Dear Reader,
I am mad. No, I mean like pissed off mad. Before I tell my story, I invite you to find out why I am so infuriatingly angry here: http://jezebel.com/5896408/racist-hunger-games-fans-dont-care-how-much-money-the-movie-made. Understand now? Good.
I have not read Suzanne Collins' epic, bestselling trilogy, but everyone I know who has read the books has said how amazing they are. On top of that, she helped adapt the novel into the screenplay, which means she had at least some say as to what the characters looked like. In fact, it would have been a bigger issue to me if Rue and Thresh were white when the book so clearly describes them as having dark skin. I don' know how Collins is reacting to this outcry, but I would love to see what her response is.
I have decided to maximize on this "controversy." I had never given the look of my characters much thought, but now I think I am going to consciously pay more attention, especially in my Regulators book. I haven't talked much about it, but I will say that it is going to be a series that deals a lot with the dream world. The first three books will introduce each of the three main protagonists, collectively known as The Regulators. I have decided that one of these characters will, in fact, be black. Why? Because he is a powerful character who plays a very important part in the story. Upon first glance, this might seem like a "pity-casting." However, this issue made me realize that I wasn't paying attention to the physical appearance of my characters, and once I did I discovered that this character is black.
I'm thinking that this decision will probably cause even more controversy, but that's my goal. We all need to open our eyes and see that there are issues that are alive in our society today that we deemed resolved. The Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery and the Civil Rights Movement did not end racism. We need to be aware of these horrible things and stomp them out. We need to care for each other the same way Katniss cares for Rue, even after she's dead. I plan on doing my part, however small. What do you plan to do about it, Reader? When you figure that out, let me know. Until then,
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
As Always,
James
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Why I Am a Writer
Dear Reader,
I find writing to be invigorating. When the words fall into place just the right way, when that one line pops into my head and I think "this is it," when the character does something that I never would have thought of, when I push past a period of blankness, I get a good feeling and I start to think that maybe being a writer isn't such a bad job. That being said, the real reason I am a writer is because of the people. But, how can this be, you might be asking yourself. Aren't writers typically introverts, immersing themselves in their work and leaving the "real" world behind? In a way, yes. However, there are a few things you should know.
First, I am not a typical writer, in that I am not an introvert. I enjoy the company of other people. This doesn't mean that I don't need my alone time. I'm just more sociable than most writers are portrayed to be.
Second, though writers can be introverted when it comes to "other" people, we are usually quite friendly with each other. We bounce ideas off of one another, critique another writer's work, and listen for their feedback on our own. So, even though we are commonly "loners," we are loners together. It's kind of like that Billy Joel line from Piano Man: "They're sharing a drink they call lonliness/But it's better than drinking alone."
I love other writers. I went to college for writing. My best friend is a writer. I married a writer. I surround myself with writers. This especially helps when dark days come like the one I had this past weekend. Like I said, I love it when I get a line that fits perfectly, and as Meg and I were talking about my Regulators story, she made a quick comment about it and my face lit up. The sentence she uttered would go perfectly in my story. Later that night, I sat down to write more of my story, and something terrible happened: I froze. I remembered the line, and I wrote it down, but absolutely nothing else came out. It was the perfect line, but nothing was happening to it. That's when terrible occurrence #2 happened: I decided I would never be a writer. I wasn't good enough, I never was, and I never will be. Meg refused my decision, but I had already made it...until today.
If you look at the left of the screen, Reader, you will notice I made a couple of changes to My Favorite Links. I removed Robin Parrish (I'll explain why at a later date) and I added a little something called YAtopia. This is a blog by YA writers and it features a fantastic writer named Sarah Nicolas. When I checked my e-mail today, Meg had sent me a link to Sarah's latest contribution to YAtopia: http://yatopia.blogspot.com/2012/03/struggle-with-your-self-esteem.html. Read this and you will see why it helped. Meg introduced me to Sarah Nicolas, and I have only recently discovered how good a writer she really is. Her blog entry came at the perfect time for me, and now I feel better about myself as a writer. Her link is right above YAtopia's. Check them both out. Follow them both. If you are a writer, you will thank me later for that. Which leads me to my next bit: Thank you, Sarah Nicolas, for being an inspiration to all aspiring writers out there. I look forward to reading more of her posts and seeing what enlightening bit of information she has next.
Before I go, Reader, I want to let you know that I will be having a special contributor on here to write up a very special entry of the Don't Judge A Book series. Here's a little hint: it has to do with a major movie that just hit theaters. Until then, Reader,
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
As Always,
James
I find writing to be invigorating. When the words fall into place just the right way, when that one line pops into my head and I think "this is it," when the character does something that I never would have thought of, when I push past a period of blankness, I get a good feeling and I start to think that maybe being a writer isn't such a bad job. That being said, the real reason I am a writer is because of the people. But, how can this be, you might be asking yourself. Aren't writers typically introverts, immersing themselves in their work and leaving the "real" world behind? In a way, yes. However, there are a few things you should know.
First, I am not a typical writer, in that I am not an introvert. I enjoy the company of other people. This doesn't mean that I don't need my alone time. I'm just more sociable than most writers are portrayed to be.
Second, though writers can be introverted when it comes to "other" people, we are usually quite friendly with each other. We bounce ideas off of one another, critique another writer's work, and listen for their feedback on our own. So, even though we are commonly "loners," we are loners together. It's kind of like that Billy Joel line from Piano Man: "They're sharing a drink they call lonliness/But it's better than drinking alone."
