It’s October, so what better time for a Halloween post?
Once upon a time, a long long time ago, when I was a student, I was out with friends at a Halloween dance…I know a Halloween dance, it’s silly but I went trying to have fun with friends. Anyway, I picked up my date and another couple in my car, a midnight blue 1986 Mercury Cougar and we went to the dance, oh and not just a dance, a sorority dance; shoot me now. The night progressed as imagined, with the usual complexities of such events and the ultimate boredom that sets in long before the event is over. As you can imagine, this was not my idea of a Halloween evening, but I suffered through it, I guess; actually I don’t have much memory of it at all.
As the soiree came to a merciful end, no one was ready to call it an evening; there was emptiness to the expectations, this had not been Halloween, it had been an abomination but not of the sort expected on October 31st.  We piled into my car, exhausted, sober, but in need of something more. No one really knew what they wanted to do but something dawned on me; an idea pricked me and an evil smile spread over my face with the thought. I told everyone there was something we could do and it could be interesting. They were all ears to my proposed solution to our boredom. I told them there was a place we could go for some excitement, the kind of excitement that really only happens in the imagination and not for real but the mere thought of it is exciting. I told them of a really cool cemetery we could visit. What could go wrong? With a plan in place, me driving and the only one there that was familiar with finding said creepy, old, and haunted cemetery; we were off. A car full of teenagers were driving late at night, to the middle of nowhere, to a cemetery with too many scary stories, and on the scariest night of the year; perfect, what could go wrong?
 By the time we were close everyone but me was asleep. I looked at the clock and it was almost 1:00 A.M. We were driving on a half paved half gravel road winding through the woods. I told everyone to wake up because we were almost there. I knew within a couple of turns we would be to the entrance. As we made the last turn the usually empty entrance was occupied. My memory is not fuzzy from time gone by, it is as clear as the night it happened, but my impressions are vague because of how quick it happened; there were three cars, appearing all black parked and around them was a large group of people, maybe twelve to fifteen, all standing around with what appeared to be all black clothes with white masks. Everyone in the car was instantly alert and I never stopped, I sped up as much as I could to get past them. I quickly thought of what to do but I had bad news for everyone, I didn’t know the back way out; so we would have to drive back past them. I found the first real driveway to turn around in and the house looked like it was from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, seriously. We didn’t know what to expect as we approached, I went as fast as I could safely; as we came to it they were all still standing there, watching us as we drove by like a bat out of hell. We didn’t let up till we made it back to the university.
No one argues with the story, it happened so fast but we all recall the same thing. We knew we were just goofy teenagers being silly on Halloween, but these people looked far to organized to be messed with. Maybe it was nothing? Maybe it was just a bunch of kids like us being silly? Maybe they were what we thought they were? Now that is a scary thought, but maybe we were so spooked because it was Halloween, and we were on a mission to get the crap scared out of us. Mission accomplished. Whatever the case may be, we didn’t want to end up like every other scary movie. I have been to that particular cemetery at night on a couple of occasions and it was creepy, especially with all of the stories I have heard about it. After that last adventure, I have never been back there at night, especially on Halloween; I won’t do it. To those who know of this cemetery, they know what I mean. And for those looking for some scary excitement on Halloween, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

