Notices and Updates

Non-stories that are important re: viewership and notes about timing.

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Construction Ahead! – 2016/2017

Alright, here we are!

First, before we begin, I just want to thank all of the people who have been reading the Friday Fictioneers works that I’ve been putting out for nearly the last year. With the world becoming busy, my time for creating actual short fiction stories had reduced to a trickle. The last part of 2015 was one of the toughest times in my life, because I was in a foreign country without much hope of finding a job while going to university. I had to give up on that part of my dream, and I moved back to Korea, but I still had to deal with a lot of pain. The first 6 months of 2016 were hard on me, and writing became a bit of a chore.

But things started breaking during the summer.

Off-blog, I am currently working on a 6-10 thousand word story for publication. The inspiration for it is key, but I have been having motivational issues. The good thing is that right now, it’s the perfect time for me to get working on it. And so, I am about 2500 words in. Also, I have finished the outline of a movie script that I plan to get to after this story is completed. So, off-blog, there’s a lot of stuff going on.

On blog, there will be a few things that I am going to be doing:

First, I will be doing a redesign of the blog to add an element of awesomeness to it. I am planning to work with a friend of mine to create a website that will be more aesthetically pleasing to myself and more reverent of the craft that I am working on mastering. Plus, green and a picture of Crater Lake has been the logo for a long time. I’m going to try something different.

Second, I will be starting to utilize my other blog, the blog with my name on it, as the platform for my more Christian-oriented writing, as well as music reviews. This is not because I don’t think that the writing I do doesn’t deserve to be on Music and Fiction, but because I want to make the Warrior Series more compact and in a place where people who may not wish to read Friday Fictioneers can read it.

Third, I am going to be spending more time on responding to comments. Now, this sounds a lot like something a blogger should be doing everyday. That’s true. The problem I’ve had is that in my lethargy, I haven’t been putting time aside to do so. In fact, this is part of a reason for a semi-overhaul of my blog: To allow me to give and receive feedback in greater numbers. People deserve it, and I need to do better.

Last, I am going to be working on an idea to re-write some of my older stories and update them. Make them longer, expand the storylines, add more musical content, and really focus on getting things back to life.

Now you’re probably wondering: What’s the reason for all of this? It’s simple: I spend too much time just surfing the web and not being creative. It was the words of my pastor, Marcus Corpening at New Philadelphia Church in the Itaewon area of Seoul, that helped redirect my thoughts. If you’re going to be the master of something, you need to spend more time with it and develop it to its logical end. That takes years. Many years. I’ve been doing this since 2013. I’ve logged in over 200 entries (with a good number of them being fictioneers posts), and I think it’s time to take things up a notch.

So, keep watching this space for more updates on the blog. And thanks for sticking with me.

 

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“Music And Fiction” State Of The Blog 2015

Hey folks. It’s Miles here! I have decided to give an update to everyone who reads my blog and is a constant watcher of all things “musically fictitious”.

I don’t plan to get long winded about things, but some updates need to be done so that people have the ability to see what all is happening.

Most of you have seen this blog increase from a small little production to something a slight bit larger. The folks from Friday Fictioneers come by whenever there’s a fictioneers post up and running, and others stop by as supporters of the blog. This is incredible, and is the first step to great things.

However, this blog can be and will become more. As most of you know, I have recently turned my Twitter account back on, and you can find me posting there sometimes. Also, I have a Facebook “page” of my own, which anyone can come to and like without worry.

The goal of these things, among others, is to get my blog wired up enough so that I can take it full bore after my time in Korea is finished.

As far as regular updates on the blog, with new material, most of it will be put forth as normal. The biggest problem I have at this time is that my job gets in the way of my writing. One big reason why people did not see an update from me since the last Fictioneers post in February, it was due to the fact that the beginning of the school year happened here in Korea. With the changes in my class schedules and having to plan and re-plan for all the different things that needed to get done, I didn’t get much time to do my writing as my mind was busy with preparing things. Now that I have a lay of the land with my classes for what I assume will be the next 3 months, I should not have to worry.

Here’s what the future is going to hold:

1) Increased posting to at least twice a week by August, including fictioneers. Maybe another group will be joined, depending.

2) More communication through Facebook and Twitter, with more time spent in network with authors, writers, and other folks around the world.

3) Re-issuance of archived/older stories on my Facebook Author’s page. Potentially also done over Twitter as well.

4) Hopefully a more consistent schedule will bring in more consistent readers. And more music.

As it stands, I have very high hopes coming down the pike for this blog and other projects. The biggest issue I am going to be facing in the next few months is time, specifically bouncing between my current job and applying for visas and other stuff. Once I finish my job here in late may, and get set up in Australia in July, I should have a lot more time to spend on really making this great WordPress blog shine.

There will be more Music and Fiction to go around in the next 12 months. Be ready for some action! G’night for now,  and here’s one of my favorite Smooth Jazz artists to allow you to think and create. Enjoy Peter White!

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One Hundred Is A Magic Number

A Message From the Author

So, for those of you who keep up with this blog pretty regularly, I surpassed 100 blog posts on here a few weeks ago. Some of you may be wondering why I saved things up until now to announce it and talk about it. A lot of it was just time and work that I’m having to deal with outside of this blog.

However, I have hit 100 and I plan to keep going as best as I can. I may have some days or weeks when I don’t write, and that’s fine. As long as people come back to visit and enjoy what they see, that’s all that I care about. It’s not about the page hits, it’s about spreading the idea of music and fiction as partners in creating a full reading experience. That’s what it’s all about.

Now, someone asked me about how I was going to celebrate 100 entries. Well, what I want to do is go over the 5 stories that I think were the most enjoyable to write. Starting from the top and going down, I will go through and show you what was going on when those were being written.

