Do Not Invest in the Time Suck

Time can be the most important commodity for any aspiring author. Many of us have day jobs, little ones to look after, pets to walk, creepy guys to not text back, dragons to slay, back hair to comb, and so on. All of these things are poking your shoulder saying "Hey I need attention!" How do you manage your time? I don't have all the answers. I'm still trying to figure it all out myself. I am always evolving and trying to learn better ways to do things. I just realized something recently, and that's what this blog post is all about. I was investing too much time into the time suck.

What is the Time Suck?

Is it some kind of succubus feeding off of your soul? Is it a leech trying to get at your blood? Is it a baby trying to get some milk? A time suck is anything that you do that doesn't provide an adequate return on your investment of time.

So what would you consider to be a good return on your investment? It depends on what you are doing. If it is something that helps bring value in some way then you can justify it. If it doesn't then you know it's a time suck you shouldn't be investing your time in. Let's take a look at some of my recent time sucks.

My Recent Time Sucks

• Arguing politics on Facebook
It is a waste of time trying to convince people who have no intention of listening to you or changing their minds. It's like arguing with a brick wall. There are people like this on both sides of the political spectrum, and they annoy me. It's like that itch in the middle of your back that you can't reach. Example: One guy tried to argue math with me. I was a math major in college, so the mention of math makes me like a dog that found a butt he hadn't sniffed. He tried to argue that one rate was monumentally larger than the other. It was something like 0.000000000003% vs. 0.000000000001% and the margin of error was 1.5%. So I'm like dominating the argument, but he still calls me an idiot. smh...
• Replying to Celebrities on Twitter
I am wasting time replying directly to celebrities. They aren't going to retweet. They aren't going to reply. They might not even read it. So why? It makes more sense to quote them and comment on it for my own followers without worrying about what the celeb thinks.
• Video Games
No chance of a return on investment. The only thing I can say is that it might help me stay sane. Wait... the voices in my head say that's not going to happen.
• Playing with my Smartphone
I am a tech nerd. I can't help it. I love my Galaxy Note Edge. I have been playing with different apps lately and in general just messing around with it. I recently reorganized my edge app tabs. It is something that was time consuming, but did it really need to be done? Does the time spent on it justify all the time missed where I could have been playing with My Little Pony dolls? Err... I mean... writing?
• Watching Silly Documentaries on Netflix
Do I really need to know the latest research being done on Bigfoot? or about secret files on aliens? I know some of this stuff is really far out there, but I like to watch it to see some of the silliness that some people actually believe. Cthulu is sorely under represented on Netflix.

The More You Know

Take a look at the things that you are spending time on in your life. Ask yourself, "Hey what am I getting out of this?" If the answer is Herpes then you might want to reexamine your life. You can cut out the time suck. That could give you those extra few seconds needed to save yourself from Godzilla when he comes.

So what are some of the time sucks in your life? What can you cut out that would help give you some extra time? When you comment here it gives me the warm fuzzies inside. Let's identify the time sucks and stab them with the rusty spoon of justice! Let's reclaim our lost time and be more productive!

No Escape

Rated R / 1 hr 43 min / Action - Thriller

What is it about?

Owen Wilson gets a new job in Thailand and brings his entire family with him. On the plane ride over he sees a monster on the wing. William Shatner goes crazy. When they land, Pierce Brosnan offers his family a ride to the hotel while telling Owen about his adventures with ladyboys in Thailand in front of the children. For some reason everyone goes along with it because he used to be Bond. He might still have that license to kill. The next day Owen goes looking for a newspaper and that is when all hell breaks loose. No I'm not talking about the Trump-cat phenomenon. The prime minister of Thailand is killed in a coup and a group of militants roams the streets starting fights West Side Story style.

You will like it if...

You like action thrillers based on survival. This is like a survival horror movie, but there aren't any zombies, vampires, or dustbunnies giving chase. The main characters don't know the area, don't understand what anyone is saying, and they're being shot at. The tension throughout had me leaning forward in my chair. Over the years I have liked Lake Bell, but Owen Wilson surprised me with possibly his best non-comedic performance. The pacing of the movie is fantastic as well. It starts off a little slow, but once it grabs you by the crotch, the film doesn't let go. No Escape lacks a bit in the story department, but it does have a message. The message it has could put some people off even though it isn't preachy about it. The movie also gets repetitive, and I found myself wanting to yell at the characters like it was a cheesy horror movie as the film went on. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would recommend it to anyone interested in this type of movie. No Escape gives you a shot of adrenaline that doesn't allow you to escape from your theater seat.

Next Week

The Transporter Refueled
If you have any suggestions please post them in the comments!

Are you a Planner or a Pantser?

Do you plan or pants your writing? The end. Not really. I ask this question because I'm insane and need to know if my insanity is shared by others. We could hold hands if only they would let us out of our straight jackets.

I have used both methods and I kinda like using what I consider to be a hybrid approach. So is it an iron or a fairway wood? I dunno... It's golf and will make me fall asleep rather than finishing this blog post, so let's only talk about it in whispers and zzzzz..... 

My approach gives me the structure and scheduling power I need to complete the story and guide it in the direction of my initial idea. It also gives me the flexibility to completely ignore everything and make up whatever kind of craziness I have brewing in my head. I know what each character's motivation is and what their ultimate goal is. I can feel free to let the characters do what they would normally do. They are real people after all. In my head. Why are you looking at me like that? Shut up! Sorry about that. I had to put one of the voices in my head in it's place.

So how do I do that writing voodoo? Well, I first come up with an idea or pull one out of my notebook of book ideas. The characters magically pop up in my head asking for rice krispy treats. I think about what I want to do with the story and what needs to happen to get from point A to point B. Those make up the main turning points in the story. I further break those down into smaller steps until I have enough chapters to fill out the length of story I want to tell. I write a 1 or 2 line description of what that chapter is supposed to be about.

