Seriously. All I do is frakking work my ass off.
At some point, one begins to wonder whether the money is worth it.
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Stretching
Sometimes you have to stretch. I don't mean putting on some loose fitting clothes and heading down to the gym, i mean taking your career or hobby or passion and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and opening yourself new possibilities.
Now, I know from experience that's easy to say, but it isn't easy to do! Whether we are talking about work or in my case, writing, we all tend to fall into that comfy rut, that path of least resistance where things are easy to deal with. Of course, the problem with being in a rut is that while you are there you you are limiting your potential for growth -- you aren't stretching.
In my case, stretching means taking my writing in new directions and into new venues. Specifically, I'm talking about my posts on the Wyrdsmiths blog. For me, this process has been, to be frank, moderately terrifying! Here I am, little old, unpublished me, blogging about controversial topics on a website frequented by established writers that I look up to and respect. Even merely contemplating the possibility of putting up those blog posts was enough to make me think twice.
I debated for a long time about doing it. Then, after getting the go-ahead I drug my feet for a couple weeks before sending off my first post. I nervously waited for my post to go up and then was pleasantly surprised to see a number of comments. I was energized!
Ready to go with post number two, I decided to break out the big guns. My first post was a bit of a puff piece but this time I wanted to take it a step farther. I wanted to move into territory that would stretch both me and my audience. So what do I do? I choose a topic that essentially confronts one of the fundamental tenets the writing community.
Seemed like a good idea at the time...
Post number two ( http://wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com/2009/04/guest-blog-creative-commons.html ) has turned out to be a mixed bag. There were no cries of "heretic get off of our blog!" so that's a good thing. Of course, there weren't any other cries, or even murmurings. Oh, except for the one where someone pointed out a factual inconsistency in my post. It was a minor thing in the grand scheme of what I was trying to accomplish, but it didn't do anything for my stress level. :-O
So, now, here I am, still ruminating about that frakking post two days later.
I need to get over it. Move on. Maybe start writing post number three.
I need to keep on stretching.
Now, I know from experience that's easy to say, but it isn't easy to do! Whether we are talking about work or in my case, writing, we all tend to fall into that comfy rut, that path of least resistance where things are easy to deal with. Of course, the problem with being in a rut is that while you are there you you are limiting your potential for growth -- you aren't stretching.
In my case, stretching means taking my writing in new directions and into new venues. Specifically, I'm talking about my posts on the Wyrdsmiths blog. For me, this process has been, to be frank, moderately terrifying! Here I am, little old, unpublished me, blogging about controversial topics on a website frequented by established writers that I look up to and respect. Even merely contemplating the possibility of putting up those blog posts was enough to make me think twice.
I debated for a long time about doing it. Then, after getting the go-ahead I drug my feet for a couple weeks before sending off my first post. I nervously waited for my post to go up and then was pleasantly surprised to see a number of comments. I was energized!
Ready to go with post number two, I decided to break out the big guns. My first post was a bit of a puff piece but this time I wanted to take it a step farther. I wanted to move into territory that would stretch both me and my audience. So what do I do? I choose a topic that essentially confronts one of the fundamental tenets the writing community.
Seemed like a good idea at the time...
Post number two ( http://wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com/2009/04/guest-blog-creative-commons.html ) has turned out to be a mixed bag. There were no cries of "heretic get off of our blog!" so that's a good thing. Of course, there weren't any other cries, or even murmurings. Oh, except for the one where someone pointed out a factual inconsistency in my post. It was a minor thing in the grand scheme of what I was trying to accomplish, but it didn't do anything for my stress level. :-O
So, now, here I am, still ruminating about that frakking post two days later.
I need to get over it. Move on. Maybe start writing post number three.
I need to keep on stretching.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Repost from Wyrdsmiths: The Kindle 2: More Than a Geek’s Dream?
