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).
--- 
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...

Nostalgia is the New Black

Hallo, I'm baaack! So sorry, my reader(s). It's been a crazy few months. And not just in Westeros. Life got in the way as 'they' say. Who is the 'they' in that statement? I don't know, the IRS? Btw, I am super mad at the IRS right now. Can you guess why? :)

If you haven't been watching GoT, then SHAME!

Anyways, like I said, I've been busy, yo. Fellowships, weddings, job searching, Game of Thrones. STAR WARS casting news. It's just too much! But, I found some time to finally update the blog. You Are Welcome.

Cousin Got Hitched!

The theme of this post is: Nostalgia! How did you know?

I guess I've always been the sentimental type. When I started high school, I yearned for the happy and comfortable days of middle school. When I started college, I yearned for the happy and comfortable days of high school. When I left college, I just cried and consumed lots of alcohol. The real world? It sucks!

I realize every time I leave a place, I often find myself thinking about all the great friends, experiences, and times I had in that past place. It's hard for me to let go of the past. I cling on to friendships. I continually talk about my past crazy stories, like the one time I slept on a fountain in France. Nostalgia isn't bad, but you can't live in the past. You must move forward in life.

I recently realized this (I know, after 25 years, I finally realize this). I started a new job last month and it happens to be very close to my old office. Close enough that I actually walk past my old office on the way to my new office. I spent close to two years in that old office. So many good times, bad times, and exciting times. Yet, now when I pass it, it feels like a total stranger to me. Everything changes so quickly.

To quote fictional character, Benjamin Button (my life coach) as he returns home: "It's a funny thing about comin' home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You'll realize what's changed is you." I can't ever go back to the places and the times of my past. If I did, it wouldn't be the same. The people will be different. I'll be different.

This is probably very obvious to everyone else, but I've had a hard time coming to terms with moving on and letting go. Life is full of change. We move from one place to the next. From experience to experience. From people to other people. Don't hold on to the past. Appreciate the time and experiences you did have, but then keep on truckin' on. Life doesn't wait!

This has been Ben José 

With a Danny Tanner lesson. 

cue sentimental music. 

P.S. I am indeed still writing my novel, among other things. Yas.

P.P.S. Still not over it. Don't let me down, Episove VII.

Lupita & Brienne of Tarth. DARTH YEAH!

WRAPRTY

Howdy folks! It has been exactly two weeks since LeNoWriHo (Lent Novel Writing Holiday) has started, and things are going well. I've made the "No" of the acronym to actually stand for multiple things, not just a novel. They include: a pilot, some spec television scripts, a feature film, and TV reviews. Yes, there is a lot on my plate right now, but this is what I love to do. Now pray for me to finish everything I start. I want to reach that WRAPRTY.

TME 2 PRTY YLL

Side note: I have never seen so many specialized license plates since moving to Los Angeles. People here are really into customizing their plates with cool slang, broski. I'm not even kidding. It's laughably bad. I've started taking pictures every time I see one and I now have quite a collection of "fun" plates. Stay tuned for those later.

Virtual Camping is the only camping I do!

On April 1st, Camp NaNoWriMo starts. Basically it is the April version of NaNoWriMo - I will be participating this year. Instead of the strict rules of regular NaNo, during Camp NaNoWriMo you are allowed to pick your own word count, you can write things other than a novel, and you get grouped into metaphorical "cabins" to work with other similar writers. All together sounds like a fun experience. This will be my first year doing it. I've set my word count for 50,000! CAMP TIME, y'all.

WAAAAALT, what happened!?

I wonder if Damon Lindelof ever did NaNoWriMo? Oh, Damon Lindelof. I just saw him. That, my friends, is called a seamless segue way. Mel and I went to go see the LOST: 10 year Reunion at Paley Fest here in LA. Not only were creators/writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse there, but also some of the cast, including gigantic adult human-sized Malcolm David Kelley aka WAAAAALT! So crazy to think that Lost ended 10 years ago. It was a show that changed my life and made me realize that I want to work in TV and that I want to do what they did.  

Angry side note: *If you don't like LOST, just leave. I loved the controversial finale. For me, it was never about all the mysteries (that was just added fun)! It was about the characters and their journeys... which is what I am trying to emulate in my novel. It all comes full circle here, folks.

But, I have to stop myself before I go too deep into a one-sided Lost debate with myself. So, as Desmond says, "See ya in another life, brotha!"

- ben josé

LeNoWriHo! (Or how I am spending the next 40 days. Also, acronyms are fun!)

I've deactivated my Facebook, I've thrown myself into my novel, I'm writing book and TV show reviews, I'm reading more and more, and social life is taking a backseat. Why you ask? Because it is LeNoWriHo!

Why, what could LeNoWriHo possibly mean, Ben?? Let me tell you! It means: Lent Novel Writing Holiday. Yes, I came up with that all by myself. I consider myself somewhat of an acronym connoisseur.

I've got my thinking hard hat on! (No, I'm not a construction worker).

For the next forty days and forty nights, I shall write, read, blog, review, and more! My last blog post was all about seizing the moment and realizing that both good and bad moments are never permanent. So in the spirit of Catholic guilt, I shall give up the addiction to Facebook, the addiction to stress and worry, the addiction to cronuts... (er, actually, I won't be giving up cronuts, who am I kidding with that one!).

Heaven never tasted so good.

So, 

Follow me as I continue to write my novel. Things are heating up in this fake world inside my head. Only the fluorescent screen of my computer shares in the exciting drama of my novel. Soon, world, soon...

"A mind needs books, like a sword needs a whetstone."

