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I am burning the candle at both ends, and maybe a bit in the middle too. I feel like there's not enough me to be all the places doing all the things thinking all the thoughts I want to be. Noveling has to remain a huge priority, because there's no way in hell I'm not striving for that 50,000 when I've already come so far, plus I'm really enjoying and growing form and incredibly happy with the NaNoWriMo experience. But I can't cut drum practice out of my schedule, because I have paid gigs now, and when someone pays you you have an obligation to sound really good. I also have to study for my learner's permit, another essential thing because I need to get it before the laws here change and make me have to pay 1,500$. Plus my social life is a consideration. It had already been taking back seat, and now I'm shoving it even farther back into the trunk of this metaphorical car, and if I'm not careful I'll tip it out the back onto the highway and speed away, and that I do not want. My online social life is dying is as well, and I haven't even considered replying to a RP since November started... Not to mention I've been meaning to get my room cleaned out and repainted and redecorated for months. I'm sick of living in a disaster that doesn't reflect my personality or provide a good atmosphere, and I'm really hyped to get it how I want it to look, but I just don't have the time. I really want to get serious about selling plushies, I need the money badly, but I haven't sewed a thing since November started either. And now there's plans and shopping for Christmas on top of all that, as if that mountain wasn't enough...



Those emotes pretty much sum up how I feel right now, only throw onto that pile of papers a drum, a car, a bunch of people, a computer, a bunch of furniture and some paint, numerous knick knacks, scissors, money, and marbles scattering in all directions. Yep...

At least my novel writing is still going pretty well. So, that's what I'm gonna try to focus on...

In more cheerful news, I've been thinking a lot about the power of language lately. You can describe a simple thing with tons of words, and you can describe an indefinably large abstract idea with only a few. You can discover a myriad of things about cultures, time periods, places, and individuals through what words they use. You can learn the attitude of a society from the language they use and how they use it. You can blow someone's mind with a single sentence and talk for hours straight without saying a single thing they care about.

It's all kind of incredible... I have, like most people, used language since I was a very small child, and I've written stories, poems, essays and more since I was a slightly older child, but I don't think I've ever put as much thought into words and language as I have in the past half a year. Learning Japanese has opened up my eyes to all sorts of grammatical subtleties, rules, and terms, all of which I knew but never really considered as such. I can speak and write with proper grammar, but I'd never realyl thought about why one sentence made grammatical sense and another one didn't. It's very interesting to look at, at least for me...
I've also developed a lot of interest in poetry. I used to read poems with my mom and sister when I was younger, and I liked some of them well enough, but I was just never really into poetry. My recent interest with all poetry was sparked by my interest in Haiku. The way a few words, so strictly contained by the number of syllables that have to be used, can evoke such powerful emotions and images is completely incredible. Reading haiku (and reading about haiku) helped to solidify thoughts I was having on the power of words. Reading Haiku in the original Japanese, seeing the patterns of syllables and the visual beauty, is wonderful for me. To think, not only does a Haiku share a moment and emotion along with many more potential layers of philosophical meaning, it also has a flow to it, a beauty to the sound and placement of the words, and all of that while still conforming to the rules of five, seven, five. It's seriously mind blowing to me.
Other thoughts, curiosities and revelations have been brought about by my desire to improve my own writing. I've been looking at the techniques of my favourite authours, seeing how they weave words and stories, stopping to dissect pieces so perfect that the words themselves normally slip by the reader without really being noticed. I've been reading interviews with and tips from authours and well, and also simply studying and dissecting pieces of my own writing, taking a good look at what does and doesn't work, what needs to change and what needs to improve in what ways. It's a very fascinating, productive process, and although November isn't the time to experiment with style, technique, and writing exercises, just being conscious of what words I'm using and how I'm using them helps, and that's something I can do in November. Even if I don't have time to edit it, I can think on what I've written and decide from those thoughts how I might better write my next scene.
One book I've found particularly fascinating, one that's actually meant to help improve one's writing, is in the 52 Brilliant Ideas series called Inspired Creative Writing: Pokes and Prods for Scribblers of All Stripes. It's a really insightful, witty, helpful read, and I'd really recommend it to any writer...
It's funny: there are some things in life I feel discouraged about when I see reminders of how little I can really do, or when I look at the work of maters of that craft, but writing is not one of those things. When I see reminders of how far I still have to go, I feel inspired to write write write until I get there! I feel inspired by the great works I read, whether it be great work by published authours, other amateur writers, poets, or even non-fiction writers. Seeing words used well, to convey beauty, power, eloquence, humour, facts, or any number of other things, is a wonderful, fun, moving, insightful thing. Writing really is a huge passion of mine...
All these thoughts kind of make me wonder how all the people out there who use words every day of their life never bother to really look at the language they're speaking or appreciate it at all...

...And I just noticed that there is an absolutely adorable word with a heart in my journal skin... Who'da thunk it :3...

Well, I suppose that I should finish this journal, because I'm running out of things and I should be writing my novel. That's my priority, but I think it's also important to write like this to get things off my mind, or sometimes to clarify things in my mind.

Anyhow, I always appreciate all comment I receive, but I'd especially love some comments today. Your thoughts on anything I mentioned would be wodnerful, or if you have some encouraging comments for me, those certainly wouldn't go amiss either .

I was going to add a feature of great writing, but I realized that I hardly have any poetry or prose in my favourites. It's sad, really; I have the tendency to bounce aroudn the site looking at things that are quick to look at, rather then really take my time to appreciate each piece and actually read what otehr writers submit... I'll have to remedy that situation.
When I have more time OTL

In the mean time, here's a feature of pieces of art I find inspiring...