If 90% of life is showing up, and 90% of getting anything done is mental, attitude, whatever, that means only 1% of accomplishing anything comes down to a real, physical world challenge. The other 99% is, in essence, a decision. Make the decision. Follow through.
It couldn't be more simple.
Yet simplicity doesn't always mean success. Who's ever tried a diet? How much more simple could anything be?
Eat right.
That's all there is to a diet. Any diet. Yet, it's a multi-billion dollar industry of books, plans, supplements, meals, magazines, shows ...
Eat right. That's all there is to it. Simple, yet ... never has there been a better example of the disconnect between the simplicity of what should be and the reality of what is. This sort of disconnect is all too common in life.
But no matter the colossal worldwide energy that goes into dieting, a diet, like anything else, comes down to that same simplicity.
Make the decision. Follow through.
Just because I believe this completely doesn't mean I'm the best practitioner. However I offer it up for your consideration. Maybe you'll be better at it than I am. :-)
#TeamStarAngel
#MakeItBetter
TeamStarAngel.com
Monday, June 27, 2016
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Secrets of Writing
Over the years I've learned two important things:
- Just do it
- Train of thought is king
Okay. I'm sure I've learned more than those two things, but they definitely stand out above the rest. :-)
Just do it probably applies to everything in life. It was, I think, one of the best marketing slogans of all time when Nike came out with it. That concept has been with us throughout time. It implies making a decision to take action, and also implies that you probably had something in mind leading up to that, more likely than not a very well formed idea, and that you're hesitating. Just do it. Exercise. Take the next step. Form that business you've been planning.
Write.
Inspiration rarely strikes when you can act on it. Waiting for inspiration leads nowhere fast. You may have experienced this. I'm guessing you have. So ... what to do? If you can't wait for inspiration the thing to do, the only thing, really, is to create it. I've found this can actually be done. Inertia is a bitch and you first have to overcome that. However, if you "just do it", if you sit down and, as some writers have described it, stare at the screen (or paper or wall or whatever) until your eyes bleed ... inspiration will come. I've done this experiment. It works. If you, analytically and with full malice aforethought, sit down to do the thing you know you want to do, remove all distraction and just begin, inspiration will come. Sometimes it takes 10, 15, 20 minutes or more, but it will strike and you'll be off.
Which brings me to my second observation. Train of thought.
This is important, and can derail (badump bump) not only getting started, but making progress. Studies were done some time ago with programmers (programming, like writing, is a highly creative area that requires focus and train of thought), and it was found that it took anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes to get into the zone where they were rolling and producing. A distraction in the middle of that and they had to kind of get back up to speed. This applies to writing as well.
If you're getting distracted or interrupted 4 times an hour you may sit there trying to write the entire time and get nothing done. That many little distractions may seem harmless enough, and might only take 4 minutes out of your 60 -- or even less -- but they throw you off your train of thought and, by the time you're getting up to speed again -- another distraction and there goes your hour.
Create the space you need. Distractions come from you as well. Sometimes even more than external. A few minutes in you decide you're getting nowhere and check your Facebook feed (I hope I'm not interrupting your inspiration right now), or think of some other little thing you need to get done ...
It can be insidious. Early on I learned how important it is to make that space and keep your train of thought at full steam once you have it.
I've said this before, but I believe everyone has (at least one good) story to tell, and probably a song to sing, a painting to paint ... Unlike music and painting and other forms of art, however, anyone can write. We can sit down and write our story. It's also easy as hell to share.
So I ask you. Are you writing yours?
#TeamStarAngel
TeamStarAngel.com
- Just do it
- Train of thought is king
Okay. I'm sure I've learned more than those two things, but they definitely stand out above the rest. :-)
Just do it probably applies to everything in life. It was, I think, one of the best marketing slogans of all time when Nike came out with it. That concept has been with us throughout time. It implies making a decision to take action, and also implies that you probably had something in mind leading up to that, more likely than not a very well formed idea, and that you're hesitating. Just do it. Exercise. Take the next step. Form that business you've been planning.
