On Monday night fellow Stiletto author J.M. Phillippe (visiting from Brooklyn) and I attended the local open mic night from Creative Colloquy.Ā The evening celebrated Creative Colloquyās third anniversary and featured the Washington State poet laureate Dr. Tod Marshall. Creative Colloquyās mission is to connect writers with their community and celebrate their works. And in keeping with that mission, Dr. Marshall reminded us in the audience to both battle for the arts and to rejoice in our creative communities.
As with every time I go to a reading event I’m struck by what different skills reading and writing are. It’s difficult to differentiate the presentation from the work being presented. For every rushed reading, thereās one that gives space for the audience to savor the moment. For every mumbled poem, thereās one that echoes from the rafters.Ā For every awkward and misplaced laugh in the middle of a story, there’s one that ought to be a comedy special.Ā Delivery, timing, and pronunciation, all take a reading from blah to amazing.Ā Or at least important enough to make people stop talking to their friends at the table.Ā Are the amazing readings better?Ā Or just benefitting from better delivery?
It makes me wonder: what could I be doing to present my own work better in live readings? Should we authors all be forced to take public speaking classes? Improv classes? Should we be forced to listen to recordings of ourselves (God nooooooooooo!!!)?Ā Is there a secret trick that I could be using?Ā What if I just I hire an actor to read for me?Ā In all probability I shall simply have to rely on the very exclusive, top secret trick of practice and repetition.Ā As long as no one makes me watch a recording of it, that will probably be fine.
https://bethanymaines.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Aug2016-Logo-op3-300x69.png00Bethany Maineshttps://bethanymaines.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Aug2016-Logo-op3-300x69.pngBethany Maines2017-03-23 01:45:302017-03-21 05:49:26Reading vs. Writing
I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer when it was first on television. It was the first time I’d watched a show that combined the episodic weekly tale with a long-form, season long story arc. Whether or not you enjoy fantasy and teenagers killing things, the inclusion of a “big bad” (Buffy slang for the seasons main villain) made Buffy a tremendous innovator in TV.
It was an innovation that impressed and continues to impress me. The ability of the writers to maintain the critical pacing of the weeks mystery, while at the same time building a seasonal arc that culminates at the right point is a difficult writing feat. Most stories require that a character to fulfill a certain role to advance the story. But with multiple stories playing out at the same time the characters actions must serve several different purposes at once. Accomplishing these goals at all, let alone well, is something I aspire to. And while I have experimented with this type of writing before in my Tales from the City of Destiny, I have never tried to do a true over-arcing long form story across multiple novels. That is until now.
Starting last December, I have gone headlong into plotting and writing a new five book crime series. I’ll be excited when I can finally share more details about the series. But until then, I’m asking for inspiration to help keep my creative juices flowing. What TV shows do you love that combine short and long form elements and crime or action?
https://bethanymaines.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Buffy.jpg324392Bethany Maineshttps://bethanymaines.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Aug2016-Logo-op3-300x69.pngBethany Maines2017-02-23 09:00:002017-02-22 02:58:28The Long and Short of It
A recent trip to the grocery store reminded me that Valentineās Day is upon us.Ā As I cruised down a particularly pink and red aisle I saw wall to wall sets of movie themed Valentines for kids.Ā Which made me realize that as my spawn starts to become an actual kid certain things are barreling down on me.Ā Valentines.Ā Birthday parties.Ā Teacher gifts.Ā And all of them cause me to think ā what the hell?
When did teacher gifts become a thing?Ā I donāt remember my mom having to essentially tip any of my teachers.Ā Teaching is an arrangement in which someone gets paid to show up and tell things to small people.Ā It was a nice arrangement with very clear cut guidelines ā show up, learn/teach, go home.Ā Now all of my friends with older kids are dithering about teacher gifts around Christmas.Ā I recognize that teachers arenāt paid enough, but crappy set of lotion at Christmas is not going to make up for that.
And suddenly if you have a birthday party for your kid there have to gift bags for the children who attend. Birthdays are the day when everyone shows up and gives the person celebrating a gift.Ā Why are we now bribing people to attend?Ā If I have to bribe you to show up then you are not my friend.Ā I suppose the alternative theory is that the small children cannot handle the sight of someone else receiving gifts.Ā Butā¦ Isnāt that the entire point of parenting ā teaching your kids to manage their own emotions?Ā So wouldnāt gift bags just be me supporting your poor parenting?
Valentineās Ā Day has now become a flashpoint for grade school bullying.Ā Better give a Valentine to everyone or youāre a bully.Ā Sounds lovely.Ā You know what that means in reality? It means that I have to buy Valentines.Ā A kid can make four or five Valentines, but no grade schooler is going to hand-craft an entire classrooms worth of Valentines.Ā So now Iām stuck supporting the Hallmark industry?Ā Swell.
Can someone figure a way out of this for me?Ā Can I just carbon freeze my kid at three?Ā Or can I start a social revolution for those of us who are anti-social?Ā Somebody help!