How do you view your day? What is your perspective? How caught up are you every day in a vision that keeps you from looking at anything differently? These questions in and of themselves are an attempt to break free from the tunnel vision. Do you know what I am talking about? Do you care? To borrow from a great movie, The Matrix…It’s the question that drives us. I love questions more than anything. I find that if we aren’t asking questions, then we really don’t want to know. My wish is for a second age of enlightenment, where we strive every day to learn.
I am starting an experiment of sorts, one that relates to the things I love, but can be used for anything. I am going to begin looking at things differently, any way I can. The first method I am using is photography; I am going to play with an awesome feature that most cameras have in their options, where you can take photos in the negative. This is a lot of fun and can give some amazing results very easily. For me, I am using it as a device to inspire some creativity. I feel like there’s some hidden opportunity just waiting to give me an amazing story just from some simple images. Honestly I don’t know where it will go and that’s the fun of it. If I know where it would go there would be no point in it. I hope it takes me down a road I have never been down before. Anyone can do this and apply it to whatever they want, to achieve some result that may be different than expected. Play the devil’s advocate and see if your perception is realigned in some awesome way. An amazing world might open up; a new vision to fill a void that you may not have known was there. I like to think of them as Einstein’s thought experiments, a type of mind wandering, lacking direction, but in the course of things they may yield some interesting results if I just let it happen.
Ah, let the crazy images commence and may my family, friends, and fans bear with me. I expect to have, from time to time, some interesting photos that I’ll like to stare at, and maybe you will enjoy as well. May they bear fruit inspiration wise, or add some interesting illusions, while keeping the delusions to a minimum. So I ask…Where do you keep your negative side? What about it is negative? Is it a bad thing or is it just something different, there to support you in a way not understood? I instantly think of a scene from another great movie, The Dead Poets Society, where all of the students are standing on their desks; entering a new world, with eyes open. There is a desire to be comfortable with what we know; acceptance, I do not accept, not yet. I will challenge what is presented. I will question the positive. I will find what my life in the negative holds, and there I may find something more.

Who doesn’t love things to be perfect? I know I try. I feel it is expected from every force in our society to be…perfect. The fact is I fail at this every day, if you read my blogs you know that already, haha. In the end it’s okay because life goes on and we get another beautiful day to drive ourselves crazy trying to be perfect.
We just celebrated a milestone birthday for the patriarch of the family, my mother, whom I will not divulge her age due to the fact I don’t want to be completely banished from the family. Needless to say it’s an age I shall probably never attain. The entire family had the same thought of having a surprise birthday party with everyone assembled, even the ones who traveled from far away. With a plan in place months before the event, devious lies being told and secrets held close the day approached. She seemed oblivious to the wheels turning all around her. Family and friends flew in, schedules changed, the special cake was made, the weather cooperated, luggage stored, cars hidden, cards signed and gifts wrapped.
The time arrived as everyone assembled in our mothers favorite restaurant before her arrival, que the problem; the one room designed for just a family gathering that had been reserved for months…was occupied. Text messages flew to my brother to slow their approach as we frantically worked with the restaurant to fix the problem. No other room had the feel and intimacy as the one we reserved. After much to do, the room was cleared before she got there; que second problem, the room comfortably sits eight people and we had fifteen. We really wanted the privacy so we added chairs; everyone was elbow to elbow with no wiggle room. The servers could barely get in the room, much less work comfortably. The moment came and her stunned expression was priceless, stealing away any worries of a plan gone slightly askew.
The evening turned out in amazing fashion. Not a thought was given to anyone being crammed in a small space. It’s funny how things work out, this unique family gathering turned out like every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner we have ever had; a large number of people sitting around a small table in a tight space. It was quite remarkable in its familiarity. It was not planned. It was not perfect as perfect is defined, but it was special and will never be forgotten.
I dare say perfection is overrated. I know my writing is not perfect and if you expect that, then disappointment will follow. Sometimes the flaws are what make us, in a sense, perfect. More often than not, what someone sees as an imperfection in another is the one thing you love about that person the most. The perfect things that happen are most often forgotten, they are the ones that don’t go right, at least in the beginning; those are the ones we remember the most. Strive to be perfect if you will but embrace those moments when things don’t go as planned, because in some way, that quirk of fate may be the secret ingredient giving life the flavor that will never be forgotten.

There are things I say sometimes that don’t make sense, and there are things I say that only the enlightened will understand. I am always striving for the later and I hope in some way the title falls into that category. First of all, when I speak of the enlightened I am not trying to be a snob; I am speaking of those that try to understand, those that still search even when they truly believe they know. I want everyone to be enlightened. Now if you already understand me and are not offended, I will get to the heart of what I am talking about. 

