Distance And The Heart (Or Something)

Real talk time: I hate cleaning. I know I'm not alone in that, but I really, really hate it. And it's not even the cleaning part that I hate. Honestly, it's the organizing, picking up, straightening out part that I hate. Mostly because I seem to live in a world of not-entirely-organized chaos. Clean but a bit of a disaster, if that makes sense?

But cleaning has to be done because in far more awesome news: my parents are coming to visit! I live out in Raleigh, NC, which is very decisively "east coast," and I've honestly lived up and down the east coast most of my life. But right before my last semester in college, my parents moved out to New Mexico for my dad's job, and they've been out there ever since. And to give you some perspective, that's that was over 5 years ago. Now, my parents have lived in a few cities out in NM: Roswell, Albuquerque, Farmington, etc. And no offense meant to anyone who lives out that way but...I hate it. I've always grown up close-ish to the water and surrounded by trees and a lot of greenery, but NM is an entirely different planet. Beautiful, in it's own way, with the constant looming of rock faces and far off mountains, but definitely not for me. And unfortunately, NM to NC is a pretty lengthy trip.

Luckily, holidays come around a few times a year, and I get to see mom and dad! My brother, thankfully, lives nearby, so I do have some family around, but I grew up as a military brat, which means it was just the four of us moving from place to place for a long time, and we've always been super close. So nowadays nothing makes me happier than family visits. Except, of course, for that whirlwind spree of cleaning that has to happen right before mom (OR GRANDMA) shows up.

But this is likely going to be the last time I see my parents before Christmas, so we have to make the most of their time here! First for sure thing happening? Tattoos! My mom, dad, and brother all already have several, but I haven't committed yet. Next week while they're in town, though, we're going on a family trip to get inked up (is that a thing tattooed people say?). Definitely a little nervous but also very excited to finally be doing something I've considered for years now. Now let's see if I can stop at one or not. Probably not.

Other than that, I expect this weekend to lead to a lot of good food, a few good drinks, and honestly just as much quality family time as I can squeeze in. For those of you who celebrate it, what do you have planned for the Fourth?

Inspiration In All Places

Greetings internet! For my first non-introductory post to this blog, I decided I wanted to talk about a part of the creative process that's maybe more of a side-effect than an actual step. As anyone who creates in some form knows, inspiration strikes from just about anywhere. The things you see, the things you do, the things happening around you or the things happening in your imagination - the constraints of inspiration are pretty non-existent. And as I'm sure all creators also know, the sudden, inevitable lack of any kind of inspiration is also just as likely and just as difficult to explain. But what I'd really like to focus on in today's post is more than just that brief moment of "oh, this gives me an idea." I'd like to talk about the things that thrust you into your creative mindset. The things that make you sit up and go "oh my god, I have to get home so I can write!"

For me, there are a few things that do this best for me. The first is going to conventions! I've only been a convention-goer for about 4 years now, but they've always instilled the same fire in me. And it certainly makes sense. The conventions I've frequented are ConCarolinas in Charlotte, NC and the much smaller IllogiCon in Raleigh, NC, but both of these conventions have writer's tracks. So it's a chance to spend two to three days listening to other authors talk about their work and their processes and their tips and tricks and to be surrounded by people who share that passion with you. And for me there are really few things that are as inspiring as seeing and listening to these people who were, at one point, exactly where I am now. Even by the time the first day of the convention is done, I'm usually desperate to pull out my tablet or my phone to pick at whatever project I'm currently working on. And who knows? Maybe one day I'll see my work being published and I'll get to be up there inspiring new writers, too!

Now, it makes sense that spending a few days with writers and in writing panels makes me, well, want to write. But the other thing that really pushes me into my creative headspace is a good movie. When I'm not eating or writing, one of my very favorite past times is going to the movies. Don't get me wrong, watching a movie at home is great. But going to the movies is the best. Even with the expensive ticket and the overpriced concessions and the people on their cell phones on the row in front of me, I love the movie theater. And most of the time when I leave a movie I'm happy! Even if the movie was bad, I have something to talk about and I have a new experience of some kind for it. But once in a while a movie will hit me in just the right way that I leave the theater on cloud nine and all I can think about is sitting down to write. They're not even my favorite movies that do it to me! I have a hard time explaining it, but sometimes I'll watch a movie that just feels so creative in its own right or so well executed that I am completely overcome by the need to do something like that. To create characters and stories that make other people feel the same sense of awe or wonder or surprise that I felt in the theater.

One of the first times I really noticed having this reaction was after I saw The Uninvited. I left the theater, and I was practically giddy. It was like a rush of endorphins and inspiration, and I think I went back to my dorm and wrote fanfiction for the rest of the night. And I still get that feeling when I walk out of certain movies. And I'm never sure when I walk into one if it'll do it for me or not, so it's always a pleasant surprise. Pacific Rim and, more recently, Mad Max: Fury Road gave me the same feeling, although it was a little easier to understand with those. A film that, in my opinion, does an excellent job with in-depth world building instills within me a very deep desire to do some world-building of my own. And the best thing about having a rush of inspiration during a convention or after a movie is that I usually have at least a little time to act on it. Not like when I'm struck with the desire to write in the middle of the work day.

Have any of you ever had that sudden onslaught of creativity? And if so, what brought it on? I'd love to hear what makes other writers desperate to write!

First Things First

In the words of the much-beloved Snoop Dogg: greetings, loved ones!

If the title, header, and sidebar didn't already give it away, I'm Kyle Difiori. I'm an aspiring romance and erotica author currently focused on M/M fantasy and paranormal works. Since I certainly don't have enough writing experience yet to devote my entire blog to it, you can expect a mix of personal and writing-related blog posts here. But ultimately, my goal for this blog is to chronicle my writing journey and to develop better writing habits.

Currently, I'm working on a fairytale re-imagining and planning for it to be about 30,000 words. At not-quite a third of that yet, however, it's difficult to say exactly how that will pan out, but it's all part of the learning experience! I am certainly not new to writing, but I am new to manuscripts and to writing something I actually plan to finish. In light of that, this blog will detail a lot of my own personal discovery with writing processes as I determine what works for me and what doesn't. Up to this point I've always been a discovery writer who does very little, if anything, in the way of outlining or planning outside of the initial conception and character creation phase. But who knows? Maybe that won't be the kind of writer I am by the time I'm a certified, published author.

For now I intend to focus on getting myself into a regular schedule for writing, both for the blog and for my projects. I'd like to start by trying to post here twice a week, but like I said, learning experience, so if that doesn't work out, we'll adjust! In the meantime, I'm looking forward to getting to know you all, and I hope the feeling is mutual. And by all means, please feel free to comment - I'd love to hear from you!