Author Journey (August 26, 2024)
I’m still trying to figure out if I couldn’t sleep because I was watching anime or was I watching anime because I couldn’t sleep! Anyhow, there was a lot of watching anime this week. The other question is whether there was anything else.
Author Journey (August 26, 2024)
Favourite Moment!
When I was younger and got most of my anime and manga news from a magazine called Manga Mania, there were often special mail-order sections where you could get original posters and magazines from Japan. This was before the internet existed so it was pretty much the only way short of going there to get things like this. I had some pretty cool things, although I don’t know what happened to them or where they might be. Anyhow, with my recent adventures with eBay, I have suddenly found myself in the business of buying cool books from Japan… because why not?
Anyhow, last week, I took possession of a collection of small hardback books that contained loads of artwork by Masamune Shirow, the creator of Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed, and many more. I remember having one of his books from way back when so it’s amazing to have the full collection together. I love his artwork and plan on using these to further my own art. Yes, some of them are very spicy, but that doesn’t really bother me. I just love the way he drew characters and how alive they seem to be despite being quite obviously two-dimensional characters.
The Week That Was…
Last week, I started upping my exercise once more. It’s been a long old road of recovery since I broke my knee and then herniated a disc in my back in 2023. Then being unable to eat anything solid for two weeks didn’t aid the process. Anyhow, I’m back and I’m starting to treat life like a mobile game with a healthy anime influence… Basically, I’m taking a leaf out of Jinwoo Sung’s books with his daily challenges and I think there’s some potential here to gamify lots of things. Just like Saitama, I’ve been aiming to run ten kilometres a day. However, since I’ve never been a long-distance runner, I’m breaking it into manageable chunks. Last week I hit ten kilometres a day on four separate days. Next, I’ll have to add in one hundred push-ups, sit-ups, and squats using the same idea.
Seeing how well this has been working has got me thinking about my weekly goals and how I need to spread them out more. I started last week by watching three episodes of Keijo!!!!!!!! Then, I read three volumes of manga over the next three days. That left me with three days to get some writing done. However, the weekends have never been very productive for me, especially with family life. Still, I get a lot done and can see the benefits of breaking the weekly goals into manageable chunks with the idea of checking off a number of daily items.
Reading, Writing, Watching!
One night last week, I was struggling to sleep. I was wide awake and unsure what to do with myself, so I figured I would stick on a show and see if that settled things. The show I picked was Kaiju No. 8 which I had put off since I’m reading the manga. Well, I ended up watching eight episodes that night and only stopped there because I knew if I watched one more, I would finish the season without pause. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long to finish it as I got all twelve episodes done in less than twenty-four hours.
On top of that, I’ve been watching Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku while on the treadmill and have only two episodes left before I finish that season too. Oh, and I also squeezed in the entire season of Mysterious Disappearances. It felt good to be back watching new shows and I’m excited to see what else I missed out on during my vacation.
After watching Kaiju No. 8 in one day, I jumped back into the manga and promptly read another three volumes, taking me past the end of season one. It really is a great show. I’ll try to have the season review ready for next week.
And then, there was the writing. I started writing on Friday and managed to get the bulk of the first chapter written. It’s only nine-hundred and seventeen words at the moment, but I often underwrite the first draft so it should end up closer to fifteen hundred which is the sweet spot for web novels. It’s not the two chapters I was planning, but getting one mostly done was a big step. Now, if I can break that down again and spread it throughout the week as part of my daily goals, I think things will progress nicely.
Anime!
- Keijo!!!!!!!! (Episode 4) – The Battle for the Fastest Butt!!!!
- Keijo!!!!!!!! (Episode 5) – Full-Auto Cerberus!!!!
- Keijo!!!!!!!! (Episode 6) – Alluring Kyoto Trip!!!!
Manga!
- Booty Royale: Never Go Down Without a Fight! (Volume 13) – Power Versus Technique!
- Gigant (Volume 9) – I Promise You! I’ll Come Back!
- Goblin Slayer Side Story II: Dai Katana (Volume 6) – Be Thankful to Everything!
Goals
| Tasks | Goal | Completed |
|---|---|---|
| Anime Watched | 3 Episodes | 41 Episodes |
| Manga Read | 3 Books | 3 Books |
| Posts Scheduled | 7 Posts | 8 Posts |
| Chapters Written | 2 | 1 Chapter |
| Chapters Edited | 2 | N/A |
| Artwork | Cover | N/A |
Aspirations for the week!
