Sudden Surprises and Reacting

Right when I thought that my week was getting better, I get a sudden flat tire on my car this weekend, and the tire shop does not have the tire in stock. I have to wait until Monday to get it fixed. It goes to show that unexpected things just kind of happen in life. I cannot control the outcome, but I can control how I react to the situation. For all intents and purposes, it looks like it will get fixed on Monday, and the only inconvenience that I will happen is getting an uber to go to work and back. It still is a situation that I would not want to be in but have to accept that things like this will happen.

I suppose that this goes for trying to be a professionally published author, or any goal, as well. I get a lot of rejection from literary agents, and just a few will provide feedback. I generally react to the rejection not feeling particularly good, but I do not stop my routine and just grit through it. It is on to the next one. This sequence happens with looking for a job, for example, but the hope is that one employer will eventually pick you over everyone else. However, I have to present myself, or my work in the case of writing, as best as I can to raise the probability of me getting picked.

Making my stories through repeated editing has been one of the tasks that I have been doing to present my works better. It is not particularly fun to do and can get tedious many times, but it has to get done.

A Better Week and Writing Options

Compared to last week, this was a better week for me. Not having a fly infestation alone was a big improvement for the week. My car issues have been resolved and same with the wedding stuff. It took a bit of work, but things eventually worked themselves out. A lot of the issues from last week derived from procrastination along with these issues happening all at once, which always seems to be the case. I cannot say that it will not happen again, as most likely, it will happen again. It is important to look back and remember that bad stuff happens, but one can work through it and come out the other end just fine and maybe even a little wiser.

I have been looking for other ways to make money through writing. I have submitted short stories to writing contest, and I did get second place one time and prize money for it. Otherwise, besides the main goal of being a professionally published author, I would like to explore getting paid for writing articles, writing blogs, ghostwriting, and just building a writing portfolio. Time is the biggest reason why I have not pursued this, but considering that I am feeling more confident about my writing, it may be a good idea to look into this again.

I figure that I have a degree in English and write regularly as it is, so why not monetize it if possible? I am under no illusion that this will be easy, and I have heard that many people who write articles and such started out writing for free for a while. However, it will improve my craft, and that is something of value.

Lousy Weeks and a Lack of Boredom

I have to admit, but I did not have the greatest week. Car trouble, wedding stuff, fly infestations and a few small things were what I had to deal with this week. All of it was stressful for sure, but some of these issues came about due to my own procrastination. It really goes to show that when problems are kicked down the road for a later date, that the problem just snowballs and compounds with other problems at the same time. Whether one believes in a higher power or just how life works, it does feel like someone or something is giving me a kick in the pants for being too complacent.

While I can get complacent, one thing that I have noticed for a while being an adult is that I am hardly truly bored. There was a time in my life where I was particularly lazy and idle in my twenties, and somewhere along the way, I decided to live much more productively. That decision really turned my life around, but also, I generally have not been bored or finding myself with nothing to do. Besides having so many books and manga to read, and anime that I own that I haven’t watched yet, there is also just a plethora of new anime coming out on various streaming platforms.

Writing every day has been a part of this lifestyle to be more productive. There is a feeling every day of something important to accomplish, and when that is done, then I can relax a bit. So far, it has worked out for the better, so it only makes sense to keep at it.

Anime and Older Media

The summer season for new anime has ended, and the fall season has begun. There are some returning favorites like My Hero Academia or Welcome to Demon School Iruma-kun. There is also one being rebooted, Urusei Yatsura, which is a big surprise. I do not feel that the aesthetic of the show really fits in modern anime and entertainment, and reboots have quite honestly been more misses than hits. It goes to show that while there are a lot of new anime coming out, fresh ideas are hard to come by, especially with the prevalence of isekai anime and all its sub-genres out there. It has been done to death at this point.

I have been watching a few of the older anime out there from the 80’s like Tenkū Senki Shurato (Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato), which funny enough is an early isekai. I like the general artistry and care that is put into older anime, even if other areas like strong characterization or stilted dialogue may not be as prevalent. It seems to be something of a theme with just entertainment in general where the older media just seems to have more personality than what is out there today which prioritizes style over substance.

