Things Are Happening And That's Good

There have been so many things happening recently. Things that were set into motion when I was on vacation in Shanghai, and they are good things. Great things even.

Just a little recap, after a year of working on my little personal project, I went off to Shanghai where I completely slacked off on my blogging duties. I could make excuses and say that it was cause of the Great Firewall of China but I totally had a workaround for that. I was just too lazy to write about it. (I'll talk about it sometime soon I guess, but no promises)

Anyway, back to the main point. I've been given opportunities. Like legit, doors have been opened for me to go study in Australia. I ended up applying to QUT and Deakin, one in Queensland and the other in Melbourne, and so far, QUT has already sent me an offer letter.

My rep told me that before he can source out the sponsors and scholarships, I have to have an offer letter, and now I do. But the thing is, I don't know if I want QUT or Deakin now. Huge dilemma, since I want to make sure I go to the right place. But I'm no psychic, so all I can do is put all this in God's hands and say, "I'll go to whichever school is being paid for, cause that's what I can afford".

Tough choices all around, but all is well. I believe that much. Right now I'll just be waiting to see when the scholarships roll on in and whisk me away to the land Down Under.

Things are happening, and they're happening fast. And I can't wait to see what's in store for me next.

3 Ways To Tell You're Successful

What is success, really? Is it being good at your job? Is it making a living doing what you love? Is it having fame, fortune, and being adored by your millions of adoring fans? I don't think there's an actual, solid answer to that question.

Success is by default a very abstract concept, and therefore it can be subjective. As in, different people might define success in vastly different ways. But for me, I've compiled a Top 3 list. If any of these things happen in real life I'll know I've finally made it. (And can give my children ridiculous names without being ridiculed for it)

I'm not saying it's a good decision. I'm saying it's your decision.

People you don't know have a tattoo you inspired. One of the most permanent forms of flattery. It might be your face, or a little symbol, or some song lyrics or whatever. If someone you have never ever met is willing to put up with actual pain and pay actual money to get something permanently inked onto their skin, you'll know you managed to do something pretty darn good.

Look at this child. Just begging to have his mind poisoned.

People are saying you're influencing their children. One day, ultra-conservative parents might even say that I am planting horrible ideas into the minds of young, impressionable children and should have my work banned from schools and public libraries. If this actually happens, it means I would have already been quite established as an author and that means I can begin recruiting my child army I will have had already gained enough influence for parents to fear I'm tainting their sweet children. Yes, cower and worry. Your fear nourishes me.

But if this actually happens it would probably be pretty irritating cause when people are saying you're evil, then you're naturally tempted to prove them right and release the flying monkeys on them.

A researcher looked at this fly and thought that it was bootylicious. Uh...

When you have an animal named after you. Pictured above is Queen Bey next to a horse fly named after her. Scaptia beyonceae. Why? Cause of that golden butt. I don't know how Beyoncé actually feels about this, but at least she'd never have to wonder about her fame ever again. At the same time, entomology students will have to put up with their professors' Bootylicious jokes every time this fly comes up.

So if one day I wake up and the news is reporting how I've had a wasp named after me or One Million Moms is mad at me cause my books are 'a bad influence', I'll know I've made it into the big leagues. And when that happens, I might finally be justified to buy an Iron Throne just to sit on when guests are around. It might be a few years before that happens, but till then, a guy can dream.

It's Scary Being a Writer

Okay. Maybe 'being a writer' isn't exactly a particularly scary thing. There's no real risk to life and limb, so it's one of the least life-threatening jobs out there.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that being a new writer is a scary thing. Particularly at that point when the future of your lovingly-crafted manuscript isn't clear. You've got so much hope for it, but you can't see what's lying ahead.

Yes, my novel's in the final stages of being edited/rewritten, which feels like a great personal achievement to myself. Even if nobody else thinks the same thing. And I've got to say, the past few months when all my attention was focused on writing, I was feeling pretty comfortable with my little setup. But when the manuscript started nearing completion, things started getting scary. Rationally, I know that there isn't anything to really be afraid of. But there's just so many things to worry about when a small part of you is actively looking at things that might go wrong. That worries me.