This is a repost of a guest blog I recently did over at Wyrdsmiths (http://wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com/)
So, for those who haven't seen it, enjoy!
----------------
Okay, I'll admit it. I like my books. I like the way they feel. I like the way they smell. I like all the shelf space they consume in my room. Peruse my shelves and you will see rows of paperbacks with near-perfect bindings and others that have been read so many times that even an anal freak like myself can't keep them from showing wear.
So why on Earth would I ever consider -- gasp! -- an e-book?
Well, I haven't. Not yet at any rate. But I gotta admit, the Kindle 2 is piquing my interest.
Now, most of you don't know me, but I'm a tech geek. So, in the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I'm a bit biased when it comes to new technology. But still, that new Kindle, she looks smoooooth. She's got free wireless. I can sit in my comfy chair, shop for a new book, and then read it without ever having to get up. (Is that a good thing? That's probably a different blog post…) She can run for two weeks on a single charge, and she can hold 1500 books.
That's geektastic, folks.
But do I actually want one?
To be honest, I don't really know. I think it might be one of those things that you really have to try out before you decide if you like it. Even so, I experienced the same existential conflict with my music. I adore my music collection just about as much as I do my book collection. But now, two iPods later and with slew of DRM free music at my fingertips, I buy more music in electronic format than I do on CD.
My suspicion is that there are still a few hurdles to overcome before e-books go mainstream. First is the right reading device. The Kindle 2 may be the bees knees but $359? Ouch! Availability and variety of books is another thing. Sure, I can buy a book from my comfy chair, but according to the advertisements there are only 240,000 books available for it. Yeah, I could never read all those, but do I actually want to read any of those? (Let’s see… sci-fi/fantasy section… Dune? Read it. Neverwhere? Read it. Kurt Vonnegut? Not my thing. Halo? Huh?)
Now, here's where things get interesting. Technology is just beginning to break in to the publishing industry and you can already see signs of the major publishers acting the same way their movie and music brethren did. The Writers of Guild America has already come out strongly against the Kindle’s text to speech feature (that is a different blog post). And publishers? Offering up 240,000 books isn't exactly a firm embrace.
So what do you think? Readers, have you sworn on your copy of Ender’s Game that you'll never buy an e-book? Writers, do you have / want to have books published in e-book format?
Geeks like me want to know!
PS. Hi! Thank you to Lyda and to the Wyrdsmiths for letting me squat on your blog! (That's an odd image.) Assuming I don't get too many flames, I hope to bring more geektastic commentary in the not-too-distant future. Until then, cya!
PPS. Lyda requested a bio, so here it is. Hey all, I’m Shawn Enderlin. I’ve been writing off and on for almost ever but in the last few years it has turned into an obsession that is beginning to interfere with my day job (IT). I have taken classes at the Loft Literary Center with both Lyda and Kelly and am a member of the [UNTITLED] writing group along with four other fantastic up-and-coming authors. I am currently finishing up my first novel, To Kill the Goddess. You can find me on the web at http://twitter.com/seamusspeaks and at http://embracethedoppelganger.blogspot.com/.
So, for those who haven't seen it, enjoy!
----------------
Okay, I'll admit it. I like my books. I like the way they feel. I like the way they smell. I like all the shelf space they consume in my room. Peruse my shelves and you will see rows of paperbacks with near-perfect bindings and others that have been read so many times that even an anal freak like myself can't keep them from showing wear.
So why on Earth would I ever consider -- gasp! -- an e-book?
Well, I haven't. Not yet at any rate. But I gotta admit, the Kindle 2 is piquing my interest.
Now, most of you don't know me, but I'm a tech geek. So, in the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I'm a bit biased when it comes to new technology. But still, that new Kindle, she looks smoooooth. She's got free wireless. I can sit in my comfy chair, shop for a new book, and then read it without ever having to get up. (Is that a good thing? That's probably a different blog post…) She can run for two weeks on a single charge, and she can hold 1500 books.
