# John Vasquez, writer of speculative fiction > Website of the author John Vasquez, writer of speculative fiction and the Calvin Rex novels. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### About John URL: https://www.johnvasquez.net/about/ Last updated: 2025-06-07T05:36:19.000Z Hi. I'm not crazy about ... well ... About pages. Let's face it. How well can you really get to know me in 500 words or so on a single page? I hope you'll get to know me better as the site grows and as I produce more content. ## The short version of who I am I grew up in small-ish northern California town, born in the year of when one of my favorite movies (Star Wars: A New Hope) premiered, and raised on Mexican food (thanks to my family's restaurant), 80s Saturday morning cartoons (was there a better time to be a kid?) and in an era where we played outside most days without parents or grandparents asking if we were OK every five minutes (as a Gen Xer, I wasn't necessarily a latchkey kid, but I kind of was). ## A little more about me As for writing, I've always liked to write as a kid and I read a lot. Growing up, I frequented our public library, checking out Stephen King books one after the other and getting questioning stares from librarians about why a 10-year-old kid wanted or was allowed to read Cujo. For my kid self, "Stephen King Rules" as the t-shirt read in "[Monster Squad](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093560/?ref=johnvasquez.net)." I also had a deep love of dinosaurs, and in the sixth grade proclaimed I wanted to be a paleontologist. After some time, I got into comics and taught myself how to draw, but still loved dinosaurs, movies and anything sci-fi related. Spielberg was my film idol growing up (saw Jurassic Park nine times in the theater; maybe I'll write a post about that someday), so I thought maybe I'll write movies. I went to UCLA as an English major and loved every minute of my time at that school. I took film classes and had internships at various studios. I even had one at Amblin, my film idol's production company, but could only stomach two weeks (probably should save that story/lesson learned for another time, too). Over time, life got in the way of that dream to write for movies, but I still wrote and even co-created UCLA's first sitcom for UCLA TV. I got into web publishing writing for AOL out of college and, aside from two years trying to teach in LA Unified, I've spent most of my post-collegiate years working in the digital world for close to a quarter century. Now, after numerous ideas over the last 12 years, false starts and 70 pages of a book written in a genre I wasn't excited about, I've finally nailed down my idea for a novel and have 9,000 words (as of March 2025) and about 30 pages of my first book. It's taken me a while to get here after almost 50 years of life, but I'm excited for this adventure and I hope to write something that's fun and connects with people. In my past life, I've been a: - College mascot - Campus tour guide - College radio DJ - Catalog model - Relationship advice columnist - Teacher - Content manager - Generalist (UX, analytics, content management, content strategy, project management) But what I most enjoy being now is: - Husband - Dad - Writer ## What I want this site to be Ultimately, I want this site to be a lot of things: - A place to keep me accountable and keep me writing by giving updates on my sci-fi novel for whoever wants to keep me accountable. - A place to build a community through my newsletter of other individuals who share the same affinity for sci-fi as me. - A space to call my own where I can write about anything (but most of it will be about sci-fi and writing) and share my voice (yes, just what the interwebs needs, another "voice"). I hope I succeed. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope to see you back here soon, fellow traveler. ### What I'm Doing Now URL: https://www.johnvasquez.net/now/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T04:52:37.000Z 💡 Updated as of March 29, 2026 (This is my Now page, an idea I got from [Derek Sivers](https://sive.rs/?ref=johnvasquez.net) who also runs [nownownow.com](https://nownownow.com/about?ref=johnvasquez.net) and thinks you should build one, too.) ## Working on Still continuing to work on the first draft of my sci-fi space opera novel, clocking in at close to 31k words and 22 chapters. ## Fun things I'm late posting this, but last year I saw the trailer for "Watch the Skies," the Swedish UFO film that actually came out in 2022 and was called "UFO Sweden." Immediately upon seeing the trailer, I knew I had to watch this film. And after digging around to find more about it, the one topic that kept coming up about the U.S. release confirmed even more for me I needed to see it. That's because the U.S. version had been dubbed, but not just any dub. It used AI to sync the movements of the actors' mouths with their English-recorded lines done separately for the U.S. release. After learning this, I rewatched the trailer a handful more times and could not spot a single instance where I could tell AI was being used. Even as I was watching the movie, it was so smooth and seamless that it took nothing away from the experience. I really wanted to love it, but it turned out to be a decent sci-fi movie and worth a second viewing. ## Currently reading I have a problem with trying to read too many books at once. Here are a few that I'm really into that are holding top spots on my Kindle. - [The Road by Cormac McCarthy](https://www.amazon.com/Road-Vintage-International-Cormac-McCarthy-ebook/dp/B000OI0G1Q/ref=tmm%5Fkin%5Fswatch%5F0?ref=johnvasquez.net) - [Figure It Out by Stephen P. Anderson and Karl Fast](https://www.amazon.com/Figure-Out-Getting-Information-Understanding-ebook/dp/B085412Q1X/ref=tmm%5Fkin%5Fswatch%5F0?%5Fencoding=UTF8&dib%5Ftag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uwgyiaYjT1a8ukIwvCuAIsvIDaoziMPjilD6DRhlbLHGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.Q60%5FNMMacWBN89HWZJ3mXvFOPuUEo8dqUTeXtS9z6Qg&qid=1741724596&sr=8-1&ref=johnvasquez.net) - [The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (currently on The Two Towers) by J.R.R. Tolkien](https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-One-J-R-R-Tolkien-ebook/dp/B007978OY6/ref=sr%5F1%5F7?crid=3E85OA5DOCW65&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fGKLwh9s-D1iSC3Qs7xbwEaQAk1gEjfgtu5cdZJlpTjlUewzM1CRstSjMDRMCIAmvlW70bPDyxu1gJZArF-G2tFzZmxTU4Ct4X-fl70S53Bbq-3eOQHlMjdA406on5Rb12B8yuw-g1BwXbP6Yu2%5FPNQi8IIFNlMqAmmG4X1N2UPr001-zddinxcanZOtlX3oVtiSfZY%5F5awe2rspogEB%5FXCA-cwHDZgTvzcsJ0RWZDDcOXg0eS9g7juw5256eastTG9p4zdNlFMRyPOIhiNjZ6F7MUmWUE7Re-QtuTGE1w1vTzg5tRuPffxk6Y9IJ9yGakb1UdSYGcAWYCmhQiUEwxXhpKSstuzCMRVeeoFfifg.xJ0%5Fxj2FF1QODyBMHDGpmZbaNO1K4DAaJBY6NLOGhJ8&dib%5Ftag=se&keywords=lord+of+the+rings+book&qid=1741724727&s=books&sprefix=lor%2Cstripbooks%2C183&sr=1-7&ref=johnvasquez.net) ## Recently read See my [Recently Read page](https://www.johnvasquez.net/recently-read-for-2026/) for a complete list of books I've read or listened to in 2026. ### My Tools URL: https://www.johnvasquez.net/tools/ Last updated: 2026-04-30T05:40:03.000Z These are my current