It’s Not Procrastination if It’s Productive

I’m struggling. I admit it. The only thing flowing out of me these days are low-paying online articles and that’s more like a trickle. I keep making deals with myself, that when I finish the income-producing work, then I can get creative. More often than not, though, I’m sapped after a day of kid rearin’ and service workin’. And I let myself get sucked into the online pleasure dome of social networks and blogs, etc. I admit I would rather read someone else’s great post than write my own mediocre one. Fortunately, I do find something worth seeing, and even learn a thing or two in my virtual escapades. I have been playing on Twitter more often, and definitely finding as many inspirations as distractions. And you know I like to share, because what is better than an excuse to procrastinate more? A: a reason to write, of  course

• This link came across through someone’s tweet a few weeks ago and for some crazy reason appealed to me, so I saved it in my quick post sidebar (which has become something of a catchall for links and blog ideas.)…A post called 6 Tricks for Writing when You Don’t Feel Like It on Writer Unboxed which is a great collaborate blog for “genre” writers (btw, no offense, but I thought everyone wrote in some genre, but apparently that term has become common now for mystery/sci-fi/fantasy/etc writers)
• One of the coolest developments born on Twitter are the tweet chats that are occurring regularly. Anyone can contribute or follow just by using the #(hashtag-yes, just like on the trending list, but better)… there are topics for just about everyone, including book chats (i.e. #followreader is mainly book bloggers and Tuesdays @ 7pm EasternTime is #TuesBookTalk) and writing chats like #writechat (Sundays 12-3pm PT), which is hosted by Writing Spirit who also has a very helpful and inspiring blog.
• Speaking of hashtags, there are several writers can use, both to keep up with other writers and to keep oneself on track, including #writegoal, #amwriting and #writetip. I have found several new resources and blogs to read by checking out these lists. Warning, though, Twitter has been discovered by spammers, and they know how to use the tags too. I suggest going to interesting tweeters, then checking their actual blog/website link before adding them to your list. And do not hesitate to block obvious spammers. They deserve it.
• If all else fails, I can ensure my place in literary culture simply by submitting a piece to the National Gallery of Writing. In conjunction with the National Day of Writing (October 20, 2009) this project is open for groups and individuals to contribute any form of writing (within specific limitations of course, this is sponsored by English teachers). Schools and classes are forming their own “exhibits” but submissions range from scientific essays and memoirs, to stories and poems. Frankly, some of the best pieces I have ever written were for English class, so maybe I should dust off one of those. Write on y’all!

Building Blocks for Blogs

I am checking out the Build A Better Blog Challenge at Problogger.net, not that I am a “problogger” but it cant hurt to get some hints on blogging. I really like the medium/genre and have been looking into how I can actually incorporate it into my career. Not here, of course. This is still my personal flow page
So the first step entitled Write an Elevator Pitch, is to develop a pitch for your blog, or a blurb, I would call it, a brief description of what the blog is about and offers to the reader.
I kind of like my little tagline “The block has been…etc,” which was just the first thing I thought of when I decided to do this blog. That pretty much sums up that the blog is just whatever I have coming out of me when I am in a flow. But that’s probably not a “pro” answer. I have actually used my “blogging credentials” in some queries and applications and I have felt a little awkward in describing it. After all, it is decidedly not professional, so does it even count as experience or qualification? I do feel it is experience, if only as a learning process, which is how I have thought of it from the beginning. I have altered my About page before, and it could probably use sprucing up, but I think that showing the changes helps me and others see how this blog has grown.

So, tentatively, here’s an “elevator pitch”:

Writer’s Flow is a weblog about my experience on the writing path. I have been writing for most of my life, but have only recently ventured into the public arena. As a lifelong bookworm and former educator, as well as a mother, I also want to promote reading and literacy. I share what I learn and think about the writing lifestyle, as well as resources for other writers, readers and educators.

Does that sound professional or pretentious? Well, like I said, it’s tentative.

