The Surreal Estate Guide
Advice & Encouragement for Writers
Wednesday December 17, 2008
Writers aren't immune to the holiday blues - it can strike almost anyone. The holidays are already stressful. Shopping, traveling, party planning and/or going, and other events in our lives that may compound the usual stress, like the loss of a loved one.
Sometimes when you're giving advice, you experience the need to take it yourself. When you can't find the best answer within, you must seek the best answer from an outside source. After a little searching, I found the most relatable source for coping with the holiday doldrums:
If you're suffering from deep depression, please seek advice from mental health care professionals. But if it's just the holiday blahs, then at least one of these tips from 'The Adventurous Writer' Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen might make it easier to become a productive writer again. Happier Holidays!
Tuesday January 1, 2008
For 2008, I've decided to plug in all of my ideas, stories, and poems from my written journal, without hesitation. I've only filled in a few pages of my fairly new Moleskine™ journal so far, but I'm resolved to complete the thought process and let the ideas evolve into stories, the stories evolve into novels, and the poems evolve into a collection that might be published someday. So far, my poetry has been read by a few readers on "the creative and contemporary writing" site haggardandhalloo.com. So far so good.
Now it's time to plug into my journals - online and offline - and sort it all out for a collection. Originally titled Sense, a collection of poems I have kept and transferred from my old hard drive is due for a closer reading. I have matured as a poet and fiction writer, less drawn to clever poetic devices, and from personal experiences - from the euphoric highs to the depressive lows - I think my writing has grown less reliant upon clichés and more reliant upon my inner narrative voice. As I grow more silent and verbally expressive, my writing improves. I won't be taking a vow of silence in 2008. Not at all. I am finding another way to plug into my writer's mind - finding a new voice through song. Instead of just writing about the music I enjoy, I intend to write and perform music for fun.
It's been years since I've performed in front of an audience, when I was a student musician, but I've never composed music or written lyrics. Unless you count a few feeble attempts to compose a tune for viola and guitar, and more than a few attempts to convert rhyming poems into singable lyrics. In 2007, however, I was reintroduced to the joy of musical performance. I recorded my voice, with the accompaniment of two musicians, on tracks - a gift song for my youngest niece's birthday. It convinced me that I still loved performing music as much as writing about it. And through this creative outlet, I can only strengthen my writing. It also compels me to pen original lyrics with music, honing my writing skills this year. It also helps keep my resolution to write everyday, even when I'm not incessantly typing at my computer to beat a deadline for an interview or review.
So some of what I write in my journal or blogs may not end up on a web site or in print. Instead, it will be heard on an mp3 copy of a 4-track recording, and eventually over a mic in a small club or coffee house.
How's that for resolve?
In the meantime, you can check on my musical progress online @ myspace.com/intensecare. So far all I have posted is the birthday track that inspired me to get involved with music on a more personal level, and a demo called "Piano for Dummies", where I expose and poke fun at my ignorance of major chords on the piano. But the learning is half the fun...
Monday December 10, 2007
For weeks I've been meaning to post a detailed reference to a scathingly brilliant and funny blog posted by comedian Slade Ham, formerly of Beaumont, TX and now residing in the star-making (or heartbreaking) capital of entertainment, L.A. Bud I'd like to place a bet that Slade will be featured on Comedy Central sometime this decade. His November 27th rant, "Burn the Ships", is a timely one from the comedian who delivers verbal punches with the ease of a pro boxer, a few days before his departure to La-La-Land. It addresses taking risks to succeed, and luckily for you and me, he's also a damn good blogger who uses an extreme example of controversial American history to make a point about taking risks and succeeding in a purpose. This touchy subject in American History (I don't care much for 1519 or Hernán Cortés, and the resulting subjugation - and decimation - of the native population), but Slade makes an amazing analogy (among others) about boldly taking risks and "passing the point of no return".
I have declared 2008 my year of "burning ships". This means making a move thousands of miles away from a place I've called home for over a decade, relying on a full-time freelance writer's income and small monthly annuity, and not knowing but a few people in a bigger, badder city - far far away from friends and family as support. maybe I'm crazy to make such a drastic change. But there are a few things I'd like to accomplish in my writing career (like an actual career), and I don't want to have any regrets.
So before I leave the live music capital of the world, I'm burn all the ships. Not literally, of course. I mean the crutches of temporary employment agencies, hot music connections gone lukewarm, and well-meaning family and friends who think it's fine that writing is a hobby for me, with little or no income for my effort. I'd like for my writing to be more than a hobby from childhood. I'd like to think my recognition as a talented young writer would indicate that I was prepared to take risks and become a talented adult author. I don't expect to be the next Eudora Welty, Janet Frame or Toni Morrison. I expect to be me, Danna Marrón Williams - also known as Renée Valmont, author and poet.