I love other writers. I went to college for writing. My best friend is a writer. I married a writer. I surround myself with writers. This especially helps when dark days come like the one I had this past weekend. Like I said, I love it when I get a line that fits perfectly, and as Meg and I were talking about my Regulators story, she made a quick comment about it and my face lit up. The sentence she uttered would go perfectly in my story. Later that night, I sat down to write more of my story, and something terrible happened: I froze. I remembered the line, and I wrote it down, but absolutely nothing else came out. It was the perfect line, but nothing was happening to it. That's when terrible occurrence #2 happened: I decided I would never be a writer. I wasn't good enough, I never was, and I never will be. Meg refused my decision, but I had already made it...until today.
If you look at the left of the screen, Reader, you will notice I made a couple of changes to My Favorite Links. I removed Robin Parrish (I'll explain why at a later date) and I added a little something called YAtopia. This is a blog by YA writers and it features a fantastic writer named Sarah Nicolas. When I checked my e-mail today, Meg had sent me a link to Sarah's latest contribution to YAtopia: http://yatopia.blogspot.com/2012/03/struggle-with-your-self-esteem.html. Read this and you will see why it helped. Meg introduced me to Sarah Nicolas, and I have only recently discovered how good a writer she really is. Her blog entry came at the perfect time for me, and now I feel better about myself as a writer. Her link is right above YAtopia's. Check them both out. Follow them both. If you are a writer, you will thank me later for that. Which leads me to my next bit: Thank you, Sarah Nicolas, for being an inspiration to all aspiring writers out there. I look forward to reading more of her posts and seeing what enlightening bit of information she has next.
Before I go, Reader, I want to let you know that I will be having a special contributor on here to write up a very special entry of the Don't Judge A Book series. Here's a little hint: it has to do with a major movie that just hit theaters. Until then, Reader,
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
As Always,
James
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Observation # 4
Dear Reader,
This week's observation took a few turns before I started writing this. As per usual, I shuffled the cards and picked the one on top: "explore the underside." Upon first glance, I thought about looking beneath the surface, literally. Maybe I was supposed to look under my desk or my bed. I secondly thought of the metaphorical underside, but in a narrow sense. Perhaps I was supposed to look for anything hidden. A hidden object, a hiding place, etc. That was the closest to what the author had in mind, but it was still small-thinking.
Ms. Epel started the chapter mentioning how we should "discover the dark side of your hero, the soft side of your villain." That broadened my idea a little bit more, but it was really the first sentence in the second paragraph that got me. "Every positive characteristic has its negative side." Instantly that reminded me of a television show my wife and I watch that we love. ABC's "Once Upon a Time" is an imaginative look at fairy tales. It interested me recently because of the fairy tales I studied in my Children's Literature class I'm taking. Then, the story became interesting on its own. It intertwines a bunch of well-known tales, and since most (if not all) fairy tales cannot be traced back to the original source and since there are so many different versions, the show is not being disruptive. Anyway, the reason that line reminded me of the show is that the character of Rumplestiltskin constantly reminds the people he gives help to that all magic comes at a price.
What this caused me to realize is that I work so much in the moment when I write that I rarely think about the domino effect. Which is kind of funny, because I usually have an end goal in mind. I now understand why most of my writing becomes so lengthy. I am willing to take my characters through anything for as long as it takes to reach my goal. Either that or I force them into an unfair situation and the writing turns to crap. I'm not an organized person (just ask my wife), and I thought that it wouldn't be a problem for my wanting to be a writer, especially after reading how Stephen King does his writing. He doesn't believe in outlines. He gets the ball rolling and lets the characters dictate the story to him, not the other way around. Of course, he is rarely ever presumptuous enough to decide what's going to happen ahead of time.
Where does this leave me? I now have to research the idea of outlining my writing, which is a difficult thing for me to do. I have to face the music and force myself to do it. I really think that it will help, as much as I hate to admit it. I don't know if you feel the same way, Reader. How do you write? Do you just let the characters do their thing, like Stephen King, or are you more of a J.K. Rowling type, who was very meticulous in her organization of the Harry Potter novels? I'd really like to hear what helps you best, especially if it's something other than the two things I mentioned. I always look forward to new ways of doing things.
Before I sign off, Reader, I would like to let you know about the new blog I started. The only subject that I am as passionate about as I am writing is teaching. I started a blog about education titled The Answer in the Back. You can get there either by clicking the title or the link on the left under "Favorite links." If you have any investment in education (and most people do), then please check it out. I've only just started it, but I hope to have a lot to say before long.
Until next time, Reader,
Write candidly. Speak freely. Read endlessly.
Yours,
James
This week's observation took a few turns before I started writing this. As per usual, I shuffled the cards and picked the one on top: "explore the underside." Upon first glance, I thought about looking beneath the surface, literally. Maybe I was supposed to look under my desk or my bed. I secondly thought of the metaphorical underside, but in a narrow sense. Perhaps I was supposed to look for anything hidden. A hidden object, a hiding place, etc. That was the closest to what the author had in mind, but it was still small-thinking.