tools to help me write. It's possible that may change in the future as I solidify the process, but you can head to that page to learn more about how they all fit together. My tools and my process may not make sense to you, and I'm not advocating them for you, but I'm still figuring things out as I write my first novel. You do what works for you. ## Hardware ### The typewriters When I can, which is usually at lunch when I'm working remote twice a week for my day job, I bust out one of my many typewriters. They get rotated to get some use, but the one doing most of the work is my Hermes 3000\. I've been collecting typewriters since 2018 and writing on them is truly an engaging experience. I highly recommend getting one and trying out some of your writing on it. There's a great sublime documentary about typewriters and some of the famous people that use them called "California Typewriter" (you can watch the [full documentary](https://youtu.be/AWfgpL1X%5FoE?si=k7P8nxyEy75BGPSP&ref=johnvasquez.net) for free on YouTube). ![Picture of a seafoam green Hermes 3000 typewriter on a desk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d8/85/d885500f-9bf0-49df-a588-632da8124283/content/images/2025/03/IMG_8113-1.JPG) My beloved Hermes 3000. ### My Freewrite Traveler This is a bit of a splurge item. And it's my second go-around with Freewrite. I first bought a Traveler a few years ago. I couldn't get past the e-ink lag, though. So I sold the Traveler and bought an Alpha when it came out. No lag due to the instant refresh (different technology), but it had a smaller text screen. I also wasn't a fan of the keys. So, I sold the Alpha and bought a special edition Ink Smart Typewriter. I liked the keys and the larger, backlit screen, but the lag in typing still got to me. So when Freewrite announced that they had rebuilt the e-ink software from the ground up with almost virtually no lag, I sold my Ink model and bought another Traveler on sale. It's my go-to machine when I'm working in the office and can write at lunch. It's so much better with the new software that I find myself using it at home as well when I want to get something down quickly rather than pulling out one of my typewriters. (Don't worry, typewriter enthusiasts. I still love to produce work on my machines as the default.) ### My iPhone I simply use the optical character recognition function in the camera app to copy the text from my typewritten pages and "digitize" them (Galaxy Quest, anyone?). ### My MacBook Air Aside from being my main computer, I just love the compact, sleek form of the Macbook Air. I have the 2022 13-inch model and it's incredibly fast. ### My notebook I tend to write my ideas first in a notebook and expand on them. Asking questions and developing characters and scenes. Coming up with "What if" questions and highlighting the best parts to use to start my story. Yes, I know the famous talk where Stephen King said notebooks immortalize bad ideas, but you need to do what works for you. And I get that there are decent notebooks for less, and saying that I only use Moleskine notebooks sounds pretentious and snobbish, but I honestly haven't found a quality of notebook better than Moleskine. And I've tried dozens of brands over the years to try to shake the pretentiousness from my very being, but alas, I keep coming back to them. The only other notebook that comes close is the Leuchtturm1917 bullet journal I use for my daily, weekly and monthly routines which has pre-made bullet journal log pages already created. ### My pens Just like my Moleskine notebooks, I never strayed away from the bold 1.0mm Pilot G2\. I've always liked thicker ink when writing, and short of using a Sharpie every day where the ink would run through the paper and I'd be forced to write on one side of the page, the G2 is close enough to writing with a thicker-inked pen that I could get. I have the original Fisher space pen that is also smooth and allows you to write upside down if you ever need to take notes lying in bed (just like Jerry in that Seinfeld episode). ![GIF of Jack Klompus giving Jerry the space pen from Seinfeld](https://media.tenor.com/EqcNyF7_S9EAAAAC/seinfeld-take-the-pen.gif) Jerry shouldn't have taken the pen. ## Software ### Scrivener It seems like writers either really don't like Scrivener or they love it. I don't know if I've heard any writer take a middle opinion on the software. Yes, at first, it can seem daunting with all the settings and preferences and buttons, but the more you use it, the more you see you could never go back to Word. Imagine having a file folder to place all your research, sketches, images, links to inspiration ... everything you've been collecting to draft your novel all in one place. There's no other software that comes close. ### Camera app Related to my iPhone in the hardware section, the camera app allows me to scan my typed pages and copy the text into Scrivener. There's some minor clean-up, but it's a copy-and-paste job. ### Recently Read for 2025 URL: https://www.johnvasquez.net/recently-read-for-2025/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T20:49:05.000Z This is my running list of books I've read or listened to in 2025. [Three Uses of the Knife by David Mamet](https://www.amazon.com/Three-Uses-Knife-Nature-Purpose-ebook/dp/B00E2RZHIW/ref=tmm%5Fkin%5Fswatch%5F0?%5Fencoding=UTF8&dib%5Ftag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.xdk82p7%5F0shcyMOm2EQXVaFakh%5Fw-SbBO74ncIGkawdZU-hFCkolWTW61jmEy1WF0zt5rM88FzESR-TrIDE0rMr5FdQ3wkEugtAKuNxmRTt0dVuaatTiGJy9D%5FzSxH7F.MYdVy4ZnUS1AiUx78aP%5FZiEW7QbGbH6sVAI8Tv5hLx8&qid=1741724553&sr=8-1&ref=johnvasquez.net): Mamet's essay on what makes good drama, how we dramatize our every-day lives and that the theater, ultimately, is the pinnacle of seeing great drama play out in order to make sense of our own lives. > Children jump around at the end of the day, to expend the last of that day’s energy. The adult equivalent, when the sun goes down, is to create or witness drama—which is to say, to order the universe into a comprehensible form. Our sundown play/film/gossip is the day’s last exercise of that survival mechanism. In it we attempt to discharge any residual perceptive energies in order to sleep. We will have drama in that spot, and if it’s not forthcoming we will cobble it together out of nothing. [Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #54](https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Legends-Dark-Knight-54-ebook/dp/B07LH3H4LH?ref=johnvasquez.net): Mike Mignola's (Hellboy creator) wonderful take on Batman. If you were to apply "voice" to the visual arts of comic books, Mignola would be at the top of that list of comic book artists whose work is wholly recognizable off the bat (that pun wasn't intended). [The Bullet Journal Method](https://www.amazon.com/Bullet-Journal-Method-Present-Design/dp/0525533338?ref=johnvasquez.net): Ryder Carroll's (the creator of the bullet journal method) deep dive into how he came up with this unique way of task management/journaling/organization (it's also so much more), the process of how to bullet journal and the philosophy how capturing moments in your life can lead to profound