Sometimes having a brain that just won't shut up can be a blessing, and sometimes it can rob me of much needed sleep or distract me from paying attention to important...ooh! Look, shiny!
See, it happens.
One thing my sleepless brain likes to do is bombard me with analogies, analogies about damn near everything. I happen to like analogies, don't you like analogies? You should, they're awesome.
Stop looking at me like that.
The other night, my Muse came to me and promptly jabbed me in the eye as she often does, but not with another story idea, she came to me with another analogy. Thanks Muse! It's not like I'm trying to concentrate on finishing a book or anything!
Anyhoo, see how distracted I can get?
Carrying on...
The Immortal Tom Cochrane once said 'Life is a Highway' (Sorry Rascal Flatt fans, he did it first.) even though I absolutely hate that song, it brings up a good point, just not the way Mr. Cochrane intended...
Life CAN be viewed as a Highway. A dark, foggy highway at night. And most of us have only one headlight to light the way. Some of us are gifted with a good working pair, some of us even have the good fortune to have them stuck on 'bright'. But the majority have just the one.
In life as it is with driving, we start out afraid and cautious, flinching at everything that comes at us in the other lane. As we become more experienced, we start getting a little 'reckless' behind the wheel and taking more chances. If we manage not to wipe-out, we learn to knock that crazy shit off and become cautious again, because we know we can't afford another car, and the insurance rates for repairs are astronomical.
And both have a final destination, point A to point B and all that, both also have many different routes to take, but make no mistake, there is an end to the road, and everyone gets there, and the only real choice you have is what route and what you do to keep yourself from falling asleep at the wheel until you get there...
There WILL be crap to deal with in the road, and depending on what headlights you're equipped with will determine your ability to avoid them. IF (big IF) you even can. If you can't avoid these 'bumps in the road', you have three options.
1. Put the pedal to the metal and plow right through it and crush it under your wheels.
2. Hit the brakes, delaying the inevitable, and hope for minimal damage.
Or 3. Let Jesus take the wheel and see what happens. (Not recommended.)
As with any 'road trip' there will be interesting things to see and people to meet, you might even want to pick up a passenger or two to enjoy the ride with you, how long they ride with you depends on your driving ability. (Not THAT driving ability, get your mind out of the gutter, you sick puppy.)
But make no mistake, the ride WILL end, and you can't always control when or where. Sometimes it may end before you get where you want to go, because somewhere along the way there is a big brick wall that you cant drive around, over or under, you might see it coming, you might not, and it's at the bottom of a long steep hill and your brakes are out. You're going to hit it, and you won't walk away.
So be careful on that dark, foggy highway, kids. Buckle up and be safe out there, and remember that there are other people on the road, some have their brights on, some have one headlight, and a few unfortunate ones have no headlights at all...
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
Just let me peel the protective cellophane coating off of this brand new 'Blog' thing, and I'll explain the title, 'A Different Cloth'. Alright, all done. Here we go...
The Oxford Dictionary definition of the word 'Author' is 'the writer of a book, article, or document. So I guess considering the reputable source of that definition, I am an 'Author'. Although that title still seems weird to me, even now people will ask, 'So, you're an Author?' and my response is, 'I wrote a book and published it, so Yes?''
But right around the time I was ready to publish I thought it to be a good idea to get to know other writers/ authors, since I was now one of 'them', (By Oxford Dictionary definitions, anyway.) But as time went on and I ventured out into this new...um, venture and got to know these people, something quickly became quite apparent...other then writing something and having it published (Sometimes, some writers are far too pefectionalistic to actually take the plunge.), I had absolutley NOTHING in common with them. I apologize in advance if the following 'criteria' doesn't apply to you as an Author/Writer. (If it doesn't, pleeeeease get in touch with me, I'd love to meet you!)
Again, this goes for the ones I've actually met and spoken to, not EVERYONE.
Degrees and Certificates for English, Creative Writing and the like. Yeah, great, you went to school and paid money to learn how to write, congratulations. You now have a piece of paper reaffirming your ability to construct a cohesive sentence. By the way, the general public remains decidedly unimpressed.
I don't have any degrees or pieces of paper to tell me that I'm 'allowed to write'. And the sad truth is most authors will look down their noses at it, as if to say, 'Why are YOU here?', because without that piece of paper, you are unworthy of note and not 'the real deal'. I LOATHE that 'elitist' crap, but it's going to be a recurring theme, so get used to it.
I am of the frame of mind that creative ability of ANY of the Arts should come naturally, taking classes to learn the basics is one thing, but if you need further instruction past that point, then perhaps trying something else will suit you better. You cannot learn to be creative, no matter how many pieces of paper tell you otherwise.
A lot of Authors also seem to be big on the 'Wine Tasting', fancy cheese nibbling, high society, hoity toity scene. I, for one am not. Again, this is another example of the 'elitist' frame of mind that most Authors have. And again, if this does not apply to you, carry on.
Just the smell of wine gives me a headache, if I'm going to enjoy an adult beverage, I'm going to damn well drink it, not just taste it. It's also going to a beer, in a bottle (Never in a glass.) and as for cheese, slap it on a burger and we'll call it good. I'm also not much of a 'social butterfly', being around a group of people too long is 'uncomfortable' to me. Now I realize that most Authors are social shut-ins, but the ones that aren't take it to an extreme. I even know another local Author who does book signings at these little soirees (and charges people to attend!), sorry, but that's not my target demographic. If they happen to stumble across my work and enjoy it, awesome, but I'm not going to go out of my way to garner favour from them.