Ms. Epel started the chapter mentioning how we should "discover the dark side of your hero, the soft side of your villain." That broadened my idea a little bit more, but it was really the first sentence in the second paragraph that got me. "Every positive characteristic has its negative side." Instantly that reminded me of a television show my wife and I watch that we love. ABC's "Once Upon a Time" is an imaginative look at fairy tales. It interested me recently because of the fairy tales I studied in my Children's Literature class I'm taking. Then, the story became interesting on its own. It intertwines a bunch of well-known tales, and since most (if not all) fairy tales cannot be traced back to the original source and since there are so many different versions, the show is not being disruptive. Anyway, the reason that line reminded me of the show is that the character of Rumplestiltskin constantly reminds the people he gives help to that all magic comes at a price.
What this caused me to realize is that I work so much in the moment when I write that I rarely think about the domino effect. Which is kind of funny, because I usually have an end goal in mind. I now understand why most of my writing becomes so lengthy. I am willing to take my characters through anything for as long as it takes to reach my goal. Either that or I force them into an unfair situation and the writing turns to crap. I'm not an organized person (just ask my wife), and I thought that it wouldn't be a problem for my wanting to be a writer, especially after reading how Stephen King does his writing. He doesn't believe in outlines. He gets the ball rolling and lets the characters dictate the story to him, not the other way around. Of course, he is rarely ever presumptuous enough to decide what's going to happen ahead of time.
Where does this leave me? I now have to research the idea of outlining my writing, which is a difficult thing for me to do. I have to face the music and force myself to do it. I really think that it will help, as much as I hate to admit it. I don't know if you feel the same way, Reader. How do you write? Do you just let the characters do their thing, like Stephen King, or are you more of a J.K. Rowling type, who was very meticulous in her organization of the Harry Potter novels? I'd really like to hear what helps you best, especially if it's something other than the two things I mentioned. I always look forward to new ways of doing things.
Before I sign off, Reader, I would like to let you know about the new blog I started. The only subject that I am as passionate about as I am writing is teaching. I started a blog about education titled The Answer in the Back. You can get there either by clicking the title or the link on the left under "Favorite links." If you have any investment in education (and most people do), then please check it out. I've only just started it, but I hope to have a lot to say before long.
Until next time, Reader,
Write candidly. Speak freely. Read endlessly.
Yours,
James
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
An Old Flame
Dear Reader,
Before I really get into this post, I must do something. A while ago I started talking about The Observation Deck cards. My wife thought that I should elaborate on that because I came off as very confusing. So, I will do that now.
The Observation Deck comes with 50 cards. Each of these cards has a word or phrase, otherwise known as observations. The creator of this nifty tool combined ideas from all different kinds of writers and came up with some of the best suggestion to help aspiring authors get started, or really to help anyone who is "blocked." One of the ways this can be done is by simply looking at the book that comes with the cards and finding the chapter you want to work on or feel like needs the most improvement. Another way, the way I do it, is to shuffle the cards and pick one at random. Each time, I leave the current card out, shuffle the deck, pick the card on top, and replace the former observation back in the deck. In doing it this way, I have created a much needed sacred space, started writing letters, and am now on my third (and still eerily spot on) card. I really hope that helps you understand, Reader. If you have any questions, I would be more than happy to try to answer them.
This brings me to this week's observation. After a shuffle and a draw, I found myself staring at a card that simply said "rhyme." I looked at the corresponding chapter, and the author suggested that if you are blocked you should just play around with rhyming. She states that this lets the muse know you are there, and it gets the juices flowing again. This seemed a little infantile to me, but I promised myself I would at least try it. Before I could, though, I had to return to class after my much needed spring break. One of the classes I had was Children's Literature. We started the semester off talking about a few fairytales and moved on to children's novels. We took a break, though, to spend a day talking about children's poetry. The poems were both funny and inspiring, and at the end of the class the professor offered extra credit to anyone who wanted to write a specific type of poem and bring it in. I did not need this enticement. As the class was happening, I found myself playing with words in a way I hadn't since high school. I started writing poetry again.
It felt like I was destined to get that card when I did. I remembered how much I actually loved writing poetry, and since yesterday I have come to a decision. I am going to compile my own book of children's poetry. Every now and then I will post a poem here for you all to read and give me feedback on. I would even encourage you to read them to any children you may know (I will put up disclaimers if I feel it is necessary).
I have not given up on novels. One thing I have always said is that I am going to dabble in everything as a writer. I plan to have books, both fiction and non-fiction, published. I plan to have collections of poetry. I even want to write television and movie scripts, even if only once. I like to think big.
Thank you for listening, Reader. I look forward to the day I can tell you that you should go out and buy something of mine. Until then,
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Yours,
James
Before I really get into this post, I must do something. A while ago I started talking about The Observation Deck cards. My wife thought that I should elaborate on that because I came off as very confusing. So, I will do that now.
The Observation Deck comes with 50 cards. Each of these cards has a word or phrase, otherwise known as observations. The creator of this nifty tool combined ideas from all different kinds of writers and came up with some of the best suggestion to help aspiring authors get started, or really to help anyone who is "blocked." One of the ways this can be done is by simply looking at the book that comes with the cards and finding the chapter you want to work on or feel like needs the most improvement. Another way, the way I do it, is to shuffle the cards and pick one at random. Each time, I leave the current card out, shuffle the deck, pick the card on top, and replace the former observation back in the deck. In doing it this way, I have created a much needed sacred space, started writing letters, and am now on my third (and still eerily spot on) card. I really hope that helps you understand, Reader. If you have any questions, I would be more than happy to try to answer them.
