Matt....given that scene, I would be having creepy nightmares....yikes.

In any event, now I am not going to be able to get that image from my mind's eye.

It is one thing to be comfortable in one's own home (minus the family members) with one's S/O, research partner or fun friend, hook up, but um naked family swimming...yikes.

There is a nude beach (mostly Gay) near me and well I sunburn something awful, and well, like you, I just don't go there (even if I tanned)....its something to have the hotties in stories....reality, well (and I am no stud...even with gym 6 days a week to stay healthy...those abs of jelly will never be abs of steel for me and I HATE every hot guy who has abs of steel....the "B" word comes to mind...my stomach area, my weak point..)

but geez, no wonder you are up late....such a scarey image....like Fright night or something.

in any event, this may sound silly, but after posting a post (if I reveal something personal), I turn beat red after I post it (I can feel me blushing) and then, like you, I get embarassed and self conscious...every time, yet I post...hmmmm...oh well, back to work..

it is nice to know I am not the only night owl..always have been here...born in the early morning and like it best staying up late...now a morning person, I will never be.

ok, now I am blushing and your post is making me have images of pools and those that are in them that I care not to....you must be still recovering from that trauma..add to that and being Gay and seeing a naked sister, her dad and her brother...ok, I must stop....my computer is freaking out too.

Michael

Interesting experience Matt. I probably would have been uncomfortable too, but I wonder, then, if I'm the one with issues and not the family? Why are we Americans so hung up on nudity? The human body is a beautiful thing, especially female bodies. You can look at a painting, appreciate it's beauty, and not want to f**k it, right? I think it is the Puritan influence, the same mores that are used to dictate the homosexuality is wrong, or that other people's viewpoints should be repressed.

I say, next time, rip off your clothes, jump in, and know that you are doing your part to overcome the influence of these bigots.

I say, ... rip off your clothes,

You always vote on the side of ripping clothes off (well, almost always)

Snow Dog

Well, Matt, there's certainly one thing you got going for you, your life isn't dull. Confusing and wierd maybe, but not dull. For a writer, that's got to be a big plus.

Being 54 and having been told, twice recently, that I look better with clothes on, and, believe me, I was not nude either time, I can certainly appreciate the uhh ...distress that you encountered. So, enjoy your youth! You might want to do the nude swimming thing sometime - perhaps in a more comfortable context. At the very least, it would make for a great blog.

Developing a discipline around your writing is a super idea. Now would be the right time to do that in order to reap the long term benefits. Yes, I agree, it's difficult. Just think though of how happy you'll make your devoted fans as we get regular chapters.

BUT, you've got to set this up to give youself the best chance to win. One year is way too long a period. Why not start with 30 days to begin with? I don't know if one page is too much but it might be when you're ill or out-of-town attending an event. How about 30 minutes a day? It's a start towards that structure.

If you miss a day, don't go beating yourself up and quit. Determine what went wrong, fix it if you can and re-commit. It would also be useful to have a friend, someone you trust, whom you can check in with once a week to let him know how you're doing - this is the accountability part, so don't pick someone who's going to let you bullshit him.

Hugs,

Conner