Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with Writing

Nix the degree, get the education

puckish — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 06:30:27 -0800

Free school options in New York? After a series of interesting but often frustrating conversations with friends and recent grads saddled with student loans, I'm curious to know more about what options, if any, exist in New York City for those who want to keep on with higher education but can't afford it. I know most universities (including mine) often do active community outreach (free lectures, public forums and so forth), but I'm curious as to whether similar programs exist, if any, among community and advocacy organizations in the city. Analogous to something like Free Geek in Portland, but with a literary or humanistic bent, or the Columbia free school movement (which, as far as I can tell, doesn't exist anymore?). Stuff like that.

The kinds of groups I'm thinking of would probably do things like: free research workspace, seminar series, DIY workshops and reading groups, paired with some type of community-based literacy activism. Basically the model for the free school movement, but targeted toward adults.

Do these programs exist? I'm thinking mostly of literature / humanities groups, but it need not be field-specific.

Help me shut down my perfectionism in my creative writing

mizrachi — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:20:33 -0800

How do I kill the perfectionism, the precious and fearful impulses, and the self-doubt that keeps me from completing my creative writing projects. Usually, I can barely get beyond the first paragraph without constantly editing and reediting or doubting myself and then abandoning the piece altogether. I feel trapped. I'm constantly starting over. And when I do manage to squeak out a paragraph, I treat it like a genius work of art...which in the end I decided it absolutely is not. I'm either riddled with self-doubt or I'm totally over confident, all without producing completed work. Help!

How to effectively teach law students legal research and writing?

jagalt — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:59:44 -0800

How to effectively teach law students legal research and writing? Next semester, I will be assisting with my law school's legal research and writing program, which is a mandatory year-long course for all first-year students. My involvement will include helping students brainstorm their assignments, reviewing preliminary drafts of student memos and briefs, providing them with feedback via written comments and one-on-one meetings, and just generally being available for random questions they may have as they work on their written assignments.

I had a tremendously effective instructor when I went through the program myself, but I've also had several friends whose instructors were apathetic, ineffective, or - despite their good intentions - simply inept. I think being able to write well is a critical skill for any lawyer (though I have my reservations about being able to teach those skills to someone over 9 months), and I'd like to be able to help my students become better writers. With that in mind, I'd appreciate hearing from people who have had experiences with writing instructors, teachers, etc. - both the good and the bad. Although I am of course interested in hearing the more technical aspects of your experience with them, it would also be great to learn about the more personal characteristics that you feel may make an instructor great / terrible.

Thanks!

Help a young journo put herself through news writing bootcamp.

[ixia] — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:33:15 -0800

I need resources to improve my news writing. I'm already working in a newsroom, so this isn't a"halp mee, I wants to be a writter" post. Rather, I want to increase my fluency in the basics so that tight, accurate prose always flows naturally, even under deadline. I'd also like to increase my vocabulary and craft skills as a writer so that when I'm less pressed for time, I can really make the language dance. I'm a program assistant on a high-profile TV news program. I research stories, update the program's website and look after some of the logistics of getting the program to air. I'm working towards a career as a TV or radio news producer, and I've already worked casually on a factual radio show, producing presenter-driven interviews from scratch. I've had good feedback about my work so far.

Here's the rub: I didn't study journalism. I'd like to do a postgrad degree eventually, but at the moment that's not an option. (And frankly, although I'm glad journalism exists as an academic discipline, I don't think every journo needs a degree in it).

Anyway, no-one has complained about my writing, but I want to set aside some time each week to really perfect it as a craft. Journalism students do this through writing drills and constant assessment. Journalists at other organisations receive on-the-job training, but my employer doesn't put a lot of resources into that. So I'd like to do it by putting myself through a sort of ad-hoc writing bootcamp.

I know the mechanics of grammar and style. I'm the newsroom nerd who knows the style guide by heart and I'll quote Strunk and White ferociously if provoked. I can pick the flaws in bad writing and I take joy in beating it into shape. But I still don't feel as though I have fluency in news writing, to the point where it comes naturally under deadline. I want good, tight news writing to become so second-nature that I can do it on two hours sleep, in a crisis, on a subject I know nothing about or in a war zone with bombs raining down all around me.

