The Thing About Names

I have an incredible ability. But it causes lots of life stress and awkwardness, so it may be better categorized as an incredibly awful ability.

What is this ability you ask? Flying? Psychic powers? Bending space and time? Nope. I have the incredibly awful ability to forget a name about five seconds after it’s been told to me.

Yep. I’ve counted.

I don’t try to do this. On the contrary I try really hard to remember people’s names. I do all the crazy things. Like that girl Brooke I met the other day with the crooked nose. (See what I did there?) I still remember her name, so it’s not every name I forget. But it is most of them.

It’s probably to do with how I learn. I think it’s a design thing. I need to see the name represented visually. Because, by golly, I can remember the names of people in the service industry who wear name tags. I still remember tired, gray-haired Wendy who works at the Kmart. I still remember Chuy who hooked me up with a sweet tire deal.

But you? If we’ve just met, I have no idea who you are.

Happy 2014!

And we’re back. Holy moly I sure wasn’t expecting 2014 to creep up on us like it did. Are any of the rest of you ready for 2014? It seems like WordPress sometimes does a year in review post, so I may save that type of post for later.

So what’s been going on for the last month? Well, I really haven’t been able to leave my NaNo novel alone. I feel like it needs the middle fixed before I can let it go cold and edit it. This thing is going to surpass the 100K mark, which I guess is fine, as edits tend to bring it down. I had a lot of fun writing it, though, and it feels good to have a sequel in hand, even if it needs some editing.

WHAT CAN YOU LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE COMING WEEKS ON LIT & SCRIBBLES?

For one thing I have a ton of Friday Flix/reviews I’ll be eager to talk about. I’ve been watching lots of shows peeps. Too many I’m sure. It’s what I do when I need a break from copious amounts of writing. I think it’s what helped with the stress of NaNo.

Comics of course! I know I need to get back on that. What can I say? Burn out.

I keep having strange and interesting things happen to me, which I should really note because I tend to forget about them when a blank WordPress post is sitting in front of me. But it will happen. 2014 will be the year of the strange (okay, maybe every year is like that, and maybe not as much strange as interesting).

More about writing. I keep learning more about writing, so there’s more to be said. A lot more.

Okay 2014, ready or not you’re here. Let’s see what you have to offer us.

Big plans for 2014? Anything you’d like to see on the blog more (other than me *coughing, wiping away cobwebs*)? Any writing goals for the big 14?

AFB: Green Embers

Welcome to April’s Featured Blog, something I’ll be posting here on Lit and Scribbles most of the month to introduce all of you to perhaps some new future friends and get to know a little more about your blogging community.

Today we talk with Bradley, writer of the blog Green Embers. Bradley and I both occasionally post comics on our blog, making it really easy for us to become blogger buddies. Us cartoonists must stick together! Tell the people who you are, Bradley:

B: I am a nobody AWESOME SOMEBODY who has various hobbies. I like drawing bad art (my mum thinks it’s great). I like to read (reading has been my first love). I link to tinker with computers, do a bit of programming (mostly Win8, C# stuff). I’m a 6’1″ fat man with red hair and a goatee 😀

J: When did you first start blogging and what is your blog about?

B: I started blogging October 27, 2011. What is my blog about? Prepare for some incoming text! When I started my blog, way back then, it was for me to write about my programming experiences. I was teaching myself C# (a programming language) and XAML to make a Windows 8 App. I did eventually make my Dungeon Master App for 4th Edition D&D but my blogging was off and on. I never really got any views and I never really explored what was out there on Word Press. I also in my life have been struggling with health and weight issues. I decided to start using my blog to help me with my goals. I also decided to start putting little comics in my post that I had drawn, usually Comic Me dancing (I am fascinated by dancing). I also decided to start writing again. I had written a few short stories and started getting involved in the Daily Post Weekly Writing Challenge. My blog was starting to morph, to change into something else. It was about to be reborn.

The day my blog really started was February 2, 2013. On that day a 16 year old Canadian Ballerina commented on my post, “Very funny”. Anytime someone favorites or comments on my blog I always check out their blogs. She is a girl who likes to read and has a review section of books. She recommend a self-help book called “Mindset” by Carol Dweck. That book really changed my whole outlook on life.

