Illusions

"It's so cold here." Jaz whispered. "How can it be so cold?" Her breath floated around her head like a smoky halo. Quinn pulled his jacket tighter around his shoulders. How had they ended up here anyway? It had been a fall night like any other when they set out on their date. It felt like days since they had entered the theatre with Rose and Zane, but Jaz knew it had only been a few hours. The movie had been decent, but it seemed silly to think of it now. How could movies possibly important when this had happened? Zane had his arms wrapped tightly around Rose but her teeth were still chattering.

"It's cold because we are on a plain of ice god knows where." Zane was a little testy. "They better question is how the hell did we get here." Funny, Jaz had been thinking the same thing. The movie ended, they walked outside, that annoying husky was barking on the corner, Rose had forgotten her coat so they turned to get it, then...well then they were here. Try as she could Jaz could remember nothing in between.

"Does anyone remember what happened after we turned to get Rose's coat?" A coat she could really use right now Jaz thought. Rose's lips were purple and the rest of her body wasn't doing much better.

"I opened the door to the theatre I think." Quinn's voice was uncertain.

"He did, and there was a man behind the door." Rose's words were punctuated by her chattering teeth. Jaz remembered none of this. How could that be? "He said something, but I didn't really hear it. Then...well then we were here."

"No, wait you forgot the light. There was an aqua light." Zane's eyes were closed. Jaz just stared. A man, words, aqua light? How could she remember none of it? She closed her eyes and pictured the scene over and over, but no matter how hard she tried the last thing she remembered was Rose needed the coat. She looked around her hoping for a clue. Maybe there was a man or an aqua light in the distance. She scanned the horizon to no avail. The only thing she saw was more and more ice and snow.

"Look there's a building." Rose jumped a little and pointed. Jaz followed her finger but she couldn't see a thing. Quinn and Zane seemed to though. They grinned and the three of them started moving quickly towards it. Jaz had no choice but to follow.

They continued to move closer but still Jaz saw nothing. Then Rose put out her hand, as if touching a wall. She pulled at an invisible handle and Zane and Quinn stared eagerly ahead. Jaz put her hand in front of her but she felt nothing. Even placing her hand alongside Rose's she couldn't feel a thing. She considered shoving her hand through the "door" just to see what the others would say, but she held back. Rose entered the building.

"It's warmer in here. Come on." Rose walked through the empty space and the rest followed. "What a lovely cabin. A fireplace, a couch, a stove, it looks like there might even be a bathroom and a bedroom upstairs."

"I'll go check." Quinn ran forward across the ice and started climbing thin air. Jaz couldn't help herself any longer.

"Stop! Don't do it! There's nothing there!" Jaz was almost screaming and her breath was coming in short bursts. What was wrong with them? There was nothing here. She didn't even feel warmer. Quinn stared at her like she had sprouted horns, but he came back down to stand at her side.

"What do you mean there's nothing there? You don't think there's a bedroom?"

"No, there's nothing there. This place isn't real."

"Jaz are you ok?" Rose touched her cheek gently. "Of course this place is real. There are walls, a door, windows, and a sofa. It's all right here."

"No it's not. I don't see any of that. It's all a lie. Here I'll prove it. Show me where the sofa is." Zane walked over and placed his hand on what he saw as a sofa. Jaz walked back and forth through the area a few times. The other three gasped.

"Jaz, you just walked though the sofa." Quinn grabbed her arms as if checking to see if she was real.

"No I didn't. There is no sofa."

"A seer, I didn't expect one of your kind to be among those sent to me." The voice was deep and seemed to ring all around us. Rose screamed and they automatically huddled together. "True the building isn't real, but I can make it seem that way. Does it really matter if it's only in your head?"

"Yes, I'm not going to let my friends freeze to death in this godforsaken land tricked by an illusion." Jaz stood and stepped in front of the others. As soon as he had spoken Jaz had seen the source of the voice. He was a tall man, easily over six and half feet, and he was wearing a thick black fur coat. He had reddish brown hair and a pointed beard. Jaz hated him instantly.