That's geektastic, folks.
But do I actually want one?
To be honest, I don't really know. I think it might be one of those things that you really have to try out before you decide if you like it. Even so, I experienced the same existential conflict with my music. I adore my music collection just about as much as I do my book collection. But now, two iPods later and with slew of DRM free music at my fingertips, I buy more music in electronic format than I do on CD.
My suspicion is that there are still a few hurdles to overcome before e-books go mainstream. First is the right reading device. The Kindle 2 may be the bees knees but $359? Ouch! Availability and variety of books is another thing. Sure, I can buy a book from my comfy chair, but according to the advertisements there are only 240,000 books available for it. Yeah, I could never read all those, but do I actually want to read any of those? (Let’s see… sci-fi/fantasy section… Dune? Read it. Neverwhere? Read it. Kurt Vonnegut? Not my thing. Halo? Huh?)
Now, here's where things get interesting. Technology is just beginning to break in to the publishing industry and you can already see signs of the major publishers acting the same way their movie and music brethren did. The Writers of Guild America has already come out strongly against the Kindle’s text to speech feature (that is a different blog post). And publishers? Offering up 240,000 books isn't exactly a firm embrace.
So what do you think? Readers, have you sworn on your copy of Ender’s Game that you'll never buy an e-book? Writers, do you have / want to have books published in e-book format?
Geeks like me want to know!
PS. Hi! Thank you to Lyda and to the Wyrdsmiths for letting me squat on your blog! (That's an odd image.) Assuming I don't get too many flames, I hope to bring more geektastic commentary in the not-too-distant future. Until then, cya!
PPS. Lyda requested a bio, so here it is. Hey all, I’m Shawn Enderlin. I’ve been writing off and on for almost ever but in the last few years it has turned into an obsession that is beginning to interfere with my day job (IT). I have taken classes at the Loft Literary Center with both Lyda and Kelly and am a member of the [UNTITLED] writing group along with four other fantastic up-and-coming authors. I am currently finishing up my first novel, To Kill the Goddess. You can find me on the web at http://twitter.com/seamusspeaks and at http://embracethedoppelganger.blogspot.com/.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
final draft!
This has been many years in the making, but I can finally say that I am on my final draft of my first book, To Kill the Goddess.
I can't believe I just wrote that!
Aside from three new chapters that I'm placing at the beginning, this final draft is more of a tuneup than anything else. I'm sure that there will be a little bit of reworking involved but I'm not expecting to spend anywhere as near as much time on this draft as I have on previous drafts. My target is to have this final draft complete by late spring or early summer 09. That may be a bit aggressive, especially given what my work schedule is going to look like, but that's my goal and I am sticking to it!
So what happens after that? I'm not entirely sure. I do plan on beginning the process of shopping it around to publishers but I'm not entirely convinced that's the direction I want to take this. I've seen how some of my peers have been treated by the publishing industry and I haven't been impressed. My other option would be self-publishing via on-demand printing and e-books, but that is an option it's only in its infancy at this point.
So, what to do? What to do?
What I will do is start in on the third draft of book 2, which is tentatively titled The Siege of Ederea. Completion of that is probably another year and a half out. After that, it's on to the prequel book, The Others War, and then the fourth and final book in the Series, The Portal of Za'Duun.
Ack!
PS. Yes, Za'Duun is a blatant ripoff of Za'Ha'Dun, but as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
I can't believe I just wrote that!
Aside from three new chapters that I'm placing at the beginning, this final draft is more of a tuneup than anything else. I'm sure that there will be a little bit of reworking involved but I'm not expecting to spend anywhere as near as much time on this draft as I have on previous drafts. My target is to have this final draft complete by late spring or early summer 09. That may be a bit aggressive, especially given what my work schedule is going to look like, but that's my goal and I am sticking to it!