As well as drilling myself in the basics, I'd like to improve my vocabulary and the 'elegance', for want of a better word, of my prose. Although broadcast writing favours '5 cent' words over obscure ones, I still want to be able to convey the most subtle of nuances when necessary, without reaching for a thesaurus. And yeah, one day I'd like my writing to be as concise, thoughtful and elegant as the New York Times and BBC journalists I admire. Help a young journo get started along that path.

I'm interested in:

- Writing drills for both broadcast and print journalism, from reputable sources. Actual course notes from good J-schools would be awesome.

- 'Five points' style exercises, where the student is given a disorganised list of information points and asked to turn the list into a well-structured story.

- GRE-style vocabulary tests - particularly those which focus on the subtle nuances of descriptive words, rather than archaic words for objects and concepts I'll never need to write about. I'm more interested in the precise difference between succour and sustenance, for example, than I am in learning the correct name for a three-barbed fish hook. The GRE isn't used in Australia, and there are so many of these tests online that I have no idea which ones are reputable.

- Journalism textbooks with a focus on practical writing exercises rather than theory - particularly UK or Australian ones.

- General advice from working journalists. How did you get the fundamentals of good writing under your belt? What was it like for you when good writing became second-nature? Once you're so experienced that you don't need to think abut the basics, how is the writing process different?

All resources are welcome, but those with an Australian/UK English bent would be particularly helpful. Thanks!

Kate Chopin's "The Awakening"

madmamasmith — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:43:24 -0800

I am trying to get a better understanding of Kate Chopin's "The Awakening" **Spoiler Alert** I see it as a woman's discovery of her freedom and independence. The main character forsakes her role as wife and mother in late 19th century society and pursues her own happiness. I don’t really understand the juxtaposition of the men in the story. Her husband ,who she escapes, is not violent or demanding and reacts to her leaving rather well by my standards; showing there was little emotional investment in their relationship. Women cant initiate divorce yet I suppose, but Edna does the next best thing by moving out. The object of her affection, Robert, refuses to be with her even though she has left her husband (because he "loves" her).But Alcee Arobin has no problem being private or public with Edna. So what do all these different male characters represent? Please let me know your ideas, Thanks!!

Has anyone made their hobby their job and NOT been happy with the decision?

Ringo — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:08:20 -0800

Has anyone made their hobby their job and NOT been happy with the decision? I'm specifically thinking about television writing but other fields would apply... I have the opportunity to write for television. Creative writing is something I enjoy and do as a hobby, but the thought of the pressure that comes with producing creative things consistently under deadlines stresses me out. It's an extremely unstable field (perhaps the most unstable), and I would have to quit my stable and better-paying (but more boring) job to do it. The future of this career-path is totally uncertain. The only thing that seems certain is that it will be temporary. I don't see it as something I'd like to do long-term. It seems far too grueling.

I could just keep doing little projects on the side, books, screenplays etc. but I feel a huge pressure to take this opportunity. I feel like everyone will think I'm crazy if I don't since I clearly am good at creative writing. If the thought stresses me out this much should I bother? Or do you think I'll regret turning down the opportunity?

Help me get rid of my "trainer's tattoo!"

Rosie M. Banks — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:03:48 -0800

What are your favorite quick-drying and/or absolutely smudge-proof markers, both for easel paper and whiteboard? Also, techniques to help a lefty avoid smudges wil be much appreciated. I'm a lefty. Not only that, I have a very odd way of holding my writing instrument (so that it forms a right angle with my hand - fellow lefties might know what I'm talking about), AND I mash my pens hard into the writing surface.

All this combined means I leave HORRIBLE smears wherever I go. My job requires I do a lot of charting and writing on easel paper and/or whiteboard. I feel it looks unprofessional to leave a trail of smudges and smears and messed-up printing behind me. Not to mention the lovely "trainer's tattoo" on the side of my hand!

Tips, tricks and techniques ranging from quick-dry markers to writing techniques are appreciated.

