(W)Ash Wednesday aka Laundry Time!

Why hello you, my darling blank white void that I call the internet. It is so great to finally be catching up with you in the year 2015. Believe or not, this is my first blog post of the great year two thousand and fifteen AD.

What could I have possibly been doing for those first 49 days?!
a.) working on finishing my novel like I said I was (of course not).
b.) gorging myself on candies, cookies, and pizza (definitely not).
c.) listening to an insubordinate amount of Pogo and related movie-spliced music videos on YouTube (I can't deny it!).
d.) incessantly following every single Star Wars related news item, including the dreaded Tatiana Maslany casting fakeout (i'm not over it!).
s.) binging Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and basically any other possible streaming device allowed (guilty).
t.) losing my mind, forgetting basic math and common english, sitting on my glasses, losing my keys (ummmm).
u.) secretly hoping JK Rowling will tweet at me. She's been so generous with her tweets lately, that beautiful woman. (I have been doing this. Yes.)
v.) GETTING MY SHIT TOGETHER (whoops, no).

OKAY, I'm sorry. I haven't exactly kept up on my new years resolution or anything. Writing has been a struggle! Videoing life has been a struggle! BUT, I SHALL TURN OVER A NEW LEAF, in honor JEEEESUS, oh praise GOUDA.  

I'm not going to make any promises (publicly), but things are going well and in honor of my return to the blogosphere (is that a thing?), I shall post one of the book related things I've been working on. My world map! Because I am cheap, poor, and not skilled at photoshop, I solely created my world map on PAINT. IT'S TRUE. So, look at it in the bottom. No one knows what any of it means. Do I even know? Probs not. But there it is.

Okay, well, I guess there is nothing left to say. This post has been sort of pointless and rambly (I'm making that a word. I don't even care). So, goodbye. It's weird not to make a promise at the end of my blog (cause I usually do and then fail to follow through). Sooo, I promise to save money, invest in good opportunities, and take extra special care of my extremely needy cat. kthx, sorry, god bless, cheers.

-ben josé

 Thanks, Paint. You did me wonders. Also, NERD ALERT.

Day 0 - Less Than 24hrs til NaNoWriMo

Day: 0
Word Count: 0

It is finally here, folks! NaNoWriMo 2014 (or, National Novel Writing Month, in case you've come down with a case of finely tuned amnesia!).

 

Turn up the music! Bring on the tea! It's time to write a novel again. Errrr, or in my case, it's time to FINALLY finish my novel that I began a mere two...three....years ago. Don't ye worry your fine self, I promise you, this is the year it shall be finished! You hear that, Buoyancy, you're gonna be as finished as Amanda Bynes' illustrious career! We miss you, Ashley!

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, so I hope that I get to typing. It is the final day in the Hollywood house that I've lived in with my five other roommates (and a dog and a cat) for the past year. AU REVOIR, SELMA HOUSE. It's been a crazy year of ups and downs, but regardless, things were learned and lived.

Pause. I am listening to David Bowie's "I'd Rather Be High (Veneitian Mix)" and it is just maaaaagical. Mr. Bowie, my personal baby-snatching hero, is definitely going to be one of the artists I will be listening to as I take back up on my novel. Music for me sets the mood for writing. I'm a fan of ambient sounds, rain/thunder, movie soundtracks (Add "Gone Girl" soundtrack to all your playlists, please), and video game music. It is surprisingly a beautiful genre full of many various melodic, soothing tunes.

You may or may not know that my novel is set from eight different point-of-views in the third person. Obviously, George R.R. Martin (you know that guy) is partly my inspiration. He wrote some books... Well, music helps me get into each of my different characters perspectives because obviously a poor, young thief doesn't listen to the same music as a rich, older housewife! DUH.

Oh, and my novel is Steampunk-Fantasy, which just so happens to be the theme of NaNoWriMo this year. If that isn't a sign that I need to finish it this year, then I don't know what is.

There are going to be a lot of distractions and excuses, but I shall remain strong. GET AWAY FROM ME, NETFLIX!

Cheers to a happy, fun NaNoWriMo! And remember, "There Is Nothing Wrong With Hating Rock Critics" or in this case, "Book" critics. JUST WRITE AND CREATE! Thanks, Of Montreal!

- ben josé

currently listening to: this smashing hit, gruntilda's lair, from banjo & kazooie. DON'T JUDGE ME.

31 Days til NaNoWriMo 2014: SteamPUNKed

Just announced: NaNoWriMo's 2014 Theme: Steampunk!!! Okay, I am nerding out because my novel (ya know, the one three years in the making now) is steampunk themed! So, this must be a sign that I will finish it this year and everything will be great? Right? Right.

