A New Year’s Restart

 

Jokes about rebooting aside, it does feel as though we need a great restart after the end of this exceedingly long, exhausting year. And while I don't expect to begin 2021 with any less snarkiness (sorry—not sorry), there are some things I'd like to leave behind, like worrying about that which is completely out of my control and the heavy weariness that came with fearing the unknown.

I'm not in the habit of making New Year's resolutions, but I do think about setting intentions, so I'll consider this a mental reset and focus on what was good about this year, and what I'd like to do more of in 2021.

Write more letters

What started with buying stamps to support the Post Office turned into sending postcards and writing actual letters, reconnecting with old friends, and rediscovering the simple joy of putting pen to paper.

Go for more walks

I was in the habit of walking with friends at work, but after my office closed and I started working at home, I remembered how nice it is just to walk around my neighborhood or take an evening stroll by the river.

Plan for a brighter future

It was far too easy to focus on what we couldn't do this year, and how much we missed out on. I once worked with a woman who used to say that hunger is the best sauce. Anticipation can indeed be delicious, so I'll focus on how great it will be to see my extended family (and meet my new great nieces!), visit with friends, and see live music. 

So the answer to the query, "have you tried turning it off and on again?" is not yet, but I'm about to.

Mastering Your Craft

 

                                                                  

                            Photo credit: Suzy Hazelwood via Pexels

So the coronavirus is surging, my county is under a stay-at-home order, it finally feels winter-ish, and it's even raining today...what better time to take advantage of my Master Class subscription? Full disclosure: I'm not affiliated in any way, nor being paid, this is just an honest plug. Master Class is well worth the price. From Arts & Entertainment to Wellness, there's something for just about everyone.

I'm currently in the middle of Aaron Sorkin's screenwriting class, which meshes nicely with watching The Newsroom (HBO, 2012-2014). I don't see myself writing a screenplay, but at the nuts-and-bolts level, writing is writing, and in my opinion, Sorkin is brilliant. An added bonus is that he uses scenes from The West Wing, A Few Good Men, and Steve Jobs to illustrate points.

I've completed Malcom Gladwell's writing class, Margaret Atwood's Creative Writing, David Mamet's Dramatic Writing, and Neil Gaiman's Art of Storytelling. Next up, Walter Mosley's Fiction and Storytelling. Each time I watch a class. I'm left equally inspired and wondering if I know what the hell I'm doing. And according to the pros, that's as it should be. Writing is work, and it's not supposed to be easy. Glad I've got that part down...

Besides the pure enjoyment of hearing those who are successful talk about how they approach their craft, it's gratifying to know that even the pros often face a blank screen and blinking cursor and think they've written every word they know and are out of ideas. But they keep going.

Will I ever "master" writing? Most likely not, but that's hardly the point. I won't stop trying.

For the Record

 

Like most voracious readers, I've devoured my share of books this year. I got antsy like everyone, as the lockdown continued, but I have to admit my social calendar didn't change all that much. Like any introvert, when staying home with a good book is the right thing to do, I'll call it a win.

I did notice my innate reflex was to reach for entertaining fiction almost exclusively, as I haven't had the attention span or energy for anything much heavier. So I was delighted to find not only a fourth, but a fifth volume in a series by British author, Andrew Cartmel, who pens novels featuring a self-described vinyl detective. Besides being well-written, the books check several boxes for me: they're fun and clever, set in England, and feature music and cat lovers.

I'm often of two minds when I'm reading fiction that really captivates. I want to drink it all in and enjoy, but I also want to study and analyze everything from the style to the characters. How do you do all of that so well?! I'm especially interested in how authors keep recurring characters fresh and interesting over the course of several books. One of the best, in my opinion, is Robert Crais, who has now written eighteen novels featuring his signature characters, Elvis Cole and Joe Pike.

