Category Archives: Writing

rethinking copyright

August 7, 2014 7:03 AM , Leave a Comment ,

My beliefs about censorship are well-known.  I oppose it in all forms.

To me, copyright laws, are another form of censorship.  In their current incarnation, copyright law has become a vehicle for protecting the exclusive rights of various multinational corporations interested only in squeezing intellectual properties for the last few cents possible before being forced to relinquish their stranglehold on these properties.

The main argument that corporations espouse is that copyright laws protect the originator of the idea and helps them protect their intellectual work from theft by those that would either take credit for the work or that would simply seek to profit off of it.

Kind of ironic given the past history of the music industry and their exploitation of musical groups or of a certain cartoon company that made most of its money from making cartoons from classic European fairy tales that have fallen out of copyright protection.

These very entities will hound copyright violators to the ends of the earth if they feel that their property has been used without paying for it.

But thinking more about this I realize that at its core that copyright protection is important to the actual originators and that though corporations are undoubtedly abusing the laws in their favor that copyright protection should exist in some form.

The writers that I know are hard-working people.  They don’t get million dollar advances for their efforts.  Indeed they have to work for every book that they sell.  Sometimes they have to give away e-versions of their books to drum up interest.

These are the people who copyright should be protecting.

Instead of making copyright a tool for the benefit and profit of large corporate entities why not make it more personal and less impersonal?  Make it more flexible.  Make sure that the rights of the originator are protected but allow others to use and borrow the idea to create new works of art.  As long as they credit and share profits with the originator, let others borrow from the idea.

Someone else may take the idea and make it even better, make it something totally different from what was originally intended.  Why not let the ideas flow.  As long as due credit is shared and the monetary details are ironed out then nothing, lawyers least of all, should stand in the way of creativity.

Posted in: ideas, writing

responding to blogs

June 24, 2014 6:40 AM , Leave a Comment ,

I probably spend way too much time reading other blogs.

It’s fascinating to see how other people think and I find it special that they’re willing to share those thoughts in a forum where not just they or their friends and family can read but where perfect strangers can come in and read and respond to the writer.

The comment section is where readers can come in and interact with the writer and maybe extend the conversation in ways that not even they thought about.  I think it’s a duty of the reader to respond in a meaningful way.

 

Don’ts

1.  The “me too” response.  Like buttons and favorite buttons exist for a reason.  Use them.  Don’t just parrot what some other reader has already responded with.

2. The grandma or bro response.  I really hate one sentence or one phrase responses.  They’re the equivalent of grandma’s “that’s nice, dearie” or a bro-dude saying “cool story, bro”.  Not just meaningless but downright condescending.

3. The secondary blog.  Something I’m guilty of myself.  Take a look at your response.  If it’s longer than the original post then you should probably should make a blog of your own on your own blog and link it to this other person.  Just rude to steal the spotlight.

4. Straying off topic.  Happy that you’ve had life experience but if it has nothing to do with the topic then it’s meaningless.

 

Do’s

1.  Add something to the dialogue.  Think of this as you having a discussion with the blog writer.  Exchange ideas, make this an interactive experience.

2.  Really try to listen.  Ingest what they’re saying before responding.  Read it over a few times and let it sit for a day or two if necessary.

3. Don’t be shy about maybe being wrong.  You’re here to learn after all.

 

Responding to blogs should be something that you enjoy and that benefits you.  More importantly it’s a way to reach out to another person and to start-up a really meaningful conversation.

 

Posted in: blogs, writing

the process

June 12, 2014 7:18 AM , Leave a Comment ,

I don’t really have a systematic approach to writing this blog.  I mean I do but it rarely applies.

Sometimes I get super inspired and I have four or five blogs lined up and I have to reshuffle them in order to publish them in the sequence that I consider will be best.  Other times I’m sitting around twiddling my thumbs thinking and looking for something to write.

Inspiration can come from current events, discussions I’ve had, other blogs I’ve read, or sometimes they’re topics that I’ve wanted to write for ages but either didn’t have the inspiration or opportunity.

I try to set aside a couple of hours per night to write this or other pieces that I’m working on but it doesn’t always work out that way.  I sometimes have to grab whatever free moment I have to get down a few words here or there or maybe just scribble an idea.  One of the reasons I like pen and paper notes as opposed to digital note taking is that it still feels more natural to me when getting ideas.  I don’t want to be flipping through apps to find my note taking app and then deal with auto-correct.  I just want to write and go.