My goal and the goal of this post is a typical theme in my writing about writing and life, sometimes, most of the time, we need to shut up & scream. For me this is a metaphor for how we think and act. Too often we cannot think because we are talking or taking part in something that is keeping us from thinking. I have some of my best thought time when I’m driving, which is bad because I want to write things down that I think about, not recommended. I love certain television programs, which is bad for my brain because I really don’t think much when I’m watching the idiot tube, hence the name. I do try to counteract the effect of this by the types of programs I watch; hopefully some of them will encourage me to new weirdness. Not that I need much help in that department. The first point to shut up is all about opening yourself up to the possibility of your brain being given the chance to perform as designed.

Now once you have shut up it is time for the fun part, to scream. I am not talking so much in the literal sense, but if you feel the need then get it out. Clear the air or more importantly your brain, get rid of the cobwebs and clutter, send it all to the dump or the recycle bin. You don’t need the crap, reality t.v. that clutters up your synapses. Once you have done the necessary purging, scream, and by scream I mean do, create, and perform; whatever it is that you do or want to do. When we scream we aren’t just doing we are doing with passion. We are finding something deep inside that will surprise others and reaffirm what we already know.

There is a really great quote I love by Mahatma Gandhi, “Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.” This is absolutely a guiding light for me and much required inspiration for anyone who questions what to do. If you still question what you need to do I can help; first, turn off your cable, then get off the internet and begin to live the life you dream. You may only be able to whisper at first, but it’s a start. Before you know it you will be screaming and it will be amazing.

There comes a point in time when you may lose track of where you are going, unless you are perfect. Enter me, here is where I tell you or you assume I am going to tell you that I am perfect; anything could be further from the truth. There is a perfectionist somewhere deep inside of me, but I am here to tell you, he fails most of the time. I believe I do more planning than anything; it’s like I wake up most days not being able to remember the plan I came up with the day before, so I plan some more. If planning was a song, the dance step would consist of one step forward and two steps back, most of the time. There are exceptions to this rule, because I have made progress, actual real steps to a long goal.

One of my closest friends name is chaos, we are close, very close; chaos loves me like a pig loves mud. This relationship is tenuous at best; I’m not quite in love with the idea that we are friends. Lately chaos has been ruling our relationship; I have noticed this through the tangle of ideas in my head. I have realized that I have been trying to do too many projects all at the same time. I am sure I speak for many people and a lot of writers who can completely understand where I’m coming from. I have hit this point in my writing journey, where I am thrilled with the prospect of my debut book releasing; that excitement has energized my writing ideas. The list of writing I need to do and the writing I want to do are often in direct conflict, again, this is probably nothing new to many out there but for me this is a constant struggle.

Just to offer a small idea of my woes, I try to blog twice a week; I am successful part of the time, sometimes only writing one blog per week. I am happy with this if I am happy with the post. Now here comes the craziness…I am working to get my first book published by January, so lots of planning, promoting and generally doing things I have never done before, which I liken to cooking in the dark…I am reading, editing and trying to finish my second book by the end of the year, which I liken to giving mental birth to something…I have also been working on the premise and first chapters for up to five other projects that have been in my head in some form for the last several years, and I figured now was the best time to get my ass in gear to get them started for real. So I know what you are thinking, you are bat shit crazy. I would have to agree whole heartedly with that sentiment. This all might be doable if my full time job didn’t get in the way, haha; thus my problem.

I have come to the realization that I need to focus. As much as I would love to work on all of these at once and feel that I have made Herculean progress on many things, I have decided, against my will, that I will try to focus as much as I can on just three parts, getting book one published, writing my blogs that I will try to keep weird and interesting, and finishing book two; all in that order. Ah, there just isn’t enough time in the day. I envy people who only need four hours of sleep and still be able to function like a champ. As I begin to feel like I have lightened my load to a manageable size I still see a large task before me. I think it may be time for a nap.