Since my maternal grandmother Mary Valmont Williams purchased my first journal at the local bookstore, after witnessing my amazement at being able to write my own stories in a book, I've had the dream of becoming a poet and fiction author. Although wouldn't trade the last few years working as a part-time contributor and freelancer for entertainment and music magazines, I want to broaden my perspective, and continue to write creatively. It's not just about a book deal and profit. It would be a nice perk, but I write because of my love of expressing myself creatively, of bringing characters and places and events to life on the page. Writing about daring characters as a self-described surreal estate agent has inspired me to be more daring in real life. So the next step, after writing short fiction, poetry, and finishing my first novel, will be getting a real agent - or becoming my own agent - if I dare... Sunday November 11, 2007
A good question to ask yourself before you sit down in front of the computer, word processor, or typewriter (if you're really old school) to write your next masterpiece - whether it be an article extolling the virtue of Strunk & Whites' Elements of Style for Writer's Digest, or a novel about disillusionment with the American Dream. Inspiration is the muse that breathes life into your work, the reason you rise early in an epiphany to type out a story from a dream, the breath of creativity from something extraordinary, or ordinary, you witness in everyday life. When you write almost anything, you're expressing a part of yourself. And writing from yourself, there is usually a source of inspiration that compels you to communicate an idea or a feeling. A lot of us never really ask that question, and wonder why we're not creating an article that leaves a magazine wanting more, or the next "Great American Novel" that outsells Catcher In The Rye, or crafting a short story that leaves a long-lasting impact on the reader. My inspiration comes from many sources - family, friends, and even strangers that I meet. It can come also come from hearing a song, or seeing a band that leaves a lasting impression. The photo above, featuring Earl Greyhound bassist and vocalist Kamara Thomas, inspired me to write this brief blog about inspiration. She has also inspired me to start singing and playing instruments for fun. Long live the power of inspiration...
Friday September 14, 2007
I haven't been feeling very productive this month. Maybe it's the letdown after all the hype of submitting interviews, reviews, poetry, and short stories, and actually receiving some notice for my work. Now I'm taking it easy, with only a few reviews pending publication next month. I'm still awaiting official approval before transcribing an interview from March for a feature article in a locally based music magazine, and procrastinating (what's new?) with a book review for marketing research (and possible publication).
But other than the usual scouting of bands, and listening to my old favorites live, I have been busy with the day job and stalling on two short stories. The poetry trickles from the ink of my Parker pen, but not so much these days. Like Langston Hughes, I'm only poetically prolific when I'm sad or depressed about personal affairs. But life has been good to me, and now that I've decided to move to an artistically and musically creative city which offers an excellent graduate program, I haven't been delving into metaphors or similes, meter or rhyme. So how will I spend the next year (before I move next September)? Will I remain in a creative rut or slump until I have my mind challenged with a new and uncertain terrain? Or will I continue to live the blissful life of a part-time entertainment journalist with a worker bee day job? (With the exception of studying the world of creative writing and publishing.) I'm determined to become a full time writer and editor for a small or large publisher within the next ten years, after earning an advanced degree. My move to a bigger city with a vibrant natural, art, and music scene is a part of my education and adventure as a writer.
To rekindle my sense of wonder at learning and experiencing new things that would inspire my writing, I've also been doing writing advice research to dig myself out of this creative rut. With all the bad news of crises around the world and a nation's government that seems to be committed to a cause that is not ultimately benefiting all the creatures of this world, I am regrouping to focus on fiction that channels my sense of helplessness and frustration in a positive, hopeful way. And thanks to articles and blogs from fellow writers, that focus is becoming clearer each moment I sit down to write. Sometimes it requires stripping off the clothes of pretense and duty and getting to the basics of being the writer I know I can be. On her prolific writer blog The Writing Life - All Kinds of Writing, my friend and Canadian Author Nienke Hinton explores the excuses we make, and provides humorous and insightful links that are teaching me that I don't have to feel inspired to write, yet I don't have to be a drone about my craft. Indeed, "practice makes perfect" - or close to it. In one of these links, John E. Phillips writes an open letter to writers with advice on not giving up and seeking support when needed: "How To Be A Writer". Sometimes I forget. Based on the research I've done, and the determination to start fresh as a fiction writer and poet (while maintaining - and expanding - a freelance entertainment journalism career), I'm out of the rut already, and ready to write.
Friday September 14, 2007
ACL Aftershows!