So assuming I have an idea I will then start to flesh out the post.  I will just spew out any and every thought I have about it until there’s nothing left.  All of this will look disjointed, rambling, confused, and sometimes even contradictory.

That’s when the editing process begins.

Or rather that’s where I set this aside for a bit and come back to it.  If you immediately edit anything you will miss many tiny details that you might find if you just let it sit for a while.  Approach editing your work as if you were a stranger.

Here’s where the cut down process begins.  Whole paragraphs get taken out, some are moved, more material is added.  I go through three or four different titles.  A new feature that I have recently begun to include in the blogs is multimedia, pictures, videos, and hyperlinks.  Makes the article a little bit more interesting but I try to keep it to a minimum.  Writing should be about the writing after all.

As far as length goes I have had to train myself to become more wordy.  I used to believe in the power of brevity but one of the things I have learned is that more can be better.  I have to stop assuming that my readers will “get” what I mean and explain it a bit.  I don’t want to talk down to people and explain every little thing but I do have to be a little more verbose.

Finally after a bunch of rewrites, sometimes as many as 13 edits, I have to let go and publish.  That’s sometimes hard for a writer to do.  Sending it off to be consumed by the public can sometimes be a nerve-wracking process.  Specially if it’s a topic you really care about.  You never know how well you did and whether people will commend you, criticize you, or just ignore you.

This little blog habit has helped me immensely as a writer.  I find it instills a writing discipline and it lets me practice with different styles of writing.  Just like exercise you get better a little bit each time.  I have compared samples of my writing from the 90’s to today and I already see a vast difference.

Hopefully in time this will lead to something better and even maybe publishable.

Posted in: blogs, writing

do your own TED talk

June 10, 2014 6:22 AM , Leave a Comment ,

TED (technology, entertainment, and design) is a series of talks given in many locations around the world.  I’ve been a fan of TED talks for a long time.  The thought that people who are out there making a difference in the world would take the time to disseminate those ideas to the public at large is very appealing to me.  Very often those that do make a difference seem intent on keeping knowledge a secret.

The rest of us miss out on a lot because we don’t have direct access to these ideas.  I think the more we hear from each other, then the more that other people will feel compelled to innovate and think new thoughts and make new things that have never been seen before.

one of my favorite TED talks

The format is open and very friendly.  Basically a person stands in front of a group of people and has 20 or less minutes to explain a problem, their thoughts about that problem, why they are concerned about the problem, and what they are doing or want to do about it.

It’s that simple.

And what’s more anyone can do it.  The main requirement is that you have devoted time to a certain problem or discipline and that you feel strongly enough that you want others to know about it.  You don’t have to be a world leading scientist or politician or rock star to do a TED.

And what’s more you don’t have to speak in front of a bunch of people either.  I know some people who hate to speak in front of people or that prefer reading presentations.  If writing your ideas is easier for you then go ahead and do it that way.

The main thing is that you share a part of yourself with the world.

All of you have something special to share, to give, to express to the rest of us.  Do everyone a favor and let it out.  Let the rest of us know about it.

 

Posted in: activities, entertainment, ideas, technology, thought, writing

Your devils and angels

May 5, 2014 7:13 AM , Leave a Comment ,

This goes back to a posting written by Leslie Farnsworth last year about sympathetic characters.

When you write a work of fiction several elements go into making a great story.  You don’t want to just relate facts, that’s news reporting (or at least that’s what news reporting used to be).  Among the elements are character development and knowing a little more about both the protagonist and the antagonist in the story.  But exactly how much is enough and how much is too much?

Fleshing out your villains as well as your heroes can add more dimensions to your characters and make the audience connect to them in a more personal way but knowing too much can sometimes backfire on you and make them less appealing as you expose too much of their flaws and make them all too pedestrian and common.

Probably the starkest example of this phenomena would be the character of Darth Vader or Annakin Skywalker in the Star Wars stories.  In the original 3 movies Darth Vader was a menacing somber figure.  He was the literal black knight.  Monolithic and evil under his black armor.  He had only the most scant of back stories.  A hero that had turned to evil and who had betrayed all that he loved.  At the end of the stories he receives redemption through his son.

