Day in the Life of an Idiot

After reading BAKUMAN, I've decide that I am going to try to come up with a story idea a day, just like one of the characters in the Manga.  This has been a real challenge, actually, but first I want to talk about the inspiration behind this new project of mine.

I was telling my friend Eleanor about this Manga and why I like it.  I usually hate meta-ficitonal stuff.  Yet I came across BAKUMAN in Shonen Jump, when the storyline involved the two main characters (a writer and and artist of Manga) trying to get serialized in Shonen Jump.  Normally, this sort of thing irritates the crap out of me.  But, the art is phenomenonal (the artist who draws it is the same one who illustrated HIKARU NO GO,) and I find, like HIKARU NO GO, I'm enjoying the story line even though I feel like I really shouldn't, because it's ultimately just about a couple of guys sitting around writing and/or drawing.  There's a romance and rivals and all that stuff, but really the story is about how difficult it is to make it as a writer/artist in the cut-throat business that is Manga in Japan (though there's a super-strong analog to New York publishing)

What I like about the manga is that it doesn't really assume an answer.  The rival is a highly talented kid about the same age as our heroes who has made a success by talent and a weirdly disproportionate amount of dumb luck.  Sort of like that guy who published his novel on his website and a NY publishing house contacted him to publish it commerically (I'm looking at you, Scazli.)  The two heroes, however, clearly represent the model I followed: bang your head until the damn door opens.  They have a very Japanese attitude of indominable spirit coupled with the fantasy that if you go after your dream with everything you've got, you will succeed.

The last bit is a fantasy, IMHO, but in BAKUMAN they address that head-on.  There's a lot of talk about luck and how publishing is a gambler's game, and how, even after you break in, you can still fail.  AND, more to the point, I'm at the moment in the story when it's clear that they're actually serious -- our artist hero decides to take an internship under their rival, because he's actually willing to learn anything he can ANY WAY HE CAN.  That attitude served me well throughout my career.

So, I've been inspired by these very determined fictional characters to try to write down a story idea a day.  I've been looking through anthology calls for submissions to help me find a focus-point.  Otherwise the universe of ideas is awfully wide-open.  But, so far, I've had some fun with it.  I'm not sure any of the ideas will turn into stories, but it's a good excercise to keep me focused on origianl work.

Speaking of my fandom, OMG.  BLEACH is ending this year, and it seems Kubo-sensei has decided that the best way to finish things off is with a humongerous bloodbath of epic proportions.  All I can say is that THANK FATE he has the deus ex machina of Orihime to turn back time, if necessary.  Fingers crossed that dead isn't dead for Manga any more than it is for Marvel.

 So, Mason has settled quite nicely into the school routine.  Today was his second day and he very politely asked if he could give me "a tour" of the room.  He went around and showed me all the desks and the names of who sat where.  Today is also the first day we get to go to the library on our own.  This time I double-checked with everyone about the time and how it was all going to work.  The librarian is expecting us around noon.  The teacher is aware we're headed up there after class.  Hopefully, we won't get shuffled out before Mason can check out "Night Cat" a book he's been DYING to re-read since we first saw it at the open house.

As for me, however, I don't know what to do with myself.  I have plans, of course.  I always have _plans_.  I once PLANNED to learn Gaelic while I was stuck in Indiana for a month as part of my job, but well, I think I remember exactly one word: agus (means: "and").  So, anyway, my PLAN had been to use my daylight hours to get writing done on the contracted novel, and to use any extra evening hours to, well, hang out with my family and possibly write a second novel (currently the PLAN is to write a futuristic erotica novel.)  I also PLAN to start going to the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  

So far, I've checked my e-mail and written blogs.  

Part of the problem is something that I think a lot of working writers deal with all the time, which is -- I've adapted to getting the most out of a small amount of time.  I've learned, for instance, to do the dishes while making Mason's lunch, change the fishs' water while he does his puzzles, etc.  I also learned how to do my easily interrupted things (blogging, e-mails) during the day while he's engaged in reading or watching the few TV shows he actually likes.  So now I hardly know what to do with myself.  On Friday, I hung out with swords_and_pens at my favorite coffee shop Amore Coffee, which was nice, but I felt very unproductive.  I suspect it's just going to take some time to get used to all the free time that seems both ridiculously LONG and too short to get anything "real" accomplished.  At least today, I managed to drop off some photos at ProEx, and I got a couple of packages ready to be mailed.  There's hope that today won't be a complete waste.