Write.
Inspiration rarely strikes when you can act on it. Waiting for inspiration leads nowhere fast. You may have experienced this. I'm guessing you have. So ... what to do? If you can't wait for inspiration the thing to do, the only thing, really, is to create it. I've found this can actually be done. Inertia is a bitch and you first have to overcome that. However, if you "just do it", if you sit down and, as some writers have described it, stare at the screen (or paper or wall or whatever) until your eyes bleed ... inspiration will come. I've done this experiment. It works. If you, analytically and with full malice aforethought, sit down to do the thing you know you want to do, remove all distraction and just begin, inspiration will come. Sometimes it takes 10, 15, 20 minutes or more, but it will strike and you'll be off.
Which brings me to my second observation. Train of thought.
This is important, and can derail (badump bump) not only getting started, but making progress. Studies were done some time ago with programmers (programming, like writing, is a highly creative area that requires focus and train of thought), and it was found that it took anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes to get into the zone where they were rolling and producing. A distraction in the middle of that and they had to kind of get back up to speed. This applies to writing as well.
If you're getting distracted or interrupted 4 times an hour you may sit there trying to write the entire time and get nothing done. That many little distractions may seem harmless enough, and might only take 4 minutes out of your 60 -- or even less -- but they throw you off your train of thought and, by the time you're getting up to speed again -- another distraction and there goes your hour.
Create the space you need. Distractions come from you as well. Sometimes even more than external. A few minutes in you decide you're getting nowhere and check your Facebook feed (I hope I'm not interrupting your inspiration right now), or think of some other little thing you need to get done ...
It can be insidious. Early on I learned how important it is to make that space and keep your train of thought at full steam once you have it.
I've said this before, but I believe everyone has (at least one good) story to tell, and probably a song to sing, a painting to paint ... Unlike music and painting and other forms of art, however, anyone can write. We can sit down and write our story. It's also easy as hell to share.
So I ask you. Are you writing yours?
#TeamStarAngel
TeamStarAngel.com
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Marketing Yourself
Apologies if the title sounds more interesting than what I'm about to say. It sounds like you might come away with some new tip or an exciting idea for how to market, and I'm not sure that will be the case. I'm more wanting to take a moment to share what I've observed so far, to possibly engage a conversation and, in fact, to see what I can learn from those with more experience. There's no doubt I'll increase my own as I continue my personal journey. There's also little doubt I'll look back later and wonder how I ever made it when I knew so little. :-)
Let me start by saying the world is filled with creators. This is a good thing, and I think it's also only natural, as this has always been the case -- we're all artists and creators -- but it's only just now, at this moment in history, when it has become impossibly easy for every artist -- which is all of us -- to find an audience. In fact, it's become so easy we can now do it out of pure boredom. We almost can't NOT do it. We've all got access. Extreme access. We can make a little doodle and, potentially, share it with a billion people if they'll look. And if we've all got access, and we're all creators, who's the audience?
It's us, of course. We're sharing and consuming around the clock, and while there's still the big sensations, the Taylor Swifts of the world, the David G McDaniels (just checking if you're paying attention), there's also tons and tons of smaller groups, niche bands, poets, filmmakers, furniture designers and origami masters you'll never hear about ... yet they have a following and fans, and how do you find them and how do you, as an artist, get found among the sea of noise?
I wish I knew.
Marketing ourselves is a game we're all playing. How do others find you? How do you make it stick, and grow? There's no screening process like there was decades ago and everyone's clamoring. You can immediately get to anything and everything and it's all there and you've mostly got to sift through it to find what you want, and while you're doing that you're also putting your own stuff out there into the same process ...
For me it's been an eye opener. I suppose I knew, intuitively, how much action I'd be diving into, but part of me thought -- probably like everyone else thinks -- Oh, once I start ... of course people will notice. Fans will come and it will all unfold beautifully into everything I imagine.