As a writer, I can understand it. Every story has pretty much already been done, so it becomes a matter of just putting a new spin on what has already been established. My novel, The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom, for example, is a medieval quest and adventure, which has been done before but with a more humorous and anime-inspired element to it. At the end of the day, it is all about entertaining the audience, and that has not changed.

Robocop and Eagerness

I re-watched the original Robocop movie with friends this weekend, and it was the Unrated version. It was kind of funny that I watched this movie as a kid, and it was ridiculously violent. There is something about these types of classic action movies that are kind of refreshing though. There is not this feeling that the creators of this movie are trying to promote some sort of message, and they were very unrestrained as far as what the characters can say and some of the violence that they committed. The only comparison that I can think of in modern times that have that unrestrained movie making is in a few Asian movies that I have seen recently.

I am adding more pages to the Land of the Wooden Statues, as two literary agents told me that the story is too short. One thing that I catch myself doing is reading through the already finished material, and I am always telling myself that this needs to be read by the larger public. I have taken time and care so that the story flows well and is easy to read. While self-publishing is an option, I still strive to get this published through traditional publishers that will be able to help in the story getting more reach. Marketing by myself would be time-consuming and a hustle in itself.

I just have to grind and make opportunities, I suppose. I think of the time that I worked part-time at a Blockbuster Video, and I was so eager to get a full-time job when the economy was not doing so well. It took effort, grit, discipline and constant resumes sent, but I finally ended up getting out of part-time work. I can only hope that seem mentality will get me professionally published as well.

Roommates and Rushing Things

After an arduous process, I have found a new roommate. I used past experiences as far as who to look for and questions to ask any prospective tenants. Nothing is guaranteed, and for all I know, I could be in for a world of trouble, but at the very least, I did what I could to mitigate any problems by stating what I want and what the prospective tenant could expect from me. Of course, you never truly know someone until you have lived with them, so it really is just seeing how it will all go moving forward.

This experience goes with writing and sending query letters to literary agents as well. I made a huge mistake in submitting query letters for The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom well before it was ready, and from what I have read, it is not a good look to re-submit the same work to a literary agent. Those are now missed opportunities because of my own inexperience, but also because I rushed things. Rushing things has been a common mistake in so many things that I have done such as break dancing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and in writing as well.

All is not lost though. I feel that I am submitting much more polished works, and I am learning from past mistakes. I have better discipline in grinding through, making time to write, and editing my works. I’ll keep at this, and it really is just seeing how it will all go moving forward.

Homeownership and Being an Adult

My previous roommate has moved out (and left a mess), and I am now looking for a new roommate. It has been a stressful process listing my spare room, filtering out applicants, scheduling showings and whatnot. It is the burden that comes with homeownership and making money from your own home, but it is also just a part of being an adult as well. As adults, we have to do things that we do not want to do but have to, and we take risks like allowing strangers into your home in order to get some sort of reward. It is also a learning process, and despite doing this for a while, there is still much to learn.

Writing has been like that for me as well. There is a level of motivation, drive and discipline required to put words to paper. There is time that needs to be allotted daily to write consistently, even though it can be a grind and not something that I want to do. There is also a lot to learn even with my writing environment such as eliminating distractions, setting a timer and whatnot. With writing itself, I have had to go back, re-edit and make my works longer. It is still a constant learning process despite how long I have been doing it.

It is not always fun to be an adult, but I have found things to be more fulfilling. Getting things done have taken on a new meaning, and my general satisfaction with things in my life appear to be higher.

Labor Day Weekend 2022 and Normalcy

This Labor Day Weekend was fun and a much-needed three-day weekend. I attended the Long Beach Comic Convention and cosplayed in the yellow jumpsuit that Bruce Lee wore in Game of Death. A few thought that the cosplay was in reference to Kill Bill, which happens all the time. It was fun going to a comic convention, as I have not gone to one in a long time, especially when the height of the pandemic hit. I took some pictures of other cosplayers, and some took pictures with me. Overall, I had a fun time, and so did the attendees.

I am also adjusting back to my normal routine after my trip to the Philippines. I decided to change a few things up though like removing my Instagram app and a few other things to get off screens and social media a bit more. I had a barbecue with friends while watching UFC fights, and I am glad that I did not burn the steaks or corn on the cob. Writing has been consistent, and I am always getting new ideas for this new story that I am writing. If anything, catching up on my anime has been difficult as there was a lot that I missed and little time to catch up on. Overall, I am getting back to a level of normalcy.

