The Last Post

After much consideration (and realization that I have but all abandoned this blog), this will be the last post on this blog as “Adventures in Writing.” I didn’t receive many views in the short time this blog has been up and I haven’t been saying anything new that hasn’t already been said on other well-written and up to date blogs about writing. As much as I enjoy writing for myself, I love writing about moving pictures more. Therefore, starting in 2012, I’ll be writing about moving pictures. This blog will be revamped and renewed!

Here’s to a new and improved 2012 blog! Cheers!

The MFA Part Deux

The season for MFA applications are upon us. I have nothing suitable to send out (right now) but luckily for me, my preferred school (The University of San Francisco) receives their applications early next year.

I’m more confident about my writing even though the same issues keep cropping up (show, don’t tell; abrupt tense changes; subpar endings) but the fact that I’m aware of my weaknesses means I’m on the right track. The focus is to remedy those weaknesses and tighten my strengths in my work.

A few words of advice to the newcomers applying:

Don’t fret.

Applying to obtain your MFA is daunting. MFA programs are competitive and extremely hard to get into (I would know; I applied to seven schools the first time around and was rejected by all of them). If this is something your heart desires and is super passionate about, don’t waste time dillydallying. Shoot for your dreams! There will be frustrating days. There will be days where you will doubt every word you write. But if this is what you want, you’ll love every moment.

 

GRE, shme-re.

The great thing about the GRE is you only have to take it once. The worst thing about the GRE is having to take it for those schools who want it. The best thing about the GRE is even after you take it, there are a large group of universities that don’t even need it. Research the schools you want and gauge whether your choices – if more schools want the scores than not, take it. If only one school wants it and the others don’t, opt out. It’s not that deep at the end of the day.

Recommendations. Be proactive, B-E proactive!

Use what you got. You have ties to a writer or instructor? Send your work and then ask for a rec. Just had a writing workshop? Ask the instructor for a rec! However, if there wasn’t friendly chemistry and you didn’t respect how the instructor facilitated the class, then seek elsewhere. Be creative as well. Think about those old professors or instructors from high school or college you trusted. Send them your work and go from there. It never hurts to ask at the end of the day. If no one comes to mind, take a writing workshop or join a writing meetup group and go from there.

Community.

Do not be afraid to reach out to your fellow writers/potential reading audience. Some of these writers can be trusted people you took a workshop with or a friend who reads actively. For example, I’m part of a book club and when we discuss stories, we not only talk about the content but also the writing as well. In short, preferrably show your work to someone who reads often, not a friend who’s a casual reader.

In short, be prepared for the good, the bad, and the ugly of this process. Seth Abramson’s MFA book is an amazing resource through all this. It should be your MFA bible. Good luck!

Self-Doubt

After a successful first round (of my classmates’ work, not mine) in my writing workshop through Gotham Writers Workshop, trepidation, fear, and apprehension forced my stomach into knots. I thought, “My writing officially sucks. I’m never going to be published. I’ll never complete anything. No one will ever get a chance to read my work. Do I really have what it takes to be a writer? Am I really a writer? Do I matter? Does my work matter? Maybe I should throw in the towel and realize I don’t have talent like they do…” and the thoughts went further.

I was so impressed with the writing styles and imagination my colleagues/classmates possessed, my writing became subpar to me.

As I put the finishing touches on my story to be workshopped, I wasn’t nervous, I was in the zone. I revised and edited as much as I could; at 2 am on Friday night, I sent out my piece.

The Tuesday before class, as I re-read and commented on my classmates’ stories, the anxiety and doubt set in once again. “Who am I really kidding here? I should just give up this hobby for good. It’s not real.” Self-loathing and swirling in my own pit of self-pity, I gave myself some credit. “Okay, let’s read the piece and see if it’s really as awful as I think it is.” I exhaled. Slowly, I scanned the typed words on the white computer sheets and read the story from page one to page fifteen. The story had holes and there were places that could be expanded but it wasn’t an awful story.

My faith in my writing was restored. The shift was so extreme I wonder if hormonal changes during that time of the month were churning here. I wrote out all my worries and misgivings about this “hobby” of mine and felt much better soon after.

The next day, my story was workshopped. Not only was I able to identify my writing weaknesses, but my strengths were highlighted and showcased to me in my classmates’ comments. I was redeemed once again. I wasn’t a failure in my writing community, I was actually a success!

