The Scribblings of Erin M. Underwood

The Little Things

Fri, 16 May 2008 19:45:22 GMT

When the earthquake hit the Sichuan area of China, I don't think anyone anticipated the devastation that would occur or the fact that rescue efforts would be so slow and so hampered. Our world is filled with upset and unrest right now. We're so busy fighting the Boogey Man that we are unable to fight the battles that we can conquer.

It's so easy to get caught up in our own day to day dramas and forget that even at our worst, there are people who would be grateful to be burdened with our problems.

The pictures below are borrowed from the Reuters page where the full slide show is available.

Here is a story that matters, and I think these pictures only tell a part of it.

The Great and Glorious Oz

Fri, 16 May 2008 13:19:40 GMT

The lovely orogeny posted the answers to these questions "What are your priorities when you write a short story? What's your mission?" as given by The Great and Glorious Oz, I mean Jim Kelly.

I find # 5 to be the thing that catches me most often. "5. Write at least one character who doesn't know she's a character." Sometimes it takes reading a simple list like Jim's to have the world click into place so that I can see one of my most common mistakes more clearly. My characters are all too often aware of the outside world.

I'm copying orogeny and adding this list to my writing wall.

The Mid-Life Writer and the Ticking Clock

Fri, 16 May 2008 12:59:41 GMT

I've been out of high school for about 17 years. During that time I always wanted to be a writer, but instead of writing, I got a job because I didn't know you could do both! Heck, I never really believed I could be a writer. So, it was off to the "high-tech" world where I worked sales, order processing, etc. All the while I had stories raging in my imagination like demons howling to get out.

By the time I was 29, I knew I had to do something about the direction of my life. Sure, I loved working at Sonic Solutions managing the order processing department and getting to talk to Sony, Warner Bros, Abbey Road, etc. I loved going to the conventions and hanging out with the kings of audio and video. And, I loved my night job as one of the only female DJs in the area, working in the clubs and spinning records. Getting a dead floor moving is one of the best highs. However, it all paled in comparison to the internal world of my imagination where pirates reigned supreme, dragons roamed the sky, and spaceships carried humanity to the farthest reaches of the Universe - and beyond.

So, at 32 I moved to Boston, enrolled at the Harvard Extension School, and completed my undergrad degree. After that, I seriously started to pursue my writing career. I went to VP, I'm attending Stonecoast, I'm making some terrific writer friends, and I am absolutely loving life. It's as if that little magical world that once lived only in my imagination is finally starting to come out and leak into the "real" world. It's a phenomenal feeling that only makes me more and more excited to keep pushing out the words, one-by-one and day-by-day.

I really don't know what will come of it all. But I can tell you that I am loving every minute of it. Pursuing your dream, even on a part-time basis, is the thing that makes life grand. So, I say go for it. Be relentess. Whatever your dream is, get on with it because this life won't last forever. What paths not taken will you regret when the shade is drawn? The clock is ticking.

I'm A Super Hero!

Thu, 15 May 2008 16:21:06 GMT

Hahaha!

Pow! Bang! #%@! Boom!

Your results:
You are Green Lantern

Green Lantern		100%
Robin		80%
The Flash		80%
Hulk		75%
Superman		70%
Supergirl		70%
Catwoman		70%
Spider-Man		65%
Wonder Woman		65%
Iron Man		65%
Batman		55%

Hot-headed. You have strong
will power and a good imagination.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Magical Cancer Markers

Wed, 14 May 2008 20:10:15 GMT

Today is a great day. I think I have mentioned that my mom is battling her sixth episode of breast cancer. This time it metastasized into her back bone and has gone down into her hip, which is the reason it spontaneously fractured a few weeks ago. The doctor made it clear that what we're dealing with is a matter of time rather than finding a way to beat this thing.

After fracturing her hip, she had to go through a round of radiation, which she just finished. The nurse called her today. The doctors are amazed! The nurse was excited! My mom's cancer markers went down from the 3000s to 81, and there is hope of her cancer going into remission. Although there is no guarantee, this is very good news.

Yeah, mom! Happy Mother's Day!!

A Laundry List of Questions

Wed, 14 May 2008 09:47:37 GMT

I've looked around for these answers and now I'm just wasting time spinning my wheels. So, I thought I might as well post some of the questions here to see if you guys might know the answers. Thanks!