In the prequel movies that came afterwards we receive the entire story.  We see him grow up from an annoying kid that gets into predicaments and somehow always gets by (something like a space faring Dennis the menace), to a whiny self-absorbed teen obsessed with his own self-image and determined to get his way no matter what, and finally to a somewhat megamaniacal and paranoid young man who ends up betraying all his friends and ultimately trying to murder his own wife.  Full of character flaws and most of those flaws marking him as a genuinely weak individual.

Many people who I know felt that knowing the entire story behind his beginnings made the Darth Vader character into something that they could not and did not find as alluring before knowing the whole story.

In some cases I think that readers want to see their villains as “totally” evil and not “partially” evil.  They want to be presented with some absolutes that are solid and definite and don’t want to think that maybe there’s an excuse or maybe there’s an explanation why someone is the way that they are.

The writer’s job becomes to add just enough to the character but to leave something the reader’s imagination to fill in.  Let their minds clothe the character as they see fit.  That imagination will be your greatest ally in captivating the other person to follow your work.

 

Posted in: writing

The narrative version of life

February 28, 2014 7:07 AM , 2 Comments ,

Recently someone in one of my Facebook groups posted up a funny little graphic that asked in part “what if we were all characters in a book”

That got me thinking, what if we looked at the problems, goals, and challenges in our lives as if we were writing them for a novel?  Could it help some people to think about these aspects of their lives in different ways?

So if you have a problem with a person in your life you write a little scene describing the problem, the other person, the way that you feel.  Your describe how your character might deal with the problem.

You set up a scene in which both characters come together and have a dialogue to resolve the problem or maybe the problem doesn’t get resolved.  See where the story takes you.

Then comes the important part.  You sit back and re-read the little story you just wrote and really analyze it.  Would you really say this?  Would the other character really do that?  Why does your character do what they do?  What’s their motivation?  Does the re-reading of the scene give you a different perspective on the issue?  Does it reinforce your beliefs?  Do you now have some insight into the other person’s point of view?

All of us can sometimes get so wrapped up in the moment that we lose perspective.  It’s human nature and it has its uses.  This type of dedication and focus helps us ignore the distractions of life and really devote our efforts to one thing.  In this way it helps us get to the next level.

But sometimes factors outside of your immediate attention are taking place and you can’t notice them if you’re inside the action.  Sometimes it takes an outside eye (whether it’s your eye or someone else’s eye) to really see what is going on.

Whether you take this particular approach or not, sometimes it helps to detach yourself from the situation and look at it as if you were an unconcerned spectator. You might spot things that you would otherwise miss while you’re in the moment.

Posted in: decisions, life in general, writing

NaNoWriMo 2013

November 30, 2013 10:27 PM , Leave a Comment ,

I just finished doing NaNoWriMo for 2013.  This is a month-long writing competition where the goal is to write a 50,000 word novel by the end of the month.  This is my second year running and my second “win”

Winner winner!

This is pretty much all the recognition I will get for my writing efforts.  It’s really an exercise in forced writing meant to inspire the every day writing process and exercise the writing muscle and I do believe that it works to an extent.

This year I tried my hand at literary fiction.  A type of novel that deals more with character studies, it is more serious, more descriptive and more in-depth than other genres.  It is also much tougher to write.  Whereas other genres like sci-fi or horror or fantasy have certain characteristics that they can lean on, literary fiction really doesn’t.  I thought I had made a huge mistake starting this novel.  Somehow I finished it though it’s not my best work and it is a far darker work than I usually like to write.

As far as the writing process, I spent several hours tied to my desktop at home but I took the extra step of going to cafes to write for this competition.  I got a surprising amount done at these cafes and really enjoyed the experience.  Although I must say that I began to feel like a permanent resident of the Inner loop with the amount of time I was spending in the cafes in and around the Montrose and Heights areas.

But it paid off.  All the evenings on the desktop and all the weekends drinking coffee and tea inside dimly lit establishments led to my second novel.

One thing I have noticed though is that I don’t want to write any new novels or even short stories for the short-term.

Posted in: NaNowriMo, writing

mental writing exercises

November 2, 2013 9:55 PM , Leave a Comment ,

Try this if you haven’t already.

