Posts filed under 'Publishing Infos'
You know, most of the books out there are garbage: that’s to
say, they’re just not needed. See, this is the crucial aspect a
man must ask himself before sitting down with a pen: “Does the
world really need this book?” Unfortunately, the answer is
generally a big, bloated “NO!” I mean, just take a stroll
through any bookstore and tell me that the world couldn’t do
without the majority of that crapola. In fact, in many cases,
the world is much worse off for having such material. In
particular, I’m referring to most all of the “Self-Help” genre.
You know the false prophets of our day: Oprah, Dr. Phil, Stephen
Covey, et al.
Really, what gives these folks the audacity to present
themselves as the bearers of truth and answers. In this
mysterious, vast universe does any mortal possess a definitive
answer? Really! It’s quite remarkable. Friends, if you want real
wisdom, forget about these twentieth century charlatans and turn
to, say, Jesus or the Dalia Lama. Why mess around with the
guppies when the whales are right there waiting for you.
That having been said, I do think it’s worthwhile and necessary
for new books to be written: and I mean today; and, perhaps I’m
an opinionated guy, but I’m talking about the right books: books
that come straight from the heart, with a poignant urgency,
because they must be written. Not too many books that weren’t
written in a warzone deserve to be published.
What’s meant by warzone? See, I’m just the type of fool who can
anticpate your questions. By warzone, I’m talking about strife,
conflict, trouble. It’s no small coincidence that many of our
greatest artists and writers were also, generally, somewhat
disturbed and dysfunctional people: the whole ear-chopping,
alcoholic, suicidal trip. It may seem bleak, and I don’t endorse
such pessimism personally, but, history supports my claim. And,
you’ll notice, many of them beat back their demons with the
candor of their pens and paints! That’s important to note baby!
Through candid art, one can triumph over adversity! Amen! Amen!
No, there is no coincidence in that observation. And, a real
litmus test sort of question: “Do you think the world,
generally, is troubled?” Ask that at the next cocktail party you
attend. See what sort of answers you get. I’ll tell you, the
person who answers “Yes” is the woman I’d be most interested in
reading.
So, to be more specific, what I’m really talking about is the
subject you choose to write about. And, I’m advocating that you
select a highly personal aspect of your life which troubles you.
This approach is responsible for such writers as James Baldwin,
Richard Wright, Albert Camus, Sylvia Plath, and Henry Miller: to
name just a few.
Of course, there is a type of implicit irony, in that when
you’re in the midst of your troubles, it’s quite difficult to
write about them. And, that’s what this is all about. That’s
writing in a warzone baby. We see that so clearly in the work
of–to take one example–James Baldwin, who was so deeply
disturbed by the racial inequalities of his day. In his novels,
it’s apparent that Mr. Baldwin was really struggling with life
and trying to find an inner peace. And, he still managed to
write the whole time. And, prolifically, I’ll add. This is not
an easy accomplishment. And, that’s the point…many beautiful
books, by nature, don’t come into existence, because the
troubled circumstances–which, should be the subject–prevent
one from achieving the necessary concentration and focus.
The writer must remember why the potential book matters. It
matters because it’s going to change the world: nothing less!
And, it will, as many authors have done before you…and, as
many authors will do after. That’s the beauty of sitting down,
by yoursef, with a pen and a paper: you have the potential to
change the future. And, that should be your goal! And, of
course, you want to change the future for the better, because,
deep-down, you’re the biggest optimist on the planet, and, if
you’re not, you might as well stop reading this right this
instant baby, because, you’ve got the wrong writer before you.
So, you want to change the world for the better. Good. What
else? You have to maintain concentration on your material. You
need to think about it all the time. When you look at the
clouds, you’ve got to see the people you’re writing about.
You’ve just got to become overwhelmed by love baby! And, that
love will lead you to prayer.
Uh Oh! Did this writer mention prayer? You’re not supposed to do
that! Too bad. You know, in this age and culture, which seems to
be quite involved with religion, it’s funny that somehow it’s
not cool to mention it. Too bad again. We’re talking about
writing a book which concerns a difficult, personal topic, while
you’re in the midst of the experience, and, besides staying
centered on the material and seeing the people in the clouds,
you better drop down to your knees and ask the Great One in the
sky for a little assistance. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Ask to be guided and protected and for help with your work in
which you’re trying to improve the world. Books that result from
a process like this are the books I want to read. You can view a
lot of talented writers at http://www.artplop.com. Thanks for
your time friends and good luck!
April 20th, 2008
Diaries are often the one sacred and private space for girls
to record their secrets; secrets about crushes on boys, who
is a new friend and who is no longer a friend, and the
details of the emotional turmoil–so common as a
youngster–are all fresh material for a diary. Along with
keeping a diary comes the fear that a parent, or God forbid a
sibling, might find and read the secrets that have been so
painstakingly recorded. Even into adulthood, diaries remain
a private, personal item. But, a little over two years again, I
decided to write my final diary entry, and it went like this:
“Dear Diary,
I’ve decided to leave you for another. I’ve decided to cease
keeping secrets and start sharing my hopes, dreams,
thoughts, beliefs, and opinions. I’ve decided to share my
words with trusted friends and family members and to
openly celebrate the beauty of life and living. From now on I
will share my writings in a journal with the help of some
very special journal buddies.”
