Agonies of a Young Author

Quite a while back ago, and the very primordial soup stage of this blog, I wrote on how writing is the ultimate job because it is limitless in topic. Now I'm writing on how writing is limitless because it can travel anywhere.

I don't have to be tied to a physical location to be a writer. I don't have to be at a specific place to fulfill the expectations that come with being a "writer." I am still a writer if I am at home, I am still a writer if I am in a coffee shop, and I am still a writer if I am halfway across the world in a small Romanian town. And I can write at any of those, or more, places. I can still blog, I can still create, I can still edit, and I can still dream up a plot. I am not tied down; I am not limited.

As a writer, I am never limited. As a writer, the only boundaries that I have are the ones that I have created for myself. I am the only person responsible for my writing, and in that way I know that I am unlimited.

I can only be a writer. There is no other career so perfectly created to suit my temperament. As I said in my older post: Writing IS the ultimate job, because it is all others, and none at all.

So I'm opening it up for questions today. Feel free to leave a question in the comments section about anything writer-ly. Feel free to leave anything on your mind here for me; questions, comments, compliments, even complaints. Please only serious and/or constructive comments because this will be posted to my blog with replies as in the order received.

Please, don’t be afraid to say SOMETHING. I won’t know of your existence otherwise. I would like to know as many of the people that are following me to find other like-minds.

Thanks!

Today was the first meeting of critINK, the writing group that I'm founding on campus, and I am so excited!

I had a fairly large turn-out, considering the time and effort I spent on publicizing, and I got good reactions as well. Genuine interest, as well as a willingness to work together in creating the nature of our writing group. I was not leading the group, as I half-feared I would have to, but discussion lead the day.

However, I was asked to maintain a ... guiding presence via email, with prompts and tips and general interests. And I was so flattered to seen in that sort of role. As someone with knowledge and experience valuable enough to share with others.

I feel that the writing group is a natural extension what I am trying to accomplish here on this blog, and I know that I appreciate the opportunity to establish myself as an "authority" beyond an online (and usually annomyous) forum. I can directly link my growth as a writer to this blog, and the topics that I cover here. Not strictly about writing, not strictly fiction, not strictly business, but all about my passion and my love for writing. And with that, my confidence has grown exponentially because I have recognized within myself that I have a valuable contribution to make-- essentially that I have something to say, that others cannot offer (simply because of individual experience) and therefore that others cannot possibly take away from me-- and that sense of authority based on knowledge has given me much. critINK offers me the same premise.

On a less serious note, I have always wanted to expand this blog into certain areas that are simply just not conducive to this form-- a image based contest, such as Deadline Dames run, or interviews with authors-- because I do not have the readership (yet) to support such activities. But this group does lend itself towards such things, and I am really excited to try these opportunities out!

I hope that I will be able to contribute to the group, and that I will be able to provide the experience and familiarity of the writing "scene" necessary. Because really, that's a distilled version of what a writer does, n'est pas?

Right Now:
What I am listening to: "Je cours" by Kyo
What I want most: sleep.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

First, a shiny shiny to enjoy. I found a HMTL add-in from Crit Partner Match, and I thought that I would display it for all to see. Please enjoy, and come visit me!

Visit Crit Partner Match

Today I thought I would share a few photos of things that I would love to buy to stock my hypothetical dream writing room. I don't have one yet, but the dream emerging is quite
beautiful.

Anyways, for the comfy couch, I would add these pillows to lean against when I am reading and surfing the web. I love the writing nature behind both, especially the post-card one. I love stationary and mail and writing and everything associated with these pillows.












I would love to decorated the entirity of my house around literarty themes, with old postcards and rescued typewriters and letters painted on the walls, such as in this photo:


I love that it is a definition wall that is the focal piece in the room. I would choose something else for my hypothetical writing room, or course, maybe something incouraging like persitance.