Writing is still a high priority for me, and the goal remains the same. I am laser-focused on getting a Literary Agent especially with The Mustard Prince completed. With big changes happening in my life next year, I can only hope that getting an agent and especially getting professionally published will happen as well.

Philippines Again and the Future

I travelled to the Philippines this past week to do a wedding photoshoot along with some other wedding stuff. It is always a thrill to be back in the Philippines and seeing a world much different from my own. From the wealth to the poverty, driving on the crazy roads, meeting new people and going to new places, it was a worthwhile trip. I also got to see the movie, Maid in Malacanang, and liked it even though it felt more like a television drama with the way that it was created.

The trip was only a week and was hectic, so it passed by very quickly. Life is much different with someone there with you instead of doing things alone. Even something like eating a meal feels a bit different, and it is a good difference to have. With being out of the country, it does make one appreciate what one has. Seeing homes with sheet metal roofs is not something that we see in the U.S, for example, so it puts into perspective about what we have.

As far as writing goes, I did not do much of it. I do have a renewed determination to reach my goal of being a professionally published author, especially as it would be a benefit for my future and my future married life. With The Mustard Prince finished, I can only hope that I can get there sooner rather than later.

Teasing Master Takagi-san the Movie and a New Story

I just watched the Teasing Master Takagi-san movie, and it was very cute. Anyone who has seen the anime series would know that it is a sugary sweet, cute and wholesome show, and this movie is no exception. It is kind of amazing that someone can create new scenarios with pretty much the same premise, but there has been an evolution with this series going from just teasing to something of a middle school romantic comedy. Teasing Master Takagi-san is pretty much the progenitor of the “teasing” genre that has popped up in anime and manga as of late with many new series coming out with their own twists on this particular genre.

Speaking of twists on a particular genre, I am now starting to write my own “isekai” story. For those that do not know, “isekai” is a Japanese genre of portal fantasy and science fiction. In the U.S., we have seen this genre with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon. While most go the route of transporting to some sort of medieval fantasy setting, I am not going the medieval route but instead going with science fiction. It has been a lot of fun brainstorming and putting new ideas out there.

I have to admit that I have been enjoying just writing a lot more recently. Part of it is because I have officially finished The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom, and the result of constant editing and whatnot has made it a great story. With a new story being written, it has really made writing fun, for now. I know how this story goes, and while it is fun now, a grind is yet to come.

Birthdays and Getting Older

I just had a birthday recently and am officially middle aged. Time really has been going by quickly lately, and it feels that this happened in an instant. I would consider myself a late bloomer, and many of my accomplishments such as buying my first and second home happened recently along with getting engaged. While I would have liked to have accomplished these things in my twenties, I certainly was not ready nor had the drive or experience to attain these things. Now, I have been telling those in their twenties to buy property and just achieve more in their lives.

This includes my writing as well. I have noticed improvements in my writing, and I am simply more disciplined about writing than when I was in my twenties. I was not particularly studious and procrastinated a lot when I was a student. I believe that I would make a much better student now with being more disciplined and understanding the need to complete assignments first before partaking in entertainment like watching television or anime. I used to play video games a lot in the past, especially RPGs, but now, I hardly play video games anymore.

Instead of just partaking in entertainment, I am now in the process of creating entertainment through my writing and creating stories. It is a good time now, as I feel that I have more life experience and see the world differently.

New Ideas and Different Feels

I thought of a new story, and I am still in the brainstorming aspect of the writing process. With The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom almost finished, I thought that it would be fun to go with a new story with more of a science fiction feel instead of fantasy. I got a few ideas from anime, which has pretty much been my go-to idea factory, and a few ideas from video games as well. Feeling confident with my writing as well as far as constructing sentences and paragraphs, describing people or places, word usage and whatnot, I am finding more enjoyment in this. Of course, the beginning is usually the best part, as the grind happens in the middle.

I am anxiously looking forward to sending query letters again for The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom. I sent a bunch a few years ago when the book was unedited, and that just showed my inexperience. Now, I think that I have a better handle with this as far as sending query letters and just having a more presentable story to show to literary agents. It has coincided with me actually enjoying writing a bit more as of late, which is good.

I can only hope and pray that my story gets accepted, and I know that I’ve said that before. I suppose the only difference is that the story feels a lot different now, and I hope that it shows.