I wonder if that's actually happened for anyone just getting started.
Maybe it has. Probably it must have. Just by the law of averages a few of us must hit it big right out of the gates. But for the rest, even the ones that go on to become hugely successful, there's work to be done. Lots of work. And my struggle has not been with the effort -- I'm more than willing to put in the time, and I do -- but where to actually focus that energy. I keep getting these Ah ha! moments where I think I've figured out the exact right thing ... only to discover it's a waste of time. Or has very low returns.
And so my quest continues. Part of me thinks it's a numbers game, and that may be true. Continue to network, I tell myself, continue to learn, continue to apply, continue to post (the sum total of the world's servers must be massive, truly, to hold all our crap), continue to persist (is that redundant?) and don't give up.
I'll close with that. For all you fellow artists out there, and by that I mean everyone, I believe this: We never fail. We only give up. We might quit, but I don't think we ever fail. This is just my opinion, but it kind of makes sense, right? How can you fail if you never give up?
#TeamStarAngel
Let me start by saying the world is filled with creators. This is a good thing, and I think it's also only natural, as this has always been the case -- we're all artists and creators -- but it's only just now, at this moment in history, when it has become impossibly easy for every artist -- which is all of us -- to find an audience. In fact, it's become so easy we can now do it out of pure boredom. We almost can't NOT do it. We've all got access. Extreme access. We can make a little doodle and, potentially, share it with a billion people if they'll look. And if we've all got access, and we're all creators, who's the audience?
It's us, of course. We're sharing and consuming around the clock, and while there's still the big sensations, the Taylor Swifts of the world, the David G McDaniels (just checking if you're paying attention), there's also tons and tons of smaller groups, niche bands, poets, filmmakers, furniture designers and origami masters you'll never hear about ... yet they have a following and fans, and how do you find them and how do you, as an artist, get found among the sea of noise?
I wish I knew.
Marketing ourselves is a game we're all playing. How do others find you? How do you make it stick, and grow? There's no screening process like there was decades ago and everyone's clamoring. You can immediately get to anything and everything and it's all there and you've mostly got to sift through it to find what you want, and while you're doing that you're also putting your own stuff out there into the same process ...
For me it's been an eye opener. I suppose I knew, intuitively, how much action I'd be diving into, but part of me thought -- probably like everyone else thinks -- Oh, once I start ... of course people will notice. Fans will come and it will all unfold beautifully into everything I imagine.
I wonder if that's actually happened for anyone just getting started.
Maybe it has. Probably it must have. Just by the law of averages a few of us must hit it big right out of the gates. But for the rest, even the ones that go on to become hugely successful, there's work to be done. Lots of work. And my struggle has not been with the effort -- I'm more than willing to put in the time, and I do -- but where to actually focus that energy. I keep getting these Ah ha! moments where I think I've figured out the exact right thing ... only to discover it's a waste of time. Or has very low returns.
And so my quest continues. Part of me thinks it's a numbers game, and that may be true. Continue to network, I tell myself, continue to learn, continue to apply, continue to post (the sum total of the world's servers must be massive, truly, to hold all our crap), continue to persist (is that redundant?) and don't give up.
I'll close with that. For all you fellow artists out there, and by that I mean everyone, I believe this: We never fail. We only give up. We might quit, but I don't think we ever fail. This is just my opinion, but it kind of makes sense, right? How can you fail if you never give up?
#TeamStarAngel
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Triumph & Tragedy
I prefer Triumph over Tragedy. Of course in life Triumph is more rewarding, and that seems like a no-brainer, though many of us do seek a little heartache and drama in our lives. As humans we seem to have a propensity for misery.
