Manga demo! This Thursday!

This is going to be fun--I'm having a blast already!

This Thursday is Last Thursday in Eagle, Idaho. At 7 pm I'll be demoing a storyboard for manga at the True North Creative Learning Center in downtown Eagle. I've got a great story in mind...

Last Thursday means that lots of businesses are open and offering fun treats and demos, all sorts of good stuff.

Hope to see you there!

Got the ague?

Isn't ague a great word? I love it. And I think it describes what I'm talking about in this post. I went to a networking meeting yesterday, as a writer, editor and teacher of writing and creativity classes. What struck me, hard, is how many people have the "ague" of creativity. Most of the attendees at this meeting were realtors, financial advisors and bankers--practical right-brain people, right (it is the right brain that is math and stuff, isn't it?)? What do they care about the woo-woo world of creativity? I mean, most of the time you can't go to the bank with it!

And yet, most people I spoke with confessed a secret yearning to write...and granted they probably spoke to me because of their secret--but I talked to a lot of people (it was networking, after all) and was a bit surprised. And they spoke of this secret passion as if though it was something they had caught, like an ague, something they didn't want, like an ague, a disease that isn't fatal, but uncomfortable. Something best not talked about except to a fellow sufferer. Something that you want to "get over."

So here's a

TIP: In our culture, creativity isn't honored--that doesn't mean it's an illness. Why not embrace the ecstasy of whatever your creative passion may be? There's no cure, so why make yourself miserable? ENJOY!

More Manga, more writing

Just a quickie post on how much I'm learning about writing from manga. I know, it's weird, isn't it? Or at least it seems weird that a writer of short stories and novels who is *ahem* not a teenager anymore (although there is adult manga) would get so much out of what many adults call "comic books" and use a derisive tone.

Sure, manga are graphic novels--and there's the clue: novels. And like any novel, they need to follow the rules of writing. They require plot, characterization, and, of course, dialog. And since they are serial novels, they also require a "bible" and projection skills.

I suspect that I'm learning so much as manga is a different genre from the ones I usually work in: mystery short stories and novels.

And maybe because it's so much fun!

HINT: Do something that's the same but different: I'm learning a lot from a different genre of writing, so if you're an artist who paints in oils, try pastels, try watercolors, if you're a photographer, paint, and so on...

No more Miss Snark

Eeek! Miss Snark is retiring. If you're a writer, this is sad news indeed. Miss Snark provided excellent advice about the world of agents and publishing, with no nonsense, straightforward snarkiness--delightful.

Only good word is that she is leaving the blog up and available for reference.

And only necessary words: Thank you, Miss Snark.

More shopping

Workshopping, that is. I thought I'd mention one that I've found has knocked my writing up to a whole new level, and yeah that's a cliche, but this is a blog, not my w.i.p.

Donald Maass holds Intensive Workshops in different places around the country every year. And by INTENSIVE, I mean intensive. It's an entire week of all day working on being a better writer. Don and his great crew are fabulous at providing myriad tools for crafting a great novel. No, by that I don't mean a guaranteed best seller, I've done my best work on my current w.i.p. that I've ever done, and all my writing is stronger.

Yes, it takes time and money, but for me it was both EXTREMELY well spent. I'm planning on going again, but first I'm writing and writing...

Secret: You get better at something by practicing it. You also get better by working with people who have the "secrets" of how to create. You also get better by being with your peers. The secret is balancing the different elements--with the emphasis on doing the work!

No, I don't know how to surf...

...but I do know how to swim. Sometimes I forget this important fact. After I've gotten off the beach and braved the small waves and gotten out into the ocean, I can panic. Even though the swells that turn into waves are easier and I'm a strong swimmer...

a swell: "Oh no, my w.i.p. is almost finished. Now it has to go out into the world and be judged."
another swell: "Oh no, this class is going to be successful. Now I have to teach it."
Gulp, gulp--and I swallow sea water.

Do you see a theme here? Success is scary. The ocean is a very big place, and the surf and beach far more familiar to me. It can be easier for me to head back to shore sometimes--but when I resist and remember how I love to swim, then I can relax and float for a bit, and enjoy the great swells, enjoy success.

So, how well do you swim? What scares you about the ocean?

Manga again...

Okay, so the figure filled my post space--and hopefully didn't lead to a lot of confusion...or any.

I'm teaching a class in Manga! Yay! It's a blast already, preparing for this class. I get to read lots of fun manga--and some of the writing is good. And in the class everybody gets to do their own story board!

Which for me reminds me of the days when I was a film editor/script writer. And which also helps with my w.i.p. as I'm in the editing stage. When you're editing a documentary film, it's always best to "tighten and clarify" as much as possible.

If you'd like to know more about my classes, feel free to visit the True North Creative Learning Center.

TIP: If you're editing a story, take a little time to think of it as if you viewed a film of your story. What scenes are too long? Unneccessary? Or are there missing scenes?