Category: philosophy

Energy

Reading a book, do people actually do that?

“70 percent of energy is emotional, not physical.” This phrase really stuck out at me. We talk about energy, how we have it or we don’t, and we don’t always talk about where it comes from or what we can do to keep it up.

All creative people need energy for their art. Is that why when we work those jobs to pay the bills we get bogged down with details that can’t be reconciled to continue our art? So many times the really creative people get sucked into jobs that limit their outlets in the things we can enjoy.

I can’t say it’s better to be a starving artist, but maybe it takes a lot to overcome the daily necessities to be an artist (I mean this broader than just someone who paints – but also musicians, writers, and all the others who get by on their creative talents).

We also ought to give ourselves a break. Indulge the creativity, but rest when necessary to keep that emotional energy high. So many people have the ability to be creative, but if we let our obligations get to us, it might feel like there isn’t room for the rest.

Enjoy the time to be creative. Get carried away by excitement now and then.

Posted on by ransomnoble 1

A purpose to goals

Reaching for the stars might be beyond your grasp, but the effort makes you better, right? At least, as long as you don’t allow yourself to become discouraged.

Goals are there to keep us stretching to improve ourselves. Often we don’t get specific enough or give ourselves the tools to make it. I keep evaluating mine, and a friend sometimes reminds me to revise them.

Things to remember:
1. Be specific about what you want to accomplish.
2. Make sure you have a time frame in mind.
3. Check your progress in time intervals.

Example: I want to revise the current novel I’m working on. I’m editing one or more chapters a week. I’d like to finish it by mid-year, which may be difficult. If something comes up that requires more of my attention, this goal can slip without me giving myself too much trouble.

Posted on by ransomnoble 1

Writers on writing…

I should be writing.

That’s the name of the site and the podcast by Mur Lafferty. I listened to this podcast in the car yesterday, and I learned a bit about podcasting through the interview with Scott Sigler. The website has more information – a great resource for budding writers.

Scott Sidler was adamant with his last contract about wanting to give away his novel for free. But, wait, we’re authors for a living, don’t we need to make some money? He talks about the younger generation wanting things online, and he gets our feet wet with podcasting, for free, a chapter a week. His point is that although some will wait for the entire novel at that rate (3 or 4 months), others will go out and buy the book that is already available in the bookstores. He’s increased his audience that way.

Made me think about that novel I have coming out. With a Young Adult audience, it’s very likely that could spread the story to places I can’t travel to or otherwise might not reach.

It’s something I think I will look into and discuss with my publisher.

Posted on by ransomnoble 2

Demanding Attention

Not always, but often stories ideas originate from places writers can’t describe. We’re just walking along one day when it hits us, that something about that flowerbed looks fishy, and wondering why, and all of a sudden we’ve locked ourselves in our offices and you won’t see us again until we’re done.

Sometimes they sneak up slowly, weaving in and out of our thoughts. Others hit us over the head and don’t go away until we put them down on paper. (or type on screen, as we’re evolving to the computer age.)

Still, I often hear or see(in written form) people asking, “How do you get your ideas?”

Of famous authors, I think it’s because people want to know how to write the best-sellers. It isnt’ the idea, so much, as the delivery.

When people ask it of me, I figure it’s because I’m just a bit off-the-wall with my approach to things. I also guess they’re trying to understand my way of thinking.

It makes me laugh to think back to high school and remember when one of my classmates told me, “You just think wrong!” That might be one of my greatest strengths in my writing career. The wrongness isn’t the issue; it was a difference in the way I approached ideas. I enjoy writing to prompts to twist them to fit my purposes and come up with something completely off where others head with the same idea. I also like things to be unexpected – like in a short story I wrote where the Spider isn’t the monster but the protector.

Ideas are things of beauty, but even the best idea won’t be a best-seller if you can’t deliver it. I like to write the ideas down, put them in a slush pile, and look over them from time to time. Sometimes something sparks later, but often I don’t do much with them because of the new ones demanding my time and attention.

The best answer I can give is ideas come from living. The delivery takes work and often isn’t finished at the end of the first draft. Like everything worth doing, the passion the writer brings for the project is what tempers the idea into the product on bookstore shelves – and it is extremely rare that the author is the only pair of eyes to revise it.(Except, perhaps, for the self-publishing industry.)

Posted on by ransomnoble 1

Bookstores

I find myself needing to stay away from bookstores. The temptation to go and liberate them to a new and loving home is too great sometimes. I can’t even say a certain section is worse than the others; most of them draw me in.

That’s part of the reason I have a ‘library’ in my home. That, and when we moved in the room just begged to house my books. Two walls are nearly filled with bookshelves, and most of the bookshelves are stuffed with books.

What can I say? I’ve always loved the written word. I’m trying to leave a shelf open for my works; there isn’t much on it right now, but I have high hopes.

Except too man trips to the bookstore may require a re-evaluation at some point. So many things to learn inside: calligraphy, feng shui, yoga, Star Wars, classic cars, science fiction and fantasy worlds to explore, romances to share, mysteries to solve. Each enriches my world and my writing.