"Really little Seer? Do you think you have the power to take me on? I'm more powerful than you can imagine, and I have been here longer than even the ice." His voice echoed oddly, as if he was in a room instead of on a plain of ice.

"I don't have to take you on. I know the truth, I can see past your illusions. There is nothing you can do to me." Jaz didn't know where the confidence came from but she welcomed it gladly. The others had stayed silent, and from the way they glanced around Jaz could tell they couldn't see the man. "There is a way out of this ice world, and I will find it." The man laughed, and it sounded like a rock slide.

"Silly little Seer. Do you think it is that easy? Do you really think I would leave the door open just waiting for you to find it?"

"No, but I know your game. You can only hold illusions as long as we believe in them. I will find a reason to quit believing in this world, just give me time."

"I see you are more observant than I gave you credit. True my illusions only hold when someone believes in them, but it is not enough for just you to quit believing little Seer, the others must too. Don't think that my other illusions will be as easy to crack as that little house."

"I don't expect them to be." Jaz closed her eyes and listened. "I will beat them anyway." Come one she thought, that has to make you say something.

"Your optimism is quite adorable, but it will do you no good. Call me again when you feel like giving in." Jaz listened intently to his voice, to how it echoed, to what she could hear beyond his voice. When he finished speaking she heard the faintest sound but she couldn't place what it was. When she opened her eyes he was gone.

"What was that?" Zane and the others were staring at Jaz.

"I think he's a wizard, or something. I mean did you see his outfit. He looked like a cliché movie villain." Jaz continued to look around as she spoke.

"What are you talking about Jaz? I didn't see anyone. I just heard a creepy deep voice." Quinn was holding her arms again and stared into her eyes.

"Trust me he was there. He controls this world, but it's not real. I'm sure about that. I just need to figure out how to convince you. This way." Jaz set of in the direction that she had first heard the echo. She figured it would be the closest wall. If she could show them a wall they would believe her.

"Jaz, we were warm. There was a fire and a place to sleep, why'd you have to take it away?" Rose had tears in her eyes and her lips were a deep purple now.

"Oh Rose, it wasn't real. The warmth was only in your head. You would have frozen to death in you sleep thinking you were wrapped under piles of blankets."

"Well that's better than freezing to death thinking I'm freezing to death. At least there it would have been peaceful, and I would have been happy." Zane had a pained look on his face. Jaz felt terrible, but she knew she was doing the right thing.

They continued to walk for about an hour, and that is when Jaz saw it. There was a slight disturbance in the landscape about 20 feet ahead of them. It was almost as if there was a mirror there, but it didn't reflect them, only the ice and snow. Jaz ran forward and placed her hand against it. The wall was rough and felt like plaster. Immediately the illusion vanished. She could see a long blue plaster wall. She turned triumphant, but they others were just staring.

"Jaz when are we going to stop. We've been walking a long time. Rose is tired and cold and Zane and I aren't fairing much better." Quinn was leaning on his knees and Zane and Rose were supporting each other.

"But we're here. This is a wall. Can't you see it? It's blue." They all shook their heads. "Here touch it." She dragged Quinn to the wall and placed his hand against it.

"I feel cold air. Should there be something there?" Jaz tried to press his hand against it, but try as she might it seemed to stop short every time. The same was true for Rose and Zane. Jaz was starting to get really frustrated, but then she remembered how she had discovered the wall.

"Ok stand back a little. Look for a break in the landscape, where it seems like there is a mirror. The horizon reflects back on itself. See it?" They stared at the wall and Jaz continued to instruct them in what to look for.

"Wait I see it!" Zane ran up to the wall and turned to Jaz with his mouth agape. "She's right, there's a wall and it's blue." With Zane's help it took only minutes for the other two to find the wall as well. Suddenly the man was back.

