← Voyage of the Decameron: This Left Turn Feels Write

Inspiration from the blog of Kristine Katherine Rusch

I just read an awesome blog post from one of my mentor/authors. It’s about challenging yourself and getting out of our Comfort Zones. As I start into this next crazy project, a challenge I think she and Dean would appreciate, I realize how much I’ve let things that aren’t go well, take away from my time to be creative.

I’ve literally had this idea rolling around in my head for four years (i can verify that as I found the FB, Blog Posts, and notes on Googledocs), but I haven’t let myself do it because of other responsibility. By jumping into this, I am exerting the Optimism in my apocaloptimistic Deserted Lands Universe.

I have to finish book three of a trilogy. But I have written my self into a bunch of corners, too many for one room and each one has a character or two in it with a problem.

By I finally decided that this is the time and if I don’t do it now, I won’t do it. The burst of energy from getting on a roll instead of a slog has been amazing this week. I needed it so bad, that having it is relieving me of some other bad habits I’ve aquired.

The crazy story 111 vignette modern version of Boccaccio’s Decameron written and published daily, bi-weekly and omnibussed in 20 weeks is demanding my attention. And that feels so good. I can do this. It may not work out as I imagine it, but it is partway between a S.M.A.R.T. Goal and a D.U. one. [To my students, yes I’ve written up both of them. Somehow the idea no longer seems, Dreamy, Unrealistic, but it is definitedly Motivating and Bold. S.M.A.R.T. B.M.? Nah!

I followed that first post by reading a more serious one: Optimism And The Writer, about the loss of a friend to disease. It talks about how writers (and other artists) at some level have to be optimistic to be successful. I have always been an optimist, sometimes self-referentially as an Infernal Optimist. Her blog gave me hope about a lot of things. And my optimism has certainly taken a beating over the last several years. But I feel like I’ve come out of a darkness, now that the words are flowing and I’m taking chances again.

To come along for the ride into my Apocaloptimism, come back here on Feb 29th. What better day to take a leap of faith than on Leap Day. Especially Leap Day 2020. Hoping I can continue to see clearly now.

P.S. If you’re a reader, writer, artist, actor, musician or some other creator of Intellectual Property, you should hop over to Kris’ website. You’ll thank me, I think.