Where is the Darn Reset Button!?

A day early, but whatever....

I'm not sure what happened last week, but it didn't involve writing. It's probably one of the reasons why I wasn't so focused on getting this post written on time. Even now, it's a bit of a struggle to write this instead of hiding somewhere doing something else.

I'm in a rut, or at least I was, I'm still debating if I'm still there. Something snapped this week that just drove me far away from putting word to paper. I'm still not sure what it was.

I could blame it on not feeling well this weekend, but that only really qualifies for Sunday and late Saturday. I could blame it on having to work this Tuesday - why I didn't have the post up - so I could have this weekend off. I could blame it on the fact that Hubby and I got the latest Legend of Zelda game "Breath of the Wild." A game that I desperately wish I was playing instead of writing this, if I'm honest.

In fact, I could probably blame most of my laziness the past week on Breath of the Wild. I just get sucked into the massive world: how pretty it is, how strategic you need to be, how it calls for you to be creative in the ways you advance the plot. The problem with blaming Zelda is that it came out on Friday. It still doesn't excuse my writing neglect the rest of the week.

I just fell completely off the horse in February. I didn't even complete reading one book; although I did complete it last night. Even with the "Two hours of watching something; max" rule for Lent, I couldn't get myself to refocus so far this month. Yes, we're back to my greatest downfall: focus. I either have none or way too much.

It wasn't Lent, but my husband who helped reset me, or at least attempted to the other day. He's now taking my computer away for an hour or two and forcing me to sit with paper and pen. It didn't help me with writing this post on Tuesday after I was done with work, but it did help me actually write two prompts on the same day for the first time in I can't recall how long. Having my computer privileges revoked didn't help me type up more of my already written prompts, but it did help me finally finish reading my book. It didn't help me with the past two weeks, but it did help me with the past two days.

So, thanks, Sweetie. It's because of you that I'm typing this instead of getting sucked back into Hyrule. You always know how to get me re-centered. Love you.

Now, as I just mentioned, I don't have anything new for me to share due to it still being in my notebook. However, I can now share my update on my reading challenge:

Challenge by Reading Books Like a Boss

Again, I don't have "Ready. Set. Novel!" checked off because I haven't completed the book. In fact, I haven't even done any new activities out of it, sadly. I'm focusing on just catching up on the writing prompts thing. Along those lines, I'm now working on reading through the "March" chapter of my copy of "A Writer's Book of Days." I have to say, I'm getting quite a few notes throughout.

The pink and yellow tabs are locations of her prompts, but the rest are key
bits of advice that I go back to reread.

Now for me to actually get myself to FOLLOW the advice.....

As for the latest book that I added on for February's read? Well, ABC used to have a long-running show that ended this past season: "Castle." For those who don't know the main premise of the show, it was about Richard Castle, a crime/mystery/thriller author, shadowing Kate Beckett, a NYC homicide detective, as a means of research for his new novel concept. The pairing worked so well that even after his first book was long-since published, he continued his ride-alongs; now a pseudo-consultant to Beckett's team while also becoming close friends with all in the department. Well, since the titular character was a novelist, ABC thought it would be great marketing if the viewers of the show could actually read the books that Castle wrote throughout the series. Thus the Nikki Heat book series came to the real world. Each year when Castle's book dropped in the show, it also was released in the real world, and actually hit real world New York Times Bestseller lists. Even after the series got cancelled last year, at least one more Nikki Heat book is set to be published this May.

The real fun thing about these books is that they are completely "Richard Castle" books. Nathan Fillion, who played Castle in the series, is shown on the dust jacket as the face of Castle. The dedications and acknowledgments are completely in-character for Castle, although the latter does break the fourth wall a bit by thanking the main cast of the show, as well as the show runners, via first name only. Probably the best thing about how in-character the entirety of the book series is? I've tried for years, and I STILL can't find out who the ghostwriter was. I cannot find mention anywhere as to who is the true author of the Richard Castle books, and even during book tours and signings, Nathan Fillion would go as Richard Castle. Wonder if he's still going to do so now that the character is behind him. I guess I could find out when the latest - and possibly last - book comes out in May.

Anyway, I mentioned back in February, when I started reading the book, that it's a bit of a floater. "Heat Wave" is the first book of a series, which is why I currently have it as "start a new series" even though I have read this book before; I haven't read the others yet. All the books in the series have Nikki Heat's silhouette on the cover, so "woman on the cover" could be used. The majority of the cover is red, so it could bump off "Ready. Set. Novel!" if I wish. Finally, the titles are all plays on Nikki's last name, so I guess it counts as "Name in the title."

I decided to stick with the rolling ball and pick up the second book in the series. I'm not sure if I should read through the remaining four books I own - there are eight Nikki Heat books in total once the new one comes out this year - and just count them as extras, or if I should use them to fill in those "floater" categories for the challenge. Either way, I'm going to try to knock out "Naked Heat" this month. I'll figure out where to put it later.