On the meaning of "off" on the page.

Bookhouse — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:10:23 -0800

Please explain a few bits of television script convention to me. In television scripts I've read I've noticed the following usage of the word "off"

BOOKHOUSE: I swear, I don't have any crack.

Off Omar: This guy is lying.

The way I read it is, the line above is played off of Omar, whose reaction to the line is shown. Is that correct? Are there some finer points to it?

Also, what does it mean when an action is underlined?

What's the deal with getting a creative writing MFA from an American school, as a Canadian?

skwt — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:08:53 -0800

What's the deal with getting a creative writing MFA from an American school, as a Canadian? Specifically:

money - am I eligible for funding (grants and/or loans) from American schools? Will the Canadian government lend me money (OSAP? (I'm in Ontario)) to study in the US? Can I do both?

visas - hard to get? Expensive? Long waits?

working - can I work while I'm there on a student visa?

living expenses - I want to go to Brooklyn College, but I'll probably also apply to all the other NYC MFA programs (NYU, New School, Columbia, am I missing any?), and schools in Irvine CA, Iowa, and maybe Austin. Would it be a realistic thing to support myself with whatever kind of low-skill job I might be able to find (in Brooklyn or elsewhere), and still have time to do school/write?

staying/moving to the US when I'm done - is this a hard thing to do?

Any answers are welcome and appreciated, but it would be great to hear from Canadians who have done or are doing this.

BONUS QUESTION: With respect to trying to get a teaching job in Canada afterwards, I've heard someone say Canadian schools don't care about a degree from an American school so much because they don't know which ones are prestigious, with the possible exception of Iowa. Whereas getting a creative writing MA from UofT, or the MFA from Concordia (for example), even though they might have less impressive faculty by international standards, will be more helpful in getting a Canadian teaching job afterwards. Anyone know about this? (Aside, I guess, from the obviously-better Canadian networking opportunities)

Thanks

Help me become a better essay writer.

Knigel — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:18:03 -0800

Can you help me find essay communities? I would like to find a place to read other people's essays and share my own for possible feedback. I'd like to be a better writer while helping others. I would also like a place that I could post my own finished essays so that my students and friends can read them. I'm not looking for a place to to rip off other people's work, I'm looking for a place to improve my own writing.

I'd be interested in any essay forums as well.

Warmup activities for young writers

lunalaguna — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:20:35 -0800

Looking for interesting, not cheesy, ideas to get 8th-10th graders warmed up for an afternoon of writing and discussion. I'll be leading some warm-up activities at a writing camp next week for 13-16 year-olds. I'm looking for ideas for some simple, quick activities (< 15 minutes) that'll get everyone up and interacting with each other. Freewriting and get-to-know-you type exercises are already planned, so something physical, not necessarily writing related, would be best.

Mac word processor for academic writing in the humanities?

synecdoche — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:13:39 -0800

I don't like Microsoft Word much; it feels really bloated to me, and has so many features I never use. I've been looking for an alternative for some time. What word processor does the hivemind recommend for academic writing? I am a graduate student, about to tackle the beast that is my dissertation, and am hoping to find one word processing program (that is hopefully not Word) that I can use for it as well as the other articles and such that I need to work on. I've been waiting on the official release for OpenOffice 3 (for the native Mac support), but in the current lull in the school year, I was hoping to test the waters and find what works best for me.

My writing is usually pretty straightforward. I have no need for elaborate figures, mathematical symbols, or anything like that. I'm in the humanities, and if it works with MLA format, with occasional forays into, say, Chicago, that's good enough for me. But, on the other hand, I'd like something that produces documents that are portable enough that, if need be, I can use Word or OpenOffice on the school's computers, and can easily send something off to a journal without having to re-format the entire document because it got garbled in translation. I also occasionally receive (and provide) feedback from professors and colleagues who use Word's "Track Changes" and "Insert Comment" features; support for these things would be nice, too.

Oh, and I also use spreadsheets as part of my research workflow.

Am I stuck with keeping Office on my computer? Or can I switch to something else completely? What about Mellel?

Cheap is good, too.

