Song of the Day: Gold

Listen to the song here!

Thoughts on Legacy

"If tonight was your last night on Earth, what would you do?" 

This question kept sneaking into my mind during work and Church today and I thought to myself, "HEY! Take a break from editing that novel of yours and write a post about this!"

So I started writing. 

During my little brainstorm of how to address this topic,  a parade of similar questions came to mind:

• If I kicked the bucket, what would I be remembered for?

• Would it be good, bad or indifferent?

• Who would mourn my passing and who would celebrate?

• Would people actually come to my funeral?

• Ten years after my death, would I still be remembered? 

And as I let these questions bubble inside, I realized that the if I died right now, I wouldn't have much to applaud about; my legacy, so to speak, isn't very grand. 

I feel as though I have lived a life of adequate importance. There were moments where I felt like I've been instrumental in helping individuals and there were times when I definitely obstructed the progression of others. Some opportunities that were given to me I squandered; others I never received, though I certainly felt entitled to them. So if the good Lord decided it was time for me to return home, I hope and pray that He's as infinitely merciful as Christianity makes Him out to be and, like Santa Claus, He overlooks my shortcomings and still gives me great presents. 

But, despite all of that, I have to remind myself that I am HUMAN! By definition: a mortal and finite body of flesh and bones that, by some miraculous event of creation (whether you believe it to be science-based or by the Grace of God) has gained life and can breathe and walk around and think on its own. 

That's pretty amazing! 

But the greatest thing about being human: there is only one of me. In all the 7 billion current inhabitants of Planet Earth and the innumerable ones of the past, there is only ONE person that looks, acts, and feels the same way I feel and there will never be another "me" after I'm gone. 

So if I never publish a book, or record an award-winning song, or go back to college, or have a family, I still have the legacy of being the only Michael Tracy Armstrong in the universe. It may not be a Guinness World Record or a honorable mention in a history or text book, but it's good enough for me and certainly makes my life feel worth it. 

So the next time you're feeling down on yourself, stop for a moment, close your eyes, and remind your brain that you are the only "you" there has been and will ever be. 

You are a legacy unto yourself, so make the most of it. 

Song of the Day: Wake Me Up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y_KJAg8bHI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

This is the main song I listened to while writing While I Was Sleeping. Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do!

Post NaNoWriMo Report

The fading of July into August not only heralded the birthday of my favorite author (J.K. Rowling) but also signified the end of my time at Camp NaNoWriMo! 

(For those of you who are not sure what NanNoWriMo is I advise you to see my previous blog post and that will explain it a little bit further.)

So after 31 days of grueling typing and writing and typing and energy drinks and more typing, I have the final report:

Word Count Goal: 25,000

Total Word Count: 32,306

Pages: 58 (single-spaced)

Chapters: at least 15

To save some time answering everyone's questions about my story, I've prepared a little Q&A.  

Q: What is your novel called?

A: While I Was Sleeping

Q: What's it about? 

A: Ever wonder what happens when someone's in a coma? This is my take on that scenario. It's an adventure in the mind of one person who wakes up outside his body. It was so much fun writing it and I'm glad to finally share that with more than my family. 

Q: Is your novel finished?

A: No it is not. Although I have the final 3ish chapters written, I currently feel as though I rushed to the end because I saw the "The End" so close and just threw something together. Lots of revisions and plot thickening will ensue in the next few weeks. 

Q: How can you have "at least" 15 chapters?

A: Confession: I wrote my novel out of order. The ending came first, then the beginning, and then I wrote up a lot of scenes in the middle and kinda sequenced them where I felt they needed to happen. 

I literally copied and pasted sections of writing together into the single document I used to keep my word count.  So when I say approximately 15, it should really say 15 complete chapters and an undetermined amount of half chapters. 

Q: Will you let people read it? 

A: ... Umm, would somebody actually want to read it?

I've actually been giving it a lot of thought and I think I've come up with an idea: 

3 lucky individuals will receive a PDF with the first 4-5 chapters of WIWS after I complete some revisions. After which, when I get general feedback and tips, I will post the file on here so the rest of you may read and enjoy as well. 

Q: How will you pick 3 winners?

A: Good question... Contest ideas anyone? Send me a message, leave a note in the comments, something! I'll look them over and pick one to try out. 

Until that time, it will probably be quiet on the blog. But worry not! I'll be back soon with more rants and random thoughts.