changes. After years of either being too lazy or ... too lazy ... to look into how to bullet journal, I watched one of Ryder's [videos on how to journal when you only have five minutes](https://youtu.be/T%5FOp4hrLSc4?si=FgV1Zc8xu1SMYeOr&ref=johnvasquez.net). That led me down the rabbit hole of other videos to then buying his book and starting my own bullet journal. I think at some point I'll talk about my process here on the blog. [Jurassic Park (audiobook)](https://www.audible.com/pd/Jurassic-Park-Audiobook/B00U7UORMU?ref=johnvasquez.net): Maybe my favorite book of all time. I read it back in 1993 for biology class in the 10th grade before the movie came out. I don't think I've ever read a book so fast in my life. For a dinosaur lover, this book was everything I had wished for in a novel. And when the movie came out, let's just say seeing it nine times in the theater wasn't enough (but I was running out of money and I was also afraid the movie was going to lose its luster). Since the 10th grade, I've read it a few times again over the years and got sucked into listening to it on Audible recently. I wasn't planning on it, but Amazon Music had recommended it to me and next thing I knew Grant was marching the kids through the park. [Riding the Elephant (audiobook)](https://www.audible.com/pd/Riding-the-Elephant-Audiobook/1984841963?ref=johnvasquez.net): I've always found Craig Ferguson hilarious. I'd put him fourth after Carson, Letterman and Conan in the list of late-night hosts. And his book on growing up in Scotland, fatherhood and adventures post-late-night hosting duties didn't disappoint. And it's hard not to be charmed by that great Scottish accent. [We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (audiobook)](https://www.audible.com/pd/We-Are-Legion-We-Are-Bob-Audiobook/B01L082HJ2?ref%5Fpageloadid=Bl8jy5rAKPnSWDMB&pf%5Frd%5Fp=a98c632b-e455-4898-b4a4-001d9929ac72&pf%5Frd%5Fr=GVDXX3VGBSN714HGAKJT&plink=VLsNhzUTBExUPdwB&pageLoadId=4qoDZV2jJfmbVPRG&creativeId=45df4109-f3e5-4bcd-b582-05fcee7e65ff&ref=a%5Fauthor%5FDe%5Fc4%5Fadblp13namrn): I really wanted to like this book more, but after about a third of the way through it lost its appeal. The beginning of the book was great and I loved the premise, but it reminded me of Ready Player One in that it seemed to suffer from its own need to spout nerdy technical jargon, much like Ready Player One with its sometimes obscure pop culture nerd p\*rn references. [Greenlights (audiobook)](https://www.audible.com/pd/Greenlights-Audiobook/0593294181?qid=1749276200&sr=1-1&ref%5Fpageloadid=swF9YXiQWPVDHt8I&pf%5Frd%5Fp=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf%5Frd%5Fr=HRT6MD7YJTAWY7APMY7M&plink=OdE1moe0saQfq1O9&pageLoadId=dCr6ZuJ5SidhC72H&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c&ref=a%5Fsearch%5Fc3%5FlProduct%5F1%5F1): Matthew McConaughey's wonderfully written memoir about his childhood, travels as a young man and rise to fame. It's as raw (in a good-natured, sublime way) and open as you think a McConaughey memoir would be. The man is an enigma and so much of that onion is peeled away to let you understand why the way he is. Plus, his narration is more like him having a conversation with you rather than speaking his book aloud. [The Princess Diarist (audiobook)](https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Princess-Diarist-Audiobook/B01AAXYDP4?qid=1749276590&sr=1-2&ref%5Fpageloadid=not%5Fapplicable&pf%5Frd%5Fp=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf%5Frd%5Fr=QMC3PJQFE79BYXMMJAG2&plink=6j078dCthuCdZA8c&pageLoadId=iU7Bx3vokYiZLcFz&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c&ref=a%5Fsearch%5Fc3%5FlProduct%5F1%5F2): Carrie Fisher takes you back to the mid-70s as she prepares to shoot Star Wars. She also dives into her affair with Harrison Ford during that time filming Star Wars: A New Hope. She's as sharp and funny as she's always been. And as a Star Wars fan, she's always had a special place in my heart. [Star Wars: Dark Force Rising: The Thrawn Trilogy: Book 2 (audiobook)](https://www.audible.com/pd/Star-Wars-Dark-Force-Rising-The-Thrawn-Trilogy-Book-2-Audiobook/B00875DTH6?qid=1749276761&sr=1-1&ref%5Fpageloadid=not%5Fapplicable&pf%5Frd%5Fp=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf%5Frd%5Fr=T3GXV7EMQQ3GY05R3H9M&plink=jt9zO519m1ALkk9O&pageLoadId=AOfRSybTLeSFGtTt&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c&ref=a%5Fsearch%5Fc3%5FlProduct%5F1%5F1): The second book in the Thrawn Trilogy. I read the first when I was a teenager in the early 90s and listened to the audiobook last year. I'm going to start the third one soon, but finished this one earlier this year. It was a good sequel with decent action. The narrator, Marc Thompson, does a phenomenal job with the voices, effortlessly going between Luke, Leia, Han, Lando, Thrawn and many others. One thing I love about the Star Wars audiobooks is their production. The lean into making you feel immersed in the world with all the great Star Wars sounds and music. [Sci-Phi: Science Fiction as Philosophy (audiobook)](https://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Phi-Science-Fiction-as-Philosophy-Audiobook/B07CZ3MYW8?qid=1749276993&sr=1-1&ref%5Fpageloadid=not%5Fapplicable&pf%5Frd%5Fp=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf%5Frd%5Fr=YFGPE8R7CGX3WGSEEEQS&plink=PbAZ6m01kwmcdHaz&pageLoadId=vujoYGVSms79V6yA&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c&ref=a%5Fsearch%5Fc3%5FlProduct%5F1%5F1): So far, I've enjoyed all the Great Courses audiobooks I've listened to. If you want a crash course on the various science theories and philosophies behind some of the best-known sci-fi movies and TV shows, this course walks you through many examples from pop culture and explains the thinking behind these stories we love so much. Sci-fi isn't all rocket ships and laser swords. There is always so much more to these fantastical tales than what's on the surface, even if implied. [Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1-5](https://a.co/d/5GYcthW?ref=johnvasquez.net): Frank Miller and John Romita Jr.'s fantastic take on Daredevil's origin story. Miller's grittiness is perfect for the devil from Hell's Kitchen and I've always loved Romita's chunky, almost-geometric drawings with the scratchy inking style. [Aliens: Salvation #1](https://www.amazon.com/Aliens-Salvation-1-Dave-Gibbons-ebook/dp/B09B7XSSJ1?ref%5F=ast%5Fauthor%5Fdp%5Frw&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HtMPV22fTQ63EDlBMtxdQFTTihzlzI4nRJ0QtiX1PlxgmNgH1Ky5fM34q77tIWoztN5raMmnwv7tpriPNrFwjFcJ5z%5F%5FeEEERYRgrSMjWzQ7-kQOD28pq9jyVwuLw5zQsD1tDYtbqbwlgHQntewJ1UWTLP7kvDOTN-XD0bX3WiFEwM1qpvZ7MyQl5R01HIckYN26sWkKIp%5FawBI-Dl%5FydSdEOU3GNXfMuYq3d3lwmNo.OV1M-xCOjJqskeBylwibrptjiSPtDUUif7Wt6FwNN2g&dib%5Ftag=AUTHOR&ref=johnvasquez.net): Another Mike Mignola masterpiece. A perfect pairing of his visual style and the Alien form. They were meant to be. And an interesting story from Watchmen illustrator Dave Gibbons. [Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #54](https://a.co/d/gIDd8RZ?ref=johnvasquez.net): Another Mignola entry. "Sanctum" sees the Dark Knight battling a crazy killer in a Gotham cemetery, only to be stabbed and