Then there's the whole 'all Authors must read, read, read!' Even the King himself is a staunch believer is this idea. Will reading more make you a better writer? Will it help you discover your own style? I don't see how this can possibly work without absorbing a little something from them, thus, not making it your own. This is why I don't read much, I don't want to be influenced and 'accidently' 'borrow' somebody elses style or ideas. But it can still happen even when you try and avoid it...
Many of them wear their 'well read-ness' like a badge of honor, and if you've never read Melville, Shakespeare, Steinbeck and their ilk, you are a less than human scabbrous leper not worthy to stand amongst them! How DARE you call yourself an Author without reading the Masters of the craft??? I was once given the 'ol 'stinkeye' for saying that I never read Tolkien. I tried once after the movies came out and gave it a go, I quietly put it down after 30+ pages of Bilbo walking through the woods. Sorry, but that shit was boring. I appreciate what Tolkien has accomplished in making the Fantasy genre loved and accepted, but still...major boring shit. Not reading it.
All that said, I'm not trying to say that I'm better than other Authors because I don't 'adhere' to the typical stereotype, I'm just 'different', and that's okay. Am I better than SOME? Not for me to say, but I have readers that enjoy my works, and some very favourable reviews that would lean to a firm 'Not too shabby, new guy.' Am I less than great compared to others? Of course! I'd be a major douche-canoe to think otherwise.
And if you need to decide for yourself, please check out my stuff for yourself, look me up on Amazon.com for my selections, you can get them all for about $5. If ya dig 'em, cool, mission accomplished! And if ya don't, that's cool too.
And taking everything stated previously to heart, this is why I remain cut from...
A Different Cloth.
The Oxford Dictionary definition of the word 'Author' is 'the writer of a book, article, or document. So I guess considering the reputable source of that definition, I am an 'Author'. Although that title still seems weird to me, even now people will ask, 'So, you're an Author?' and my response is, 'I wrote a book and published it, so Yes?''
But right around the time I was ready to publish I thought it to be a good idea to get to know other writers/ authors, since I was now one of 'them', (By Oxford Dictionary definitions, anyway.) But as time went on and I ventured out into this new...um, venture and got to know these people, something quickly became quite apparent...other then writing something and having it published (Sometimes, some writers are far too pefectionalistic to actually take the plunge.), I had absolutley NOTHING in common with them. I apologize in advance if the following 'criteria' doesn't apply to you as an Author/Writer. (If it doesn't, pleeeeease get in touch with me, I'd love to meet you!)
Again, this goes for the ones I've actually met and spoken to, not EVERYONE.
Degrees and Certificates for English, Creative Writing and the like. Yeah, great, you went to school and paid money to learn how to write, congratulations. You now have a piece of paper reaffirming your ability to construct a cohesive sentence. By the way, the general public remains decidedly unimpressed.
I don't have any degrees or pieces of paper to tell me that I'm 'allowed to write'. And the sad truth is most authors will look down their noses at it, as if to say, 'Why are YOU here?', because without that piece of paper, you are unworthy of note and not 'the real deal'. I LOATHE that 'elitist' crap, but it's going to be a recurring theme, so get used to it.
I am of the frame of mind that creative ability of ANY of the Arts should come naturally, taking classes to learn the basics is one thing, but if you need further instruction past that point, then perhaps trying something else will suit you better. You cannot learn to be creative, no matter how many pieces of paper tell you otherwise.
A lot of Authors also seem to be big on the 'Wine Tasting', fancy cheese nibbling, high society, hoity toity scene. I, for one am not. Again, this is another example of the 'elitist' frame of mind that most Authors have. And again, if this does not apply to you, carry on.
Just the smell of wine gives me a headache, if I'm going to enjoy an adult beverage, I'm going to damn well drink it, not just taste it. It's also going to a beer, in a bottle (Never in a glass.) and as for cheese, slap it on a burger and we'll call it good. I'm also not much of a 'social butterfly', being around a group of people too long is 'uncomfortable' to me. Now I realize that most Authors are social shut-ins, but the ones that aren't take it to an extreme. I even know another local Author who does book signings at these little soirees (and charges people to attend!), sorry, but that's not my target demographic. If they happen to stumble across my work and enjoy it, awesome, but I'm not going to go out of my way to garner favour from them.
Then there's the whole 'all Authors must read, read, read!' Even the King himself is a staunch believer is this idea. Will reading more make you a better writer? Will it help you discover your own style? I don't see how this can possibly work without absorbing a little something from them, thus, not making it your own. This is why I don't read much, I don't want to be influenced and 'accidently' 'borrow' somebody elses style or ideas. But it can still happen even when you try and avoid it...
Many of them wear their 'well read-ness' like a badge of honor, and if you've never read Melville, Shakespeare, Steinbeck and their ilk, you are a less than human scabbrous leper not worthy to stand amongst them! How DARE you call yourself an Author without reading the Masters of the craft??? I was once given the 'ol 'stinkeye' for saying that I never read Tolkien. I tried once after the movies came out and gave it a go, I quietly put it down after 30+ pages of Bilbo walking through the woods. Sorry, but that shit was boring. I appreciate what Tolkien has accomplished in making the Fantasy genre loved and accepted, but still...major boring shit. Not reading it.
All that said, I'm not trying to say that I'm better than other Authors because I don't 'adhere' to the typical stereotype, I'm just 'different', and that's okay. Am I better than SOME? Not for me to say, but I have readers that enjoy my works, and some very favourable reviews that would lean to a firm 'Not too shabby, new guy.' Am I less than great compared to others? Of course! I'd be a major douche-canoe to think otherwise.
And if you need to decide for yourself, please check out my stuff for yourself, look me up on Amazon.com for my selections, you can get them all for about $5. If ya dig 'em, cool, mission accomplished! And if ya don't, that's cool too.
And taking everything stated previously to heart, this is why I remain cut from...
A Different Cloth.
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