"So you've discovered that this isn't a plain after all. I must admit I'm impressed. Still knowing the place and escaping it are not the same thing. There is still much you must do." For the most part Jaz ignored his voice. Instead she closed her eyes and listened again. That sound was there again, faint like before. If only she could place it, she was sure it was the key to the illusion.

"No matter how much I will do it." Jaz just had to keep him talking a little longer. "Can you guys see him?" She whispered. They all shook their heads. Jaz launched into a detailed description from the top of his balding head to the shiny black boots on his feet until all three could see him.

"Perhaps I was wrong about you. You're turning into a worthy opponent little Seer."

"She's more than that. She's the woman who is going to beat you." Quinn stepped forward and took Jaz's left hand. Rose and Zane stepped up to her right.

"So now you have allies. How quaint. I might actually stick around to watch you die. I haven't seen this much spirit in years." He continued to speak but Jaz was done listening.

"Close you eyes and listen to his voice. When he speaks you can hear a faint sound. I think it's the key to getting us out of here. Try and figure out what it is." Jaz whispered. Quinn squeezed her hand in agreement and they all closed their eyes.

"Aww look you're all praying. Not that that will do you any good, but if it makes you feel better. I'd hate think that you're giving in though. After all we were having so much fun." Jaz worked hard to drown out his deep voice and focus on the sound behind it. What was that?

"It's a dog. Can't you hear it?" Rose whispered. As soon as she said it Jaz knew it to be true, but why would she be hearing a dog?

"I hear it." Zane muttered. "It's really faint but it's definitely a dog."

"I can hear it too. The dog sounds crazy, like something spooked it." Quinn breathed. "It does sound crazy. In fact it's barking incessantly."

"Just like that husky on the sidewalk." As soon as the words were out of her mouth the world shifted. Jaz opened her eyes and grinned at the man. "It is the husky. We never even left the sidewalk. Even the room is an illusion. That's why I don't remember the door or the man or the light. They were illusions too. The last real thing was that stupid dog, and it's still here."

"She's right that's what it is. I remember it." Rose opened her eyes as well. The others did the same and stared at the man.

"No...not...no one...can't." He stammered, but it was too late. Jaz opened her mouth.

"Yes." With that one word the entire world crumbled. The ice faded away, the walls disappeared, and the world went from freezing to pleasantly cool. The man lost his black coat and boots. He went from seven feet to less than six. His hair was still red but the beard was gone. They were back on the sidewalk outside the theatre. The man gave Jaz one last searching look and backed into the shadow of the alley and was gone. Jaz moved to follow but people blocked her path, by the time she reached the alley he was nowhere in sight. She returned to her friends. People were bustling along the street and that husky was still barking like crazy. Jaz thought it was one of the most beautiful sounds she'd ever heard.

My Blog My Life

So I know that I promised two flash fiction pieces today but I just can't seem to deliver. I don't even really care that much for the one that I did write, but I figured I had to post it. So instead of a second story you get a little of me.

My life as of late has been a blur of boring days at the office followed by much watching of Babylon 5. Throw in a dash of youtube, a sprinkling of facebook, and just enough Twitter to give the taste of #iranelection and you have a pretty good idea. Because of this I haven't felt that I have much to talk about.

Of course generally I have no idea why people would want me to talk about anything anyway. I find my life to be quite uninteresting. On the other hand I follow blogs and vlogs where other people just talk about their lives quite often. I like learning about people, but I'm not sure they want to learn about me.

But then again maybe you do want to hear about my life. Maybe you've been waiting all day at the computer just praying that I would make this post so that you could find out what I've been up to. (Nothing to be ashamed of. I've been there. We have our own club.) Well in that case I really can't disappoint you.

Today started out as a basic Friday. I went to work, got my paycheck, and then sat and prayed for 5pm. About 3:30 God took pity on me. He did this in the only way he knows how; by sending one heck of a storm. Winds of more than 70 mph, 1-2 inches of rain a minute, and don't forget the tornado or two he created just in case the rest wasn't enough. I got completely soaked, but I also got out of work almost an hour early and I couldn't have been happier. Had getting struck by lightening not been a very real threat this blog might have included a video of me doing a happy dance in the rain.