I have the greatest admiration for anyone who has huge demands of their time and especially for anyone who does things they don’t necessarily want to do. It reminds me of a line from the movie Gladiator, when Maximus’ man servant responds to the question, if he finds it hard to do his duty, his response was spot on…sometimes I do want I want to do, the rest of the time I do what I have to. I encourage everyone to take mental stock of these things in your life, while there are many things we have to do, take the time to prioritize the things you want to do. Sometimes that is the only way you can make room in your life for the things that make life worth living. Focus on getting done the stuff you don’t want to do, so you can do the stuff you do want to do. Then focus so hard on getting done all of those projects you are dying to get done. I’m going to turn off the T.V. now so I can focus.

In the beginning, which was a long time ago, I started a project I had no idea how to actually do; I decided to write a book with an idea and a desire to challenge myself. That journey is almost there. I want to keep my rabid fans, an idea I like to cling to, informed on my progress. I am planning on my book to be released this January at the moment. With everything that needs to be done, this is the closest I can say with certainty. I will keep everyone informed of any changes. I appreciate all of the interest I am receiving, and I can only ask for everyone to hang in there with me. I promise at some point there will be a definitive date that I will trumpet from the rooftops.

To all of my family, friends, and complete strangers who are waiting for this, I have to say I appreciate the kind words of encouragement and enthusiasm. I am excited to and this will grow exponentially over the next several months. I know it will be here before I know it. On a side note, I am hard at work on book two; I hope to have the first draft done by the release of book one. This may frighten some to have to put up with me while I am in the madness of being an author, an author trying to get his baby out there and an author trying to get more people to understand how much I love this project.

If that isn’t crazy enough, I was doing some idea accounting and I realized I have seven projects with solid premises. There is a little something for everyone I hope…some thriller, some fantasy, some pure horror and some solid fiction. Daunting is the one word that comes to mind, another is awesome; the thought that one day each and every one of these will be in print for all to read is incredibly exciting. I am making it my mission to make it happen.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Michael W Glover  

P.S. Pictured below are my patient fans. They are awesome.

There are things that are unforgettable and whenever I hear that word I always think of several things, the first is the song by Nat King Cole, it is unmistakable. I absolutely love it as so many others do as well, the song along with the voice behind it are unforgettable. Another thing for me that falls in that category is some of the characters that have been imagined in books and movies. A story can be good or even great, but if you have a character that holds your attention like no other, the magic that follows can lead to an extraordinary experience and one more likely than not to stick with you.

I believe each and every one of us have our favorites, some we will all agree on and some we love for our own personal reasons that no one else may understand. Without a doubt there are some, with the mere mention of their name most would recognize and instantly smile with their mention. They are known for their charisma, their strangeness, their memorable lines, their acts of goodness or their absolute evil nature. That last one, their absolute evil nature, is a strange one to come to grips with because so often many of us gravitate to these miscreants of page and screen. We fall in love with the bad guy when we know we shouldn’t. Who didn’t love Darth Vader? What is it that so attracts us to these characters? Is it the fact that they are so different than ourselves that we can’t help but be fascinated with them? Please try to suppress the Hannibal Lecter in yourself, please.

I try to surround myself with some of my favorites, as many as I can. I keep the books and movies where I first fell in love with them with me as much as possible. I have some of my unforgettable favorites hanging on my walls as a visual reminder of the goal, to create something, someone that will have a lasting effect on your memory. I feel like this helps me in my quest to find that rare glimpse of magic. The effort to do this at will is somewhat difficult actually. I have many characters in my head but getting them down on paper properly is challenging to say the least. I believe I have a character, one so far that qualifies as memorable; maybe not to the level of legendary status, yet. He is a work in progress and one so far everyone enjoys. Hopefully soon many more will be able to pick him out of the story.

Ah, my head swirls with so many stories I want to tell, and characters that are fighting to find their voice it is difficult to know who will stand out, who will surprise me and hopefully you. Please keep me in your thoughts to keep me sane, or for some writers insane is the best place to be. I promise I will work hard to find just the right character that may become your absolute favorite. Maybe with some help from my friends, the right amount of tea and some sleepless nights it will happen. Maybe someday I will be remembered for a character I created, someone extraordinary, someone unforgettable.