Then the process of writing begins. *cracks knuckles* Time to pull out my big boy writing tools and put the plastic ones away. I am a good boy who doesn't want anyone to step on them by accident at 2 AM. When I begin I know the starting point of each chapter and the beginning of the next. It becomes a matter of connecting the dots, but I don't have to use straight lines! I treat each chapter as a piece of flash fiction or a short story of sorts. With this outline I can make a schedule and deadlines. I'm trying to get better with this as I still have to work a day job and this is my first novel. There are also several other unanticipated delays that come with being a first time author.

I pants the crap out of these chapters. The characters spill out on the page and frolic in the world. Sometimes they take me in strange and wonderful directions. Sometimes they try to jump off a cliff. I let them. Sometimes they tape teddy bears to their body and use them instead of clothing. I find that my job is to give my characters the motivation to make their way to the starting point of the next chapter. If you know your characters well enough then you can eventually get them there. It might take a few chapters worth of writing to do it. That is how my 25 chapter outline for Virtual Wars balloons into 41 chapters. Those are red balloons filled with whipped cream of course.

So which do you prefer? Planning or pantsing? No pantsing with no plan? Naked and afraid typing on a laptop while drinking wine and cry-laughing?

Sinister 2

Rated R / 1 hr 37 min / Horror

What is it about?

Bughuul is back with some nasty tricks like sawing a kid in half, but it's not real. Or is it? This time he has his hooks into a woman and her two sons. She is hiding out in a creepy looking house from her abusive husband. The deputy from the original has been trying to frustrate the monster at every turn. He films himself dancing naked to "MMMBop" by Hansen everywhere he thinks the monster might be. This time there is a a woman with her two sons staying in Bughuul's chosen haunted house. The deputy wants to help remove the curse of Bughuul from their lives by using the Raid bug spray.

You will like it if...

You like blatantly average horror sequels. Despite the triumph of the original Sinister film as a unique take on the Boogey Man, this film is inexplicably a few steps backwards. There are a few scary moments in the same blood spurting vein as the original, but these are too few. Bughuul ends up being more of a side character just chilling in the corner shooting dice. His creepy ghost kids take main stage. The problem is that the child actors playing the ghosts are terrible. I could have been just as creepy by replacing the kid actors with Lego people while doing the voices for all of them myself. The two live children do a bit better, but there isn't much for them to do other than follow the ghost kids around. Presumably to tell the ghost kid actors how terrible their acting is and give them ghost wedgies. The script has some nice twists to it that are squandered. Sinister 2 is the cheaper not as attractive cousin to the original, but it may be worth a look if you can ignore the terrible acting.

Next Week

Post suggestions in the comments!
Several minor releases set to come out next week. I'm hoping to see the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon sequel, but not sure if it or any of the other releases will be playing here.

A Writer's Guide To Just Doing It

I have been chomping at the bit to get back to doing a blog post on writing. I just needed my saddle and a jockey to jump on my back with a whip. I asked her to be gentile. OK enough about my personal life.

As the title suggests this blog post is about writers writing the words and doing something with it. Let me explain. If you are a writer then you write. That is what writers do. So why are you sitting there reading this? Go write already!

OK I get it. It is hard to come up with ideas sometimes. I am about tapped out on what to write about the world of Virtual Wars, and I'm not ready to release some of the other goodies that I want to release. That is why I am writing this post, and it brings me to the first point in this guide.

Tip #1 - Just Do It

If you aren't passionate about your current project then create or work on another one that you are passionate about. What's the point in forcing yourself to write something that is only going to cause agony in your life? Life is too short for that. Do what you want. If you have no desire to write anything then maybe you should be doing something else.

I'm not saying to abandon your current project completely just because you hit a snag or you lack motivation right now or your cat is sitting on your laptop. You have to finish your work and publish it in all it's craptacular glory. I'm just saying that sometimes you have to switch gears and work on something else that gives you life and energy. That syringe of adrenaline straight to your heart that causes the words to spew through your fingers like a marvelous orgasm.

Tip #2 - Just Do It

A lack of motivation could be due to stresses in your life that threaten to bring you down. Screw them. Put on some Puff Daddy and kick the shit out of whatever is stressing you out. Unless it's a person. We don't want to go to jail. Here I'll help, but not with hiding any bodies (I will totally help with that... maybe, but probably not.)

There are many things that you can do about stress that will help you. Writing angrily about what is stressing you is one of the ways to get it out. Exercising is another. I like to picture whatever is stressing me and shadowbox against it. I win every time by KO.

Tip #3 - Just Do It

Distractions will slow you down no matter what you are doing. That's why I've thrown my phone across the room, used duct tape on the cat's mouth, and am ignoring the latest Godzilla attack happening outside. Build a well lit padded room for yourself. It will come in handy later if they need to put you in a straight jacket. Keep all of your writing supplies nearby. Lock yourself in and write away. Just so you know I was making part of that up. I don't have a cat and I don't condone animal abuse especially abuse that involves wearing Dallas Cowboys gear.

Any kind of distraction will suck all productivity out of you like the succubus it is. The TV needs to be off. The ticking of a wall clock shut down. A leaf floating in the wind needs to be shot. As much as I love my blog and some of the stuff on here, shut down your browser and get to work already!

Tip #Eight Hundred Fourty Freaking Seven - Just Do It

I put that on my Nike shoes. Have you noticed a theme here? Why are you still here? Do I need to act like an old man and tell you kids to get off my lawn? I have a shotgun. Actually it's a confetti cannon. Well if you're not going to leave then I am. I have writing to attend to. Just make sure to flush and spray air freshener before you leave.