But it’s hard!

by RRVirdi | Nov 12, 2015 | Ramblings

I have been away for a short while, blarghers, but I’m back. Not in black, but gray. Because…I was too lazy to dig up a black shirt to make this comeback awesomesauce.

Today, I have words on writing. Writing can be hard.

Deal with it.

That’s all you have to do. Deal with it. You write anyways. There are going to be days when you don’t feel the magic. Deal with it. Write anyways. Why? Because at one time you did feel the magic. That spark’s still there, buried somewhere deep inside you. You need to write to get it back. Letting it sit and wane isn’t doing your story, our yourself, any favors. Write. Sit down, shut up, and write.

But it’s hard…

Yeah, but hard ain’t impossible. <Leave my ain’t alone. I know it ain’t a word.

You can write. What’s hard is losing your momentum. What’s hard is getting it back. Nothing is easier than keeping a ball rolling. Nothing is harder than starting it back up again, especially when it feels like it’s uphill. Do your best, and write.

But it’s hard…I pysch myself out and tell myself nobody wants to read it, or no one will like.

I’m so very sorry to break this to you, but there are 7 billion people on this planet. 7…billion. You’re not so specially unspecial that no one will want to read your book. Sorry to say it, but you’re the the special person that everyone will hate, and ignore. Oh well. Because the truth is, someone will read your book, someone will yearn for it. The truth is, that at the very least, there are two people out there who need your novel.

You. You need to finish it. And your biggest fan, who does exist. Sorry, but remember, 7 billion people. You’re not the most unspecial person who doesn’t get a fan. Everyone has one, you do to. Shut up and understand that.

7 billion people. Anything you could love, you can like, you want to write about, you will find others interested in it too. There are people, and will be more born, who want to hear your stories only the way you can tell them.

But it’s hard.

Yeah, well, so is just being a person these days. Life is hard. If you’re reading this, you’re clearly doing a good enough job at that. So you can do the writing thing. Trust me.

You chose to pick up the pen, put ink to paper, press the keys. Well guess what. It comes with responsibility. You have to finish what you start. You want to move on as a writer. Then write. Finish. Publish.

But it’s hard.

It’s always going to be. So what? You don’t do something because it’s easy or hard. You do it because you want to. Because you love to. In the end. Hard or easy are irrelevant. The only thing left is, did you do it? Did you finish? Did you love it?

You are going to have off days. That’s okay. I’m not saying you can’t. I’m saying finish. It’s going to be hard. That’s okay. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done. You’re going have haters and detractors. That’s okay. You’re also going to have fans and believers who want you to write. So write for them.

7 billion people. You’d be surprised how many need your story. How many will love them. How many will chat about your characters and hate and love them. How many will make art of them, some peppered over the web, others hidden but just as loved in the pages of a private journal.

7 billion people. Sorry to say it, but you’re not so special to be unspecial. You are special. You’re voice is singular among those 7 billion. And many of them will want to hear it.

7 billion people. And tons of them are waiting to hear your stories. You have work to do.

But it’s hard.

So is a kick in the butt. Go. Write. Now.

C’est La Vie

by RRVirdi | Oct 30, 2015 | Ramblings

Life, it’s not fair, and it’s not easy. It’s hard, it’s not often considerate, and it’s challenging, especially for some artists. After all, it’s not a career path with any guarantees—in success, or income. But then, not all of us choose the path. It just happens. I sure didn’t pick it on purpose. What rational person would?

But here I am, battling depression, suicidal thoughts and…some other issues in my home/personal life. And oddly, it’s my writing that helps most. It’s the salve for my wounds as it were. Between that and my friends, despite everything else, things often are—bearable. Now that’s not a synonym for okay, or great, but sometimes, it’s enough. And enough is always what you need to just get by. And sometimes, just getting by is a win. It’s life.

Nobody wakes up and goes, I want to be an artist of any sort because I’m going to make lots of money starting out, be rich, and famous and it’s a safe path. It just happens. I was sitting at home on summer break just graduating high school. I knew what I wanted to be, a lawyer. I had good grades, not the best, but I had a great college I could go to, and a career path laid out.