Wish me luck.

This is my post about an idea inspired from a song, well an album that never fails to get me going in a major way, Meatloaf’s Bat out of Hell. Maybe I love this because it was popular when I was growing up or maybe it’s just a kick ass song…album. You can make fun of me all you want, yes it was made a long time ago and maybe you make fun of it because of the title, maybe you don’t like Meatloaf, or it just isn’t your type of music and you consider it campy. I will be the first to say I understand, but I will urge you to listen to it and other music you may not listen to with an objective mind. I dare you to listen to this album and not understand the passion Meatloaf puts into every song. When I say passion I don’t just mean high energy, which he has, but actual passion for every word and the meaning behind them. How I dream of lyrics, songs and artist that produce music and lyrics that tell a story; not the over auto-tuned nonsensical lyrics with a lack of anything to say and people who have absolutely nothing to say and feel that is worthy of our interest.

My stated goal, to write a book with so much passion the reader is absolutely taken in by my energy and they are under my spell. This may not be a unique goal but I fear it’s not truly considered too often. Don’t get me wrong, I love a story that builds and has a pace that takes you where the author wants you to go, that is actually my norm at the moment and I absolutely love it…but, there is something in me that is dying to get out and it’s trying to find a voice; I’m almost fearful when I give birth to it, I may not survive. Wouldn’t that be absolutely amazing? I don’t know what kind of book it is at the moment and I know that sounds weird but I am trying to grasp something deep inside. Maybe, this is my direction on a project I have started but I haven’t truly dived into yet? I think I know which one it might be but I’m all over the map on this. I’ve been percolating too many ideas which are good problems to have if you write.

I hope I’m not misunderstood, I’m not simply talking about writing a book that isn’t boring or just plain bad, I’m talking about writing something from start to finish that grabs your attention in an unexpected way, that makes you think and leaves you in an absolute state of disbelief, confusion, understanding and weeping for more. I want to fire a shot at your conscious self and spark something you haven’t felt in a very long time. The best stories do this whether they are in your face action or the most sublime story that twist and turns leaving you always on the edge of where are we going. A book should create a world that you want to escape to given the opportunity. I want to listen to Obi-Won Kenobi and let go. I don’t want to think too much, I want to write from my gut and have it be a visceral experience from the beginning to end.

I think I will take some time to contemplate passion. I will invite it in to live with me, to sit and have long conversations about its heart and soul. I want to take long walks and go where it has been to understand why it is what it is. I understand passion is something you have or you don’t, but sometimes you have it and it’s like a fire that needs some kindling and fanning. Once you have found your passion and you have a thorough understanding of it, the sky is the limit. I plan on making every word count, every action to have meaning and to believe in myself so much it won’t matter if others doubt me. This is what will drive me, passion and the belief I can create something awesome. I will write books that have a depth of passion and it will shine through. Look out…today I start my Book out of Hell.

I love books. There I said it. The first step in admitting you have a problem is acknowledging it. The problem is I love my addiction to books. I am a bibliophile, a person who loves or collects books; I fall under both categories. I love most everything about them, the feel, the sense of mystery, the art that goes into them and hopefully their content. I believe I am in the same boat as many of my friends and acquaintances; the problem is we don’t have enough books or enough time to read them.

I have books of all types but today I am talking about some bad ass books I own, some that many will not consider their kind of books but others will readily recognize and absolutely love. They are vintage, they are beautiful and they hold a fantastic world within their bindings. These books are my collection of original Dungeons & Dragons books, D&D.  I have many of the original first editions, not all but one day I will. I try to find ones that are in as good condition as possible. These books are different than many others like them out today. There have been many five editions since these began, but I love the originals. These are the ones that started it all. They are absolutely something to behold with the artwork that completely covers them and runs through their interior. There is some magic in their creation, which is awesome because they are designed to create a new world anytime you want.