fall into delirium. [On the Incarnation](https://www.monergism.com/incarnation-ebook?ref=johnvasquez.net): Athanasius, an early church father, wrote one of the definitive texts on Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, entering into time and space as a man to redeem His people. If you're studying Christian theology, this is a must-read. [The Crow Special Edition](https://www.amazon.com/Crow-Special-James-OBarr-ebook/dp/B004T4KRJ2?ref=johnvasquez.net): James O’Barr’s vengeance-filled, gothic-tinged, heartache of a story mined from personal loss comes to life in vivid black and white in this special edition that includes never-before-seen material. I love the movie, but the graphic novel really captures the pain of loss and the love that was between Eric and Shelly. It also has one of the most iconic lines in all of comic books. > So, the crow spirals down through a collapsed dream and the only sound he makes is like a concave scream. [The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love:](https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Character-Writing-Hero-Anyone-ebook/dp/B099VTYP5S/ref=tmm%5Fkin%5Fswatch%5F0?ref=johnvasquez.net) Matt Bird wrote a good breakdown of what makes a good character, how to get your reader to care about your hero and lots of tips and tricks to make unforgettable, and flawed, characters. [The Voyage of the Space Beagle](https://www.amazon.com/Voyage-Space-Beagle-van-Vogt-ebook/dp/B00MNUE2TA/ref=tmm%5Fkin%5Fswatch%5F0?ref=johnvasquez.net): A.E. van Vogt's space opera novel, compiled from four stories he wrote from 1939 to 1950\. I'll admit it. It was a little dry and tough to read through at times, but I enjoyed the premise. It's like Star Trek before Star Trek. Plus, I finally got to read one of the inspirations for "Alien" in the section where the crew meets Ixtl, an alien from a race that existed before the creation of the universe. And of course, he implants parasitic eggs in some of the crew to propagate his race. Vogt actually sued 20th Century Fox and it was settled out of court. There was a documentary called "[Memory: The Origins of Alien](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8974964/?ref=johnvasquez.net)" where there's a shot of a typed page from Dan O'Bannon, one of the writers of "Alien," and his inspiration list. ![Still image from the documentary "Memory: The Origins of Alien" of a typed list movies and books that inspired "Alien."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d8/85/d885500f-9bf0-49df-a588-632da8124283/content/images/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-05-19-at-10.07.39---PM.png) Dan O'Bannon's "Alien" inspiration list. [Write. Publish. Repeat.](https://www.amazon.com/Publish-Repeat-No-Luck-Required-Self-Publishing-Success-ebook/dp/B00H26IFJS?ref=johnvasquez.net): Written by the (two of the three) guys from Self-Publishing Podcast, their book details how to be an independent author, soup to nuts, with chapters on the writing process, marketing and treating your authorship like a business as well as an art form. It’s not necessarily focused on rapid release, though you can apply the same principles, but more or less the mentality of building an author business. I don’t know if a lot of it still applies in today’s indie publishing world as I haven’t yet published my book, but I would recommended it nonetheless if you’re just getting started like myself. These guys have written millions of words and sold thousand and thousands of books, so they obviously did many things right. [The Born to Win Seminar](https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Born-to-Win-Seminar-Audiobook/B01H0RFTE2?srsltid=AfmBOopxrl0Y6P0mqBurL83AJsqg6MsVAEVXESsThuMdwzIhdvIChWem&ref=johnvasquez.net): See the [full archive](https://www.johnvasquez.net/recently-read-archive/) of all the years past. ### Recently Read for 2026 URL: https://www.johnvasquez.net/recently-read-for-2026/ Last updated: 2026-05-12T20:38:13.000Z This is my running list of books I've read or listened to in 2026 Animal Farm Transfomers #25 H.P. Lovecraft's The Colour Out of Space (Manga edition) Do You Feel Like Writing? A Creative Guide to Artistic Confidence Transformers Vol. 1 (TPB) Transformers Vol. 2 (TPB) Transformers Vol. 3 (TPB) Transformers Vol. 4 (TPB) [See 2025's list](https://www.johnvasquez.net/recently-read-for-2025/) or the [full archive](https://www.johnvasquez.net/recently-read-archive/) for all the years. ### Recently Read Archive URL: https://www.johnvasquez.net/recently-read-archive/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T20:47:10.000Z - [2026](https://www.johnvasquez.net/recently-read-for-2026/) - [2025](https://www.johnvasquez.net/recently-read-for-2025/) ## Posts ### One More Hug Before Bed URL: https://www.johnvasquez.net/one-more-hug-before-bed/ Last updated: 2026-03-13T20:23:22.000Z *\*Author's note: I didn't have time to research the right terminology for black holes and how they exactly work. Or about pressurizing humans in spaceships. Please allow for a little grace as I'm also currently trying to finish my novel.* Penny sat slouched in the cockpit of her starship. At first glance, you might think she was bored out of her mind, staring blankly out of the cockpit shield at the black hole she was being pulled into. She welcomed what would be her demise with open arms. Her ship had run out of food a few days ago and she was in the throws of starvation. Water would soon be gone, too. Her ship's power had been depleted for a while, meaning that her mission was effectively over and there was no way she was getting back home. Looking out at the black hole singularity, she wished for it to take her rather than natural death from having no food and water. She longed to see the inside of this mysterious phenomenom though she certainly expected to be pulled apart in a million little pieces. But at least she could get to see a little bit of it before her ship disintegrated around her. Maybe it would give a little protection just to see what no one else has seen. The stars seemed to move faster as the hours went on. She couldn't be certain if it was the black hole pulling her in more quickly or if the hunger was making her see things. She sat up in her captain's chair and woke her dashcomp out of its drive sleep. Power was being diverted now to the dashcomp so she could continue to get a reading on the black hole and keep the comms open in case someone was looking for her. She laughed out loud at that last thought. If someone was coming to find her, they would have rescued her already. Why waste the mental engergy even entertaining the thought? she said to herself. She closed her eyes. Just for a few minutes she told herself. Just to rest my eyes. Hours later her dashcomp seemed to angrily beep at her. She knew it wasn't good because the beeping was accompanied by violent shaking. The hull started to creak as she steadied herself in the chair. There was a good shake and she was thrown to the floor. It took every last ounce of engergy to get back in the chair, fighting exhaustion, dehydration and the power of the greatest destructive force in the known universe. Once in, she buckled the