By choosing to cease hiding and begin sharing my writings,
the topics I focused on took a dramatic shift. As a result of
openly sharing my journal writings my focus naturally shifted
to the positives, because they are much more enjoyable and
fun to share. Pages once filled with sadness, complaints
and heartbreak are now filled with hope and joy, possibility
and beauty, wonder and happiness. Also, to my vast
surprise, my life shifted as well and began to reflect my
positive writing focus.
You see, our focus is exceptionally powerful and what we
focus on grows bigger! So when I choose to share my
writing and to begin focusing on the positives, my life was
suddenly more enjoyable, and more enjoyment lead to
greater happiness which lead to greater self-esteem and
well, you get the point. I want this positive shift to happen for
girls of all ages, and that is why I encourage everyone to
write a “Dear Diary, I’ve decided to leave you” entry of their
own.
But Why Journal Sharing
Now don’t get me wrong, there is great value in diaries and
secretive writing as a means to process and sort out those
extremely personal matters. Yet, I have found that as girls
and women, we progress and heal, process and learn our
life lessens much faster when we engage the help of a
trusted friend, or friends and family. This is why I believe
journal sharing is a valuable and smart choice, and I outline
below the top three reasons why I so strongly feel this way.
1. Training — Increased focus on the positives (rather than
on secrets, complaints or heartbreak) takes practice and
training. Journal sharing is an excellent means of
challenging oneself to focus on the positive and with the
help of a journal buddy you are more likely to stay on track.
Bottom line, it’s more fun to share the positives and it feels
better than sharing the negatives.
2. Habit — Journal sharing creates the powerful habit of
sharing and growing beauty rather than hiding in sadness
and negativity. Honestly, who would want to journal share
with a prolific pessimist! With the help of a journal buddy or
journal buddies, you can form the powerful and effective
habit of focusing on the positives.
3. Increased Self-Esteem and -Confidence — Journal
sharing teaches one how to be proud and confident through
self reflection with the help of a real human being as your
mirror. These interactive reflections from your buddy or
buddies tend to stick with you and have a more powerful,
lasting effect on you and your life.
I encourage you to try journal sharing today and begin to
experience the positive effects it will have on your writing
and your daily life. Get a notebook, buy a special journal, or
share by email. Whatever medium you choose, take the
leap and try sharing your journal writings with trusted friends
or family members. You might enjoy it more than you think!
Jill Schoenberg Girma is the author of “Journal Buddies: A
Girl’s Journal for Sharing and Celebrating Magnificence.”
She was born and raised in St. Cloud, Minnesota, attended
the University of Minnesota, and received a Bachelor of
Science degree in Youth Studies and Sociology. Her
professional experience includes more than six years of
working directly with young people–helping them to
understand and develop their self-esteem, creative talents
and life-skills.
Journal Buddies is available for purchase direct from the
publisher (visit us at http://www.journalbuddies.com for more
details), on Amazon.com, or by ordering through any retail
store by the title “Journal Buddies: A Girl’s Journal for
Sharing and Celebrating Magnificence.”
April 16th, 2008
What they didn’t tell you at Harvard Screenwriting School is that the Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon - understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.
Most people familiar with this story structure perceive it as the “Quest Theory.” That is, they can see how it can be a template for stories such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Jason and the Argonauts and so forth, but they resist the idea that it explains or is the core behind other stories such as Million Dollar Baby (Academy Award Winner Best Film 2004).
In fact, if you deconstruct the Academy Award Winners (Best Films) of the last few decades, you quickly realise that they are all based around the Hero’s Journey template. That there is, in fact, only one story.
Another gripe about the Hero’s Journey is the phenomena of the antihero - that the antihero is definitely not a hero in the classical sense.
This is true, however, the antihero is simply an archetype, in the same way as the Supernatural Aid, Shape Shifter et al. The difference between hero, anti-hero and other variations simply lies in situation, motivation and result:
Where the hero’s Ordinary World is idyllic (Lord of the Rings, 2003), the anti-hero’s world is uncomfortable and riddled with conflict (Raging Bull, 1980).
Where the hero embarks on adventure for altruistic reasons (Willow, 1988), the anti-hero embarks for selfish reasons.
Where the hero has good mentors (Lord of the Rings, 2003), the anti-hero has dark mentors (Raging Bull, 1980).
Where the hero resists dark temptations, the anti-hero gives in to them (Scarface, 1983).
Where the hero may sacrifice himself to prevent harm to others (Superman, 1978), the anti-hero will consciously set out to do harm (Goodfellas, 1990).
Where the hero will evolve, the anti-hero will regress.
Where the hero will achieve synergy (at the stage of the Ultimate Boon), the anti-hero will achieve alienation.
Where the hero’s allies will come to his aid, the anti-hero’s allies will betray.
Where the hero’s gain is tangible and prized, the anti-hero’s gain is dubious (Scarface, 1983).
The detailed, complete deconstruction and the Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and FREE 17 stage sample and other story structure templates can be found at http://managing-creativity.com/
You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.
Kal Bishop, MBA
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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.
Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com/
April 1st, 2008