Departure and New

I have a friend who is leaving the state soon, and he is someone that I hang out with pretty much every weekend. When asked if I was sad about it, I responded that it is just a part of life, and getting into middle age, I have seen so many people come into and out of my life throughout the years. One of my good friends left this world a few years ago, so I am discovering that departure and letting go is simply a part of life. That does not mean that I am particularly happy about it, but accepting of the circumstances that life brings.

I am very close to finished The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom. In one sense, there is a departure from this story and onto the next story. I am still working on getting a Literary Agent, and I am hoping that this story, fully edited, will be appealing enough for an agent. I filled in a lot of gaps that I did not notice before, and the story is much better for it. Many scenes were particularly rushed, so I slowed down when necessary and filled in that space better.

I suppose that with departure comes something new. In a few months, I will be married, so in my personal life, that will be a whole new thing. With writing, there will have new stories to be created. I am anxious yet filled with anticipation for these new things to happen.

Ya Boy Kongming and Writing More

I finished the anime, Ya Boy Kongming (Paripi Koumei in Japanese), and it was definitely one of the surprise anime of 2022, for me, as far as being a very good anime that no one was anticipating or expecting to be good. Besides the strategizing, comedy, music and energy, it was just a lot of fun and had a lot of heart. A military strategist from the Three Kingdoms era reincarnated in modern day Japan while being a bartender and helping the career of a songstress was not something that should work as well as it did. The characters and positive energy of the series really helped it stand out. It also goes to show the one fact about anime, and that is that there is an anime about anything and everything.

My stories are heavily influenced by anime. Whenever I imagine The Mustard Prince playing out in my head, I imagine it as an anime. I am currently finishing up with editing The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom, and I am spending much more time on it than usual. I just really want to get it done and have the story finished. I have other stories on the docket as well. Thankfully, I am getting much more used to spending more time on it, and just being disciplined by not allowing distractions get in the way.

I think about working six to eight, if not more, hours a day on writing as a career. I know that at times, it will be boring, and editing can be quite a chore. Other days, writing can go by quickly, and I’ll be at a good part of the story where I am just really into what is going on. At the end of the day though, the end product and finishing a story is very satisfying.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Free Time

I finally got around to watching Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have been something of a mixed bag as of late, but this one was good in my opinion. It kept my attention throughout, and the cameos that they presented obviously foreshadow who could be in future MCU films. It definitely opened up many possibilities for the MCU, and I am at least curious to see where they go from here. There is not a clear end goal so far, or defined supervillain or evil that must be stopped.

I actually had a lot of free time this weekend, which is rare for me. I did a little more writing than I usually do, which I suppose is practice if I ever reach my goal of becoming a professionally published author. I will have to sit for hours writing and/or editing novels as a profession, and it will take much discipline and time management. Distractions are everywhere, and it is easy to get caught up in something else.

The more that I do this writing thing though and dedicate to it, the more that I want this to be something of an end goal for me. As it is, I sit around in an office chair in a cubicle for hours entering data into a computer. I would much rather enter my thoughts, ideas and stories into a computer and structure it the way that I want.

4th of July 2022 and Dialogue

I spent my 4th of July with friends having a barbecue and watching classic martial arts movies. I did not mean for this to happen, but we watched Future Cops which was made in the 90’s, Bloodsport which was made in the 80’s, and Blackbelt Jones which was made in the 70’s. While all of them were cheesy in their own ways (and Future Cops was just flat out bizarre), they were all products of their time from the music, dialogue and the clothes that they wore.

One thing that was very noticeable was that the farther back we went, the less “politically correct” the dialogue became. Many of the things said in Blackbelt Jones could not be said today, and there are arguments that it is for the better, and arguments that it is for the worse. The argument could be made that dialogue today in entertainment is reserved and at times, robotic. Of course, others would argue that the dialogue back then would be too offensive for today’s audiences.

Creatively speaking, the less restrictions, the freer the work. However, there is an audience that needs to be appealed to, so some level of restraint has a necessity. Sometimes, this can get controversial, and other times, creative people have managed to find the right balance.