Btw: the prompt today is to write about something missing….which, for now, is today’s poem

Poem a Day: Landmark

I got the prompt this morning and mulled over it all day while doing home and garden and kid stuff. When I got some quiet time to myself I began working on something, but it is not done so I am not posting it yet. I am pooped and need to rest before I can write anymore. So tomorrow I will have 2 poems to write, or one and  a half. Along with the two articles I have to do too. But, I am not feeling that overwhelmed… yet. It feels good to be writing regularly again. Of course, the novel still is incomplete…

I like writing poetry, but I know it is not everyone’s cuppa… I have not always had an easy time sharing it though. Even in a poetry course taken in college, I shied away from sharing time and ultimately did not turn in the portfolio, which was basically the entire course grade. I did/do have a hard time thinking of poetry being graded. I think it is way too open to interpretation, haha, and also, I had/have these issues with rejection. Which is why it is  a bit odd that I have so easily shared these pieces here. Perhaps it is because these bits are hardly personal. They are written to someone else’s prompt, not on my own impulse [the one that sends you scrambling for paper in the middle of the night or traffic until you get the thought OUT, you know]. Because it is a daily exercise, there is a rushed informality to it. I think it is understood that it may stink. And, there is safety in numbers, too. Mine is just one of hundreds of amateur poems in Poetic Asides’ comments. And I am not the only one blogging them.

But, mostly, I think I am able to share them because I am so comfortable now, writing in this space. I have found a little writer’s support group in this blogosphere and even knowing that many others may come and scoff and never return, I certainly appreciate the encouragement I get from you, as well as the inspiration, hearing about your work, successes and struggles. Truth is, I do not get that much irl. Though my hubby, friends and family are encouraging and supportive, too, it is in a different way. Not all of them really understand what exactly I do, nor how I struggle with it. And frankly, I do not share many personal feelings about writing, et al, with them. Sometimes it is hard to put in words, iykwim. So, thank you, because you are here reading this now I know I may not make my fortune with this weblog, but it has become priceless to me, and I appreciate you reading. It makes me feel like a real writer.

Going out like a Wild Thing!

March appears to be going out like a lamb, so I guess its time to wake up and officially come out of hibernation. I have been missing the blogosphere, but haven’t been able to force a post out lately. When we get a round of flu, it takes a few weeks for the whole crew to recover and of course Mom ends up cleaning and caring for everyone else, even when she’s down and out. So, I have found it hard to do more than a quick look at some sites and multiple rounds of mind-numbing Scrabble. I did sign up recently for another reading challenge. This one is called Diversity Rocks! and focuses on adding new cultures and authors of color to our reading lists. It runs all year if anyone else is interested, and there are several “levels” of participation.

Speaking of challenges… April is bringing many to the web including Script Frenzy from the makers of NaNo. I considered trying this one because I thought it would be a good way to quickly learn about scriptwriting. NaNo was a fun experience, but it kicked my booty too, and I know I will have a raging case of Spring Fever by Earth Day, so maybe another year. I did, however, find a couple handy links just-in-case. If anyone else is thinking of trying their hands at writing 100 pages of screenplay, play script or TV shows [apparently graphic novels are also included in the Frenzy, but I don't have links for that style.]:

Screenwriting.info

Screenwriters Utopia

Stage Affair- offers an e-book on play structure when you sign up for newsletter

I still would like to try my hand at playwriting someday…I am more of a one-act stage person than screenplay writer I think. I used to like reading plays though I never did any theater stuff myself.

Anyhoo, rather than the call of the stage, I am returning to an old love and taking up the Poem A Day Challenge happening through Poetic Asides, the  Poet’s Market blog from Writer’s Digest. April is Poetry Month and I have always had fun writing my own ditties. Each day a topic or prompt is posted on the prompt and participants add their words right in the comments. It makes for some interesting reading…often hilarious.

Just to add to the fun, I am planning on combining this challenge with NaBloPoMo again. ..why not? I need to stretch my muscles. I like writing poetry, but have to add the universal disclaimer that daily poems written for fun may not always be considered “art”…there are so many ways a poem can go and sometimes it gets out of control. But what a great way to celebrate spring!

