Thursday, February 16, 2012

I Have a New Obsession..

FLASH FICTION.

The way I'm drawn to prose, yet devour poetry, I guess it should be no surprise that I've become enamoured with it's hybrid child.

I love how flash fiction is just a glimpse, a small glimmer of a short story.  Just a piece.  And there's always some twist at the very end.  It's short-stories for the ADHD people like me!

Since I've been consumed by Dave Eggers as of late, I think of his flash fiction pieces would be appropriate to share.  This piece is actually his last posting in a column for The Guardian.

The Battle Between The Giant Squid and The Bears of Yosemite
by Dave Eggers
It was a great battle. You probably heard about it already, so why go on about it here? It was really good, just the best - very intense, hard-fought, and then sort of unclear, at the end, who won. Afterward, there were parades held by both sides, and, 10 years later, some movies were made about the whole thing, and were watched by the citizenry with a sense of grave responsibility. The end.
We will now spend these, our last column inches together, talking about the only thing appropriate at the beginning of June, and that is the outdoor shower, and the advantages thereof. The outdoor shower is: the only way to make a broken woman whole. It can: lighten the load of a burdened man. It will: calm a restless mind. It will: create milk from bile and cotton from cancer. The outdoor shower must: be experienced to be believed. It will not: disappoint. It will not: come to you. You must: go to it. Yes, leave your seat. Yes, walk through the door. Yes, find a sky that's blue and a sun that's warm, or a sky that's white and a sun that's hot. Find some grass or trees or ivy. Find yourself alone. Find a shower head, or a hose, or a bucket with holes punched beneath. Bring some water. The water cannot be too cold or too hot; the water must be noticed but never ostentatious. Now take off your clothes. Do not wear sandals, do not wear clogs. Put your clothes where they can't be seen, and begin the water. Look up as the water comes to you, laughing - not at you, with you - while it falls downward, celebrated by the sun on its descent. Each drop is given light; this is only fair. Now push the water around your body. Touch your wet skin and feel somewhat sexual. Now strangely pure. Now sexual again. Now like an animal. Now like a god. Take some water in your mouth. Return it to the land. Look up again at the water, still coming to you, all of its droplets giggling like babies. Let them fall. Now you understand. Let them fall. Now you know why water falls, why babies fall, why everything falls. Water falls so we can stand under, waiting and undestroyed. (my emphasis)
Can you see why I love this?  I know you can, because you are brilliant and have impeccable taste.  That's why we're friends.

Friday, February 3, 2012

It's difficult to make a living as a writer...

Wow.  Big week for blogging.. haha  Second post all week!

I've been BUSY okay!  

Anyway, I have a professor this semester who is a genius.  He is a young adult novelist and he is just brilliant.  I am not going to currently share his name or his novel, for fear he has a tendency to google himself and would happen to stumble across this thing.  But anyway, at lecture he shared this quote:  (And forgive me, but I didn't write down who said it!)

It's difficult to make a living as a writer.
It's a lot easier to make writing your life.

He then followed the statement with a bit of a speech... He warned us that if we are going to really take the craft of prose writing seriously, especially if we ever want a novel published- we have to find a job that allows us the time needed to nurture our creative energy.  He warned us that sitting in a cubicle all day, wearing business casual all the while working in a job that we are not passionate about, is not going to nurture the creative lifestyle necessary to compose a work of art that will pull at people.  That will really grab their attention.  He warned that living life this way, would create a stagnant approach to our writing.  Will turn it into a hobby, rather than our life.

I was shocked to hear it... But, at the same time I wasn't.  I know that writers struggle, really struggle with emotion sometimes.  Whether it be because a story or poem that they are working on is a dark one, that literally requires them to pull the demons from their torso and wear them on their sleeve.  Or, because it is excruciating sometimes to deal with day to day things that "need" to get done- but you are so encompassed by what you need to write, that you can't focus on anything else.

I think I only know one person who may be able to relate to what I'm saying.   Sarah!  I'm talking about you!

I never really saw myself as a working professional... I have piercings, tattoos, the mouth of a sailor and highly independent thought.  (Also, I pretty much HAVE to be the boss because I am really not good at taking orders)- so this was a pretty exciting thought for me to process!  See!  If I want to be the writer I envision in my head, I need to devote myself to it.  I need to be creative in the ways in which I make money, so that writing can stay a priority and that I'm always able to use my creative energies in positive ways.

Not to mention, I'm about to have 2 children here.  I need to get creative in my job pursuits.  And, make sure I am taking the time TO WRITE.

Ahhhh!  Life, you crazy S.O.B.
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On a completely unrelated note, the second theatrical trailer was released for The Hunger Games.  I liked the first one better.  And, now this one has honestly scared the hell out of me- because right away it shows a scene that is NOT in the book and fucks up a huge plot line.  I'm not going to jump to conclusions yet... but, damn it to hell- DO NOT SCREW UP THESE BOOKS!  I hate watching your favorite novels get molested by a screenplay :(