When dealing with Yahoo Groups, how do you setup your group so that the posts aren't viewable by non-group members?

Does anyone know how to file a Fictitious Business Name Certificate or a DBA in Massachusetts? I am not finding the right forms for a person who just wants to get a Fictitious Name Certificate. Do I have to go through an attorney?

I'm looking for a web designer who is really good, but won't cost an arm and a leg. I have someone that I like, but I don't have $1,000 for a website for the new e'zine that the Stonecoast students and alumni are starting. :-)

How do I get extra days added into my week so that I have more time to do "stuff"?

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Tue, 13 May 2008 13:18:13 GMT

This is from an email that I received today. The author is anonymous and it is sure to make you giggle at least 10 times. ;-) Have fun!

-------------------

Why did the chicken cross the road?

BARACK OBAMA:
The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!

JOHN MCCAIN:
My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON:
When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure -- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.......

DR. PHIL:
The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems.

OPRAH:
Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

GEORGE W. BUSH:
We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

COLIN POWELL:
Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...

ANDERSON COOPER - CNN:
We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

JOHN KERRY:
Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

NANCY GRACE:
That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it inhis eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN:
To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART:
No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS:
Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY:
To die in the rain. Alone.

JERRY FALWELL:
Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth?' That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal

media white washes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA:
In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS:
Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE:
It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

AL SHARPTON:
Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

JOHN LENNON:
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES:
I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&am p;&^(C% ........ reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN:
Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

BILL CLINTON:
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE:
I invented the chicken!

COLONEL SANDERS:
Did I miss one?

DICK CHENEY:
Where's my gun?

Thought of the Day

Tue, 13 May 2008 08:40:03 GMT

My thought of the day is actually stolen from Neil Gaiman's page. It's one of those things that you've heard before, but it bears repeating, especially because it's said so plainly.

Books don't get written by thinking about them, they get written by writing them.

... and I will leave you with that thought while I go figure out what happens next in my short story. I wish you all a happy writing day filled with lots of adventures and compelling characters!

What Good is an MFA?

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:53:53 GMT

When I tell people that I'm getting an MFA the responses that I receive from them are mixed and varied. Some people have no idea what an MFA is while others have no idea why I would want one unless I planned to be a teacher. I can't tell you about the value of MFAs as a whole, but here's what I am getting out of my Stonecoast MFA.

Stonecoast is the working writer's MFA.

Most, if not all, of the instructors are working writers who find interesting ways to carve out a life for themselves with the words they put on paper. None of the instructors are one dimensional in that none of them only do one thing. They all work in different genres and story forms, which allow them to market their writing more widely and to produce a livable income. They write poems, short stories, novels, screenplays, plays, articles, memoirs, non-fiction, and teach - or some combination of these forms.

Not only am I learning to write, I'm also learning how to think creatively about my desired profession. How can I make this writing thing work for me? This question or theme is echoed in the residency programming with seminars like "Quit Your Day Job" in which a panel of our instructors told us blow by blow how they have made a living from their writing. In addition, the focus of many of the seminars and workshops is on blending genres in order to give Stonecoast students a wide, yet focused, learning experience. As a result, by the time I graduate, I feel like I will be able to take on any writing project.

So, when you ask me "What good is an MFA?", let me tell you that it has been the difference between learning how to write and learning how to be a writer. At least that's my answer and that's exactly what I wanted out of my MFA program.

Delivery Charges Draining my Pocket Book

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:32:40 GMT

So, I ordered some flowers for my mom for Mother's Day. When I was done with processing the order I realized that not only was I charges for the Express Delivery, I was also charged for the FUEL associated with the delivery. I just spent $18 on getting these flowers to my mom.

Pink Ribbon Lilies (with 10% donation to Susan B. Komen Foundation): $44.99
Courier Fuel Surcharge: $4.93
Standard Express Delivery: $12.99
Tax: $3.26
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL: $66.17

Something has got to be done about these out of control fuel prices, especially considering that oil companies are continuously making record breaking profits year after year. I can not wait to get our Oil Baron out of Office!

Get to know Thing in 150

Mon, 05 May 2008 08:43:04 GMT

I figure it's time for another reminder about a great LJ community called Thing in 150. This is a community that operates continuously and encourages people to write 500 words per day.

