Day 4 - 30 Day Writing Challenge

Day 4 - Write about someone who inspires you.

The person who most inspires me is Neil Gaiman. He's a writer but he's actually so much more than that.

One of the things I most admire about Neil Gaiman is that he writes ALL THE THINGS. He writes adult books, kids books, screen plays, short stories, poems, spoken word pieces, and graphic novels. He's not bound by a self-imposed (or externally-imposed) set of limitations. He just writes whatever takes his fancy. That's amazing.

Neil Gaiman writes for a living. People give him money and he continues to write more things. It's my dream, that I could write something and people would give me money for it and then I would get to write more things.

Neil is a world-traveler. He experiences new things. He meets interesting people. He finds artists to collaborate with. He's also a father and a husband. None of the things about him are contradictory - he chooses the life that is meaningful to him and the world just keeps chugging along and he keeps being successful on his own terms.

Neil also speaks out about issues that are meaningful to him. He's got a sharp mind and a kind heart. He sees a problem in the world and he names it, he draws attention to it. Gaiman has a rare platform that allows him to be influential and he uses it to put more positivity and awareness into the world. He is a champion for the arts and for artists.

I find Neil Gaiman's art inspiring, I find his work ethic inspiring, I find his life inspiring. He has the kind of life and career that I aspire to. And he seems like a nice guy too.

Check out his Make Good Art commencement speech.

Day 2 - 30 Day Writing Challenge

Actually it's day 3 but I'm gonna do two today. Don't judge my failure too harshly, I already know.

Day 2 - Write something that someone told you about yourself that you never forgot.

Ok whew. There's a couple of things but I guess I'll go with a positive thing, in the interest of not being a sad sack.

In 1998 or 1999, I took a Radio/Television/Film class at ACC. We were asked to write up a snazzy idea for a new sitcom. We presented our "pitches" in class and mine went really well. The instructor told me, "Get an agent."

Of course, I handled this compliment by laughing it off.

She looked me dead in the eye and said, "I'm not kidding, get an agent. Like now."

She said it firmly, as though there was no reason at all to doubt the truth of her statement.

Sometimes it makes me sad - what if I had taken her advice instead of doubting myself? Sometimes it's the small voice encouraging me to keep going because someone saw potential in me all those years ago. Either way, it's stuck with me.

Begin Again

I'm starting over. 

You are a vital part of that. I'm working on a lot of things and I need you to help me. 

(No pressure.)

I finished my children's book The Grumpus - well, I finished the latest draft. I'll be attending a revision class this month so there will likely be at least one more draft. At any rate, it's done-ish and I'm trying to figure out what to do next. Self-publish? Find an illustrator? Submit it somewhere? Do I need an agent? I have no idea. And what do I do when I don't know what to do? Nothing. That's gotta change. I need to get The Grumpus out there, if only to prove to myself that I can.

I need to write and I need to become comfortable with being vulnerable. So I thought I'd begin a writing blog. Part journal, part flash fiction, part book review, part sounding-board; this many-headed beast will be my new best friend. I hope. My brain is constantly abuzz with plots and characters and ideas and I'm going to start writing them down. And then I'm going to show them to you. ::Shrieking in terror:: That will become another book and it will be wonderful and imperfect and we will have made that possible together. 

 I really struggle with being vulnerable so I can't promise that some of the entries won't be incredibly awkward but I'm hoping to power though that. One of the qualities I most admire is raw honesty; that rare ability to be real without being cruel and without fear of other people's judgement. Amanda Palmer does this beautifully - she really lives her life, and she does so unapologetically. She's imperfect, her life is imperfect, and it doesn't stop her from doing one thing. I ... am not like that. But I can learn. I can keep trying. (Side note: I'm actually not a huge fan of Amanda's music but I find her life and her art very inspiring)

I can't promise you the smoothest journey, or even one that makes any sense, but I can confidently say that it will be an adventure. It will be full of anxiety, laughter, side notes, weird observations, tears, and so many words and I am so grateful that you are coming along with me. 

Thank you in advance.