I really find Damon's comparison to war offensive. And I don't blame him. It's not personal. I know most people are conditioned to accept war as a fact of life. It isn't. It's unnatural. It is evil. But it's time people think for themselves and not just follow the popular rhetoric. When was God ever quoted saying 'let there be war?' The warrior is an anomaly, a sickness. It offends me as an artist to be compared to a warrior. Making art is not a war. It is the exact opposite. War is destruction. Art is creativity. It is not a battle. Such an analogy is oxymoronic. I do not mean offense against the military. I was in the military for 11 years. I understand the call to service and its nobility, no matter how misguided or duped. We accept the conditioning that everything is a contest, a competition, with winners and losers. Sports are accepted as a major part of life but really sports are thrust down our throats. You cannot escape sports. People must die at least spiritually at the end of it and we accept that. Football is family so the NFL touts. And I expect that includes the star player rapists that earn insane money and live above the law. That's family? There are those who will say this builds character. These are the same who say bullying builds character. Maybe not. Maybe it breaks people and weeds out the competition for personal greed. And we are left with the forsaken and forgotten and accept that anomaly as normal as we even still accept racism, sexism, and ageism. By the continual calling for competition and war, and through these subtle reminders that it is an expected part of life, we exacerbate the problem and then we wonder why an adversary attacks. Live by the sword. Die by the sword. Is that the society you want? I don't mean to start a political discussion. It's just something I had to say. You want to talk about war? Join the military and serve a few years to qualify your remarks.

A long day at work, but I'm finding a stronger sense of focus from ZDT that makes it easier to come home and write than it might have otherwise been before this effort began. 4 more pages for me tonight.

Jon, if you find today's quote offensive, you'll absolutely LOATHE tomorrow's! I appreciate your take, especially given your military service of 11 years. Speaking as a military brat, who was transferred on average every 2 years, son of an Air Force Colonel, grandson of a military pilot, and myself who applied for a conscientious objector status with the Selective Service System back during the Vietnam War, I look at this 'warrior' imagery in an utterly metaphorical way. So much of my experience of writing is a battle of wills, sometimes literally 'fighting' my instincts to go dither here or busy myself there to avoid planting ass in chair to write. As the Apostle Paul said, "I do what I don't want to do, and don't do what I want." A test of wills. I get your point about writing as an act of creativity, not of destruction, so in that respect and others, using such militant / warrior language is an odd fit, and to you abhorrent. I respect that. That said - and again speaking from the very narrow metaphorical perspective of the daily struggle to make something out of nothing when oftentimes that struggle is a battle of wills - I find the imagery sometimes resonates with me and with others. What I've been trying to do with these daily posts, Jon, is provide a wide array of imagery, quotes, and what not, covering both 'carrot' and 'stick' approaches to motivation. In that spirit, I will take into account your points as they are well-made, valid, and true. Look for a post on Day 18 which hopefully is more aligned with the sensibilities you've expressed.

Great to hear, Steve F. Hopefully that can become a habit!

Here I am back from the writing weekend. Sad weekend I must say, the facts in Paris... omg. Now I have not one but two different stories, the first one almost finished. Because I think I did find the superubermegasecret to writing. http://s1.postimg.org/5hnk3id9r/secret_to_writing2.jpg

Thanks Scott. Don't think I'm capable of loathing. Feeling offended is as far as I go. After that, apathy.

I struggled with computer problems all day today. I wrote three very exciting, funny, delightful scenes that really popped off the page. The dialogue was witty yet full of subtext. The description was poetic genius. But when I read the scenes back they were dull, lifeless, and the dialogue was atrocious. WHAAAAT? I KNOW THOSE WERE NOT THE WORDS I WROTE! My computer must be infected with some sort of new virus that turns my writing to shit. I'm getting it checked out tomorrow.

Wasn't easy today, but four more pages got written. 64. Anyone else ever write when hungover?

After a sweet sweet week off from work I am back at it again. Now I have to juggle a lot of balls in the air, ZD30 being one of them. I just wanted to post that I am going to write tonight, after a social obligation. Because I have to, need to. Onward people, ever forward.