Now that I'm getting my reading back on track, I really do need to do the same with writing. Yes, I wrote two prompts on Tuesday, but yesterday I didn't write anything, and today I only wrote this blog post. I did contact Spink, and we're going to try to set up writing dates. Sure, the bi-weekly writing group meetings are great, but we only read what we already wrote. The group sprints we did in November really helped me stay focused, and I think I need that again. So, I'm going to try to set up a "date night" at least once a month where Spink and I will meet up for a few hours and do little more than writing sprints. Between that and Hubby "grounding me" until I've written something, I might actually get traction again.

We'll see how well it works while I'm visiting my family for my sister's and my godson's birthdays this weekend....

Also early, but you get the idea....

Alright, Lent, Help Me Out

The egg timer thing didn't work. Mainly because it required me to remember to use it.

Knives from the Scott Pilgrim comic books
by  Bryan Lee O'Malley

I allowed myself to splurge and indulge a bit as I prepared myself for Lent. I still had no clue what I was going to do for the Lenten season, but I knew I had to figure something out, and wanted to take on as much pleasure in the meantime. Before giving something up.

First of all, Lent is supposed to be a time of fasting and sacrifice; giving something that you love up so you not only have greater appreciation for it, but you now have more space to bring God into your life and heart. You are supposed to give up a vice; a worldly pleasure that you use to fill the void you should be filling with your relationship with God. Vices are distractions, and the forty days before Easter are supposed to be the time you give up those distractions as a means of healing your spirituality and your soul before one of the holiest days in Christian faith.

Lent is a way for you to improve and better yourself; make yourself a "better Christian." A better person.

For me, though, Lent isn't purely about sacrificing a vice. It is first, and foremost, about improving myself while also improving my relationship with God. A time - outside my November daily thankfulness reflection - for me to feel a divine force around me, directing me, comforting me, and blessing me; even with small blessings.

I know, I'm getting super religious right now, give me another minute, I promise.

For me, Lent wasn't just about giving something up. It was finding something that will improve me. If that means I ADD to my life instead of subtracting - things such as donating or volunteering - that is what I'll do.

Since I'm still trying to figure out my off-hours life, I decided adding-on wasn't the way to go. I also don't like completely removing something, because inevitability, I slip and feel guilty about breaking my Lenten fast. So, I generally cut back to bare-bones. Just enough to still get the pleasure, and then appreciate it because of how small it is.

In this regard, I'm going to move away from my latest Time Suck. A few years back I dropped my Facebook time to an hour or two. Yes, there are still days I over-indulge, but ever since that Lenten season Facebook isn't the hole it used to be for me. Now though? It's watching anything. Hubby and I will just mindlessly watch whatever's on TV, even if we're not terribly interested in it. Or we'll binge watch Netflix until I wonder what happened to my week. Lately, I've also added in Cracked, Watch Mojo, Screen Rant, or WhatCulture YouTube channels to my binge-watching Time Suck.

So that's what I'm "giving up" for Lent. I still want to have some downtime with the Hubby, and Tuesdays I have two back-to-back prime time shows we like to watch. Then there's the occasional Conan that we watch all the way through if we like the guests he has on. So, instead of giving up TV completely, and forcing Hubby to do the same so he won't feel guilty about watching episodes I won't be able to until reruns or the show's on Netflix, I'm cutting down to two hours daily. It still feels like a LOT of time, but considering the fact that we seem to almost exclusively watch hour-long shows, it just means two episodes. Sadly, that's not much when compared to the binging I've been doing lately.

Two hours of my day, at max, will be taken up by the TV, Netflix, or YouTube. The rest of the time I'll be at work, cleaning my home, reading, and - GASP - WRITING!

The extra free time I will get by not sitting in front of the TV mindlessly for hours on end should be used to reflect on God and the sacrifice Jesus gave himself up for. I will use some of the time to reflect, I'm sure, but at the same time, I'll increase my spirituality also by using that time to write.

I feel blessed whenever I find those minutes to put pen to paper. I feel blessed whenever inspiration strikes. I feel even more blessed when I have control of the muse and don't have to wait for the lightning. I feel blessed whenever I come up with a phrase or description that my writing group praises me for. I feel blessed whenever I notice that my story was favorited on DeviantArt. I feel blessed when I get a message on Facebook telling me that my writing was read and enjoyed.

Sadly, I don't use Lent as I "should," as a means to better connect to God and reflect on what Easter truly means. However, I do use it to try to better myself, as well as reflect on how blessed I truly am. I focus on not taking anything for granted. I focus on slowing things down so I can better appreciate what is in my life. I feel like, in turn, that helps me become a better person, a better Christian, and helps me reconnect with my spirituality.

I always set up four "resets" in each year: New Years Resolutions, Lunar/Chinese New Year, my birthday, and Lent. Here's hoping I do well enough with refocusing myself during Lent that I won't have to do another reset on my birthday this year.

While I'm resetting myself and attempting to write more than twice a week, feel free to read another edited writing prompt from the beginning of the month:

"Thief!"

On DeviantArt          On FictionPress