In storytelling, though, I prefer the uplifting to the tragic. As a writer Triumph is always the sort of stand-up-and-shout emotion I'm going for. Of course to get a good Triumph you need good Tragedy. Tragedy must lead to any Triumphant moment, or at least the best ones -- it's hard to triumph over nothing -- but I prefer the stories that have their fair share of incredible victories, overcoming the odds ... basically really big wins.
As for reality; in truth there's more positive in the world than negative. More good. Despite the merchants of chaos running the typical news hour, despite all the bad things made all the worse, all the more serious by the fact that they get the most alarming coverage, the evidence supports the fact that, mostly, we're good. We haven't killed each other yet. Wars, yes, terrible crimes against each other, of course, but over the millennia we've gotten better. The world has advanced. If the balance of our actions were destructive than we wouldn't be here today. Man -- the vast majority of us -- is good, and no cynic, no matter how clever, can change that.
It's the cycles, however, that make it interesting. On the whole mankind is not a Tragedy, but we've certainly had our dark times. We likely will again. Like ice ages we go through cultural shifts, and the Romans exist no more and the Thousand Year Reich never made it and someone new is in charge and so on and so on.
And so a good story, in my opinion, has both, but it has no shortage of Triumph. And, of course, nothing beats that for an ending.
#TeamStarAngel
#MakeItBetter
TeamStarAngel.com
In storytelling, though, I prefer the uplifting to the tragic. As a writer Triumph is always the sort of stand-up-and-shout emotion I'm going for. Of course to get a good Triumph you need good Tragedy. Tragedy must lead to any Triumphant moment, or at least the best ones -- it's hard to triumph over nothing -- but I prefer the stories that have their fair share of incredible victories, overcoming the odds ... basically really big wins.
As for reality; in truth there's more positive in the world than negative. More good. Despite the merchants of chaos running the typical news hour, despite all the bad things made all the worse, all the more serious by the fact that they get the most alarming coverage, the evidence supports the fact that, mostly, we're good. We haven't killed each other yet. Wars, yes, terrible crimes against each other, of course, but over the millennia we've gotten better. The world has advanced. If the balance of our actions were destructive than we wouldn't be here today. Man -- the vast majority of us -- is good, and no cynic, no matter how clever, can change that.
It's the cycles, however, that make it interesting. On the whole mankind is not a Tragedy, but we've certainly had our dark times. We likely will again. Like ice ages we go through cultural shifts, and the Romans exist no more and the Thousand Year Reich never made it and someone new is in charge and so on and so on.
And so a good story, in my opinion, has both, but it has no shortage of Triumph. And, of course, nothing beats that for an ending.
#TeamStarAngel
#MakeItBetter
TeamStarAngel.com
Saturday, March 5, 2016
World Building
Today I thought I'd talk a little about world building. Most writers do world building, some more than others, and in fact there have been heated debates about how much is needed. I recall watching a video interview with George RR Martin, the "Game of Thrones" author, and him talking about the degree to which he builds out the underlying foundation -- the world, the universe -- for his characters and stories, and how there was this other author (can't recall his name) who was of the opinion that world building was overrated. Martin was disputing that, and pointing out how with the other guy's stories there were slips in continuity. The other guy, apparently, believed the story was all that mattered and the rest was a waste of time.
I disagree.
Martin is correct; world building is important. In fact, for my first series I stopped early on and took the time to flesh out the full history and universe my characters were playing in, just so there was something consistent to hang it all together. By the time I was done that write-up turned out to be 60 pages, and covered everything from past races to current governments and all the framework and mechanics that made everything work. For "Star Angel" I have a historical timeline from 100,000 years before the stories take place, along with write-ups for all major events. I call it the "Star Angel Companion." No one will probably ever read it.
It helps. Greatly. Especially in a fictional world. Writers of stories in a modern or historical setting have it a bit easier, of course, as their "world" is pre-built for them. Stories that take place right here on Earth, in the "real" world have our entire existence to draw from. It's the world we know. World War I happened and all the details are there for anyone to use and we all know exactly how it shaped events and how it might lead to any character motivations. If you're making up a fictional universe, however, you may not be able to draw from that. In some cases none of it. And so for your story to work you need to at least have the basics defined. Otherwise your characters are swimming in an ocean with no direction and no land.
