Friday, December 30, 2022

What's In Store For 2023 And Beyond / Happenings In The Outhouse 30-Dec-2022

2022 was an interesting year for me, not to put it too mildly.  I saw a lot of changes, in both my work and personal life--and it's all for the positive!

What about 2023?

First, by the end of the year, I reviewed the number of podcasts I subscribe to and compared it with the ones I actually want to listen to.  Once again, I decided to cut many out of my feed.  I cut out roughly half so I no longer see them.  Why did I do this?  Because I found my time was best spent elsewhere instead of listening to needless podcasts.  Or, better yet, watching them add up in my "to listen to" feed and never getting around to them.

I also plan on focusing more on writing, now that certain aspects of my life are in order.  I am currently at the 45,000 word mark in my current work-in-progress.  I am planning on finishing it by February 2023.  Then, I will have to decide what to write next.

I do have some writing education courses stored up that I've been planning on taking for the past few years but for whatever reason have not done them.

2023 will also be the year of concerts.  As of this writing, there are 4-5 my girlfriend and I are planning on going to, and we're sure more will pop up as the year progresses.

The future is bright for sure.

Friday, December 23, 2022

Lessons Learned From A Vince Neil Concert / Happenings In The Outhouse 23-Dec-2022

Earlier this month, I went to a Vince Neil concert at a nearby casino.  It was a blast.  The guitarist and bassist were both from the band Slaughter (who will be playing at the same casino in the middle of January) and the drummer reminded me of Animal from the Muppets.  It was a smaller venue, but the crowd had a great time.  And the band looked like they were having the time of their life.

For those who know me, I'm a huge fan of 1980's hair metal.  Rock bands like Poison, Motley Crue, Skid Row, Warrant, Def Leppard, KISS, Van Halen, Cinderella, Tesla, and countless others (look up Hair Nation on SiriusXM and those are many of the bands I love).

Now, I had read articles prior about Vince's decline in his ability to sing.  But that didn't stop me from going and having a great time.  Heck, it was 1/4 of Motley Crue!  Less than an hour from my house!

And during the concert, this was evident.  However . . . the band made up for it by singing much of the vocals.  And what the band didn't, the crowd sure did!

They improvised.

How many people in life go through struggles, pitfalls, and then just quit?  Vince could just hang up his microphone and say, "I'm done!"  But he doesn't.  He keeps going on, keeps playing, keeps entertaining.  Because at the end of the day, that's all that matters.  What they may have seen as a weakness, they used as a strength.  Vince highlighted the great talents of the other band members.

What are you struggling with that can be turned around?

Friday, December 16, 2022

You Are No Mick Mars / Happenings In The Outhouse 16-Dec-2022

First, a quick update on my work-in-progress.  In the past month, I have doubled my word count.  It is over 44,000 words.  I am slating to finish by January 2023.

In late October 2022, Mick Mars, the guitarist for the heavy metal band Motley Crue, announced his retirement from touring with the band due to a medical condition he has been battling for several decades.  The next day, a guitarist named John 5 was named as Mars's replacement in the upcoming tour.

People love nostalgia.  If you don't believe me, watch the skyrocketing popularity of Stranger Things and everything 1980's.

People also love things to remain the same.  Bands to remain the same, authors to remain the same, companies to remain the same.  Even life in general, people crave it to remain the same.

But like everything, change is inevitable.

I am not familiar with John 5 and I can imagine people saying to him, "You are no Mick Mars" and dismissing him.

If that is the case, you are a fool.  Go to YouTube and search videos of John 5.  He is an amazing guitarist.  Rarely does a band have the same lineup for their entire career span.  And in reading John 5's bio, I am super impressed.

No, he isn't Mick Mars.

Then again, he shouldn't be.

And you shouldn't be whomever you are trying to imitate.

I'm not Stephen King, Rowling, Patterson, or Grisham.

Friday, December 9, 2022

Companionship Advantage / Happenings In The Outhouse 09-Dec-2022

They say two heads are better than one.

But what if you are a solo artist/author?

Many artists do, indeed, work alone.  But if you can have a companion (i.e. spouse) who supports what you are doing, more than better.  I could be wrong on this, but I do believe that is how Dean Koontz got his start, that his wife worked full-time so he could write.  She gave him a five-year deadline to become a published author.  If he did, then they'd be set.  As you can see, he has accomplished that and much, much more.  There are other stories of supportive spouses from authors like Stephen King too.

My late wife was always supportive of my writing--not quite sure why, to be brutally honest.  In our twenty-two and a half years of marriage, she heard a lot about it and knew I was writing, but never broke into the bestselling list.

My girlfriend is just as supportive and even loves to do her own schoolwork (she's an RN working on her BSN degree) while I write.  When she leaves for work early in the morning, I'm always up with her, plugging away on my computer.

Other authors do not seem to have this type of relationship.  J. K. Rowling and J. D. Salinger are just two authors I can name who got published without a companion by their side supporting them.

Does it help?  I sure think so.

Friday, December 2, 2022

Using Time Wisely / Happenings In The Outhouse 02-Dec-2022

I have blogged on time management before, on using time wisely.  Allow me to touch on it again.

I had a few days over the Thanksgiving holiday where the house was very quiet.  The kids were out doing their thing and my girlfriend had to work.  So I did what I love: write.

I wrote more words over the weekend than I did the rest of the week.  I am keeping track of how many words.  When my girlfriend works days, I'm up with her at 5am.  Because once she is out the door, I can write without distraction from the kids.

We can all find time to do what we want.  Even if it's a few minutes here or there, we can all find it.  Carve out time.  Be intentional about it.

And let your dreams become a reality.