This brings me to this week's observation. After a shuffle and a draw, I found myself staring at a card that simply said "rhyme." I looked at the corresponding chapter, and the author suggested that if you are blocked you should just play around with rhyming. She states that this lets the muse know you are there, and it gets the juices flowing again. This seemed a little infantile to me, but I promised myself I would at least try it. Before I could, though, I had to return to class after my much needed spring break. One of the classes I had was Children's Literature. We started the semester off talking about a few fairytales and moved on to children's novels. We took a break, though, to spend a day talking about children's poetry. The poems were both funny and inspiring, and at the end of the class the professor offered extra credit to anyone who wanted to write a specific type of poem and bring it in. I did not need this enticement. As the class was happening, I found myself playing with words in a way I hadn't since high school. I started writing poetry again.
It felt like I was destined to get that card when I did. I remembered how much I actually loved writing poetry, and since yesterday I have come to a decision. I am going to compile my own book of children's poetry. Every now and then I will post a poem here for you all to read and give me feedback on. I would even encourage you to read them to any children you may know (I will put up disclaimers if I feel it is necessary).
I have not given up on novels. One thing I have always said is that I am going to dabble in everything as a writer. I plan to have books, both fiction and non-fiction, published. I plan to have collections of poetry. I even want to write television and movie scripts, even if only once. I like to think big.
Thank you for listening, Reader. I look forward to the day I can tell you that you should go out and buy something of mine. Until then,
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Yours,
James
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Spring Cleaning
Dear Reader,
Today, I return to school after a spring break that was much needed in more ways than one.
First of all, I needed the rest. I've been anticipating a job where I would work third shift, so I acclimated my sleep accordingly. The problem with this is that two days a week I have a class that starts at 1:30pm. Add in the time it takes to eat, shower, and get ready for class, I don't have much time left for sleep. So, this past week has been great for catching up.
Second, I was able to take a break from reading and writing for classes. I actually enjoy academic reading and writing, but I've been doing so much of it lately that I've felt like a zombie. I admittedly tried to get a little caught up this week, but I was able to be casual about it and not feel rushed. Another plus.
However, the best part of spring break was the increase in my writing. On New Year's Eve, I swore to myself that I would update my blog at least once a week. For more than a month I did not keep that promise. Then I forced myself to update regularly. Finally, when spring break got here, I went on a blogging binge. As I look back on some of my posts from this past week, I notice that they were not necessarily all that good, but upon further analysis I know that they needed to be written. After not writing for so long, I started amassing quite the mental clutter. I couldn't think straight. Thanks to this blog, I was able to update almost once a day and de-clutter a lot of what was in my head. It was my "spring cleaning" so to speak, and I found out how absolutely helpful it was. It also will help me keep my promise to update at least once a week because I don't want to be cluttered up like that again.
I would like to take this time to thank you, Reader, for bearing with me through my not-always-intelligible ramblings and being a part of my return to writing. I love to write, and I always will, but I write to be read, which means that I would have nothing to say were it not for you, Reader. Again, I want to thank you. I would also like to take this time to turn your attention to my sidebars before I sign off. Feel free to follow me by clicking the button under "followers" at the top left of the screen. Also, even though I have a strict list of what I have to read for school, I would like to encourage you to give me suggestions for what to read for review and what to read for fun. The best way to truly know what to read is to pay attention to word-of-mouth reviews. I am always looking for something good to read, and I want you to feel free to participate in this. So, if there is a certain book you would like for me to review, please leave a comment and let me know what it is and why I should read it. Maybe it's your favorite book. Maybe it's your favorite author. Maybe you know who wrote it (or you wrote it yourself). Whatever the reason, I would love to hear your feedback. I can't promise that I will get to every book in a timely manner (or even at all), but I take the suggestions of other serious readers to heart. I can't wait to hear what you have to suggest. Until then, Reader,
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Yours,
James
Today, I return to school after a spring break that was much needed in more ways than one.
First of all, I needed the rest. I've been anticipating a job where I would work third shift, so I acclimated my sleep accordingly. The problem with this is that two days a week I have a class that starts at 1:30pm. Add in the time it takes to eat, shower, and get ready for class, I don't have much time left for sleep. So, this past week has been great for catching up.
Second, I was able to take a break from reading and writing for classes. I actually enjoy academic reading and writing, but I've been doing so much of it lately that I've felt like a zombie. I admittedly tried to get a little caught up this week, but I was able to be casual about it and not feel rushed. Another plus.
However, the best part of spring break was the increase in my writing. On New Year's Eve, I swore to myself that I would update my blog at least once a week. For more than a month I did not keep that promise. Then I forced myself to update regularly. Finally, when spring break got here, I went on a blogging binge. As I look back on some of my posts from this past week, I notice that they were not necessarily all that good, but upon further analysis I know that they needed to be written. After not writing for so long, I started amassing quite the mental clutter. I couldn't think straight. Thanks to this blog, I was able to update almost once a day and de-clutter a lot of what was in my head. It was my "spring cleaning" so to speak, and I found out how absolutely helpful it was. It also will help me keep my promise to update at least once a week because I don't want to be cluttered up like that again.