BTW: I also wanted to share this with folks because its just so exciting [it doesn't take much for me ]… after our discussions on books made into films, here’s one I wasn’t expecting and yet apparently have been waiting all my life to see, because now I cannot wait. Obviously, the storyline is getting changed in this one since the original is about 100 words or less. Maurice Sendak certainly had a way of proving the adage “A picture is worth a thousand words.” His classic book said so much in so few words, and spoke volumes to millions. Or perhaps it was just the imagination running away with us. Enjoy!

Going through virtual withdrawals

Due to a major malfunction caused by my son’s need to be a high-tech gamer, my personal computer is in a coma. I am not giving up and will be pulling for its recovery, but meanwhile, I am posting this from the public computer [gotta love your local library!]. I realized that I had not blogged here ‘all year’ and I do have a blogging resolution to maintain.
Being offline at home has been something of a blessing in disguise because I have been forced to go low-tech and get back to the basics. Hence, the old compostion notebooks are getting dragged out, I am actually getting more reading done and I am using any other ‘freetime’ to organize and plan for the year. I also have to be a bit more selective in what I do with my limited time online [and not just because they don't allow access to facebook here ]. So, I am cramming proofing, posting and querying into a two-hour time period, generally on Tuesdays and Thursdays while the wee ones are in their preschool class. I am taking a look at my virtual habits and winnowing away at the time-wasters, just as I am going through the collected stuffs at home and throwing out the old to make way for the new.
I had planned on doing something similar with my blog, by reviewing my past posts and links and maybe even changing my layout, but much of that will have to wait until I get my PC back.
Yes, I miss it, and it shows [obviously, since it has been less than a week and I am already waxing nostalgic-like]. It seems a bit strange, since, like most of us, my writing definitely started the old-fashioned way [apply pen to paper], but I have to admit that the net and writing software are fundamental to a modern writer’s career, and even to publishing and education. So, again, I count the blessing of the public library’s services, because I would not be here without it!

My Festivus Airing of Grievances, to myself

With some trepidation, I am starting the submission process again. No, not for the NaNovel [see that wordcount widget hanging on the left? I must confess it is still about the same]. Actually, I have a healthy supply of writings which are in various stages of revision. Some pieces have not ever been read by another pair of eyes. I have definitely not kept up with that part of the game this year, which is certainly one of my Writeresolutions for Aught-Nine. I am making a submission schedule and plan on using a tracking program which should work better than the notebook in which I keep scribbling quick notes and addresses.

I actually have a lot of writing resolutions to work on, some of which I listed way back in January. I do not feel that I completely failed to do what I resolved to do, although some people may think so. I am writing regularly, and though I do not have an income from writing yet, I do have a lot more experience and knowledge about the wonderful world of writing [not to mention the mysterious realm of publishing]. Best of all I am coming out of my writer’s shell and actually talking about it with people- admitting I am a writer is the first step on the writer’s path, right? This is rather huge for me, because although I have always written and have had writing in my life since I could hold a crayon, I have struggled with my own view of myself as a writer. It was so easy when I did not think about what or why I wanted to write. Now, I self-edit myself often before the words ever see paper. This may explain why I wept when I read this beautiful passage from hownottowrite:

As I’ve grown older, I’ve trained myself to spend too much time thinking about the words and where they come from. The question of origin nags me like the sound of a sleeping child who coughs in a unfamiliar way. I try to tell myself that everything is alright, but I can’t help sneaking a peek. I creep slowly down the hall, trying my best to be silent. Yet, even with a lifetime’s practice, each board seems loose under my feet. The doorknob turns, gnashing like the gears of an enormous clock.

I highly recommend you read that whole post. Much like this author, I was the child up at night reading and writing by the borrowed light from the closet or hallway. When my father cut them off, telling me to get to sleep, I created stories in my mind to put myself to sleep. Some of those stories are still there, now coming out to finally see the light of day.