Are you chained to the cubicle or to the desk in your office today, or during the weekend this ACL Fest? Don't be depressed about it - check out the plethora (can I use that word?) of shows happening after the end of each day! You can hang out in the cool indoors (although this is reported to be the coolest festival on record) and hang out at the bar to order a Cape Cod (or whatever your fancy) and party with the "rock stars" at a very reasonable price.
One official ACL aftershow performance inspired my INsite ACL INsider blurb: Heartless Bastards (see photo). Heartless Bastards are performing a late night show at The Parish this Saturday, September 16, 2007 with local purveyors of crunk punk White Denim opening. I've seen them almost every time they come to town, and Austin City Limits Music Festival is no exception. So what if I miss their ACL debut? I interviewed the lovely Erika Wennerstrom in 2005, and I witnessed the soulful rock trio amaze a crowd of impatient Lucinda Williams fans at Stubb's 6 months earlier, before SXSW 2007. And Saturday night I will be content with witnessing Heartless Bastards amaze another crowd of new and old fans. Oh - and don't forget to check out the impressive list of official ACL Fest Aftershows, and an unofficial list at showlistaustin.com. You can also check out recommended shows in the current issue of SOUNDCHECK. The hills of Austin are alive with the sound of music.
Thursday September 13, 2007
In the previous blog, I mentioned Roald Dahl being an early literary influence in my life. Then today I noticed the artistic Google tribute on the web search engine's main page, and knew I had to mention Mr. Dahl again. In my last entry I forgot to distinguish the difference between reading Dahl's stories as a child, when I read most of his adult fiction (thanks to having an older sister who let me read her books), and reading his children's fiction as an adult, after watching film adaptations of his work. I had a wonderful "reading childhood" filled with trips to the library and bookstore, gifts from R.I.F. and discounted books courtesy of the public school system in my hometown of Beaumont, TX. As an advanced reader, I have to admit reading fiction by authors like E.B. White and Beverly Cleary eventually became dull exercises, and I longed to read something more "grown-up" by the 3rd grade.
An illustration of author Roald Dahl, inspired by his accalimed children's books.
But a part of me will always long to be a child again to experience the wonder of Dahl's imaginative children's fiction. So to relive my childhood, and share my love for the magical realism of stories like James and The Giant Peach, and Matilda, and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory by reading these stories to my nephew and nieces for the next few weeks before bedtime. And before watching the movie versions with popcorn and soda pop.
Friday September 7, 2007
Before You Write It It seems to make perfect sense - reading books from the genre you are interested in writing in - but are you reading the books that seem to have left a lasting impact on readers. Every author and inspiring author needs a shortlist of books, past and present, that have exceeded reader expectations and constantly appear on critics' lists. A few have garnered praise from peers and critics with group awards, and of course Pulitzer and Nobel praise.
Kurt Vonnegut
If you're curious about my shortlist, I actually have it refined by genres, since I constantly veer to satire and psychological suspense in my short stories, with a focus on feminist protagonists. I blame my big sister for leaving her junior high lit books out, where I could read the short stories of Roald Dahl and Shirley Jackson. Having my young, avaricious literary mind warped - I mean shaped - by these stories, and reading satirical novels (i.e., as Animal Farm, Slaughterhouse Five, Catch-22 and A Clockwork Orange), further led me to think I could someday write something as scathingly humorous and profoundly insightful as the satirical novels of Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
And how could I forget a roll call of 19th and 20th century women writers like Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, Zora Neale Hurston, Eudora Welty, Carson McCullers, Joyce Carol Oates, the two Walkers - Margaret and Alice, and Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison. I consider Sula, Beloved, and Jazz to be the most inspiring of her novels.
In the world of popular fiction, I tend to avoid "chick lit", although I have read a couple of page turners by Bebe Moore Campbell, Jane Green, and Barbara Kinsolver. But in the popular paperback fiction world, my heart belongs to one woman - Ruth Rendell, a.k.a. Barbara Vine. Some writers who read a lot of Mystery most likely prefer Agatha Christie or P.D. James. But I've been hooked on the Inspector Wexford Series, and her other tales of the human psyche (i.e., The Crocodile Bird and Keys To The Street) since my college daze. (I didn't have the luxury of cable or satellite television for most of my years at the University of Texas.)
The film adaptation of Disappearing Acts, the 2nd novel by Terry McMillan (before Waiting to Exhale). Starring Wesley Snipes and Sanaa lathan.
And yes, I do write short fiction with the focus on black, female characters and their relationships in the 21st century. So this means I have read a broad assortment of fiction written by other African American women. That list includes another popular author whose work I am missing these days - Terry McMillan. I can't wait to receive news about her next novel. She made it hip to read in a culture that was ignoring a lot of black authors and books that were collecting dust on bookshelves while modern single women tales featuring white female protagonists were all the rage.
