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Writing Update

I think I have a handle on things.  As I’ve mentioned before, finding time to write with a full-time job and family can be hard.  Most of my writing time has been regulated to an hour at night, 30 minutes at work and the weekends.  That made for slow progress.  In the past, I would get up an hour earlier so I would have uninterrupted writing time.  That’s not working this time.  Now I have a new plan.  I have changed my work hours to a four-day work week which gives me a full day off.  Since the kids are back in school I have the house to myself.  We’ll see how much I can get done in a day.

On a related note, I am having a good time writing short stories.  I subscribe to the Lifewriting Tips by Steven Barnes.  One of those tips revolved around the notion of training or exercising your writing muscles.  They only way to get good at something is to practice.  Short stories are an excellent vehicle to “practice” story telling.  Taken from Steven’s Free Online Writing Classes about short stories:  “This is Basic story telling, a “Sprint”, with no time to rest. In many ways the essence of the story form.  Educational as hell, and also quite confrontive. Many people avoid it, but the short story remains the method of choice for developing professional-level skills.”

My goal is to have a “Story Soundtrack” story at least once a week.  As far as the novel goes, I am on chapter fifteen of edits.  The longest journey begins with just one step, right?

Peace,

Michelle

What’s Playing on the iPod right now: “Smile” – Kirk Franklin
What I am reading now: “Mogul” – Terrance Dean

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Date Night – Movie Review “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

Last night the hubby and I did the dinner and a movie date night.  I can’t remember the last time we went out without the kids.  And that’s a sign that some couple time was long overdue.

Anyway, I wanted to see the new Planet of the Apes movie.  I was a fan of the original.  Anyone in the Metro knows that during the summer in the 70’s and early 80’s you went downtown to the movie theatre on Main Street.  I remembering riding the bus with a couple of friends and we would escape the heat inside the theatre.  I enjoyed the original “POA” movie and hoped that this prequel would do justice to the franchise.

It did.  “The Rise of the Planet of the Apes” is a smart and entertaining film.  The story revolves around a scientist, Will, and his desperate attempt to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.  Testing the drug on chimpanzees, the virus mutates and not only repairs brain cells but gives the test subject human level intelligence.  After a lab incident threatens to shut down the project, the baby chimp “Caesar” is found and taken to live with Will and his ill father.  Caesar has inherited his mother’s intelligent and learns at a fast pace.

Without giving away the entire plot, I will simply say this film is well worth the $10 to catch it in the theatre.  The characters are well-developed and the plot is filled with “shout outs” to the original.  Even the CGI special effects were realistic.  The movie pulls you in and leaves you wondering whether you should root for the apes and their freedom or for the humans to survive the fate that awaits them.

What’s Playing on the iPod right now: “Hard Knock Life” – Jay-Z
What I am reading now: “Rum Punch” – Elmore Leonard

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First Day of School Rituals

 

Yesterday was the first day of school for my girls.  Ever since they started pre-school, we have a ritual where I take their picture before they head out the door.  This  year I thought that they were too old for the practice (10th and 7th grade).  Boy, was I wrong.  They both asked about their picture before I could get them out the door.   Who knew it meant as much to them as it did to me?

Do you have a first day of school ritual that you follow with your kids?

 

What I’m listening to:  “Everchanging Times” – Siedah Garrett

What I’m reading:  “Hunting in Harlem” – Mat Johnson

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Why Are You Single?

Although I’ve been married for seventeen years, I am aware of the single lady situation.  It seems to be an epidemic that must be explored and explained.  The statistics are staggering.  70% of Black women are single.  Not counting the number of those women that choose to be single, it seems as if there are a lot of eligible women out there looking for a man.  Specifically, a Black man.

An article I read in the Wall Street Journal echos the advice I have given my sister and other single friends.  Open yourself up to men of all races.

From the article:

Nearly 70% of black women are unmarried, and the racial gap in marriage spans the socioeconomic spectrum, from the urban poor to well-off suburban professionals. Three in 10 college-educated black women haven’t married by age 40; their white peers are less than half as likely to have remained unwed.

Black women confront the worst relationship market of any group because of economic and cultural forces that are not of
their own making; and they have needlessly worsened their situation by limiting themselves to black men.

While I don’t agree 100% with everything in this article, I think the take away should be to not limit your options.  Women can be and are single for several reason.  I don’t think anyone can presume to have the answer to why this woman is married and this one is not.  There is no secret to getting and keeping a man regardless of the many books on the subject.  (Side eye to Steve Harvey and Hill Harper)  Men just aren’t that complicated.  If  you have yourself together physically, emotionally and spiritually then  you will attract the same in a mate.  He just may not be in the package you expect.

But that’s just my opinion.  What say you?

What I’m reading:  “Hunting in Harlem” – Mat Johnson

What I’m listening to: “Victory” – Yolanda Adams

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To Begin Again……..Again

Last year I finally finished my novel, “Moment of Truth”.  It has taken me over a year to complete but to see the words “The End” typed on the page made it worth it.  The story was told and I could begin to work on a new story.  Unleash a new cast of characters that live in my head.   (I am having fun doing the “Story Soundtrack” series.)

But my editing has been slow to non-existent.  What is going on?  Why can’t I harness the same level of excitement for this part of the project?  I’ve been questioning the characters motivation, questioning the point of view, questioning if I had the nerves or the guts to see this through to the end.  My problem is that I see this big project, this major dream that I have and I want to do everything so I end up doing nothing.  As the saying goes, what’s the best way to eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.

