Too Much Wasted Time

My last couple of posts have been about time management in writing, and how to better hold yourself accountable for your time. I realize that the majority of this blog has been in and around various bits of advice when it comes to pursuing your career, yet I stopped and thought about that for a minute. Here I am, unpublished, distracted and as amateur as you can get, and I'm posting advice about how to become a better writer. That's more than a bit pretentious of me.

That being said, in an effort to shift the focus from me providing less-than-substantiated advice to me providing a window on my own experiences, I will start posting about my own writing habits, what I'm planning to do, and why. I've already talked about my love of journaling, so consider this blog an extension of my journals, one that is open for public viewing and feedback.

I've recently come under an undeniable feeling of restlessness when it comes to my career choice and my daily habits. I attribute part of this to the fact that I recently turned 25, an age that sort of slapped me in the face, forcing me to realize that I am an adult, no doubt about it. However, I cannot help but feel that part of it is because I am working in a job, and have been working in a job, that doesn't satisfy what I want out of a career choice.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my job. I work with some very wonderful people and have had incredible memories. Some lasting friends have been made in the retail world for me. Yet, as I approach my 8th year, I cannot help but consider my level of personal satisfaction with my daily work, and I am disappointed with that assessment.

I'm faced with the feeling that the last few years of my life have been far too complacent, and now I feel like I need to work that much harder in order to make up for the lost time. I recently spoke with my parents about this feeling, and my father gave me the advice "I felt the same way at your age, but I stayed in the grocery business and I feel it worked out well." To his credit it certainly did, and I'm glad he made the choices he did in his life. However, something about this restlessness tells me that it goes beyond an aging man attempting to hang onto the openness and opportunity-filled days of his youth. I feel like there is no reason why I should be allowing myself to feel this way, and that I can turn it around if only I spend the time doing so.

It's a difficult realization to come to, and even more difficult to put into action, but it is my plan to do so. It is my hope to advance my career and my interests every day until I reach the point where I am satisfied with what I am doing. When that happens, I will be able to look at other aspects of myself and my life, and what I can do to better them.

When I spoke with my mother I told her that "I'm tired of just satisfying people, and I want to start actually helping people." And that is as close to the truth about my feelings as I've ever been able to vocalize. I'm tired of working in customer service, putting my people skills and my communication talents to use with a flimsy facade of making a difference. I want to actually make a difference. I want to help people learn, realize their potential, open their minds and view the world in different ways. This is why I landed on teaching as a career, and I feel like it will be the career of choice for me as my life moves on.

The real challenge, for me especially, is to stop letting time move around me, and instead start moving with it.

A Love for Journaling

In my last post I talked about keeping a personal, daily journal in order to help give you a chance to practice your writing on a daily basis. I do this myself, in part to help my writing, and in part because I simply have a love for personal journals.

I've found, while I was taking inventory of my sketchbook/journal/diary collection, that I have ten different journals, four of which are currently in use, the other six sitting and waiting until the current ones are filled and I move on. Not only that, but of the four current ones, I keep one in my school bag, two in my satchel, and one on my person at all times. It can become hard to keep track of them all, but luckily I've been able to set specific times and days when I use each, and each has its own specific purpose.

Has having all of these actually helped me? I honestly don't know, but I'd like to think so. I believe that by allowing myself that personal time to really explore my thoughts and feelings, I've worked to make myself not only better at writing, but also better at communicating in general.

A certain feeling comes over me when I open one of my journals. I generally have my headphones in, unless I particularly want to be open to the noise of the world around me, and I know that this is my time to really dig deep. When sketching, I keep my eyes open to what's happening around me, my vision drifting from one person to the next, one object to the next, and I silently record my sights with quick, sloppy line-art. When writing, I allow myself a moment to really sit back and investigate how I'm feeling, why I'm feeling that way, and how those feelings are affecting my judgment, my perceptions, and my expectations. My journal time has become one of the best moments of meditation, and I relish the chances I get to crack into those books and put my pencil, and my brain, to work.

So what's the point of this post? Well, I guess it's a follow-up to the last one. I wanted to reiterate how important daily writing can be, even to non-writers. Keeping a journal can help clear your mind of issues and problems, help see things in a new light, and help solve problems you otherwise would've found yourself worrying about. Also, keeping one journal is a great way to start out, yet I encourage anybody who actually acts on this advice to keep multiple journals, and, if possible, to carry one with you wherever you go. I can't garauntee you much, but I can say that I'm certain a time will come in your life when you wish you had more links to your past than simply your fading memories, and a journal is a sure-fire way to provide yourself a window into who you were before, and how you've changed over time.