World building is important.
Maps. Histories. Beliefs. Races. Lineages and hierarchies, changes in physics (if any), rules of magic and other fantastic knowledge. Languages. All these things become important, and merely winging it as you go along, fitting in these very important elements as a matter of convenience, placing the story first and not worrying over the details ...
That approach can create a sort of low-level vertigo with the reader.
And so I feel it's important to take the time to flesh out your world, your back stories, your historical motivations and all else that shapes the universe in which your characters live. This can be work, no doubt. But the reward will become clear the further you forge into your story, when you see how easily things hang together, how well the pieces fit, and how much what your characters are doing makes sense.
Doing so ensures continuity. It removes distractions for the reader. And, if you take the time early on, it most definitely makes it easier in the long run for you, the writer.
There you have it. Two more of my cents. :-)
As always, keep writing!
#TeamStarAngel
#MakeItBetter
I disagree.
Martin is correct; world building is important. In fact, for my first series I stopped early on and took the time to flesh out the full history and universe my characters were playing in, just so there was something consistent to hang it all together. By the time I was done that write-up turned out to be 60 pages, and covered everything from past races to current governments and all the framework and mechanics that made everything work. For "Star Angel" I have a historical timeline from 100,000 years before the stories take place, along with write-ups for all major events. I call it the "Star Angel Companion." No one will probably ever read it.
It helps. Greatly. Especially in a fictional world. Writers of stories in a modern or historical setting have it a bit easier, of course, as their "world" is pre-built for them. Stories that take place right here on Earth, in the "real" world have our entire existence to draw from. It's the world we know. World War I happened and all the details are there for anyone to use and we all know exactly how it shaped events and how it might lead to any character motivations. If you're making up a fictional universe, however, you may not be able to draw from that. In some cases none of it. And so for your story to work you need to at least have the basics defined. Otherwise your characters are swimming in an ocean with no direction and no land.
World building is important.
Maps. Histories. Beliefs. Races. Lineages and hierarchies, changes in physics (if any), rules of magic and other fantastic knowledge. Languages. All these things become important, and merely winging it as you go along, fitting in these very important elements as a matter of convenience, placing the story first and not worrying over the details ...
That approach can create a sort of low-level vertigo with the reader.
And so I feel it's important to take the time to flesh out your world, your back stories, your historical motivations and all else that shapes the universe in which your characters live. This can be work, no doubt. But the reward will become clear the further you forge into your story, when you see how easily things hang together, how well the pieces fit, and how much what your characters are doing makes sense.
Doing so ensures continuity. It removes distractions for the reader. And, if you take the time early on, it most definitely makes it easier in the long run for you, the writer.
There you have it. Two more of my cents. :-)
As always, keep writing!
#TeamStarAngel
#MakeItBetter
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Continuum Fiction
Okay, I'm putting it out there, a new genre:
Continuum Fiction
I may not be the first to write it, but I'm probably the first to name it. New genres eventually get created to cover new types of fiction, and each new division only helps refine and define the expectations for a certain type of story.
Fiction, of course, is at the top. Fiction is a made-up story. Great, you like made-up stories, but is Fiction enough of a category to let you know the kind of story you'll be getting?
How about Science Fiction? Closer, but there's still a wide variety. And so we come up with categories that refine the classification of story and therefore have a better idea of the type of story we're getting when we see that genre. Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Adventure and a hundred others that weren't and then were have been created to identify common themes.
And so today I'm officially naming it:
Continuum Fiction
What follows is my working definition, set down here, and I intend to make a Wikipedia article if they'll let me:
Continuum Fiction: any story where at least one character, at some point, recognizes a continuum of existence of self, recalling with certainty having been and acted as various identities in the past, with an awareness of the distinction of self in the present, whether gained through exposure to elements in the story (revelation/epiphany) or with an existing awareness at the story's inception.
