Fifth Draft

Week of: 4.8-4.14

I had a really good introduction for this week.

Unfortunately, it came to me when I got out of the shower. In my mind I thought, “Wow, that’s an excellent opening. It’s captivating, engaging, and let’s anyone who reads this get a deeper look into my psyche.”

But I made the classic writer mistake.

I didn’t write it down.

There’s an old saying that originated from the master, Stephen King, where he says he doesn’t write ideas down. If they’re good enough, he states, then he’ll remember them later. I can’t find the source of it. I thought it was from his book, On Writing (Amazon), but it seems it came from this speech here about 30 seconds in:

Now, was this a good opening? Did I follow Stephen King’s advice to the T and write, subjectively, a much better introduction now since I don’t have one in a notebook to refer back to? Does this make me more human and, thereby, more relatable?

*drinks gallon of coffee and returns 10 minutes later

Was really hoping to have come up with something in that time.

Project: GREY is underway. As of writing I’m 30 pages in to the 3rd Draft out of 119. (It used to be 117, but with some re-spacing already done, the page count has gone up.) Normally, I’d brag a bit more about that, but my original goal was to do at least 4 pages a day. Nothing too much. Trying to trick my mind into thinking it only has to do a little bit of work.

I missed the first day of edits.

Then the second.

Then I finally did the third, then the fourth, but fell behind again.

So, in the last week I’ve had two ~10 page edit days. Only takes me an hour, which isn’t a lot of time considering. Maybe because I know that 10 pages doesn’t take a lot of time I feel like I can put it off.

I guess when you try to trick your brain into thinking something is easy, it can just as quickly trick you back.

I’ve been using the Bullet Journal method for over a 3 years now and I must say I don’t know how I’d be here without it. A manageable analog system that allows me to monitor progress and keep track of my tasks, while also allowing an easy to see calendar to look at upcoming events is exactly what I, as a small business owner (of Mister Acosta Teaches, check it out), need.

Then I went and mucked it all up.

I used the new year to try something else out. Instead of one oversized notebook holding everything, I thought about using Field Notes instead. Field Notes are something I’ve talked about *checks notes* all the time, and figured a 1-a-month type situation would be easily replicable.

Except, it wasn’t. Not fully. I couldn’t trace things from month to month as easily. Keeping the notebook in my leather wallet case wasn’t comfortable enough, so I switched back to a normal wallet, and left the Field Notes in it.

So, essentially, I’m carrying around too many things and want to get back to something simpler.

So.

Wallet. Disney Journal.

I grabbed this beauty at a Disney Store in Osaka and could not love it anymore than I do my own cat. *yells at cat* It’s got a dotted grid set-up inside, and each page features a character from the first 40+ years. Right now, that’s the best I got.

But I still find myself scouring Amazon for a new notebook to take its place. Something blank, where I can really use the BuJo method to its fullest.

*Drinks more coffee

The Queen of Crows by Myke Cole (Amazon)

“The Armored Saint,” the first of Myke Cole’s Sacred Throne trilogy, was a gut punch of a fantasy book. Unrelenting, brief, and wasting no time. Thinking on it, I believe the events of the book happen over the span of a few days, but Cole writes with such weight and density that it feels longer. It feels important.

“The Queen of Crows” is no different.

Heloise Factor, the young girl gifted with a giant mechanical suit of armor, is now leading a revolution against the vicious Order, those who enact religious violence in the name of the Emperor. Heloise has slain a Devil already, proving to many she is of His holy blessing. Not everyone believes her, though, and they encounter doubters and enemies along the way.

By the end, Heloise will need to do enough to prove to everyone, including herself, that she is the one to lead them to salvation and, most importantly, freedom.

Cole writes using his love of military strategy and ancient warfare, and it shows in the fight scenes of this story. He’s able to balance the emotional highs and lows of Heloise figuring out her place as a messiah-like figure alongside the intricate siege warfare scenes throughout.

This book hits you hard, and makes you feel every slash, grab, and tear shed for Heloise.

Anxiously waiting “The Killing Light” to come out later this year.

Find time in the morning.

I don’t care for how long, 1 hour, 30 minutes, 5 minutes, it doesn’t matter.

There’s nothing worse than waking up and the first thing you think of is, “I need to be somewhere else for someone else.” Value the time you make for yourself. It’s your time, not anyone else’s. People will do everything they can to swallow and devour your time, but if you can make 5 minutes for just yourself, you’ve already won the day before anyone else even started.

And I’m out.

Got more editing to do, a comics script to readjust, and students to get to.

To anyone that’s been coming and reading these the last few weeks, thank you. I really couldn’t do this without anyone deciding to waste a few moments of their life and go *CLICK*

Remember. Your time is valuable.

Thanks for reading,

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Twitter: @robacosta

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Contact: robertmichaelacosta@gmail.com

Check out mine and Arnie Bermudez’s webcomic, The Juan!