Honest Discussions and Arguments

It is interesting to see how people view the world and what narratives that they fall into. I have to wonder about some people who are so focused on one particular narrative if they are looking at the other side of the argument. Maybe there is some level of pride that prevents people from looking the other way, and it could be that most people just do not want to be wrong, which is normal human behavior. Admittedly, I do not like reading critiques of my work, but I have to admit that especially as of late, it has helped my writing quite a bit.

I am not particularly interested in bad or intellectually dishonest arguments, but that does not stop individuals from expressing them. I am of the opinion that things should generally make sense and be logical, and that goes for arguments or stories. When things do not make sense or are on an illogical foundation, then cracks form and things tend to crumble. We see that in arguments and in bad stories as well. Of course, the world does not always operate in this manner.

I do like listening to people, and that gives me various ideas. Everyone has what is called a “blind spot,” and it is good to hear what others have to say in order to fill that blind spot, even if it is something that one might disagree with. In the end, I think that just makes a stronger and wiser individual.

Finishing a Story and Remembering Characters

I have recently finished the graphic novel version of “Return of the Condor Heroes” by Louis Cha (pen name Jin Yong), and I felt happy and melancholy at the same time. This is a sequel to “Legend of the Condor Heroes,” and I have read the novels for Legend translated to English, but the novels for Return have not been translated to English yet, so I bought and read the graphic novels. With these being a part of a trilogy, I got to read about the heroic exploits of these characters, see them grow and read new adventures of different heroes who are connected to the original characters. As cheesy as it sounds, it really is saying goodbye to an old friend. I put my time reading about these characters with emotional investment. Thankfully, it ended well, and I have the third part of the trilogy in graphic novel format.

My plan for The Mustard Prince series is to have it in multiple volumes. I want audiences to experience growing with the characters and reading about their heroic deeds. I would like a child to read about The Mustard Prince and grow up still remembering the character fondly. The first book that I read, and that pretty much taught me how to read was “Puss N’ Boots.” When this character was in Shrek, I felt like I was the only person excited to see him as I still remember the character into adulthood.

For a deeper reason outside of money, this is the primary reason for me wanting to be an author. I want audiences to read about the exploits of my characters and hopefully remember them in the future. I would like them to have fun, be entertained and escape for a bit while reading my works.

The Roundup and Straightforwardness

I watched a South Korean movie called “The Roundup” starring Don Lee over the weekend. It was a sequel to “The Outlaws,” and The Roundup is just a lot of fun. Don Lee plays a detective who does not always play by the rules, but nonetheless, has a strong sense of justice. There was no messaging, but the movie had a lot of action and comedy and was relatively straightforward. Asian cinema lately has been destination viewing, as I have just been fond of watching good, fun movies that were not trying to sell me on something else. While the U.S. will have a movie like Top Gun: Maverick that I must see on occasion, regularly, I seek out Asian movies in the theater.

I want to go back to that type of story just to entertain with my books. The protagonist and antagonist are clearly defined with one being good and the other being evil. There is hardship with the protagonist that he must overcome and become stronger and wiser for it. I do not feel that the formula has to be tweaked or diluted so much, as it works with the basis of any story and reveals something about people and the human condition in general.

Right now, I am working on making my works longer, and it has produced good results. These new chapters needed to be in The Land of the Wooden Statues and The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom, but it was my own impatience that did not see it. I am actually growing impatient as these stories are almost completely done.

Revue Starlight and Artistry

I watched Revue Starlight the Movie, which is a continuation of an anime series, and I enjoyed it. It is more artistic than most anime that I have seen and contains meta commentary about the stage and the audience who watches the performers. I enjoy the symbolism, metaphor and allegory that this series produces, and it does not hurt that there are extensive action scenes. As far as other anime that I would compare it to, the easiest would be Utena, and another would be Princess Tutu, both more Avant Garde in style and substance.

As a writer starting out, I am hesitant to go to that artistic length. My stories tend to be much more straightforward and grounded, as I am not trying to reinvent the wheel. I think that a certain level of vision, wisdom and experience is necessary to break away from conventional norms in writing, which also applies to other endeavors like martial arts or sports. It just looks haphazard when an amateur tries to be “different,” and it becomes an exercise of being different just for the sake of being different, yet not writing anything of substance.

I will think about writing more outside of the box later. I believe that there is a learning process in most things where the basics are important and must be abide by. Once those basics are mastered, then one can break convention and try to become more unorthodox and artistic.