A Sin Of Color author Sunetra Gupta But as much as I would love to make it on the Blackboard Bestseller list, I wouldn't mind being compared Sunetra Gupta, who has written one of the most interesting newer novels featuring predominantly non-white characters - The Sin of Colour. To be quite blunt, I haven't read much profound literature from young black authors. However, in a couple of weeks I will review my first novel for HarperCollins "FirstLook", written by a promising young black (and female) author. My expectations are conflicting. I am all at once eager to read something that explores - in-depth - the characters and relationships of black female protagonists; but then I am wondering if her novel will be a formulaic plot with broad characterizations, another McMillan clone among many.
(From left to right) American Science-Fiction/Fantasy author Octavia E. Butler and New Zealand's distinguished author and poet Janet Frame.
The novels I plan to read in the future, no matter what the genre, should inspire me to create my own worlds of fiction. I think Octavia E. Butler and Janet Frame are remarkable examples of authors who have created complex worlds in science fiction and modern world fiction respectively. These respected authors spent years reading and creating worlds of fiction. I'd like to end this blog with a quote from the late author Frame, who constantly inspires me to always be the explorer in the world of fiction as a reader and writer: “Writing a novel is not merely going on a shopping expedition across the border to an unreal land: it is hours and years spent in the factories, the streets, the cathedrals of the imagination.”
Happy reading and writing!
Friday August 31, 2007
Don't laugh, but that was the subject of my bulletin last night before I knew that my interview with the wonderful Belaire made the cover of SOUNDCHECK Magazine (September ACL Fest Preview Issue). I suppose I can officially claim that title now - "Austin Music Pimp". It's proudly displayed as the headline of my "CrackSpace" page.
Seriously, I'm excited that there is a magazine out there covering truly talented, truly independent music artists out there who love making music and sharing it with fans. Belaire is a welcome, beautiful breeze of fresh air because they aren't image or record deal obsessed musicians going through the motions, but local musicians content with making music they love and we love.
It's rare for music journalists to actually get an opportunity to share about the bands they enjoy listening to the most, and for over two years I've had the joy of doing this. I'm a self-proclaimed "local music pimp", poking the mainstream, pop culture to notice indie artists - and embracing the independent and underground community. I feel really lucky to have the voice and means of expressing my love of local, independent music. OK - enough gushing. Back to my day job. Thursday August 23, 2007
Write About What You Love- and Get Paid For It!
Has it been almost three months already since my last writer's confession? Forgive me, for I have committed a blogger's sin - not updating the blog as often as I should. But I have 5 tips that could help you start earning money for all your effort at the computer or word processor. (Or do you use a typewriter?) Anyway... I still have a day job to supplement my meager retirement annuity* and writer's income of roughly $7200 (US) a year - before taxes, and I'm a music journalist by night. I submit my creative writing to online publications that print annuals, so until I find a fiction publisher crazy - I mean adventurous - enough to print my first novel or collection of poems to set on bookshelves, I will be content with a part-time, minimum wage-like music journalist's income. I love the freedom it gives me to write about the music I love, and although the pay is minimal (about $0.05 to $0.10 per word with paying gigs), the fringe benefits (meeting some of my favorite music artists, scoring passes, CDs, band swag, etc.) make up for the lack of income.
