The crisp autumn air and crackle of leaves underfoot are ripe for report card season. In line with the “Nostalbum,” series, yours truly would often get to pick out a CD (many of which will be reviewed) for a good report card in middle school. The time before Thanksgiving was always a week of reports and tests before the grades came out at the end of the quarter. Dating myself here, this was in the era where CDs, VHS tapes, and concert tickets were purchased at “Strawberries” or “Coconuts.” Crazy names for music stories eh- what was marketing thinking?
November is certainly a celebrated month for writing with the National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWrimo, which is a challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days. I embarked on the challenge in 2012, and completed the first draft of my first published novel Laowhy? Identity Crisis in China’s Capital of Spice *Note* this was not the first novel I’ve attempted, and in fact this would be book idea #3.
Granted I had just returned from Chengdu in June of that year and was in between jobs it was still a challenge to write 1,667 words a day. Certainly, the achievement speaks volumes to anyone who caps it off while holding a full-time job. After nearly 5 additional drafts of edits, a hiatus for grad school in Germany, and its subsequent 120 pg. thesis I wrote while working full time as (redacted), I self–published the damn thing in June of 2020 back when society was just dipping their toes in what a “socially-distanced” summer looked like.
So the central question is what does writing progress look like as a full-time corporate shill? Not great to be honest, but the fact that I’ve breathed new life into what’s now my 4th blog, at least it shows that I’ve got grit. I’m aiming to publish one blog a week and chip away at a final copy edit of my full-length NC-17 rated sci-fi novel. Much of this was drafted in 2011 while I was a member of a writing group in Chengdu. Bless those souls that spilled ink on alpha versions of my crude chapters. I also exposed them to some dark tortuous themes without warning.
Then there’s the whole site and, pimping myself out on Twitter. Progress is being thwarted with various web design quandaries- who would have thought there would be so many plugins and theme upgrades?
WordPress was a simpler place back when Obama was president.
Anyhow, dear reader, the plan is to chop up the novel, and release the first sci-fi installment Q1 ‘24 once I get my hands on some cover art. At this rate it’s looking 50;50 in terms of either bartering with an artsy Hinge date or dipping my toes into AI-generated art.
Speaking of covers, I’m planning on releasing a post-COVID version of the Laowhy? novel with new interviews from some of the cast of characters, a new cover, and with new paperback dimensions. In terms of reading, I’m nearly finished with a second read of Murakami’s 1Q84 which still hits just as deeply mysterious twists and weird boners to be had.
As with my Shrekkin’ to Trekkin‘ body transformation goals, it’s time to get real with writing. Come Jan 1 I will hold myself to weekly word quotas which look like they will manifest in early morning starts and fewer late nights spent chasing hell’s demons and morenas alike.