I am an addict. I am addicted to technology. So on Saturday when my main computer refused to POST (it's a technical term that refers to the fact whether or not your computer will actually turn on), there was a bit of a frantic chaos. Most of the chaos was swirling around the fact that I couldn't just fix it on Saturday (we had to wait a day).
I have multiple systems, but the problem is: as a writer and an illustrator: I have "the best" material on one machine. The good news, the harddrives were safe. None of my written work or my drawn work was destroyed in the creation of a new computer. This is the second computer ever I have ever had go "poof" as the description lay best explained. All of my other machines have lived good lives doing the best they can until I sold them on ebay or to other people until they were no longer useful.
So now, I sit on a brand new machine, dealing with the mess that can only be described as messier than the actual death of computer. Not only did I get new parts, I completely upgraded from my preferred operating system (Windows XP). So there's installing and reinstalling, and updates that never happened and the updates that had happened are abandoned and so for each program it is nearly 3-5 hours of updates and restarts.
As a writer all I can do is sit and wait. As an addict, every little second extra makes me nervous.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
No, Seriously, I Am Always Writing
As someone who works in a public school 5 days a week for over 190 days a year in the past 2 years, I have tried to convey to my students that one really does need to know how to write. While the English teachers that I work with admire the direction I have tried to put a spin on the importance of skill building, I sometimes get the idea that no one really knows exactly what I do and how much of "it" I do.
Seriously: I am always writing.
I write as I am falling asleep. I write as I'm going to work, even when I cannot write, whole chunks of sentences form in my head before I even get a chance to pick up a pencil and actually write them down.
I used to write poetry quite a bit.
I still write short stories and novels.
I will always be writing on Project Alpha, the project with no end in sight darned illustrations.
Pictures still are valued at 1000 words. At least. My own hand is much more steady these days.
But I'm always finding an outlet forcing myself to express the ideas in my head that have been placed there by something I've seen or trying to experience or put words to an expeience that I do not quite understand.
The nebulous way my mind wants to work is not much unlike a web one might teach students to use to write with. But it happens in clearer and clearer chunks the more I work at my craft.
I was most recently asked why I hadn't gone into the English department as a major in college instead of heading to Architecture school. And I will be honest: there isn't a lot of money there. But I don't care about making money, not in the way that I don't want to make money, but in the way that money is not the primary decision guide. Architecture was a means to another skill of communication. And I have been able to control a lot of things that I probably would not have been able to without having been formally trained in the visual skills that are required of architecture.
I always was mistified by my friends and aquantances being stimied by the direction to write. I always found it the easiest thing in the world to string words together. I'm not an expert at it and sometimes my direction is more of a stab than a gentle curve. But the words will come.
But always looking for a chance to explain is what is in my head is always the goal. So I am always writing.
Seriously: I am always writing.
- I write emails for the company, I write emails to my co-workers, I write emails to my friends
- I write short stories
- I write reviews for items and books for a variety of stores
- I write modified texts to let my students access the curriculum
- I write process charts (somtimes also called scaffolds or task charts)
- I write for 4 separate blogs (yes I am crazy)
- I write at least two status updates to FB daily.
- I write text messages to my friends
- I write sample items for my students to refer to when am not with them
- I write
- and I write
- and I write.
I write as I am falling asleep. I write as I'm going to work, even when I cannot write, whole chunks of sentences form in my head before I even get a chance to pick up a pencil and actually write them down.
I used to write poetry quite a bit.
I still write short stories and novels.
I will always be writing on Project Alpha, the project with no end in sight darned illustrations.
Pictures still are valued at 1000 words. At least. My own hand is much more steady these days.
But I'm always finding an outlet forcing myself to express the ideas in my head that have been placed there by something I've seen or trying to experience or put words to an expeience that I do not quite understand.
The nebulous way my mind wants to work is not much unlike a web one might teach students to use to write with. But it happens in clearer and clearer chunks the more I work at my craft.
I was most recently asked why I hadn't gone into the English department as a major in college instead of heading to Architecture school. And I will be honest: there isn't a lot of money there. But I don't care about making money, not in the way that I don't want to make money, but in the way that money is not the primary decision guide. Architecture was a means to another skill of communication. And I have been able to control a lot of things that I probably would not have been able to without having been formally trained in the visual skills that are required of architecture.
I always was mistified by my friends and aquantances being stimied by the direction to write. I always found it the easiest thing in the world to string words together. I'm not an expert at it and sometimes my direction is more of a stab than a gentle curve. But the words will come.
But always looking for a chance to explain is what is in my head is always the goal. So I am always writing.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Stick Figures
I just posted my first adapted book for sale.
Yes, it is Romeo and Juliet as envisioned as stick figures. While you laugh at it, pause for a moment and ask yourself how many times you had to draw something and you resorted to stick figures to figure it out.
Adaptations do not have to be pretty. But they have to be able to be maintained and archived well. So those little scraps of paper or the fact you adapt on the fly every time for each student is just not efficient. That's the idea behind Project Beta and Project Alpha. Taking away that time you will spend trying to make it new again even for a student who might be in the same academic bracket as another.
