write about. It’s actually kind of weird. I think in words and I’ve never really considered myself a visual type of person, but over the years I’ve come to accept that photos and paintings and all kinds of sights inspire me (even more than eavesdropping on conversations does). On the other hand, the writing prompt that I had the most success with was a poetry prompt encouraging a conversation with God. It was pretty much the most angry thing I’ve ever written and I still secretly love it to this day. So, I guess I gravitate toward anything visual or encouraging a dialogue.

12112209_1134980516529268_8892526754268146588_n — This one saved a project I had planned on never looking at again!

Sometimes, I’ll look at a prompt (like the one above) and never actually do anything about it, but it’ll get me thinking about something I haven’t thought about in years. For instance, I had a story about a host club (please don’t make me explain what that is), but it honestly sucked and I couldn’t figure out how to fix it three years ago, so I scrapped it. But this prompt made me think about it and now I know how to fix it! I just have to decide if I want to keep it as a novella or if I want to try my hand at a graphic novel.

time-you-enjoy-wasting-is-not-wasted-time-9 — It’s kind of like that.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that writing prompts are mostly a time suck for me, but they’re fun and randomly useful. I definitely encourage trying them, especially if you just want to get some words out. You never know when they’ll lead to something good. However, don’t rely on them because (if you are anything like me) the good can be rare. What’s your stance on prompts? Have they been a valuable asset to you, something for fun, completely useless, or something else? Leave me a comment on here or hit me up on social media!

Developing A New Rhythm For A New Year

February 17, 2016February 16, 2016 ~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Howdy howdy! As I’ve rambled about before, I’ve been having a bit of a tough time getting back into a writing and reading rhythm this year, but things seem to be looking up (finally). I’m reading with zeal again (thanks to a random desire to finally read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series). I’m also revising my screenplay, which has both smooth patches and a couple of big issues that are giving me problems, but it counts as work! I’m still wary about getting back into my novels without feedback, but I’ll get there soon. For now, I’m still learning, changing, transforming. As is my rhythm.

They said I could be anything… I chose Sailor Saturn.

Last year, I had a nice rhythm that let me get a lot done, but I neglected certain areas of my life in order to get so much done. It eventually drained me. Combine that with the whole lack of feedback feeding my “I suck, what was I thinking?” mindset, and it’s a recipe for depression. I’m hoping to avoid that by adding a few things to my schedule. Of course that will require adjusting other areas, so it’s all just trial and error right now.

First and foremost, I plan on taking reading more seriously this year. I haven’t read much since leaving Stonecoast, because I got wrapped up in the idea that productivity equals new words on the page. Even revision felt like a way to avoid being productive (even though I know it’s an extremely important part of the process). So, I want to devote at least an hour three days a week to reading. It might cut into my writing time on days when writing is hard, but that’s okay. You can’t write well without reading. I’m going to keep that in mind this year. If you see me slacking, feel free to crack the whip.

Secondly, I want to take a few minutes just once a week to write a note or something by hand. I recently bought some postcards to help me stick to this goal. I’m hoping for a twofold result from this practice: a) it’ll be a way to let people know I’m thinking of them even though I’m not very good at keeping in touch, and b) it’ll help keep me writing even when I’m struggling. I’ve heard a lot of people who were having problems writing in their usual method have more success getting over a hurdle if they switch writing methods (go from typing to handwriting then back again). Maybe jotting something down every now and then will help keep things fresh in my head.

Lastly, I want to make time for socializing. Whether I go to a reading with a friend or Skype with some of my Stonecoasters or make time to IM/text someone, I need to keep in touch with people. I like being a recluse, and I’ve been getting worse and worse about it again, but it worries people, so I’m going to make an effort to really interact with someone at least once a week.

CCSGroup2 — Maybe not this close, but I should be closer to people.

So, what does all of this mean? It means that sometimes you have to tweak your rhythm, especially when it’s no longer working. Bear with me, and don’t freak out if I suddenly pester you for no reason. I’m just trying something new. How’s your rhythm? Is it working or could it use a little change?