Then I decided to write a novel. I still don’t know why. It just happened, as oft things do in life. It was the worst thing I’d ever written, that’s in comparison to last minute school essays and reports. It was also by far the most fun I had ever had. My plans were gone. Everything rewrote itself for my life in an instant without any thought. Everything clicked. This is what I want to do with my life. I went to a community college instead, trying to figure out just a daily normal path while I write.

It didn’t go so well. Lots of bouncing around and changing majors and just dropping out. Why bother spending time and money on pursuits I knew I wasn’t interested in, would devote all my attention and passion too, and just use up my time? So, I started writing more.

7 years later I have a novel published, it’s coming to print, and my personal home life makes hell seem like a holiday resort you visit in the winters to escape cold climates. But, I’m still just trying. I know there are no guarantees, there are times when I want to lay down and say die. Honestly, I still don’t know why I’m so adamant.

I’ll say it here, I still know there are no guarantees for me making it. Yet…part of me (the stupid part) believes otherwise. That as long as I keep writing, someone will keep reading, and that those numbers will grow as time passes. People read, the more I write, more people have a chance to see what I write, and so on. Law of Inevitability.

It’s not rational, but then, neither is being an author. I just am. I guess I’m here because something is clearly wrong with me, and then, my friends who are my real family and are endlessly supportive. They’re honestly the only reason why I’m not in a ditch, and am still writing.

But, why am I writing? I still don’t know why I chose it. I just don’t. It feels write, and it was never on my list of options of careers. So like I said, maybe I didn’t choose it. I know it sounds silly. But then, so is embarking on a path where I have literally no income, and the only thing I have to show for it are peoples opinions on amazon, buried among a zillion other writers.

*shrug*

But, it’s life, and I’m just trying to get through it. Some days it’s hard, some days it’s worse, some days it’s enough to get by. Right now, I’m just getting by. I hope it’s enough. One day, maybe I’ll be able to let everyone know that it does work out.

Till then, it’s just life, c’est la vie.

Star Wars and Writing

by RRVirdi | Oct 23, 2015 | Ramblings

You are a writer, deep down, you already have and know your stories. You just need to trust yourself to write them. Give yourself permission to be awesome, to run wild, and give voice to the ideas that spring up. Stop questioning, doubting and overthinking things. Just write. You can always edit stuff later, but you can’t edit what isn’t written. Write.

You’ve literally read, and recorded endless stories over your life. They’re inside you, deep, deep in a dark mushy place called your brainbox. <It knows things, has ideas, trust them. Get out of your own way. Just write. Have fun.

All the greats say it. If you write what you love, have fun with it, others will too. At this point, it might be a cliche, but the only reason they keep saying it, is because it has to be true on some level. Or else why bother? It’s true….all of it. The Dark Side, The Jedi, the Force….all of it.

Wait…wrong thing…um…sorry. But for ideas… Star Wars is literally a space opera following a king arthur story with samurais and magic powers (HUUUUUUUUUUUGE STAR WARS NERD…SO IM NOT MAKING FUN OF IT, AM MAKING A POINT) but people love it. Seriously, just think about the story.

A type of space warriors who are in tune with an invisible, magical force that lets them do awesome things and they fight with laser swords. A rebellion, and evil empire, daddy issues, aliens, and… the lovable skeptical rogue, a princess, a mentor character….like merlin….

^^It’s take from a lot of famous stories and myths…in fact…IT IS. Joseph Campbell talks about star wars a lot in the heroes journey and more.

YOU CAN DO IT! YOU HAVE STORIES, TRUST THEM. YOU COULD BE BIG!

Then…you will adopt me and let me sleep in your house on a fuzzy carpet…I will be a good ronnie with lots of motivations for you!

Why we’re going to make it

by RRVirdi | Oct 20, 2015 | Ramblings

Arrogance? Before afternoon. Egads! How do I do it? Well, it’s not my fault, not entirely anyways. So whose fault is it? Well, that blame goes to my wonderfully amazing friends. That’s right. That’s how I know I’m going to make it and succeed one day as an author, and so can you. Pretty arrogant right?

