#antonyautumn

[antonyavtvmn]

JOURNAL — Dreams of a Wordsmith

What a way to start 2025! I submitted some 50-word stories to a competition and two of them ended up being selected for the Highly Commended prize! Ever so grateful. Now...how do I keep doing this for the rest of my life?

__

Signing off, Antony Autumn

[antonyavtvmn]

JOURNAL — Résilience

Jamie Dean tells me it’s not my time.  He’ll meet me when it's over. But not today.  “Stay in the physical realm,” he whispers,  “Where love tastes sweetest.” The spirit world can wait.  I’ll stay and fight  And write and write… 

__

Signing off, Antony Autumn

[antonyavtvmn]

JOURNAL — Practise, Practise, Practise

I've decided not to enrol in the Level 2 Improv class. Instead, I'll be focusing on my singing technique: breath control, pitch, enunciation, dynamic choices. I finally found a vocal coach who knows how to work with my baritone voice. It's not a baritone curse after all! It's just an opportunity in disguise. And I intend to unmask it, unleash it. __ Signing off,  Antony Autumn

[antonyavtvmn]

JOURNAL — Improv Reflection

I finished my 8-week Level 1 Improv course. I can't believed I forced my severely introverted self to complete the whole thing. And I miss it already. Many times, I froze on stage. Overwhelmed, sleep-deprived, breakfast-deprived. You learn by making mistakes. I know. Still, I don’t want to freeze like that ever again. Here’s a list I compiled (the 6Ps) from various online sources to remind myself how to overcome "Improv Impotence":

Physicalise: Act/react first, think later. Start moving your body. Don’t talk about jumping off the cliff. Actually jump off the cliff. Figure it out later. 

Phrases: Make statements. Don’t ask questions. Say then do. Commit to the bit.  

Presence: Focus on the present scenario at hand. Don’t look too far into the future. It’s “yes and…” not “yes and, and, and, and…”

Partnerships: Focus on the relationship between characters / scene partners as clues. 

Purpose: Every character wants something. Work towards fulfilling a goal.

Plaza: Get out of your own overbearing head and hop into Aubrey Plaza’s. What would Plaza do? This, of course, is the hardest step. 

Signing off, Antony Autumn

[antonyavtvmn]

JOURNAL — The Greatest Magic Trick

I've officially withdrawn from my Master of Pharmacy course. I completed 3 of the 4 semesters, took an absence of leave (deferral) and am now working full-time in the media industry. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the degree felt like the right path to take. But in this post-pandemic world, my goals have shifted. I won't be finishing my final semester. I've burnt my safety net.  I'm on the road of no return.  Full steam ahead.  Songwriting, songwriting, songwriting.  If I can truly find my footing as a niche local singer-songwriter, with modest financial return, that would be the greatest magic trick I pull.  Signing off, Antony Autumn

[antonyavtvmn]

JOURNAL — A Future Path of Music Hues

I'm a wandering soul  In a desk-bound job, With constant exposure To images of war and bloodshed. Doom and gloom. I'm grateful I have a job. But it takes its toll.

My birthday just passed  And with that comes new clarity.  This time next year,  Things will be different.  Things will be better.   That's my commitment. I'm ending this journal entry with a spell of action:  "The body knows  Before the mind.  With quickened breath,  Pulse misaligned —  I don’t belong.  I still have time.  Let’s make a plan  To leave behind  This pained routine  And start anew  A future path  Of music hues." __ Signing off,  Antony Autumn

[antonyavtvmn]

POEM — Vox Validus

I am a singer.  The air is my weapon.  Time for the Charm Offensive. 

[antonyavtvmn]

JOURNAL — Commit to the Bit

It was comedy gold when Conan O'Brien cried and dribbled with regret after drinking hot sauce straight from the bottle. "Commit to the bit!" lauded Hot Ones host Sean. "I could never do that," I thought.

But in improv class today, the teacher said I had good commitment. My scene partner and I were both shivering, pretending to be cold in Antarctica. Maybe that's all it takes. Maybe simplicity is key — a bit of hunching, a bit of shaking, a bit of teeth-chattering, as long as it helps with world-building and setting up the next action.

I'm just glad I didn't panic in class. I breathed deeply, took my time with speaking and still managed to get laughs. It felt like childhood again, playing pretend, introducing monsters, fighting imaginary villains. If that's all it takes to do well in improv, I might sign up for Level 2 classes. Might. We'll see what happens...

Signing off, Antony Autumn