Marcus Lopés

LGTBQIA2S+ Author, Blogger, Runner

Writing Life

Panster, Plotter, or…?

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panster

Panster. Plotter. Democrat. Republican. Night owl. Morning person. Vegan. Pescatarian. It’s funny (or maybe not?) how we like to put labels on everything. Maybe it’s because labels let us fit in and feel like we’re part of a group. I’m not saying labels are a bad thing, but maybe our penchant to make sure everyone fits nicely into some box—whatever that box is—is. Growing up, and usually the only Black kid in the class, I certainly didn’t fit in. And I also didn’t belong to any group. Yet I digress…

As I started writing and found my voice, I still didn’t feel like I fitted in because it seemed like my writing didn’t fit squeaky clean into a specific genre. And while a lot of people find a ‘tribe,’ I’m still looking.

And if I had to label my writing style, am I a panster or a plotter? Hmm… [Read more…] about Panster, Plotter, or…?

The Power of Change

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sobriety

Earlier this month, an anniversary slipped by without any fanfare. In fact, I had completely forgot about it. Because it represents something that now just feels normal, that I don’t have to think about. But I do think about it, just not in the same way: sobriety.

Five years ago, I stopped drinking. I wasn’t out bingeing or suffering through stomach-churning, mind-bending hangovers. On the days when I wasn’t flying (I was a flight attendant for 7.5 years before the pandemic, and there were strict rules around alcohol), I had a glass or two of wine with dinner. Wine also featured prominently in a lot of the dinner recipes I prepared since, back then, I was making my way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Child, Bertholle, and Beck). And dealing with sleep issues for most of my adult life, it became clear: I had to change my life. [Read more…] about The Power of Change

Letting Go of the Things that Don’t Serve Us

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In these early weeks of 2023, I am thinking about how to fix my life. Not everything. Or at least not everything at once. But the one or two (possibly three) bad habits that are holding me back. If I want to stop feeling stuck, and stop focusing on the past, I need to become — as Mark Manson puts it — ‘future-obsessed.’ This is a first step in letting go of the things that don’t serve us.

If you are able to think then you are able to make different choices. If you are able to make different choices, you are able to improve. If you are able to improve, with enough time, you are able to overcome anything. – Mark Mason [Read more…] about Letting Go of the Things that Don’t Serve Us

The Hardest Part of Focus

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Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus. – Alexander Graham Bell

Most mornings my day begins somewhere around 3:00am (later on Saturday when my body finally tries to catch up from my lack of sleep). What I love about that time of the day is the quietness. It’s still dark outside. There is stillness. I feel like I am the only who exists on the planet. And since I have always been a morning person, getting up early isn’t the hardest part. [Read more…] about The Hardest Part of Focus

Welcome to 2023

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welcome to 2023

We survived the holiday season. It was, as usual, a quiet Christmas in my corner of the world. I haven’t travelled over the Christmas period since 2019, when I was still working as a flight attendant. I’m not going to lie. I’ve been happy not to travel, this year especially as a massive storm system swept through the region wreaking havoc on the roads and causing days-long power outages in some areas. And with all the Christmas baking I did, let’s just say there was no such thing as moderation. I ate every little Christmas cookie or dessert I could get my hands on. Now it’s time to step up the workouts and the running. [Read more…] about Welcome to 2023