No, it's not a status update on my own writing... I am still sandpapering away at the mill stone. I think I might have gotten a good inch or two worn away... but then again, I'm attempting a mill stone, so I also have a solid 3 or 4 or 5 feet to go.
What I'm actually talking about is the online community SheWrites, a place for women writers of all sorts (from professional to casual, from academic to business to fiction to blogs). It's a combination resource and social networking site, based around the idea of a literary salon. And so I might have found it-- my salon for developing the cultural atmosphere of an author. Of course, this is not going to be the only source of literary culture. What I'm going to have to do is rely on friends like MlleDiabolique, with whom I got lost in a bookstore yesterday for over two hours. Collectively we might have bought something like 15 books. I'll also have to rely on friends like my roomie The Long Suffering One, with whom I can always count on for a quick jaunt to the local library... which turns into several-hours-worth-and-10-books-each excursions. So it these freindships more than an online forum that will be the real basis for a literary life, but I am hopeful that SheWrites will be able to provide the extra little spark to the other 10% of this hypothetical equation.
From what I've explored so far, it's set up on a similar interface to NaNoWriMo and NaNoBloPo, as well as other writing sites. However, the actual interaction between members is exponentially larger than either of the previous sites. Since joining just a bare week ago, I've had several people give me feedback on my posts. (I'm debating whether to transfer them to here, my main blog, and whether that's padding or a reasonable pooling of comments... teehee)
In any case, I am excited to see what possibilities come from this. As I am now on spring break, I'm hopeful that I can spend more time in research and development, but I have a competing (and compelling) offer from another company... my bed.
Off to wake up!
Right Now:
What I'm listening to: the radio. So I have no clue what song.
What I want most: world peace. teehee (also seriously)
Today I have been battling mightily against the whispers of the Inner Critic, and I feel that in the end I won, because I was still able to produce and submit a poem for a campus literary competition today despite her insidious words. Victory!
I have been reading for pleasure lately-- a very bad thing, I know, when homework threatens to drown me-- but my time spent in the library for research purposes usually also produces an interesting side-note that I pursue and pursue until I come home with 14 books, only two of which actually are homework. This week I have been obsessed with etiquette and manners, especially in a business or professional setting (the time for research internships has come, and I need to email professors about taking me on; hence the need for extreme politeness and nicety of manners) but found a great little book just down the way on the shelf (isn't it always like this?) called The Art of Conversation by Dorothy Muir. It talks about what subjects to bring up and which to avoid, how to move on from difficult topics, and how to initiate conversations, usually by provoking opposing views. One of her suggestions slightly horrified me:
So as the resident English major spending a lot of time with her family around the holidays, I get asked a lot if I've heard about the Kindle, the Amazon.com product that downloads eBooks and magazines to handheld device. The Kindle has been getting a lot of praise lately due to a relatively recent endorsement by Oprah, which .... well, this post is about a different topic.
Now I actually own a different device, Sony's eReader. Before my purchase I researched both the Kindle and the eReader, and what I found was that the eReader dealt specifically with eBooks, while the Kindle was geared more towards the daily uploads of magazines, journals, and blogs. Some eBooks were available for the Kindle, but the device design was not geared towards that concept. I choose the eReader.
Which leads to the question that has been shuttling around literary circles for the past several years- will the trend of eBooks and handheld devices make books obsolete, like tape cassettes and VCRs?
Well, any literary afficiendo is going to immediately say no, nothing will destroy the love for actually holding a book, feeling the pages, smelling the paper and ink, bending the spine. But others have been recognizing the potential in eBooks.
I personally love my eReader, but in a surprising way. I have not actually uploaded my library contents to the handheld device, and I made the purchase over a year ago. I actually have really enjoyed being able to access the eBooks straight on my computer. The screen is bi-sected, to resemble the layout of a book, and can be adjusted to font size preference. The arrow key controls page turning. It was a little unusual at first, but I have really enjoyed the extreme accessability and the conveniance of having a virtual library on my computer. I have downloaded several favorites as well as some classics and new finds. I am currently carrying around 30 books in my laptop, and another 20 on the desktop. That's about 100 pounds, four boxfuls, and 10,000 pages that are not, completely portable and available to read spur of the moment. Going to school and living in a dorm room meant that I really have to downgrade in living amenities, but with the eReader I have access to all of my favorite books with out also needing the storage space.
