Quote of the Week

Posted in Quotes by Rachael C Marek

As writers, and creatives, in general, we tend to overthink every. little. thing. We can create an entire novel or screenplay in our minds, so it’s no wonder that we are capable of making great leaps with just a tidbit of information.

We see the world differently, and that’s a good thing. We also tend to be extremely hard on ourselves. Nothing is ever good enough; not us, not our work.

This is simply not true.

Don't Believe

We, each, have a voice and we have chosen this difficult path because of the passion we have for storytelling. Yes, everyone has a story to tell, but not everyone can write a compelling tale. How many times have you said you’re a writer and been met with the “I have a story for you” response? I’ve had people call me out of the blue to ask if I’d be up for writing their life story.

First of all, that’s not my genre. If we were actually friends, you’d probably know that. I’m good, by the way, mind overflowing with characters and backdrops, but thanks for thinking of me…?

How about you keep that story for your next cocktail party.

I believe being a writer is a calling. If you can’t give it up, then keep at it! This is why we have to do our best to remain positive. It’s takes a great deal of self-confidence and optimism to follow such a dream, so when that little voice in the back of your mind starts to get a bit mouthy, remember this quote, and keep working until you silence it.

Happy Writing!

8Feb2016

Quote Monday

Posted in Posts, Quotes by Rachael C Marek

After last week’s post, I sort of went on a mental holiday. As a favor, a friend of mine let me borrow his XBox One. For those of you who know of my love for the Dragon Age series, you can imagine my excitement at finally getting to play the DLCs. More on that later. When people let you borrow their things, regardless of their reassurances that you may keep said item(s) for an extended period of time, you don’t want to take advantage, and so I played Dragon Age like a crack-addled crazy person without a care in the world. Translation: I played a lot, for days on end.

It’s easy to get lost in such an immersive world where your decisions seem to matter. Whereas in life, you may be struggling and feeling insignificant, in my gamer life I was reunited with old friends, stopped an invasion, slayed two dragons, and even got married. 😉 Not a bad week.

In real life, I still haven’t had a single response to any of the applications I’ve submitted for a new job, I had a few rotten shifts which in turn caused me to have to borrow money to pay rent and buy food, and I mistakenly received a text from my boss, clearly meant for someone else, in which she insulted me. Real life sucks sometimes. WhereFocusGoes

And that’s why we have to get up, brush ourselves off, and kick reality in the teeth! This may be the pre-birthday doldrums talking, but I want my life to not be…this. If I were in a princess movie, the handsome prince (who happens to look like Tom Hiddleston) would be riding up on his white steed to save me The Odds right about now, but as we all know, life is hardly a fairy tale, and we have to make our own future.

Both of these quotes spoke to me this week because I have been focusing on the wrong things and worrying about the future of my career. I was doing really well on the new schedule, focused and determined, but something threw me off course and now is the time to correct that.

If you’ve made big changes, I’d love to hear your story; how you did it, and if you found the result you were seeking.

Have a great week!

1Feb2016

Quote Monday

Posted in Posts, Quotes by Rachael C Marek

I’m going to ramble for a moment, so please bear with me while I vent.

In last week’s Writing Prompt post I mentioned how I was struggling with choices. Before the end of the year, I was doing some hard thinking about plans for the future. The Sis and I moved back to Las Vegas a little over a year ago for a number of reasons, one being that she finish her undergrad and then we move on. Unfortunately, she has now found a job she truly enjoys, she’s making friends, and getting herself together. She’s currently taking the semester off.

It seems unfair to uproot yet again, but I don’t want to stay here. I don’t like Vegas. Never have. I’m tired of moving…we’ve moved so. many. times, but I want to find a place to call “home”. I’ve only felt that sense of home once, when I traveled to England for the first time. I felt it before we even landed. That’s when the obsession began. And, that’s what I’m looking for. As much as I’d like to do a final move across the sea, there’s just no way that’s even remotely possible in my current state.

So here’s “the thing”, the thing that’s been lingering at the back of my mind, the thing I never want to say out loud. I want to be a screenwriter, but all screenwriters know it takes at least 5 years to make any headway (once you legitimately hit the pavement – so I still have about 4 years), and I don’t want to flounder in this state, without purpose, without direction, for upwards of 5 or more years. I don’t want to hold down a menial job that I loathe until things work out. Yes, I’m still trying to remain positive, hence the lack of the dangerous “if”.

