Some links may be affiliate links. I may earn money if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these links on this site.

Rob Knowlan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Grump Day

I’ve been busting my hump for days and I’m fixin’ to flip my wig. I’m double-timing on the hamster wheel and, not surprisingly, getting nowhere fast.

When You Are Busy

Half an hour’s meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed. ~Saint Francis de Sales

Saint Francis, being the saintly type, refers to it as meditation. As for me…

I need a freakin’ nap.

Like, all the time…

So, there’s that.

Now that I have (mostly) shucked off the pervasive pestilence that has plagued the first few weeks of the year, I can see more clearly how far behind I am and how thoroughly jacked-up most of my outstanding obstacles are. Seriously, what a freakin’ pain.

It’s not just stuff at my job, either. It’s everything.

I have been so run down and cloudy that I haven’t been able to attend to virtually anything properly. That’s the problem with emerging from an extended funk. Once you are able to see clearly what’s gone undone or half done, you become painfully aware of what a nuisance it’s going to be trying to get it sorted.

Bah, humbug!

Even so, needs must so I redouble my efforts to try to cut through the felgercarb.

That’s How It’s Done

MY 12 INCOME STREAMS as an author
Different types of passive income streams writers can look into!

There’s a lot of talk among the actively self-publishing about how to make an honest buck. As much as Amazon provides a platform for publishing your works as ebooks, paperbacks and (to some extent) audiobooks, it’s also structured to benefit Amazon. Go figure.

Bethany lists a variety of alternative income streams for people in the self-publishing game. As silly as it may sound, there’s something to be said for designing your own merch.

It’s well known that while the original Star Wars was wildly successful as a film, George Lucas’ merchandising scheme was what really made the thing crystallize. For those who hadn’t seen the movie, aisles of action figures, puzzles, shirts, posters and everything else he could arrange to be branded became a tangible incentive to go and see it. For those who had seen the movie, all of that stuff presented a way to hold on to the thrill of going to a galaxy far, far away.

George Lucas made absolutely no secret of the fact that he had planned on bolstering his movie’s success with a robust merchandising campaign. Mel Brooks famously made fun of this business model in the midst of his spoof, Spaceballs.

Spaceballs (6/11) Movie CLIP – Merchandising! Merchandising! (1987) HD

Becoming Inhuman

Artists are, above all, men who want to become inhuman. ~Guillaume Apollinaire

That’s a fair statement.

Writers make gods of themselves.

Inventing people who never existed.

Holding the power of life and death in their hands with each and every word.

In some cases, it’s merely spinning a clever yarn about made-up people.

In some cases, a writer will construct an entire world and thousands of years of history.

For those who are genuinely successful, there’s even a modicum of fame. Some writers can basically not go out in public without being instantly recognized and mobbed for autographs and selfies.

I certainly hope not to reach that level of fame. I wouldn’t mind being just about famous enough to be spotted occasionally. I suppose that even that is approaching some level of being inhuman.

For now, I’m inhumanly grumpy, frustrated and exhausted.

I just want to go back to bed but there’s tons of stuff to do and I’m not getting any younger.

That’s all I’ve got for you today. I hope your week isn’t as hectic as mine is.