Until next time!

Tremont St. Bath and Body: A Review

February 10, 2016February 9, 2016 ~ shawnaborman ~ 2 Comments

Hello, hello! Since I haven’t been anywhere new to eat in a while, and I have no writerly topics to ramble about, I thought I would try my hand at a different kind of review. Recently, one of my mentors/friends, Nina Schwartz, from SMU started selling her homemade soap. You can find her story and products at her website, Tremont St. Bath and Body. You can also keep up with her latest news by liking the shop’s Facebook page.

12316640_194164357590304_6101460755969440238_n — All pictures are borrowed from the links above.

Back before Christmas, I messaged Nina to find out how her soaps worked on sensitive skin (before I bought some and had an unexpected allergic reaction or something). Not only did she answer my questions, but she also sent me four bars to sample. A Honey, Oatmeal, and Milk bar (currently not listed on the site), one called Perseverance (listed), an unscented/uncolored molded soap (see the picture of Clouds, Waves, Chrysanthemums below as an example), and one named Purple Zebra (also not currently listed). As of today, I’ve only had a chance to try the first two, so I will be focusing on them.

Fancy_Molds_large — Clouds, Waves, and Chrysanthemums.

Aside from the beautiful designs, one of the first things I noticed about these soaps were the scents. They range from no scent to a very mild aroma to more intense smells. As I’ve said, I’ve only used the Honey, Oatmeal, and Milk bar, which had a subtly sweet smell, and the Perseverance, which is flavored with peppermint and rosemary, so it has a strong, in your face, kind of scent as you can imagine. Personally, I enjoy the more intense aromas, but if you don’t, you might want to ask about bars that you aren’t sure of.

Another thing I tend to notice about soaps is whether they leave behind a greasy residue (I hate feeling slimy after a shower or after using a lotion). I have dry skin, so I have to use moisturizing soaps, and it’s really difficult to find one that doesn’t leave me feeling gross. Nina’s soaps didn’t have that problem. In fact, most of them contain cocoa butter, shea butter, kokum butter, or some combination thereof to act as a moisturizer. I was a little wary my first couple of uses, but to my surprise, the soap rinsed off easily and left me feeling moisturized, but not greasy.

I suppose my only complaints would be that the soaps dissolve much faster than the ones you buy at the store, and that the edges can be a little sharp in the beginning, especially on the large bars. I got about seven uses out of the Honey, Oatmeal, and Milk bar, which is one of her medium sized bars, but I’m on my fourth or fifth use of Perseverance (one of her largest bars) and still have more than half left. So, I guess the former complaint really depends on which soap you get and how often you use it (I use it once a week), and the latter simply requires a little user awareness.

Overall, I’m loving the soaps so far and plan on buying some when I come close to running out. Check out the links above and see if you fall in love with any of the bars! It’s totally worth it.

J-Rock: How I Became A Fangirl

February 3, 2016February 2, 2016 ~ shawnaborman ~ 4 Comments

Howdy all! Last week, I asked for some suggestions on what to blog about, so Lew and Joe asked how I got into J-Pop/Rock. It’s not really that long or interesting of a story, but they wanted to know. So, please excuse me while I fangirl (get overly excited, squee, and babble on about a certain subject) over some of my favorite music and musicians while I relive those early days.

005 — And there are definitely some pretty men. That’s Miyavi, by the way.

I guess I got into Japanese music the same way a lot of people do: anime. I grew up with the Americanized version of Sailor Moon, then Pokémon and Digimon and Cardcaptor Sakura and all of that came along. But it wasn’t until I was sixteen or seventeen (around the time I started looking to the Internet for friends instead of hanging out with my sister and her friends) when I began searching for fansubs and the original versions of the shows that I started my brief voyage into the world of J-Pop, then my descent into J-Rock.

