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 |    My primary Writing.com blog. |
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Logocentric (adj). Regarding words and language as a fundamental expression of an external reality (especially applied as a negative term to traditional Western thought by postmodernist critics). Sometimes I just write whatever I feel like. Other times I respond to prompts, many taken from the following places:  "The Soundtrackers Group"  "Blogging Circle of Friends " "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" "JAFBG" "Take up Your Cross" Thanks for stopping by!  |
| "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" | Day 3197 Prompt ▼ The things I tend to pull from real life for my writing tend to be more indirect. I'll get an idea for the subject matter for a story from something I've experienced in real life, or will find inspiration in some other kind of media I've watched or listened to. I read a lot of different types of things and stuff will stick in my head that I'll reference or adapt at some point when the situation calls for it. A lot of writers swear by finding inspiration for characters in real life, either basing characters on people they actually know, or stories that they've experienced in their actual lives, and I can't say I find either a particularly effective writing tool for my own work. I might use a personality trait or quirk that I notice from one place or another, but I've never been the kind of writer who writes down snippets of dialogue overheard out and about in the real world, or take an entire personality wholesale and transplant it into a story. When I write fantasy and science fiction, I definitely look for historical narratives or even current news that I can adapt for an alternate setting. I tend to use those more frequently than characterization because I think fantasy and science fiction are at their best when they're allegories for something in the real world, and it also helps add a familiar framework or structure to what can otherwise be a really hard to relate to pair of genres if they get too weird or "out there." I tend to stay away from friends and family entirely, and that's for a few reasons. First, I don't want them to recognize themselves in the fiction I write (unless I'm intentionally trying to do so with their knowledge and consent). Second, most of my family and friends are just regular people, and I tend to enjoy writing stories about extraordinary circumstances. Realistic, everyday fiction isn't really my thing. And third, I get enough of my family in friends in my real life. Writing fiction for me is an escape, so I generally focus on characters and situations that I don't experience in my everyday life. Overall, I think it's safe to say that we all draw inspiration from real life, whether it's intentional or not. My inspirations just tend to be more of the indirect variety rather than direct lifts from the real world. (407 words) |
| "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" | Day 3190 Prompt ▼ I'm typically the most influenced by two types of people: the ones I really admire, and the ones that really drive me crazy. People that I really admire give me something to aspire to. Over the years, I've found friends, coworkers, religious leaders, family members, etc. to all be huge influences on who I am now. In particular, a former boss and then mentor at work was the first executive who really showed me how to be a supervisor and a leader without being a jerk. My parents also taught me general responsibility and a strong work ethic. My pastor helped shape and better understand my faith. People that drive me crazy can be just as, if not more influential for all the things I've learned not to do. I had two bosses, one of which was an egomaniacal narcissist and the other which was a passive aggressive manipulator, and I learned from both of them how not to manage people and conduct business. I've met plenty of religious people who have shown me how not to live out my faith. Generally speaking, I'm okay with all the influences in my life because they've all shaped who I am today... and I'm pretty okay with who I am today.  Both good and bad influences have formed my view of the world, and how I interact with it. If I didn't have those good and bad times that created those environments and the takeaways I had from them, I don't think I'd be the same person.(257 words) |
| "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" | Day 3183 Prompt ▼ I'll be the first to admit that my fashion choices (particularly when it comes to shoes) are not the most sophisticated. As someone who works from home most of the time (and even when I do work in the office, the entertainment industry is famously casual on the production side), I don't have a lot of occasions to dress up. Most years, I wear a suit (or shirt and tie) less than half a dozen times. My go-to is a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt rolled up at the sleeves... with athletic shoes. I have a couple of pairs of running shoes that I wear most often (Hoka and Brooks are my favorite brands), and then I have a couple other pairs of casual shoes (currently Vans). Part of the issue is that, even if I did have an occasion to wear nicer things, I doubt I would because I just don't