It's about to be the month of October, the month of spirits and fall. That means only 31 days left to prepare for the forthcoming NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, for the plebeians). As I have been working on my novel all year, I just need to further crack my knuckles and prepare to devote ALL my time to it, not just moments here and there.

Life has been going well so far. Instead of moving in November like I did last year, my girlfriend and I jumped the gun and will be moving in October! Aha! Still in Los Angeles, just to a completely different part of the City of Angels. Excited for the change.

 

Also, I fixed my broken phone, fixed my broken car, finished up other issues. I don't want any distractions when it comes to NaNoWriMo. The cruel apple red face of Netflix stares me down and I can't look away, but I must, I MUST. Be gone, Netflix! I banish you from my sights. After binging three seasons of Scandal, I just can't. But, what is that...more shows, more movies. WHY!?

 Excuse that mental break above, I will find a way to disable my Netflix during NaNo, or else doom will fall. In my spare time, I've also been writing for this great site called Whedonopolis.com. If you can't guess from the title they are lovers of all things Joss Whedon. Ya know the guy. He did Buffy, The Avengers... I could go on, but I shan't.

Anyways, I've been writing reviews for them including, Bates Motel, Salem, Under the Dome, Gotham, and Once Upon A Time. So if any of those shows interest you, take a look: www.whedonopolis.com. Also check out my book reviews on Goodreads! I'm doing the "52 book in 52 weeks challenge." 34 books down, so I'm a little behind schedule. Don't worry though, reader. Reading is fun!

Welp, that's about it. Let the countdown begin. 31 days. I already feel it. This is the year I finish my book. #Steampunk 4 EVAR!

-ben josé

Twenty Six: The Year of Creativity

Get ready you guy(s) for a very DEEP blog post as it is the eve of my birthday (technically, it's the afternoon before my birthday).
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What is more important to a person: a life of safety and blandness, living in a world of total happy ignorance -- or a world where emotions, curiosities, ambition, and love are real, but so are pain, regret, depression, and loss? For me, the second option is the only way it can be. To take away any of those things (good or bad) takes away the essence of life.

On that note, today is the last day that I, Benjamin Fleck, am 25 years old.

Cue internal anxiety and panic.

It's been a great quarter of a century and I can't believe August 30th, 2014 - my 26th birthday has finally arrived. I remember when I was (still am) a kid. Being 26 years old was some elusive old thing that I thought I would never happen to me. Five seconds later, I'm turning 26. Time has proven over and over to be a bitchy, unending pit and I need a ladder. Or a helicopter. A hovercraft!

When looking back over my past 25 years, I've experienced a lot of great things. I was able to do so much, for which I am so grateful for. But, then again, I also look back and see all the things I never did or accomplished. I find I often regret the chances/opportunities I missed rather then regretting actual things I did.

Does that make sense? No. Well, it shouldn't because what I came to realize was that I literally want to do it *all* and I can't. There is no feasible way for me to make a student film, while rowing crew 6 days a week, and writing for a newspaper, while interning at a production company, and traveling leisurely on whims as I check in on the Game of Thrones set in Croatia. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE, but I AM INSATIABLE.

How can I fix this? Anybody? I am seriously asking. Will I just have to learn to accept this and be happy with what I can do? Is wanting to do and experience everything actually a curse? They say "ignorance is bliss" and I am really starting to believe them, whoever "they" are. But, being ignorant is awful and I can't imagine having no idea what is going on around me. I am a very self-aware and curious (some say nosy) person. And taking that away from me would take away what makes me, me. Perhaps, I am just talking this talk because I just saw the movie, The Giver (which is an even better book. PLZ READ NOW). Regret can't exist without a desire to learn, see, feel, and experience. The bad comes with the good.

Read Me, baby Gabe!

So, that being said, I know I can never get rid of the regret. It will always be there. So, to counter that, I just have to promise myself that I will do my best to live life to the fullest. That means:  creating things, traveling, seeing as much of the world as possible, reading as many book as possible (I'm over half-way through with the '52 books in 52 weeks' challenge), experiencing things I've never experienced before, making new friends, starting things I've been wanting to start, connecting with people all over the world, putting myself out there, and finding what I love to do and doing it.

It is no easy task, but I am going to try my best so that when my 27th birthday arrives, and I look back over the past year, I won't be able to say "I regret not doing..." anything because each day, I did something creative, new, and engaging. I put myself out there and that is something that I can't regret.

