So, on the last day of
2018, I’ve decided to look ahead to 2019 with a few important goals. I took
some much-needed big steps forward in 2018, and I want to keep that momentum
going. My creative goals include:
-Getting
one or two new books in print (the publishing industry could only be slower if
it was run by sloths).
-Write
a stand-alone novel…
-,,,to
get a literary agent (apologies to my readers who want those promised sequels
soon).
-Finish
my second and third semesters of grad school.
As is common around this time, people are doing retrospectives on the past year, so I thought I’d do something similar. In my case, I’m sharing My Top 5 Most Viewed Blogs of 2015. Admittedly, I didn’t publish blogs as consistently as I should have–consider posting more to be a resolution for 2016–but it was interesting to see what was viewed most often.
So, without further adieu…
Number 5: Proxy Characters and Wish Fulfillment Nearly a year ago, I wrote about how authors sometimes create characters who are “Mary Sues,” or characters that they see as idealized versions of themselves. I used Robert E. Howard and his most famous creation, Conan the Barbarian, as my example. I’m still trying to remember where I read that Howard saw Conan this way. I couldn’t find it anywhere online. It must’ve been in a book.
Number 4: Attacking the Idol A blog I wrote in response to the backlash I received when I made this satirical video that dared to bash the Fifty Shades of Grey movie. It was one of several instances–all within a short span of time–that made me an internet troll magnet. (The other ones being my follow-up video and this essay for the Theology Gaming Blog). I was new to dealing with trolls, so I was a bit overwhelmed. I didn’t handle it as well I could’ve I think. Regardless, it was a learning experience.
Number 3: Religious Freedom, Discrimination, and Gen-Con Another controversial blog. It wasn’t necessarily a troll magnet like the ones I mentioned above, but it did get me a lot of attention. Being a Christian, a born-and-raised Hoosier, and a fan of Gen-Con ( I’ve sold books there since 2012), I was disappointed to hear that the convention’s founder was taking Governor Pence to task for the RFRA law he passed, erroneously believing it legalized discrimination against the LGBT community. It sparked some heated debates when I shared in in some Facebook groups.
Number 2: ‘Marvel vs. DC’ Movie coming in 2020! This was my April Fool’s Day prank. I originally wrote this after seeing a slick fan-made trailer featuring superheroes from both DC Comics and Marvel Comics battling each other. It was published on my Examiner page for about ten minutes before being removed. That annoyed me since I’d seen plenty of joke articles published by other news sources. Regardless, I was proud of satirical efforts. Perhaps I should write for The Onion.
Number 1: Upcoming Book Signings for 2015 I’m as surprised as you are. This was nothing more than a simple announcement–no bells or whistles or anything–and yet it’s by far my most-viewed post of 2015. Maybe it’s because of all the tags I put in it? Or all the Facebook groups I shared it in? The world may never know.
What was your favorite blog post from my website in 2015?
It’s that time of the year when people regret all the food they ate between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve and decide they need to go to gym to lose the extra pounds—only to quit by Valentine’s Day (another reason V-Day is the worst holiday ever!)
All that to say everyone makes resolutions for the coming year (including the Children of the Wells writers and their characters), and I’m no different. My list would include stuff like:
-Finish writing Hope’s War.
-Read the 20 or so books sitting on my bedpost (at least).
-Publish at least one new book.
-Pay off more of my student loans.
-Start grad school, if possible.
But there’s something I’ve thought about doing around this time for several years. Sometimes I do a bit of it, but not enough. In fact, it weighed so heavily on me during the Christmas season it kept me awake one night (thanks, God). 😛 What is that?
Downsizing.
Now, I’m not a pack rat who needs to go on Hoarders (though I know people who should). However, I do tend to hang onto stuff that has sentimental value and/or I think I’ll be able to use later. I have sizable DVD/Blu-ray, book, and video game collections, and while I have trimmed those down a bit (they could stand a little more), what I specifically need streamlined is my toys.
Yes, toys.
As a kid, I collected several series of playthings, some of which are probably genuine collectors’ items (Transformers, Star Trek, etc.), but many were only popular at the time (like Z-Bots and Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad). I have most of these stashed in several trunks. I don’t keep them because I play with them, obviously, so the toys’ purposes are defeated. I thought at one point I might share them with my own kids, but I don’t know if or when that will happen. So, at the moment, they just take up space that should be freed up. I’m a storyteller now, hence why my focus is more on books and movies, and not a kid or a toy collector. I haven’t bought a toy in years.
He kinda looks like me, actually. (Image courtesy of Tumblr).
Unfortunately, I’m like Andy from the Toy Story films. I don’t want my toys—most of which I slaved to keep in good condition—to go to just anybody. I want to give them good homes; I want them to go to people who will cherish them the same way I did; people like a collector or an appreciative kid. (Wow! That was an excessive use of semicolons!) I know, it sounds weird. It sounds like I’m talking about a pet I can’t keep. These are just toy—hunks of sculpted plastic (and a sometimes metal). They’re not alive. Well, technically they’re not. But when I was a kid, with my wild imagination, I made them come to life. They were “friends” I had adventures with; characters in whatever goofy stories I would cook up on the spot (that might partially explain my zany mind). They were the avatars of my brainchildren. (Though some I keep because of the people who gave them to me, like deceased grandparents).
That’s the thing, though: What I cherish most are the memories those playthings gave me. It isn’t necessarily the things themselves. But barring a traumatic brain injury, I’ll never lose those memories. If they gave me this much joy, they can do the same for new owners.
I just want to make sure I find the right ones, is all. 😛
(No wonder the Toy Story films appeal to me on many levels).
A Man from Another Time Exploring Another Universe
