I realize I haven't updated this blog in a while. I've been writing much more frequently on love. ink. coffee., and I encourage you to hop over there to see what I've been up to.
I will be continuing to do writing posts there, and will post here as I can.
21 March 2011
Stage or screen awaits your story!
Back in November, writers all over the world sat down at their computers and took on the adventure of writing 50,000 words in 30 days. Next month, writers all over the world will once again get creative and undertake a new challenge: ScriptFrenzy.
ScriptFrenzy is the sister event to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). As its name suggests, ScriptFrenzy is a script-writing event. The goal is to write 100 pages of script in 30 days. Just as NaNoWriMo is more inclusive than exclusive about what constitutes a novel, ScriptFrenzy is welcoming toward different kinds of scripts. According to their website, "Screenplays, stage plays, TV shows, short films, and graphic novels are all welcome."
Like NaNoWriMo, the prize for "winning" ScriptFrenzy is the sense of accomplishment that comes from having written 100 pages in 30 days.
For those who have never written a script, it's a good opportunity to try it. The resources available on ScriptFrenzy's website give information on laying out scripts and advice for writing. The homepage even has a "plot machine" to help get your writing ideas started. For example, "On a snowy day in Hawaii, a typewriter-shop owner befriends a young runaway with a secret." For those who have always wanted to try script-writing but never had the time, this is the chance to make the time and write that script you've always wanted to, with the support of writers from all over the world.
There's still plenty of time to get ready for ScriptFrenzy! Register on the website, think about what you're going to write, and then when April 1 gets here, start writing!
Happy scribbling!
ScriptFrenzy is the sister event to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). As its name suggests, ScriptFrenzy is a script-writing event. The goal is to write 100 pages of script in 30 days. Just as NaNoWriMo is more inclusive than exclusive about what constitutes a novel, ScriptFrenzy is welcoming toward different kinds of scripts. According to their website, "Screenplays, stage plays, TV shows, short films, and graphic novels are all welcome."
Like NaNoWriMo, the prize for "winning" ScriptFrenzy is the sense of accomplishment that comes from having written 100 pages in 30 days.
For those who have never written a script, it's a good opportunity to try it. The resources available on ScriptFrenzy's website give information on laying out scripts and advice for writing. The homepage even has a "plot machine" to help get your writing ideas started. For example, "On a snowy day in Hawaii, a typewriter-shop owner befriends a young runaway with a secret." For those who have always wanted to try script-writing but never had the time, this is the chance to make the time and write that script you've always wanted to, with the support of writers from all over the world.
There's still plenty of time to get ready for ScriptFrenzy! Register on the website, think about what you're going to write, and then when April 1 gets here, start writing!
Happy scribbling!
20 March 2011
Spring by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Nothing is so beautiful as spring--
When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;
Thrush's eggs look little low heavens, and thrush
Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring
The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;
The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush
The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush
With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.
What is all this juice and all this joy?
A strain of the earth's sweet being in the beginning
In Eden garden.--Have, get, before it cloy,
Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,
Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,
Most, O maid's child, thy choice and worthy the winning.
When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;
Thrush's eggs look little low heavens, and thrush
Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring
The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;
The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush
The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush
With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.
What is all this juice and all this joy?
A strain of the earth's sweet being in the beginning
In Eden garden.--Have, get, before it cloy,
Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,
Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,
Most, O maid's child, thy choice and worthy the winning.
18 March 2011
Hi, there.
Has it really been more than a month since I've updated this blog?
I apologize.
I could spend time giving explanations and excuses, promise to be better and even offer some new posts this weekend as a show of good faith. But all I can say is that life got in the way. I am a writer, but I'm a mom first, and that's been coming first lately.
I'll try to be better, especially with ScriptFrenzy and National Poetry Month less than two weeks away. But how can I say no to this face?
I apologize.
I could spend time giving explanations and excuses, promise to be better and even offer some new posts this weekend as a show of good faith. But all I can say is that life got in the way. I am a writer, but I'm a mom first, and that's been coming first lately.
I'll try to be better, especially with ScriptFrenzy and National Poetry Month less than two weeks away. But how can I say no to this face?
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| Bean on St. Patrick's Day, 2011 |
15 February 2011
And then she was back.
Due to a lot going on in my personal life (which you can read about here, if you want), I haven't been posting here. Normally, I would apologize, but I make no excuses for the fact that my family comes first in my life.
The good news is that I do have several posts in the works that I was working on/planning to write last week and the week before. So for the next few weeks, this blog will not be lacking in content!
In the meantime, here's a picture of me with two people I love:
The good news is that I do have several posts in the works that I was working on/planning to write last week and the week before. So for the next few weeks, this blog will not be lacking in content!
In the meantime, here's a picture of me with two people I love:
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| The Coffee-Stained Family December 2010 |
30 January 2011
Personal Libraries: what do your bookshelves say about you?
One of my personal goals over the next few months is to get more organized, particularly in my home office area. We have a baby coming this spring, and I want to get as much done before she arrives as I can.
