A Life without Traffic

Inspire. Create. Write.TM

Ghost Cars!!!!

Flying cars are so over-done.
Teleporters are so over-done. Try this on.

I know that might sound scary, but bear with me. This is all going to make you wish it were real.

Today was THE day, the day I could not contain my anger any longer. I just had to pull my car over, away from the traffic. Worst Case Scenario? I would’ve gotten out of my car and taken a wheel spanner to every other car in sight. Traffic is probably the worst possible frustration there is for working class citizens. From annoying zig-zaging, lane-changing drivers to motorcyclists that you both envy and detest.

I got out of my car (POLO vivo blueline metallic) and began pacing in a feeble attempt to calm my nerves. After spending almost a year working from home, being thrust back into the congested highways was not entertaining in the slightest. A lightning bolt flashed down my spine and I had a wondrous thought.

What if all cars were Ghost Cars?

Technically it would be cars that could phase through solid matter, dispersing their particles on command. A car with an “Intangible” mode, if you will. Able to transverse from locations without little to no impediments along the way.

“NO MORE TRAFFIC!” I’d imagine this would be the Headlines should such a car be invented.

“Just one big idea. One big idea, and we can change the world.”

Think about it, I have, vigorously. Especially after this morning and the building frustration, I feel everyday. If cars can phase through each other, there would be no need to ever be stuck behind a slow driver or a goliath-sized truck or a construction block. No need to change lanes, no need to swerve (*never swerve, always break) to try to avoid an accident…on that point No More Accidents! And us praying it wasn’t someone we knew.

We could drive however we want and how ever slow we want. Oooh and no more traffic fines! Seriously a bribed cop is no cop at all.

There would be Peace on the Roads!

Ever since I came back from Japan and got to see how efficient their public transport system is, I am left wanting. Even in a crowded train there, there is air conditioning and everyone has good hygiene. During peak times, there were literally about 4-5 cars on the roads. Everybody walks and uses the trains to travel. It’s splendid! If only more governments and countries could be as organized as that.

But until then the Ghost Car fantasy lives on!

And I will be looking like this should it ever be invented….

                                        Pic found on Deviantart.com – user: woodsac

So Ghost Cars, yay or nay?

Comment below on all your traffic pet peeves and woes. I look forward to hearing it all.

I’m definitely writing a short story on this. Will update this post and create a new one as soon as it’s finished.

If you enjoyed this post, I’d be honored if you’d help it spread by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook/Tumblr. Thank you!

What unites us as human beings is an urge for happiness which at heart is a yearning for union. ~ Sharon Salzberg

Vaya con Dios

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Novel: Behind the scenes

Question: Why am I writing this?
Answer: It's my first blog post and my first time writing a novel.

I started my novel somewhere on the 20th January 2016 and finished my first draft on the 4th February 2016, with the irrational thought that it would be polished enough. See I've had this scene playing in my head for years and some nights just before I would fall asleep, I would play out this scene. The characters would change depending on whatever I was in to at the time, i.e. teen wolf, black dagger brotherhood series, twilight, the originals to name a few. Eventually, I decided to put it down into words, the hilarious thing is that it took me Twenty chapters, that's right Twenty chapters to get to the scene I'd dreamed about. I remember I worked through the night and most of the morning when I got close to chapter Twenty, writing like a mad man because I needed to get the chapter out. That was definitely an amazing milestone, to see your scene all there... in words. Conceptualized and visualized, taking form in this fictional world you created. There's no other feeling like it, but then again I was high of no sleep. Writing the book was an amazing journey, from having the basic outline in your mind to actually going into the chapters, splitting up the plot to lead up to one another. I don't think I ever got writer's block per say, as I wrote each chapter the next one would form but there were days when the idea for the next chapter would come but the words wouldn't come with it, not so easily as the others did anyway. So I would have to walk around, lie on a bed, go outside, have more showers than is necessary (LOL). Just do anything mundane so that my mind would wander enough to figure out the next chapter or scene.

I am probably one of the kings of procrastination, heck if I wasn't I would have started this novel last year November. I was at home, I had the time. But instead, all I did was download movies and tv series, then watch them. Every series and movie I could find that I like, I got it.

I would like to say I found the will power to eventually write but it was more like I basically ran out of the stuff I like to watch and then my cat died, leaving an empty hole no movie or series could fix.

So back to the book, I finally finished it!!! Which is awesome but I dunno, I enjoyed
the climb more than getting to the peak.... I'm definitely not at
the top yet that would be once the book gets's published but writing the draft was an awesome experience. I learned a lot about myself in the process.

What's the problem then?
EVERYTHING that comes after your first draft manuscript. I submitted my story to a few beta readers, mostly the ones that offered to do it for free but one beta was generous enough to help with the first 5000 words. Whistle* what an eye opener. Firstly in my haste to finish the novel, I left out a lot of description and detail. focusing on progressing the story and dialogue.
Here's what I need to sort out:
How much of the actual street names or places do I need to include?
Some of my characters descriptions I kind of broke up through the story, is this ok?
Dialogue reduction maybe?
Location descriptions and building the world.
Do I really have to include street names? or actual distances between objects?

Anywho, she edited some of it and gave me the sample, the errors I made were grievous I should have self-edited more before giving it out to the betas. Also since I live in South Africa and the book is based in Seattle, there were some words that we use that Americans don't.
Luckily I met a girl online named Rachel and she helped me greatly understand the American way. specifically school themes like summer vacation, subjects, schedules.

There's just so much information out there about self-publishing, agents, editing, beta reading, building a following. it's insane to try and keep up. I've read many blogs and watched many author interviews, they barely talk about the insanity after you finish the novel. I promise myself that if I ever give an interview or am talking to fans I will tell them exactly what happens after you finish a novel. because it's scary business the time frame of it all. it's been 5 days since I finished the novel and I'm nowhere near sending out a query letter.

Here are some links that I'm going to be using post first draft:
https://querytracker.net/top-10-agents.php
http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.co.za/2010/08/strive-always-for-normalness-my-advice.html
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/
https://prowritingaid.com/en/Account/Register2?returnUrl=%2Fen%2FAnalysis%2FEditor%3Fnobreak%3Dtrue%26userTextId%3D5205%26userTextKey%3Dfff08770-38a8-4dc1-a214-4418f43ec72d#
====>>>An amazing free editing site.
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/category/agents/
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/young-adult-literary-agents

Now I have to go back, figure out how to creatively make the narrative more provocative, add on to character and location description then fix the dialogue tags. I'm not sure whether I should give my self a date to query with an agent.
Because I also I have the daunting task of creating a query letter. I mean how's a new writer with no writing credentials make his/her bio sound good? I can't lie, I can't go instantly get a writing credit under my name. I haven't seen any writing conferences here in south Africa to go to. Besides, all the best sellers here are mostly nonfiction or about race and a lot of historical incidents. Sigh.
I am going to believe in myself and my stories, that we will somehow change this unfairness in my country, by giving more fiction and science fictions writers a bigger market to step into.

I'll end this first blog entry now with the hope that I can get this all done in a timely manner.