saftey harnesses. With each violent shake, the harness bit into her flesh. She thought she might not be able to take the pain and wanted to risk flying around the ship with the gravcontrol off. She was going to press the buckle release when all the light from the stars around her started streaking. The ship stopped shaking. Silence filled the cockpit. Then there was black as the streaking light of the stars ended like comets flying out of sight in the Montana night sky she grew up under. She honestly didn't know if she was dead or alive. She hadn't been ripped apart. She hadn't been vaporized into stardust, disintegrated back to raw elements of the universe. In her body, she could sense a speeding up though you wouldn't know it looking out the cockpit shield at nothingness. But something was happening around her and to the ship. She risked unbuckling herself from the chair and getting closer to the shield to see anything, but there was nothing. It was like the entire galaxy had been erased. Then she heard it. A knock. Had something hit the ship? What could have it been? She was in a black hole. Unless ... she wasn't alone in it. Two more knocks. This time she got a better handle on the sound since she was listening for it. She didn't understand. She couldn't comprehend it. Her feet naturally took her toward the ship's airlock. More knocks. They got louder the closer she approached the first door of the airlock. She could see through the window that no one was in there. So it's coming from outside? Outside the ship that's inside a black hole? She had to steady herself against the door and get her mind clear. Knock. Knock. Knock. They were steady. Like someone who was patiently waiting on the other side fully expecting someone on the inside to answer and open the door. "I must be dead," Penny said. "This isn't real. I'm dust and this must be some sort of consciousness I'm living in or passing through now. How can it be anything other?" Feeling like this couldn't be happening in real life, she opened the first door of the airlock and stepped in. The door closed behind her. She stared at the big red button, lighted in all it's cautionary glory. It turned green as the room pressurized. Her hand slowly reached for it. She felt it under her palm, warm to the touch from the light inside. She took a breath and pressed it. The airlock door slowly opened. Penny wasn't sucked out into the cold vacuum of space. She was planted firmly in the airlock looking at blackness as the door kept opening out into the black hole. As is it started to pull back against her ship, a figure came into view. At first, blurry and distorted, but as it moved closer the figure began to become clearer. It was now only feet in front of her. The face. She couldn't believe who she was staring at in the middle of the airlock inside a black hole. She had to be dead because it was not possible that her father was standing in front of her. A father who passed away when she was seventeen. A father whose death shattered her world when he left to the great beyond. "Hi, potato," he said. Penny crumpled to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Her father stepped inside the airlock, closed the door and sat beside her, holding her close as she shook with every emotion in the human existence. "I'm here," he said. "I'm here." "How," Penny asked. "This isn't possible. I saw you die. I saw you in the casket. They had to pull me off it to lower you into the grave. Those were real memories I lived through. This," gesturing to them sitting in the ship, "can't be real." He squeezed her hand gently. “You feel this?” She nodded. “Squeeze my hand,” he said. She squeezed it. “Feels real, right?” She nodded again. He pulled Penny up to her feet. “Let’s get a cup of coffee and see how you’ve been doing.” --- He helped Penny into chair at the kitchen table where she continued to stare wide-eyed at the man who looked, sounded and smelled exactly like her father. “We’re out of everything almost,” Penny said. ”You won’t find any coffee.” “I won’t?” he asked. There was a playfulness in his eyes. He opened a few cupboards and let out an “Ah ha” after the third try. He pulled out a glass container filled with coffee grounds. Penny sat up. “Nothing’s been in there for weeks!” “Maybe you didn’t look hard enough, potato. You always had a bad habit of giving up too quickly looking for your toys when you couldn’t find them. I’ll make you some pancakes, too, just like we used to on Saturday mornings.” Tears ran down her cheeks. As her father prepared breakfast with food that hadn't been there before in weeks in a kitchen she hadn't stepped into in the same amount of time, she studied this figure who had all the characteristics of her father. She strained her memory, but not as hard as she thought she had to. Past images came back more easily and the destructiveness of not having food for days that plagued her mind seemed to wane. Like looking at old photographs, she recalled her dad being the exact same person as the one standing in front of her. Short dark, almost midnight, black hair. Thin and tall with olive-tan skin. Bushy eyebrows and a five o'clock shadow. He wore a hooded sweatshirt just like he used to around the house and those same old sweatpants fraying at the cuff above his ankles. Even his tennis shoes were worn a bit. He looked healthy and in shape. The same as he did right before his heart attack. The shock of it all was deep for her given how he didn't fit the type for a heart attack. But that was life, as her uncle put it, on the day he died. "One minute, you're hugging your family. And the next ... well ..." He gestured down the hall to his brother's room where doctors and nurses were going in and out. She broke out of her memory gaze to see her dad flipping pancakes. His laugh was just as she remembered it, too. It had to be him. Who else could it be? --- They sat in a few moments of silence eating pancakes and drinking coffee. Penny couldn't believe she was actually doing this or that it was the most delicious breakfast she'd ever have. "So, space explorer, huh?" her dad asked. "Alway knew you'd do something great. Even when you were young, you were always dreaming big dreams. I don't know if I could be more proud of what you've accomplished." "Dad, can I be honest with you?" Penny asked. "Of course. You know I love you no matter what." "I failed this mission. I was sent to try to find a new planet for the human race to inhabit, and instead, I got sucked into a black hole having breakfast with my dead father." "Hey, you didn't fail anything. You got as far as you could go and you never gave up. I know what's in those vials on the counter. At any point you could have taken on, but you didn't. You held out to the end and you did your job." "But I failed the human race." "No, potato. The human race failed you. They put you in this tremendous position of finding a new planet. The constant warring ravaged our planet, causing the nations of the world to embark on these missions. You can rest knowing you did your best." "I hope so." Penny took a napkin and wiped her eyes. "How are the pancakes?" "The best. Always the best." She shoveled in a few forkfuls to appease the days-long hunger inside. They sat in more silence eating and drinking. --- Penny and her father walked along the corridor catching up and reminiscing about times long past. She started to get a little wobbly and her dad propped her up on his shoulder. "Let's get you to bed." They walked a little ways to her room and the autolights came on as soon they entered. She took her shoes off and got under the covers. He sat down beside her and stroked her hair. "Thank you for this, dad. I don't know how it happened, but I'm glad it did." "Me, too. potato." "Can you sing to me? 