When I was using it, I really enjoyed having this space to write and ruminate. Obviously, I haven't been using it for some time. The first reason is I've allowed myself to believe I don't have time to write, which is always phooey. The second reason is the further space I have from writing the more difficult it becomes to return. The third reason is the few times I've gone for it I've done so in the genre of poetry, offline and on paper. The fourth and most interesting reason is the lack of limitations on this blog. In both form and content, I have free reign here, and while that may suit some writers just fine, that is actually a big hindrance to my productivity and creativity. History shows that I create better with enforced structure and limitations (such as form poetry or parody).
For my next online project, then, I have chosen one particular limitation: length. If you wish to continue reading what I write, please join me at 140words.tumblr.com. Thank you.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Addendum to "Climbing back"
Something else I want to remind myself: There is a natural desire (I don't know if it is just me or every writer/artist) to want to please every reader with my writing. That somehow, if only I were a good enough writer, I could write something that everyone would love. But that's complete garbage and I should know better. There is no work of art in any genre, high or low, that is universally loved. The quest is pointless and will only result in frustration and loss of confidence. Follow your passion and let those similarly empassionated come to your work. Expect those for whom your brand isn't their cup of tea to not be excited. It's not a bad thing; it's just the way it is.
Climbing back (climbing climbing climbing)
I started reading again this weekend. (Yes, I claim to enjoy reading and writing, but sometimes I stop both altogether.) Like so many other times, it's got my writer's wheels spinning.
I picked up the first of Stephen King's Dark Tower books, The Gunslinger. I already own it, but this is the revised/expanded version from a few years back. I waffled for a long time on whether I wanted to get the new version, so while I was at Barnes and Noble Saturday I took a few minutes to read the Introduction and Foreword. King's explanation was that the Dark Tower, to him, is not a series of books, but one large novel. After he finally finished writing it in 2003, he went back to that first installment (The Gunslinger) written at the beginning of the 1980s. Obviously, you can't write a novel (of any length) and not need to do some cleanup and revision to the beginning. This new version is exactly that: King cleaning up the first installment to help fit in better with the rest of the "novel" both in terms of content and style. I was sold.
So now I'm about halfway through the thing, loving it, and revisiting the whole "popular vs. literary" writing debate in my head. In writing classes, both undergrad and grad, the obvious tilt is toward literary writing, and I've always come from that bias. But is that really me? I never really write for myself. I write because I want other people to enjoy it (I realize that's still "for myself" because I'm writing to get satisfaction out of other people enjoying it, but let's just stick with the traditional "for other" and "for self" categories, a'ight?). And even though sometimes I really enjoy writing that moves me and changes how I think, I don't think that's usually my own goal as a writer. I'm ecstatic if a reader says, "Wow, that was fun, I'd like to pick it up and read that again sometime."
I think part of what keeps me from thinking about popular fiction more is that because of sheer numbers, there are a lot of really crappy books out there. That's just the way it is. What I forget is that there are plenty of really good writers writing in every genre. I have to remind myself that talent is talent, skill is skill, and ultimately what will push writing to a higher level is passion. If you're writing the kind of stuff you were inundated with in school because it's familiar and ignoring the stuff that excites you and brings you back to the page, you'll always end up frustrated and in doubt. And by "you" I really mean "me" of course. This is my attempt to re-invigorate (and redirect) my writing life. Go! Go!
I picked up the first of Stephen King's Dark Tower books, The Gunslinger. I already own it, but this is the revised/expanded version from a few years back. I waffled for a long time on whether I wanted to get the new version, so while I was at Barnes and Noble Saturday I took a few minutes to read the Introduction and Foreword. King's explanation was that the Dark Tower, to him, is not a series of books, but one large novel. After he finally finished writing it in 2003, he went back to that first installment (The Gunslinger) written at the beginning of the 1980s. Obviously, you can't write a novel (of any length) and not need to do some cleanup and revision to the beginning. This new version is exactly that: King cleaning up the first installment to help fit in better with the rest of the "novel" both in terms of content and style. I was sold.