I would like to take this time to thank you, Reader, for bearing with me through my not-always-intelligible ramblings and being a part of my return to writing. I love to write, and I always will, but I write to be read, which means that I would have nothing to say were it not for you, Reader. Again, I want to thank you. I would also like to take this time to turn your attention to my sidebars before I sign off. Feel free to follow me by clicking the button under "followers" at the top left of the screen. Also, even though I have a strict list of what I have to read for school, I would like to encourage you to give me suggestions for what to read for review and what to read for fun. The best way to truly know what to read is to pay attention to word-of-mouth reviews. I am always looking for something good to read, and I want you to feel free to participate in this. So, if there is a certain book you would like for me to review, please leave a comment and let me know what it is and why I should read it. Maybe it's your favorite book. Maybe it's your favorite author. Maybe you know who wrote it (or you wrote it yourself). Whatever the reason, I would love to hear your feedback. I can't promise that I will get to every book in a timely manner (or even at all), but I take the suggestions of other serious readers to heart. I can't wait to hear what you have to suggest. Until then, Reader,
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Yours,
James
Saturday, March 10, 2012
A Fork In The Road
Dear Reader,
I am like a rat stuck in a maze. Allow me to explain.
I was doing the dishes earlier, minding my own business, when my head got a near violent shock. Don't worry, it was metaphorical, not physical. As I was doing this menial task, I realized that a story I started a few weeks ago needed to be completely scrapped. Well, not exactly. I just had to change the title. This wasn't mecessarily because I didn't think the title fit. Actually, I needed that title somewhere else, and my brain let me know that as I was drying a plate. I almost dropped it, the shock was so big.
My mind is constantly doing this to me. It is always changing. After I finished the dishes, I sat down to start writing this new story. After the first two sentences, I hit my first fork: is the main character animate or inanimate. More specifically, I thought I could tell this story through the eyes of a human or a stuffed animal. I decided to go with human and write another version if I still felt strongly about the stuffed animal idea later.
Okay, so that hurdle got cleared, but it was only two more paragraphs before I hit my next fork. I thought my character was going to be just your everyday, average Joe (Ted, actually), except for the fact that he knew something other people didn't (sorry for being so vague, but I can't tell more until I'm sure of the story). I told my wife this idea, and she found it to be Vonnegut-esque. However, as I was writing, I realized this character could be one of many who has a specific job. This would not only alter my whole story, it would also change my Voice. If I took this new turn, I would be going from Vonnegut to Orwell.
This is a strange perdicament I find myself in. My story is constantly changing as I write it. This is especially interesting considering what my story is about. Oh, how I wish I could tell you more, Reader, but I just don't think we've reached that point in our relationship yet. Don't worry, it's not you. It's me. I am using you. I need somebody to talk to so I can sort out my brain and try to line things up. I hope you don't mind, Reader. I just needd to tell someone.
That is my problem. I hit way too many forks in the road. I've heard that if you find your story diverging in two different paths you should try experimenting with both of them to find out which one suits you best. I don't think I have that kind of time. My story is constantly changing. If I focus on two separate paths, eventually they will each break off into separate paths and so on and so forth. Oh, what do I do. Perhaps this is just my way of procrastinating. I truly believe that once I really get into it, my roots will start to anchor me down and the story will grow itself. I just need to nurture it in the right places and tend to it once its done (if that ever happens).
Thank you for listening to me, Reader. You have no idea how much your ear (or, in the case of a blog, eye) means to me. Feel free to give any advice you may have, though I expect nothing from you. Being there for me is enough. I promise that once I start getting settled and understand where my story is going and feel more confident about it, I will share more with you. Until then, Reader,
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Yours,
James
I am like a rat stuck in a maze. Allow me to explain.
I was doing the dishes earlier, minding my own business, when my head got a near violent shock. Don't worry, it was metaphorical, not physical. As I was doing this menial task, I realized that a story I started a few weeks ago needed to be completely scrapped. Well, not exactly. I just had to change the title. This wasn't mecessarily because I didn't think the title fit. Actually, I needed that title somewhere else, and my brain let me know that as I was drying a plate. I almost dropped it, the shock was so big.
My mind is constantly doing this to me. It is always changing. After I finished the dishes, I sat down to start writing this new story. After the first two sentences, I hit my first fork: is the main character animate or inanimate. More specifically, I thought I could tell this story through the eyes of a human or a stuffed animal. I decided to go with human and write another version if I still felt strongly about the stuffed animal idea later.
Okay, so that hurdle got cleared, but it was only two more paragraphs before I hit my next fork. I thought my character was going to be just your everyday, average Joe (Ted, actually), except for the fact that he knew something other people didn't (sorry for being so vague, but I can't tell more until I'm sure of the story). I told my wife this idea, and she found it to be Vonnegut-esque. However, as I was writing, I realized this character could be one of many who has a specific job. This would not only alter my whole story, it would also change my Voice. If I took this new turn, I would be going from Vonnegut to Orwell.
This is a strange perdicament I find myself in. My story is constantly changing as I write it. This is especially interesting considering what my story is about. Oh, how I wish I could tell you more, Reader, but I just don't think we've reached that point in our relationship yet. Don't worry, it's not you. It's me. I am using you. I need somebody to talk to so I can sort out my brain and try to line things up. I hope you don't mind, Reader. I just needd to tell someone.
