June is definitely the month for vacations. Every year every single person I know is always incredibly busy with summer activities. This year, I was caught right in the middle of it and basically had 3 houseguests whose visits all overlapped a little. It was crazy, but it was fun, and now that everyone is gone the apartment feels a bit empty and I am not quite sure what to do with myself.
The down side of the visits was that I was too busy entertaining guests to find the time to write, and have barely written anything all month. But it is kind of funny... yesterday I was woken by one of my guests while I was in the middle of a dream about discussing writing with people and characters (some of which I didn't know but knew in the dream). I don't really remember much more about the dream, but I feel like it was my subconscious's way of reminding me to keep working on my writing when I haven't touched it in so long. Normally I don't remember my dreams and I don't recall ever dreaming about writing.
Do any of the other writers out there have dreams about writing when they haven't written in a while?
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
The Frosting on the Cake
Today, was someone's birthday at work and we had a very good chocolate cake. It was probably the best one they've bought at work. I give the credit to the frosting because I normally do not like the frosting on the cakes they purchase, but this frosting a rich, sugary chocolate which is one of my favorites and I think it really made the cake.
It reminded me of writing. Some things can be the icing on the cake and really make or break a piece of writing. In your opinion, what are some of these things?
It reminded me of writing. Some things can be the icing on the cake and really make or break a piece of writing. In your opinion, what are some of these things?
Saturday, June 07, 2008
1st Place Long Narrative Poem
My poem "Rainy Afternoon" won first place in the big poetry contest for a long narrative poem. I hadn't expected to win because most of my writing is fantasy-related and the Arkansas Writers Conference tends to be a more conservative group. I am so excited!
Arkansas Writers Conference
I am halfway through the second and last day of the Arkansas Writers Conference. It is a small local writers conference and doesn't get many well-known speakers, but this is the 3rd year I have attended. It is the cheapest conference in my area; plus it is local and I do not have to purchase a hotel room to attend, so that also helps it fit in my budget, which helps out a lot.
I get different things out of the conference each year. It always helps refocus my mind on writing and writing goals. Sometimes I win something and that's always a big motivator. This year I haven't won anything, but the conference has a different feel to it for me this year- in a good way.
Normally, I am the quiet person who doesn't talk with many people; and yes that is still true, but aside from an absolutely awesome session by children's author, Darcy Pattison, I think the best thing I have gotten from this conference is the networking. Now, I consider myself a very open person and will answer most questions people have for me and chat happily or happily listen to talkers; but I never know what to say on my end and don't volunteer information about myself because I never think to do it, so I seem pretty antisocial to most people who don't know me because they ask a question, I give an answer. End of conversation.
But this year I have felt different. Maybe it is because there have been several people who wanted to recruit writers for their group and/or make friends with other writers, but I have felt significantly more social and more welcome this year than in previous years. It's hard to describe, but something feels different about all of it. Perhaps I am more confident because I have actually been writing a tiny bit this year. Or perhaps it is because I have been more social at work recently and social-ness begets more social-ness. I almost feel a bit like I did back in high school when I was in journalism and one of 4 people writing/designing/working on the school newspaper and the editor n' chief of the literary magazine. Perhaps it has something to do with life going relatively well recently and I feel more in control than I have in quite a while.
Whatever it is, I do feel more confident at the conference this year and have been more social there this year than in previous years. It is a nice feeling. And I really do enjoy being social. I just don't really know how to be social sometimes, even though I crave that social energy. What can I say; everyone likes attention and that's what being social at an event like this is all about.
I think I may know why I never heard back from the agent where I sent the text for my children's picture book about the puppies. Apparently the story was too long. It met the generic guidelines I found on the internet for story length, but Darcy Pattison's presentation told us that the length publishers like for picture books is even shorter; ideally 500 words. I have tried to write a story that short and it is very hard. All of my characters were flat and characterless.
Another good thing about this conference, also especially particular to Darcy Pattison's presentation, was the need for revision. I always knew the need for revision, but I don't think I've ever heard anyone explain it as well as Darcy. It was also very refreshing to be reminded that pretty much every writer out there has to do at least 4-5 revsions before they have a decent piece of writing. That was very refreshing to hear because sometimes we writers feel like we are in silos as we write and we forget that it's not just us. It makes me feel a whole lot better about the very bad stuff that I have written recently and that there is hope for it!
I still have the rest of the afternoon and evening of the conference, but I feel like I have really gotten a lot out of it so far...even though most of the speakers so far have talked more about their books and trying to sell us on their books than about the art of writing. I feel it has been a really good confernce.
I get different things out of the conference each year. It always helps refocus my mind on writing and writing goals. Sometimes I win something and that's always a big motivator. This year I haven't won anything, but the conference has a different feel to it for me this year- in a good way.
Normally, I am the quiet person who doesn't talk with many people; and yes that is still true, but aside from an absolutely awesome session by children's author, Darcy Pattison, I think the best thing I have gotten from this conference is the networking. Now, I consider myself a very open person and will answer most questions people have for me and chat happily or happily listen to talkers; but I never know what to say on my end and don't volunteer information about myself because I never think to do it, so I seem pretty antisocial to most people who don't know me because they ask a question, I give an answer. End of conversation.
But this year I have felt different. Maybe it is because there have been several people who wanted to recruit writers for their group and/or make friends with other writers, but I have felt significantly more social and more welcome this year than in previous years. It's hard to describe, but something feels different about all of it. Perhaps I am more confident because I have actually been writing a tiny bit this year. Or perhaps it is because I have been more social at work recently and social-ness begets more social-ness. I almost feel a bit like I did back in high school when I was in journalism and one of 4 people writing/designing/working on the school newspaper and the editor n' chief of the literary magazine. Perhaps it has something to do with life going relatively well recently and I feel more in control than I have in quite a while.
Whatever it is, I do feel more confident at the conference this year and have been more social there this year than in previous years. It is a nice feeling. And I really do enjoy being social. I just don't really know how to be social sometimes, even though I crave that social energy. What can I say; everyone likes attention and that's what being social at an event like this is all about.
I think I may know why I never heard back from the agent where I sent the text for my children's picture book about the puppies. Apparently the story was too long. It met the generic guidelines I found on the internet for story length, but Darcy Pattison's presentation told us that the length publishers like for picture books is even shorter; ideally 500 words. I have tried to write a story that short and it is very hard. All of my characters were flat and characterless.
Another good thing about this conference, also especially particular to Darcy Pattison's presentation, was the need for revision. I always knew the need for revision, but I don't think I've ever heard anyone explain it as well as Darcy. It was also very refreshing to be reminded that pretty much every writer out there has to do at least 4-5 revsions before they have a decent piece of writing. That was very refreshing to hear because sometimes we writers feel like we are in silos as we write and we forget that it's not just us. It makes me feel a whole lot better about the very bad stuff that I have written recently and that there is hope for it!
I still have the rest of the afternoon and evening of the conference, but I feel like I have really gotten a lot out of it so far...even though most of the speakers so far have talked more about their books and trying to sell us on their books than about the art of writing. I feel it has been a really good confernce.
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