Celebrate the small things: waking up

Every night when most people go to sleep, they expect to wake up the next morning. This pattern, and the use of X number of hours to rest and recharge our bodies, is something that most of us take for granted. The average person, getting an average amount of sleep, will spend roughly 25 years of their life, tucked in bed, basically unconscious.

Last night, I did not sleep well. I eventually crashed around 1am while watching an episode of Supernatural, but woke up several times through the course of the dark hours. Each time I fell asleep, I dreamed. I had three dreams, and all of them were bad. Nightmares. Allow me to briefly recount my disturbing nocturnal imaginings.

1. I was at a family function to celebrate the first birthday of the most recent addition. The child was hideous, but everyone cooed over it. I saw another child, a toddler, and recognized him as my son, who is now 20 years old. The child, my son, and I began to play funny face games with each other, but I knew he did not recognize me, so I had to run away as my tears began to fall.

2. I was in a field which had recently been harvested of its crops. I had purchased a roasted corn cob, and was eating it when I began to feel unwell. As I stumbled down the field toward the fence at the roadside, I noticed the adjacent field was scorched. I fell to the ground, and saw a number of half eaten corn cobs, and some other rotten vegetables. Picking up one of the half eaten cobs made me vomit continually.

3. I was taking my dad to a doctor's appointment at the hospital. On the way, I met a Thai lady whose name I could not remember although her face was familiar. She was beautiful and spoke sweetly to me. She disappeared, and my father and I got lost trying to find the doctor's room. We ended up outside, and as we continued to walk, he became breathless and weak. I helped him along the street, hoping to find the doctor, but he said he could not go on and he collapsed on the grass beside the road.

I believe these dreams are all significant. They speak to things going on in my life, and reflect my subconscious mind fretting and despairing even as I try to put on a brave face and soldier on in my waking hours. I know exactly what these dreams mean. I'm very glad I woke up.

The reality of my life is not as extreme as these dreams and for that I am thankful, but if my sleep life is to frequently feature such bad dreams, I would rather stay awake as long as I can.

When have you had a bad dream, and been really happy to wake up?

Photo sources

photobucket.com

drippic.com

normalbreathing.com

Launching my River

Although local media ignored it, and the masses stayed away, Monday night's official launch of my latest novel, A Muddy Red River, was a blast. Dapto Library hosted the event which was my first official book launch. I entertained the audience with a talk titled Why Aussie Men Love Asian Women.

The talk included two selected readings from A Muddy Red River. It was the first time I had read my work out loud to an audience, and I liked it. The talk was followed by a discussion, and some selling and signing of the aforementioned and perhaps one day best selling novel.

I dream. I dream of big things. I dream of success. I dream of many, many, many people reading my work. I dream of touching people with my words. I dream therefore I write. I've nearly finished the first draft of my next novel, Lovesick. I have big dreams about it as well.

What do you dream of?

P.S. I'd like to have more members in my group:Aussie Blokes who love and marry Asian Girls  If you know anyone who might be interested please let them know.

W.A.S.

The serious business has resumed and I feel good about it. I submitted eleven stories submitted to publishers yesterday, (and had one rejected already. Would that I could receive responses that quickly from all editors.)

Chapter 35 of my W.I.P., Lovesick, is under way, and during a thoughtful, restful period, I decided on the ending. Of course that doesn't mean I won't change the ending, but it's good to have a strong sense of where I am heading with this great story. It could be my finest work.

All this activity happened yesterday, when I sat for most of the day with my laptop, listening to heavy metal on Youtube, and dreaming of great success, while doing something concrete to help achieve it. Devolution will be released with its new cover in just seven days.

U is for Unbelievable

U is for Unbelievable

“Thuza laughed.

‘I have been here for three months but I’m leaving soon. Would you like to come with me? Then stay strong, Little One. Stay strong.’

It might have been madness but it sounded so rational: not at all like a foolish fantasy but more like a plan. It seemed that Malee had a way out of the detention centre, or if not, she had at least done an impressive job of deceiving herself that such a thing could happen.

‘How are you going to get out? This is a prison. They won’t let you leave. Don’t be foolish!’

‘You are ignorant, Little One, and trying my patience. You’ve been here for one night and you are telling me the ways things are. You don’t know anything. Get up now. Let’s go and get something to eat.’

Thuza rolled over to face Malee. ‘I’m not hungry.’”

from chapter 7, Ashmore Grief

A friend of mine is overly fond of the adjective ‘unbelievable’ and so I want to dedicate this post to her. When I hear the word, or think of it, I think of her. Certain words or phrases are like that: they get stuck in your mind and are inextricably linked with a person. Either because of the peculiarity of the word itself, or their over use of it, the word and the person become one.

Blogging is a self indulgent past time for me, and a means to an end. To some extent writing is purely cathartic, but I also want readers, and so my blog is a self promotional vehicle for me to drive along the highway to fame. I have something to say, and I want as many people as possible to hear me. I want my name to be linked to words like classic and entertainment, and to phrases like thought provoking. I want my name indelibly associated with quality literature. I want a multitude of readers not only of my hasty, passionate and often somewhat gloomy articles but my stories, my novels. Having that desire does not make me unique, and yet I am.

It is unbelievable to me that I have chosen such a path. It amazes me that I have achieved as much as I have. I once dreamed of what I have now accomplished. With over thirty short stories published and three novels, I yearn for more. The unbelievable can become the undeniable, and I will never cease trying to prove it.

Photo source:

http://oprisco.deviantart.com/art/unbelievable-122558113