Countless topics yet to be explored draw me to the bookstore again. They may or may not show up in future writings, but I’m challenging myself not to have all my main characters be artists or wannabe artists. It shouldn’t be hard with as many research boks I have on hand, but I might have to pick up another book or two – just in case!

That reminds me: I need to get out the books I was building the science fiction world with, and finish it.

Posted on by ransomnoble 3

Strengths

Each of us has different areas we’re confident in pursuing. These talents vary, and we measure ourselves against the best and brightest in each.

Some days, that’s not the best decision. We falter in our forward progress, see that we’re not cut out for the big time, and become frustrated or disillusioned. We need peptalks from friends and family to get going on our paths again. A few give up entirely and choose another area of interest to dabble in.

Don’t quit something you love. The beauty of hobbies is you can do something you’re not perfect at and still just enjoy it. I’ll never be a great guitarist, but that doesn’t stop me from playing and learning. I’ll always write, whether I get published again or not – though I do keep hoping for the former rather than the latter.

May you find your motivation wherever you need it, and not give up on the little things that make life so much fun.

Posted on by ransomnoble 0

Legislation Regarding Creationism and Evolution

Science and religion are often at odds on how the world came to be. Several bills have been posed to change how scientific theories are taught in schools. The latest one is a lot like the others, except being careful to not mention religion.

The article is right- any science teacher worth anything will bring up the evidence for and against evolution during class. It looks like it’s just another attempt to bring the creation theory – or intelligent design – into the picture.

They only target evolution, rather than any number of other controversial topics in the sciences. Isn’t that interesting?

I remember an old youth group pastor who apparently never had a problem thinking that evolution could be the intelligent design. He said there was more than one way to think about it: either a passive god created the world and let it go on its own, or an active god made changes as the world went along. The first could explain creation theory, and the second could explain evolution.

Most of the scientific-minded people in my circle don’t have issues also believing in religion. We don’t necessarily take any religious book at its most literal, but as a guide on a metaphoric level. I can’t say how we do it is right or wrong, but it works for us. We occasionally discuss these things, but are also unwilling to push our views on others.

My hope is that everyone can find an answer to suit herself.

Posted on by ransomnoble 3

Writing Passion

I read a lot of books about writing. Each one is different and contains some bit of information (or more than one) that takes me in my path to become a better writer.

The most recent one explores, as part of setting goals, passion. Part of it deals with the “one-sentence pitch.” (I’ve always heard it called a premise.) I wrote one before my most-recent in progress novel, “Four young teens whose goal is to each be ‘normal’ are beset by nightmares sent to them by a desperate other-being who wants to regain his freedom.”

Moving on from that, the book also explores goals as a writer to show how to give each story your own unique mark. Examples given:
“I want to write X stories with Y and Z. (I want to write sensual stories with suspense and intrigue.)
X and Y are what writer Z is all about. (Spunky heroines and slapstick comedy are what Jack Doe is all about.)”

I wonder how many of the authors I know use a formula like that. I think I write in several different areas, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love each of them. In one way, you can see it easily getting slated for one genre- sensual stories might put someone in romance, for example. It also works across genres to say that perhaps the action stories the author chose to write would have a sensual side.

I’ve been giving it some thought. I’m working on my own words to fill in X, Y, and Z, but I just haven’t found them yet.

Posted on by ransomnoble 0

Reconnections

Social networking sites are fun, time-consuming, and yet still worthwhile for getting the word out. I set up a page on Facebook as a writer, and I have 17 fans! Okay, I knew them all already, so far, but that doesn’t mean  the word isn’t getting out. We all start with people we know and build an audience from there.

At least it’s a nice start.

I heard over the holidays that a bunch of the creative/artist types are at LiveJournal, but I haven’t checked that out yet. It’s always about balancing the time we have between what we want to do (the creative bit), what we have to do (promotion and marketing), and distractions (oh, my friend is online and I haven’t chatted with her in forever).

I like to add things slowly, but then I get excited and do more. Then I remember that I’d really rather focus on my creative efforts, and sometimes I miss something.

Lists are wonderful for that. So are emailed reminders.

Posted on by ransomnoble 1

New Year’s Resolution

… or something like that …

This year I’m going to complete another novel, science fiction this time. I may take part in NaNo again, but I’m going to decide that at a later date. I love the competition and the friendly cheerleading to get to the goal, but I also know I need to focus on a specific goal and not just a wordcount. However, NaNoWriMo rules state it must be a new project, so I figure I’ll worry about that next September or October.

Until then, Audrey calls!

To my other writing goals for the year, I think I may try more songwriting. I will definitely be writing a few more short stories. I’d like to be one of those writers who sends out several submissions a week, but I’m not sure how fast I can write, edit, and polish them – especially with a novel on my hands.

I think the novel is the more important focus for my long-term goals, so the short stories might be the part to slide. Several of my current short stories could be expanded into novels; it’s difficult to make the choices sometimes.

I’ll be flexible and I’ll keep writing. that much I know!

Posted on by ransomnoble 1