So now I'm about halfway through the thing, loving it, and revisiting the whole "popular vs. literary" writing debate in my head. In writing classes, both undergrad and grad, the obvious tilt is toward literary writing, and I've always come from that bias. But is that really me? I never really write for myself. I write because I want other people to enjoy it (I realize that's still "for myself" because I'm writing to get satisfaction out of other people enjoying it, but let's just stick with the traditional "for other" and "for self" categories, a'ight?). And even though sometimes I really enjoy writing that moves me and changes how I think, I don't think that's usually my own goal as a writer. I'm ecstatic if a reader says, "Wow, that was fun, I'd like to pick it up and read that again sometime."
I think part of what keeps me from thinking about popular fiction more is that because of sheer numbers, there are a lot of really crappy books out there. That's just the way it is. What I forget is that there are plenty of really good writers writing in every genre. I have to remind myself that talent is talent, skill is skill, and ultimately what will push writing to a higher level is passion. If you're writing the kind of stuff you were inundated with in school because it's familiar and ignoring the stuff that excites you and brings you back to the page, you'll always end up frustrated and in doubt. And by "you" I really mean "me" of course. This is my attempt to re-invigorate (and redirect) my writing life. Go! Go!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Where I've been, where I'm at
Writing? Not much. I've been using Twitter more these days, but of course that doesn't allow me to expand any thoughts and reach any new conclusions. More and more I actually prefer it for the interesting things you can find there: updates from friends, comedy, breaking news, web phenomena, and so on. I haven't returned to the story I was working on in my notebook for some time now. Maybe admitting this on the screen will push me back to it.
Internets? Really not that much these days, with the exception of work. The time that I do spend on the internet is with Google Reader (see the sidebar for an updated list of some of my regular favorites). Then I go to Twitter, and if I need more, Linkfilter.
Where is the time going? Sadie Bell! We have a kitten now, so more of my time is spent caring for and playing with her. I also purchased a longbow recently (delayed Christmas present), so every evening I've been going out to shoot. New passions will draw steam from others, I suppose, so I'm accepting my drop in writing for now. I admit, though, just writing this post does feel good, so let's hope a revival is being triggered.
Internets? Really not that much these days, with the exception of work. The time that I do spend on the internet is with Google Reader (see the sidebar for an updated list of some of my regular favorites). Then I go to Twitter, and if I need more, Linkfilter.
Where is the time going? Sadie Bell! We have a kitten now, so more of my time is spent caring for and playing with her. I also purchased a longbow recently (delayed Christmas present), so every evening I've been going out to shoot. New passions will draw steam from others, I suppose, so I'm accepting my drop in writing for now. I admit, though, just writing this post does feel good, so let's hope a revival is being triggered.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
A start, and a note on process
This weekend I took my journal (gift from Amanda before we ever met!) to my in-laws' (our weekly WV pilgrimage for water) and started putting the story I mentioned last week down on paper. I sat and wrote out 8 or so pages, which felt great. I don't remember the last time I actually felt productive. I didn't get a chance to continue before we came back home, but I felt good about the story's durability (things I start tend not to last).
And then I left the dang journal behind.
Amanda asked, "Do you remember enough to pick up where you left off on the computer?" I think that I do (I started this post on Monday: still haven't continued...), but it begs an interesting question for me. I took a creative process class during my brief stint in the Hamline MFA program, and we tried all sorts of approaches to writing, including re-writing your own story from memory. So I am curious about the fruits of starting something, then continuing later without the source. Even if I don't get to it before I get my notebook back this weekend, I want to try resuming without looking at what I had already written.
And then I left the dang journal behind.