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star'?" "Sure thing." Her dad sang in a sweet, low tone she recognized immediately as her eyelids fluttered open and close. Soon, she couldn't hear him anymore or feel the stroking of her hair. "Dad, one more hug before bed?" she asked in almost a whisper, eyes heavy and closed. In her dream-like state, she could feel warm arms around her squeeze tight and then gently let go. In her room, Penny lay on the bed, alone. There were no sounds coming from anywhere in the ship. Her hand uncurled and a single, plastic vial fell from the bed and bounced on the floor of her room. Outside Penny's window, the black hole was drawing in everything around it but the tiny ship. ### The Ray Bradbury Challenge URL: https://www.johnvasquez.net/the-ray-bradbury-challenge/ Last updated: 2026-03-30T04:46:26.000Z For a while now, I've been watching many Ray Bradbury YouTube videos on writing. As I got deeper and deeper into my novel, I was looking for more inspiration, more nuggets of wisdom to load into my metaphorical writer pockets, and his whole writing philosophy really spoke to me. [I mentioned his comments](https://www.johnvasquez.net/the-struggle-is-real/) about not thinking at the typewriter when first drafting to feel the story and not over-intellectualize what you're putting down. The thinking part comes later in the editing. As an aside, I met him a few times as a student at UCLA at the LA Times Book Fair when it used to be hosted on campus. He was such a warm and friendly man, always willing to talk books and dinosaurs with fellow lovers of such at his little booth. ## A short story a week (maybe) Another video I came across was a talk he was giving at a college. Early in his talk, he mentions young writers needing to first hone their craft, so rather than start big with a novel they should start small with a short story a week. The video below starts where he gives this advice. Ray Bradbury's advice for young writers and starting out small. To challenge myself, keep myself accountable and create content for my website to feed the AI overlords, I thought I'd try this out in public and see where it goes. Can I actually write one short story a week? Will I be able to generate 1,000 to 10,000 words a week while still writing a novel? Will the stories be any good? Is burnout to be expected? I guess we'll see, but it's the journey I'm most intrigued about. A year from now, I could have 52 posts of stories with a minimum of 52,000 words written, but the experience will have far outweighed the work. ## Ideas, ideas, my kingdom for an idea For years, I've subscribed to [Reedsy's weekly writing prompts](https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/contests/?ref=johnvasquez.net), and over the years I may have written two full short stories with a handful of ones that I started and never finished. So I will continue to stay subscribed so that I'll at least have a starting point for a story idea. I doubt many of these will be any good, but it's good practice. So, I guess it’s really just for me, but let me know if you enjoy a story. They will most likely be somewhat unpolished so expect some mistakes. Heck, maybe if one is even decent, I may enter it to win a cool $250\. Any extra money comes in handy when you have after-school care to pay for. I’ll try to post a story a week. I will probably get behind and may post a few at a time if I need to, but the goal is 52 short stories in 12 months. So, if you happen to read my blog or come across this site while I'm in the throes of short-story madness, maybe drop me a line of encouragement. I'm probably going to need it. ![](https://media.tenor.com/xoO9Rtvcq8IAAAAC/star-wars-anakin.gif) ### Wasted Time: A Cautionary Tale URL: https://www.johnvasquez.net/wasted-time-a-cautionary-tale/ Last updated: 2026-02-22T06:17:33.000Z I just turned 49\. One year away from 50\. And in that span of my life where I knew I wanted to create and had the means to do so, I wasted most of that time. Don't be like me. I write this post not just to have something to remind myself to get back to writing when I instead pick up my phone to endlessly scroll Instagram or turn on the TV to watch a movie I've seen a million times, but also for you, dear reader, as something to not aspire to. I also write this for my daughter, who is more artistically inclined, like her talented graphic designer mother. I hope to instill in her a sense of determination to get good at a craft early in life rather than half-heartedly moseying about the edges of a life of possible talent and meaning. While I don’t mean to force her into a life she doesn’t want, as some parents can do with their kids be it in sports, music or academics, I know first-hand what it means to sit idly on the sidelines and dream about doing rather than actually doing. Getting good at something early on and practicing that skill, especially in an area where you seem to have a natural talent, can only benefit you in the long run, I believe. It's one thing to have no talent and waste time, but when you have some talent or even a lot of it, and you do nothing with the gift you've been given, well that's a crime unto itself. ![](https://media.tenor.com/Yj120Yzm29MAAAAC/cat-stare.gif) ## College time wasted While I don't believe I'm a great writer, I have been told I have a "voice" to my writing, even early on in my high school and college days. I even have a letter from a screenwriter professor at UCLA praising my first completed screenplay. (It’s very possible his TA wrote the letter, or that he was just being nice so I could buy his next book. I’ll never know, but I have it saved to look at when I need a pick-me-up.) You would think that would be motivation enough to get cracking on my passion, which was at the time screenwriting. I love movies and loved to write even as a young kid, so when I got to UCLA I took as many screenwriting classes as I could along with my English classes for my major. But time passed on and I was doing so many things at school that I didn't focus on what I thought was my passion. Screenwriting was the first type of formatted creative writing that I learned while at UCLA (and it's influenced how I write my novel) even before I took creative writing courses. I thought I had enough time. Time to practice at it. Time to figure out how to make my dreams a reality. I could myself writing scripts and becoming successful as clear as the movies I saw in the theater. The vision was vivid and tangible, so why did I fail to make something happen? Part of it was certainly