When I was young, I wrote mostly as an assignment and did not really understand the praise that accompanied the grades. As I grew and my self-esteem plummeted in adolescence, I wrote in secret, turning to my journal more than any other confidante. When that private space was invaded it was hard to recover the confidence to write for others. I started to fear the criticism and even the positive responses to my writing. I would write, but my words were for my eyes only. Always a bookworm, I preferred to read what I never could imitate and convinced myself that I could never be good enough and there was already enough crap out there to which I did not want to contribute. I have to admit to still believing that, but I cannot deny that I want to be a writer.

I used to say “I can write; I have the ability to write; I do write.” rather than “I am a writer.” Generally this was in response to the question, “Oh, are you a writer?” when folks-who-know-me mentioned it to others or asked me directly, “Are you still writing? What are you writing now?” I played it off as a hobby more than a part of my entire self. I still do not talk about it with everyone, but I am at least able to say it to myself. Much of the confidence I have gained recently is due to this blog, and my connections I have found online and with other writers. I officially count that blessing. I think it helps to know that I am not the only one who struggles with similar feelings and dilemmas. It is also good to know that I can write without being rejected. I may not get a thousand hits here, but my words [and often my feelings] are out there for anyone to see, and I have lost nothing, I survived.

So, maybe I lost a lot of years of my writing career because I held myself back, and spent “too much time thinking about the words and where they come from” but I am here now and I am no longer looking back at the rejections and violations and drunken “poetry” written in my angsty years. It is time to revise and revisit, but only so I can remember how far I have come as I continue the journey. As one of my favorite quotes says “You are not an official writer until you’ve gotten a rejection.” Well, I have gotten that far, and I must keep going. I must submit myself to the process and commit to writing or I will never be accepted as a writer, if only by myself.

{When I began this post, a few days ago, I was in a different frame of mind [still weeping over hownottowrite]. Then I was interrupted by my chaotic life and saved the draft. In the weird way the universe works, the next day I received in the mail a copy of Alice W. Flaherty’s The Midnight Disease: The Drive to Write, Writer’s Block, and the Creative Brain. It was a gift from myself because I had wish-listed it on PaperbackSwap and completely forgotten about it until it arrived. I will share more with you when I finish it.}

A fine line between Great and Strange

I have been following a growing controversy on the blogwebs over the past week or so and want to share it with you too. Originally I saw this post on Inkygirl which was a response to this one at YouThoughtWeWouldntNotice.com which is dedicated to protecting artistic copyrights and intellectual property [kudos!]. That site apparently may have to start a new page just for the comment debate happening even as I blog.

illustration from "Nate the Great Goes Undercover" [images from YouThoughtWeWouldntNotice.com

To summarize: The cutesy icon for emo-girls known as Emily the Strange was “inspired by” the character Rosamond from the “Nate the Great” series of children books. Inspired is a kind euphemism for “ripped-off”…I happen to like both characters for their own quirky selves, but when they are compared the similarities are undeniable and plagiarism is the first word that comes to most minds. Or is it? There are a lot of Emily fans [and even some other artists disturbingly enough] defending their girl as being her own independent being. The CEO of the design group Cosmic Debris which distributes her image on everything from tee shirts to soda and is currently developing her own movie [?!] has written a response that in essence insults young women and artists [in my opinion].  The original artist Marc Simont, from the “Nate” books, has also responded and is getting legal advice. No word from the guy who started it all, a skateboard artist who made the controversial sticker in the first place then sold “his” character to Cosmic Debris.

Original sticker image by Nathan Carrico

There are several issues here, I think. First and foremost is the copyright infringement, natch. There is a fine line between theft and homage. As writers [and artists too], we understand that our creations are personal extensions of ourselves. I think we also understand that there is always the possibility that our Great Idea may already be out there in a different form. A lot of controversy surrounded that whole DaVinci Code phenomenon because the ideas he presented were NOT new, and in fact have existed in our culture about as long as the movable type printing press. He did however create a new story around the theories and presented it all in a readable, entertaining form which was accessible to billions. IOW: he wrote a quick-read fictional book that sold and other writers were somewhat miffed that theirs did not, even though their work presented similar info as fact. That is not plagiarism or theft, though he may have been inspired by other works he had read. His work still stands on its own.

