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

The Beginning of a Novel Idea!

Hello, all (meaning just one or two people if I'm lucky), I have finally decided to start a blog after much non-anticipation. I've been saying for quite some time—probably five years—that I would blog it up. But, now I am finally taking the plunge and actually doing it. And I actually have a theme (sort of) to it. Everyone, hold your figurative applause... indefinitely.

November is quickly approaching and if you didn't know already, November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo, for those of you not with the times). The goal of each NaNoWriMo is to write a novel that must consist of  at least 50,000 words. For the past two years, I have attempted to write a novel each November with varying success. Check out my past novels. I will quickly recap what happened each year.

November 2011: I started writing a fantasy novel I passionately called "The Rip." I was eager-eyed and fresh-faced. I had just moved to Los Angeles permanently a few months ago. My roommates were willingly participating too. We all sat down on November 1st to write together. It was all just so exciting.
End Result: I wrote one really weird, abstract paragraph. And that was it. FAIL.

*My roommates failed too. So I wasn't alone in failure. There is comfort in failing together, right?

November 2012: This year I wasn't messing around. I made it known I was doing NaNoWriMo again despite last year's failure. I even convinced my coworker to participate too. I decide to expand on my novel (actually, my paragraph) from 2011. While sitting in a Little Caesar's in a K-mart (pure class), inspiration came to me. I had a revelation as to why I had failed the year before—the idea was too big, yet too small. Once I opened it up to the possibility of a book series(!), everything fell into place. So, I created a vast fantastic world full of rich, interesting characters. What could go wrong?

End Result: Well, I did it. I wrote 50,000 words by November 30th. Woo-hoo! The only problem was that my novel was nowhere near completion. I was still in the beginning stages of what I had initially planned and outlined back in October. So, I still didn't have a completed novel. Fail? I'm not sure.

November 2013: Here it comes again! NaNoWriMo 2013! I have been working and further developing my novel and series from 2012. I am extremely confident that I can write another 50,000 words and hopefully finally finish my first novel out of a planned 9-book series (How crazy am I?)

Only 10 days between me and November 1st. I can keep up this positive attitude, right? 

Well, to further my cause, while doing NaNoWriMo this year, I have decided to give up all forms of alcohol for the month of November! You may not think that is a big deal, but if you know me—Ben José Fleck—at all, then you know that's kind of a big deal. I'm not an alcoholic (classic alcoholic denial), but alcohol has often led to bad things for me. So, in order to really focus and do this right, no more alcohol for me! And that includes those delicious Straw-beritas! 

**Side note: The pandora station I was listening to just changed the song and it went from soothing electro-pop to thrashing angry metal. What the hell? Does Pandora ever do this to you? Not cool, Pandora! 

Anyways, follow me on this weird, strange, scary journey to finish my novel while being completely sober! It is sure to be tough and let's all hope I don't have a meltdown! Any advice and encouragement and questions are welcome. And yes, it's probably counterproductive to write a blog about writing a novel, but hey, that's me! 

10 days to go til this starts... Can I do it?

End Result:  to be seen...

-benjosé