This seems a huge departure for me both artistically and as a writer. But I had to put this out because I believe in the power of adapted materials for students with disabilities. I want my student, despite the fact that he or she may make unusually noises in the classroom, to feel a part of their grade, of their classmate's angst, to be held accountable for the classroom's activities. I want staff to not feel stifled at their work because they do not have the best skills in drawing, or perhaps writing. But all these things intersect, here at ParaEducate. That's why I keep working.
And why I will eventually print a new book soon. Something that might not be an entire series unto itself.
Yes, it is Romeo and Juliet as envisioned as stick figures. While you laugh at it, pause for a moment and ask yourself how many times you had to draw something and you resorted to stick figures to figure it out.
Adaptations do not have to be pretty. But they have to be able to be maintained and archived well. So those little scraps of paper or the fact you adapt on the fly every time for each student is just not efficient. That's the idea behind Project Beta and Project Alpha. Taking away that time you will spend trying to make it new again even for a student who might be in the same academic bracket as another.
This seems a huge departure for me both artistically and as a writer. But I had to put this out because I believe in the power of adapted materials for students with disabilities. I want my student, despite the fact that he or she may make unusually noises in the classroom, to feel a part of their grade, of their classmate's angst, to be held accountable for the classroom's activities. I want staff to not feel stifled at their work because they do not have the best skills in drawing, or perhaps writing. But all these things intersect, here at ParaEducate. That's why I keep working.
And why I will eventually print a new book soon. Something that might not be an entire series unto itself.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
50,000 words and 22 days
November is NaNoWriMo: 50,000 words over 30 days. This year, I started 2 days later because I made a promise to my students I would help them with their theatrical performance, where I was on of the 3 directors. Then I had other barriers: promoting my book, the conference I am presenting at, and other social obligations.
As we will find out tomorrow, my daily word could was consistent. On most days anyway. Other things were not so easy: exhibit A laundry, exhibit B the pile of comments formula company blog, exhibit C my working knowledge of anything that happened this month that is not my books.
But it is done.
The thing that weighed most on my mind: I may have outgrown NaNoWriMo. While the thrill is there the intensity was not. I will consider this problem next year. But until then, I have another book to finish illustrating.
I am done!
As we will find out tomorrow, my daily word could was consistent. On most days anyway. Other things were not so easy: exhibit A laundry, exhibit B the pile of comments formula company blog, exhibit C my working knowledge of anything that happened this month that is not my books.
But it is done.
The thing that weighed most on my mind: I may have outgrown NaNoWriMo. While the thrill is there the intensity was not. I will consider this problem next year. But until then, I have another book to finish illustrating.
I am done!
Sunday, November 11, 2012
NaNoWriMo: Movin' Right Along
The thing I appreciate most about NaNoWriMo: I cannot linger if I want to make my deadline. I have to keep my characters moving. The depth I need to make the scenes work comes from the day after I wrote the original scene. My word count comes quickly from reviewing what I have already written and add in detail.
Other spots for me: not to be afraid to write out of sequence or about a character I don't care about. I k ow I spent over 3000 words today in a courtroom. I had no idea I even wanted a court room but that was what happened today. I think it was far better than pulling out the phrase "and then the Ninja monkeys attacked!"
But then again, tea time would be so much more interesting with a horde of ninja monkeys.
I am also still preparing for work, TASH and whatever else is heading my way.
November rocks.
Other spots for me: not to be afraid to write out of sequence or about a character I don't care about. I k ow I spent over 3000 words today in a courtroom. I had no idea I even wanted a court room but that was what happened today. I think it was far better than pulling out the phrase "and then the Ninja monkeys attacked!"
But then again, tea time would be so much more interesting with a horde of ninja monkeys.
I am also still preparing for work, TASH and whatever else is heading my way.
November rocks.
Friday, November 9, 2012
NaNoWriMo, Fame verses Success
I think the thing that has drawn me most to NaNoWriMo simply that is that completing it is success. Getting to 50,000, that's the goal. It's constant. I will get there. I have gotten there for several years in a row. This year has been harder. Between juggling a full dramatic show with teenagers, doing my full time job, doing my part time job, and other assorted crises, words have been harder this year than ever.
So why do NaNo? Because I'm chasing fame? Hardly. My success as a writer isn't tied up in my fame. My success as a writer is in sharing the work and the ideas that I have in my head. It's completing the work in my head that I have half written outlines for. Success is just knowing that it is "done" and then you can find the next thing to accomplish.
Fame is what drives many of my students. After all, it could be a lofty goal. It seems that famous people are more successful. They, famous people, seem to have combined love, fame and success in one fell swoop. Fame can last for as long as possible with some who have managed to make fame look desirable.
But that is not why NaNoWriMo continues to be churned out in little spurts here and there. Success is an easier stick to measure the world by.
So why do NaNo? Because I'm chasing fame? Hardly. My success as a writer isn't tied up in my fame. My success as a writer is in sharing the work and the ideas that I have in my head. It's completing the work in my head that I have half written outlines for. Success is just knowing that it is "done" and then you can find the next thing to accomplish.