Granted Mr. Cartmel had an advantage with me from the beginning, as his vinyl detective could theoretically be any number of guys I worked with at Tower. But beyond that, Cartmel has created a compelling, likeable character, and other than his hobby-turned-occupation of finding rare records, and a business card reading, "Vinyl Detective," we know very little about him. Music and cat lover, coffee snob...and that's about it. We don't know what he looks like, or even his name. But as readers discover the colorful characters who hang out with our detective, and the adventures that ensue, they'll also discover storytelling at its finest. Cartmel and his nameless detective are in the groove...

Please Mr. Postman – Putting Pen to Paper to Keep in Touch

 

                                            Photo credit: Pixabay, via Pexels

We've all had to adjust our social habits and find new ways of keeping in touch with friends and family this year. And as winter approaches and it's becoming clear that normal is still off the table and the pandemic is going to continue to dictate our behavior through the last few weeks of the year, staying in touch is even more important.

Back in the spring, about a month or so into the shelter-in-place order, I bought some vintage-design postcards, thinking it would be fun to send them to friends as an alternative to a social media ping. (It also became a way to support the post office, but that's another story). It was an enjoyable distraction while I got used to working from home and began to realize just how different this year would be.

An interesting thing happened the more postcards I sent. I stopped thinking of them as an analog answer to a Facebook post, and started thinking about crafting an actual message within the tiny space provided on one half of a postcard. Mark Twain is credited with saying he didn't have time to write a short letter so he wrote a long one. I get that, and I like it. The less space you have, the more important each word becomes. And physically writing a message feels so much more personal than typing a few words on a screen.

So I'm going to keep at it. If you'd like to hear from me this way, text or PM me your address. I'll put pen to paper and let you know what's going on with me. Maybe some of you will even write back.

Creativity and Chaos in California

 

                                            Photo credit: PhotoMIX Company via Pexels

"I think most art comes out of poverty and hard times." – Willie Nelson

It's easy to say that 2020 has been a year like no other. I've neither heard nor read the word, 'unprecedented' so much in my entire life. (Who's with me on permanently striking that one from the dictionary?) Any one of the major events of this year—-a global pandemic with 1.3 million casualties, economic upheaval, catastrophic fires on the west coast, an extremely volatile political climate and civil unrest—-would be horrifying. But all at once? How are we to respond, apart from large quantities of profanity and alcohol?

We're home sheltering in place, not going out to movies, restaurants, or concerts. Is that sparking creativity? We've all heard that great art comes from great adversity, and history has proven that to be true. But what does that look like in 2020? I'm curious to know if my fellow creative types are able to concentrate long enough to make art. It's been hit or miss for me. One day I feel that 'now or never' passion and the next I have the attention span of a gnat. So, my creative friends, are you painting, recording music, writing? Or are you staring at a blank canvas or blinking cursor?

Another concern I've struggled with is how to avoid appearing tone deaf. The pandemic is far from over, with new cases on the rise in staggering numbers across the country, the sheer ugliness and dangerous division the election brought to light make our democracy feel extremely fragile, fires were raging from San Diego to Seattle in September and October, and here I sit, saying, "Hey, I wrote something. Wanna read it?"

So what's the answer? I have no idea. Crises cause a deep emotional response, which can lead to beautiful art, amazing music, and stirring poetry, which we certainly need right now, don't we? It doesn't feel like we're coming out of this anytime soon. Seems to me it's time for more art. I'll be here attempting to summon the muse. Who's with me?

Sister to Sister

 

                                          

I recently joined a fabulous organization, Sisters in Crime, that supports the professional development and recognition of women crime writers. I've known of the group since my bookstore days—it was founded in 1986—but never felt worthy of joining, even though you don't have to be a published author. A truly supportive community of siblings (yes, men can belong too) you can join as an aspiring author, editor, bookselling professional, librarian, or fan of mysteries. So, what took me so long? Not sure I have an answer to that, except to say that this year has ignited an "if not now, when?" passion I've not felt before. I joined as an aspiring author, a designation I hope to change soon.