Follow me as I compete in my first ever "52 books in 52 weeks" challenge. I kept seeing my former roommate compete in this challenge year after year and I kept telling myself I was going to do it. 2014 is the year. Check out my goodreads page and be my friend to see the stats! I'm already 10 books in. 42 more to go.

Follow me as I also compete in a "Reading Bingo" with my girlfriend. Basically, you have to read a specific book in order to cross it off the bingo sheet, such as the "second book in a series," "a forgotten classic," etc. It's a fun way to read and learn. Nerd Alert!

I'm the green one. Mel is red. She clearly needs to catch up :)

Follow me as I write book and television reviews for the website Whedonopolis.com. They write about all thing Joss Whedon and all things geek. One of the shows I review is Bates Motel, which is in its second season. If you haven't seen the first season yet, please watch it on Netflix. The show is quirky and creepy and altogether a bit psychotic!

Now... LeNoWriHo shall commence! I promise* I will stop using these obnoxious acronyms.

*by promise, I mean I don't promise. Not at all.

- ben josé

This Too Shall Pass

*Warning: Overly dramatic and sensitive "life-inspiring" blog post to follow!

Currently listening to a song called "Moving On" from the "Lost" Soundtrack by Michael Giacchino and realizing that "this too shall pass." That quote harkens back to a story about a king who thought everything was going well and he wanted his council to give him advice that would help him weather any hardship. They said to him "this too shall pass." At first he didn't understand what it meant, but soon his kingdom was attacked and he had lost everything and had his back against a wall. And then he remembered those words: "This too shall pass." And he was content, for even his hardship would pass. Change is the only permanent thing in this world. Everything changes. Emotions, circumstances, hardships, joys... they are not constant.

It's been a tough few weeks for me, trying to focus on writing while also looking for a new job. Life keeps getting in the way. I'm an ambitious individual with a grand imagination and high expectations for my future. It pains me so much everyday to be stagnant and stuck. I know things will change though. This feeling of hopelessness and entrapment will pass. I just need to keep moving on and not looking back or to far forward.

Be in the present. I hope this for everyone. I stumbled upon a YouTube video entitled "Top 5 Saddest Pixar Moments" and I decided to watch it at work for some reason. [Side Note: Don't ever watch a 'sad Pixar' clip at work. You'll regret it]. Damn you, Pixar, you know how to make a grown man tear up. Perhaps the saddest story for me was that of Carl & Ellie from "Up."

If you've never seen "Up," be prepared to cry within the first ten minutes. Carl and Ellie were adventurous and fun and loved each other dearly. They had dreams of exploring the world. But life got in the way. Over and over again. And they never got to live their dreams and see the world...

One of my worst fears. Life is short... I don't want to waste it. I want to see the world, meet new people, share in experiences with the ones I love.

Sorry if this is a depressing/weird/unrelated post, (aka Dear Diary), but I just needed to get these things off my chest. I've deactivated my Facebook (or what I like to call, WasteBook) for the time being. Time to focus on the more important things in my life: my loved ones, my passions, adventure, travel, cats, nature, writing...

Adventure is out there! Don't wait...

So, everyone go out and do what you want to do. Don't be afraid, or wait, or make excuses. Life is too short to not take that risk or that chance.

This has been benjosé with your cliched inspirational post.

P.S. My book is still coming along, so don't worry, my intrepid readers. You will see it one day. I'll leave you with this: #LeNoWriHo

JaNoWriMo!

I am writing to you on December 31st, 2013. It is the last day of the year. For me, 2013 was a year of immense change. The norm of my world continually kept changing. I transitioned into a new person - an adult! (Look at my facial hair, ma!)

Aside from undertaking NaNoWriMo in November while in the middle of an overwhelming move, 2013 was a year of accomplishment. I fulfilled my lifelong wish of riding in a hot air balloon (and hot air balloons are a huge part of my novel if you didn't already know).

I attended my first Comic Con, where my girlfriend and I waited in a line for over 18 hours(!) to see a Breaking Bad panel (damn you, ambitious Doctor Whovians!) We figured we had nothing else to do, so why not wait for the best of the best, bitch? I traveled a bunch, met Damon Lindelof (and told him we have to go back, Kate!), went to a grilled cheese festival (big deal), attended a hippie/electronica fest, saw the best thing ever in the form of Clue: Live Shadowcast, and had some great times with friends and family.

If I learned one thing from 2013, it was to never stop trying and always keep moving forward. In the wise words of Robin Williams from the undisputed classic, Hook: "To live... to live would be an awfully big adventure." *If you want to throw down with me about why Hook is the best movie ever, give it a go!

I love you, Thudbutt!

So, with that in mind, I officially introduce you to JaNoWriMo. No, that is not a typo. No, your computer screen is not displaying the wrong sequence of letters. JaNoWriMo, yes. It is a word I made up. January Novel Writing Month! Isn't that clever? No? Alright, I must carry on then... as does Lady Edith after every sad moment in her life.

The admirable Lady Hedith! She's no Edith!

After finishing NaNoWriMo at the end of November, I still wanted to work on my novel. December was full of travel and moving, so I wasn't able to work on my novel as much as I wanted. I was craving the kind of demanding, time-pressing schedule that NaNoWriMo requires of you. I knew I needed something to keep me to my word when it came to finishing my novel and thus JaNoWriMo was birthed into this beautiful world.

To sum up: January 2014 - I will be continuing my journey as a novelist by dedicating the month to writing each day. My goal word count: 75,000 words. It is possible. Let's finish this bitch.

I will now bid you, adieu. Have a great end of 2013 and best of luck in the New Year. Stay tuned...

- ben josé