Bluetooth Automatic Syncing Between Laptops

0bvious — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:35:59 -0800

Syncing between laptops: How can I easily and automatically sync files and documents between two laptops using Bluetooth? Ideally I want to load up one machine in the vicinity of the other and have all my recent data (documents/data/RSS feeds etc.) syncronised with NO hassle. Any good apps out there? I already have a not-very-portable WinXP laptop, with bluetooth. I am also awaiting arrival of a new ASUS EEE PC. I will probably end up installing Windows XP on it, but might opt to stick with Linux.

The internal Bluetooth was a key component of my purchase.

I am interested in using the Asus as a portable addition to my writing and reading routines. I'd love to load it up and have all my recent file changes synced on both machines without me doing anything. Just like the way iTunes syncs my iPod, but with Bluetooth as a sweet bonus.

I would also LOVE for all recent RSS feeds to be downloaded in FULL and sent to the Asus, ready for me to read on the train.

Any hints would sure be grand

Who are you? Just the highlights, please and TIA!

TryTheTilapia — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:38:34 -0800

Under pain of death, define your own personal "artistic statement". I am applying to be a part of an emerging writer's group with a prestigious company here in New York. As part of the application process, I've been tasked with writing a one page artistic statement. Never before have I experienced such difficulty writing a mere 500 words.

My question is this - if you were, say, eating a BLT and someone plopped down at your table and said, "Quick! Your artistic statement in 500 words or less! GO!", how would you go about answering that question? The guidelines for the statement are rather general, but do state specifically that "it should, in some way, encompass" answers to the two following questions:

1.) Why do you want to be a part of this particular writer's group? and
2.) If selected to participate, what are your goals for the group?

How much latitude do you think I have here? I'm assuming I ought not mention my - alas! - troubled youth or other nonsense, but I do feel that there should be more of who I am in this "artistic statement" than just a sort of boiled-down recitation of what I want on a practical level. Truly, I'd rather watch flies mate than talk about my own "vision", but I know my own mind and work, so I could get into it with a reasonable amount of restraint and clarity, if need be. That, to me, speaks to the "art" part of an "artistic statement", but I could be wrong. Am I just getting hung up over a semantical issue here? Should I state the facts and just the facts? Any firsthand experience, advice or anecdotes welcome. Thanks.

Where Can I Find Self-Reflective Profiles?

themadjuggler — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:27:42 -0800

Where can I find examples of profile-writing that say as much about the profiler as the profilee? This year I will be leading a publication project with my ninth-grade English language arts classes in which they profile members of their community (local artists, musicians, shopkeepers, civil workers, etc.). Hopefully, my students will be able to look at these people's accomplishments/struggles and think about who they want to be in the future and how they will contribute to the community themselves. I want them to strike a balance between writing about their interviewees and writing about themselves, but I can't think of any good works of this genre to use as model texts.

My students have a wide range of academic abilities including some with special needs. There is a significant proportion of English language learners, as the school is in a largely Hispanic neighborhood of Brooklyn. At the very least, we will look at Sandra Cisneros's vignettes in The House on Mango Street, and perhaps Ernesto Quiñonez's Bodega Dreams.

What are your best suggestions for this group of young writers?

Looking for coverage work

Bookhouse — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:34:47 -0800

How does one find work as a script reader in Hollywood? What are other bottom-rung industry jobs for writers? I've just moved to L.A., and am interested in finding work as a script-reader while I work on my own writing. However, I'm not sure how to get started. Does one query agencies? Write spec coverage? All tips and advice welcome.

Also, information on other industry jobs that are a good fit for professional writers is welcome.

Title page info on a title page-less paper?

jroybal — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:41:22 -0800

ChicagoManualofStyleFilter: I'm trying to figure out what Chicago dictates (is there even guidance here?) for proper setup of title page info for a short paper of perhaps five pages or less without a title page. That is to say, how does the information that would go on a title page get formatted when one isn't used. Name/date/course/prof/etc., moved to the top of the first page. Can anyone point me to a specific section in the manual? Bonus question: I know what it vaguely looks like (LastName PageNumber), but I'm also looking for specific guidance for last name and page number info in the short paper's header. Thanks!

