More Adventures!

"They call me the bleeder..."-The Wallflowers, Bleeders

Alright, I realize I should probably have posted about this a little more in advance, but better late than never, right?

In about three hours I'm getting on a plane. That plane will take me to Houston. Then another plane will take me to Quito, Ecuador. Then I'll spend three weeks climbing mountains, dodging malaria in rainforests and sightseeing before a plane takes me back to the states, and then another set of planes takes me back to school.

Needless to say, the blog will be quiet for a few weeks. On January 19th, however, will begin the first of a series of posts about all the awesome things I found out in Ecuador. I'm particularly excited to have a chance to push my body to limits it's never gone to (climbing glaciers at 20,000ft ought to fit the bill), see what happens to it, and thus become much better able to write about what happens to my characters when they push their own bodies to the limit.

I should also get some sweeping vistas, meet interesting people, and learn a culture I know nothing about....so stay tuned! I'd highly suggest subscribing to the blog via the link on the sidebar if you're a subscriber type. If not, check back in mid-January, as I should have some pretty good stuff up.

Catch you on the flip side!

Maturation as a Writer

"Help me believe it's not the real me..."-Three Days Grace, Animal

Had an interesting moment as I spent all day yesterday in airports and on planes trying to get home for Christmas. I've never minded these days as much as a lot of other folks do, because I find there's plenty of downtime to get thinking and planning done for my writing, even if I rarely have success trying to write (those coach seats are just too small for my laptop).

So after my flight from Cleveland to Denver got off the ground last night, I settled back in my seat, turned on my Zen (MP3 player) and started thinking about some unresolved issues still plaguing my novel, as well as reviewing the direction I plan to take it when I begin rewriting it.

About an hour or so into this process I had an interesting realization: I was thinking in terms of theme, character development, and point of view. This was a surprise to me because for most my writing life, when I've set back to think about my books I've spent most of the time imagining plot elements, climactic scenes, epic battles, and the like.

I can't say for sure what this change implies for me as a writer, but I'd like to think it's that I've matured. I understand how books and stories are constructed in a much better way now than I have in the past, and I'm glad to see my thought processes reflecting that. It's not to say that I didn't dream up any epic scenes (I was rewriting the confrontation between my protagonist and antagonist in my head somewhere over Iowa and man, is it going to be ten thousand times better...) but I spent as much or more time planning how to set them up, how to make them climactic in many ways--the culmination of multiple stories that have been building since chapter one and the beginning of new ones that will lead into the next book--rather than just exciting, or the necessary endgame of the "What's going to happen?" question that the book begins with.

In short, my work over the past year has paid off, and I can now suggest it to others. Go study narrative (on your own terms, not in classes) and work in publishing! You won't regret it. :-)

The Craft Essay

"So lay down, the threat is real..."-Chevelle, The Red

I don't often write in praise of what my creative writing professors have had me do in school. In fact, this may be the first time one of their assignments has ever prompted to write in a positive way. Rest assured, my opinion on creative writing programs remains mixed at best.

But I have to admit that my poetry professor's assignment to write "craft essays" has proved surprisingly helpful. As I've gone back and revised the poetry I wrote for her this semester, I've had to write short essays about my revision process for each one. In and of themselves, they weren't that enlightening. I knew what I was doing as I did it.

As I go back and read over them now, however, they are helping me realize exactly what it is that I value in my poetry. A few phrases keep cropping up again and again: "concise argument," "short and sweet," "good narrative," etc.

These are all things that I would probably have said were part of my "aesthetic" anyway, but it's still somewhat of a happy surprise for me to see that I consistently and unconsciously search for them during my revision process.

I imagine the same idea would work with fiction, and though I haven't tried it, I intend to. When I go back to revise my novel this next semester, I will have three word documents open simultaneously. The first will be the list of changes I intend to make. The second will the chapter I'm working on itself, and the third will be a blank document ready for my thoughts as I revise.

I don't know what exactly this will gain me, but it can only help, and it might help you too.

Inspiration in Strange Places

"Da nanana dana dananana danananananana nananana dananana...."-Darude, Sandstorm

This was posted on the website of my World of Warcraft guild today. I have two things to say about it: first, I want to read that book. Second, it made me remember how it was that I got started writing.

Once upon a time, about two hundred years ago when I was in the first grade, I wrote a story. I'm not entirely clear on the details, but it involved a magic sword, a couple of good friends, and a trip to Uranus. That's right. Uranus. No, I don't think I was aware of how funny that was at the time.

The imaginations of children are pretty incredible things. As I get older, I find it difficult sometimes to let my imagination run wild the way it used to. In some ways that's good--the stories I write are much more logical. In others it's bad, as I'm sure I'm not as creative as I used to be.

Finding a balance between logic and whimsy is an important part of writing, especially writing fantasy, and it's worth taking the time to listen to a real child tell a story every once in awhile if you can just to remember that. If you can't, well, there are always links to funny flash videos on the internet that can simulate the experience for you.