That is my problem. I hit way too many forks in the road. I've heard that if you find your story diverging in two different paths you should try experimenting with both of them to find out which one suits you best. I don't think I have that kind of time. My story is constantly changing. If I focus on two separate paths, eventually they will each break off into separate paths and so on and so forth. Oh, what do I do. Perhaps this is just my way of procrastinating. I truly believe that once I really get into it, my roots will start to anchor me down and the story will grow itself. I just need to nurture it in the right places and tend to it once its done (if that ever happens).
Thank you for listening to me, Reader. You have no idea how much your ear (or, in the case of a blog, eye) means to me. Feel free to give any advice you may have, though I expect nothing from you. Being there for me is enough. I promise that once I start getting settled and understand where my story is going and feel more confident about it, I will share more with you. Until then, Reader,
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Yours,
James
Thursday, March 8, 2012
What Libra Means to Me
I am a Libra. What does this mean? It means I was born between September 23 and October 23. Apparently, it means I am charismatic, gentle, good-looking (hey, I'm not the one who decides these things), kind, stylish, romantic, easy-going, and intuitive. That's what someone else has said. So, what does Libra mean to me as a writer? After all, this is a blog about reading and writing. The symbol of Libra is the scales. This seems simple. Some people see the scales as an example of exact balance, or possibly even trying to make sure good outweighs bad. I can see the lure of those explanations, but as a writer, Libra means something slightly different.
Yes, to me the scales mean balance, but not in the same sense as other people. Writers rely on a few aspects of a story. These aspect include character, setting, plot, voice (in terms of narration), dialogue, action, etc. To anybody who may not be familiar with the world of writing, you might think you need an exact balance of all of these things. You may think that you have to be equally as skilled in one as in all the others. I would like to take this moment to disillusion you. I am not very good at dialogue. My narration is actually pretty good until I try to incorporate too much dialogue. Most of the time I get my characters just right. My setting needs a lot of work. I can (and do) use word games and writing exercises to try and improve in my sub-par areas, but I can't just stop everything to work on improvements. If I did that, nothing would get done. So I have to find my own balance.
When I think of Libra, when I picture those scales in my mind, I almost always picture both scales level with each other. One of these scales, though, has more items in it than the other. That is how I see balance. I know I am not very good at dialogue, so I try to use it sparingly, making sure it doesn't interrupt the flow of narration that I concoct. In order for me to acheive true balance (not to be confused with exact balance, which is where each scale holds the same number as opposed to the same "weight"), I have to know how much of one area to weigh against how much of another. I have to master the scales, which is difficult to do. Nobody can tell me, as a writer, how much of what to put where without different pieces of my work. Nobody can be the master of my scales except for me.
Rereading that last line is actually a bit scary. That means that, as a writer, I have a lot of responsibility. This puts the burden of success on my shoulders alone. One of my biggest fears is that of failure, which is why it is so hard for me to finish (or sometimes even start) a writing project. It's hard for me to try. I understand that failure is part of the business. Stephen King nailed his rejection slips above his desk and amassed quite a few before breaking into the business. All I know for sure is this: my dialogue is shaky, but gets worse when I mix it too much with narration; characters, to me, are the most important part of a story; every time I think I've found my voice, I can't bring it above a whisper before it runs and hides again. How am I supposed to master my scales. The only way a Libra like me knows how: by being charismatic, stylish, easy-going, and intuitive. Now all I have to do is to just jump in the deep end. Thanks for listening. Until next time, Reader.
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Yours,
James
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
There's Something About Stephen (King)
Dear Reader,
This is really two posts that I decided to squish into one when I realized they were both about my favorite author, Stephen King. I guess you noticed something different at the beginning of this post. I am now giving you, my readers, salutations. After my last post, I finished creating my sacred space, so I decided to draw a new Observation. I shuffled the cards and pulled the one off the top. It read: "write a letter." Ms. Epel suggested in the corresponding chapter that this means one should start off each writing day with a letter as a warm-up. She gave examples of established authors who do, or did, this activity, including John Steinbeck, who wrote a letter to his editor each time he tackled his manuscript for East of Eden. If you ask my wife, she will tell you that letter writing is not my thing. Not that I'm bad at it, I just don't do it.
My first idea was to write a letter to the children I hope to one day have. I would then show them, when they could understand, how I wrote personal letters to them and how it helped me become a successful author (I know, I'm making a lot of assumptions here, but It's not that far off to think I'll have children some day). For some reason, though, I just couldn't feel the energy I thought I would feel. I sat down and thought about it some more, but I couldn't think of any other kind of letter that would help my writing.
So, I started shuffling cards and watching some television online, and as I watched, a scene from the new show I was trying reminded me of Stephen King (I'll explain why in just a bit). It was then that I remembered what my favorite part of a Stephen King book (fiction or non-fiction) is. King almost always writes a foreword or an afterword, and he always addresses them to his readers. More specifically, he addresses each one to Constant Reader. I know I haven't built up much of a following on my blog yet, but I know that there is at least one person who is reading this, and that is all I need. So, Reader (I won't call you Constant Reader, that's Mr. King's thing), I will now be writing a letter to you every time I update my blog. I hope you find it enjoyable, and I hope it keeps you coming back for more.
Speaking of Stephen King, part two of this post explains how that scene I mentioned made me think of him. I am working on a young-adult novel. This is strictly YA. There are no vampires, werewolves, fairies, or any other fantastical creatures. It revolves around a group of five kids in high school, three girls and two guys. I wrote the first four chapters almost a year ago, and I was really proud of them. So proud, in fact, that I did something I try to avoid at all costs. I shared them with my wife.