Thing in 150 evolved from its the desire of its members to do NANO, but we weren't able to commit to writing a novel in the month of November. It was more realistic for us to do the "500 words per day thing." So, Thing in 150 was born. The theory is that after 150 days of writing 500 words per day you will have written 75,000 words, which is the goal for NANO.

The thing that I love about Thing in 150 is that you don't have to feel pressured to write everyday or post your progress every day. It's a very comfortable community of writers who welcome and encourage any amount of new words or progress. I have a habit of posting 500-1,000 per day and then posting nothing while I'm editing, but the great thing about Thing in 150 is that I know it's there waiting for me to return. Plus, it gives me a great place to post daily writing progress without gumming up my personal blog with that info.

Thing in 150 is for any writer at any level. So, if you're interested in a welcoming, encouraging community of writers, you should come check us out.

Neil Gaiman - The Julius Schwartz Lecture

Fri, 02 May 2008 14:48:01 GMT

Neil Gaiman is coming to MIT!

MIT is truly the place where science, technology, and literature converge and I can't think of a better innagural speaker than Neil Gaiman for The Julius "Julie" Schwartz Lecture, which will be an annual event starting in May 2008. Given the speaker, the topic, and the location, I think it's safe to say that this is going to be a fantastic event. If you're nearby, you should attend. You will be sorry to miss it!

Don't worry about buying a ticket in advance since they will be available for purchase at the door (cash only from what I understand). Also, Kresge Auditorium is HUGE so don't worry about not getting a seat because there will be room for everyone.

The text below is taken from the MIT Comparative Media Studies web page. You can also view the bios of the speakers here.

The lecture is open to the public. Anyone can attend even if you are not part of the MIT community. So, bring yourself, your family, and your friends to MIT and give Mr. Gaiman a great big warm welcome!

The Julius Schwartz Lecture is an annual event held to honor an individual who has made significant contributions to the culture, creativity and community of comics and popular entertainment. The inaugural lecture will be held on May 23rd, 2008 at 7 PM in Kresge Auditorium at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The lecture is hosted by the Comparative Media Studies program at MIT, and was founded to honor the memory of longtime DC Comics editor Julius "Julie" Schwartz, whose contributions to our culture include co-founding the first science fiction fanzine in 1932, the first science fiction literary agency in 1934, and the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939. Schwartz went on to launch a career in comics that would last for well over 42 years, during which time he helped launch the Silver Age of Comics, introduced the idea of parallel universes, and had a hand in the reinvention of such characters as Batman, Superman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman and the Atom.

The event is typically structured as a short lecture presented by the honored speaker, followed by a question-and-answer discussion between the speaker and the head of the Comparative Media Studies program, media scholar Henry Jenkins III. This will be followed by an open question-and-answer session between the lecturer and the audience. The inaugural speaker for the series is New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman.

2008 New York Writers Coalition Write-a-thon

Thu, 01 May 2008 20:36:15 GMT

I thought I'd pass this on to my LJ friends bacause I can't think of a better event for writers to sponsor.

Patricia Smith, one of my Stonecoast friends and a poet who will take your breath away, is participating in the 2008 New York Writers Coalition Write-a-thon.

Here's an excerpt from her LJ entry:

I'm taking part in the 2008 New York Writers Coalition Write-a-thon to raise money for the groundbreaking creative writing classes the NYWC offers to seniors, the homeless and at-risk youth. For eight straight hours on Saturday May 17, I'll be writing and workshopping my a** off--energized by your pledge. Please take a moment to glance at my page and help me reach my goal of $1000--so that we can continue to hear the voices we most need to hear.

We all have charities that are near and dear to our hearts, not to mention a restricted amount of money in this tight economy. However, if you have the ability to contribute to the cause, I urge you to sponsor Patricia for this event. You will be helping people who desperately need to find a way to hear and be heard through the power of writing.

Learn more about this event by visiting the website for the 2008 New York Writers Coalition Write-a-thon.

Stonecoast Students & Alumni - Please Read This

Thu, 01 May 2008 16:53:10 GMT

Stonecoast MFA Program, a division of the University of Southern Maine

Hello Stonecoasters!

I'm noticing that there are a lot of us on LJ. However, I don't think we all know one another since people have found each other more by chance than anything else.