Resolutions always seem to be negative statements.Ā They pit the resolver against something.Ā I resolve to lose weight, spend less, give up every fun thing ever, etc.
I much prefer to make goals. Goals take aim and move toward a change. I want to write more, be more healthy, learn French, wake up later.Ā I donāt think that last oneās going to happen, but itās more of a lifelong goal.
And then thereās the artificial time construct of the New Yearās that tricks people into waiting to start a change until January first actually rolls on the calendar.Ā Of course, if I were resolving to do something horrible, Iād put it off as long as possible too.Ā But if I want to change my life for the better, then why would I wait? Now is always the perfect time to start.
Which is not to say that the turn of the year doesnāt cause me to reflect and take stock of how things are and how I would like them to go. Like a lot of people, I like to assess, predict, and then I make goals.Ā At the end of December, I jotted down some notes, made some plans and felt good about myself.Ā Iām usually pretty good at sticking to my plans and I didnāt expect this year to be any different.Ā But then I didnāt expect to be struck by inspiration that would send me furiously typing down the rabbit hole of a new story.
And now here it is the end of January and I feel like one of those people whoāve managed to blow up their diet and their resolution two weeks after starting.Ā I mean, I feel guilty about not sticking to the plan, but not really that bad as a shove another chapter in.Ā In fact, that chapter was delicious and really would it really hurt if I had another?
I can always get back on the plan later, right?
***
Originally posted on The Stiletto Gang Blog 01.25.17
The title of todayās blog is not facetious. I do swear. Kind of a lot.
I try not to in public. Much like public displays of affection, I find it inelegant to be assaulted by profanity that Iām not participating in. I think keeping a lid on my foul mouthed habit is only polite and try to reserve it for private situations and friends who have known me long enough to not take offense. As a result, a few of my acquaintances have been surprised to find themselves on the receiving end of a periodic f-bomb. (Yes, Iām the person who should receive this paperweight as a gift.) In the past curbing my tongue has not particularly onerous, but since my child has moved into speaking and comprehending, you know, actual words, life as a purveyor of profanity has become more difficult. Now I canāt even swear in my own home?! Word swaps and humming the Star Spangled Banner do not really help. (Son of a goat monkey, keeping my swearing on the inside is hard!)
In most of my books, Iāve minimized the swearing to a solid āhellā or ādamnā because well, my grandmother likes to read my books. But recently, Iāve begun working on a story that moves my swearing habit to the forefront. Rather than really āmessing some stuff upā, I am straight āf***ing some s*** upā for a change. And ooooh, does it feel good. Ah profanity, how dost though trip lightly off my off my keyboard and onto the page? Very lightly indeed.
Many comments on profanity seem to insist that profanity is the crutch of mind unable to think of something else to say. I completely disagree. To correctly use profanity one must have an understanding of language that allows you to use the f-word as a verb, a noun, and an adjective. (Yes, it really can ā see examples here).
Will my completed manuscript stay chock full of profane goodness? I donāt know, but Iām sure as **** interested to find out.
Reading vs. Writing
/in General Writingby Bethany Maines
On Monday night fellow Stiletto author J.M. Phillippe (visiting from Brooklyn) and I attended the local open mic night from Creative Colloquy.Ā The evening celebrated Creative Colloquyās third anniversary and featured the Washington State poet laureate Dr. Tod Marshall. Creative Colloquyās mission is to connect writers with their community and celebrate their works. And in keeping with that mission, Dr. Marshall reminded us in the audience to both battle for the arts and to rejoice in our creative communities.
As with every time I go to a reading event I’m struck by what different skills reading and writing are. It’s difficult to differentiate the presentation from the work being presented. For every rushed reading, thereās one that gives space for the audience to savor the moment. For every mumbled poem, thereās one that echoes from the rafters.Ā For every awkward and misplaced laugh in the middle of a story, there’s one that ought to be a comedy special.Ā Delivery, timing, and pronunciation, all take a reading from blah to amazing.Ā Or at least important enough to make people stop talking to their friends at the table.Ā Are the amazing readings better?Ā Or just benefitting from better delivery?
It makes me wonder: what could I be doing to present my own work better in live readings? Should we authors all be forced to take public speaking classes? Improv classes? Should we be forced to listen to recordings of ourselves (God nooooooooooo!!!)?Ā Is there a secret trick that I could be using?Ā What if I just I hire an actor to read for me?Ā In all probability I shall simply have to rely on the very exclusive, top secret trick of practice and repetition.Ā As long as no one makes me watch a recording of it, that will probably be fine.
The Long and Short of It
/in General WritingI watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer when it was first on television. It was the first time I’d watched a show that combined the episodic weekly tale with a long-form, season long story arc. Whether or not you enjoy fantasy and teenagers killing things, the inclusion of a “big bad” (Buffy slang for the seasons main villain) made Buffy a tremendous innovator in TV.