Public Service Announcement

"They were all in love in God and they were drinking from a fountain that was pouring like an avalanche, coming down the mountain."-Butthole Surfers, Pepper

Alright, given the time of year it's time for me to make a public service announcement: Give books for Christmas this year.

Sure, it seems like a no-brainer for me to say that, but seriously, here are a few reasons it's a good idea:

1.) You'll be supporting an industry that's pretty much all-American, from stage one to the bookstore. Books are written, acquired, printed, stored, distributed, and sold in the U.S. When you buy a book, unless it's translated or brought over from the UK (damn you Rowling!), most of your money will be staying here. In our economy. Helping it get back on its feet.

2.) Hardcover books still say, "I care," or at least, "Here's something I think you should have around for awhile." Trade paperbacks give a similar effect. Cheap paperbacks say, "Here's something fun. Don't take it too seriously and pass it on when you're done." Either way, it's a good gift.

3.) Books encourage the dreamer and the storyteller in all of us--and I really mean this. There is no other form of entertainment that gives the reader such a large role in the creation of the story as it happens. Not movies, not videogames (they offer "interactivity" of a different kind), not TV. Only Dungeons and Dragons might have books beat for stimulating the imagination. If you want your kids, or anyone else, to be creative, spoonfeed them books with great characters and great stories. You won't be disappointed.

Okay, that's my spiel for the day. Now go buy some books. Everyone deserves pulp fiction in their stocking at Christmas.

Good News

"I will buy you a new life..."-Everclear, I Will Buy You a New Life

Good news! Publishing may be tightening its belt, but apparently it's not all doom and gloom. Thanksgiving weekend went well---perhaps a precursor for Christmas sales? Perhaps consumers have decided that $8 for a book that will give them at least a few days of enjoyment is a better buy than $20 for a DVD that they'll watch once for two hours?

Also, according to Kristin Nelson's blog publishers are still acquiring briskly. Sounds pretty good to me. Who knows? Maybe there will even only be this one round of layoffs and that'll be it. Not too bad of an escape, given the state of the economy. Either way, things are looking up. Expect less chicken little and more about writing next week.

Eeew

"Disaster's in the air!"-The Lion King, Can You Feel the Love Tonight? (film version)

Headline: Terrible things happen in publishing! Jobs lost! Houses restructured! Big names step down!

Upside: Only one house has announced it will be acquiring less (Houghton Mifflin) and they seem to be backing away from that stance. Companies are dropping big names and higher payroll numbers first. Shakeups may eventually inject new life into an industry that was getting a bit stodgy in some ways.

Downside: Scary time to be working in publishing. Time to keep your head low, not take risks, and hope to keep your job. They will probably come after the small names and smaller payroll numbers next. Less likely to find someone who'll go out on a limb for you. There will be fewer buyers for books and more competition for jobs.

Upshot: Who knows? Seems like there's going to be a lot of people with a great deal of publishing experience and pull jobless in the near future. I find it hard to believe that these people will remain out of work for too long. It wouldn't surprise me to see new small presses, agencies, or other publishing entities forming within the year. It also wouldn't surprise me if the elimination of some of the more high paying positions in the publishing hierarchy makes room for more people willing to work for a pittance.

Bad time to be looking for a job in publishing? Absolutely. But the industry will recover and as it does, there will be room for new blood. Bad time to be trying to get a book published? Probably. Maybe sit on it for a few months until things calm down. It'll keep.

I have yet to read a comprehensive rundown of what's going on in the industry. When I do, I'll pass it on and give my opinion. In the meantime, stay tuned to the blogs on my sidebar and Publisher's Weekly if you want to enjoy the fun. If not, I suggest hampsterdance as a sunny alternative.

The Future of Books?

"So I dub thee unforgiven..."-Metallica, Unforgiven

Alright, so I had an original blog post planned for today, but my sister sent me a link that I couldn't resist passing on to others. The NY Times online has a great article about the future of books. It focuses specifically on the agreement between Google, publishers, and the Author's Guild regarding Google's digitization and searchable index of every title it can get its hands on.

It's a short read, a very interesting perspective, and a source of optimism in the face of what seems like a fairly pessimistic situation. I'm not entirely sure I agree with the article's author, however. Personally, I can imagine my hypothetical kids bringing a Kindle on vacation with them instead of two or three books. On the other hand while children's books may become a tough sell, I can also imagine reading paper books becoming a sign of maturity--like drinking wine. The market may change, and will probably shrink, but I doubt it will ever disappear entirely.

And besides---even if publishing moves completely to e-books, someone still has to vet and market the untold billions of e-books out there, someone has to negotiate the contracts, and someone has to produce the e-books themselves. There will always be a publishing industry, and if it looks different 20 years from now, well, what industry won't? And what industry looked the same 20 years ago? That's just life.