No, that would just make me more frustrated, actually. So maybe I should choose "apoplexy" instead. (*snicker*)




Anyways, years ago when I read Little Women by Lousia May Alcott for the first time, I loved the idea of Jo's writing hat. (Or was it a smock? Now I'm not so sure. It's been a while since I've re-read the book. Maybe I should make it a Christmas-time tradition. Anyways) In today's time, of course, I have no need for such a garment, but the idea of wearing a physical indication of my focus still enchants me. So perhaps I should invest in the world's smallest functioning quill pen and ink! I actually DO have a functioning quill pen that the Maternal Figure gave me for my last birthday, but this one would be a status symbol. However, it's sized for a necklace, so it would not be noticable at a distance, and I don't think it gets the same message across as Jo's hat.

So for my door, I think I'll invest in this sign! To warn all trespassers "Beware all Ye Who Enter Here!" As my friends at college well know, I have a thing for ketchup. =) And I can have a draconian nature at times, especially when I'm disturbed while writing...

Right Now:
What I'm listening to: "Sounds of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel
What I want most: Chapstick

I have had the chance lately to experience, or at least guess at what a full time writer's life would be like. This past week or so of summer I have been busy finishing up my final portfolio for my creative writing class (all you all probably know) and I have been logging in solid 6, 7 hours of writing. Various things, of course, but still.

Anyways, it definitely gives me a glimpse at the requirements of full time writing. It's hard, hard work. My brain hits mush right around 3 pm. I consume copious amounts of caffeine, and my skin is a horrible mess because of it. My eyes get dry, my wrists are in danger of carper tunnel, and my back is killing me. Not to mention a spreading derriere and thighs.

But you know what? I WANT that life. I want it so bad my mouth dries up and my palms sweat. The possibilities, the brief snatches that I can imagine, are so enticing. I can recognize some of the dangers-- everything I'm mentioned above, the self-discipline issues, the reclusiveness, the lack of exercise issues... and none of it really matters. Because I want it. I want it so badly. If I believed that I could get away with it, I would skip getting a day job and go straight from college to full-time.

But I can't get away with that. Can you imagine how scary that would be??? Oh, my. There are horrifying images of past-due bills and an empty refrigerator dancing through my head. So it's several years of free-lance for me, thank you very much. I'm too much of a German girl to like dieting. Forced or otherwise.

Right Now:
What I'm listening to: "Forever" by Chris Brown
What I want most: good books to read

I have found a TV show that I absolutely ADORE. Mostly, I suspect, because of the main character, Castle, whose writerly antics I recognize within myself. Certainly the humor qualifies along the lines of British humor, except geared for writers, because I'm rolling on the floor while the Best Friend and the Maternal Figure shot me uneasy glances from the corner of their eyes. Oh well.

So may I present to you all, Castle!!!

Official blurb:

Richard “Rick” Castle [Nathan Fillion], a rock star of the literary world, is suffering from a case of writers block after killing off the main character in his novels and is struggling to come up with a replacement.

Castle had grown weary of having it all, “fame, fans and females”, when he was approached by the attractive Detective Kate Beckett [Stana Katic] of the NYPD to help catch the copy-cat killer staging murders based on scenes from his novels.

Castle is not a traditional investigator and his approach to solving the crimes conflicts with Beckett’s conservative approach leading to much tension and a hint of romance.

SUCH a good show!!

My favorite is the subtle humor found EVERYWHERE, like in the opening credits:

(A bleeding fountain pen? It decends and strikes through the A in the show, as well. So images of revision as well. Oh, goodness, I love this show.)
Or the DVD cover:
(C'mon! A book squishing the dead body? The tag line "A whole new chapter..."? Tell me you don't love that.)

But best I think is the scene where Castle plays poker with a couple buddies... that just happen to be James Patterson, Stephen King, and Sue Grafton. I about died with laughter at this one.

(Sorry, it's a little dark, but ...oh wait, it's a bunch of mystery writers having a poker game. Of COURSE it's dark. Also, not entirely sure if the lady on the left actually IS Sue Grafton, but on the website that's who they say she is. Maybe a representative?)

See why I love this show?

But, please, don't take my word for it. Watch the trailer, watch the series at Surf the Channel, buy the DVD come September 22... because you know I will!

Full Cast of Castle:



Right now:
What I'm listening to: (I guess I should say watching, but semantics, semantics) The Castle trailer. Again.
What I want most: The Castle DVD set. I just may have to pre-order from Amazon...