Bridging the gap from student-level to professional-quality writing skills

Jacqueline — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:23:08 -0800

How do I improve my writing skills beyond the good-enough-for-a-student level when my school seems neither interested nor capable of teaching me? I write decently, but almost everything I "know" about how to write I picked up from reading and not from studying the "rules". I guess at what is "correct" based on whether it "sounds right" to me -- I can't articulate *why* something sounds correct or incorrect. I am not confident in my writing ability because I lack this underlying knowledge of the rules of written English. I want to improve my writing skills until I *know* I'm doing it right.

I must be making errors in grammar, mechanics, usage, etc., but I don't know what they are. I also don't know what the most effective strategy would be for detecting and permanently expunging these errors from my writing. I feel like I've hit a plateau in my efforts to improve on my own and I'm frustrated and dissatisfied with the classes I've taken.

My goal is to eventually write publishable informational/instructional websites, articles, and books on how-to, self-improvement, and personal finance topics. Also, I am studying to become an accountant for my "day job" and I want to write well for my bosses, professional colleagues, and clients. I am *not* interested in writing fiction, poetry, or "creative nonfiction".

I do understand that there is a lot more to writing well than just following the "rules", but I really want to get the basics perfect first. Personally, when I notice grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage errors in others' writing I think it undermines their message and lowers my opinion of their intelligence. So I want to eliminate the errors from my writing that would distract judgmental assholes like me. :)

I expected that my college professors would help me with this, but they haven't. My ideal solution now would be a free or very cheap one-on-one writing tutor who was competent to critique/teach me, but I don't know if its possible to find such a person because of the price/quality tradeoff.

I'd appreciate suggestions for more effective self-teaching methods as well.

The rest of this long post merely describes in detail what I've already tried and what else I'm considering. Please feel free to skip it if you don't care, and I will feel free to skip your suggestions if they don't apply to my circumstances. :)

Strategies I've already tried:

Classes: Writing research papers for my undergraduate classes helped, but around my junior year my professors stopped giving me feedback on my writing and only critiqued the content. The campus Writing Center (staffed by English undergraduates) also stopped being useful around the same time.

I tried taking a senior-level undergraduate business writing class at school this summer but so far it has been more disaster than help. Many of my classmates are such terrible writers that I have no idea how they passed English 101 and 102, and the instructor understandably spends most of his time trying to help those students achieve an employable level of competence. Similarly, I've spent most of *my* time for this class managing my flaky group project teammates and compensating for their research- and writing-skill deficiencies. I've had very little time to work on polishing my own individual writing, am generally stressed out and miserable from the extra workload, and regret ever registering for the class. Despite this, I've received A's and almost no critical feedback from the instructor for the half-assed rough drafts I've turned in. Also, I've noticed errors in the instructor's own writing (he is a retired businessman, not an English academic) and so I don't think he's the right person to help me with my general writing skills.

A couple of years ago I tried taking a couple of the non-credit online writing courses from Writer's Digest magazine. I didn't complete them (due to a combination of poor distance-learning discipline and unexpected disruptions in my personal life) but my impression was that they were rather skimpy and superficial for the price.

Blogging: I used to have a public personal blog and some of my readers would helpfully point out my writing errors for me. However, I shut it down and don't want to write for a public audience again until I'm ready to write at a professional-quality level on non-personal topics. I also don't have enough free time now to participate in other online communities enough to benefit from prowling grammar nazis.

Books: Yes, I have read Strunk & White's Elements of Style. I am open to other book suggestions. However, I haven't found reading about writing to be a very effective learning method for me.

Strategies I'm considering:

Classes: The business writing class I'm taking this summer is the prerequisite for a 6-course "Professional Writing Certificate" that I plan to enroll in as a supplement to my MS Accounting program. However, I am worried now, given my experience in the business writing class and the generally low standards at my school, that I won't actually learn much from it. (Still a useful credential, though.) Most people here only seem to care about students' work being "good enough" and there isn't much effort to help the better students perfect their skills.