Every now and then I get them out if it has been a while, and I just slowly peruse the pages and smile. It has been some time since I have actually put them to their geeky use, which is sad but they bring back some fantastic memories. This is the second post of this nature, the first was some reminiscing with my dice collection, now this is a follow up. Don’t make fun of me because I am talking about books with pictures, which are awesome by the way, because everyone needs a guilty pleasure and for me these qualify. If you aren’t familiar with them, that makes me sad but you could look them up or if you have a friend who qualifies as a geek, then ask him or her and maybe they will have some and will show you.

My collection of books, if I can call it that, is varied and big for me. I have books that cover so many types of reading desires. I still don’t have enough. Some I have didn’t cost me anything, a few I spent some money on because they intrigued me. As I am writing this I am inspired to find my old Dr. Seuss books and make sure they make it into the collection. They would fill an important part of my collection, when books first inspired me. Maybe I will put them next to my Dungeons & Dragons collection. Everyone has something they hold as precious, my books are something I wouldn’t be able to get rid of; especially gems like these. I like to live in a creative world and these rock the imagination. Do you have books like that? If you do then you know what I mean by bad ass books.

They say killing someone on your name day is bad luck, so I guess I will forgo the human sacrifice I usually partake in on a daily basis; all props to great creative thinking via George R.R. Martin, thank you. Yes, clearly I may be living in an alternate reality, okay I may not actually live in the G.O.T. universe but my brain is there sometimes; as it should be with stories we read and watch. It may not technically be my name day but it is my birthday and I felt it worthy of a post.

I am not sure of the other traditions of name day but in my real reality on your birthday you get a wish, and I plan on making good use of it. The saying, go big or go home, I will apply today as well because I plan on making many wishes. I will set my goals high with as many wishes as I can muster and hope for the best and see what pans out. I am not trying to be greedy because not all of my wishes are for me, I am self-interested like all people but I do, deep down, care about all and wish them the best; so why not try to use the good fortune bestowed upon myself, on my birthday, to at least attempt to help others as well. The rules have not been forgotten, I don’t have a cake with candles to blow out but I am replacing that momentarily with a very fine cup of Fifty Shades of Earl Grey, with honey, and I am not allowed to actually tell you what my wishes are if I want them to come true; maybe just some hints.

My first official wish on my name, I mean birthday…I want something to do well, really well if at all possible. I am not saying what it is, but some of you may know. Clever right, I am only saying that because all of my friends are so smart. My second official wish is less selfish…I want for everyone, a certain body part that thinks it’s smart to make better connections between synapsis, increasing its ability to make improved cognitive actions. Okay that may be selfish also, but it’s the thought that counts; and if you have figured that out maybe it has already happened. My third wish…is for a three dimensional something that someday will hold, encourage and sustain my creative self, along with the rest of me. That is all of the wishes I will share on here but that is not all of the wishes I will make today. By chance or not, there is the great opportunity to make a lot of wishes this time of year with the Perseid meteor shower. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence that always around the day of my birth there is a grand display of shooting stars; call me crazy but I think I know why. Now technically they are meteors, but we call them shooting stars and we can make a wish when we see one.

What a perfect day for me in so many ways. I love being born on the thirteenth; I love the number even with all of its strange connotations. To add to that this is the birthday of Alfred Hitchcock; I would say I am him reincarnate but he didn’t die before I was born, so I guess I can’t claim that. It is still a pleasant thought knowing I share the same birthday with a writer I admire. Maybe, just maybe I channel some of the same creepy energy for my writing. The day is almost over, I believe I will go outside and see some of the night time fireworks the universe is putting on for me. Yes yes, I am allowed to be special today, it’s my name day. I’m excited for tomorrow though, only one more hour and human sacrifice is back on the table. I am afraid I have slipped back into another reality again. How will you enjoy your special day? I challenge you to make is different, even if it’s in the smallest way, special.