Nuthinduan

©2022 Michael Raven

It is rounding around that time again when the house will become emptied of everyone but myself and seven ornery cats who expect to be fed five times a day (when they’ve never been fed more than three times a day). Next week, I will experience a temporary empty nest and, unlike the past few years, I’m not looking to fill up my freedom with social engagements that I am normally unable to pursue because of, well, seven demanding cats and three kids.

Instead, I think I might make other plans.

Namely?

Nothing at all.

Of course, that’s not entirely true. Or true at all, really.

What I plan to do is finish up the final episode’s BGM and sound effects for the collaborative thing I’ve doing with a few people that will eventually have the feel of a visual graphic novel. I’ve been stuck on episode 4 of 5 this past week — I’m coming up with plenty of concepts, just none that work with the story’s groove. Episode 5 came to me quite easily and it pretty much went as I wanted and expected. I actually can’t wait to have someone hear that episode. The others are a bit of a mixed bag, but that might be me being overly critical of my own work. IDK. I’m rarely a good judge of my own efforts, writing or music.

But episode 5 is almost exactly on Point (pun intended, as this is the name of the short story) in my honest and humble opinion. Episode 3 is decent, followed by episode 2. Episode 1… well… I have never done BGM before and this is my virgin effort. I’d probably approach things differently with what I’m learned since.

But episode 4 has been a tough nut to crack. It should probably have a wistful sadness to it, which I can’t seem to capture in the ideas I’ve come up with. So, assuming I don’t have a flash of inspiration before everyone skedaddles from this household, I need to get that last bit of collaboration wrangled when the house is empty.

The other thing I have “planned” is to take some vacation from work while everyone is away. Turn off notifications, refuse to log in. They can survive without me for two days.

And?

I might sign off from the internet entirely for a day or three and do some focused NaNo-level writing without interruptions. I don’t know that anyone needs (or wants) to have my normal levels of spleen-spilling so much that they can’t survive without me in their lives for two days (for those who can’t possibly survive without Michael Raven in their feed, I plan to schedule a few posts beforehand — here’s a barf bag… you had to know THAT was coming, LOL).

Or maybe… I just do a whole lot of focused nothing.