lack of discipline. Another part of it was that I just assumed it would work out sooner or later. Things, scholastically, had always seemed to work out in my favor up to then. I did write a lot and had internships at various production companies, even at Amblin, Steven Spielberg’s company. He was my film idol growing up. They even had E.T. door handles! How could I not make it work with all the opportunities and resources I had at my disposal? But for some reason, the drive wasn’t quite there. I was having too much fun being in college rather than finding a balance. ## Adulting time wasted Out of school, I started working and couldn't tell you why I didn't keep up with screenwriting or even try novel writing. I wrote a handful of screenplays over the next several years after college, but never pursued it more than just a hobby. I was single with no real responsibilities besides a job and paying bills. I had so much free time on my hands it was ridiculous. Not to mention, I lived in LA for almost 20 years so location wasn’t an issue. Fast forward years and I find myself laid off in 2019 with a nice severance package and an additional month of employment. I didn't know it but I would only be out of work for about six months. I was so concentrated on finding a job, though, that it consumed my time: resume writing and rewriting, job searches, LinkedIn networking, reaching out to friends and former work colleagues. My mind worried about how I was going to start contributing again to our finances. I felt like trying to write my novel in addition to job searching would be irresponsible in some way. Looking back on it now, that was the perfect opportunity to get something finished. I could have easily taken an hour or two out of my day to write a few pages. It felt at times like my job hunt was all-consuming every day, but I don't think it really was in hindsight. I document all of this for you, fellow traveler, because I don't want you, or my daughter, to make the same mistake in getting caught up in complacency, or the notion that "I'm talented enough to make it one day." Don't rely on "someday." Make today that day and make it count. Make every day count if even for a little, or soon you'll be 49 and counting the days that counted for nothing. Youth and time are deceptive. Together, they make the perfect robbers of your ambition. I'm not saying you can't enjoy your youth, but if you have a passion and you have the talent, don't waste it thinking there's always tomorrow. There's no harm in starting today. ### Writing Through the Aches URL: https://www.johnvasquez.net/writing-through-the-aches/ Last updated: 2025-06-26T05:11:20.000Z You see, I’m what you’d call an older dad. Having been married once before, almost two decades ago, I remarried in 2014\. For reasons I won’t get into, we didn’t have kids right away. Then COVID hit and, [like many other married couples](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-caused-a-baby-bump-when-experts-expected-a-drop-heres-why/?ref=johnvasquez.net), we got the surprise of a lifetime that a bouncing baby girl was to be expected in January 2021. ## The joy of youth So, having a kid at age 44 was both exciting and physically challenging, given my past. Ever since I was young, I participated in sports. Mostly, I ran track and played tennis in junior high and high school. During college, I picked up basketball and played almost nonstop for roughly 16 years (three to four times a week for about two hours). For about five years sandwiched in, I played flag football with little to no break between seasons. ## The past catches up With age and married life, I played less and less basketball. I recovered less quickly and found that my joints and knees weren’t responding like they used to. It was harder to keep the weight off with each passing year. When 2021 hit, I was the heaviest I had ever been at about 190 pounds, roughly 15 pounds over my typical “playing weight.” I never realized how much even 15 pounds could affect my getting around and handling a baby. On top of that, so much damage had been done to my knees and other joints that the constant bending down and bending down and bending down was now giving my back the fits. Unlike professional athletes, I had really no recovery plan after playing in the paint for two hours against a guy as big or bigger than me (I’m about 6’2”). And because I was usually the biggest guy on the court, I had to defend the other biggest guy on the court. I was also a natural rebounder, so I was constantly getting hit and pushed around with guys trying to dislodge me from my position. Even after an hour of playing on a Saturday, I was feeling it already and had to stop for the day before the rest of my week became ruined. ## The aching of a new day Fast forward to today and I’m still bending down, but not as much since my daughter is older. The aches and pains are still there, though not as constant. But I’ve paid the price and now it seems it’s time to collect. So trying to sit and write for an hour or two at night after sitting for almost nine hours at my regular job is the last thing my body wants to do. Out of sheer desire to want to be healthier for my family and not feel so bad when I’m writing, I realized it was time to get serious about my health again. If nothing else, I wanted my body to stop sounding like a bowl of Snap, Crackle and Pop, or my wife to stop asking,” Was that your knee/neck/back/entire skeleton?” every time I get up from the couch. ## The weight of it all If you’re like me with these same struggles, there is hope. Now, this may not be for everyone, and I think legally I have to say that I’m not a licensed physician, but lifting heavy weights has been a game-changer and lifesaver for me. There are many benefits for both men and women to lift weights (my wife has been doing it for the last six years and finally convinced me to do the same). Especially when hitting the 40-year mark, weights provide so much benefit to the body. Keeping your body fit with weights will also help keep you from going over that cliff later in life as you age. While [my reference link here is from Men’s Health](https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a40156143/men-over-40-athletic-training-benefits/?ref=johnvasquez.net) on the impact training can have on men over 40, women can also find similar benefits to lifting weights as well. Years ago, I read a book called [Bigger Leaner Stronger](https://a.co/d/f6g3fWC?ref=johnvasquez.net). For a beginner to weight training, I found it easy to follow and no-nonsense. Needless to say, I didn’t keep up with it as I kept playing basketball, and while I maintained a good weight, I wasn’t really toned, just lean and ever-so-slightly doughy in the middle. Now that I’ve been lifting weights since March following the program in the book (this is not a paid ad; the instructions and philosophy in the book just work), I’ve seen a good change in my body physiology and an increase in energy and less back pain. Nearing 50, it will take more than consistent weight lifting, though. I also need a healthy, consistent diet because the weight is harder to keep off the older you get. To