So what happens after that? I'm not entirely sure. I do plan on beginning the process of shopping it around to publishers but I'm not entirely convinced that's the direction I want to take this. I've seen how some of my peers have been treated by the publishing industry and I haven't been impressed. My other option would be self-publishing via on-demand printing and e-books, but that is an option it's only in its infancy at this point.
So, what to do? What to do?
What I will do is start in on the third draft of book 2, which is tentatively titled The Siege of Ederea. Completion of that is probably another year and a half out. After that, it's on to the prequel book, The Others War, and then the fourth and final book in the Series, The Portal of Za'Duun.
Ack!
PS. Yes, Za'Duun is a blatant ripoff of Za'Ha'Dun, but as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Terror
My computer just scared the shit out of me.
First, a little background.
A few years back I decided to build my own computer. As you know, I work in IT, and this stroke of father pleasing industriousness occurred before I'd fully committed myself to writing. My theory was that I couldn't be a real IT geek unless I had built my own computer. Long story short, it got built and I'm using it.
But it's always been kind of a piece of shit.
Fast-forward... Lately, my computer has been-- let me put it in technical terms -- cranky. I won't go into all the gory details, but when I came home from work this evening and tried to turn it on it didn't know how to boot itself.
First reaction: Panic!
Second reaction: I'm an IT geek, remember?
So, I fixed my bios settings (I don't know how that got screwed up) and I'm up and running again. But in the interim, I was terrified.
What was I going to do without a computer? Sure, I could watch TV, but there's only so much of that a person can do. I could catch up on my comics. Drive my wife crazy. Work late -- not! I could call my mom -- crap, I owe her a call, don't I?
Note that I'm missing the obvious solution here. I could -- gasp -- hang out with friends.
And here is where the terror comes in.
You see, in the last year or so I've pretty much abandoned all my friends in favor of a word processor. Sure, I'll occasionally poke somebody on Facebook but that's no replacement for a social life. And to make matters worse, I'm reasonably certain that if I called one of these abandoned friends up and asked if they wanted to get together they would say, "Shawn who?"
I suppose this is an unpleasant reality I just need to get used to. I'm sure everyone else has by now....
:-)
First, a little background.
A few years back I decided to build my own computer. As you know, I work in IT, and this stroke of father pleasing industriousness occurred before I'd fully committed myself to writing. My theory was that I couldn't be a real IT geek unless I had built my own computer. Long story short, it got built and I'm using it.
But it's always been kind of a piece of shit.
Fast-forward... Lately, my computer has been-- let me put it in technical terms -- cranky. I won't go into all the gory details, but when I came home from work this evening and tried to turn it on it didn't know how to boot itself.
First reaction: Panic!
Second reaction: I'm an IT geek, remember?
So, I fixed my bios settings (I don't know how that got screwed up) and I'm up and running again. But in the interim, I was terrified.
What was I going to do without a computer? Sure, I could watch TV, but there's only so much of that a person can do. I could catch up on my comics. Drive my wife crazy. Work late -- not! I could call my mom -- crap, I owe her a call, don't I?
Note that I'm missing the obvious solution here. I could -- gasp -- hang out with friends.
And here is where the terror comes in.
You see, in the last year or so I've pretty much abandoned all my friends in favor of a word processor. Sure, I'll occasionally poke somebody on Facebook but that's no replacement for a social life. And to make matters worse, I'm reasonably certain that if I called one of these abandoned friends up and asked if they wanted to get together they would say, "Shawn who?"
I suppose this is an unpleasant reality I just need to get used to. I'm sure everyone else has by now....
:-)
Sunday, January 18, 2009
TKTG Update: Part one is done!
I finally finished the final draft of the first five chapters of To Kill the Goddess. Yay me!
My goal is to complete this final draft by late spring or early summer. I don't really know what will happen after that. I do plan on handing out this final draft to proofreaders and I do expect to get some comments back from that. So, technically, what I'm working on it right now isn't the FINAL final draft, but I do believe that this will be the last draft of major revisions.