One of the many benefits of being an active sibling is access to the webinars hosted each month. Yesterday's event, "SinC into Great Writing: Creating Authentic Characters," featured K. Tempest Bradford, who spoke about representing characters whose gender, sexual orientation, racial heritage, or other aspect of identity may be very different from your own. Lou Berney and Walter Mosley discussed character, making the very valid point that character must come first, even if you have the idea for the plot first. Without a believable, realistic protagonist, your readers won't care how great you think the plot is. How do you begin to reveal character? Think about what your protagonist is doing when the readers first meet her. It should be a situation that makes them wonder what's going to happen next.

Their conversation was full of insights into their process. Berney starts each book with an outline and loves to set his characters up so they reveal to him what they're going to do. Mosley reads his dialog aloud to fine tune the voices for his characters, and said, "A single word can unlock a character." He also reads his prose aloud, because it needs to be "beautiful," and suggests that fiction writers read poetry. One of the most encouraging parts of the conversation was about how many drafts they write and how they both feel like the last draft is never done. Yep, the pros struggle too, at times.

When asked about how much time they put into research, Mosley cautioned going overboard and said, "I'm a fiction writer so I can make stuff up." Berney agreed with a smile and said when he's asked about writing techniques or how to solve a particular problem, "Whatever works" is almost always the answer. It's an interesting dichotomy, because writing is work, and it does equal butt in chair, but what Berney said is also true, "Writing should be fun. No one is forcing us to do this."

Splendid Isolation

                                          

                                           Photo credit: Vlada Karpovich via Pexels

Writing is a solitary craft, as are many artistic pursuits, so it's a good fit for an introvert. And 2020 has certainly turned out to be a banner year for solitude, no? As if a global pandemic weren't enough, nearly the entire west coast is on fire, creating unhealthy to toxic air quality. What better time to stay indoors and be creative? So here I sit, drafting, writing, rewriting. And then...it's time to go public and put whatever I've written "out there."

That's something I've struggled with over the years, for a few reasons. Besides constantly wondering if my writing is "good enough" (whatever that means. Good enough for what?), it sometimes feels counter-intuitive to go public with that which is created in solitude. I struggled with the decision to launch this blog, ultimately deciding that while there was certainly no shortage, I needed a place to point potential freelance clients.

Blog aside, what about other types of writing? I attempted to write a novel several years ago, revising and polishing until I felt it was ready to pitch. I spent a few months being rejected by agents, finally deciding it wasn't meant to be (and no, I didn't want to put it on Amazon), but the process was invaluable. The exercise of developing plot and characters and creating a story with a beginning, middle, and end led to a second, much better novel. So, what's next? Time will tell.

Darkness on the Edge of...Everything

After finishing a lengthy and involved project—-more on that later—-I took a mental break. Said break happened to coincide with a break from social media and a news fast. And then 2020 began to unfold... W.T.A.F??

Between getting used to working from home, being reluctant to leave my house, wiping down groceries and mail, peaceful protests being met with violence, and the dangerous ridiculousness of the current administration...I've had NOTHING to say. I don't want to write, and I'm sure no one wants to read, posts full of angst-ridden whininess and gallows humor. And then the entire west coast burst into flame. It's just TOO FREAKING MUCH.

A friend shared this, much of which resonates with me, especially the concept of "surge capacity," and how people fall prey to magical thinking. We're all anxious, frightened, irritated-to-furious on a daily sliding scale, and completely mind-numbingly exhausted. Is there hope? I believe there can be, but the time to wait for others to act to make things better has passed. It's up to every damned one of us to take action to affect real change.

One bright spot: art tends to flourish in trying times. Many creatives I know are hanging onto their sanity the only way they know how: making music, taking photographs, drawing and painting, and writing. Will 2021 be a banner year for art? I believe it will. And I'll have something to share in the spring. Stay tuned...