About the author…
Ξ November 5th, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ life |
today, im a writer. tomorrow, I may wake up and realize im a firefighter or a pilot, but today, im a writer. look out pulitzer, theres a new sheriff in town, and he’s coming for you.
I’ve literally been devouring books lately. its part of my new diet. coffee, cigarettes, and a diet paperback. sometimes I cheat and sneak a late night comic book or fantasy novel, but I make it a point to stay an extra 30 minutes on the eliptical the next day to avoid feeling guilty.
I finished “Waiter Rant” yesterday. if you work in the business, you’ve got to read it. it offers a brief glimpse into our life style few rarely get to see unless you’ve somehow ended up dating one of our kind. aside from the obvious comical moments that any casual reader could understand, the books humor, for me atleast, rests in it’s all too familiar situations and scenarios. forevery customer he mentions, I’ve got one to match. catty coworkers? check. appreciation for a drink before/during/after a shift? double check. addiction to the money at the cost of selfworth? please, if you know me, I don’t even have to dignify that with a witty response. its our lifestyle. definitely a must read. he’s got a website as well, which is actually where he got started, but im posting via mobile now, so ill have to link it in a later post when I get home.
currently, I working on a christopher rice book. normally im not a fan of gay authors but I’ve found the occasional exceptions in my readings (Rice, Sedaris, etc.) most are through recommendations, and I hate the idea of passing up a possible good read. the story itself is very compelling, but focuses a little too much on some of the sex scenes. a problem with so many gay writers. there are times when I have to hide what im reading as I feel im reading some kind of cheap romance novel. sex sell I guess though. can’t imagine that there are many heterosexuals into reading 3 page trysts discussing the shape of a supple man-ass or a college boys nocturnal emissions, nor can I believe that there is a gay demographic large enough to make up for the afore mentioned breeder crowd. but he makes it work I guess.
the two books together got me to thinking though. I wait tables. I have funny stories. im gay. why can’t I do what they’ve done. pretty presumptuous, I know. cocky even. no formal training or studies, but I’ve come to learn that all the formalities involved with writing generally lead to very boring reads.
what I do have is experience. I have a story in me. I also have a free medium by which to be seen. so what’s keeping me from actually going through with it?
1.) Lack of time.
Between both jobs, I put in a 12 hour day, 5 days a week. Calculate into that, the roughly 5 hours of sleep I get a night, the 2 hours to get ready and bus in, with the hour and a half long ride home, im left with roughly 3 1/2 hours for personal time. not exactly the amount of time condusive to creative writing.
2.) Lack of filler
I have a tendancy to rush my writings. I skip over minor details and end up turning a potential novel into a hundred page short story. not that the short story isn’t a valid literary form, but all my attempts have left me feeling unfulfilled and unhappy with my final product.
3.) Lack of confidence
who the fuck do I think I am, pretending like i know anything about writing. what if I suck? I’ve never been one for stepping outside the box and trying something new. im so afraid that my work would come off as juvenile, and thereby, prove not only to others but to myself, that im not anything other than a waiter. not a risk im willing to take.
even now, sitting here writing this very entry, I’ve lost my motivation. gotten distracted with customers. been side tracked with work. run out of time. what are the chances that ill finish an entire book if I can’t even finish a damn post? not a probability id be comfortable putting any amount of money on. fuck, even that last sentence ended in a preposition. are these the kind of stories you want your children readin? I think not. I think not.