FOR DAY TWO I completed a work assignment of Yahoo Voices. I don't know if it'll be published yet but of course if it is I'll let you know. So, that's two days down and 28 more to go. Hopefully in the next three or four days I can get started on something that can end up being a completed project.
I posted over on my Joseph Gadd Writings that I was looking to collaborate with an artist or other writers to help finish or start some writing work. I believe I will charge only $10 a page for comics and we can agree on a word rate for any prose work.
Also, (time for some self indulgence) feel free to follow my blog post. Dark Elf Designs is currently following so come along and join.
Well here's to day three. Wish me luck. Let me know if anyone is joining in.
11 April 2013
10 April 2013
DAY 2 of 30: BEATING THE DEADLINE
I CAN'T BELIEVE I nearly blew it on the first day. Yesterday was off to a fine start: good morning, beautiful day, work in the garden and then came evening. It was around ten or eleven, my wife and I had just finished dinner and put Maddy, our daughter, down for the night. I went through the house, locking the doors and closing the blinds. I prepared a juice bottle and two milk bottles in case Maddy would need one during the night. I returned to the bedroom and settled down. The women's NCAA championship was on, but neither one of us were really watching it. My wife fell asleep first and I'd decided to do the same. And then it hit me, I hadn't written anything.
Just put it off until the morning, I told myself. But I didn't want to fail, so I grabbed my iPhone and opened a writing ap I'd downloaded. It took a few moments to think of something to write. As I listened to my wife and child sleep, I found myself listening to the house. There were boards creaking, appliances in the kitchen humming, the windows were popping as tiny bugs fought to get inside to the lights. Outside, our home is in a rural part of East Tennessee, in the fields I could hear a pack of coyotes whelping. Of course, our boxer, which we keep outside, was barking bravely back at them, or in fear asking them to please leave him alone. With all these noises I began to think, what if the house was alive? What if I was the only one in my family who believed this? What would happen if I began to tear into the walls, or started studying the house, or talking to it? What would be the reaction that my wife and friends would give to me? So I began to write.
I began the suspenseful story last night in bed, from my iPhone, and synced it to my email. Later today I'll post all of it or some of it for you to read. As always comments, feedback, critics, insight are always welcome and appreciated. The only thing I ask is that no one use profanity.
Just put it off until the morning, I told myself. But I didn't want to fail, so I grabbed my iPhone and opened a writing ap I'd downloaded. It took a few moments to think of something to write. As I listened to my wife and child sleep, I found myself listening to the house. There were boards creaking, appliances in the kitchen humming, the windows were popping as tiny bugs fought to get inside to the lights. Outside, our home is in a rural part of East Tennessee, in the fields I could hear a pack of coyotes whelping. Of course, our boxer, which we keep outside, was barking bravely back at them, or in fear asking them to please leave him alone. With all these noises I began to think, what if the house was alive? What if I was the only one in my family who believed this? What would happen if I began to tear into the walls, or started studying the house, or talking to it? What would be the reaction that my wife and friends would give to me? So I began to write.
I began the suspenseful story last night in bed, from my iPhone, and synced it to my email. Later today I'll post all of it or some of it for you to read. As always comments, feedback, critics, insight are always welcome and appreciated. The only thing I ask is that no one use profanity.
09 April 2013
30 DAYS of WRITING
I'VE BEEN READING these post on Twitter and Facebook from artist who have given themselves the task of 100 days or 30 days of art assignments. In which, everyday they draw something, anything, in order to stay active. I've found that artist, whether writers or visual artist, have to keep moving. We have to continuously practice our craft or we become stale and then we're of no use to anyone.
In saying all of this, what I've decided to do is to get active. Ever since high school, I've enjoyed writing but I've never given the craft the proper attention it deserves. For the last fifteen years, give or take a year or two, I've had this unhealthy notion that I'm the greatest writer never to be published. I felt that I was just as good as Salinger or some of the other respected authors. Although, it was, and still is, important for me to have confidence in my ability, I was getting the cart before the horse. So, at the age of 32 I'm doing what I needed to do from the beginning, or at least at the age of 22, I'm beginning. I choose the term, beginning, because I can't start over what I never started.
Today is April 9, 2013 and starting today I will begin writing. No matter if anyone likes it or if anyone reads it, I'm going to write something each day. Exactly what I write, I'm not sure. Suggestions are always helpful. But I hope to cover a wide range of things, from articles, essays, short stories, book chapters, outlines, notes, journal entries, etc. But there are a few things that I'm not going to count in this 30 Days of Writing that includes this blog entry or any to follow, these are conversations with you, nor will tweets or any social media post.
I will try to post pictures of any long hand assignments that I do. And of any documents that I write, I'll post links to them on this blog. My purpose in doing this is to be able to complete something. It's my hope to use this as a stepping stone. So, here's to going back in time to 22 years old and hopefully by the time I'm 32 again I'll be able to look back on this blog and thank myself.
In saying all of this, what I've decided to do is to get active. Ever since high school, I've enjoyed writing but I've never given the craft the proper attention it deserves. For the last fifteen years, give or take a year or two, I've had this unhealthy notion that I'm the greatest writer never to be published. I felt that I was just as good as Salinger or some of the other respected authors. Although, it was, and still is, important for me to have confidence in my ability, I was getting the cart before the horse. So, at the age of 32 I'm doing what I needed to do from the beginning, or at least at the age of 22, I'm beginning. I choose the term, beginning, because I can't start over what I never started.
Today is April 9, 2013 and starting today I will begin writing. No matter if anyone likes it or if anyone reads it, I'm going to write something each day. Exactly what I write, I'm not sure. Suggestions are always helpful. But I hope to cover a wide range of things, from articles, essays, short stories, book chapters, outlines, notes, journal entries, etc. But there are a few things that I'm not going to count in this 30 Days of Writing that includes this blog entry or any to follow, these are conversations with you, nor will tweets or any social media post.
I will try to post pictures of any long hand assignments that I do. And of any documents that I write, I'll post links to them on this blog. My purpose in doing this is to be able to complete something. It's my hope to use this as a stepping stone. So, here's to going back in time to 22 years old and hopefully by the time I'm 32 again I'll be able to look back on this blog and thank myself.
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