I also really enjoy the opportunity to discover new books. Publication of eBooks is limited, and the choice of books in the eReader store is accordingly limited. Some authors are only partially represented, while others are not available at all. So it forces you to be creative. Bundle packages are also nice, bringing series to the forefront through discounted prices for the entire collection of titles. Because there is no labor and printing costs, the eBooks are also cheaper, usually by 2 to 3 dollars, so authors that would not be considered worth a risk in the full-priced bookstore are now viable options, and I've discovered many good names that way.
Of course there are downsides. The instant downloads are very bad for my pocketbook, enabling me to get caught up in impulse buys and bulk purchases. But really, is that truly a downside??? =)
So I would recommend that you check out the eBooks. Sony's program is available for download without the purchase of an eReader. I won't say anything corny like it's the way of the future, but it's definitely a modern convience, and I don't regret it's invention. Besides, I would never abandon my library. It's the convience of taking the entire library will me while I travel that holds the draw. Because is it really the act of reading a book, or the words of the book that constitutes the reading experience?
First of all, I would like to mention that travel is not condusive towards anything other than travel itself, and especially not towards blogging. Perhaps because all original thought is stamped out early on, starting at the curb where "White zones are for immediate loading and unloading of passenders only" and only ending at the same curb however many miles or countries away. But I won't expand on that topic of "airtravel is like herding cows" however tempted I may be. It does nothing for my assumed personality of kindness and patience. Nor anything for my blood pressure, which might be the truth behind my avoidance. Apparently I am very good at discosing my true persoanlity. hahaha
I'll cover yesterday's topic in tomorrow's post. (Oh how journalistic I sound! As if this wasn't totally based on opinion and bias. Apparently I can create a fictional personae even for myself- oh no, wait, I do that all the time. lol)
So, today! Today let's talk about magazines. Specifically, Bookmarks, a magazine of true worth and appeal to book-lovers worldwide. The entire thing is about... books. Book summaries, book reviews, critic reviews, lists of books, author's favorite books, expert's books, books by genre, books by topic, books, books, books! The magazine's stated goal is to provide reviews for readers- no revealing endings or plot twists here! The coverage of the books I think are very thoughtful and indepth, providing a plot summary by the writer, a gathering of critic reviews from various newspapers and journals, and then a overall summary of impression by the writer. The books themselves are wide-ranging and varied, from biography, memoir, non-fiction and ficiton, to topic themselves, such as crime, science fiction, historical fiction. Some articles even deal with very very specific writings, like yoga, or sea voyages, or investing, or the Tudor period. Get the picture? It's over 50 pages of pure literary loveliness. I only have the one magazine (back issues are available) but I already have a mile-long list of books to check out and probably what will turn into a life-long loyalty to the magazine. Plus, I already know what I'm asking for this birthday. =)
So I have been lately obssesed with magazines. All kinds of magazines, from Vogue and Elle and Harper's Bazzaar to Newsweek and the New Yorker to National Geographic and Smithsonian to Bon Appetit to Ellery Queen and Rosebud. I'm regularly buying them all right now, especially because I've been on vacation and needed reading material for the plane rides. But I've realized my very real need for a daily stimulant. A reading checklist of sorts, for all the serial-esqe publications out there. This need started with an online manga site (haha yes I read it) that I would check back with about every other day. Then I progressed to the blogs of several professional authors, one of which was Lillith Saintcrow, who also on her website published her serial story "Selene" 3 times a week. Then came the fan-fiction site I found for a favorite TV show, which also because a regular oocurance. All these I could plan for, for I knew which day to anticipate something new and interesting. But now, Saintcrow's "Selene" has ended, along with the fan-fiction, and I have tired of (or over-indulged) in the manga, and I suddenly find myself lacking in all weekly treats. Of course, there are benefits, for I have come back to writing this blog, a reverse side of that missing daily routine. I'm starting my own serial story, again a reverse side to my dearth of daily stimulants. But while the creative side of this need is fulfilled, I'm stick lacking in the input section. So I've turned to magazines, which while not always weekly, are at least so numerous in topic and title, as well as providing greater girth, are generally succeding in getting me through each month. It's better than rotting in boredom. Who knows? Maybe I'll even break down, go political, and suscribe to a newspaper.