So, perhaps Emily’s original artist was inspired by his favorite childhood book [his name is Nathan too...coincidence?] but when he added similar text and cats and clothes, he copied not honored his inspiration. The Emily character has expanded greatly since then, but she still has that skellie in her past which is marring her “original, independent” image. Instead of writing it off as “not my fault” the CEO of her empire should do the right thing and offer retribution.

Which leads me to my Second Problem here. Rosamond was created as an illustration for children’s literature. Some people may not think that qualifies as art, but  i would venture to say that illustrators, book publishers and children do. I do not debate that graphic artists and designers are any less or more talented as artists. I have many close graphic artist friends and family and I laud their talent [I who used stick figures in my final project in my high school Art elective]. Still something nags at my creative spirit with this particular case. Emily’s claim to fame is that she is one of the biggest sellers at Hot Topic.  She was specifically created for marketing. Obviously, in our culture, that is not a new thing. Just ask Santa Claus. In fact, the two cases are similar. The original artistic renditions of the jolly old elf [mostly in mid to late nineteenth century] were nothing like the image we all associate with the big guy. The roly-poly, red-and-white suited image most of us think of was created by an artist for Coca-Cola in the 1930s. That artist was of course inspired by Thomas Nast and Clement C. Moore, but he created his own version and it stuck. Much like our weird friend Emily.

So, maybe the calls for her to be ripped off the shelves are slightly unfair. According to her CEO, when he learned about the Rosamond character he “phased out” the controversial pix and then  “worked with the creative team to further distinguish Emily and her universe.” It is true that the character has grown abundantly since then, but so have his coffers and I did not see a mention of contacting the original artists for permission or at least acknowledgment. No, they just tried to sweep it under the rug [or into the clearance bins] and wash their hands of the whole thing. Unfortunately, these things have a way of coming back to haunt us if we do not deal with them honestly in the first place. Now, Em has a comic book and upcoming film. Now, his little marketing doll is going to spread further than teenage tee shirts and bookbags.  Now, this is a problem.

I can’t help finding statements like this one on darkhorse.com perversely ironic and disturbing:

Designers, including Jean-Paul Gaultier, Valentino, and Marc Jacobs, have paid tribute to her, but she doesn’t care! Emily wants you to be yourself, think for yourself, and DO IT YOURSELF. There’s nothing more boring to her than copying everyone else. Emily is the link to the Stranger in us all.

Because the main problem, as I see it, is that in their attempt to promote individuality and originality in adolescent girls they messed up big time. Now we can all see clearly through our long dark bangs that the real issue here is money. Emily is not original and frankly, not even that strange. She represents what is cool about individuals who have their own style, but in becoming a style icon she loses credibility. A businessman saw her image and thought he could make money from it and he did. He can make it sound cool by saying “that was and is my goal: to make the world feel more comfortable in its own skin.” But in the long run his primary goal was to sell product and exploit “the crew I was selling to”. The fact that it worked is inconsequential. Most of that “crew” would probably be insulted to think of themselves as just consumers [despite the fact that adolescent girls do seem to control the market] and I think also that many of them may even have some of their own artistic integrity available. Which, of course, is what is really the missing factor here.

I will probably follow this further. I think it struck me so greatly because I do like both characters, aside from the fact that plagiarism peeves me off. I hate to say it, but I have a feeling that the CEO will be the only winner in the story, though. Emily will survive, but she has lost a hint of cool. But perhaps, Nate and Rosamond will reap some of her glory. That would be great.

Back to the Books

I purposefully did not blog yesterday, though I kept thinking about it. A lot, in fact. It’s like I cannot stop now. I have a blogging addiction. I am sure it will not last too long, but I do want to avoid unnecessary blogging. After finishing out November doing both NaNoWriMo  and National Blog Posting Month, I decided I should take a day off. But I cannot stop the mindflow, so here, I am again. I am sure that I will eventually fall back into my non-pattern of random blogging. I have also been neglecting to add to my novel’s word count, but have not given up the story yet. I am eager, though, after a month of writing and researching, just to read for fun a little more.