Join a writing group: There are a couple in my city. I haven't been to a meeting yet, but their websites gave me the impression that most of the members are unpublished aspiring novelists and they spend most of the meetings reading their drafts aloud to each other. That sounds... torturous to me. But I will try to reserve final judgment until I have actually been to a meeting or two.

Join an online writing group: This seems more promising because I won't have to suffer through anyone's dramatic reading of their precious brainchild. However, I don't think participation in any writing group would help me much unless most of the other members were much better writers than me. I don't have the time or expertise to tutor people in basic writing skills -- I'm forced to do way too much of that already for my group projects at school. I know that sounds selfish, but it's just not the best use of my time. So I don't know what I could offer a writing group that had anything to offer me.

Just start submitting articles for publication: This is my husband's idea. He thinks I write "fine" and that editors will give me feedback about my mistakes. I am skeptical because my husband says/writes things like "me and her went to the mall" and thus does not seem competent to judge whether someone's writing is publishable. :) I also doubt that editors waste their time giving detailed feedback to random freelancers. (If/when I do try freelancing, I will buy the latest edition of the Writer's Market and follow all its relevant advice about how to submit and where.)

Read/study the Chicago Manual of Style cover-to-cover: This would probably eventually work but doesn't seem like it would be the most effective way to learn.

Hire a tutor: I mentioned this earlier as my ideal solution, but I doubt that I can afford to hire a quality tutor. I also don't know how to assess his or her competence to teach me. However, if you know an expert writer who really gets off on correcting others' writing mistakes, can explain precisely why an error is an error and the rule for rewriting it correctly, and is a starving English grad student or adjunct willing to work for very low pay and the warm fuzzy satisfaction of eliminating a few more grammatical abominations, mechanical nits, and misused words from the world -- please send him or her my way and maybe we can work something out!

Any ideas? Thanks!

Star Wars did a pretty good job at this too...

Navelgazer — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:30:51 -0800

A question about creating literary mythologies and the antagonistic forces within them. I'm working on a couple of different stories at the moment, which are both ostensibly set in the "real world," but which both also peel back a layer to an either mystical/invented theological level (for one of them) or a cabal-type political level (for the other one) pulling the strings behind them. In both cases, for obvious reasons, the mythology behind these worlds is part and parcel with the origins and motivations behind the antagonists.

I know the tenets of story design quite well, and am a super-nerd for structure and all of the things that can be done with it, but I just can't quite find the rhyme or reason (if there is any) to how one properly sets up a comprehensive, yet finite, world which also defines the villain within it, and yet doesn't fall into over-exposition about the elements of that world (particularly once the pieces should all be in place and things should keep moving along without bringing in extra elements.)

Some examples of what works for me and doesn't:

Lord of the Rings: There are peaceful parts of Middle Earth, and evil parts, and the only place for the One Ring, the most evil of artifacts, to be destroyed, is in the most evil and dangerous part of Middle Earth where it was created. Thus the story takes the Hero deeper and deeper into danger as he moves along: Brilliant

Harry Potter: At once a world of magic, but more importantly a political world, where pure-blood supremacists fight against the egalitarians, all portrayed well within the microcosm of Hogwarts, with boundaries slowly ever-expanding to the greater, and similar, world outside its walls: also brilliant

Battlestar Galactica: Small group of survivors from different planets with different religious readings and different philosophies having to try to work together against a common outside force, which they don't understand: Very nice. The readings of the scriptures of the Lords of Kobol, and the Cylon monotheism, however, have never had a clear backbone and may be used to fit whatever is necessary, so not as nice.

His Dark Materials: Works like gangbusters at first, when it sets up the Daemons and the politics at Oxford and with the church essentially trying to destroy puberty, and then runs off the rails as it continues to introduce new elements (like the land of the dead and all that entails) in the final installment.

What I'm asking for is not how to create something unique - if I can't do that then I have no business writing to begin with - but rather what common elements and Meta-ideas I need to be looking into in order to create a functional world.