At my house a big storm can only mean one thing; movie night. My parents and I (the brother was with his girlfriend) planted ourselves in front of the TV and watched He's Just Not That Into You (which I enjoyed despite the bad reviews) and The Man Who Came Back (which you should NEVER EVER watch). All in all it was a decent night. Tomorrow promises sunshine and I plan to head out and soak some up.

Until I next fail at failure.

Being a Muse

"I am not nor have I ever been a prostitute. I'm a muse. My body doesn't figure into the equation at all; only my ideas." Cailyn's red hair whipped around her face as she stood. "And I have no ideas for someone like you." The man could do nothing but stare as she walked out of the cafe.

"Well I don't see what the big deal is. You've slept with plenty of your inspired." Tobias said as they sat in the living room that night. Cailyn's purple eyes should have killed him.

"That is not the same Tobias and you know it. If I find one of my inspired to be attractive I might want to be with them, but this was different. He wasn't even an artist, he just wanted a warm body." Cailyn was positively crackling with anger. Morgan laid a soft hand on her shoulder.

"The world's changing. People don't pay mind to the old ways anymore. They forget things they once knew. Even the artists have forgotten. Musicians and painters take drugs, sculptures waste their craft on toys, and writers care only for the next dollar." Morgan sneered. Wesley pulled Morgan back onto the sofa.

"How did we end up like this?" Selena looked around they room. There they sat, five of the greatest muses in the world. Each responsible for hundreds of amazing works. From the Parthenon, to the Mona Lisa, to Danny Boy, to Harry Potter; these five had their hand in them all. Cailyn with her flaming mane and a body that most would kill for was every sculptor's dream. Tobias looked plain with his brown hair and eyes but he could make anyone dream of arches and columns. Selena could make a dying cat sing the sweetest melody you've ever heard just by setting her blue eyes on it. Wesley's grey eyes would fill your dreams with colors and patterns that only a brush could express. Morgan's realm was that of words and with her raven hair and emerald eyes it wasn't hard to believe that she had whispered to Rowling.

"We ended up like this because we have no power on our own. We can't create, only inspire." Wesley had always been the realistic one, they figured it was because he was the most unrealistic muse. Selena nodded her agreement.

"Then the question is what can we do about it?" Morgan was never one to surrender. She'd seen her share of book burnings and came out of each one more determined. She stood in front of the fire staring the others down. "They still need us. They can still use us. You can't tell me you would rather waste away in this room."

"Of course not Morgan, but we don't know how to reach them anymore." Tobias spoke softly and had his arms wrapped around Selena. Wesley simply watched.

"Well then we damn well better find a way." Morgan's eyes sparked and she seemed taller than her 5'10" frame. Cailyn stood and faced her like an opposing storm front.

"And just how do you propose we do that? Prostitute ourselves? If that's what you're interested in Morgan I know just the guy."

"Cailyn, you don't mean that." Wesley rose from his seat and stepped toward them. Morgan waved him away.

"No, we use our skills." There was a smug smile on Morgan's face as she said that but everyone else just stared.

"Have you lost your mind Morgan?" Selena asked. "You know we can't create what we inspire."

"Correct. I can't create what I inspire, but there is nothing that says you can't. Have you every tried to write something Tobias? Or Selena have you ever tried to paint a picture? Ever tried to sing Wesley? What about you Cailyn every tried your hand at making a beautiful building? I've certainly never tried to sculpt anything but I don't see why I couldn't." Everyone stared open mouthed as they considered her idea. They had never considered inspiring each other before.

As if to prove her point Morgan grabbed a piece of clay and stared at Cailyn. A few minutes later she had sculpted a beautiful mermaid. Inspired by her achievement Cailyn ran to the kitchen and grabbed a box of toothpicks. With some whispered pointers from Tobias she had soon constructed a perfect miniature chapel. Wesley opened his mouth the next second and sang a beautiful joyful song. While he sang Selena painted a glorious picture of the five of them in a sunny meadow. Exhilarated they all turned to Tobias. That is when he picked up a pen and wrote down this story.