So what do I recommend to get you started on the path to your writing dream come true? 1. Try out Writers Market Online. There is a charge for this service (after a 30-day trial), but I found it very helpful when I decided I wanted to become a freelance journalist. I got a great membership deal with Writers Market a few years ago through Writer's Digest Magazine after I finally had the guts to submit my first online music review, which got some positive feedback. It doesn't guarantee immediate results, but offers some great leads on publications looking for submissions from fiction and non-fiction writers - from small trade magazines close to your neighborhood, to powerhouse publishing houses in Boston and New York City. 2. This automatically leads to my next tip: Go to Writer's Digest online, get a subscription, or pick up the latest copy at your favorite bookstore. I occasionally pick up a copy at BookPeople (because ironically, I don't read a lot of magazines). Besides helpful tips from successful authors like J.K. Rowlings, and seasoned professional journalists on staff at the Writer's Digest, there is detailed information about publications accepting queries and submissions, and of course, new writer contests. 3. Visit the magazine rack at your local bookstore and music store to browse the latest offerings. Not just to find the address to the editor, but to find out what you'd be interested in writing about. There are magazines for just about every interest, hobby, and profession out there, from d-i-y fashion to golf. Go to the free publication section in your music store. Some of these free publications actually pay writers for their interviews and reviews. I discovered one of my paying writer gigs (a nationally distributed glossy indie music magazine) by browsing the often neglected "freebie" section. 4. Don't take "no" for an answer. I'm not encouraging anyone to pitch a tent in front of the publisher's office, or to start internet stalking a poor, overworked editor who may have passed on your work for reasons beyond his or her control. I'm simply encouraging you to find the next publication who will think your interview with Moon Zappa is a work of genius. When one publication says no, the odds are actually in your favor, especially if the publisher's reason or reasons aren't related to the quality of your work or the level of interest in the subject matter. 5. Network, Network, Network. Look for local writers groups, stay in contact with those editors who have shown some interest in your writing, develop a network of writers (locally and on the internet) to offer support, advice, and leads to paying jobs. Maintaining this network has been successful in my young career as a music journalist. Don't burn bridges. Even if one editor has rejected your work, but is still willing to share some advice to help you in your profession, hang in there and be willing to learn and grow from the experience. That same editor may ask for another submission later. Trust me on this. End of Transmission. *Addendum - I'm not actually semi-retired. The annuity I receive is an inheritance from a beloved, deceased parent, which means I still have to work for a living since I'm not eligible for Social Security. Friday May 11, 2007
"The Play's The Thing"
"If you want to write fiction, the best thing you can do is take two aspirins, lie down in a dark room, and wait for the feeling to pass. If it persists, you probably ought to write a novel." Tuesday May 8, 2007
Writing Before The Deadline Approaches
I owe most of the editors I have worked with in the past and present an apology, which also involves making a confession: I am terrible at meeting deadlines. And not because I just procrastinate. If only it were that easy...I am, or was, an expert at the art of finishing and turning in an assignment as late as possible. Sometimes I have transcribed an interview and even written a rough draft of an article and suddenly have become overwhelmed with the feeling that it won't read quite as well as I imagined it would. And then a thing called life happens, and I become distracted by other things.
A couple of years ago, I had two legitimate distractions or excuses: taking care of a terminally ill parent, and helping my single sibling take care of her three kids. But I am no longer responsible for my mother's care, and my sister is married and has more help around the house as a result. So I have found other ways to avoid writing and beating the deadline for that article or review, using my (former) day job, a band, and a big move as an excuse to not meet a deadline - or not submit anything at all. But I'm overcoming the bad habit of procrastination, and that nagging fear of inadequate writing by writing this blog and offering some helpful hints that are helping me already, and I hope this confession will help you too.
First, bookmark or add this site to your favorites:
Next, I'll recap how this site will change the way we view our assignments, or self-starter writing projects, and end our procrastination:
I apologize to my editors for the bad habit of procrastination and thank them for their patience, which will no longer be necessary. And now it's time to stop beating ourselves and start changing our bad writing habits. We can do it together! ~DIY Danna
Monday May 7, 2007
Not Writing Today? Play Games!
Seriously. Playing word games when you are not inspired to write, or don't have the time to write (when you're at your day job, slaving over tedious housework) will benefit you and your writing life in more ways than you can imagine. According to the"Write now is good." blog, "Standard board games like Scrabble, Balderdash, and Pictionary effectively exercise our writing muscles." And there are many writer's games you can play in your daily doings and online if you don't know what to write in your journal or blog. Here are a few suggestions, courtesy of the same blog, and WritingFix.com:
People Watching - You don't have to stalk someone. You can play the writer's version of the classic cafe game by observing one person who intrigues you in a restuarant, bar, or coffee house. Besides a meal, order some coffee or tea and discretely set a timer (your watch or cell phone) for 10 or 15 minutes and imagine their life story on paper.
Bus Stop Poetry or Screenplay - While waiting for a bus or a train, look all around you, with or without your favorite music as a soundtrack, carefully observe the advertisements, billboards, newspaper headlines, graffiti around you, and watch the people around you, what they're saying and doing. Pick a few eye and ear-catching phrases. Write them down in your notebook. Arrange and re-arrange them - add words to connect these phrases. Or write a dialogue between the people you observe. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Play Board Games, or OnlineGames - Find a photo that interests you. Set your watch, phone, or kitchen timer for 10-15 minutes. Begin writing one-sentence captions for the photo and stop when time is up. You can also play popular board games like Scrabble and Balderdash online. Other games you can search on the internet include Crossword Puzzles, Mad-libs, the classic Hangman game, Anagrams, complex Cryptograms, and Story Games like Rejoinder, where you tell a story as a group and choose your adventure.
So have fun and play games. You may have a great story to tell - or write - because of it. ~DIY Danna |