My classmates’ comments filled me with joy, inspiration, and energy to improve the story I wrote and motivated me to make sure I took the same care with their work as they did with mine.

My writing world was no longer in disarray; everything was exactly where it was supposed to be.

Letters to a Young Artist

Edited by: Peter Nesbett, Sarah Andress, and Shelly Bancroft

Published by: Darte Publishing LLC (2006)

A young artist asked a group of established artists “Is it possible to maintain one’s integrity and freedom of thought and still participate in the art world?” and this pocket sized books contains written responses from these writers. The book contains letters from Jo Baer, John Bladessari, Cai Guo-Qiang, Yoko Ono, Yvonne Rainer, Adrian Piper, William Pope. L and many more.

Not being familiar with 85% of these artists, I couldn’t gauge the level of their popularity. Their messages about art were consistent across the board – as an artist, just Do. At least this is the message that I culled from the small book.

As a writer, I was able to relate to the advice and support these artists provided to the “young artist.” At the end of the day, all artists must create, love what they do, put aside the monetary success, and express themselves the only way they know how to in their medium. I think every artist should own this and read it as their own support group. In the vein that Writing Down the Bones and Bird by Bird are compassionate to the budding and accomplished writer, Letters to a Young Artist provide the same sentiment to aspiring and accomplished artists everywhere. To have an idea of what some of the letters are like, read Yoko Ono’s letter here.

In short, an inspiring nugget that reassures every artist why they are doing the work in the first place; they hear it from those who have been there and know what to expect in their future.

Joseph Gridgely says it best: “It’s the stuff that has nothing to do with art that has everything to do with art.”

Player Piano

Author: Kurt Vonnegut

Publisher: Dell Publishing (1952)

From Wikipedia:

“The novel follows Doctor Paul Proteus, an engineer at the Ilium Works. The novel takes place in an America of the future where machines run everything and do everything, making people almost afterthoughts. Specialization is the norm, and all of the wealthy upper-class people have doctorate level degrees, with eight years of schooling for everyone; consequently it creates a society of well-educated thinkers and not doers. Paul seems to be on his way up the ladder of success in this techno-utopia – a perfect wife, a fast-track position at Ilium Works and a shot at a major promotion. But he is plagued with doubts about what modern life has become. Through a strange series of events, Dr. Proteus joins a revolutionary organization called the Ghost Shirt Society and even becomes its leader, at least in name. These Ghost Shirts, their name taken from the Native American Ghost Dance, succeed in destroying much of Ilium’s mechanized infrastructure. Yet, they realize the lack of hope in their mission, and at the end it becomes clear that their goal was to give man hope instead of revolutionize society.”

Player Piano is the first book I’ve read by the renowned Kurt Vonnegut and I really wish it wasn’t. This story took me five months to read and the book is a mere 296 pages for frak’s sake. The ebbing and flowing of the narrative didn’t work; it made the story too boring at times to care. The relevant social commentary about man versus the machine, was effective however, the exposition was slow-moving and dull. I’ve read my share of dystopic stories including social commentary that manage to make the story entertaining; Vonnegut fails in this respect in this small book that’s packed with potent material. It’s unfortunate this was my first Vonnegut novel; I hear better things about his other works. I hope I’m not disappointed again.

Would I suggest this book? Most people who have noticed me reading a Vonnegut novel have not read this one particular story. If you are a Vonnegut fan, you won’t miss it. As your first Vonnegut book, pass.

A Life in the Movies

I stumbled upon Andy’s blog post on Fandango Groovers Movie Blog that invites fellow bloggers to choose their favorite movie for all the years they have been alive on the planet. Without further adieu, I will include my 29 favorite pictures (with a few runner ups mentioned).

Going Bovine

Author: Libba Bray

Published by: Delacorte Press (2009)

“The best day of my life happened when I was five and almost died at Disney World” – first lines from the satirical and hysterical tale of Cameron Smith, the boy who contracts mad cow disease at his employment, Buddha Burger (or so we think). After contracting this disease, he’s admitted to the hospital in where he meets an angel decked out with combat boots and hot pink hair named, Dulcie. She enrolls him to go on a quest to find Dr. X, the man who will help cure him. On this quest, Cameron is accompanied by his schoolmate, Gonzo, the Mexican dwarf, meets a gnome named Balder, and travels all around the country to find Dr. X. The end result provides Cameron with a new meaning for his life.