As you can see, I might have gone a little too hard on the anime side of things, although it was a night when I was unlikely to do anything else. It worked out fairly well all around and with a few tweaks, I think it can improve even more. I do like the idea of having a list of daily goals to check off as I complete them. I’ve been playing Princess Connect! Re: Dive for a long time now and almost never miss my daily goals. I’m going to continue to take things that work in one aspect of my life and build them into others. This was a big step in the right direction.
Anyhow, I’m feeling pretty positive after last week and hope to build on the successes and learn from the shortcomings. Part of me hopes that I don’t get sucked into another series like Kaiju No. 8, but then if more shows are that good, I want to watch them. Thanks for reading!
Exposure to blue light found in cellphones and laptops/desktops can deprive people from sleep. Get some sunlight in the morning to help you sleep better during the night.
Thanks, I’ll try to be mindful of that. Working out late doesn’t help either as I’m usually pumped up instead of winding down. I think if I can smooth out my schedule somewhat, that’ll help. Thanks again.
That was my experience with Kaiju No. 8, too. I just wanted to watch one episode to see if I liked it. Half a season later…
“It’s not the two chapters I was planning, but getting one mostly done was a big step.”
That’s a solid step forward. IMHO, the “forward” part’s the important part. Success begets success, and writing at all is a success!
I tend to underwrite, too. I keep reading about people who have to cut whole chapters — meanwhile, I’m adding the equivalent of whole chapters!
I hope you can continue the forward momentum in the coming week!
I had read three volumes so I knew what I was getting in for, but I still can’t get over how well they adapted it.
Yeah, it’s all progress. It’s like starting working out after a period of inactivity though where I know I can write much more, but it’s just not there yet. I just have to remember that I started this way too and not to focus on my most productive moments.
I can’t imagine cutting chapters, but I guess some people waffle through their first drafts. I feel like more is closer to a script so it needs to be bulked out.
I hope so too. Started the week with the kids being sick so they’re at home and not at camp which is slowing things down a little.
To combat your insomnia, I recommend you read any hardcopies of LN or manga that you’ve bought so far since blue light is really not good for insomniac people. Hence, don’t read your reading materials online (even my own series) whenever you’ve insomnia.
I think it’s best you’ve got more words to write your own series thought I understand the need to cut down unnecessary wordings. I’m trying my best to finish my third arc but it’s gonna take awhile. The fight scene I’m trying to convey is a bit more complex than I thought. I envy those LitRPG authors who write and publish fast on RoyalRoad, not to mention more bonus chapters in their Patron. I’m gonna write an honest author note to anyone who’s reading my series about my inability to do so once my third arc is published there.
Oh, almost forgot. If you’re a coffee lover, limit yourself to one cup a day and make sure you’re not drinking the caffeinated drink a few hours before bedtime.
I don’t drink coffee so no danger there. I have been working out later than I’d like which doesn’t help things. You’d think it would tire me out, but it just seems to wake me up… I’ll keep experimenting.
The only downside with physical books is that I need to turn a light on to read them. My problem tends to be that I don’t like to waste time, so if I’m not sleeping, I try to do something productive. I have been finding that I crash after a few nights so I am getting some sleep, just not regularly.
Back when I was at my most productive, I was writing fifty thousand words a month every month. Hoping to get back to that, but I have to walk before I can run again. I’m still thinking Royal Road will be where I post mine, but I also plan on having a bunch of chapters ready before I start. That’s why I have given myself until the New Year before I start posting them.
Good luck on your health journey! I’m glad you’re doing better after the sickness. Kaiju No. 8 is such a good show. I also battle insomnia. Nothing helps it. So, I’m not much help there LOL. I usually have to just lay there in complete darkness.
Thanks. I spend a lot of time sitting because of the job and I spent most of 2023 without being able to do any exercise at all, so I need to get things together, especially if I want to keep doing this for the foreseeable future.
I’ve never been a big sleeper. It’s always felt like a waste of time. If someone gave me a pill that made it so I never needed to sleep, I would take it in a heartbeat. I average somewhere between five and six hours of sleep. Any longer and I end up feeling worse. The worst thing is the interruptions from children and pets. I need a solid block and that is harder to come by.