Fame is what drives many of my students. After all, it could be a lofty goal. It seems that famous people are more successful. They, famous people, seem to have combined love, fame and success in one fell swoop. Fame can last for as long as possible with some who have managed to make fame look desirable.
But that is not why NaNoWriMo continues to be churned out in little spurts here and there. Success is an easier stick to measure the world by.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Where do those things related to characters come from?
I'm actually not a non-fiction writer. At least I keep telling myself that truth. My first love, still, and will always live in the world of fiction.
Fiction has its uses: No one cares if your details are right. Nobody cares where you did your research (so Wikipedia might just be accurate "enough" knowing my education level that I can skeptically assess some of the entries).
But there is some trouble with fiction: as an author, your creativity is placed at the feet of the world asking the world to believe in your story, even for a few moments.
So I will look back at some of my choices in literary creativity.
"Putting It On The Line" is still my flagship story. Mostly because I have been writing it since I was 14. I grew up with Jessie, though her story started when she was 26, and the story of "Putting It On the Line" didn't manifest itself until I was 21.
But things like her name, I don't know why I latched onto Jessie right away. There were some qualifications. I needed her name to have a diminutive, a sign of affection, and I didn't know how important it was that she have that until much later in my process. I searched baby name books. I did not have much of a choice back then, it was 10 pages in the back of one of our dictionaries. And so I looked, the names A-Z and I ended up finger pointing to target myself. And then up came 'Jessica'.
Things that helped solidify that fact, Madonna has a song that helped in early days, "Dear Jessie" and that had helped things.
Music does help me determine a lot of things about characters, major moods, and directions I want to lead my characters through.
So Music and random picking.
Sometimes though, the character will come to me, their name firmly attached and nothing I can do will change that.
To date: I have never written (and published) someone from my life into my fiction, probably much to the relief of my business partner and some close friends.
Character traits are driven by the character's motives. I have many moments when my characters are very introspective and self-aware. I like those moments, knowing what my character wants and needs. They are truly self-determined and want their goals and whether or not the goal is realized or not is a part of the character's journey.
I spend much time in examining the tradition of the "Hero's Journey". I don't have much formal training in this concept, but it is basic at the core that I know most stories follow this rise and fall of the long story.
I purposely over write. I write about sequences I find that are very private to the character, that I am embarrassed to know about. Usually these parts don't make it into the things that I write, but that's how close the characters and I get.
I find that writing is really the way that my brain processes information because I will get many, many ideas at the same time and they will all converge and writing is the frenzy that happens when there may just be too much. But my mind is always writing, always wanting to be at the computer, watching letters form on the page. It may not be directly cathartic. I'm often as anxious as my characters are. I know better than to stop writing when I am in a groove, too many grammar issues occur and that I will lose track of the real goal.
So I'm back to where I'm headed, writing with the goal of getting the ideas to be clearer.
Fiction has its uses: No one cares if your details are right. Nobody cares where you did your research (so Wikipedia might just be accurate "enough" knowing my education level that I can skeptically assess some of the entries).
But there is some trouble with fiction: as an author, your creativity is placed at the feet of the world asking the world to believe in your story, even for a few moments.
So I will look back at some of my choices in literary creativity.
"Putting It On The Line" is still my flagship story. Mostly because I have been writing it since I was 14. I grew up with Jessie, though her story started when she was 26, and the story of "Putting It On the Line" didn't manifest itself until I was 21.
But things like her name, I don't know why I latched onto Jessie right away. There were some qualifications. I needed her name to have a diminutive, a sign of affection, and I didn't know how important it was that she have that until much later in my process. I searched baby name books. I did not have much of a choice back then, it was 10 pages in the back of one of our dictionaries. And so I looked, the names A-Z and I ended up finger pointing to target myself. And then up came 'Jessica'.
Things that helped solidify that fact, Madonna has a song that helped in early days, "Dear Jessie" and that had helped things.
Music does help me determine a lot of things about characters, major moods, and directions I want to lead my characters through.
So Music and random picking.
Sometimes though, the character will come to me, their name firmly attached and nothing I can do will change that.
To date: I have never written (and published) someone from my life into my fiction, probably much to the relief of my business partner and some close friends.
Character traits are driven by the character's motives. I have many moments when my characters are very introspective and self-aware. I like those moments, knowing what my character wants and needs. They are truly self-determined and want their goals and whether or not the goal is realized or not is a part of the character's journey.
I spend much time in examining the tradition of the "Hero's Journey". I don't have much formal training in this concept, but it is basic at the core that I know most stories follow this rise and fall of the long story.
I purposely over write. I write about sequences I find that are very private to the character, that I am embarrassed to know about. Usually these parts don't make it into the things that I write, but that's how close the characters and I get.
I find that writing is really the way that my brain processes information because I will get many, many ideas at the same time and they will all converge and writing is the frenzy that happens when there may just be too much. But my mind is always writing, always wanting to be at the computer, watching letters form on the page. It may not be directly cathartic. I'm often as anxious as my characters are. I know better than to stop writing when I am in a groove, too many grammar issues occur and that I will lose track of the real goal.
So I'm back to where I'm headed, writing with the goal of getting the ideas to be clearer.
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