Right Now:
What I'm listening to: a new artist I literary just discovered (15 minutes ago) People in Planes. Supposedly they're indie rock, which seems contradictory. Isn't indie the definition of folksy, accostic type music? Anyways, check out songs "Mayday (M'iadez)" and "Pretty Buildings"
What I want most: A glass of water.... (but that means that I have to get out of bed and walk all the way to the kitchen.... sigh)
Have you ever had the feeling that you've read an author before, even though you don't recognize the author name or the title or even the plot line? But somehow, the narrative tone, the characters and the descriptive style all feel familiar as breathing, like slipping back into bed or finding an old worn sweater? Initially it's a little weird, a little different, but a minimal bit of adjustment and it seems like time has ended, or turned back upon itself.
Anyways, last night I read a book that felt like this. It's a debut novel, so I haven't read him before. And it's a relatively new release (when I bought it that is, haha, but I haven't touched it since then) so I know I didn't read it in the library and then pick it up in Barnes and Nobles. I didn't start it and not finish. I didn't know the author's name from somewhere else, I didn't recognize the character names, I didn't remember the plot after twenty pages or so, but I felt like I knew these characters. I felt like I knew their world and everything about them and it. It was like deja vu, but stronger. It was the weirdest feeling. The genre isn't even particularly my thing, so I didn't read a copy-cat or get so inundated by genre stereotypes that the style felt familiar. And it only happened after I got a good way into the book, yet it wasn't "Hey, I'm halfway into this novel and I'm really getting into the setting." No it was more like recognition of an old friend that had gotten a haircut and a face lift. The outside was different but the inside, the structure, was the same.
It really was the oddest thing.
I'd write more, but my battery is dying. Sigh. The Agonies of a Young Author... or any lazy teenager that doesn't want to get outta bed to plug in her computer. Funny how similar those things are. =)
Right Now:
What I'm listening to: Nothing
What I want most in the world: To go to sleep.
I am bored. My bookshelves are unappealing and their selection unappetizing. And the thought of going to Barnes and Nobles to search for new treasures just fills me with a disappointed and discontented sense of blankness. I know what I will find when I go there, and I know what I'll walk outta there with. Nothing. In both cases.
I'm mourning the state of the publishing world.
A few years ago, I could walk into a Barnes and Nobles and within 15 minutes find at least 5 books that I was truly excited to read. And 9 times outta 10 I would like every single one. There are few books that I find lacking, and fewer that I truly dislike. Most of the average lacking ones I've read within the last year or so. I don't walk into Barnes and Nobles excited anymore. Mostly, I'm just blank with undertones of a calm disappointment. I no longer have expectations. In reality, I'm actually happy if I find just one book that semi-interests me. Too many times I leave Barnes and Nobles without a book because nothing catches my fancy.
So where's the vast literary genius that I used to be able to find so quickly and easily a few years ago??? Is the publishing market just so saturated with crappy works that it overwhelms the voices of the few? Surely my taste hasn't become so snobbish and elitest that everything seems second-rate. Is everyone else finding this books of literary excitement and genius, or am I the only one missing out? Surely I'm not blinded by prejudice, or genre dislike, or reluctance to branch out, or anything along those lines... right? Am I the only one who feels like the quality of works being published has decreased, and changed from art to mainstream pulp fiction? I feel as if I read the same story, in different forms that have only slightly been changed from author to author...
I re-read habitually, often hitting ridiculous highs of finishing a book and then immediately starting it again. But if I find a book I truly enjoy, I never really let it go....
Right Now:
What I'm listening to: Nothing.
What I want most in the world: A good book, one funny and that'll relieve the boredom. Or Ilona Andrews to publish the next book in her series tomorrow instead of next year. The two might be mutually inclusive...
I lied. I like fan fiction.
After my last post I decided to scout out the experiences of my friends with fan fiction, and on their recommendation, read a few. And I really enjoyed them. True, to a degree, I think I like the personalities of the characters in new situations, not the transference of the actual characters themselves ( what I mean is, I like the idea of two mortal enemies having to deal with their parent's remarriage to each other, not necessarily that it was specifically Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy that had to deal with this issue. If the author had written the exact same story with different names I still would have enjoyed it as much as I did with J.K. Rowling's characters)
But I think my dislike of fan finction in general has lessened, and I think I am more open to the idea of fan ficiton in my own life. Not writing it, probably, but reading it I think I would be ok with.