Daily Habits

Whenever conversations have taken a turn towards one of my hobbies, such as writing, sketching, or even Game Mastering an RPG session, it isn't rare for people to say something along the lines of "I'm a terrible artist," or "I can't write at all," or even "I could never run an RPG." I can't help but chuckle at these statements because of how misinformed they are.

Writing, as with most hobbies, isn't something you're born with. Anybody can learn how to cook, how to sing, how to play the guitar, how to skateboard, and how to write. These are skills, and it's true, while some may be born with natural talents in these areas, anybody can learn how to do them, and to do them well.

The key, and this is where most people fail, myself included, is consistent practice.

We live in an age of instant gratification. When I was growing up, it was common to wait minutes for a webpage to load, even if it was all text. And it was what I did. I'd click the link, and sit and wait while the page slowly came into view, often reading the information as it showed up on screen. Now, if the page takes longer than ten to fifteen seconds, most people close out and try again, or look for a different page. We are accustomed to instant information, to finding what we need as fast as we can hit the 'Enter' button, yet it is my firm belief that this technology is being poorly misused. Yet that is a subject for a different blog post.

If you want to get better at something, anything, all you need to do is practice it. Work it into your routine, schedule your time around it, make time for it and hold yourself accountable to it. Whether its physical exercise, budgeting, academic preparation, or creative writing, all you need to do is be willing to devote the necessary time.

I have these skills in sketching and writing because I did them when I was young. I started as a child and kept the hobbies up throughout my prime development years, into high school, and after. Now, in my adult life, I find that I don't continue the hobbies as often as I'd like, and because of this my confidence in them has fallen. I can still sketch, but it takes me a while before I feel good about my artistic abilities to hammer out portraits and character concepts like I used to. I can write, but it takes a few days of straight fiction writing before I feel confident about my ability to tell a story.

Turn your desire into action and start writing daily. Keep a journal, and carry it with you at all times. I know how this sounds, and I know that a lot of us who aspire to be writers think "keeping a journal is amateur stuff, I'm ready for more than that." I know this because I thought this way just a mere year ago. However, I have since decided to take my own advice, and it has done wonders for my ability to get my thoughts out on paper. It has made me a better literary communicator and a better verbal communicator. There really is no downside to having a daily journal.

Writing also requires an acceleration period. This period varies in time from one person to the next, but generally you can expect it to be around thirty minutes. You can't sit down and expect to start writing your novel right away, and you can't expect every session to be equally effective, at least not at first. Having a daily journal, and writing in it for at least thirty minutes prior to working on your manuscript, is the perfect way to get your creative gears turning, to kick-start the part of your brain that works on literary communication, taking abstract thoughts and turning them into words on a page.

The same goes with any skill you put into practice. Instead of jumping right into your workout, stretch for a short while beforehand. Instead of starting your piece of artwork right after you get done with your work shift, instead sketch a few scrap drawings in a notebook. We want everything we do to be perfect the first time, yet that is not realistic. In fact, that frame of mind is a hindrance to achieving our true potential as artists. Recognize that consistent, scheduled practice is necessary to becoming better at something, and then go out and schedule that practice.

Keeping in Contact

It's been said that life isn't so much about what you know, but rather who you know. As I work towards self-publishing my first book, I'm finding this to be increasingly true.

Seeking to get anywhere in the world of writing requires many different tools that you need to be ready and willing to utilize, many different skills you need to hone, in order to get anywhere. Or, at least, so I've been learning. There is determination to finish your work, there is discipline to hold yourself to a schedule or timeline, and there is properly leveraging the skills and abilities of others to assist you. Despite how it sounds, self-publishing is not something you can do on your own. At least not easily.

Expand your circle. Meet people with similar interests. Go to writing clubs, visit online forums and chat rooms, and reconnect with old friends who shared your passion. It is important to have a good list of people who enjoy writing, who enjoy reading, and who enjoy other aspects of the publishing process. The more people you know, and the more willing you are to ask for help, the easier your road will become.

When I started work on the Round 10 Core Rulebook, I expected to write the manuscript, send it in for publication, and start watching the 'Download' counter tick ever upwards. I was incredibly wrong, and I didn't realize it until I was filling out the submission form for rpgnow.com and got to the 'Cover Art' field. I had no cover art. The first thing that anyone would see about my book, and it was blank.