Told You The Name Was Well Chosen

For those hundreds of invisible people who are following my blog it's obvious that this blog has lived up to it's name. Honestly I don't know what happened yesterday. Mostly I just spaced on the entire flash fiction thing. As I crawled into bed at 11pm I thought; oh yeah I was supposed to write a story. I considered trying to fix that by writing one today, but today is a video day for me, which means no time to write, and barely anytime for the video itself. Which reminds me I've decided to post my Thursday videos; so here it is. They can also be found a www.youtube.com/WADADropouts



In other news I have discovered that I despise anonymous comments. I find that they are often used to rip at people and say terrible things. I am of the opinion that if you're not willing to put your name on it then you shouldn't even be saying it. I recently spent some time reading an article that caused a lot of debate. I thought that the writer of the piece didn't intend to be mean but that her words could have been chosen better. Overall the debate that followed was civilized although not entirely without emotion. When people get upset they respond, but from where I stood everyone was very polite. The problems stemmed from bad word choice and incorrect interpretations. Then there was the anonymous comment. This person tore into some people that I consider friends and left no doubt what they meant. The negativity in the comment blew me away and the vileness made me kind of sick. Above all it made me very angry, but I kept my emotions in check. I saved the rant for here. Perhaps it's better that the person didn't include their name because I might have been tempted to hunt them down. I have always cared little about what people think or say of me but start to speak badly of my friends and I become a different person entirely. However, if you are willing to say it to their face, or at least willing to tell them who you are, you will get more respect from me. The courage to stand behind your opinions makes all the difference. I try never to be a hater, but when I am, believe me, that person knows.

So while my anger simmers I should explain how I am going to fix my mistake. Tomorrow I will write two stories to make up for the one that I missed. I am also expecting to post the first part of my novel this Sunday. Until next time remember to put your name on all your comments.

The Animal Boy

"Get that thing away from me!" the girl yelled. Jake scrambled to put the snake back in his pocket. He hadn't meant to scare her.

"Sorry. Sam's really nice you know. He won't bite or nothing." Jake pulled his hands out of his pockets, snake free. She gaped at him.

"You named that thing?" She was backing away slowly, like Sam might escape and come for her. That was silly. Jake had told Sam to stay and he would.

"Course. Everything's gotta have a name don't it. Snake's no different. But I didn't name him, Sam's just his name. Like mine's Jake." He stuck out his hand hoping she might shake it but she was backing off much faster now. "You gots a name?" Jake hoped if he could get her to talk she would stay.

"I have a name, yes. My name is Lucy." She stopped moving away. Her name gave her courage. Not that much different than the animals then, their names always make them braver.

"Lucy's a right pretty name. I had a deer named Lucy. She was pretty too." Lucy folded her arms across her chest, she wasn't scared anymore.

"That's silly. Deer aren't pets. No one keeps a deer; they're wild animals."

"Well I has a deer. I gots lots of pets. Wanna see em?" Jake could tell she did, he should have started with the rabbits or cats, girls love cats. Lucy didn't speak but she nodded. Jake turned and walked deeper into the woods, to his home.

Jake lived in a care about a quarter of a day outside the town. Been there long as he could remember and he liked it, just him and his animals. Sometimes he went to town to buy something pretty, or talk to people. Mamma told him before she died that the animals were better but Jake shouldn't forget that he was a person. He even went to the school once but they kill mice there and he couldn't stay. Jake knew a few of the other children, and they sometimes played with him, but he'd never met Lucy.

"Where you from?" Jake asked as they walked. "I never seen you 'fore today."

"My father is the new doctor. We moved here from Boston. Mother said it would be good for me to grow up someplace small, like she did." Jake could see Lucy wasn't used to walking in the woods. He dress was catching on the ground and she kept forgetting to duck from the branches. Jake went back and helped her. Eventually they reached the creek.