I am going to see this through to the end.  I am going to publish my book one way or the other.  It only starts with putting words on the damn page.

What I’m listening to:  “Otis”  Kayne West & Jay-Z

What I’m reading: “Hunting in Harlem” – Mat Johnson

Peace.

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NBA Lockout – My Thoughts

Good bye to this?

I love basketball.  I like to play it and I enjoy watching it.  The  hubby and I try to catch at least one or two NBA games a season.  (Those ticket prices are not for the faint of heart or checking account.)  And I think the majority of people will agree that the past NBA season was the most compelling in years.  You had the hate for the Miami  Heat, rising young stars, a likeable MVP in Derrick Rose and the Dallas Mavericks winning the NBA finals.  What’s not to like?

Then we get to the summer and the expiration of the CBA, the lock out and talk of players going overseas.  When Billy Hunter, President of the Player’s Association said he wouldn’t bet on their being an NBA season I was disappointed.

Anytime you have millionaires and billionaires arguing about how to split up revenues you won’t get any sympathy from your every day working stiff.  What are they talking about here?  I think there are some things in this situation that we can all agree on:

  • Did some NBA owners give out bad contracts?  Yes.  I’m looking at you Washington (Gilbert Arenas/Antawn Jamison), Orlando (Rashard Lewis), Detroit (Richard Hamilton), Atlanta (Joe Johnson), Los Angeles Clippers (Baron Davis), etc.
  • Did some players fail to live up to expectations?  Yes.  Eddy Curry, Turkoglu, Ben Gordon, Michael Redd, Stojakovic and Vince Carter are just a few names that come to mind.

So, how can they fix this mess?  Let’s start with a more equitable split of revenues (the players currently get 57%), a hard cap to keep the owners from being stupid and reduce the number of years on guaranteed contracts.  I mean, if players are so eager to go play overseas for little money (by NBA standards) and no guarantees, why won’t they make some concessions?

Bottom line, I just want to see the games.  I want the NBA season to start on time.  I want to see if Dallas can repeat, if my Lakers have one more title run in them, and if the Heat is still the team to hate.  I want the NBA to continue.  Is that too much to ask?

What I’m Listening to Now: “Here and Now” – Luther Vandross
What I’m Reading Now:  “Cross Fire” – James Patterson

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What Not to Do as a Writer

I didn’t have time to draft my own post so I refer you to one of my new favorite blogs.  Lisa Kilian is one funny lady and I’ve learned a lot since I started following her.  Read what she had to say about forcing your niche.

Enjoy!

 

What Not to Do as a Writer.

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Story Soundtrack – I

What’s Playing on the iPod right now: “I Want to Dance with Somebody” – Whitney Houston
What I am reading now: “The Good House” – Tananarive Due

Here is something new I going to try.  Wednesdays will now be known as Story Soundtrack.  I’ll take a song that I’m feeling and image a short story that would have the song as its soundtrack.  Sounds fun?  I think so.

First up, Estelle’s “Break My Heart.”

(I could do without Rick Ross on the track but he doesn’t totally kill the vibe for me like say, Lil’ Wayne would have.)

Okay, the story would go like this.  Middle age women, after a string of bad relationships, swears off men.  She will concentrate on her career (something demanding) and taking care of everyone in her family except herself.  She feels that everything is right in her world until (cue lights!) He walks in.  He has everything you could want in a man.  He is tall, good-looking, making major bank, and confident for days.  He also has a mysterious past.  He pursues, she resists.  He is persistent and after some initial miscommunication they began a relationship.  He finally reveals his mysterious problem but woman reverts to past behavior and pushes him away.  After some time apart, (woman goes away to a beach or something to reflect) she rushes back to be by his side.  She confesses that she wants to make it work but asks him to promise that he won’t break her heart.

That’s GOLD, right?!

Peace,

Michelle

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Learning to Let Go

What’s Playing on the iPod right now: “Fresh” – Kool & the Gang
What I am reading now: “The Writer magazine” – August 2011

My daughters are not pictured.

 I am the mother of two teenage girls.  Yes, say a prayer for me now.  My girls have gotten to the place where I can see the child they used to be merging into the women they will become.  But until they get there, I still need to guide and protect them.  Sometimes the protecting thing drives me crazy!

This past weekend, I dropped my 15-year-old and her friend at Sandhills (a multi purpose outdoor shopping center).  They were going to the 7:20 p.m. movie and hang out with friends.  My daughter was instructed to call me when the movie was over.  At about 9:30 I still hadn’t heard from her.  Figuring the movie should be over I called her cell phone.  No answer.  I texted.  No response.  I wait a few minutes and dialed her again.  Still no answer.  This is where I freak out.

I don’t know if its my own oppressive childhood or my over active imagination that takes me to a crazy place.  A place where an unaswered cell phone means your child has been abducted or hurt or any number of foul 11 o’clock news worthy events.  It makes me want to keep my girls close and not let them out of my sight.

I know, I know.  They are getting older and I have to allow them to grow.  As my daughter reminded me when I picked her up, “I’m not doing anything wrong.”  And she wasn’t.  The movie ran longer than I thought and her phone was on silent in the theater.

Still, when I look at her and see the young woman taking shape in her features I can’t help but also see the toothless grin of my baby.  And it’s hard to let your baby go.

 

Peace,

Michelle