What it means to Cross the Bridges – Different Aspects of My Writing
I love writing.
I have been writing since I was 9 years old. Wildfire was sci-fi, 50 hand-written pages long and illustrated by yours truly. The basic premise: the grown-ups of the world allowed this mad scientist to create robots, who took over everything for everyone. The adults got fat and lazy, the kids got distraught over this so they rebelled, stole a bunch of military hardware, created a base in the walls of the Grand Canyon, and in time wiped out all the robots and all the adults and were left to their own devices to rebuild the world.
Very few people have seen this, because I wonder what a child psychologist would have had to say about a nine-year-old killing off all the adults? Also, the illustrations are just awful – my profile views have no noses. Really. Oh, and the heads of the robots were modelled off of Commodore PET computers.
From there I wrote a few other stories, like my first typed sci-fi story, The Secret Computer World. Inspired by Tron, much? I think so.
From there I wrote a few more things along the way. But in college I mostly stopped writing. I have a few scattered bits and pieces, but nothing whole for about 6 years.
Then, in 1998, I began what would evolve into The Source Chronicles. Since then, I have churned out the first three novels in that series (I am currently working on editing book 3, Harbinger), two Steampunk novels in the Vapor Rogues series, and am currently working on the 4th book in The Source Chronicles, Guardians, and an un-named space opera.
I began this blog back in 2010, but didn’t begin to give it direction until my New Years’ Action for 2012, and the start of Pathwalking. Since then, it has evolved over the past five-and-a-half years into a more intentional, more focused blog.
Writing in a Different Direction
Back in 2005, I discovered National Novel Writer’s Mo nth (NaNoWriMo), and fell in love with the idea of creating a 50,000 word novelette in 30 days. My first year’s attempt crashed before I reached half-way, but in 2006 I was encouraged to tell a different story than my norm.
The reason this blog is called The Ramblings of the Titanium Don is due to the car accident I was in on November 30th, 1999. I was a pedestrian, and I was struck by a car while crossing a relatively busy street. Part of the damage to my body from that accident was a shattered clavicle, which was repaired using three titanium plates. As such, I am now made partially of titanium. Also, in the SCA, I am a Don. Hence – The Titanium Don.
The story of that accident, as well as my recovery and the next couple of years, is full of unbelievable but completely true happenings. In hindsight, a great deal of it is actually rather funny. During a conversation in the parking lot after a fencing practice, I was encouraged to tell this story with my own brand of humor, and use that to participate in NaNoWriMo.
Writing from a Different Perspective
Unlike the vast majority of my non-blog writing, I wrote the novelette in first person. At the end of November 2006, The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With a Trip to the Post Office was completed.
I have been loathe to share this tale for a number of reasons. First – due to many acts on my part in that time, I look like a total ass. Second – there is some embarrassment around many of the things that occurred then. Third – despite changing the names of everyone involved, I still worry about offending certain people. Fourth – this is probably the most personal thing I have ever written, even with the changes to names and certain places within.
Yet those who have read this story have told me it should be shared. Many have told me it’s one of the best things I have ever written. As part of my desire to become a best-selling author, even though this is a bridge apart from everything else I write – I am preparing The Journey of a Thousand Miles… for publication.
Talk the Talk, Write the Words, Cross the Bridges
Writing is my passion. I have said before that I don’t care if I am working on this blog; working on sci-fi and fantasy or Steampunk; writing press-releases or proposals or copy for businesses; I want to be writing because that’s my love. I lay myself pretty bare in this particular tale, but one of the new directions in my life I am working with is letting go of my fear of success, or failure, and ultimate fear of abandonment from either – and embrace making some much-desired changes.
This is not just writing about crossing bridges, this is stepping up to the span and beginning across. This is actually, factually taking an intentional action to move forward as I most desire. It is, without a doubt, both scary and exciting.
Keep watching this space as I take the next steps. As always, thank you for crossing the bridges with me!
GOAL LOG – Week 21:
Diet: I am doing well with the lower carb, lower sugar diet overall.
Exercise: I fenced Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, hit the gym Monday and Wednesday. Walked a lap around the small lake near work Tuesday.
Writing: The three blog posts were done, worked on editing Journey of a Thousand Miles on five days.
Meditation: Every day over the last week, never less than 8 minutes a day (generally 10 minutes or more).
Gratitude: I expressed gratitude for 5 things every day last week.
This is the thirty-fifth entry of my personal journey, the Crossing the Bridges series. My collectively published writing can be found here.
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