"We're going to cross that?" Lucy looked really scared now.

"Yep. Don' be afeared I know just where to cross." Jake took her hand and helped her from one rock to the next. Soon they were on the other side. From there it was only a short walk to his cave. He stopped at the entrance.

"This is my home. My momma brought me here when I was little and she couldn't stay in town no more."

"Why?"

"Don't know. She never said. Here I want you to meet my family. Family I has a friend for you." Lucy had never seen so many animals. First rabbits, mice, squirrels, chipmunks, then cats, dogs, a beaver, and deer. After that came birds that Lucy didn't know, bats, foxes and finally a bobcat. The last made Lucy cry out, but Jake petted them all as she would her puppy at home.

"Lucy this is my family." Jake spent the rest of the afternoon introducing Lucy to everyone. She was really nervous around Sara at first, but when the big cat started to purr Lucy laughed and began petting her. Jake's family liked Lucy and Jake liked her too. Soon though it was getting dark. Lucy stood.

"I have to go. If I'm late to dinner Mother will be very upset." Jake wanted her to stay but he knew not to argue. He helped her back down from the cave. When they reached the spot just inside the trees where Lucy had found him playing with Sam he stopped. Lucy turned and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"I think we will be great friends." Then she turned as was gone, but Jake knew that wasn't the end. It was the beginning.

The Plan

So I have made a decision. I have to have some sort of structure to this if I'm ever going to make any progress. So here's the plan. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I will post a piece of flash fiction (less than 1000 words) based on a story starter or basically whatever pops into my head at the time. Tuesdays and Thursdays (when I feel the desire) I will do other blog posts (news, advice, rants, etc). Also every other weekend (Saturday or Sunday depending) I will post some of my ongoing novel. At least 1000 words hopefully a whole chapter. This work will not be polished like my flash, because I just need to get it all out there. Hopefully having a set time to do it will help.

So that's the plan. I hope you all enjoy. Next post will be today's flash piece.

What I do with Boredom

People totally failed to tell me that this blogging thing was addictive. I find myself constantly formulating blogs in my head during work. Course that could be because my job is kinda boring. My total projects for the day added up to 1)manually feeding 300 sheets of cardstock one at a time into a printer, 2)scanning 42 pages into PDF's, and 3)entering roughly 100 businesses into an spreadsheet. Doesn't it just scream stimulating excitement?

But I'm not here to whine and complain. I actually am an eternal optimist. The manually feeding of paper and scanning of documents allows me time to read books I enjoy. Entering business info means I get to look at cool websites and learn about local digs to visit, like a cool local hotel that does mystery dinners. All in all there is something good in every situation.

However although this blog is definitely half full it appears to be half full of nothing. I'm not sure what I set out to talk about, which generally leads to me talking about nothing. I usually would blog about the concerts I went to and wonderful people I met, but I do that on facebook where people can be tagged. Which leaves me with the option of saying things I wouldn't on facebook or just blogging about non concert life, but we all know non concert life is boring.

Since it is unlikely anyone will ever read this blog (mostly cause I'm not promoting it) I feel that I can pretty much gush or complain about anything. Since I'm an optimist let's go with gushing. I think Lauren and Matt are the most adorable couple ever (if you don't know who they are think Wrock, if that word made no sense to you, what are you doing in my blog?). Really I know that they sometimes gross people out but I think they're fantastic. First off they are two of the nicest people I've met. (I've since forgiven Matt for the depression video introduction). Second it's obvious when you're around them that they really truly like each other. They don't hide themselves, it's obvious that they are open and honest, and that they genuinely care for each other. Seriously being around them can make anyone insanely happy (also insanely jealous but that's a topic for another time). I've wanted to talk about them for awhile but didn't know where. Yeah for blogs that are never read.