Right Now:
What I'm listening to: Nothing. Got a headache.
What I want most in the world: To get over this cold thing.
Well, I'm back again. And this time I'm accompanied with profound respect for journalists and bloggers worldwide. The concept of creating new topics of discussion daily boggles my mind. I'm having a hard time thinking of subjects, and I've been around only for a grand total of 5 posts. Imagine the dedicated people on talk and radio shows that have been doing this for years! I mean, sure, they may have writers, but somewhere down the totem pole there are the poor people who have to come up with the ideas. It's really amazing.
Today I decided to talk about fan fiction, despite the potential nuclear bomb lurking underneath. For all those who do write fan fiction, any opinions expressed from here on out are my own, and not meant to offend.
I was browsing fox.com to find out when some of my favorite shows are coming back after the writers strike, and happened to come across a discussion board with fan fic. First of all, creating fan fic for a TV show had never occurred to me, and maybe took me a bit by surprise. Logically it shouldn't- I've know about fan fic for books for years. I've even come across short story versions of fan fiction for anime/manga series, which kinda surprised me in the difference of literary forms (Yes, I admit, I have read some manga, despite its generally looked-down-upon existence). Regardless, the fan fic for the TV show was a bit unusual for me (I guess I don't get out much). Second, that it was found on the official Fox website. Maybe they endorse the involvement in the show, maybe they just don't care to spend the energy to regulate the discussion posts. But the co-existence of the official and the un-official .....
I personally have never written a fan fic. I thought about it when I was younger, wishing to continue the Trixie Belden detective series. Soon though, I caught on to the potential problems with copyright, etc. and gave up the entire endeavor without having written more than a page or two. Now I don't really consider it. Realistically I'd be a fool if I denied that many of my works are influenced by other authors, many times ones whom I've just finished reading. And I'd be lying if I said I've never bought fan fiction (There's some good continuations of the Pride and Prejudice plot out there, and a really fabulous re-write of the story from Darcy's point of view, all of which reside on my shelf) or enjoyed books such as Laurie R King's twist upon the Sherlock Holmes series (The books are excellent, favorites of mine in fact- the detective ends up in a partnership with a 20 year old girl that has deductive reasoning skills and an intellect to match his). And as committed as I am to works of literature and the supreme superiority of the book over the film adaptation, I do really enjoy derivatives such as the TV show Bones (yes the one that I was looking at today) from Kathy Reich's novel series, which technically could be termed fan fiction (she's the producer though). But the actual act of sitting down to recreate a world that was first imagined by another....
I read some time ago on own of my favorite author's website that she was e-mailing back and forth with a fan of hers that wanted to write her stories from a different character's perspective. The fan consistently pumped her for background information and details, and the author responded back with perfect aplomb. But I have always wondered how that author felt about another person taking her work and changing it. And while she was alive too!!! Somehow taking the works of Jane Austen or L.M. Montgomery or Conan Doyle and writing fan fiction about them seems vastly different in my mind than writing fan fiction when the author is still alive. Even contacting the author for details and information not provided in the books!!!! Agh!
So is that to say when I become that world-famous author that I won't allow fan fiction? Well, I don't know. I can't say how I'll respond to emails asking to read fan fiction of my own work, or what I'll feel when some fan asks me to give up details that I used to construct my fictional world to furnish his own. I just don't know. I guess that's one bridge that I'll cross when I get there.
So what are your views on fan fiction? What has been your experience with this literary form? Comments? Questions? Scathing remarks on my insensitivity to the plight of fan fictioners everywhere? Leave a comment. Maybe I'll respond in my next blog. =)
Right Now:
What I'm listening to: alternating between Fergie's Big Girls Don't Cry and the remixed version featuring Sena Kingston (ha! it's the musical form of fan fiction! ha! ha!)
What I want most in the world: .... um- more time in the day. I have plenty of things to do tonight, but since all require a good solid chunk of time dedicate solely to that one activity, I haven't decided which task is of the greatest priority, and thus have accomplished nothing at all. Of course.
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