If you are a Stonecoast student or alum, do you mind responding to this post so that we can get on each other's radar?

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:31:21 GMT

A short meme via pxcampbell.

Comment and I'll...
1. Tell you why I friended you.
2. Associate you with something - fandom, a song, a colour, a photo, etc.
3. Tell you something I like about you.
4. Tell you a memory I have of you.
5. Ask something I've always wanted to know about you.
6. Tell you my favorite user pic of yours.
7. In return, you must post this in your LJ.

Cheers!

How To Murder A Man by Carlo Geblér

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:26:19 GMT

How to Murder a Man by Carlo Geblér is a gripping tale of Ireland in the mid 1800s when the Ribbonmen dressed in their hoods terrorized people with the fear of torture and death if their warnings were not heeded.

When Thomas French took the land agent job in Beatonboro his goal was get the tenants in arrears to quit their farms in exchange for passage to America. Little did he realize that his humane intentions resulted in undermining the Irish tenant rights in the area - rights that were generally upheld by local landlords, but not protected by law. So, French sets into motion a set of grim, yet sometimes oddly comical and sometimes horrific, events as a group of Irish Ribbonmen set out to murder him for the crime of devaluing tenant rights in Beatonboro.

I have heard many times that you need to be as cruel as you are kind to your characters in order to write a truly compelling story. How to Murder a Man was compelling from beginning to end, always building toward the inevitable conclusions that you know must come, but you hope the characters will somehow escape. Geblér has many great talents as a writer, but I have to say that his greatest talent is to keep his readers on the edge of their seats as they convince themselves that these "inevitable conclusions" won't possible be reached. Then after the climax has connected like a punch to the stomach, Geblér reels the story in with a conclusion that is both satisfying and believable. He is a master of suspense and action.

In addition, Geblér recreates with ease the look and feel of Ireland in the 1800s with bits of description and threads of detail that turn his prose into a visual and intellectual experience. I highly recommend this book to people who 1) enjoy suspense, 2) have a stomach for occasional acts of human cruelty, and 3) enjoy Irish history and politics.

Thoughts on Story Adaptation

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:38:01 GMT

This is a post in progress. I think it is a little risky to post something before it's final, but I'm curious about any comments you might have on the topic. Note, this post is largely my ruminations about the process of adapting stories between multiple story forms, which is the topic of my Stonecoast research paper. Although I won't use any of your comments in my work (without your ok), I would still like to hear them because I'm a curious cat.

These are just a few of the questions that made me want to tackle the subject of adaptation:

What are some of the best adaptations?
What is it about adaptations that draw us in as a reader/viewer?
Why do writers want to adapt another person's work?
How does reading or viewing an adapted work enhance or detract from your connection with the original story?

------- ------

Warning! Work in process! :-)

I'm currently researching the art of adapting story between multiple forms. As a result, I have read/viewed a variety of stories that have been adapted between different forms including poems, comics, short stories, novels, graphic novels, scripts, etc.

What I really wanted to know was: What makes a good adaptation? What qualifies as "good"? Which elements need to be retained from the original in order to please the audience while still making the story fit its new form? How important is it to take the audience's expectations into account?

Although my research didn't just focus on novel to film adaptations, there are three novel/script adaptations that nicely illustrate the effectiveness of adaptations. These stories are Beowulf, The Postman, and Jurassic Park.

Overall, Beowulf stayed faithful to most of the essential story elements in the original poem. However, due to the bifurcated story, the two sides of the poem had to be brought together in some manner. As a result, in the recent Beowulf film, Beowulf stayed in Denmark and became king rather than returning home. In addition, creative interpretations were made regarding the parentage of Grendel and the dragon. These are the most significant alterations to the Beowulf story, but the purpose they serve in creating continuity within the film actually accentuates the essence of the poem's story. Although the film treads the edge of staying true to the original story, it never strays too far from the intent of the poem. Overall, I felt the adaptation was well done given the inherent obstacles involved with the original material.

In contrast, deep revisions were made the The Postman when it was turned into a film. The changes not only altered the plot and the landscape, but they also changed the nature of the characters in the film until all that was left was a pale resemblance to the novel. I had not read the book before watching the movie and I enjoyed the film the first time I saw it. However, after reading the book, I realized that the story of The Postman in its novel form is far richer than the film. Upon viewing the film again, I realized that the similarities were far to thin to call the movie a successful adaptation because it was just too different. Instead, I would say that the film simply took what it liked from the book without understanding the nature of the story itself or the pieces it was borrowing.