Before that day, I would visit other people’s blogs but I would never really comment. I was honestly petrified of it. That changed. I started visiting other people’s blogs and I would comment, they in turn would comment on mine. Slowly I started getting more views and comments on my own blog. (Blatant Moral Alert, don’t be scared to comment)! Once more people started visiting, some would ask me questions, which I turned into a blogging feature I do. Anyone can leave me a comment and ask me any anything. I try to be as honest as possible. Soon I started adding more features, started doing interviews myself and started putting up more comics. My blog is almost its own full-time job now, lol.

I would say my blog is about motivation, inspiration and life with all its misery and happiness. I try to keep it dynamic and interesting and fun for me. I love my blog!

J: Whew! That was some incoming text. Okay, so which of your posts was the most fun to write and why?

B: I love blogging and every post has been fun and rewarding. I would have to say I enjoyed my Valentine’s Day post for single people. It was fun to write because I love that picture I made for it and I truly believe that single people like myself need to not be so hard on ourselves. Second favorite is any of my comics. Those have been a great pleasure to do.

J: I definitely know what you mean about comics. What type of stories do you write?

B: Well, when I do write stories, I tend to write in the Fantasy, Science Fiction genres. I love short stories and that is what I prefer to write. Lately though my comics have been taking up my writing time. I consider myself a rubbish writer, but I hack at it anyway, lol.

J: Protagonist excluded, which of your characters is your favorite?

B: GIn what I have shown so far, that would be Ratch. The Lich’s goblin assistant. I’ve tried to stylize him as a proper English butler.  I do want to say more, but I haven’t finished my re-write of the story, but I enjoy his straight attitude and not being upset by anything.

J: Who are your favorite authors?

B: Blah. I’ll attempt this. Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Robert Kirkman, Robert Jordan, George RR Martin, Terry Brooks, Brandon Sanderson, Arthur C Clark, Robert Heinlein, Agatha Christie, Roald Dahl, Patrick McManus, Lloyd Alexander, JK Rowling, JRR Tolkien, C.S. Lewis…. And probably several others I cannot remember at the moment.

J: What are the last three books you read, and would you recommend them?

B: Mindset by Carol Dweck which I highly recommend! It has changed my whole outlook on life. The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: The Alchemyst by Michael Scott, which I would not recommend. I found the first book boring and tried to start in on the second book. Still boring, I didn’t bother to finish it. The Wheel of Time: Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. I loved this book and would recommend it (you might need to read quite a few books to catch up though). It was the final book in an Epic series and I feel that it ended quite well.

J: Do you listen to music while you write?

B: Yup sure do. Bon Jovi is my favorite to write to.

J: Aside from writing, what are your favorite things to do?

B: I love doing my doodles and cartoons, I love reading, I like watching TV. Once upon a time I loved riding my bicycle and skiing… I would like to start doing those again once I lose some weight.

J: If you could be granted one superpower, which would it be?

B: I would totally be The Hulk. I would get to smash around Norse Gods, people would never want to piss me off and I would be green!

J: Where’s the farthest away from home you’ve traveled?

B: Er… either Brazil or Italy. Not sure which one is farther.

J: What’s the one thing you wish you’d known about writing earlier?

B: Writing asynchronously. Sometimes writing the end of the story first is a very good thing and like filming you don’t need to write in order. You can write any scene at any time.

J: What advice would you give to new writers getting started on their first story?

B: If it is your first story, realize that it is going to be rubbish. Your ideas will be good but the story will be rubbish. That might sound harsh but to truly get something decent it is going to require a lot of hard work. After you write, you re-write, you start from scratch and then do it all over again. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and work.

THANK YOU, BRADLEY!

You know I love comics. Keep it up! And I agree with you 100% on the first story, even the first draft is just going to be rubbish. And that’s okay. I think sometimes we expect perfection way too soon. I may have to try writing asynchronously. For me it always has to be in order, at least on a first draft. I edit backwards though, lol.

All right lovelies! Questions for Bradley? Dying to know which Bon Jovi song is his favorite? Do you think first drafts are rubbish? Are you too in the throes of the weight loss game? Let Bradley know below.

And be sure to stop by Bradley’s blog for comics and other good mayhem.