Well, we all know how the economy looks right now. We can't get away from it.
Sure, gas prices are going down (and that's cause for celebration in my book, don't get me wrong. It still makes me giggle to pass a $1.99 gas sign), but only because the demand is steadily lowering as the economy circles the drain closer and closer.
And, of course, with any major downturn, the book business suffers too.
Discouraging news.
And a lot of it.
Life without bookstores. Think about it for a second. There might be libraries, and I think there's a place for that--books that have been loved and read and preserved and, to some degree, imprinted on by those who've read them.
But I love the smell and feel of new books. I love the astounding variety and the bright colors and the understated covers (and the overstated ones, really) that catch my eye and promise me something. Escape. Adventure. Something to think about. And more than that, when I buy a book, it's mine. Mine to imprint my memories on as I read it, to take with me wherever I want. To share with other people who will love it, but always to take back. Mine.
I rely on bookstores. I love them. I never want to see them go away.
And the only way I can keep them here is to buy books from them.
You can too.
Keep buying books. Keep supporting authors. Keep the love of the written word alive before it drowns in text-messages.
That's all any of us can do. Before we were writers, we were readers, and between writing, we're still readers.
22,800 words and counting, feeling unusually pensive today.
Miri.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Monday, November 03, 2008
3rd Day of NaNoWriMo
(Hey, Americans--get out there and make your voice heard at the polls tomorrow. All the other countries are making fun of us because our voter apathy is so bad. C'mon, guys. Let's show 'em.)
Writerly Politics Fun! (yes, it exists.)
8010 words,
Sarah
Writerly Politics Fun! (yes, it exists.)
8010 words,
Sarah
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Another Update
Well, I managed to bust through the block on Friday with some good old-fashioned YouTube playlist therapy and an hour-long plotting session (which coincided with the YouTube playlist therapy). I think I've got most of the rest of the story plotted out. I'm going to try for an 8k day today and then maybe a 10k tomorrow.
Thanks for your support.
Thanks for your support.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
50 Posts, 50,000 Words
Miri and I are suiting up for NaNoWriMo 2008, a heady process which involves getting lots of new ideas, tinkering with them, tossing them out, and starting with no story when November 1st rolls around, praying for inspiration.
In an effort not to over-think new story concepts, I started writing what I thought would be a fun, relaxing short story with little/no novel potential. However, the characters are not so easily dismissed. They have taken over, spooning out plot points, sparkling* dialogue, hilarious* scenes and honest-to-God theme when my enthusiasm for the project starts to lag. This is the tightest rough draft I've ever written (not like there's a lot of competition for that title, as anyone who's clapped eyes on the rough draft of my first NaNo could tell you), will likely be the longest, and has been the most fun to write.
So why OH WHY did it have to strike me in August?
But my whining is not interesting blogging. What are your NaNo ideas? What are you doing to prepare them? (Hopefully, we can get a little idea-bouncing going in the comments to help y'all flesh out your plotbunies.)
---------------------------------------------------
*That is, it seems like that while I'm writing. When I start editing, I shall find it so atrocious I will likely experince spontaneous combustion.
In an effort not to over-think new story concepts, I started writing what I thought would be a fun, relaxing short story with little/no novel potential. However, the characters are not so easily dismissed. They have taken over, spooning out plot points, sparkling* dialogue, hilarious* scenes and honest-to-God theme when my enthusiasm for the project starts to lag. This is the tightest rough draft I've ever written (not like there's a lot of competition for that title, as anyone who's clapped eyes on the rough draft of my first NaNo could tell you), will likely be the longest, and has been the most fun to write.
So why OH WHY did it have to strike me in August?
But my whining is not interesting blogging. What are your NaNo ideas? What are you doing to prepare them? (Hopefully, we can get a little idea-bouncing going in the comments to help y'all flesh out your plotbunies.)
---------------------------------------------------
*That is, it seems like that while I'm writing. When I start editing, I shall find it so atrocious I will likely experince spontaneous combustion.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Music for the Muses
It may come as no surprise to Miri, but I love musicals. To date, I've been in 8 musicals, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which is more of a rock opera than a musical anyway. I grew up in musical in theater. I eat, sleep and breathe musical theater. But what do musicals have to do with writing?
I went to see Mamma Mia with some friends last week, and it got me to thinking. There seems to be a recent trend to turning musicals into movies (think Sweeny Todd), and making musicals out of the body of work of a single band. Mamma Mia is all music from ABBA, Leader of the Pack is a musical about songwriter Ellie Greenwich told through her songs, and Across the Universe is a musical-movie with all Beatles songs.
So I'm going to try something and post the results here on the blog for the world to judge. I'm going to write a synopsis of a (nonexistent) play with the music of one of my favorite bands, Matchbox 20. Y'all are welcome to try it as well if you have an hour or two to spare.
======================
I'm going with basic "boy meets girl" plot, because an inordinate number of Matchbox 20 songs are about breaking up with someone.
Our main character (henceforth known as John) is a college student and black civil rights activist in the 60's. In the first scene, John, his friend Robert, and a group of fellow activists sing "Black and White People."
While participating in a sit-in in Ohio, he meets Sylvia, a white waitress at the diner and they promptly fall in love in the song (a duet) "Real World."
In the next scene, Sylvia's father, the town sheriff, is revealed to be a bigot in the song "Push." (Stereotypical, I know. There goes my Pulitzer.)
John and Robert make plans to attend the March on Washington. Sylvia worries for John's safety and tries to dissuade him from leaving in the song "Can't Let You Go."
