Thursday, April 24, 2014

Being a "Writer"

On Tuesday, Jules picked up where we left off on the Blog Tour (see my previous post), and gave us some insight into her blog writing process. I am always fascinated to hear about other people’s creative processes, especially other writers, since I don’t follow a particular method myself, other than to get words on a page and hope they make sense to someone else.

What made me sad (and I told her this so it’s not like I’m telling tales behind her back) is that she kept referring to herself as “not a real writer”. It’s a phrase I hear too often. In fact, up until last year, I called myself the same thing.

We tend to romanticize artists in first-world society. We picture painters, musicians, writers, singers, dancers, all as undernourished, sallow, pale, chainsmoking alcoholics with some God-gifted talent that tortures them until they feel no other choice but to bestow the fruits of their gifts upon society. We marvel at how someone, who appears to be as human as we are, has the ability to craft some type of magical work that captures emotions and spirits that seem to pinpoint to something inside of us better than we know ourselves. And only a chosen few of these creative visionaries are considered to be genuine. Those people who have an exhibit in a gallery are artists. Those who have a recorded song on the radio/iTunes are musicians. Those who have published a book are writers.

Bullshit.

As humans, we have an innate need to create. It is in fact the reason we exist. You don’t think so? Then why are we all so obsessed with sex? Sex is the ultimate expression of creation. All forms of art are expressions of that instinct of creation. So maybe you don’t play an instrument, but you sing in the shower. Does it make you happy to do it? Then that makes you a singer, even if it’s only for those five minutes that you sing Livin’ On A Prayer in the shower.

You write a blog to bitch about your school, your office, your parents, your life? You tweet more than five tweets a day? Your Facebook statuses and text messages are longer than “OK”? You do these things every day? Guess what. You’re a writer. You write down words to express your feelings about a situation. That’s all we do. It’s that simple. There’s no correct way to do this, other than maybe to put more than five words together at a time.

You like cooking? You bake? You sew? Whatever it is – you’re creative. Just because you don’t get paid to do something, or have a wall full of accomplishments, or aren’t mobbed when you try to go to the grocery for a can of tuna doesn’t make your work any less valid than those people who get paid six and seven-figures of annual income to do basically the same thing.

In fact, if it weren’t for “non-writers” like Jules, there would be nothing heartfelt or interesting to read on the internet. We would be subjected to dry news stories of current events. Two word tweets. Facebook statuses devoid of emotion. Snapchat. Like the saying goes, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. No two people have the same point of view about a situation. Yes, the internet is the place where everyone has an opinion, and even the ones we don’t like, we need to give them voice to say it. Create their bizarre art, illogical and out-of-sync and tune music. Someone out there will like what you do, even if it’s only you. I mean, that’s why I started writing blogs. For me, a blog is writer’s masturbation. It’s me writing about what I think in my voice. It makes me feel good to get it out there. And hey, if you like to watch, well that’s cool beans (as long as that’s the only thing you’re watching about me!).


So go ahead. Be a non-painter, non-singer, non-dancer, non-musician, or a non-writer. No creative work is every truly successful until after the death of its creator. Start crafting your legacy now, and without fear.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Blog Tour 2014 - The Restart Stops Here

Well I'm back. 

I never left, really. I have two other blogs that I work on habitually, but in my quest to write for others, I rarely take a moment to write for myself. This is what this blog was supposed to be for. So now I'm back here to steal back time from everyone else and give it to me.

What inspired this was Mel Cober's out-of-the-blue invite for the Blog Tour challenge. I mean, I do blog. But just not here. I blog as my alter ego for a food blog and for a music blog. Since this is supposed to be my time for me (notice how I keep repeating that, hoping it will be true), then I might as well use my real name. 

So check out Mel's blog from last week, and next week, check out Jules Timms blog here. If you're interested in participating, there are two (2) more spots left. Message me and let me know. As Stevie Nicks sang, "Chains keep us together."

The Questions about my writing process:

Q1: What am I working on?
I am scrambling to polish my manuscript for my upcoming elevator pitch session at the Ontario Writers' Conference on May 3, 2014. The manuscript, currently titled 21, is an erotica piece of fiction written in memoir-style of our protagonist recollecting what she has learned from the 21 lovers she has had over the past 25 years. Since it's my first pitch session, and basically first time sitting in a room with a book publisher (having worked for both a music publisher and a newspaper publisher, you would think this would be a cinch for me, but it's not), I want it to be perfect. It won't be, but I want to try to get it there. 

I am also continuing to workshop my vampire novel, Human Blood, in my writers critique group to see if the market can handle yet one more vampire novel series, albeit in New Adult format. I am hoping to self-publish this novel once it's gone through the revisions.

Once a month, on the 7th of each month, I contribute on my food blog to the Great Canadian Food Challenge. I have also just signed up to be a contributing writer to Eatins Canada, an online magazine devoted to Canadian holistic food and food culture.

And whenever I go to a concert, or hear something that's perked up my attention, I write something for the music blog. 

I am planning on entering the WCDR 2014 Slam Contest. I did so last year with the encouragement from executive members of the Writers Community of Durham Region, and ended up as a finalist. I'm going to try again this year, though I still have to decide on the piece to craft. 

Q2: Why do I write what I do?
You mean why do I write about music, food, and sex? 

I write what I feel. I know that's kind of a weird thing to say, almost a cliche. But there are ideas, characters, scenarios, all sorts, running around my head in a constant stream-of-consciousness chatter. To get them under control, I write them down. 

Why erotica? It's not because I'm a woman of a certain age, or because I want to be trendy. I don't want the experience of my characters to be hidden or cut off from me as a writer or my readers. Sometimes you need to feel a little bit more of the sensual than just the closing of the door and the fade to black.

Why do I write about food and music? Because those are the two things dearest to my life after my son, and my quest is to impress my profound love and passion for food and music upon him. So far, he's more into the music than the food, but then again, his palate is still developing. 

Q3: How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I have been told that my writing voice is very distinct. I wrote a very involved piece of fanfic a couple of years ago, and the first thing my beta reader/editor commented on was my strong voice. If people comment on it, then they would know more than I would, since I don't really think about my writing voice when I'm putting words on the page. I just shoot from the hip as it were.

Q4: How does my writing process work?
I just dump and write. Mel called it being a "pantser". I have a basic idea in my head, whether it started from a dream/daydream, a "what if..." idea, or is based on something that happened in the non-fiction world. I start a story, and then I go on the journey with my characters. They let me know when it's finished, whether it be a short slam piece or a long, involved novel. 

I also follow the Hemingway school of writing - "write drunk, edit sober". Not that I'm Joycean about my drinking/writing habits. If I could write like Joyce when I was drunk, I'd move into the liquor store! But when I am editing - which is about as much fun as pulling out your toenails with pliers - I do it stone cold sober. I usually have a printed version of the draft, and I've made notes to go in and fix things. When I get to the part that needs fixing, I rewrite the damn thing until it feels right. Then I go on. 

This is my first year being in a critique group, and I'm grateful for it. My fellow writers pick up on things that I have missed after three drafts, and working on their pieces helps me to watch for similar things in my own craft.

The Tour Continues...

Next week, on April 21st (or April 22nd given that it's Easter Monday), Julie Timms will continue the tour at her Just Jules blog, and let us in on her writing process.

Jules is, first and foremost, a writer and a mother. Her blog started as a way to chronicle her children's lives, and evolved into a place where she shares her laughter, tears, ups, downs, and ups again of the bonds of family.

Thanks, everyone. Watch this space for more rantings, ravings, laughter, and tears about my writing (and non-writing) life.