At a whopping 480 pages (hardcover edition), this book never appeared long or tedious. Libba Bray has a magnificent grasp on the youthful voice with a nostalgic twist. There are sections that recall the nineties MTV Spring Break reality TV shows which made this reader laugh with recognition. Apart from appealing to adults, the ability to make apathetic Cameron likable was incredible. Bray’s talent was showcased straight up and down in this novel. What worked particularly well, was the banter between Gonzo and Cameron; one could hear the dialogue clearly which never sounded stilted or forced. Teenagers all across the country are speaking, thinking, acting, and feeling like this. As an adult, I was able to empathize with Cameron through his journey. This was a delightful, fun, amusing, and playful novel on all fronts. I haven’t laughed this much while reading a book since S.G. Browne’s Breathers (see my review here). Do pick this book up when possible because you will not be disappointed.

One more thing, as a reader, one will have a sense of Libba Bray’s silliness with her acknowledgements section (located at the beginning of the book) which had me chuckling out loud. It was like reading Scott Pilgrim vs. The World in my head! It was bright, colorful, witty, and very memorable as well as having heart.

I’ll end this review with a few of the last lines (no spoilers, I promise) which is how I responded upon completion of the book.

“And there’s nothing to say but wow. Wow. The same word backward and forward. And I can see why.”

The Beatles: The Biography

Author: Bob Spitz

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (2005)

This book chronicles the inception of the most memorable band in rock and roll history right down to its demise. The author culled information from interviews, newspaper articles, other Beatles biographies, and the 1995 Beatles Anthology, to make this story fascinating, sad, and brilliant about the four boys from Liverpool who vowed to be the “toppermost of the poppermost.” The legacy of John, Paul, George, and Ringo as The Beatles in this incarnation (details and nuances are different in other biographies) will forever immortalized as the best rock and roll band around.

I received this book as a birthday gift in April after I made my love affair with The Beatles public to friends. Never having read a biography about them before, this account revealed to me why this band influenced the many recording artists today. Completely enthralled from the first page, the biographer did a phenomenal job of keeping his readers invested in The Beatles’ tale while also making minute details interesting that would be considered otherwise. A fantastic ride into the 1960s while having the soundtrack in real time, I had a blast reading and listening to the Beatles.

This particular biography spends less time referencing the music but focuses on their personal lives beginning and ending with John. The reader weaves through the trials and tribulations of the teenagers who started in The Quarrymen to the young twenty something men in The Beatles.

For the new Beatles fan, this book will not disappoint. As for the Beatlemaniac, this addition to the collection of written biographies about the band will be old news or fill in holes to the knowledge about them.

“As the Beatles, they had been to the toppermost of the poppermost. They had encountered crowds, heard the screams, felt the love. Saw the light. In a brief and shining interval, they had lived a dream that no Liverpool lad could imagine – a magical, fabulous dream, like out of a fairy tale. An unforgettable dream.”

When they woke up, they left behind a gift to music lovers everywhere – their music.

Book Challenge Progress

As far as my book challenge progress goes, I’ve read ten books out of the forty I have listed in my book challenge. Slow going but I have read a total of eighteen books this year (double the amount of books I read last year this time around) so I’m on a roll!

I’ve discarded a few books that have bored me at the first chapter (honestly, if I can’t get past the first chapter, why bother reading it when I have too many other books to read?) therefore the titles have completely been deleted off my list. I’ve already started my reading list for next year but perhaps it’s too soon?

Below, a few tips to complete a reading challenge for yourself:

Ditch your MP3 player

It’s easy to tune out everyone and listen to music on your morning commute which I understand. If you want to really finish that book you’ve been reading for over a month, take a break from your music, leave the mp3 player at home and focus on your book.

My commute is fairly short (50 minutes to and from work) so I would normally listen to some tunes while crossing the Williamsburg bridge. When I committed to completing any book I was reading at the moment, those five minutes waiting on the train platform and those fifteen minutes on the train to my destination piled up which allowed me to read at least a chapter (depending how short) or a quarter of a chapter. Add those minutes up to the commute home? And I’ve read two chapters (or one, again, depending on length) in the day.

I used to listen to my iPod while reading but found myself actively paying attention to the melodies than my story. As much as I like to tune out completely, the soundtrack of screeching train brakes and automated train advisories proved to be less distracting and intrusive.

