Leading a Horse to Water, Relative to Making Them Drink

I just, sorta, watched the movie Ladder 49. I had to stop because it was hurting me. Let me give you a brief idea of the movie: We open on a big burning building, the firefighters rush in, Joaquin Phoenix gets trapped, we flash back to the beginning of his career as a fireman and go from there. He's such a sympathetic character that I get tired of him. We get to the point where he's starting a family, and I turn the movie off.

For crying out loud, could they have tried any harder to make him Mr. Perfect? Doubtful, truly doubtful.

The really disappointing part is how they totally missed the boat on making a compelling story. First scene: fireman trapped, possibly doomed. Then, we flash back. Okay, I'm fine to there. Now, what would've made it work for me: our trapped fireman isn't perfect. In fact, he's heavily flawed. Now we see how he's really a jerk, but he still saves lives, and he's trapped. There's the built-in sympathy because he's near death, fighting the fact that we don't really like him. Now I'm interested. Alas, this is not the movie they made.

I just looked the movie up on imdb.com and it turns out the movie is based off a real person's life. Is that why they tried so hard? I'm sure the real person was a wonderful guy, but this is a movie, not a documentary. I wanted more than hero worship.

Part of me wonders if, by turning off the movie mid-way, I've missed the good part(s). However, my curiosity is simply not strong enough to make me watch more. The story wasn't good enough. I deserve better. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so, either: "Instead of humanizing the firemen, the movie idolizes them, and thus renders them into cardboard characters." - Rotten Tomatoes, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ladder_49/

With Pinapple Chunks In It

"Already, she could feel light from the moon and stars soaking into her skin. Heat from the sunny day leeched out of her. Scars on her chest from the car accident when she was younger started to pucker and gooseflesh filled out across her skin. She would miss the scars, but there was no way to keep them. Besides, she could always get new ones."
-Starbathing (In Progress)

I managed some coffeeshop pages last night before the Rogues' meeting. Okay, well, page and a quarter. I would've gotten further, but D.B. showed up early. My lesser productivity is her fault.

Eventually, I was asked about the thesis - what am I doing? how am I doing it? cycle or collection? how am I tying it all together? Good questions from smart people, and I had no really good answers. Beyond saying I'm writing magical-realism short stories, I have a difficult time articulating.

There'll be stories, and they'll be connected - something to do with a family line, but since one of the very first stories contradicts that premise I still have some clarifying to do in my head. Then last night, my page and a quarter turns out to be part of a very short story about Chloe from the chicken heart story, only it's maybe forty years later. So, she's coming out as a connection, but since Albatross is a good two hundred or so years before her, how do I work that part out? Lots of questions at this point, but few answers.

It's like the first stages of jello right now. Eventually it'll be firm and pop out of that bundt cake shaped mold and be pretty, but right now it's just runny red stuff in a pan. The fact that one of the characters has reappeared is a good sign, though. At least there's the beginnings of coagulation.

A Note About Quotes

As you may have noticed, a lot of my recent quotes have been from songs and don't talk about writing. I'm not just being lazy, I promise.

Lately, I've been drawn to quotes that can be indirectly applied to writing. There is an intended connection, just not always an obvious one.

Criticising Babies

*Big eyeballs*
-The Group, as the pile of submissions grew and grew

What happens when there are five weeks between writers' group meetings? Well, everyone has plenty of time to do four critiques and then do a ton of writing. Yesterday pretty much everyone had something to submit. In one case, he had two somethings, but we managed to talk him down. We all went home with what is, as far as I can remember, the biggest pile of submissions since I've been in the group. It'll be an interesting month of reading and critiquing all of them.

Also interesting was how the gal who's a newer member, and first time submitter, came up to me after the meeting and told me she was scared of my impending critique. Jenny's too, but mostly mine. Good to know I'm still striking fear into the hearts of people. I never tried to create this evil-incarnate reputation, I swear. (Let me add, though, that when I joked about being mean, she corrected me, "Not mean, honest." She sounded no less anxious, though.)

Of course, this gal's comment about how the novel she's beginning to submit is her baby, combined with her anxiety, briefly raised the question: "Should I go easy on her?" For me, it's not a yes/no answer. If it were, it'd be "no," but it's a bit more layered than that. When I'm critiquing, I try to gear my comments toward the specific writer and their sensitivity.

