Good art, bad art, and everything in between

Years ago, one of my acting professors told me that in order to make something good happen on stage, you had to first dig through a pile of crap. Or something like that.

The idea is there though-in order to produce good art, you must first get the lousy art out of the way. In order to be good at something, you have to suck at it first. So, I've been experimenting with that recently. The past few days, I've been writing with my inner editor turned off. I had a silly idea for a story, and instead of dismissing it, I decided to write it. I've written about 500 words so far, and to be honest? It sucks. And I love it. There is ONE sentence in all of those words that I actually might use. One. But that's how it works! In order to be a writer, we must read a lot, and write a lot. You have to dig through the mines to find the gold.

I'm having so much fun writing without being concerned about whether or not it's good. It is more liberating than you could ever imagine. I'm writing it to entertain myself, not to pitch it to editors. I think that when we turn off the fear of "will my story sell", we are more honest in our writing. I think that the one sentence I got from this lousy story will lead me into another story--a better one. It's simmering in the back of my head, and I can't wait to taste it.

I've kept my promise so far to read an essay, a short story, and a poem every night. I really am enjoying it! You know, it's like a cheese platter. A few bites of delicious, rich, creamy words followed by a sample of something fresh, and light. Then a small serving of something tough, with a sharp aftertaste that sticks with you for hours. A sampler platter of words. Does this take anyone else back to the word and letter market in The Phantom Tollbooth? Each letter had a different taste, and you could combine them to make even more flavorful words? I remember the first time I read that passage. Maybe that's why I always compare reading to eating.

Anyway, I've been devouring the stories in my giant book of Ray Bradbury shorts. Every night, I go to the table of contents and pick a random title that sounds intriguing. The other night, I read "The Burning Man." I had trouble falling asleep after that one. I find myself absolutely furious when I reach the end of certain stories, because I need to know what happens next. How can he deprive me of that? What do you mean I never find out what happens to Doug, and his Aunt Neva? My mind runs wild with all the possible scenarios. And then, when I've exhausted my imagination, I can't help but think "Bradbury, you wonderful genius." And then I'm up for hours, still stuck in the story.

For essays, I've been working out of Emerson's "Nature." I love it, because I often find myself shaking the book, wanting to shout "Yes! Exactly! I feel that, too!" It amazes me how connected I feel to his thoughts, and ideas. I think I am going to go back and re-read it when I'm done, just to delve a bit deeper into it. On a first reading, you only touch the surface. I want to go scuba diving, not snorkeling. I want to explore these ideas in a submarine, not a kayak. It's such a joy.

I love poems, but my experience with them is minimal. I'm thinking about switching them to a morning read, that way my mind is sharper when I open my anthology. By the time I get to the poem at night, I just want the shortest one I can find, so that I can read it, do my nightly writing, and go to sleep. I don't let myself taste the words, even though I know how delicious they can be. I like the idea of starting my day with a poem. I drank coffee for a year in college, only because I liked the idea of starting my day with a cup o'joe. I eventually replaced it with juice, water, or tea. Instead of coffee, I think I'll have a poem. Yes, I'd like a grande Poe. I'll take it black.

(ba-dum dum.)

In any case, I'm really enjoying my new writing and reading routine. I encourage you creative folk to give it a try. Feed your brain, and stuff your head. Thank you, and goodnight.

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Stuff Your Head, fool!

Happy Daylight Savings! I hope you all enjoy your extra hour of daylight, as spring continues to creep up on us. This morning, I was sitting on my front porch, desperate for some fresh air and sunshine, when I noticed gorgeous green buds pushing through the dirt. My heart smiled, as I filled my lungs with spring. My favorite part of this season is the smell of the earth. It is so rich, and full. Everything smells like life. It is invigorating, and beautiful.

I was really craving that breath of fresh air, because I've been sick for the past three weeks. Nothing horrible, but enough to keep me bed-ridden for almost a month. In April, I am having my tonsils removed. Normal tonsils will act as part of your immune system, but mine are not normal. They are evil. Evil tonsils get you sick rather often. Hence, my month in bed. The first week was spent mostly sleeping, followed by a week of watching TV and movies. I didn't have the mental energy to write, or read yet. But this past week, my mind has been itching to disappear into other worlds, to meet strange new people, and see wonderful new places. My creative bug was back, and it was time to start writing and reading. I was so relieved to finally feel up to it. It has been such an exhausting few weeks, and knowing that my creative energy was coming back made me feel better physically, and mentally. It was coming back, but it wasn't quite there. It needed a little kick, or for someone to start its engine.

I was browsing through the endless world of the internet, when I somehow stumbled across a speech Ray Bradbury gave at a Writer's Symposium in 2001. I started reading Bradbury a few months ago, and thought, "This may be exactly what I need to hear." It was. It was exactly what I needed, and more.
Here is the link for it...I highly recommend taking the time to watch it. It is truly a gift.

I hope you watch it, for all of this sounds much better coming from Bradbury. I could never quite match those charming little "heh's, and hmm's" that marks the end of each thought. I took away so much from it. He says we must stuff our heads with information. Fill them with new ideas, and metaphors. Every night we should read one short story, one poem, and one essay (from any field).