So why am I placing this heaping mountain of blame at their feet, and not taking it all for myself? Well, without them, I would have crumbled long ago. In fact, I’m starting to realize that friends are the key to success. Why? Because, they’re the ones keeping me going. Yes, I’m going slow, that’s on me, the slow goings. But I’m still going, why am I going at all? My friends. I mean I wrote book one without them….woooo < (sarcasm) but why is it doing as well as it is?

Good question? *Thinking man pose*

My friends. Shocker. Spreading the word, checking it out themselves, being a better marketing team than any business has. Trust me on this. They’re magical, and I don’t know how. They’re the reason I have 104 reviews at this time, five fully colored in stars on amazon. That’s…for an indie author….mighty impressive. They’re the reason book one is heading to print at all, all the nudging and gentle, sometimes not so much, nagging. They’re pushing me to be better and not a failure, even when I feel like one. The biggest one.

So I guess, this is for them. Something to show them how much they mean to me and that none of this is really my success, and accomplishments. It’s really theirs, I’m just being carried and pushed. They are why I know I’ll succeed, because they’re scary, and aren’t really leaving me any options but that.

So, it’s rather obvious, to succeed, you need good people, great friends. I’m blessed I have ’em. I may not have money, a college degree, a fancy this, a girlfriend, and or hollywood looks, but I have amazing people in my life who want to see me become something. And they won’t let me fail. So thank you, all of you.

You are all amazing, wonderful people with amazing hearts. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, I’m not going to ask, I’ve learned not to question the good things…sort of. But thank you.

*Raises glass* Here’s to success.

And to anyone reading this, remember, whatever it is you want to do, get the right people beside you, they will mean more than all the money, and anything else material. They will be the reason you progress at all. Trust me. They’ll keep you from folding like a contortionist.

Things Happening

by RRVirdi | Oct 19, 2015 | Ramblings

So, it’s been more than a week since I’ve written here, on noes, don’t worry blarghers, I be aight. Ahem, so things are happening for me that kept me from writing, yes…I am sorry about being away. I love you all. Your butts look amazing. Now that we got the pleasantries out of the way, wusup with me?

Well….Recently Grave Beginnings broke past the 100 review barrier. Yay. I have received the official proof copy to verify it heading to print. Double Yay. Book two has returned back from editing and is in further editing, yay (for you fans…I’m the one having to balance all this work) and work progresses on my new novel/series, a treat for you all. So yes, am busy busy. But, these are good things.

Why? Because it goes back to what I talk about so often here, motivation. Hard work paying off and adding up. All these efforts are paying off! My first novel is doing stupendously well, it’s heading to print! The second book is shaping up for release, yes its late, two years so, but better late than never. I am not some giant best selling author will zillions of fans waiting for my books or they take my head. I am still building myself, so it’s okay if I take a bit longer since life does happen and hold people up. And my third novel, the start of a new series is making good progress. It means that if I keep working hard and doing my thing, 2016 might be a great year for me. It’s proof, efforts add up, they pay off.

That means anything you can do, want to do, and are doing, will pay off. They just take time. I mean, I’m going to be in print soon. That means book signings, and so many other things. It’s the author dream taking shape, isn’t that oh so dope? I think it is! So yeah.

Things are good, just wanted to share that with you few that care. Take care and I’ll be back with blarghing to do when I am not nursing a cold!

Grumpy mornings

by RRVirdi | Oct 8, 2015 | Ramblings

Blargh. Blargh. Blargh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m awake, it’s early, I hate it. I hate the light, the sun, the morning, the morning people, being awake. But I’m up. So I’m going to write. Screw everything, I am grumpy. Grrr.

You can’t see it but I’m snarling, growling, rassling, grassling, murfling and being a curmudgeon. But, I’m going to write and turn off my brain. It’s a good exercise. This is just for me. Not you. Besides, most of you aren’t even real. You’re imaginary. I man. me…have followers? Absurd. Still not awake. Want to sleep. Popped caffeine pills. Am I up? Nope.

Blargh. Whoever invented mornings needs to die. So not cool.