really care all that much about being fashionable. Comfort trumps style in my book, so even if someone came to me and said, "I'll buy you any pair of shoes you want," I'd immediately start thinking about something that I can comfortably wear day-in-day-out rather than, say, an expensive pair of dress shoes that would come out of my closet maybe a couple of times a year. I suppose if I could try anything out, I'd go for one of those hybrid shoes that they're starting to make now, where they're leather dress shoes on top, but have athletic shoe soles. They're supposed to be super comfortable and also look a little classier. There's a version by a company called Wolf and Shepherd which I've never heard of before and charges $295 for the shoes (also more than I'm likely to ever spend on a pair of shoes), so I suppose I'd take a flier on something like that if I ever had an opportunity to go out and have someone buy me a new pair of shoes. In the absence of that, I'm probably sticking with my year-old Hokas and Vans until it's time to replace them. (352 words) |
| "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" | Day 3176 Prompt ▼ I've owned pets for most of my life, although we don't currently have any. I've loved animals ever since I was a young kid, which is probably why I've had three dogs and probably a dozen cats over the years (a couple at a time, not all at once  ). The last cat we had was one that we had for nearly twenty years and she passed away around the time we started fostering our kids, so we haven't replaced her yet. We also live in a place that doesn't have a fenced-in yard, so we're hesitant to get another dog if there isn't anywhere for him or her to run around and play, especially while were not at home since my wife and I both work.Our family really loves animals, though. The dream one day is to have a house with a big yard so we can have all kinds of animals running around. I'm pretty sure my wife secretly wants to live on a farm... not to do any actual farming, but to get a chance to see all the animals that you typically find on one. Me? Personally, I'd just settle for a single family house with a modest backyard so we can get a dog and let them run around back there when we're out and about. In the meantime, while we do love animals, we've also really enjoyed not cleaning up after a pet for the past five years or so. After so many years of having them, I'd almost forgotten what it's like to leave the house without having to worry if they're fed, to plan to go on a trip without looking into pet sitting or boarding options, etc. While I'm absolutely sure that another pet is in our future at some point, it's been nice not having one from a clean house and maintenance (and cost!) perspective. (320 words) |
| To qualify for my Watch List every month, the following has to be something that I've watched that's new to me. It doesn't necessarily have to be a current show, but it can't be reruns or rewatches of something I've already seen. So if I'm including it in this list, it means this month is the first time I've watched it. I'll put "DNF" (Did Not Finish) next to anything that I stopped watching and have no immediate plans to finish. Movies  The Adam Project Deadpool & Wolverine Despicable Me 4 The Fall Guy Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire IF Trigger WarningTelevision 3 Body Problem The Acolyte The Boys (Season 4) Owning Manhattan True Detective (Season 1) True Detective (Season 2)I watched a lot of really good stuff in July. On the movie side, Despicable Me 4 was a fun continuation of the popular Minions franchise, and IF was a surprisingly heartfelt and enjoyable movie. The Fall Guy would have been my favorite movie of the month if it weren't also Deadpool & Wolverine release month, and that's a movie that's been an absolute beast to work on, but is something that I'm really proud of and has been a much needed hit for us at work, so I'm a bit partial. I also happened to watch Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds' previous collaboration The Adam Project which was just okay. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire wasn't great, and Trigger Warning was billed as a "female John Wick" movie starring Jessica Alba but it was ultimately pretty forgettable.On the television side, my wife and I finally started watching True Detective, although we liked the second season a lot more than the first season, even though it's been the least popular season to date. Each season is a completely different cast and different crime that's being explored so it keeps things interesting. Owning Manhattan is the new show starring Ryan Serhant, a New York real estate broker that first starred in another real estate show years ago called Million Dollar Listing New York and this one followed him growing his own brokerage firm, which is actually pretty interesting to watch. The Boys is always an entertaining show, and I think I liked Star Wars' The Acolyte more than most fans did. 3 Body Problem was a little slow to start, but really interesting toward the end. I've been meaning to read the books, but after looking over a synopsis of the books and how complicated the narrative is, maybe I'll just stick with the show... TOP PICK: Deadpool & Wolverine |
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