For short stories, he recommends:

• Roald Dahl
• John Cheever
• Richard Matheson
• Nigel Kneale
• John Collier
• Edith Wharton
• Washington Irving
• Melville
• Poe
• Nathaniel Hawthorne

For Poetry, he recommends:

• Alexander Pope
• Shakespeare
• Robert Frost

For Essays, he recommends:

• Aldous Huxley
• Loren Eisley
• George Bernard Shaw

Fill your mind, and STUFF your head with ideas and metaphors. Devour them. And while you're at it, write one short story per week.

I see a machine. We input the poems, stories, and essays into our mind. Our brain absorbs the ideas, and processes them. We file away some ideas, perhaps for a rainy day, or perhaps for when we least expect it. Some of them stick with us. The ones that stick...that haunt us at night while we lie awake trying to make sense of the world, we have the joy of turning into stories. Input. Process. Output. They become our story of the week.

This is such an excellent habit for writers, and other creative folk to develop. Input. Process. Output. We are always learning, always creating. STUFF YOUR HEAD, fool. The world is rich with knowledge, beauty, and ideas. Use your big, brilliant brain. I'm starting today. I can't wait. I can look at my bookshelf behind my bed, and find everything I need to start. Poetry anthology? Check. The Works of Poe? Check. Emerson, Thoreau, Aristotle, Dante, and Shakespeare. I cant wait to eat them all. I suffer from book collectors syndrome. I buy books faster than I can read them. I need to own them. I crave a well stocked book shelf. I look at a book, and see an explosion of ideas. I dream of my future home, not because of the life it will mean I have created...but so I can think about where to put my books. I've known since I was about 14 that I would have a huge home library someday. Ideas, stacked neatly on shelves, waiting to burst! How exhilarating! Bradbury said it himself: "Live in the library," and "stuff your head."

He goes on to explain, that "It's the age of communication, but does anyone ever call you?" We shouldn't get so distracted by our devices, and gadgets. We don't need a fancy computer to write good stories. "You don't need anything but a pad and a pencil, for chrissake!" How right he is. I often find myself guilty of thinking "if only I had a better this, or the latest that. Then, I can really do my work. Then, I'll be a writer." Take all the devices away, and you'll still be a writer. A better one, at that! Less distractions.

But if we find ourselves constantly distracted, and never writing, perhaps...that's not what we should be doing. Bradbury claims to have never worked a day in his life, for "if it feels like work, stop, and do something else." We should feel complete joy when we write. Why else would we do it? Certainly not for the money. Nowadays, anyone can achieve their 15 minutes. So we don't do it for the fame. We do it for the sheer joy of storytelling.

But what happens when you don't know what to write about? Well, that goes back to input, process, output. When you fill your mind with so many ideas, something is bound to stir up a story. But if it doesn't, here are some excellent prompts to get your gears turning.

1. "Make a list of 10 things you love madly, and write about it."
2. "Make a list of 10 things you hate, and kill them." **
3. "Make a list of the things you fear, and write your own personal nightmares."
4. Write about the things that your not sure actually happened to you. Trust your intuition.

**Number 2 reminds me of a favorite Stephen King quote from his book On Writing. "Kill your darlings, Kill your darlings. Even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler's heart, kill your darlings."

These four prompts really got me excited, particularly #3. How delightfully terrifying, to write about the things that scare you. Reminds me of when I played a vampiress in Dracula a few years ago. (Shout out to my Drack Pack!) Vampires creep me out. I can't explain why, but they just give me the heeby-jeebies. They're one of my top 2 irrational fears. If you can guess the other, you win. But back to the point. While playing a vampire, I had to take what scared me most about them, and apply it to my performance. In my mind, they seem to move on a cloud of smoke. Their feet don't touch the ground. Their motions are fast, and fluid. Their eyes are deep, yet empty. Did I succeed in portraying this? No clue. But it sure as hell helped me get into character, and it was wonderfully scary. Write your own personal nightmares. Yes, this will be fun.

Most importantly, we must always be willing to surprise ourselves. I hear so much about how to outline, plan, plot...and while I do believe that it can be remarkably useful (eg: J.K. Rowling's outlines for Harry Potter), it may not be the best way to write every story you ever set out to do. I haven't been able to successfully draft a story yet. Maybe it's a lack of experience, or my indecisive nature. Perhaps someday, I'll master the art of outlining. But right now, I prefer Bradbury's method of surprise.

"You don't know what's in you until you test it. Until you word associate. You've been writing self consciously, intellectually for too long. The deep stuff, your true self, hasn't had a chance to come out. You've been so busy thinking commercially what will sell, what'll I do, instead of saying 'Who am I? How do I discover ME?' You word associate."

His idea of word association, sitting down and writing whatever comes to mind, is a fantastic one. You get all the junk out of your head, and then suddenly the thoughts click. The words work together, and characters emerge, setting becomes clear. Surprise!

Yes, this was exactly what I needed. For the first time in three weeks, my mind feels sharp. I feel alive, invigorated, and ready to create. So, here I go. From here until eternity, I will read one short story, one poem, and one essay per day. I will write one short story per week. Time to start developing some good writing habits, or as Bradbury called it, hygiene. I can't wait to see what surprises are in store.

Sidenote: My brain may have just exploded. As I typed the last sentence of the previous paragraph, I turned my head and saw the fortune I got after last weeks take out. I had taped it to my bookshelf for inspiration.

"There are many unexpected and thrilling surprises in store for you!"


I love it when the cookies are right. :)

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