#gratitudeNow: The Write Type

So, one of the reasons I started my patreon back in November was to stoke my creative engine.

It is so working.

This morning I set up a poll over at the patreon for patrons to pick from 1 of 3 options this month for the second of two fiction projects I'll be putting out this month.  My new novel is moving along nicely, and I've got neurons firing in so many different directions.  I've got some old characters doing new things, and new characters exploring brand new areas I've not written about before.

Plus, I use the amazing art my illustrator Jenn does, and the narration that Suzie Jenkins and I do, to make these sort of Reading Rainbow style movies now.

On top of all that, the creativity is bleeding over into other areas of my life.  I'm feeling reinvigorated in the coding I'm doing for my side business.  New projects I'm about to embark on in my day job are exciting and invigorating to me.  We've begun recording the Big Little Podcast again on a more regular schedule.

I feel so very, very ON.  

This morning I was up 15 minutes before my alarm clock, thinking about all the irons I have in the fire, not overwhelmed by it, but stirred up.  I love being a creative person.  I love connecting with that urge to make new things.  It's a vital, valuable part of my life.

I'm so grateful.

#gratitudeNow: The Opposite of Congress

There's an old joke that says the opposite of congress is progress.

Ha-ha.  Progress is on my mind though.

So, I'm a creative guy.  You know this, because you're here, reading my blog, and my projects are a major part of what I talk about on here.

But I have a lot of things "in progress" at the moment.  Let's see:

1. I've lost over 50 pounds on the keto diet, and want to lose somewhere between 40-50 more.
2. I'm getting my personal finances in better shape.
3. I've got a small company that's building a software product.
4. I've got a patreon, where I'm writing short illustrated and narrated fiction.
5. I'm working on my third novel, which will soon be released-in-progress on the patreon.
6. I'm beginning to release my narrated, illustrated fiction in a new format, as movies.
7. I'm learning new technologies at my day job.
8. I'm polyamorous, and working hard to be fully present in my relationships.

Boy, that sounds like a lot.  That's because it is a lot.  Some days, I'm wrung out from it.  I get stuck in a sort of analysis paralysis, unsure of what to do next, what resources I have, what to do when the tank is empty.

I stumbled across this great video by Simon Alexander Ong, about making progress your focus.

In a way, it's a rehash of something I am constantly telling other people.  Don't focus on the wall you're building, focus on the brick you're laying.  Lay it perfectly.  If it's not right, pick it up, adjust it, start over with that brick, whatever.  (And I'm talking about a wall like the Great Wall, a metaphorically overwhelming in scale project, not that travesty you-know-who keeps blathering about.)

When I was a kid, my dad taught me one of the most important lessons of my life, to measure success by motion, not by destination.  You can be 1 step on your path, or 1,000. Your path can change, alter course.  It most likely will, in fact.  Doesn't matter.  As long as you keep going, you're doing just fine.

I had this big obstacle I crashed right into about two weeks ago.  My patreon got suspended for violating their guidelines.  I worked feverishly to figure out how, and do something about it. Then, when I didn't hear from them, sought out other venues for my work.  It was a frustrating yet ultimately beneficial experience.  I learned a bunch of things about where an erotica author can publish, what they can publish, and how.  And that knowledge is going to be helpful to me down the line.  And I had support, so much support.  Friends and family consoled me, offered me guidance, helped me find options.  I am so very loved and supported in my work, by so many.

Thankfully, my patreon got reinstated.  The changes I made put me back in compliance, and I'm good to go.  I'm not going to lie when it first happened, it was crushing to me.  Even that pain and suffering (much of it self-inflicted) taught me things about myself, my efforts, my patterns of behavior and self-judgment, what's important to me, what my underlying reasons are for even doing much of what I do.

Targets change.  They move.  But it's the travel towards them that helps me know I'm alive.

Listen, you and me, dear reader, we're the same.  Human animals, with only some grasp of what it is we're actually doing as we move through life.  

Keep going, okay?  Because it feels good.

ANNOUNCEMENT: New Fiction

So, wow, in the many years I've been writing this blog, I don't think I've ever actually had an announcement before.

But, this is a pretty big deal.  So here we go!

I've started a brand spanking (heh) new Patreon page for my fiction and audio fiction!

It’s at https://www.patreon.com/makoallen

And yes, I've already got one patron!  (Thanks, Shok!)

Here's the deal on this thing:

I love writing short fiction.  I love recording audio stories.  I love writing novels.

But as you all know, the podcast, which is a big venue for me to do that sort of thing, hasn't been coming out very often lately.  That's due to a large number of life factors, for both Spacey and myself.  I've been super busy working on a side business.  

But I love this stuff.  And I want to give time to it.  So, I've decided to embark on a brave little experiment.  I'm going to be writing new fiction of multiple lengths, and posting it on my patreon page.  That includes, amongst other things, recording audio versions of my existing novels, Auntie Eva's Boarder and Concerning Littleton.

It also includes work on short stories about other characters in the Littleton universe.  And some brand new work I've been doing on gentle femdom characters.  PLUS, I've got a 3rd novel in the works, and if this thing takes off, I'm going to let you all see it and help me write it, by letting people test read it.

I'm so excited, I can't even stand it!

I'll keep you all posted.