Failure

I successfully installed Wordpress despite doubts that I wouldn't be able to. The real challenge turned out to be coding and editing themes to match my site's layout. My lack of knowledge of Wordpress' commands (I think they have another name) and of PHP rendered my efforts a failure. So for now, I am sticking to Blogger. If anyone knows of any sites that would help me out, please comment the link. :)

My second failure is in regards to my novel, tentatively named: W. Story. 3/4 of the way I fell out of love with it and thought of it as a hackneyed disaster. I started it about a year ago but hoped to finish it for NaNoWriMo.

One of the most important...rules of National Novel Writing Month is to presevere, but I did not. So as of now, I have yet to finish a novel--ever.

Sorry for the hastily written post, perhpas I will edit it later.

Three Things

It's 6:41 am. I should be sleeping, but despite my straining eyes and delayed thought process, I don't want to, so, "Onward!"

Genuine Comments
A moment ago, someone commented my guestbook giving thanks for my comment on their site and telling me that they loved my writings which they had just started to read--whoa. Before checking my guestbook, I had checked my StatCounter, which lets me know how many people visit each indivual page. No one has visited my poems or prose today, which is irrelevantly sad, but also indicated that the commenter had lied. They didn't even glance at my writings. Why did they lie? To have something to say?...

In the past, I have been guilty of handing out bullshit comments too. I'd post a single line relating to a word or two that stood out to me, as I hastily scanned someone's latest blog entry. I'd comment in hopes of generating traffic to my own site from the owner or a fellow commenter...It eventually occurred to me that potential visitors could do the same on my site. I stopped posting bullshit comments. I want interested visitors with genuine comments, and if I cant have that, I want a lonely site--as I'm sure, most webmasters would agree. So how about this: genuine comments for all, from all?

Wordpress
Quick note about the blog itself. I don't like that it mismatches the rest of my site, so I will install Wordpress (or some other blog publishing application). My two obstacles are that I am not sure how to go about that, even with the help of installation guides, and that my current web host only supports PHP 4. Wordpress requires 4.3 I believe, and I don't know of other options. (Comment if you do.)

New Project Idea
Wow, I planned to keep all blog entries short, but this one is challenging that plan, ha. I'm excited to share a new project I have in mind though: Care About The World. It'll be a new website that focuses on all the main issues (poverty, human rights, the environment...) but also simpler concerns like having consideration for others.

I came up with this idea months ago, but was discouraged by already popular sites like Care 2 or The Hunger Site. However, if my site reaches someone before those do, it will have been worth creating. The real reason this idea resurfaced though, was a discussion between my lover and I that ended in me crying about the horrible things that happen in this world. I concluded that I need an outlet, a way to help.

Art

As I mentioned in my last post, I've become obsessed with cultivating my artistic side. I want to improve my drawing specifically, and try my hand at using watercolors and other media. I recently ordered paintbrushes on ebay.com. Buying the paint and canvases is next, after of course, finding a job.

My new DeviantArt page offers a taste of what I can do so far. Most of the work on DeviantArt is so amazing that it's sometimes discouraging--but also motivating.

Art itself has become a motivator for me lately. I think about it as I lay in bed; Think up things I can paint someday soon; Fantasize about having a a little studio in my future home...*sigh*

Lauren I. Ruiz

NaNoWriMo

This coming November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

I've been aware of this event for a couple of years now, but I've never truly been involved*. This year though, I will be. The one thing that has made me want to be a participant this year is a new-found determination to improve as a writer (and artist). I've always considered myself a determined person, but now the steadfast notion of someday being where I want to be isn't enough--I want results.

*gave up after the second day...

Lauren I. Ruiz