Busy, Crazy World

I know I've been a little quiet recently; work's been very crazy, very busy, and I spent most of my weekend helping my younger brother with his job hunt. But hopefully things are settling down a little, so I have time to write again. :)

I've also been following the swine flu news. First of all, stop panicking. The media feeding frenzy on this story is getting ridiculous. Yes, it's news. Yes, it's something to be concerned about, and certainly something worth monitoring. But there's no need to panic. It's still very early in the investigation, and the strain has proven to be responsive to common medicines like Tamiflu. The high schoolers in New York City didn't even need anti-viral medication. So please, don't overreact just yet. Monitor the news, keep abreast of the situation, wash your hands frequently and cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. But don't break out the little masks just yet.

Instead, pick up a copy of John M. Barry's The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History. It's an utterly fascinating read about the 1918 flu pandemic, which killed 100 million people in less than two years. Barry's histories are always excellent (check out Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America - a very prescient work in light of what happened on the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina in 2005), and this book is no different. It's a meticulously-researched story of medicine, war, and human nature, illuminating a chapter of history that many people aren't aware of. It's also a bit eerie in the sense that the 1918 flu targeted young, seemingly healthy individuals - the only real parallel I can find thus far between the 1918 outbreak and the current swine flu situation. Great book, great read, very informative and timely.

All in all, it's a pretty day and a good start to the week. So stay safe, and don't freak out. May's just around the corner, and here in Charleston, it already feels like summer.

Working & Writing

So, I've been working on a short story inspired by WritingPrompt on Twitter (great source of prompts, btw) for the last couple of days, and it's kind of taken on a life of its own -- I'm up to 2500+ words, and I'm still not quite finished with it. 

This is a good thing. I've suffered from writer's block for, God, over a year already. It's not for lack of ideas: there are about six different stories swimming around in my head right now, some short stories, some novel-length ideas (including one "magnificent octopus" that I've been in love with for about two years). It's getting them onto paper that's the difficult part, mostly because I've lost a lot of confidence in my own writing.

I used to write a lot. Like, a lot. But somewhere along the line, personal shit flared up and I lost myself for a while. I'm trying to find myself again, and these little prompts fluttering through the Internet have really helped. I've got ideas, my imagination is churning, and I'm enjoying writing again. Last night, I sat down for three hours straight and just wrote, and it felt like heaven.

Unfortunately, finding the time to write? That's a little harder. Work has become more intense recently and my job responsibilities have been ramped up (which really means I shouldn't be taking the time to update my blog right now, but what the hell, it's my lunch break), and my living situation isn't exactly conducive to "ideal writing conditions." (Hey, you try living with two boys and three dogs and see how many words you can crank out in a day. It ain't easy.)

Still, I'm going to keep at it, because that's what writers do -- we can't help but write. It's just in us. Besides, one of the greatest pleasures of being a writer is watching where a story goes. I want to see how this little tale ends. And when I'm finished with it, yes, I will post it -- that's half the reason I created this blog, after all. :)

Until then, it's another cup of coffee, another phone call to answer, another letter to send, and in the downtime, a few hundred words entered into MS Word. Such is the life -- but it's a good life.

Except when the dogs eat my shoes. Seriously, Boris -- STOP EATING MY SHOES. I know you're cute and all, but so are my hot pink ballet flats. *sigh*