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I’ve been Googling something on my mind for a while: the fact that writing is exhausting. The issue isn’t that writing isn’t enjoyable, or even that I lack time to do it. The act of writing itself is a mental exercise demanding a disproportionate amount of oxygen for our brains. This fact eludes some people who can rightfully claim to be physically exhausted after a long day of work, but wrongly believe office or administrative work isn’t tiresome in their own way. In my personal life, I separate these into being physically tired versus mentally weary, the difference being that weariness feels like my metaphorical battery has run dry.

Continue reading “More Energy”

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Right after I graduated from Purchase College, I took to learning HTML 5 and CSS 3. I’d already been blogging for a year at that point, and knew I’d spend many more years interacting with online friends on my own sites, so I gave it a shot. Back then, Codecademy was free, and W3 Schools was already a wealth of information. Today, I find myself learning a new coding language for this visual novel.

Continue reading “Coding a Visual Novel”

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COVID-19 is upon us. New York State is in the midst of a lockdown for all but the most critical employees. I don’t know that I am counted among them; I’ll find out after a manager’s meeting on Monday. It would be nice stay home, although I am certainly privileged enough to have job security and unused paid-time-off hours. I’ve taken this rare opportunity to sit at the computer for several days and make the most of an uncertain situation.

Continue reading “Pandemic Productivity”

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Tom, Kai and I (The Outfit) had our first meeting concerning our Untitled Visual Novel Project. I’m enjoying this chance to plan something collaborative. I’d like to treat this with all the gravity I treat projects in my professional life. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time, and accounting for all factors that usually derail creative endeavors involves a lot of deep thinking. Continue reading “Nuts and Bolts”

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As my undergrad years came to a close, I found myself increasingly anxious about what life after college would entail. I knew few college educated people, and didn’t have the wherewithal to follow a career trajectory, although I resolved at some point to not pursue a Masters in Art History. The things I did have–a Bachelor of Arts, a senior thesis, and an anime blog–I didn’t know how to use beyond academia. I knew that I liked to learn, and I liked to write both creatively and scholastically. Where did that leave me? Continue reading “Project Otaku”

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Despite what the title of this post suggests, I’ve been rather productive this year. Right now I’m writing a sequel to Saudade, the story published in FIYAH fall 2018. I’ll be the first person to tell you sequels are usually unnecessary, but as a writer, it’s sometimes easier to dive back into a world you know than one you don’t. The characters can grow, usually for the better but sometimes for worse. I can pick up on threads I touched on in the original novelette, but didn’t take time to flesh out. And maybe I just want to write something for the hell of it, a story I can enjoy. That’s good enough reason for me. Continue reading “Climbing out of the doldrums”

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I’m not dead yet!

I’ve started watching The Mandalorean on Disney+, which my wife somehow managed to get for free through her Verizon account. Very inspiring stuff. The show features a protagonist with a mask on, which I didn’t think would be engaging but it works so well. It’s recharged my writing batteries! I know I can crank out stories again. Continue reading “2020”