It was an innovation that impressed and continues to impress me. The ability of the writers to maintain the critical pacing of the weeks mystery, while at the same time building a seasonal arc that culminates at the right point is a difficult writing feat. Most stories require that a character to fulfill a certain role to advance the story. But with multiple stories playing out at the same time the characters actions must serve several different purposes at once. Accomplishing these goals at all, let alone well, is something I aspire to. And while I have experimented with this type of writing before in my Tales from the City of Destiny, I have never tried to do a true over-arcing long form story across multiple novels. That is until now.
Starting last December, I have gone headlong into plotting and writing a new five book crime series. I’ll be excited when I can finally share more details about the series. But until then, I’m asking for inspiration to help keep my creative juices flowing. What TV shows do you love that combine short and long form elements and crime or action?
Parent Traps
/in LifeA recent trip to the grocery store reminded me that Valentineās Day is upon us.Ā As I cruised down a particularly pink and red aisle I saw wall to wall sets of movie themed Valentines for kids.Ā Which made me realize that as my spawn starts to become an actual kid certain things are barreling down on me.Ā Valentines.Ā Birthday parties.Ā Teacher gifts.Ā And all of them cause me to think ā what the hell?
When did teacher gifts become a thing?Ā I donāt remember my mom having to essentially tip any of my teachers.Ā Teaching is an arrangement in which someone gets paid to show up and tell things to small people.Ā It was a nice arrangement with very clear cut guidelines ā show up, learn/teach, go home.Ā Now all of my friends with older kids are dithering about teacher gifts around Christmas.Ā I recognize that teachers arenāt paid enough, but crappy set of lotion at Christmas is not going to make up for that.
And suddenly if you have a birthday party for your kid there have to gift bags for the children who attend. Birthdays are the day when everyone shows up and gives the person celebrating a gift.Ā Why are we now bribing people to attend?Ā If I have to bribe you to show up then you are not my friend.Ā I suppose the alternative theory is that the small children cannot handle the sight of someone else receiving gifts.Ā Butā¦ Isnāt that the entire point of parenting ā teaching your kids to manage their own emotions?Ā So wouldnāt gift bags just be me supporting your poor parenting?
Valentineās Ā Day has now become a flashpoint for grade school bullying.Ā Better give a Valentine to everyone or youāre a bully.Ā Sounds lovely.Ā You know what that means in reality? It means that I have to buy Valentines.Ā A kid can make four or five Valentines, but no grade schooler is going to hand-craft an entire classrooms worth of Valentines.Ā So now Iām stuck supporting the Hallmark industry?Ā Swell.
Can someone figure a way out of this for me?Ā Can I just carbon freeze my kid at three?Ā Or can I start a social revolution for those of us who are anti-social?Ā Somebody help!
Originally posted on The Stiletto Gang 02.08.17
Resolution Failure
/in General Writing, Life, The Stiletto GangI donāt believe in New Yearās Resolutions.
Resolutions always seem to be negative statements.Ā They pit the resolver against something.Ā I resolve to lose weight, spend less, give up every fun thing ever, etc.
I much prefer to make goals. Goals take aim and move toward a change. I want to write more, be more healthy, learn French, wake up later.Ā I donāt think that last oneās going to happen, but itās more of a lifelong goal.
And then thereās the artificial time construct of the New Yearās that tricks people into waiting to start a change until January first actually rolls on the calendar.Ā Of course, if I were resolving to do something horrible, Iād put it off as long as possible too.Ā But if I want to change my life for the better, then why would I wait? Now is always the perfect time to start.
Which is not to say that the turn of the year doesnāt cause me to reflect and take stock of how things are and how I would like them to go. Like a lot of people, I like to assess, predict, and then I make goals.Ā At the end of December, I jotted down some notes, made some plans and felt good about myself.Ā Iām usually pretty good at sticking to my plans and I didnāt expect this year to be any different.Ā But then I didnāt expect to be struck by inspiration that would send me furiously typing down the rabbit hole of a new story.
And now here it is the end of January and I feel like one of those people whoāve managed to blow up their diet and their resolution two weeks after starting.Ā I mean, I feel guilty about not sticking to the plan, but not really that bad as a shove another chapter in.Ā In fact, that chapter was delicious and really would it really hurt if I had another?
I can always get back on the plan later, right?
***
Originally posted on The Stiletto Gang Blog 01.25.17
I Swear…
/in General Writing, Life, The Stiletto GangThe title of todayās blog is not facetious. I do swear. Kind of a lot.
In most of my books, Iāve minimized the swearing to a solid āhellā or ādamnā because well, my grandmother likes to read my books. But recently, Iāve begun working on a story that moves my swearing habit to the forefront. Rather than really āmessing some stuff upā, I am straight āf***ing some s*** upā for a change. And ooooh, does it feel good. Ah profanity, how dost though trip lightly off my off my keyboard and onto the page? Very lightly indeed.
Will my completed manuscript stay chock full of profane goodness? I donāt know, but Iām sure as **** interested to find out.