I like to think of myself as an optimist. I try my best to be hopeful about the things I get myself into. But when I think about looking for an agent and finally trying to get published, it scares me. The horrible voice in my head asks all sorts of awful questions that really get me freaking out. 

Is the novel too short? Is the writing the best I can make it be? Will the agents and publishers like this?

I would have no problems answering these questions if it were anyone else worrying over them. I know that a novel's length is technically a subjective thing. There's no fixed rule. I know that I will never be satisfied with the writing, and I'll always find a way to make it better. Even if the change is tiny, I'd find fault with it somehow. And I also know that different agents and publishers will like different things. Because at the end of the day, they're people and that's how people are!

But as a writer who's editing the story he's painstakingly put together for months (technically years), it's still worrying. I'm slowly getting a grip though. Even now, writing this is helping me get this load off my chest, and I can hear that hopeful voice in my head again. It knows that there's an agent out there who will love to represent me. It knows there's a publisher out there who would love to print my book. And it knows there would be readers out there who would love my book.

So for now, I'll just have to finish up this manuscript. I'm happy with the story I'm trying to tell. I'm happy with the work that I've managed to do, and continue to do. I've just got to keep at it, and pray for something good to happen.

P.S. - I swear I'm not mentally ill. The voices in my head aren't telling me to rob a bank or kill a man or anything.

P.P.S. - If you're feeling the same thing that I am (gut-wrenching fear over the future of your work) I'd love to hear you out in the comments below.

Cheers, everyone. Thanks for reading.

On Bigotry & Religion

Yesterday, a friend of mine got me to do a survey on religion for his school project. I ended up going overboard and wrote three paragraphs for Question 3, which basically asked whether religion made the world better or worse since so many things are allegedly caused by religion (i.e. religious wars, inequality, etc).

"I'm not a very good Christian." - Sookie Stackhouse

Now first off, I don't think of myself as a particularly religious person, kind of like how Sookie Stackhouse might see herself. I'm not what some people would consider 'a good Christian'. But what I do know is that I try to be a good person. I know I don't always get it right, and I can be really really mean under certain circumstances. But most of the time I try to be kind and compassionate. I try to be as pleasant a person as I can. I do try.

How I basically react to a lot of people.

From what I can tell, there are good Christians who are good people, and then there are Christians who are bad people. Though for the latter group, I'm not sure what kind of Christians they are but I don't really hold them in high regard. These are the people who would spout hate based on what they have interpreted from the Bible. These are people who go about saying horrible things in the name of religion. I personally believe these people should be stopped cause they're giving the religion a bad name, but that's another topic for another day.

A couple days ago, some people close to me said some really prejudiced, bigoted things regarding an LGBT topic. It was so frustrating because you can't really debate nor discuss anything with them in a decent civilized manner. They are ridiculously stubborn, and there's just no point of really having that conversation regardless of how you approach the matter because they will frustrate you until all you want to do is sigh.

What I really want to know, is why is there all this hate and condemnation? Where did you people find in the Bible where it was okay to go around calling people sinners just because of what their religion is or who they love? If I'm not mistaken, that actually makes you a sinner and a dick.

When dealing with people, I personally try to follow 2 very basic rules, so simple that kids will have no problem understanding them at all, but somehow adults face such mind-numbing difficulty grasping them.

• The Great Commandment - Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
• Matthew 7:1 - Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

Tell 'em, Jesus.

Think about it. How would you feel if your family, friends, and loved ones were the targets of hate and bullying? It's actually a very simple question with a very straightforward answer: You wouldn't like it. You would feel angry and offended, and that a great injustice has been committed. It's not a nice feeling when people hate on you for whatever reason. Even more so when you have no say in the matter.

I'm not saying I hate bigots. I don't like them, and they fill me with such frustration. But I don't hate them. They're human, and they make mistakes, so I forgive them for that. Hopefully one day they'll figure out why it's not okay to be a dick.

So why not stop being mean and nasty for a change, and just look to each other and say, "I'm okay with you, and I love you as a person." Let's all just try to be good people who are good to each other. Cause I know at the end of the day that's one of the most important things you could ever do.