Finally, there is Jurassic Park, a film that I feel takes a few creative liberties with the plot, but manages to retain the powerful essence of the original material. The opening scenes of the movie are different, but immediately hammer home the themes and essence of the book. From the beginning to the end of both the book and the movie run in parallel with the story elements/events, character development, and the atmospheric details of the story. Overall, the characters remain true to the book even though a few of the secondary characters are collapsed into a single character in the movie.

Adaptations come in all shapes and forms. They give us ways to reach new audiences and they give audiences additional ways of experiencing a story they love. The biggest danger is that audiences who are familiar with the original work tend to approach the adaptation with a set of preconceived expectations. I'm still working out my thoughts on this subject, but it seems to me that the authenticity of the work must come above the expectations of the audience. Take the poem Beowulf for example. If you filmed the poem the way it was written, there would be no continuity of story, plot, and characters. In this case, changes had to be made to the original material in order to ease the transition between the two halves of the poem.

Clearly, these thoughts of mine need refining. Thanks for bearing with me as I feel my way through this subject.

Meme "Nearest Book" Tag

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:19:26 GMT

Bogwitch64 has tagged me with the book meme thingie. This one sounded fun, so I thought I'd give it a go. Now to choose 5 of you to tag! Oh, who will it be?

Here's how this "Nearest Book" meme works.

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people and post a comment to garunya's blog (your tagees will post to mine, etc.) once you've posted your three sentences.

The Five Chosen are (because I am curious what's on their desk):
- slushmaster
- sartorias
- lonfiction
- jenwrites
- benburgis

Here are my three sentences, from Beowulf by Caitlín Kiernan:

The dark blood gushes from the ragged stump, and when Beowulf kicks at it, the hand closes weakly about his ankle. He curses and shakes it loose. The arm flops about on the mead-hall floor, reminding the thanes of nothing so much as some hideous fish drawn up from the sea and battering the deck with its death throes.

She makes the story of Beowulf exciting!

Artists Like David Cook are the reason ...

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:32:16 GMT

... that shows like American Idol should exist. Reality shows as a whole are not my cup of tea. However, Idol has found a redeeming quality in David Cook. If you haven't heard him, you should check him out on YouTube. He did a great version of a Meriah Carey song tonight and did a terrific job with Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean."

David is a true artist who can turn old songs into something contemporary, fresh, and unique. In addition, he shows that he has a deep understanding of music, which allows him to adapt pretty much any song to his voice and style. Without Idol, I think it's fair to say that David wouldn't receive the attention he deserves.

---Addition--
Here's the YouTube link.

Doctor Who - The Master

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:15:47 GMT

The Procrastinator Strikes!

So, I took the day off today to take care of a few things and to get my head on straight. The last few weeks have been difficult to say the least. Perhaps that's why I decided to take a few hours today and put together another Doctor Who video; this one features The Master.

Enjoy!

My Mom is a Hero

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:25:52 GMT

My mom, who is suffering from horrible bone cancer pain, saved her friend's life yesterday. She hadn't heard from her friend in a few days and the phone wasn't being answered. So, my mom took extra pain medicine and drove over to her friend's house to find her incapacitate on the couch with her body shutting down and not making red blood cells. The doctors said that if my mom hadn't gone to check on her friend, she would have one less friend in the world today.

My mom is pretty cool.

A Random Scattering of Thoughts

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:37:32 GMT

Please forgive the scatter plot of thoughts hitting my blog today.
---
Well, I'm going to be interviewing Chris Ryall today about his graphic novel adaptation of Beowulf. I had a lovely chat with Nancy Holder last night about interviewing techniques and I am really looking forward to this. It will be my first interview ever and it's also a significant part of my research for my third semester project - even though I am only in my second semester.

(... Ben, you will learn that I am an overachiever. I'm sure Jason will enlighten you on my obsessive behaviour. In fact, he's written a super heroes story about the pop'fic Stonecoast students...)

---
For anyone in the Cambridge area, I found out that Neil Gaiman will be speaking at MIT on May 23 at 7pm. Check out page 15 of the CMS's In Media Res - Spring 2008 for details.