me, that’s tougher than finding the motivation to work out. I’m a snacker, and because of my years of playing basketball, a high metabolism and lean frame, I settled into the mindset of “I can eat anything and keep the weight off.” Not so much as I got on in the years. ## How it helps me write Writing at my desk after sitting for eight hours is more doable and feels like it’s less stress on my body. My mind feels clearer, too. On top of weight training, I also incorporate the following into my healthy writer routine: - Sit/stand desk to change up my posture and get the blood flowing. - Walking - Taking a fair amount of breaks, but not too many to break the flow of writing. - [A balance board from Fluidstance](https://fluidstance.com/collections/balance-boards/products/the-plane-balance-board-for-standing-desk?ref=johnvasquez.net) when I feel like getting a little movement in to recharge my body. - Intentional (not just a little twisting and turning) stretching exercises to keep myself limber as I can be at my age. ### Don't Lose Your Dinosaur URL: https://www.johnvasquez.net/dont-lose-your-dinosaur/ Last updated: 2025-05-02T20:45:18.000Z In what may be one of the best scenes of "Step Brothers," and that's saying something as almost every scene is pure comedy gold, the venerable Richard Jenkins gives the legendary, and unscripted, dinosaur speech. SFW edited version. Just FYI. Let me preface this post by saying that I understand this doesn't apply to all readers. It probably doesn't even apply to every parent. I know there are times where I'm tired, work was a grind, chores need to be done and my daughter wants all my attention. But as someone who is hypervigilant to a fault most of the time, I make sure my daughter feels like I'm present. I don’t succeed 100% of the time, but I want to ensure she doesn't grow up with the memory that her dad had his face in his phone throughout her childhood. ## Intentionality So here comes the part where I talk about **intentionality**. And how does this relate to the dinosaur scene in "Step Brothers" as well as writing you ask? Because as I've been more intentional in playing with my daughter, it's brought me back to a sense of wonder and playfulness that I haven't experienced since I was around her age. She's at the magical age of four where she understands more of the world. There is wonder and awe, but also vivid imagination. She talks constantly and creates fantasy worlds with her toys. One day it's Paw Patrol fighting PJ Masks and the next it's Spidey fighting dinosaurs. And I love to hear those words, "Daddy, play with me." We build cities out of blocks and have Mickey Mouse rescue the citizens of said block city from the evil one-armed Rex from "Toy Story" (she broke his arm when she was younger). In this playtime, I find myself not necessarily feeling like a kid again (because my back won't let me), but trying to come up with stories and scenarios on the spot to get her to laugh and play along, or build on them and create her own stories. I also get to see the world through her eyes, and that's a priceless tool at my disposal in my writing. ## Playfulness as a writing tool When my mind can be free to say anything silly during our play, I realize I can apply the same to writing. I can see her wonder at plat and infuse my writing with it as I create fantastical tales of beings from another planet or galactic wars raging across the starry skies. I’m not governed by my adult mind and what others will think. I’m simply letting go and having fun. Especially in a first draft, which most often is messy and you're really just discovering what your story is in putting the bones together, I can write what I feel without the burden of thinking too much, as Ray Bradbury says ([see my post on feeling vs. thinking](https://www.johnvasquez.net/the-struggle-is-real/) when writing a first draft). I can pretend I'm telling her a story and what would keep her little mind interested. I'm not saying dumb down your writing, but if you write sci-fi like I do, you know how wondrous it can be. And sometimes just writing it plainly like how you would tell a young kid a story can be helpful to get words on the page. The editing will come later and it's that part of the process where you can dig into sentence structure and prose and all the tricks that make the writing stand out. ## But John, I have no kids Well, like I said in the beginning, this post may not apply to all readers. But that doesn't mean you can't take something away. Maybe it's realizing why you wanted to write in the first place. What is a teacher who sparked your interest? A certain book or movie? Go back and read that book or watch that movie. Do you have a niece or nephew? Younger cousins? Play with them the next time you visit your family or tell them a story. Watch them at play and see how their little minds work. Remember why you started this journey to begin with. You have a story to tell. Something provoked you to write it. Keep going with it. If you're like me, it's a fire in your belly that won't let go of the dream to write a book. To type "The End" and finally call yourself an author. Your dinosaur isn't lost. You just need to take it down from the shelf and dust it off. ### The Struggle Is Real URL: https://www.johnvasquez.net/the-struggle-is-real/ Last updated: 2025-04-02T05:40:53.000Z I almost called my site something else. The name came to me one day when I was trying to come up with something clever. A hook. A niche. Then, it hit me. I struggle to write. (Yes! What a niche!) How's this for a site name? The Struggling Writer ... or Author. I ended up buying both domains. And while I didn't name my site either of these titles because I was scared about "branding" (insert that RDJ meme of him rolling in eyes in disgust) and wanted to associate my name with my books (what books? you say), I went with my real name. But the struggle remains. And one of the things I want to write about on this blog is the struggle. And how to overcome it, either through sheer will or helpful productivity tips (I'm a productivity junkie). One thing I've picked up on from years of listening to writers on podcasts and reading articles about writing is that one should not beat himself/herself up if the struggle makes its way into the writing process. That having an off day happens to even the best of writers, and shaming yourself for only writing a hundred words versus a thousand doesn't make matters better. I love Masterclass and I've renewed my subscription for the past few years. I've watched Aaron Sorkin's class a few times and his openness about his process and sometimes self-doubt is refreshing to hear given his body of work. He said something in one of the lessons that I wrote down and refer to on those bad days. He said: > Anything that can give you the feeling that you're making progress is going to help you emotionally. I love Ray Bradbury's advice on writing a draft and feeling your way through it rather than thinking too much. Sometimes the thinking or overthinking stops us from making progress. Instead of stopping, we should continue on, relax our brain and let whatever words spill out on the page just spill out.