How to hire to write for my blog?

qvtqht — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:15:20 -0800

I would like to have a few guest writers write some articles for my blog. How do I sort out the basic logistics of this? I run a small blog about a relatively small but growing industry. I have been wanting to post some articles by guest writers that I do not have time to write myself. Now, someone has e-mailed me offering just this.

Have any Mefites done this before from either side? What are typical rates? Usual method of payment and arrangements? (Half now, half on completion? Everything on completion?) Copyright ownership? Anything else I should consider?

Finally, I would also like to pay someone to post short updates about industry news as it happens when I don't have the time to do it. How does the pay arrangement change in this case? Do I pay per post instead of per word?

Help me create a wonderful thanks for a $1,000,000 guy

Jandasmo — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:34:47 -0800

A donor has given our non profit $1,000,000 to build a new hospice house building (1/3 the cost of the project). We want to honor him with something different than the usual plaque. Or at least with a plaque that is unique. Something with a key might be appropriate, but would probably be boring. We have to make a presentation to him during an event in a couple of weeks. Anyone have any creative ideas to honor this generous man?

Follow my dreams or follow the money?

Anonymous — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:38:40 -0800

I'm 33 years old, make a low six figure income, married, no kids. Up for big promotion. Is it time to give up my dreams of being a writer? LOTS more inside... Since I was 7 I have had one dream--be a writer. Other kids wanted to be firemen, astronauts, etc. I wanted to be a writer...and very very rich. The type of writing changed, it started off as I wanted to write novels, and then it became comic books, and then movies. Now, as an adult, it's a big combination of those.

While I consider myself talented, I am currently unpublished and truly not a very disciplined writer. I go through spurts where I write lots, including some early this year where I really flexed that creative muscle and gave my all in a "write your own comic book" writing contest a comic book company had. I also have written a self-help book that is about 70% done, and I have lots of ideas for short stories, comic books, etc. My wife is very supportive of my dreams of writing.

My undergraduate degree is in media production with a focus on television and radio work. When I graduated college my dream was to work in television, and I wrote a screenplay while I was in college and my friends and I almost filmed the movie, but we did not.

After college though I found myself in need of non-minimum wage earning work, and I got a job designing web pages. I have always been good with computers and worked professionally in computers for several years.

When full motion video games were en vogue (Under a Killing Moon, Wing Commander 3, etc) I thought I would like to write video games as some back then had a great story. I decided to "break into" video games as a programmer as I was working in IT and I went back and got my Master's degree in Computer Science.

Fast forward 8 years...I never got into games (interviewed in person with some big names but I didn't have enough experience). And I met a woman, fell in love, and got married. We have no plans to have kids. Since I was not getting a games job I looked for professional programming jobs in my area and ended up getting one.

I never gave 100% to my day job, I never have even given 50% to my day job. Mostly I have sleepwalked through my jobs while in my off time working on pursuing fame and fortune. I've even acquired a bit of internet "fame" with a podcast that gets about 1.2 million downloads per year... Through this internet "fame" I have actually made some B and C level contacts who work in Television, etc. some of whom I can truly call "friends". It's very nice.

But in this time I've met a lot of working professionals...writers...and I've come to realize my life is far more comfortable then theirs. I make (very) low six figures and live in a very low cost of living area. Most of my income is from my day job, NOT from my podcast...while I approach my podcast as a business it is truly at this point a time-consuming hobby and if it went away tomorrow my lifestyle would not change.

So I see these professional writers, directors, actors, etc. and they're all scraping by. They can't afford extra cash to travel, something I really like, and they work their behinds off to make less than I do in areas that have higher cost of living than I do.

To be honest, I want a life where I live at the style of living I have now or better but my career is something I enjoy, which is being creative, working with creative people, and creating things. Be that in writing, producing, etc. This is "my dream". But now I have very good friends who are trying to "live the dream" and it seems to me that these friends are also useful contacts and I could pretty easily jump the fence and become a struggling artist like they are.

But my wife and I like material things. We like our creature comforts. We enjoy our style of living (combined salary is over 150k) and we don't want to give that up.