---
The next night, Joy Marchand and I will be heading to the Boston Pops - an event to be directed by the amazing and talented John Williams! He does so few appearances that this is a real treat. Plus, how can we pass up movie night at Pops with a full orchestra blasting Star Wars and the Indiana Jones theme at us - all in preparation of the upcoming release of the new Indiana Jones movie, of course!

---
I have started reading The Alchemist and it's amazing. I will have to dedicate a post to it later. However, I can say that I have never read anything that so closely matched so many of my personal beliefs on fate, destiny, and a person's ability to achieve her dreams. What an amazing book!

---
I need to be more consistent about sending out stories. I don't write that many shorts, but I really should put more energy into revising what I have and getting them out the door. My most recent short got rejected, but I received some terrific feedback. Thanks Slushmaster!

My short story goals are going to need to include getting one new short sent out every month. We'll see how that actually works out! haha!

---
Last night I attended a special lecture at MIT featuring Chris Eyre, the director of the films Smoke Signals, Skins, etc. He asked, "What's the point of doing art, if you're not making art that you love?"

He went on to talk about balance in life and in the choices that we make. After his talk, I really started thinking about this idea and the compromises that artists are forced to make in order to keep making the art they love. The combination of this lecture and reading The Alchemist has put me in quite an introspective mood. I'll have to write a post about this also.

So much to say, so little time!

---
On a more serious note, I want to encourage everyone to spend more time with people they love. You never know when it'll be too late to share fun and rewarding experiences with them, and waiting until they're sick is waiting too long.

---
So there we are. There's not too much of a point to most of this rambling entry. I just felt like putting it out there so that it wouldn't be knocking around inside my head.

Now, it's time to kick the day job into gear.

EDITED:

Hah! Even my links are messed up. My mind has gone a bit haywire today. Maybe I should just delete this post. LOL!

April Foolishness

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:30:01 GMT

It looks like I have given myself another month with a full schedule. I didn't quite pull everything off last month, but I got pretty close. I figure the more I shoot for this big goals, the more likely I am to achieve big things. So, here's what April 2008 looks like.

Stonecoast Work for April
Reading:

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Beowulf by Caitlín Kiernan
The Road to Xanadu: a Study in the Ways of the Imagination by John Livingston Lowes
Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
How to Murder a Man by Carlo Gebler

Writing:
10k of new fiction for Eighth Day
Revise - Thomas Moore Fairy Tale
Write - Blind Sight

Interviews:
Chris Ryall, Beowulf comic book writer
Neil Gaiman, Beowulf screenwriter

Other Items

A friend also asked me to write a few scripts for next weekends 48-Hour Film Project: Boston. I don't really have the time, but how could I say no? I have three ideas that I will turn into 4-7 minute scripts. Each script can then be "modified" to fit a couple different genres. That should give the team quite a few options with my scripts alone.

It's in the Mail

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:23:14 GMT

.... or at least it will be tonight.

I'm sending my March 27th Stonecoast packet of fiction and annotations to Nancy Holder today. I've hit my 10k mark for new novel fiction and annotations on "Beowulf" and "20th Century Ghosts" by Joe Hill. I think I may post a snippet from my annotation here on the Joe Hill book because I was so incredibly impressed by the richness of the worlds he creates.

Later today or tomorrow I'll be posting my schedule for next month, but not until I get this packet in the e'mail. ;-)

Also, a little warning to the kiddies out there who plan to attend Readercon. You might want to think about reserving your hotel room now before the hotel sells out. I think it sold out around May last year.

Cheers!

The Wolfe's Neck Review

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:10:04 GMT

For those of you in the know, I've been driving a project to start up an online magazine that is run by the Stonecoast community. The name has just been confirmed as The Wolfe's Neck Review.

The first issue should be appearing online sometime during the summer of 2009, which means we have plenty of time to get this thing up and running. If you want to keep up with the Stonecoast happenings, check out the Stonecoast Journal since that's where I'll be posting future updates on this and other projects.

The Wolfe's Neck Review is going to be an amazing project once it's done. Stay tuned to learn more! Also, let me know if you want to be included on the E'Zine Team! If you're not a Stonecoast student or alum that's ok because this won't be an exclusive magazine, but it will reflect the general philosophies and work of the Stonecoast community.