I have nothing against my wife. In fact, as Stephen King mentions that his wife is the person, if no one else, for whom he writes, I would say that mine is the same. She is beautiful, intelligent, and an even better writer than I am. So, when I say that I avoid reading my stuff to her, just know that it has nothing to do with her talent as a critic. I have this fear that if I share something before it's ready, that's like putting the final nail in the coffin, kiss it goodbye because it's gone forever. I know it sounds ridiculous, but every writer has some sort of superstition, and that's mine.
That being said, I felt it was ready to be shared. I read the first two chapters to her and she loved them, laughing in the right places and giving positive feedback. However, the third chapter started in the girls' bathroom. The scene changed before the chapter ended, but my wife made me stop there. She told me that the scene felt forced. It didn't sound like what a scene in a girls' bathroom should sound like, and it definitely was not as good as the first two chapters.
For those of you who don't know, Stephen King may have never become Stephen King if it was not for his wife. The first novel he ever sold, Carrie, he threw in the trash after only a handful of pages. He, too, was writing a scene that took place in a girls' bathroom, and he, too, was finding trouble making it work. Really, the main difference is that he knew it was off, whereas it took my wife to tell me something was wrong. Anyway, Tabitha, Stephen King's wife, fetched the pages from the trash, read them, and forced him to finish writing. She promised to help him with the parts he found difficult.
Back to my story, my wife made the same promise. Unfortunately, because of my superstition, I felt like the story was already dead. One of the big obstacles I faced was that each of the first five chapters were to be written in first person, but with someone else narrating each time. Fast forward almost a year, and as I sat watching a scene in a girls' bathroom take place on a television show, I thought that I should pay attention so I would know how to write that scene. That made me think of my wife's promise, which made me think of Tabitha King's influence, which made me think of Stephen King, which cause me to realize that I should write a letter to you, Reader.
There you have it. A crazy, confusing look at my train of thought and how my weird little mind works. Some people wonder how a writer can be working so hard for one day and get so little done. I don't know about other writers, but that is the way I get easily distracted. Ironically, it is also the way I find my way back. It's funny how that works sometimes.
Thank you, Reader, for bearing with me for this long. I look forward to hearing your feedback and, one day, presenting you with my first novel. Until then, I leave you with this quote, this time and all posts in the future:
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Yours,
James
This is really two posts that I decided to squish into one when I realized they were both about my favorite author, Stephen King. I guess you noticed something different at the beginning of this post. I am now giving you, my readers, salutations. After my last post, I finished creating my sacred space, so I decided to draw a new Observation. I shuffled the cards and pulled the one off the top. It read: "write a letter." Ms. Epel suggested in the corresponding chapter that this means one should start off each writing day with a letter as a warm-up. She gave examples of established authors who do, or did, this activity, including John Steinbeck, who wrote a letter to his editor each time he tackled his manuscript for East of Eden. If you ask my wife, she will tell you that letter writing is not my thing. Not that I'm bad at it, I just don't do it.
My first idea was to write a letter to the children I hope to one day have. I would then show them, when they could understand, how I wrote personal letters to them and how it helped me become a successful author (I know, I'm making a lot of assumptions here, but It's not that far off to think I'll have children some day). For some reason, though, I just couldn't feel the energy I thought I would feel. I sat down and thought about it some more, but I couldn't think of any other kind of letter that would help my writing.
So, I started shuffling cards and watching some television online, and as I watched, a scene from the new show I was trying reminded me of Stephen King (I'll explain why in just a bit). It was then that I remembered what my favorite part of a Stephen King book (fiction or non-fiction) is. King almost always writes a foreword or an afterword, and he always addresses them to his readers. More specifically, he addresses each one to Constant Reader. I know I haven't built up much of a following on my blog yet, but I know that there is at least one person who is reading this, and that is all I need. So, Reader (I won't call you Constant Reader, that's Mr. King's thing), I will now be writing a letter to you every time I update my blog. I hope you find it enjoyable, and I hope it keeps you coming back for more.
Speaking of Stephen King, part two of this post explains how that scene I mentioned made me think of him. I am working on a young-adult novel. This is strictly YA. There are no vampires, werewolves, fairies, or any other fantastical creatures. It revolves around a group of five kids in high school, three girls and two guys. I wrote the first four chapters almost a year ago, and I was really proud of them. So proud, in fact, that I did something I try to avoid at all costs. I shared them with my wife.
I have nothing against my wife. In fact, as Stephen King mentions that his wife is the person, if no one else, for whom he writes, I would say that mine is the same. She is beautiful, intelligent, and an even better writer than I am. So, when I say that I avoid reading my stuff to her, just know that it has nothing to do with her talent as a critic. I have this fear that if I share something before it's ready, that's like putting the final nail in the coffin, kiss it goodbye because it's gone forever. I know it sounds ridiculous, but every writer has some sort of superstition, and that's mine.
That being said, I felt it was ready to be shared. I read the first two chapters to her and she loved them, laughing in the right places and giving positive feedback. However, the third chapter started in the girls' bathroom. The scene changed before the chapter ended, but my wife made me stop there. She told me that the scene felt forced. It didn't sound like what a scene in a girls' bathroom should sound like, and it definitely was not as good as the first two chapters.