In the next scene, John is torn between supporting the civil rights movement and Sylvia in the song "Argue," but decides to go.
Sylvia talks to her friend Renee about her concerns the day before John and Robert plan to leave. Renee tells Sylvia's ex-boyfriend, Peter. Peter speaks of his remaining affection for Sylvia in "Crutch."
The next day, Peter calls the police while John and Robert are sitting at the diner. Sylvia's father arrests them. John mistakenly believes Sylvia framed them. Peter sings a verse from "Busted" and John sings a verse from "Last Beautiful Girl" as he's being led away. The two go back and forth until each song is finished.
END OF ACT 1.
John and Robert lament their position in "Shame." Robert tries to cheer John up with a refrain of "Black and White People", but John is inconsolable.
Sylvia sings "If You're Gone" to herself. Renee overhears and apologizes for Peter's actions. She agrees to help Sylvia sneak into the jail to visit John.
They sneak into the jail. After explaining that Peter called the police, not her, she and John sing a duet of "Hand Me Down." The sheriff stumbles in on the last refrain. He is so moved by the depth of his daughter's love that he frees John and Robert and agrees to drive all four of them to Washington.
The whole cast sings "How Far We've Come" in the March on Washington.
The director has the choice of using "Mad Season" or "I Believe You When" for the curtain call music.
==============
Obviously, there are a couple of problems with this little tale. For one, interracial relationships were a very touchy subject in 1963 and if the sheriff was a real bigot, letting his daughter's black boyfriend out of the slammer would be a bit unlikely. But, hey, it's an exercise, not an outline.
I recommend using only two or three albums of your band or artist of choice. I can't imagine how the writers of Across the Universe sorted through all of the Beatles's songs and strung them together into something resembling a plot.
Also, try to pick a band that writes about a wide variety of topics. I had all kinds of trouble with the first act because Matchbox 20 has no songs about falling in love. "Real World" has nothing to do with falling in love, but it was the closest I could get. :P
So, dear readers, astound us with your literary brilliance! I'm really interested to see what y'all come up with. (And how does listening to music effect your writing? Do you use it as ambient noise, or do you use it for inspiration when you're feeling stuck?)
I went to see Mamma Mia with some friends last week, and it got me to thinking. There seems to be a recent trend to turning musicals into movies (think Sweeny Todd), and making musicals out of the body of work of a single band. Mamma Mia is all music from ABBA, Leader of the Pack is a musical about songwriter Ellie Greenwich told through her songs, and Across the Universe is a musical-movie with all Beatles songs.
So I'm going to try something and post the results here on the blog for the world to judge. I'm going to write a synopsis of a (nonexistent) play with the music of one of my favorite bands, Matchbox 20. Y'all are welcome to try it as well if you have an hour or two to spare.
======================
I'm going with basic "boy meets girl" plot, because an inordinate number of Matchbox 20 songs are about breaking up with someone.
Our main character (henceforth known as John) is a college student and black civil rights activist in the 60's. In the first scene, John, his friend Robert, and a group of fellow activists sing "Black and White People."
While participating in a sit-in in Ohio, he meets Sylvia, a white waitress at the diner and they promptly fall in love in the song (a duet) "Real World."
In the next scene, Sylvia's father, the town sheriff, is revealed to be a bigot in the song "Push." (Stereotypical, I know. There goes my Pulitzer.)
John and Robert make plans to attend the March on Washington. Sylvia worries for John's safety and tries to dissuade him from leaving in the song "Can't Let You Go."
In the next scene, John is torn between supporting the civil rights movement and Sylvia in the song "Argue," but decides to go.
Sylvia talks to her friend Renee about her concerns the day before John and Robert plan to leave. Renee tells Sylvia's ex-boyfriend, Peter. Peter speaks of his remaining affection for Sylvia in "Crutch."
The next day, Peter calls the police while John and Robert are sitting at the diner. Sylvia's father arrests them. John mistakenly believes Sylvia framed them. Peter sings a verse from "Busted" and John sings a verse from "Last Beautiful Girl" as he's being led away. The two go back and forth until each song is finished.
END OF ACT 1.
John and Robert lament their position in "Shame." Robert tries to cheer John up with a refrain of "Black and White People", but John is inconsolable.
Sylvia sings "If You're Gone" to herself. Renee overhears and apologizes for Peter's actions. She agrees to help Sylvia sneak into the jail to visit John.
They sneak into the jail. After explaining that Peter called the police, not her, she and John sing a duet of "Hand Me Down." The sheriff stumbles in on the last refrain. He is so moved by the depth of his daughter's love that he frees John and Robert and agrees to drive all four of them to Washington.
The whole cast sings "How Far We've Come" in the March on Washington.
The director has the choice of using "Mad Season" or "I Believe You When" for the curtain call music.
==============
Obviously, there are a couple of problems with this little tale. For one, interracial relationships were a very touchy subject in 1963 and if the sheriff was a real bigot, letting his daughter's black boyfriend out of the slammer would be a bit unlikely. But, hey, it's an exercise, not an outline.
I recommend using only two or three albums of your band or artist of choice. I can't imagine how the writers of Across the Universe sorted through all of the Beatles's songs and strung them together into something resembling a plot.
Also, try to pick a band that writes about a wide variety of topics. I had all kinds of trouble with the first act because Matchbox 20 has no songs about falling in love. "Real World" has nothing to do with falling in love, but it was the closest I could get. :P
So, dear readers, astound us with your literary brilliance! I'm really interested to see what y'all come up with. (And how does listening to music effect your writing? Do you use it as ambient noise, or do you use it for inspiration when you're feeling stuck?)
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