One question I've been wrestling with a lot is what to do when I'm done. Alternative means of independent publishing look more attractive all the time but I do expect to pursue a traditional publisher. At least I'm going to start out that way. We will see what happens on that front. The real bummer about that is that I can't post any of my work without running into potential copyright/publication issues. Bleh.
My goal is to complete this final draft by late spring or early summer. I don't really know what will happen after that. I do plan on handing out this final draft to proofreaders and I do expect to get some comments back from that. So, technically, what I'm working on it right now isn't the FINAL final draft, but I do believe that this will be the last draft of major revisions.
One question I've been wrestling with a lot is what to do when I'm done. Alternative means of independent publishing look more attractive all the time but I do expect to pursue a traditional publisher. At least I'm going to start out that way. We will see what happens on that front. The real bummer about that is that I can't post any of my work without running into potential copyright/publication issues. Bleh.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Attitude adjustment
Greetings loyal readers!
Yes, both of you! LOL!
It's been a while and I thought it was about time to let you all know what the ol' doppel is up to.
Today's word is: negativity. Or rather, getting rid of negativity.
As usual, the vast majority of my writing challenges revolve around work. Work has been bad and it has been generating a lot of negativity in my life. It is time to change that!
Part of that change is circumstance. We just finished a big implementation at work and that is going to relieve a lot of the stress that it's been in my life lately but that's really only the start. The bigger, and more important, part is attitude. I need a big attitude adjustment! Yes, work sucks. No, it isn't what I want do with my life. I need to get that stuff out of my head, which brings me to...
Yoga! Yoga? Yoga.
The lovely @mplstravelkitty has been doing a lot of yoga lately. As a part of her yogi training she has to keep a journal where she is supposed to write down three things that she is thankful for every day. it's a good idea, but not one I have embraced in the way I have embraced the doppelgänger. Maybe I just prefer to wallow in my misery??
Anyway, another part of her training was to bring a friend to share the experience. She chose me -- ain't that sweet? -- and so, despite my reservations, I went. It was awesome! I have never seen so many happy people as I did there in that class and after having been through it I'm beginning to understand why @mplstravelkitty likes it so much. I don't know that I will become a yoga regular but I'm beginning to suspect that there's something there, a -- dare I say it? -- Zen about the whole experience.
So where are my going with all this? I guess I don't really know yet. One thing I do know is that I need to make a change because I just cannot deal with another unproductive writing month. Nobody likes a cranky Shawn!
So, let's get started! Attitude adjustment time!
Three things I'm thankful for: going to yoga with my honey, my writing group, and blogging my life into the ether for everyone to read.
Yes, both of you! LOL!
It's been a while and I thought it was about time to let you all know what the ol' doppel is up to.
Today's word is: negativity. Or rather, getting rid of negativity.
As usual, the vast majority of my writing challenges revolve around work. Work has been bad and it has been generating a lot of negativity in my life. It is time to change that!
Part of that change is circumstance. We just finished a big implementation at work and that is going to relieve a lot of the stress that it's been in my life lately but that's really only the start. The bigger, and more important, part is attitude. I need a big attitude adjustment! Yes, work sucks. No, it isn't what I want do with my life. I need to get that stuff out of my head, which brings me to...
Yoga! Yoga? Yoga.
The lovely @mplstravelkitty has been doing a lot of yoga lately. As a part of her yogi training she has to keep a journal where she is supposed to write down three things that she is thankful for every day. it's a good idea, but not one I have embraced in the way I have embraced the doppelgänger. Maybe I just prefer to wallow in my misery??
Anyway, another part of her training was to bring a friend to share the experience. She chose me -- ain't that sweet? -- and so, despite my reservations, I went. It was awesome! I have never seen so many happy people as I did there in that class and after having been through it I'm beginning to understand why @mplstravelkitty likes it so much. I don't know that I will become a yoga regular but I'm beginning to suspect that there's something there, a -- dare I say it? -- Zen about the whole experience.