For those of you who don't know, Stephen King may have never become Stephen King if it was not for his wife. The first novel he ever sold, Carrie, he threw in the trash after only a handful of pages. He, too, was writing a scene that took place in a girls' bathroom, and he, too, was finding trouble making it work. Really, the main difference is that he knew it was off, whereas it took my wife to tell me something was wrong. Anyway, Tabitha, Stephen King's wife, fetched the pages from the trash, read them, and forced him to finish writing. She promised to help him with the parts he found difficult.
Back to my story, my wife made the same promise. Unfortunately, because of my superstition, I felt like the story was already dead. One of the big obstacles I faced was that each of the first five chapters were to be written in first person, but with someone else narrating each time. Fast forward almost a year, and as I sat watching a scene in a girls' bathroom take place on a television show, I thought that I should pay attention so I would know how to write that scene. That made me think of my wife's promise, which made me think of Tabitha King's influence, which made me think of Stephen King, which cause me to realize that I should write a letter to you, Reader.
There you have it. A crazy, confusing look at my train of thought and how my weird little mind works. Some people wonder how a writer can be working so hard for one day and get so little done. I don't know about other writers, but that is the way I get easily distracted. Ironically, it is also the way I find my way back. It's funny how that works sometimes.
Thank you, Reader, for bearing with me for this long. I look forward to hearing your feedback and, one day, presenting you with my first novel. Until then, I leave you with this quote, this time and all posts in the future:
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Yours,
James
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Observation: Create a Sacred Space
I am a cheater.
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about writing games and exercises. One of the things I talked about is The Observation Deck by Naomi Epel. When I bought this game recently, I got hit with a bout of nostalgia because my high school creative writing teacher had this in her class. I remembered how useful it was then, and I thought it could be just as useful now. I was right. Anyway, I finally started using it. There are a few different ways to use The Observation Deck. What I did was to shuffle the cards and choose one at random. The card I got read "create a sacred space." My wife had chosen this one recently, so I already knew what it meant. But I already had a sacred space. I had a desk in my room that was just for my writing and homework. That wouldn't do. It was then that I did something I am not proud of. I cheated.
I put the card back, reshuffled, and chose a new one. Now, I'm sure most people are expecting read that I reshuffled, but amazingly I got the same card, and that I discovered the deck was trying to tell me something. I am sorry to disappoint you, but the next card I got read "follow the scent." When I read the chapter, it talked about how smells can take us back to previous times in our lives, and Ms. Epel suggested we use that as a way to remember a time when we were doing some great writing. She had other suggestions, but that's the one I went with. I felt satisfied with that card, so I kept it out. Only, I didn't write.
This was a problem. I already knew which smell to seek out. It is the smell of spiced chai tea, something I frequently drank while in my creative writing class. I did not have easy access to it, though. Then I thought I would come on here and write about the smell of chai and what it means to me as a writer, but I kept finding reasons not to. Then I started thinking about the chapter, and I came to a revelation. It was a chapter of going back in time in my mind. I remembered that the "create a sacred space" chapter had the same suggestion. I was supposed to create a space that would remind me of times when I was at the top of my writing game.
That is what I am doing now. My desk is (finally) getting cleared of clutter and my room is (finally) getting organized. And it helped. Now, instead of doing other things to distract myself from writing, I am writing and distracting myself from organizing. It's a vicious circle, but it helps. (sigh) Now I must return to cleaning. I must finish my sacred space and move on to the next card.
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about writing games and exercises. One of the things I talked about is The Observation Deck by Naomi Epel. When I bought this game recently, I got hit with a bout of nostalgia because my high school creative writing teacher had this in her class. I remembered how useful it was then, and I thought it could be just as useful now. I was right. Anyway, I finally started using it. There are a few different ways to use The Observation Deck. What I did was to shuffle the cards and choose one at random. The card I got read "create a sacred space." My wife had chosen this one recently, so I already knew what it meant. But I already had a sacred space. I had a desk in my room that was just for my writing and homework. That wouldn't do. It was then that I did something I am not proud of. I cheated.
I put the card back, reshuffled, and chose a new one. Now, I'm sure most people are expecting read that I reshuffled, but amazingly I got the same card, and that I discovered the deck was trying to tell me something. I am sorry to disappoint you, but the next card I got read "follow the scent." When I read the chapter, it talked about how smells can take us back to previous times in our lives, and Ms. Epel suggested we use that as a way to remember a time when we were doing some great writing. She had other suggestions, but that's the one I went with. I felt satisfied with that card, so I kept it out. Only, I didn't write.
This was a problem. I already knew which smell to seek out. It is the smell of spiced chai tea, something I frequently drank while in my creative writing class. I did not have easy access to it, though. Then I thought I would come on here and write about the smell of chai and what it means to me as a writer, but I kept finding reasons not to. Then I started thinking about the chapter, and I came to a revelation. It was a chapter of going back in time in my mind. I remembered that the "create a sacred space" chapter had the same suggestion. I was supposed to create a space that would remind me of times when I was at the top of my writing game.
That is what I am doing now. My desk is (finally) getting cleared of clutter and my room is (finally) getting organized. And it helped. Now, instead of doing other things to distract myself from writing, I am writing and distracting myself from organizing. It's a vicious circle, but it helps. (sigh) Now I must return to cleaning. I must finish my sacred space and move on to the next card.
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