The Edge of the Storm.

If memory serves me correctly, (and it rarely does) this is the first time I've written a blog from a Starbucks over a Cinnamon Dolce latte and an Iced Lemon Loaf. I feel so fucking trendy! Actually, I needed coffee and the Internet went down so it's not as though this was planned but I thought it merited mentioning. Truth is, while I'm an avid Dunkin Donuts enthusiast, this combo of java and baked goods is one of my favorite muses. It helps get those creative juices flowing. And they are.

Right now, I've got a lot of good ideas for some storylines not to mention my enthusiasm for the next coming weeks. I'll also be able to do more workouts and hikes when the weather gets warmer. I am genuinely optimistic right now and while I would love to blame it completely on the latte and the lemon loaf, I know that the reason for my brighter outlook on life is due to the coming storm.

As I write, it is beginning to come down. Weather reports say this is going to be one hell of a deluge. It's going to rain nonstop for about two days. (Big ol' shit-eating, Kool-Aid grin on my face!) I don't know why but I love this weather. It always reminds me of...well, boot camp. We did everything in the rain on Parris Island. Running, hand to hand combat, obstacle courses, rifle range, etc. You name it, it probably was raining when we did it. As masochistic as that sounds, it reminds me of the rebirth, for lack of a better word, within myself. When I became a Marine I became a different man. The experience changed me in profound ways. Some for better, some not, sure but the change, like the slogan says, is forever.

Now, here, at the edge of the storm, I'm not reminded of my military training and lifestyle but of the potential for change. If you are reading this and know me well, and have ever wondered why I love the rain so much, this is why:
The rain reminds me of the potential within me for change. It washes away all of the bad and cleanses me down to my soul.

This is why I feel so good. Why I feel inspired to write my novel as well as my first screenplay; this is why I'm confident that I will be able to transform my body into a healthier, fit version than what I'm walking around with now. Hell! This is what's inspiring me to drink another latte! LOL! Most of all, the rain is the manifestation of my hope that the right woman is out there for me right now and she too is looking for me.

Here comes the storm. Here comes the rain and here I sit, staring out this window, with a big smile on my face.

Conception

I have a great idea for a story. I've had it for quite sometime but it all just started to piece itself together last night for some reason. I've been brainstorming and recording random ideas on my voice recorder for a few weeks now so I feel like I've got the necessary tools to write an outline and a rough draft of the first three chapters or so. What's more...it's not the original story I started to write and it's not the short story (The Believer) that I started writing two months ago either. In fact, when you look at it from a different perspective, it's an entirely new storyline I've somehow managed to conceive. I don't know where it came from but I'm gonna ride it out. Sometimes you have to go where you're creativity takes you. So, that being said, I'm well on my way to writing something that, well, something that I think I'm truly going to enjoy. I'm going to create my very own universe. I'm SO in love with that idea!

The biggest roadblock I have in front of me now is simply fatigue. It's difficult to write at work. It's even a bigger challenge to write afterwards when I'm dead to the world and by the time I wake up, I lose that vital train of thought; I lose my creative path, so to speak. I guess I just have to find a proper rhythm to the writing and I'll be fine.

I really want to get this done though! So often, I start a project and never finish. I get hit with a burst of inspiration and then, half way through the "putting the ideas to paper" process, I get distracted and stray from the path so much that I lose sight of what I was trying to create. This time, I have something that seems beautiful to me and I want to share it with the world. I hope to God I can keep focused.

However, it probably doesn't help matters much that I'm gonna go to the movies after this to watch Tron: Legacy and then take a long ass nap right after, does it?