So where are my going with all this? I guess I don't really know yet. One thing I do know is that I need to make a change because I just cannot deal with another unproductive writing month. Nobody likes a cranky Shawn!
So, let's get started! Attitude adjustment time!
Three things I'm thankful for: going to yoga with my honey, my writing group, and blogging my life into the ether for everyone to read.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Sex and, uh, I mean, Writing and the City
I snapped this while driving home from my writer's group this evening. It looked better in real life than it does on my crappy blackberry camera, but you get the idea!
The moment really struck me. The twilight was beautiful in the Minneapolis skyline looked so serene -- which was in stark contrast to everything going on inside of me.
I have really been at war with the doppelgänger these last couple of weeks. Work has been busy, and obnoxious, and rather traumatizing and when that happens my spare brain cycles end up chewing on work-related things rather than my book. One has to expect that that will happen from time to time, but it makes those times when I am immersed in the writing side of my life, like being with my writing group, feel almost surreal. There was actually one point tonight, when everyone else was completely absorbed in the discussion surrounding one of the other group members writing, where I had this weird moment where none of it felt real.
Or maybe that was the moment that WAS real and it was the first time all day when I was actually in the world that I belonged in.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The Zone
Whenever I think of "the zone" I think of this Deep Space Nine episode where Miles and Julian are playing darts and Miles proclaims he can't loose this because he's in the zone. Of course, Miles is only winning because the genetically enhanced Julian is holding back.
I need some of that genetic enhancement!
I haven't really been in the zone lately - actually, for about the last week and a half. Work is part of it, it's been insane but we all know work is evil and we shall not speak of it further.
The more interesting reason for not being in the zone is my writing class. Yes, class has been over for a few weeks now, but I only recently started looking seriously at some of the comments they made on the two chapters I submitted. It wasn't that what they said was bad or negative, rather, they had a lot of interesting and astute observations that really made me question the approach I was taking in one of those chapters.
As it turns out, that questioning really took me off my game. My book is big and complicated and it is taken lots of really careful orchestration to get it to the point it is at today. My character arcs, in particular, have been meticulously planned and implemented and the comments my classmates made were pointed directly at character development.
What I find interesting is how quickly I took those comments to heart and began attempts to integrate them into my story. It took me several days to realize these attempts were fundamentally altering my carefully planned character development. Worse, they were taking me out of the zone!
Thankfully, sanity and reason won out and I have shelved any plans to make serious changes. I made a few tweaks here and there but ultimately I decided that I needed to stay true to my original plan. It isn't that I decided they were wrong, I just came to the realization that my peers, regardless of how accomplished they may be, can't make such unilateral judgments based on such a small snapshot of my story. I'll wait and see if I get a different response once my writing group has read enough to understand what I'm trying to do.
Meanwhile, I'm working on getting back to the zone!
Wish me luck!
I need some of that genetic enhancement!
I haven't really been in the zone lately - actually, for about the last week and a half. Work is part of it, it's been insane but we all know work is evil and we shall not speak of it further.
The more interesting reason for not being in the zone is my writing class. Yes, class has been over for a few weeks now, but I only recently started looking seriously at some of the comments they made on the two chapters I submitted. It wasn't that what they said was bad or negative, rather, they had a lot of interesting and astute observations that really made me question the approach I was taking in one of those chapters.
As it turns out, that questioning really took me off my game. My book is big and complicated and it is taken lots of really careful orchestration to get it to the point it is at today. My character arcs, in particular, have been meticulously planned and implemented and the comments my classmates made were pointed directly at character development.
What I find interesting is how quickly I took those comments to heart and began attempts to integrate them into my story. It took me several days to realize these attempts were fundamentally altering my carefully planned character development. Worse, they were taking me out of the zone!