It wasn’t just anime exposing me to the music, but also the friends I was making by hanging out in anime chatrooms. (Do you even remember those? The Yahoo chats? Oh how I miss those days.) It takes a lot for a theme song to entice me into looking it up, so I was a total n00b to the music compared to most of the people I met. So, I listened to every song people recommended. For example, one of the people I hung out with was a rabid fan of Neon Genesis Evangelion, so for a while, I knew every song (and every version) in that series because he would insist I listen to them. It wasn’t that I enjoyed everything I heard, but I was open to the possibility that I might like it.

Then, I got into YouTube. Back in the day, before Google and Vevo and all of the legal stuff, YouTube was a wonderland of obscure music. Plus, it was great about recommending things based (no matter how remotely) on whatever you were watching instead of just suggesting whatever happens to be popular that week, which is how I found my way into J-Rock and all its lovely subgenres. I had my first brush with bands like Dir en grey (awesome if you like metal), Buck-Tick (kind of an 80s vibe), Versailles (symphonic metal), and Miyavi (guitarist). From there, I just kind of dug around on my own to find things that I adore. It also doesn’t hurt that most of the beautiful women are actually men (a fangirl topic for another day).

Group4 — Versailles. They’re all men. Yes, even him.

JRock247-exist-trace-WORLD-MAKER-group-2014-081 — Exist Trace. And they’re all women.

It was just something that happened. There was no big plan involved. It was just a new obsession stemming from an old one, like a slow descent into madness. We all have these types of love, so tell me about yours. What’s your random obsession that makes people wonder how you got into it? And how’d it happen?

Can’t Get Through The Portal

January 27, 2016January 26, 2016 ~ shawnaborman ~ 2 Comments

Hi there! Today, a friend asked me what I had read lately and suggested blogging about that, but then I realized that I haven’t read anything since late November. Not even manga. It was actually a strange revelation. I haven’t read anything since I started getting disgusted with the whole writing/feedback process. The more I think about it, the more I notice a strange correlation between my writing productivity and how much I read (when one goes up, so does the other). Is this a common thing? Do reading slumps exist? Apparently they do, so allow me to ramble for a bit.

twilight_face_desk_by_proudpastry-d4z00zx — It’s kind of like that.

Don’t get me wrong… I’ve tried reading things off and on, especially when I wasn’t writing anything, but no matter how excited I was for a book, a few pages in and I was ready to quit. It was like watching a movie or a tv show (both of which can be great), instead of stepping through a portal and living in another world (what reading usually does for me). In other words, I’m seeing what’s happening, but I just can’t bring myself to care or participate. And I can’t even blame the books. It’s not like when I was an undergrad and had to slog my way through the “classics.” These are books by my favorite authors, things I’ve been looking forward to. I find it really weird.

95618151deaeeab5f757ebc16573f658 — Pick a portal, any portal.

Part of me wonders if maybe it’s some crazy delayed post-MFA depression or something. You know, the kind everyone warns you not to slip into? The kind where you stop writing and reading and doing all the things you planned on doing because what’s the point without having that community to help you along? I avoided it for about a year. I wrote steadily and read regularly. Is it even possible that it’s kicking in this far out from graduation? Maybe it is. But it needs to stop. I’m done with wallowing. Really. I swear.

Was I convincing? Didn’t think so. I am, however, getting slowly back on the writing horse. I admit that I’m not back to my usual schedule yet, but I’m getting there. Hopefully this means that I’ll be able to step through a portal into a good book soon. I haven’t had any trouble getting into the stories I’ve been critiquing, which I’m taking as another good sign. I don’t know what else to do except to keep trying until I find that book capable of yanking me inside.

book-spiral — It’s a portal… of books. Get it?

What about you? Have you ever hit a reading slump? What book was the one that finally pulled you out of it? If it wasn’t a book, then what helped you? I’d love to hear your harrowing stories of breaking through the blocked portal! Also, if you have any recommendations for books that I should be reading, please feel free to send some titles or author names my way.

Shawna's Blog of Doom

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