#1 – The Lady In White, part 2 (Close Enough)

This story is one that I really loved to write. It was taken from a dream I had, and it was put down on paper as something that I really loved. The lady in white is someone who invades my mind from time to time. I don’t know much about her, but what I do know is that somehow in my dreams, she cares for me. It’s kinda sweet. 🙂

#2 – Demolition Man (The Adventure of the Losers)

This was my attempt at writing an action packed, full-on, balls to the wall action piece that could be the script for a music video. I got the image as I was sitting in my apartment and thinking about my travels through Iowa. That, and I think watching a Chuck Norris movie, got me thinking about it and *boom*, Demolition Man. I really did like writing that song.

#3 – The Beginning Of Something New (Supernova)

This was my first foree into doing a story that was a different way of talking about issues I faced. One of the ways that I heal my own self is by writing about a similar situation with other characters. It has been very helpful in time, and this is one of my masterpieces. I also firmly believe that the song is what makes the entire story come alive.

#4 – Man of Colours 

I love the work that I use to honor people that I love. My brother is one of those people. The idea of a painter using his canvas to communicate, that’s my brother. And when I created that piece of writing, I never would have thought that it would be a piece that would be family-oriented. I love my brother very much, and that story was his. The music just made it that much better.

#5 – Radioactive

This was my “political” piece. I was in the middle of hating everything political (still do), and it was my outlet. I first came across the song by Imagine Dragons while on vacation in Denver. A friend of mine introduced me to it, and it just screamed to my primal self. The idea came about to use this song as a way to further my anti-political anguish, and it helped me heal. A lot.

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Those are my five that I loved. Those who have read my works before and who continue to read my works are encouraged to tell me which of my 100 stories that they think made the most impact on them. When you do, you’ll have to tell me how the music added flavor to the story. Cause that’s what I really want to hear.

I will be back to regular blogging starting next week. And I will be back on Fictioneers very soon. Until then…100!

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50 Stories in: Time for you to choose…

A Note From Miles

I reached a milestone this past weekend with my 50th story that I wrote. It’s been an incredibly awesome journey and I am looking forward to many more stories to come.

I made a promise to myself that if I hit 50 stories, I would take 5 of the stories I wrote, edit them, then submit them to literary magazines and publications. So, as a start, I’d like to have my readers (y’all) choose 5 of my stories that I should rewrite/edit and submit.

Those who read, I’d like you to go through my archives on the right and pick those stories. Try to pick the one-shot stories, if at all possible. It’ll be easier to manage.

Also, I would like to add that the writing on my blog, at least for the next month, will likely be brought down to once every couple of days. This is because I am getting busy with taking my TESOL Certification course, and it’s going to take more time than I thought to get through everything. Couple that with having less time during my day to do stuff, and I just won’t likely be able to do things like I have until the end of July or beginning of August.

So, if anything, expect something every couple of days.

Happy reading, everyone. And I hope to see you all soon here and in reading land!

Oh, and before I forget…Here’s some music:

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Epic Journeys of Epic Awesomeness

Taking a little break from my stories today to mention that I was nominated by my good friend David Stewart, the denizen of The Green Walled Tower and a fellow fiction-man, to receive an…

To those who have been reading, and have been unique visitors, I appreciate this. Ever since I started this blog early this month, I’ve been hoping to reach my work to an audience who actually is interested in seeing the connection between music and fiction. Music is a way to draw out the ideas for fiction, and fiction a way to give music a voice that it may not have ever imagined it being.

Now, one of the biggest things with this award is that not only do I have to write 10 things about myself on a piece of fruit, but I also must put links to 15 epically awesome blogs. So, without further adieu, I am going to pull the fruit truck around and start writing. *proceeds to run back around the one-room apartment building and drives up a lorry full of fruit.

Here’s to hoping the ajosshi that has this truck doesn’t kill me for taking it…

1. I have left my home country twice (written on a small Jeju tangerine)
2. I once was a radio announcer (written on a purple banana)
3. I once wrote a play, and had it done, and it was really bad (written on a mangosteen)
4. I have been known to yell out nonsensical things in the most unfortunate of times (written on a durian)
5. I have been a believer in Christ for longer than I have not (written on a Starfruit)
6. I once ate two gallons of ice cream in one sitting. It didn’t sit well. (written on a juicy pear)
7. I am nearsighted. (written on an unripe alpine strawberry…with a very tiny laser)
8. I only recently got into listening to modern music, I have always been an 80s guy (written on a lemon)
9. I have turned the channel when a scene that I know is embarrassing comes on, to spare my embarrassment. (written on a bunch of blueberries)
10. I have big thighs and I cannot lie… (written on a ruby red grapefruit, then tossed at a random head in the crowd).

And as for the 15 blogs that are also epically awesome…alas, I can only point to three at this time because I haven’t been on blog long enough to actually make a difference with 15. So, here’s my three (not including Green Walled Tower, which is the pinnacle of awesome):

1. Perpetual Anticipation – http://perpetualanticipation.blogspot.com/ – This guy has a different way of thinking, and is very resourceful with what he does on his blog.

2. Adam Brickley – http://adambrickley.net/ – I used to be a politics guy, but this guy does things differently. He doesn’t just do political blogging, but he does a lot of analysis and what-ifs. He’s my go-to guy for anything that is related to politics.

3. Scarlet Rhapsody –  http://scarlet-rhapsody.com/ – A close friend from many years back, Scarlet does a lot of work with anime, cosplay, and whatnot. Very good blog to look at and watch.

So, there you have it! Time to put this in to the sidebar and then write the next story. And please, make sure to take time and comment!