Go somewhere crowded but open.  It can’t be some ill lit restaurant with barely any light or some cafe with intimate nooks and crannies.

Find an open floor space with lots of people in it where people come and go all the time.  Shopping mall food courts are good, so are hotel lobbies, or maybe plazas and parks.

Now just sit and watch.  Note the detail of the people coming and going.  How do they walk?  what are they wearing?  are they carrying something?  who are they with?

Take in all of these details, and come up with reasons for them.  That man pushing a stroller with a limp.  How did he get that?  Is that really his kid in the stroller or is he an uncle or maybe grandfather?  The well dressed woman with the Macy’s bag.  What did she buy?  What’s her home life like?  What’s she driving that’s in the shopping mall parking lot right now?

Try to stay conventional at first and come up with “reasonable” explanations but later on as you get more practiced try to branch out.  Make up more and more outrageous things.  Let these people live and breathe in your imagination.  Clothe them in details that your mind provides.

 

Posted in: writing

source of the Nile

September 23, 2013 4:00 PM , Leave a Comment ,

Bit of a rant this time.

The other day someone was reviewing a straight to video movie called “Solomon Kane”.  He called it a derivative version of the earlier movie “Van Helsing” starring Hugh Jackman.  Oh how Robert E. Howard might have shuddered.

I informed this person that it was in fact the other way around.  That the character of Solomon Kane had in fact existed decades earlier and that the look of the Van Helsing character was almost a direct copy of Solomon Kane.

It’s not the first time that this has happened.  So many good pieces of literature and older movies get co-opted and reworked to make “modern classics” that it makes me sad.

“Fugitive” from 1993 and starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones is loosely based off “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo

“Crocodile Dundee” is partially based off “Brave New World”

“Four Brothers” with Mark Wahlberg is actually a John Wayne movie called “The sons of Katie Elder” just reworked for the 21st century

Same thing for the Clint Eastwood movie “Gran Torino” which is a remake of “The Shootist”

I guess the thing that bothers me is that the original writers and artists don’t get the proper respect that they merit for their work.  Specially when someone is not well-informed and says that this so-called new classic is being ripped off by the original source of the material.

Posted in: books, writing

Days of futures lost

August 18, 2013 8:56 PM , Leave a Comment ,

Whatever happened to that George Jetson future we were all promised?

Where’s our jet car, pill food, 4 hour workday, and robot maid?

But it goes beyond that.  Nuclear war, remember back in the 80s we were promised the big final knock down drag out final conflict between east and west and that the few of us left would most probably end up in a desert like nuclear wasteland with giant ants chasing us and wearing all black leather clothes and fighting over the last can of Hormel beans?

The trouble with imagining the future is that you can get so easily lost on one measly detail that you really miss the big picture.  Verne and Wells understood this back at the beginning of the last century and took short hops into the future rather than huge leaps.  They prognosticated using the technology of the day and teased that out slightly into the future to see what they could develop and for the most part they did rather well.

The tank, the submarine, the moon shot; pretty spot on.  But when they tried to delve into the social sciences they kind of fell flat.  If you go to any book store and look up these authors you will find all the familiar titles (20000 leagues under the sea, war of the worlds, from the earth to the moon, etc) but some of their more controversial works are pretty much unavailable.

Verne wrote “Paris in the 20th century” in 1863 but never published it as he found it too ridiculous.  It basically is a dystopian view of modern society and may have been a precursor to 1984 if Orwell would have seen it.

Wells delved even deeper into this type of futuristic prognostication.  He wrote “the world set free”, “the sleeper awakens” and of course “the time machine”.  All commentaries on contemporary society and what he foresaw might happen if we continued on the current course and what he thought the correct course would be.

By themselves these are flops.  But if we step back and look at the trends that they anticipate then maybe there is value in them.  Trends such as a move to transnational government entities, increased regulation of the individual, and globalization.  These are things that are actually happening.  Maybe not as they foresaw and definitely not the ends that they hoped or feared would occur.

We have to be careful when we write the future that we are not allowing our inner fears and hopes to taint the work.  Of course express your views in your work but always step back and look at critically and say is this what the future will really look like?

Posted in: pop culture, writing