As part of my office re-organization, I'm taking a critical look at the books I have, and deciding what I can donate or pass on to someone else. ::coughcough::RogerHall::coughcough:: I have lots of books I love and refer back to often, but do I really need to keep that book that I hated so much I could barely finish? Probably not.
So as I was looking at the titles lined up behind my desk (alphabetically by author's last name, of course), I realized that what I have tells you something about me: my reading tastes. (All the more reason to get rid of books I don't like, I suppose.)
As the book world moves more into the digital age and libraries are concealed on screens, I think it's even more important to be aware of the physical books you have. After all, people may or may not make judgments about you based on what they see on your shelves. Think about it a moment. If you look at a bookshelf lined with Norton Anthologies and texts on literary theory, your thoughts of that person will likely be different from someone who has every title by James Patterson and Janet Evanovich.*
Like it or not, people have opinions about books, and when they see you with a particular book, they're likely to attach that opinion to you, as well. If you see someone with a book by an author you admire, how would you interact with that person? Especially in comparison to seeing a book by an author you consider a hack?
Now, as I say this, I know there are people in this world who have books simply because they want to create a particular image of themselves. (Yes, I'm talking to someone who has a copy of Anna Karenina and Moby Dick but hasn't read them and never plans to. You know who you are and what I think of you.) I'm not of the mind that you should only own books you've read (what would be the point?), but I also think you should be honest in your purchasing.
Writers are artists, and by buying their books, you're telling people you support their work. Whose work do you want to support? Whose art do you want displayed in your home?
Since Hubby and I are still getting our new apartment sorted and arranged (and lots of my books are still at my mother's house), most of my titles are about writing (freelancing, creative writing, AP stylebook, etc.), as well as A. S. Byatt and Jasper Fforde. I don't know what, exactly, that says about me.
What are your prominent titles? What books will you never part with? What books would you be glad to be rid of? What do your bookshelves say about you?
----
*no judgment here
 |
| Image: Paul / FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
So as I was looking at the titles lined up behind my desk (alphabetically by author's last name, of course), I realized that what I have tells you something about me: my reading tastes. (All the more reason to get rid of books I don't like, I suppose.)
As the book world moves more into the digital age and libraries are concealed on screens, I think it's even more important to be aware of the physical books you have. After all, people may or may not make judgments about you based on what they see on your shelves. Think about it a moment. If you look at a bookshelf lined with Norton Anthologies and texts on literary theory, your thoughts of that person will likely be different from someone who has every title by James Patterson and Janet Evanovich.*
Like it or not, people have opinions about books, and when they see you with a particular book, they're likely to attach that opinion to you, as well. If you see someone with a book by an author you admire, how would you interact with that person? Especially in comparison to seeing a book by an author you consider a hack?
Now, as I say this, I know there are people in this world who have books simply because they want to create a particular image of themselves. (Yes, I'm talking to someone who has a copy of Anna Karenina and Moby Dick but hasn't read them and never plans to. You know who you are and what I think of you.) I'm not of the mind that you should only own books you've read (what would be the point?), but I also think you should be honest in your purchasing.
Writers are artists, and by buying their books, you're telling people you support their work. Whose work do you want to support? Whose art do you want displayed in your home?
Since Hubby and I are still getting our new apartment sorted and arranged (and lots of my books are still at my mother's house), most of my titles are about writing (freelancing, creative writing, AP stylebook, etc.), as well as A. S. Byatt and Jasper Fforde. I don't know what, exactly, that says about me.
What are your prominent titles? What books will you never part with? What books would you be glad to be rid of? What do your bookshelves say about you?
----
*no judgment here
22 January 2011
19 January 2011
When my Inner Writer is stomping her foot in protest....
I love writing. I really do. Editing, not so much. Background info....meh. But I love writing.
And yet, there are days when I sit at my computer and open my WIP*, and all I can think is, "Okay....now what?" Yes, as much as I love writing, there are days I don't really feel like writing.
There are generally two camps in writing that address motivation: write every day and write when you're inspired.
Write every day
The first camp is one that says you should write every day, no matter what. Even if you don't feel like it or don't have anything to say, or know as you're writing that you're going to have to delete everything the next day. The point is to get words on the page.
Those who have participated in NaNoWriMo often see the value in this camp. Those who have read Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way may also see the benefits from this approach.
Of course, this camp says that even if you don't feel like writing, do it. If it's on your schedule, do it. You can fix it later.
Write when you're inspired
The other camp is more forgiving when it comes to motivation. If you're not inspired to write, if you don't know what to say, no worries. You can write later when you're motivated to write.
This camp doesn't necessarily write every day, but when you are inspired to write, you keep going as long as you can. So your schedule may say to write for an hour, but if you're on a roll, you keep going for two or three or more hours because you're inspired to write.
Both sides have their advantages and disadvantages.
The write every day camp is good because you, yanno, write every day. But if you know you're writing something that flat-out won't work, is it worth it to take the time to put down on paper?
The write when you're inspired camp is good because, when you do write, you're writing something that you're inspired to write, that's more likely to be kept through editing. But if you only write when you're inspired, how long will you go between writing session?