I suppose more will be added as I think about it. I should go find some prompts somewhere. I'm thinking about doing a series of flash stories based on prompts as part of this blog. What do you invisible nonexistent readers think? It's a good idea? That's what I thought you'd say.

Lets Talk About People

I’m fearless…at least when it comes to anything living. Nonliving things; cars, fire, growing up, those things terrify me. But that’s a story for another time because today I’m focusing on the fearless part.

People have been asking me, and by people I mean voices in my head, how it is that I end up with so many videos/pictures/signatures of “famous” people. The simple answer is this; I ask for them. I walk up to people and say “will you take a picture with me?” I have discovered two simple human truths. One; people usually agree to what you ask and two; people like to be flattered. A compliment followed by a request is a sure way to approach any situation. You’ve been doing it with your parents for years even if you didn’t realize it. Honestly wouldn’t you be more agreeable to taking a picture after someone told you how beautiful/handsome/attractive you are?

This is not to say that I’m trying to take advantage of the people I meet. Compliment, request, leave, repeat aren’t exactly instructions for lasting friendships. It’s a way to get noticed though. This works especially well if included somewhere in the compliment request cycle is a handshake and introduction. You say your name to a person enough times and eventually they will remember it. Once they recognize you then it’s time for the next step.

I would recommend that the next step be connection. Find something that you have in common. This needs to be something beyond the obvious, so not Harry Potter with a Wrockstar, politics with a Representative, or reading with an author. Concentrate on finding something off the beaten path. Talking to a politician about a rugby team you both like, an author about a shared interest in fencing, or a Wrockstar about a secret obsession with Pogs, are more along the lines of what you are looking for.

Naturally this will be something that you have to work towards; since unless you’re a stalker you probably don’t know the off the wall interests of the person in question. Still you can start small. At a concert instead of gushing about the performance (which they know you loved anyway) say something quick about how good it was and then ask a question. People pay more attention when they talk than when they just listen. The nature of the question isn’t really important but you should be able to be more creative than “so what about the weather.” Let them know you’re more than a crazy fan; that you want to know the person.

Obviously this advice isn’t fool proof. Some people are harder to approach than others. Some people really are "stuck up famous", or at the very least too jaded to let down their barriers. I would also recommend looking around you. If you focus all your energy on the stars you miss what’s happening nearer to the earth. That boy you see at all the book signings is actually the publisher’s son. That girl who seems to be in the front row of every concert has known the drummer since they were five. Then there’s that girl who hangs in the back. She doesn’t know anyone but she can play a mean guitar. Everyone has talents; don’t ever forget that. If you start to think too highly of yourself and ignore the “normal” fans (of which you are one by the way) then you will miss out on more than you can know. Think about how desperately you want to be noticed by those “famous” people. Maybe someone is waiting to be noticed by you.

I use this advice, and also my blatant disregard for embarrassment, on a daily basis. I make friends the easiest way I know how. I walk up, shake their hand, give my name, and offer friendship. It’s simple, virtually painless, and there is much more to be gained than can possibly be lost. I live by a simple philosophy; there are no such things as strangers, only friends I haven’t met yet.

So, now what?

I really have no idea how to start a blog. I've never really been one to write about myself. I think that's because I don't find my life interesting at all. However I find other people's lives to be fascinating. So this year I started a vlog collab channel and I figured why not blog too. I like to write after all. So I'm hoping to post here at least once a week. It will be a mix of life stories, advice, rants, self pity sessions, and more than a little fantasy writing.

My first post is going to be an explanation. If you're here you probably noticed that the name of my blog is "And Thus Failure Was Born" I named it this because I have a terrible habit. I never finish writings that I start. Unless it's a very short story I have a terrrible habit of getting distracted by new ideas. I fear that that might be the fate of this blog, and because of that I decided to use the title as a warning.

I guess that is probably all for now. I have a post I wrote at work that I will put up in the morning. After that I will probably do some story posts, since I have a novel that I really should work on. Comment even if it's just to tell me you read this. I'm curious to see if anyone ever does.