Week of: 5.13-5.19.19

Hello, from down here in Phoenix, Arizona, where the weather can’t quite make up its mind and we’re starting out the week at a brisk ~60 before moving up to a high of 92 this weekend.

I’m sure the people at Phoenix Fan Fusion (our local comic convention that’s gone through a naming crisis over the last 2 years) won’t mind too much.

We’ll probably all just sweat through our costumes.

Welcome to my Weeknotes for May 13 to May 19.

I missed a deadline.

Nothing too critical. It was Project: HARP, a novel I tried to handwrite last summer but lost steam on. Recently, I decided that the project still had lots of merit and perhaps instead of writing it up I just needed to type it up. Whenever I gave myself time to sit, open up the Moleskine Cahier I used, and copy the text, it went really well. I could see the past wheels spinning, understanding what I was trying to do with the story, and fix it up as I went.

But, I didn’t give myself enough time.

Then we had a short trip this weekend. Spending time with loved ones tends to get in the way of the artistic pursuits, which is fine, but, yeah. No time for writing when you’re celebrating another amazing accomplishment with friends. (A twofer! Graduation AND baby!)

And the deadline came and went. May 19.

So now I’m faced with two choices: A) Lament the passage of a project deadline, falling into a deep depression that can only be described as “comical,” or, B) Change the deadline.

While it’s true that writing works on deadlines, and my freelance writing job with George Takei’s “Oh Myyy” sites has taught me that extremely well, it’s important to remember I’m still learning. When a student of mine makes a mistake the first few times, I warn them. Help them understand what the problem was. Try to get at what they can do better next time.

If there’s a “One Strike” policy in the classroom then no child would learn anything and only feel pressure ALL THE TIME OH NO DID I MAKE MR. ACOSTA MAD I FEAR HIM.

I’m still learning to be a writer.

It was probably silly to give myself such a strict deadline, thinking I could, against the odds, overcome it and succeed.

Don’t set yourself up for failure.

No new books this week, though I started reading Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett for the first time in preparation for the Amazon show, as well as digging into a fat stack of graphic novels from Bookmans I got a few weeks ago.

New Graphic Novels
See anything cool?

Always be reading.

If you want to create there’s always new stuff, new inspiration, to be taking in. Never be satisfied with what you’ve read so far.

That doesn’t mean don’t be proud of what you’ve read. Far from it. Throw that crap in everybody’s faces. “HEY! I READ SOMETHING NEW!” Because, and this is terrible, they probably aren’t reading.

Take pride in your personal vendetta against ignorance.

– John Wick 3 came out this weekend. While I haven’t yet seen it (will check out later this week), let’s remember that before John Wick came crashing into our homes, guns blazing, we all sort of fell out of love with Keanu. He hadn’t had a hit movie in a long time and was stick doing these obscure romantic comedies. After Wick, these types of stories became popular, reminding us that Keanu is genuinely a cool dude.

– The graduation I attended’s commencement speech was given by Utah Jazz player, Kyle Korver. He spoke passionately about white privilege and what we can do to address racial issues in our country. A bold take for Nebraska. Full transcript here.

– I might write something about this, and fandom in general, but years ago I decided to stop reading the Iron Comic coming out at the time and I had to debate it with myself for months. Sometimes, it’s important to look at your fandom.

You can’t control everything.

And you shouldn’t.

But, man, doesn’t it feel good to control what you can? Honestly. Next time something goes wrong for you, something so out of your grip it’s infuriating, change something small at home.

Change a personal deadline. Move things around on your kitchen counter. Simply controlling small lets you know there are things both grand and minuscule in this world. No matter how out of control you feel, you are in control of something.

I changed a project deadline.

Life gets crazy and you need to adjust.

And I’m out for the week. Look for my Fifth Draft blog on Wednesday about freelancing life and what to do when the work isn’t coming and I’ll see you next week.

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!