I want a job I enjoy. I want to buy a house. I want to plan for the future but I feel as if I’m destined to remain in this perpetual state of limbo. It all comes back around to choices. I’ve made choices that have led me to where I am, but I’m finding it difficult to make choices that will encourage change…in part because I don’t know where to begin.

Do I suck it up and make it work where I am, or do I continue to seek out that thing that I know is out there? How does one move forward when they’re kind of stuck due to obligation and circumstance? How do people get their act together?

NewEnding

Any advice from fellow creatives would be greatly appreciated. How do you make it work, find balance, and stay sane?

25Jan2016

Quote Monday

Posted in Quotes by Rachael C Marek

I’ve heard people say they are afraid of accomplishing their goals, of getting what they’ve worked so hard for. It seems an odd thing to fear, but sometimes we struggle for so long that the struggle, in itself, becomes comforting. Like anything, good or bad, we grow accustomed to what we’re used to and anything else, such as change, is cause for fear.

We all tell ourselves something – something that makes us feel better, something that lessens the regret, something that keeps us stationary – it’s a habit we need to break.

TheOnlyThingStandingBetweenYou&YourGoals

Reach for those goals and embrace the good that will come!

Wishing you all the best in your endeavors!

18Jan2016

Quote Monday

Posted in Quotes by Rachael C Marek

We live in an age of immediate gratification. The world is at our fingertips and we can have (almost) whatever we want thanks to Prime shipping. In the words of Veruca Salt, “I want it now!” And do you remember, we didn’t like her. This makes waiting for positive feedback, a step forward, or any progress on a long term goal for creatives all the more painful.

We seek out a modicum of pleasure in the quick response to a post via any one of the social media time-sucks (those little thumbs-up and likes can really do a number on the ego, can’t they?!), and we can check our inbox a hundred times a day (because very little actually arrives in physical mailboxes any more), because we can’t seem to wait. We want satisfaction, and we want it now. It’s makes the “patience is a virtue” phrase all the more relevant.

The creative path is not the way for those who desire a “quick fix”. Creatives need to find a balance in this fast paced world and remember that we need to put in the time and effort to reap the reward, and it starts with this:

Discipline

I want this as a poster on my wall. In fact, I may do just that. It’s easy to get sidetracked, and I know this from experience, but no more.

Stay strong, my friends! Wishing you all the best with your goals!

12Jan2016

Quote of the Week

Posted in Posts, Quotes by Rachael C Marek

Time was not on my side yesterday. I picked up an extra shift, and then came home exhausted. I could not keep my eyes open. I didn’t read, I didn’t write, I didn’t walk my dogs. It’s those kind of days that make me think, “I just wasted what I was given”, and I have done enough of that already.

Moving forward, I’m trying to do things differently. I’ve set myself up with new goals and a new schedule that were designed to help me accomplish more, and so far, I’ve been pretty good. Yesterday was a random exception, or so I’m calling it. I’ve finished reading my first book of the year (YAY!) and I’m about a third of the way through writing the sci-fi/space pilot script (another YAY!).

One of my other goals is to stop playing it safe. I was driving around the other day thinking about my life and my writing and the predominate thought was, “I don’t want my work to never leave the hard drive”. I want to leave my mark, and in order to do that I have to leave my writing comfort zone. I have to take bigger risks in my storytelling. That’s what will make it worth it. That’s one of the reasons I tried my hand at that mature content in my Dragon Age fanfic. Escape from the ordinary, I guess. *Side note, Stephen King’s On Writing has been inspirational. If you haven’t read it yet, put it on your list. I highly recommend it.

And so I put forth the following quote:

“We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.” – Chuck Palahniuk

Be brave, my friends! Happy Writing!

Also, I was thinking of the passing of David Bowie quite a bit, and this quote feels quite apropos. RIP.

28Dec2015

Quote Monday

Posted in Quotes by Rachael C Marek

2016 is just days away…another year behind us. I don’t like to think that a new year is the only time to set new goals because I believe we can create them at any time and make changes with each new day. Now that the holidays have passed, we can again focus on what it is we need to do to make our dreams a reality.

NoteToSelf

Happy New Year, my friends!

21Dec2015

Quote Monday

Posted in Quotes by Rachael C Marek

As the year draws to a close, we often look backward to reflect, but the past is unchangeable and can cause us to wonder how much more we could have accomplished, or could have changed. It sometimes creates regret that makes us feel inadequate, but it should be a catalyst to inspire us to do more, to look to the future as a clean slate. Each day is a new day to achieve what we desire.

I hit a few bumps this past week, and I am making a number of decisions to become the hero of my own life, because as we know, no one else can be that for us.

HeroQuote