I realized I still had some work to do.

A lot has happened between then and now. It's been almost a year, the book has gone through three different versions, getting more and more in-depth with what it includes every time. I have seven of eleven illustrations finished, and the other four are close behind. The cover is fully designed and finished, ready to grace the front of the manuscript. The sections are being reorganized into a more readable and user-friendly format, and I'm able to begin diverting some of my attention to my next book. All thanks to my wonderful allies on this long trip.

Despite seeking self-publication, the list of people assisting me grows by the week. Taking a quick look at my credits page, I see I have over 15 people credited, including illustrator, tyopgraphic artist, layout designer, logo designer, editors, and most importantly, my play-testers. And while my book is swiftly approaching the date when it will be ready for publication, I know that I still have a lot of work ahead of me, and I won't be doing it all alone.

Why I Write

This is an interesting and continuously intriguing thought. Writing is something I do, something I've always done, but the times I think about writing are a lot more frequent than those when I stop to consider exactly why I write.

I am a communicator by my very nature. I relish the chance to convey thoughts and feelings to an audience. I am a glutton for the back-and-forth of one-on-one communication, and I am talented in the area of small group communication and public speaking. Granted, I have a lot to learn in all of these areas, but to deny my edge would be to practice a dishonest form of modesty. And while modesty is important, honesty is moreso, I believe.

Writing is undoubtedly one of my preferred mediums to communicate, both for what it can do and what it cannot. What writing can do, in any of its forms, is allow the opportunity to more accurately convey the writer's message. Assuming the person who is writing has a decent vocabulary and at least moderate knowledge of language, writing can take who is normally a stammering, stuttering individual and turn them into a wonderful communicator.

However, what writing cannot do is, in my opinion, far more important.

Writing limits us in our communication in a way that we often don't think of while reading a book or a magazine article, yet it becomes very clear to us while we're texting or messaging friends and family members. Writing lacks all forms of nonverbal communication, and while we can attempt to convey such ideas (such as through the use of ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, or with emoticons :) ), it still pales in comparison to the nonverbals we get in face-to-face communication. This forces the writer to be extra certain of what words he or she uses, in what order, and with what rhythm. Diction, grammar, syntax, and punctuation go beyond the realm of 'rules of writing' and become 'tools of writing,' and with proper manipulation can convey more in a single sentence than some of us could ever hope to do in an entire conversation.

Why else do I write? The power of writing is undeniable. A person's inner voice is both their loudest distraction, and oftentimes their greatest influence. Reading exercises a person's inner voice, flexes their lexicon, and generally helps with focus and comprehension. If reading is such a powerful and beneficial way to spend your time, then the people who spend their time, energy and effort writing are those who seek to truly enlighten others, whether consciously or subconsciously, whether it is simply to expand creativity through entertainment, or to open readers' minds through persuasion.

To help emphasize the power of writing, we only need to look to Mark Twain. When a bet was made that Twain wouldn't be able to make people cry with no more than six written words, Mark Twain wrote the following:

For sale: child's shoes, never worn.

The gravity of that simple statement speaks mountains for the effect that writing can have on an individual. And it is my hope, my goal and my dream to become part of the industry and part of the community that contributes to furthering the drive for understanding, for learning, and for entertainment.

Welcome

Hello folks! Welcome to the very first post of my new blog, Experience Points.

First of all, a bit about myself: My name is Nicholas Kory, I'm a 25 year-old aspiring writer/teacher who is returning to college to finish my teaching degree. I am also working full time in retail, as well as attempting to self-publish my first book on tabletop role-playing. Between these endeavors, in my spare time I try to cultivate multiple friendships and remain a relevant and positive member of all of my social networks.

This blog will follow my pursuit of my career, both as a teacher and as a writer, and will help to serve as a collection of my plans, thoughts, motivations, pitfalls and epiphanies that I am sure to face as I move steadily forward towards those goals. I will share what I have learned, what I am learning, and what I hope to learn in the future. The posts in this blog will serve as benchmarks in my road, a permanent record of where I've been and where I am going. Hence the blog's title.

It is my humble goal to update this blog on a weekly basis, at the very least. However, it may not be out of the realm of possibility to see more frequent updates, depending upon my schedule and the necessity of me to get these thoughts down.

I hope that those of you who take the time to read my posts will find them to be enlightening, entertaining, or thought-provoking to some degree. I feel as if a new chapter in my life is starting as I close in on the goals I have set for myself, and I am excited to share this chapter with all of those who are willing to listen.