Amanda asked, "Do you remember enough to pick up where you left off on the computer?" I think that I do (I started this post on Monday: still haven't continued...), but it begs an interesting question for me. I took a creative process class during my brief stint in the Hamline MFA program, and we tried all sorts of approaches to writing, including re-writing your own story from memory. So I am curious about the fruits of starting something, then continuing later without the source. Even if I don't get to it before I get my notebook back this weekend, I want to try resuming without looking at what I had already written.
Friday, April 3, 2009
The source of my neglect
At least a portion of my creative energies has been channeling to two new enjoyable sources lately: The Twitter and the Omegle.
Also, a story idea is tossing about in my head, which is nice, but the kid needs to get on paper soon.
Also, a story idea is tossing about in my head, which is nice, but the kid needs to get on paper soon.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
More on usury, plus my latest literary foci
Today I found this interesting primer on the Christian theological history of usury via DocJax. Looks like it's an introduction to a church conference on the topic of debt, but I haven't yet found more about the conference itself.
This topic is still churning in my mind. What gives it special meaning to me is my education--I mean, I actually took a class in college called "The Theory of Interest." I've seen how intricate interest is to all aspects of our economy and society; how we take for granted its value, both monetary and ethical. At this point, removing interest from our economy would be like removing prepositions from the English language; things wouldn't make sense until we completely reorganized. The little 5-page discussion above struck me because apparently today's attitudes about lending only developed a few hundred years ago. Obviously, I want to learn more than what this un-sourced 5-pager offers.
One of my recent book purchases might help me in that regard: Thomas Aquinas: Select Writings. My current topic of interest aside, I've been wanting to read more Aquinas since college, when I'd read selections from Summa theologiae.
The other book I bought last week and finished this weekend was The Soul Thief by Charles Baxter. I knew of Baxter from college writing classes, saw a new book of his on a display table at Barnes & Noble, and took a chance. I'm glad I did, too. The story itself was good, but the real value of this book to me was the overall composition, which is fairly sophisticated. Baxter clearly took a lot of skill and care into crafting the novel, and for an aspiring writer it'll be a valuable addition to the toolbox.
One last note on the topic of writing. I've been quiet on this blog, and, it turns out, I've been quiet off of it as well. But! The other night I started another story (I feel obliged to say "another" since I have a few well-unfinished diddies hanging out there) (no idea why I used "diddies" to describe stories); for now, it's a creepy story about a home library from the perspective of a young boy. I'm already thinking less about the plot and more about how interesting it is to write from a child's perspective and may try to combine this young fella with one from another piece I was working on.
This topic is still churning in my mind. What gives it special meaning to me is my education--I mean, I actually took a class in college called "The Theory of Interest." I've seen how intricate interest is to all aspects of our economy and society; how we take for granted its value, both monetary and ethical. At this point, removing interest from our economy would be like removing prepositions from the English language; things wouldn't make sense until we completely reorganized. The little 5-page discussion above struck me because apparently today's attitudes about lending only developed a few hundred years ago. Obviously, I want to learn more than what this un-sourced 5-pager offers.
One of my recent book purchases might help me in that regard: Thomas Aquinas: Select Writings. My current topic of interest aside, I've been wanting to read more Aquinas since college, when I'd read selections from Summa theologiae.
The other book I bought last week and finished this weekend was The Soul Thief by Charles Baxter. I knew of Baxter from college writing classes, saw a new book of his on a display table at Barnes & Noble, and took a chance. I'm glad I did, too. The story itself was good, but the real value of this book to me was the overall composition, which is fairly sophisticated. Baxter clearly took a lot of skill and care into crafting the novel, and for an aspiring writer it'll be a valuable addition to the toolbox.
One last note on the topic of writing. I've been quiet on this blog, and, it turns out, I've been quiet off of it as well. But! The other night I started another story (I feel obliged to say "another" since I have a few well-unfinished diddies hanging out there) (no idea why I used "diddies" to describe stories); for now, it's a creepy story about a home library from the perspective of a young boy. I'm already thinking less about the plot and more about how interesting it is to write from a child's perspective and may try to combine this young fella with one from another piece I was working on.
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