Ya? Ya!

Oh, and I plan on taking a small video of something every day of my 26th year and maybe compiling it into one big video. That will encourage me to do cool things so I don't have a video of me just sitting in my room, binge watching Netflix (Olive Pope, you scandal!), while petting my cat and eating a bag of banana chips. Damn you, Trader Joe's.

So, cheers to my 25th year. On to the next...

- ben josé, 25.99 years old

EDIT: As luck would have it, I broke my phone in the Salt Lake City Airport the day after my birthday and since my cellphone was going to be my means of recording a video every day, I definitely have a problem! WOMP, WOMP. So, looks like that is going to be put on hold until I get a new phone - which might not be for a bit since the new iPhone 6 was just released! Stay tuned...

My Top 5 Distractions from Writing (And for Drinking)

Writing a novel is no easy task, especially for someone who is easily distracted... like moi. Instead of trying to delve into the reasons of why I am the way I am, I thought it would be fun to share my top 5 excuses for not writing, which coincidentally can also be used as my top 5 excuses to drink. I'm a simple guy.

5. Los Angeles, California

Ah, the City of Angels. The city of endless possibilities–endless possibilities which don't involve sitting at a computer alone typing, and all of which involve going outside, hanging out, and drinking muchos alcohol! I moved to Los Angeles in January 2011 from Texas and never looked back. In LA, at any given moment, you are five minutes away from: the beach, the mountains, the wineries, your homeless friends, the traffic, the roads, the gross Hollywood clubs, the hiking trails, the In-N-Out drive-thru line, that celebrity you saw in that show one time but who you don't really like but will still brag about seeing to your friends, and, also, the traffic. It's all here, folks!! Not to mention: Disneyland, Joshua Tree, Catalina Island, San Diego, the Price is Right...! I could go on... In fact, the entire beautiful state of California is one big reason to procrastinate. I always think to myself: "Why am I sitting inside writing when all of this beauty and adventure awaits me outside? And, they sell liquor in CVS 24/7? Whaaat!?"

4. Weekends & Friends

This photo was taken at an event proudly called "Bootie LA" and no, this was not on Halloween.

Living in LA is hard enough, but spending my time with my friends, who are all young, fun, professional workers, who also happen to like spending their weekends having fun, is very tough. I always say each weekend that I am going to "really take it easy" and try to read or write, but the lure of going out and dancing, laughing, and making memories always seems to pull me off of the metaphorical typewriter* and into an overly stuffed car, driving down the 101 to Koreatown. Jeez, friends, be less fun. And weekends, stop coming around every 5 days!

3.  The Search for a New Place

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Luck would have it that November is going to (possibly) be my last month in my current apartment. MOVING! YAY. We have been in this apartment since May 2011, but it is time for a change and my roomie is moving out. The stress of moving and searching for a new house or apartment is always welcomed and fun. Can't wait! Feeling those happy flames on the side of my face at the thought of dealing with the classy LA realty market!

4. Netflix, Or What I like to Call the Time-Suck from Hell!

Oh, Nicholas Cage, how I loathe thee? But, seriously, Netflix! God damn you! How I wish I could quit you! Every time I try and move away, you put up my new favorite show or movie. Why yes, I do want to watch my favorite Disney movie, "Mulan" at any time. Yes, I do watch to binge watch "Orange is the New Black", "Sherlock", and "House of Cards." Think I'm done? No, I NEED to catch "Nacho Libre" and that obscure documentary about killer whales before they disappear forever into the abyss of broken Netflix dreams. For this process, I am doing the unthinkable: Staying off Netflix for all of November. Well, at least, staying off Netflix when I'm by myself and craving a weird tv binge or a class Nic Cage caper.

5. Ya Know... Life.

My Cat: Captain Daenerys Phoebs Tonks Bluth likes to contemplate life.

Look y'all, I don't have my life figured out yet. I'm still searching for that one thing I want to exactly do (besides writing). There is some quote about how life gets in the way when you are worrying about other things, or something like that. I know I totally butchered it, but I'm too lazy to actually look it up. I want to travel the world, meet people, and visit family and friends. NaNoWriMo is only 8 days away. I can't get too far ahead of myself on the big picture. Just have to keep telling myself to let the small things and little worries go.

Woah, we just got deep. I apologize. I'm gonna go watch some "Lost" on Netflix to raise my spirits. Yes, "Lost" raises my spirits. "We have to go back, Kate! We have to go back!" Gets me every time.

8 days to go.

-benjosé