I'm always honest, but with certain people I limit my criticisms to a few points, whereas with others I just let it all out. I'm much harder on Jenny than just about anyone else. I also know that my toughness with her 1. won't give her a nervous breakdown, 2. will be helpful. See, that second point is the most important one.

Someone who's letting their "baby" out in public for the first time isn't going to be helped by a nit-picky critique. Also, there's the global vs. local argument: Why bother pointing out typos when the whole paragraph is going to be rewritten, or possibly cut?

When it comes to the new gal, I can honestly say I have no intention of going "easy" on her. However, I'm not going to critique her the way I'd critique Oliver either. It's all about trying to do the most good for each person, right? An in-exact science, to be sure, but one worth trying.

Do the rest of y'all do the same thing?

October Challenge: Get Out of The House

Have you ever noticed yourself saying "Today, I write" and then you decide to do dishes first, then watch that movie you've got by the TV, and catch up on laundry, then you have to make dinner... and before you know it, you've gotten sidetracked and written nothing?

Or, have you ever found yourself thinking you ought to write something, but not knowing what? So, instead of parking in front of your notebook/computer, you wander around the house doing other things. You're waiting for inspiration to hit, right? No use in sitting down before you know what you're going to write about.

I've found, time and again, that writing at home isn't always as productive for me. So many distractions and other things to do that, despite my best intentions, I don't get as much written as I planned to - or, I don't get anything written.

This month, in honor of the writing marathon on the 20th, my challenge to you is to get out of the house and do your writing somewhere else. Like the writing marathon, your job is to go someplace public, sit down, and get your pen a-moving. Before you start, set a time requirement. It can be as short or long as you like, but you have to continuously write during that time.

If you're the type of person who has a bunch of story ideas written down, this is the perfect time to take some with you and spend your writing time on those. Not inspired? Too bad. Start by describing your surroundings if you like, but you have to be writing.

There are a ton of places that can work for this exercise. I'm partial to coffeeshops, fast food restaurants, or a picnic table on the riverwalk. Back when I still worked in the kitchen, sometimes I'd sit at the bar when my shift was over and do a few pages in my notebook. Pick whatever place seems appropriate and comfortable to you. However, on behalf of frustrated waitstaff everywhere, please do not pick a busy restaurant for your writing time.

Now, if you've got friends who write, you get bonus points for going out in a group. Just make sure you all are actually writing, not just chatting. You all can even do some writing marathon-style sharing after you've written for the designated time(s).

Also, you should feel free to write at many different places during one "marathon." Spend fifteen minutes at a coffeeshop, then fifteen at the bookstore next door, then fifteen at the bar across the street. Maybe see how much distance you can cover, 'cause we all could stand to walk a bit more, right?

All right, got your notebook? Got your pen? Car keys? Good. Now, go.

New Blog

"I know we've all been saying forever how we needed a space (virtually or in reality) to share our writing and keep the momentum going from our old Keppy-run workshops. So, here's a space."
-Lydia

After everyone got their bachelors and scattered, it's been tough keeping in touch with all the neat people from school. However, it's about to get much easier. Lydia's set up a group blog for the gang, and I'm looking forward to seeing it get going. Check it out: http://pueblodiasporawritersalliance.blogspot.com/

September Recap

This month was all about taking risks and I think I did pretty well in that regard. I submitted five different pieces for publication, went to a variety of get-togethers (even a few where I hardly knew anyone who'd be there), and accepted the job of Head Editor of The Hungry Eye. Not to mention the fact that I've officially decided to write a creative thesis. Scary.

The biggest discoveries were how hard it is to submit multiple pieces at a time and what it's like to get out more. Submitting: yeesh. It was definitely more work than I had imagined, even to just decide which piece should go where. I think the next time I set submission goals, I will make sure to have all my pieces ready before I even start researching markets.

Then, over the month, I've gone to more dinners, parties, etc. than I have over certain years (or so it seems, anyhow). Whew. I'm glad I pushed myself to get out of my comfort zone and I had fun spending a little more time with certain people, and eating good food, etc. However, now that the semester's in full swing, I think my socializing is going to drop off. Being social takes up a lot of time, and I need to devote that to other things, like homework.

So, in the end, a whole month of deciding to do things, not despite, but because they were outside of my comfort zone was a pretty productive month for me. Some things got pushed to the side - I still haven't revised the chicken heart story yet - but a lot of other things came out that wouldn't have otherwise. A good month for me.

Now tell me, how was it for you? Did you do anything that really made you squirm?