I bring this up because I haven't been entirely motivated to write lately. After Bean being sick, I've had a little trouble getting back into the swing of things, especially since I'm still doing a lot of background writing (that can get a little tedious, to be honest). I think I've managed to come up with a good compromise that puts one foot in each writing camp, and that works for me.
I do try to write during my scheduled writing times, but if I know I'm forcing it, I use that time to be productive in other ways. I might work on some background/outlining, I may do some administrative stuff (filing invoices, catching up on emails, etc.), or I may take the time to read something beneficial instead. That way, I'm still using my writing time to further my writing, but not necessarily by actually writing.
Maybe you find that you really do need to write every day, no matter what. Or you may find that you really do need to let your story be unless you're inspired to work on it. Or some combination of both. Or neither. As always, you have to figure out what works best for you.
How do you handle motivation--or lack thereof--in your writing life?
--
*WIP=Work In Progress
And yet, there are days when I sit at my computer and open my WIP*, and all I can think is, "Okay....now what?" Yes, as much as I love writing, there are days I don't really feel like writing.
There are generally two camps in writing that address motivation: write every day and write when you're inspired.
Write every day
The first camp is one that says you should write every day, no matter what. Even if you don't feel like it or don't have anything to say, or know as you're writing that you're going to have to delete everything the next day. The point is to get words on the page.
Those who have participated in NaNoWriMo often see the value in this camp. Those who have read Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way may also see the benefits from this approach.
Of course, this camp says that even if you don't feel like writing, do it. If it's on your schedule, do it. You can fix it later.
Write when you're inspired
The other camp is more forgiving when it comes to motivation. If you're not inspired to write, if you don't know what to say, no worries. You can write later when you're motivated to write.
This camp doesn't necessarily write every day, but when you are inspired to write, you keep going as long as you can. So your schedule may say to write for an hour, but if you're on a roll, you keep going for two or three or more hours because you're inspired to write.
Both sides have their advantages and disadvantages.
The write every day camp is good because you, yanno, write every day. But if you know you're writing something that flat-out won't work, is it worth it to take the time to put down on paper?
The write when you're inspired camp is good because, when you do write, you're writing something that you're inspired to write, that's more likely to be kept through editing. But if you only write when you're inspired, how long will you go between writing session?
I bring this up because I haven't been entirely motivated to write lately. After Bean being sick, I've had a little trouble getting back into the swing of things, especially since I'm still doing a lot of background writing (that can get a little tedious, to be honest). I think I've managed to come up with a good compromise that puts one foot in each writing camp, and that works for me.
I do try to write during my scheduled writing times, but if I know I'm forcing it, I use that time to be productive in other ways. I might work on some background/outlining, I may do some administrative stuff (filing invoices, catching up on emails, etc.), or I may take the time to read something beneficial instead. That way, I'm still using my writing time to further my writing, but not necessarily by actually writing.
Maybe you find that you really do need to write every day, no matter what. Or you may find that you really do need to let your story be unless you're inspired to work on it. Or some combination of both. Or neither. As always, you have to figure out what works best for you.
How do you handle motivation--or lack thereof--in your writing life?
--
*WIP=Work In Progress
14 January 2011
I see you in the shadows...!
 |
| h/t to Loralee for that image |
Today is National Delurking Day, a fun event that happens on the blogosphere, and encourages readers who rarely or never comment to make themselves known.
So I encourage you to take this opportunity to let me know you've been following my ramblings about writing and life as a writer. Drop me a comment and tell me what you're reading and/or writing these days.
I'll start. I'm reading The Jeeves Omnibus by P. G. Wodehouse, and I'm writing the coffee house book. (See how easy that is?)
Then, you're more than welcome to go back to the shadows!
12 January 2011
"Mom" beats "writer" this week
My poor darling Bean has been sick this week. I think he's on the downward slope of it (thankfully), but for the past few days my time has been spent wiping a snooger nose, distributing doses of Tylenol, wiping a fever-hot body with a cool washcloth, and spending lots of time snuggled in the recliner to "bock-a-bye."
While I haven't taken Bean in to his pediatrician or the ER (again: thankfully), I've been concerned for the past few days. Bean's temperature is normally about 97.5, and at it's highest it was about 101. It was not a happy afternoon for me.
Because of Bean's cold, I haven't spent much time at my computer this week. My email inbox is overflowing with unread and unresponded-to messages. My poor coffee house characters have been sitting on the sidelines patiently twiddling their as-yet undescribed thumbs.
Now that Bean is starting to (finally) feel better, I'll be spending more time writing again, and getting caught up from the past few days' lack of work.
I am a writer, and I always will be. But I'm a mom first, and this week, I've been a mom.
Is there anything that keeps you from writing sometimes? If so, what is it?
 |
| Sick Bean on Tuesday |
Because of Bean's cold, I haven't spent much time at my computer this week. My email inbox is overflowing with unread and unresponded-to messages. My poor coffee house characters have been sitting on the sidelines patiently twiddling their as-yet undescribed thumbs.
Now that Bean is starting to (finally) feel better, I'll be spending more time writing again, and getting caught up from the past few days' lack of work.
I am a writer, and I always will be. But I'm a mom first, and this week, I've been a mom.
Is there anything that keeps you from writing sometimes? If so, what is it?
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