NaNoWriMo: The end is just the beginning!

Happy November, everyone! For many people November equals NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month. It's a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. I want to take this opportunity to go through NaNo with you, and to look at the writing process in great detail.

It's the end of the month, so it's time to look at the end of NaNo and where we go from here.

The end on NaNo is not the end of your story. In fact, it's just the beginning.

                                           

We've talked about quantity and quality, and the importance of editing and polishing your piece. The end of NaNo marks the beginning of that.

But I don't want to beat a dead horse. I'm just as sick of the repetition and redundancy as you are.

Let's look at the other beginning the end of NaNo brings us.

Having accomplished NaNo, we can say that we have written a novel. It doesn't matter if we're seasoned or not. We've done it. That's an accomplishment in and of itself. It's the beginning of feeling pride in our work and our victory.

It opens the door for us to write more. Novels, short stories, poems, whatever we want! NaNo opens up our creative channels to write and write and write.

If you discover that writing isn't your thing, it still opens up those creative channels. It encourages us to try new artistic endeavors - to begin other challenges and begin learning other art forms.

The end of NaNo is not the end. Not even close. The end of NaNo marks the beginning of many wonderful things!

Has every story already been told?

Happy Thursday, campers!


Today's topic: has every story already been told?



I've talked about this before, and as time has gone by, my perspective has changed. I think now is a good time to revisit this topic.


I've seen, heard, and read writers and non-writers alike say that every story has already been told. I used to argue vehemently that was not the case. Now, I somewhat retract my statement.



SOMEWHAT.



If you look at the bare bones of a story, yes it's been told before.



A person is placed in an unfamiliar situation, and they suddenly have to do things they've never done before in order to survive and grow.


Boy/girl meets boy/girl love comes along swimmingly and then a family member or life event tests their relationship. They either live happily ever after or they part ways.


Yeah, we've all seen and read them before. Yes, those basic premises run through every book - and even every movie. No one can deny that.


However, what changes are the details. You could give the same story line to 5 different writers, and you will get 5 different stories. THAT is what makes writing great. We all have different voices, different stories, different forms of creativity. That's what I love about being an author. There are so many of us. We each have our own voices, our own history, and our own takes on stories. There is a place for each and every one of us in the literary world. We may all be given the same blank canvas, but each final masterpiece is something completely unique and beautiful.



So sure, you can say that every story has been told. To some extent, you would be right. You'd also be right if you said they haven't. So if you're looking for a fresh, new story, take a look at my books!

A to Z '14 - Niche

For this year's A to Z Challenge, I am honoring my grandfather who passed away on April 3, 2013.


N is nor Niche.

What is a niche? Is a place or position. We often talk about finding our niche in the world. It means finding the outlet that best supports our talents and passions.



How did my grandfather teach me about niches?


He showed me that despite my struggles, there was a place for me. In the world of writing, there is a place specifically designated for me: for my voice and style. There are countless writers out there. That doesn't make one of us more legitimate than another. We all have our writing niches, which makes all of us legitimate.



I think it's important for all of us to remember that we all have a niche - a place in this world. Just because there may be 50 other people who can do what you do doesn't mean you don't have your own specific talents. You have gifts that are unique to you. Those gifts are your niche. Use them, appreciate them.


Don't be competitive. That's ego talking. Instead, be supportive and be uniquely yourself. That's finding your niche.


Niches aren't just for a select few. They are for all of us. You have one. Find it and revel in it!


N is for Niche.

A to Z '14 - Appreciation

Happy April 1st, gang!

Once again, I am doing the A to Z challenge. This year I am honoring my grandfather who passed away on April 3, 2013.


So let's get going.

A is for Appreciation.

Appreciation takes on a few forms here.

My grandfather had a great appreciation for the arts. He sang. He actually performed in many vaudeville competitions. We are all proud to say, "he never got the hook!" Have you ever seen the movies or cartoons where a big hook came out and pulled the bad performer off the stage? That's actually rooted in truth! The performers whose acts were...weak...would get pulled off stage. Thankfully, my grandfather never got the hook! :)



His love and appreciation of the arts still runs deeply in our family. My mother sings and plays the organ. My brother is an actor (who can also sing and dance well, he just doesn't admit it! LOL). I sing, I used to dance, and I write. My grandfather appreciated all of our various talents.


But I also have appreciation. I appreciate who he was and what he did. I appreciate his singing and love of the arts. I appreciate all of the support he ever gave me. I appreciate him and the life he gave us.


Appreciation in life is incredibly important. It gives us the ability to broaden our horizons, and it gives us gratitude for our own talents and those of the people around us.


A is for appreciation.

Improving My Craft

Howdy, y'all!



'Tis Thursday again, which means yet another blog post from yours truly.

What do I have to say for myself today?


