Method to Madness: Reading to write

I know some people who have a lot of trouble getting inspired to write, they hit blocks, aren’t happy with their progress and overall just have a hard time keeping their mojo up. One recommendation for people seems like a no brainer, still, people don’t do it. 

If you want to write more, you might want to try reading more. 

In case you’re wondering, I’m not recommending this so people can lift lines from different works and write something new from rehashed ideas. You just need to see Hollywood blockbusters to realize who plagiarizes and who breaks new ground with every new work and that it's really not worth it. 

That little digression aside, I recommend reading because it engages your brain in ways that stimulate your creative side. I also recommend this over a movie for various reasons. Firstly, I said it above, reading engages the mind, it stimulates it, it begs action from the reader to get the story unlike TV or film that asks you to just sit there and watch. Btw, I’m not saying movies don’t inspire… that would be silly to say. What I’m saying is that if you’re having trouble getting inspired, mixing it up with some classic works or different types of literature can be just what your writing ordered. 

By coming into contact with words, by swimming through stories, different information, different twists and just engaging the parts of your brain that read, you’re also stimulating your creativity. For me, it can be that I read something that I love and maybe the style rubs off a bit, though more often than not, it’s just that what I read can actually start a spark that quickly turns into a lovely fire. 

So here’s to burning the midnight oil be it reading or writing. 

Young Suns

Connecting with people has always been a rewarding experience for me and during the PR Comic Con, it was even more special. I was able to meet people of all ages who were interested in my stories, who had questions and most wonderfully, who have stories to tell themselves.

Among these people, a sweet young lady by the name of Vashti was nice enough to swing by my booth on both days and is possibly the only person who took with her everything that was available at the Only Human booth. She was actually the first to take one of the Super Packs, which included all four Daydreams and both Blanc Comics and I truly hope she enjoys what I had to offer. Still, more important than the opportunity to share my work with her, she thanked me because she said I showed her that it was possible for someone to publish independently and that she realized that someday she will be able to share the stories she is working on right now.

Those precious minutes she took to share this bit of information with me were extremely touching and enriched my experience that much more. The same can be said for the deep discussions I shared with other young writers who have stories and who had questions. To be honest, I was very impressed by the level of questions I received from young people. I saw unique sparks in their eyes and rays of light waiting to shine through and touch others.

It was as if throughout the Comic Con, I met dozens of young suns waiting to shine bright and eager to create new worlds through their stories. There were questions, and truth be told, I love questions. A young lady and a young man actually started off with the classic: “this might be a stupid question”, only to floor me with the caliber of questions they had. It was gratifying to see desire and talent and like I said, I love questions. So if you have anything you’d like to ask, by all means send me an email to jdestradawriter@gmail.com or visit my facebook page.

In a time when bad news is the norm in all media channels, I was able to meet countless future sources of inspiration and good news. So here’s to shining, to sharing, to asking honest questions and to connecting through words.

Peace, love and maki rolls.

JD

Looking within the Human Cycle: Who is Mrs. Fawn?

One of the many secondary characters in Only Human is based on a primary character in my life. In short, Mrs. Fawn is based on the wisdom of my mother. Throughout my life, Mama has been a central figure who has given me all the love I can handle and enough lessons to last a lifetime, and she continues to inspire and amaze me every single day.

I’ve been able to be with mom through countless events in our lives and every single time, she has tread on, she has shown patience of the Biblical kind and perserverance I have not seen elsewhere. Born in Camagüey, Cuba; mom has always shown tenacity and a will to not just survive, but thrive and all the while bearing that wonderful smile that could make anything seem possible.

She has often shared her wisdom through words, though much more often, through action. Always leading by example, she has taught me to be kind, to never ask why, but what for in regards to life’s challenges and to always do my best to learn from what I live. She’s also taught me to never settle, to never give up, to always be true to myself, to be honest, to be generous and to always offer a helping hand, not in case you need one in the future, but because it should be embedded in our psyche to always do our best and give the best.

Although her appearance comes a ways into the book, there is something I really enjoy about Mrs. Fawn and about my mom… she appears not only in Only Human and its sequels, but in various other stories in my life because there’s just no way to keep her out of my tales or my heart.

So here’s to you Mama.

Thank you for love, inspiration and life.

You made me and I will always want to make you as proud of me as I am of you.

Looking within the Human Cycle: Who is Captain Jane Rivers?

As I continue to work on the second book in the Human Cycle, a lot of people have asked me where the inspiration comes for some characters. With a long list to choose from, it’s easy to decide which one is the first I’d like to talk about, Jane Rivers, Captain of the Black Calico.

Although many things influenced who the character is, her character, what makes Rivers who she is in the book and in the story has come completely from my wife. Small in stature, huge in heart, my wife figures largely in the Human Cycle and its entire story arc.

During 2014, I’ve given my wife a handful by coming down with a lovely case of pneumonia and having a health scare… scratch that, a second health scare. A couple of years back I was at a beach and threw my back out. Now try to imagine the joy my wife experienced when she found out she had to hitch a ride almost 2 hours to where I was just to pick me up. As you can see, I’m a bundle of joy when it comes to injuries and illnesses because although I’m healthy 98% of the time, that remaining 2% is a doozy.

To put it lightly, the care she’s always given me is medal worthy... and that’s just how she takes care of me health-wise. As a wife she spoils me with good food and the best company. As a woman, she’s determined, brilliant, no-nonsense, funny, firm, and can intimidate people just by how good she is at what she does.

Oh and did I mention she’s beautiful? Yeah, she’s got big brown eyes, a wonderful smile, long brown hair I happily scratch so she can go to sleep and features quite particular to her which make her that much more special. In short, I’m a lucky guy to be able to have direct inspiration for a character who represents what I admire most in women: character, brains, tenacity, passion, inner beauty, perseverance, and guts (I’d say balls, except that such a statement is a misogynistic expression of valor, and although it applies, I’d rather avoid it for this example). Oh and she has a hell of a sense of humor, which is key to any enduring relationship.

Mind you, it wasn’t a conscious decision to write her into the story… it just happened; like our first kiss which just happened because we both went for a kiss on the cheek and popped kiss (still makes me smile remembering that lovely accident); like that lunch where she decided to humor me in college and sit with me, thus changing our lives. That’s because some of the best things in life just happen. No planning, no premeditation… just a chance occurrence.

As for why the character behaves the way in which she does, that’s all on my wife, she can be fierce, she can be maternal, she can be sweet and she can inspire me to bounce on my toes all day. She’s my best friend and my partner in crime and I’m lucky enough to be able to use her awesomeness to create a female character that embodies strength and beauty, without the need to sacrifice one or the other. To be honest, I just hope the character does justice to the source because she’s a tough act to follow.

5 and ½ feet tall and the size of a sun in the galaxy that is my life. Such is her and now you know.

Tick

“Tick-tock, tick-tock!”

does scream the clock,

drowning in despair.

A mind is blocked,

We run amok,

although we’re far from hares.

Rains of stress are falling on

And days do burn devoid of fun

Yet nothing’s there to do.

Forget the skies beneath the sun,

For now you work anon and on,

much days, with much ado.

Such lives do burn

And memory’s blur,

As seconds tick or tock.

Where joy’s concerned

We should confer

Much more than second thoughts.