I am definitely giving a lot of book gifts this year, especially to the kiddies. We are opening a couple early, because I cannot stand the wait and because I get to open presents for St. Nick’s Day [December 6th]: my British-born mother said so. {We leave out shoes and everything}

Yes, btw, I am a Potter-head and I am still po’d about the Half Blood Prince film debut getting changed from November 21st to July ‘09 [apparently they did not want the wizards to compete with the vampires or something]. And i need a fix. So tomorrow I will be picking up a couple of copies of the latest gift from JK Rowling. I look forward to some relaxing indulgence, but I still want the one with the cool cover. Apparently Amazon has a limited number of collector’s edition remakes [not handcrafted by Rowling]. Unfortunately that hundred dollar book will have to remain on my “I Wish” list.

I am happy that this particular work will delve a bit further into Rowling’s wizarding world, as in further back in the cultural history. The “Tale of the Three Brothers” you may recall, figured significantly in the last book of the series as a cross between children’s tale and clue-filled legend. Even then, I desperately wanted to read what they were reading. I still wish she would do “Hogwarts, A History” for us nerds.

There are. of course, lots of events and hoopla surrounding the release beginning at midnight. If you live in NYC, or visit in the next month, you can view one of the original books at the NY Public LIbrary. You can get better info from the best wizard blog The Leaky Cauldron and well, pretty much all over the web. The best part about the book is that proceeds will benefit the Children’s High Level Group, which is the group Rowling helped found to aid European children, particularly those in the Eastern war-torn countries. So, I can feel good about my indulgence.

Right on the mark

I just hit 50,000 words. Literally, i hit update on my writing program’s tracker and it says five zero, zerozerozero. Exactly. And of course, I am not done but I had to share this moment with you and well, just mark it for posterity’s sake.

Wow! What a wonderful month! And thank zeus it is over! [lol ]…Honestly, i feel like this is the proverbial “beginning of the end” or “first day of the rest of my life” because I have come so far and yet have so far to go still. I think we are all probably better now just for having entered into this crazy little thing called NaNo. I know that I have a better sense of my ability and yes, my limits, plus, as an added bonus, I have written half of a novel which I have been thinking about in my head for many years. Just like me, the story changed over the years but never more than in the last month. Not only did crazy changes occur like entire plot points, but it went from an idea to a reality.

My son asked me if I was going to get my book published or let him read it. I told him when it was done, which will hopefully be before next November, after I have reread it and revised it and probably changed 42 more things, then it may be ready. But he will probably think it is boring anyway. {at age 12 he reads on a college level. I do not write novels on that level yet}.

I am not ready to let anyone read it yet and am resisting all temptation to go back and start revising now, because I want to complete it. I am going to set some lower goals for myself, but I think that now that I have come this far there is no stopping me now!

I am also rather proud of myself for making it through National Blog Posting Month, but do not know if I will attempt that again for awhile. Maybe in February [haha]…{btw: It is year round and they do a different theme every month}… I am looking forward to blogging more often and regularly though, and especially getting into some other topics. I really appreciate the encouragement and camaraderie which I have found through this experience. I hope that you all will continue to join me here and i look forward to hearing more from you too. I love my WriMo buddies and wish you all well! Write on!

[**going to verify soon but hope to add more before midnight! If you need a post NaNo laugh i hope you saw this thru the Procrastination Station...try to take his cynicism with a grain of salt because we know better**]

This is just a quickie…must write more…

After yesterday’s action blog I was pleased to find about this book, Causewired by Tom Watson, who also has a WordPress blog of the same name. It is about using the net and blogging for social action. Haven’t read it yet, so this not a review, just a share. Apparently it is both history and “how to” so it could be an interesting read on a few levels.

I astounded myself on Sunday and wrote over 5000 words, then barely 500 yesterday. Fortunately [?!] my 4 yo woke me up at 3am so i could write more this morn [well, he just wanted a drink]. I may make it yet… hope all is well in NaNoLand with you all.