Exhaustion, commitment, the story, being lost, a goal that had to be completed was what I went through a couple of days ago. I am not surprised that I completed this goal, but more surprised with 2 things: it is intoxicating and Steve Martin is an unbelievable writer who I want to learn more from.
The Goal of The Day
The book was only 130 pages long, but with size 10 or even smaller font. But, nonetheless, I completed my goal of reading a book in one day. Many people have done so with no problem, they could read a book with speed, understanding, and have the time. I guess it does matter what one does with his/her time. But being able to finish 5 books on top of writing everyday, going to work 5 times per week, spend a crazy amount of time with my girlfriend, and doing other things besides read, is quite an accomplishment. If somebody told me that I was going to have to work, have no lunch to read, miss my normal bus time, able to watch the NBA playoffs (mostly on mute), take an hour break to eat dinner with my girlfriend, and still have enough time to read a tiny book, with tiny words, all the way through, I would have called them crazy and full of shit!
Who Would Have Thought Steve Martin Was and Is…
Steve Martin is a badass writer and person! The first book I read that he wrote was okay, but his use of putting words together and being able to get in the head of his characters, and his descriptiveness of everything in sight is exhaustive and exhilarating at the same time. I don’t know how to explain it much, but you would know exactly what I’m talking about once you have read 10 pages of any of his fiction work. Every step of the way, I was like, damn, I wish I would have thought of this sentence structure or phrase. Or, constantly writing down words I was unfamiliar with for a later look and with the sure-have-to of stopping and rereading a passage that blew my head away. Now I want to go back and see what else he has written and other material he has made into movies. Steve Martin is a crafty, genius, who knows where his heart is and goes after whatever his mind is inspired to do. I don’t think he has much control of his mind and heart: He lets both of them take over, workout the linguistics, and lead him into a life of no regrets.
Works I’ve Read by Steve Martin
I loved Shopgirl and not so much The Company of my Business, but appreciated both of them from the shear ability to make the reader think, laugh, and totally able to paint that same picture as the writer sees it. I don’t know if Martin’s compulsiveness to detail and the duty of not leaving the reader in the dark, but damn, it sure is, without doubt, pieces of writing I have never read before.
This is what kept me going in this quest to read books. I can’t get enough of them and now have to muster the same ability to write for however long, in order to get better at my own craft.
My next challenge this month is to increase the amount of writing I do in general. I will have to write and do some of the lessons in a book I read during the month of April. I have to challenge myself to keep my hands and mind moving just as my fingers and heart were while reading. Also, challenge myself and see if I can write a couple of times during the month for at least 5 hours straight. I don’t think I’m going to figure out much of a game plan, but I am going to see where it goes. LOL, I have been seeing where it is going for the past 4 months and can’t believe I have done so many things and learn so much about myself.
Am I Pushing Myself Too Much?
I don’t think I am pushing myself to failure, I’m doing things at my pace, and from time to time spike my drive for my passion. I have to, I can’t worry about the direction my craft goes in. I am getting to the point of understanding what it means to take one’s craft seriously and by doing it, in some kind of form, every day.
Next Step With My Writing…
Not only am I going to write more, I’m going to read more, watch movies of people I admire or even don’t, increase my vocabulary, continue to improve my grammar, and do whatever else. I can’t wait to see what this month brings me.
No More Preaching From Me…
I’m not going to preach to whoever decides to read my stuff. There isn’t a need. If you want to post a comment, then go ahead. I will still write and continue to help people indirectly, by me doing and living my passion and purpose in life. I don’t know all the answers and will never say so, but I know for sure, someone can learn a whole from somebody by watching them live there lives. That is going to be the only way others are going to want to take action in their lives.
It gets exhausting telling people to do things for themselves, but it surely feels great and wonderful when somebody emails, text, or whatever form of communication they use to let me know they are doing what they want. Hell, a person doesn’t even have to tell me so; I just want other’s to experience the incredibleness that I have for my passion, to theirs.