So here is my question: is it time to stop pursuing foolish dreams of working creatively, writing comics, writing novels, producing television, and actually give my all to my day job where I am quite successful and live a life where I enjoy the 16 hours per day I'm not working and ignore the 8 hours per day I am? Or should I continue to spend time and some money to harvest contacts, and either self-publish a comic book or some other creative venture?

I just don't want to be the 40 year old businessman who is constantly writing the "great American novel" in his spare time...

Need recommendations for artistic non-fiction writing classes.

jcdill — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:57:20 -0800

I'm looking for recommendations for low cost (e.g. community college) writing classes to improve the artistic aspects of my non-fiction (essay, blog entry, resume, website content, etc.) writing. I want to take a class to spice up my writing. I'm not interested in writing fiction. I want to be the type of writer where people think "I love HOW she writes!" when they read a blog entry, or my photographer's statement, or a comment posted to someone else's blog, etc.

I'd love to take a class at a local community college (De Anza/Foothill, Canada/San Mateo, CCSF, etc.). I've looked at the online catalogs but can't figure out if any of the classes cover the type of writing skills I want to learn. I would also consider similarly priced (e.g. $100 per semester) online course. I'm not interested in private "coaching" - I don't have the budget to pay $100 per session! I'm also not interested in "workshops" - I need an ongoing class where I work on this every week so I get regular practice and can put the newly learned ideas into use on an ongoing basis until it becomes second nature in my writing.

For an example of the type of writing I admire and want to emulate, see Mark Morford's column.

I'd also LOVE links to similar "creative" columns, essays, and blog entries. Mark only writes a new column twice a week. I'd love to read a daily blog from a similar writer. (Similar in writing style, not concerned so much about the subject matter.)

Thanks!

Add a new category to this list: Aliens, Monsters, Ghosts...

Flying Saucer — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:51:29 -0800

Aliens, monsters, and ghosts. The big three. But is there a fourth? I am working on a writing project and am struggling with a conundrum that I thought I'd bring to the hive mind.

It seems to me that in speculative fiction (which encompasses science fiction, fantasy, and horror), there are three major elements, or adversaries:

1. Aliens
2. Monsters
3. Ghosts

The brave souls who fight these creatures have been the basis of all kinds of exciting stories.

For example, in the comic book and the movie, the Men In Black fought aliens.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer fought monsters.

Ghostbusters fought ghosts.

Mulder and Scully fought all three.

So my question is...is there a fourth category? Spirits, maybe? Elves? Combining the categories has already been done -- remember the alien ghosts of "Final Fantasy"?

Any thoughts?

I need a novel-writing soundtrack

changeling — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:07:20 -0800

Can you help me set the writing soundtrack to my novels? Hi! I've avoided asking this forever -- I've gone through and sampled the songs from every related ask thread. I've used Pandora, iTunes and Rhapsody's similar music detectors, but I'm sick of artificial intelligence. I want metaintelligence.

So I write books, and I write to a soundtrack, master-planned for each book. Problem is, books take a long time to write. By the revision stages, I'm sick of the (hours-long) playlist, and what originally set the tone becomes grating. So I'm always switching out, seeking new artists that fit. But because I'm so particular on a song-by-song basis, doing so becomes another method of vacuuming the cat. I'm looking for song and artist recommendations that somehow match the tone of these books & existing songs below. I know some of the songs don't seem to match, but there must be a common thread, because they work.

Book1: Western setting. Confused (young, possibly ff) love. Lonely, moody, poignant. "Golden" by My Morning Jacket, "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell, "Crimson and Clover" by Joan Jett, "Lydia" by Staid Cleaves, "Waiting on the Stairs" by Pela. Lots of Band of Horses.

Book2: Travel abroad. Soft adventure. Flight from an unpleasant past. Learning to let go. So obviously, "Let Go" by Frou Frou. Lots of The National. "Run" by Snow Patrol. "Don't Become the Thing You Hated" by Destroyer. "All Mixed up" by Red House Painters.

I have some Tegan and Sara and Sigur Ros on both.

So please, go crazy! Popular, obscure, any genre (though obviously different species of rock fit best). I have Rhapsody. Thanks!!