Carry the book (or e-reader) with you

You have no idea how much time flies when you wait for someone at dinner, lunch, or brunch. Not to mention, your commute to wherever you may socialize as well as work. All those times in between add up to completing the book you’ve been reading since two months ago. You’d be surprised how much quicker the book is read when the work is physically always in plain sight.

Create a goal

Take the time to check in on how many books you want to read for the month or year, execute, and complete. Write it down so you can see it and take mini strides to complete, whether it’s a chapter or half of one; if the intention is there, it will be easier to follow through.

When I look at the book (or books) I’m reading, I commit to completing either a chapter a day, finishing the chapter I started at work during lunch, during my commute, or when I’m in bed. Because completing the book is on my mind all the time, I make that much of an effort to devote my time to reading about another world or someone else’s life.

Compile a “Books to Read” list

Coinciding with my “Read Books I Own” list, the book queue I created has significantly helped me accomplish my goals.

Make a list of books that sound interesting, that you’ve seen a blurb of on a talk show, mentioned in a newspaper article, a friend has mentioned, and so on and commit to reading those books. There doesn’t have to be any particular order or genre (unless you choose it that way), it’s all about the love of reading in an organized fashion.

Join or Organize a Book Club

I have to say, being part of a book club is tons of fun. Not only do you share your love of reading, you get to discuss these books with folks and read genres you may never have thought of reading unless suggested.

In my book club, we’ve read non-fiction, young adult, historical fiction, literary, horror, and books with magic realism. The variety I’ve encountered in close to two years is more than I’ve ever encountered in my reading lifetime. I’m a Stephen King fan so I read everything he’s written. Book club allows me to venture out and explore stories I’d never pick up otherwise.

If you have friends that share your love of literature, organize a book club that chooses a book once a month, then meets at a member’s home or a different locale; whatever works for the book club. I find that hosting makes the members of book club connect not only as book lovers but as friends as well. If you don’t know any book lovers, there are many book clubs on Meetup.com if you plug in your zipcode.

or (for those who like to go it alone)

Track your progress

Pay attention to how long it takes you to read books. I place a sticky on my bookmark with the date I started and space for the date of completion to be aware of my reading stealthiness. When you can gauge how long it normally takes you to finish a story, you can track how many books you will complete by the end of the year and realize that when a book is taking you over six months to finish on your list that’s 300 pages, abandon and move on to the next.

I started The Hobbit three times before I finally physically lost the book. Will I read it? Probably not. Chances are, I’m just that into it no matter how many people love it.

For those with e-readers, I don’t own one so I have no idea what that would look like.

Do What Works For You

At the end of the day, organize your reading habits however you please. These are a few ways that have allowed me to accomplish my reading goals. If not, I don’t know how many books I will have read at this point this year.

Happy Reading!

The Man From Beijing

 Author: Henning Mankell

Publisher: Knopf (2008)

The book starts with a wolf that enters the town of Hesjovallen that is deserted because someone came and murdered everyone. An older man discovers a body in blood, gets in a car accident, and has a heart attack, dying in the process. Enter the investigators Vivi Sundberg that has to figure out who responsible for this Swedish massacre. Then we are introduced to judge, Birgitta Roslin from another town who learns that her grandparents were killed in that massacre. Then we are introduced to these Chinese brothers – San, Guo Si, and Wu, who have to leave their home in China because the landowner has murdered their parents and will come find them to pay a debt. As the book unravels, these three stories are intertwined in a roundabout way that makes the ending anticlimactic.

 As a book club selection, this book was a doozy. Perhaps it was the translation from the Swedish language to English, but I found this book very hard to get into and read. The English was stilted, stiff, trite, too direct, too much the way people don’t talk but should, and not fun or interesting to read. The plot started interesting enough; I thought the author would stay and thrill the reader in the way the story started. I thought this story would be more of a thriller the way it started with each different character section. But as much as each part was necessary to tell all parts of this story, this didn’t work as a whole. It was so damn awkward and blah that I found it so very hard to care. There was social commentary about the Chinese government and affairs which was clunky and bogged down the story; the direction of this tale was on pause as the characters talked about the Chinese government. I was bored to tears. I found myself scanning most of those sections to see what else would happen which was Nothing! I like fiction with current affairs integrated when it’s done well; even Dan Brown made history entertaining and I’m not too enamored with his work. If you are a fan of this author’s work, pick this up. If you are not familiar with Henning Mankell’s work, avoid this and try his other series. As a stand alone work of fiction, The Man From Beijing was weak, uninteresting, and bland.