Not much. LOL


Actually, I wanted to talk about improving your craft.

As you go through life, you change and (hopefully) improve as a person. We have things we are ashamed of, but we learned from them and became better people. No, this is not a discussion on current celebrity issues. My point is, as humans grow and change, so does their writing (assuming those humans are writers).


As I continue to work on the prequels to Loving Her, I find myself mildly amused at how staccato my voice was. Granted, it still is, but not nearly what it used to be. Yes, now I embellish. I give details and descriptions. There are emotions and weather and everything else. Not only am I telling a story, I am setting the stage for it as well.


My voice is still my own. No one can ever fully change that. I don't think that's a bad thing at all. A writer's voice is what makes them unique. Five writers could be lined up and told to tell the same story and you would still end up with five different stories. That is part of what makes the arts grand. No two pieces are ever truly alike.


I digress. My point is that as I have grown, changed and improved, so has my writing. These prequels surpass the original group of stories. It's interesting to watch, and I do wonder what Loving Her would look like should I write those stories now.



Everyone has to start somewhere. Just like with anything in life, the more we do something, the better at it we become. So remember that as you're reading my - or any other author's work. What we put out may not necessarily be our best work. It just be indicative of the good things yet to come! ;)


Happy reading!

Word Art

Hi everyone!

I apologize for having missed a Thursday or two. I have started a new job, and although I have more time, I had a bit of adjusting to do as well as utilizing all of my time off to catch my personal life back up.

I'm back now, and it is time to move forward.

Today, I wanted to talk about something that I actually find somewhat comical and very interesting: the art in my home.



My wife and I have fairly similar tatse, so painting & decorating have been pretty easy for us. One thing that stands out is our different tastes in art.


Don't get me wrong, we are not polar opposites. Our tastes compliment each other. She has purchased a few pieces (and I do like them), but instead of just being an image, they are what I call, "word art." They are all beautiful, decorative, framed pieces. They all have a word, phrase, statement...there are words. I like all of them. They're all very nice.




The pieces I have purchased, however, are images. Sketches, paintings, landscapes, figures...not one word.



And my point is?


I'm a writer! LOL. I find it comical that as a person whose work is not just based on words, it is words, I choose to fill my home with images. My wife who is more visual than linguistic, is the one who chooses the word art.


Funny? Yeah. Comical? In a way, I think so. Interesting? Absolutely!


Why are we like this? Do we choose art compensates for what we lack (as in my inability to draw/paint)? Do we use art to stimulate/inspire us in ways outside of our norm?



I don't know, but I am tempted to think that we are drawn to art forms (including music, writing, etc.) that do inspire or fill us in ways outside of our natural talents. I love words, I love painting with words. But, at the end of the day, looking at an image, I am recharged and inspired to use my words yet again. Looking at word art almost drains me. Again, I like the pieces we have, but looking at words on the wall can make me feel inept or insufficient. Does that make sense?




For me, words don't necessarily inspire words. Pictures, images stir within me the desire to keep writing.


What about you? What inspires you?

U: Ubiquitous

Ubiquitous. Omnipresent.

The arts are all around us. The arts are indeed ubiquitous.

Look at nature. We have beautiful trees and flowers (painting/colors). We have singing birds (music, performers). We have animals of all sorts (performers, dance). Indeed, the arts are all around us.



I love the fact that the arts are ubiquitous. I need not look far for inspiration. Inspiration, creativity and various creations lay before me wherever I turn.




As a creator, it could be say that I am following in the foot steps of the great creator: the one who created those flowers, birds and animals.



Creativity is as ubiquitous as God/The Universe/Great Spirit/Whatever you want to call him/her/it. Divinity and creativity are actually tightly intertwined when you think about it.


So the ubiquity of the arts denotes its divinity. Go relish in nature, in life, in the arts.

Ubiquity is the best facet to creativity.

O: Op-Art

I was originally going to write about opera today. But then I felt it was a tad cliche. So, I did some homework and learned about something called Op-Art.



Optical Art is a unique art form. According to what I read, the main movement of Op-Art began in America in the 1960s, however an artist named Victor Vasarely created a piece of Op-Art in 1938 called Zebra.



Though the fad was short lived (about 3 years according to my sources), there are artists who still use this as their medium.


What I like about Op-Art is that it's different. It's not a still life or a portrait. Don't get me wrong, I love those styles. I like things that are unique and that give us a new perspective. Moreover, Op-Art is actually very mathematically based. How often do we hear that math and science are completely oppositional to art? Op-Art disproves that. Op-Art tells us that we can use math in art. As a science and history geek, I love the blending of math and art.



So I'm glad I didn't go with my original idea. I got to learn something today and I was given the opportunity to share that with all of you. Isn't that what art's all about? ;)