Spent the morning updating Annotation Nation with linked pictures of the books annotated. Turned out to be time consuming, but satisfying. Very happy with the look of the site and the response.
Leaving tomorrow for a long weekend at College Summit,
Monthly Archives: July 2009
get to work
These have been around for awhile, but if you’re having trouble writing…
and I didn’t know this had a name. Been doing it for years.
folk tales
Nelson Mandela has released an audiobook his favorite folk tales read by celebrities and benefiting HIV AIDS in Africa.
Relatively speaking (that side of the family being partial to puns), Philip M. Sherlock, did several collections of West Indian folk tales, most originally from Africa.
literary fisticuffs
Have I mentioned lately that I love my friend Andrew? Best blog name too: Eugenics Begins With You. He smacks down a silly article in Time magazine. Is it any wonder old media sales are down?
Sorry postings been light; life’s been hectic. Looking forward to a long weekend with College Summit. Volunteer with them sometime. You’ll be glad you did. Will have to write about it after – I hear the weekends are very full and intense.
so many links
Been adding this blog to some directories and links show up in odd places. Not sure I have the patience to fix them…
put it off
Since I’m having some trouble writing today, I may as well share some links on that nemesis of the writer, Procrastination! (fanfare)
Task and environmental strategies (uh huh)
eHow also has 7 (what’s this lucky number business?)
Writer’s block or procrastination? Slate takes on Ellison and Capote.
They went so far as to devote an entire issue to the issue (heh)
UNC is happy to lecture you about it (feels like a wag of the finger)
The thing is, they all claim it’s based on fear of failure or success or perfectionism and I’m not buying it, at least not today. Slate, again, has a better explanation in their piece on great novels about procrastination (how fabulous is that?)!
“…a suffocating sense of irresolution about where it is the writer wants to be, both mentally and physically. Just as the narrators cannot stick too long with one train of thought before whirling off on a tangent (and then, inevitably, spiraling back to where they left off), they can never attain lasting satisfaction in their environments: Large, time-wasting swaths of Concrete are consumed with whether or not Rudolf will leave Peiskam for Palma, while Dyer flits restlessly from Rome to Greece to Oxford.” Yep, that’s more like it.
Side note: I just picked up my new glasses (pictures to follow). The lenses were cut digitally and everything is crystal clear. It’s amazing. I give all the credit to Julia at Gogosha Optique.
more on characters
Laurie Hutzler breaks down characters according to 9 types. She has a free ebook and newsletter on her site. Her emphasis is on film and television, but characters are characters and this is one approach.
Another piece of advice is in the current issue of Poets & Writers magazine. Benjamin Percy discusses the Geometry of Dialogue, specifically giving your characters something to do when they’re talking. You will add layers to both your narrative and your dialogue. It’s worth checking out.
writing and drinking
First, I issue my disclaimer: I’m not much of a drinker and I don’t drink and write. However, if you want to read about drinking or drink and read about drinking, Book Soup’s blog has put together a list here. If you’re in L.A., they also have a happy hour weekdays from 4pm to 7pm: all regularly priced books are now discounted by 25%. Ask for the wine behind the counter. Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, 310-659-3110