Thankfully, sanity and reason won out and I have shelved any plans to make serious changes. I made a few tweaks here and there but ultimately I decided that I needed to stay true to my original plan. It isn't that I decided they were wrong, I just came to the realization that my peers, regardless of how accomplished they may be, can't make such unilateral judgments based on such a small snapshot of my story. I'll wait and see if I get a different response once my writing group has read enough to understand what I'm trying to do.
Meanwhile, I'm working on getting back to the zone!
Wish me luck!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Who am I?
I heard an absolutely amazing article today on NPR. It's about this young girl, Violet, who was actually born a boy. Get it here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90273278
The story brought tears to my eyes as I listened to them talk about the trials this girl and her family went through while she grew up trapped inside a boy's body. Now, I won't try to pretend that my life is anywhere remotely as difficult as hers but it did get me to thinking about the dual lives many of us, including myself lead.
The question of who I am isn't something I'm used to thinking much about. Sure, many many moons ago, when I was a teenager, I thought about it incessantly, but that was a long time ago. Recently though, as my life as a writer has come more and more into conflict with my "normal" life, I find myself navigating through this strange existence where the two parts of me have less and less in common.
I go to work and think about computer development projects, project plans, resource needs, office politics, yada yada. Then, I come home, reach deep down inside, and try to find my way back to my creativity, the alternate world my novel is set in, and the lives of my characters. The two are so diametrically opposed that some days I can't even successfully switch back and forth between them.
So who am I? Well, right now I'm a writer, and an IT guy, and a blogger, and someone who buys too many comics.
We'll see what tomorrow brings.
The story brought tears to my eyes as I listened to them talk about the trials this girl and her family went through while she grew up trapped inside a boy's body. Now, I won't try to pretend that my life is anywhere remotely as difficult as hers but it did get me to thinking about the dual lives many of us, including myself lead.
The question of who I am isn't something I'm used to thinking much about. Sure, many many moons ago, when I was a teenager, I thought about it incessantly, but that was a long time ago. Recently though, as my life as a writer has come more and more into conflict with my "normal" life, I find myself navigating through this strange existence where the two parts of me have less and less in common.
I go to work and think about computer development projects, project plans, resource needs, office politics, yada yada. Then, I come home, reach deep down inside, and try to find my way back to my creativity, the alternate world my novel is set in, and the lives of my characters. The two are so diametrically opposed that some days I can't even successfully switch back and forth between them.
So who am I? Well, right now I'm a writer, and an IT guy, and a blogger, and someone who buys too many comics.
We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Monday, May 5, 2008
The Slip
So what does Nine Inch Nails new album have to do with my writing? Quite a lot actually.
The Slip was released today, without a distributor, without a record company, and under a Creative Commons license.
I've been considering doing the same thing with my writing. When I mention this to others in the writing community they smile and nod patiently. I don't blame them for being skeptical. I am so not Trent Reznor. I don't have a following of tens of thousands of rabid fans who subscribe to my RSS feed and immediately digest everything I send across the web. Outside of a couple hundred people, nobody even knows who I am. Far fewer know I write.
I think getting yourself known is the key to being able to distribute intellectual property without the safety net of a corporate sponsor. I'm still working out how to do that but I think this blog is a step in the right direction.
What do you think?
The Slip was released today, without a distributor, without a record company, and under a Creative Commons license.
I've been considering doing the same thing with my writing. When I mention this to others in the writing community they smile and nod patiently. I don't blame them for being skeptical. I am so not Trent Reznor. I don't have a following of tens of thousands of rabid fans who subscribe to my RSS feed and immediately digest everything I send across the web. Outside of a couple hundred people, nobody even knows who I am. Far fewer know I write.
I think getting yourself known is the key to being able to distribute intellectual property without the safety net of a corporate sponsor. I'm still working out how to do that but I think this blog is a step in the right direction.
What do you think?
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