Continuum Fiction does not preclude cloning (such as Palpatine in the "Star Wars" universe), genetic streams (such as "Dune"), or mechanical transference, such as the computer storage of consciousness that occurs in many sci-fi stories. However, to be true Continuum Fiction the actual individual, the true identity, the soul, the spirit -- however you define it, the person themselves, the real person and who they truly are, not a body, not a brain, not synapses or neurons or genetic copies; a true reincarnation/continuation -- must transit to a new awareness, body, etc.
And that's Continuum Fiction.
"Star Angel" fits this definition. Another series I wrote and may revive (badump bump), the "Saga of Ages" series, is Continuum Fiction. Who knows? Maybe I can become the master of the genre I made a name for! :-)
I hereby declare Continuum Fiction a thing. Others have written it, though not many, and not exactly as defined above. Continuum Fiction is my small contribution to the literary landscape.
As always, thank you for listening. :-)
#TeamStarAngel
#MakeItBetter
TeamStarAngel.com
Continuum Fiction
I may not be the first to write it, but I'm probably the first to name it. New genres eventually get created to cover new types of fiction, and each new division only helps refine and define the expectations for a certain type of story.
Fiction, of course, is at the top. Fiction is a made-up story. Great, you like made-up stories, but is Fiction enough of a category to let you know the kind of story you'll be getting?
How about Science Fiction? Closer, but there's still a wide variety. And so we come up with categories that refine the classification of story and therefore have a better idea of the type of story we're getting when we see that genre. Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Adventure and a hundred others that weren't and then were have been created to identify common themes.
And so today I'm officially naming it:
Continuum Fiction
What follows is my working definition, set down here, and I intend to make a Wikipedia article if they'll let me:
Continuum Fiction: any story where at least one character, at some point, recognizes a continuum of existence of self, recalling with certainty having been and acted as various identities in the past, with an awareness of the distinction of self in the present, whether gained through exposure to elements in the story (revelation/epiphany) or with an existing awareness at the story's inception.
Continuum Fiction does not preclude cloning (such as Palpatine in the "Star Wars" universe), genetic streams (such as "Dune"), or mechanical transference, such as the computer storage of consciousness that occurs in many sci-fi stories. However, to be true Continuum Fiction the actual individual, the true identity, the soul, the spirit -- however you define it, the person themselves, the real person and who they truly are, not a body, not a brain, not synapses or neurons or genetic copies; a true reincarnation/continuation -- must transit to a new awareness, body, etc.
And that's Continuum Fiction.
"Star Angel" fits this definition. Another series I wrote and may revive (badump bump), the "Saga of Ages" series, is Continuum Fiction. Who knows? Maybe I can become the master of the genre I made a name for! :-)
I hereby declare Continuum Fiction a thing. Others have written it, though not many, and not exactly as defined above. Continuum Fiction is my small contribution to the literary landscape.
As always, thank you for listening. :-)
#TeamStarAngel
#MakeItBetter
TeamStarAngel.com
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Good News
You get what you validate (support the truth or value of). When it comes to News we don't have many choices. Bad news sells so that's what we get. We don't, however, have to validate it. Tragedy is part of life and when it strikes -- handle it. Don't tune in to watch unless you can do something to make it better. Take action. Don't be a spectator. Spectating is for sports, not life. Don't be a spectator in life.
Between tragedies we can seek out other sources of news, and it's nice to have a few out there focused on the good. The Good News Network is one of them.
http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/
By the way, this isn't a head-in-the-sand mentality, or whistling past the graveyard. Validating that which is desired is the first step on the road to making it better. Validating the negative is not. Validate the good, not the bad. You'll be surprised how well that works. :-)
#TeamStarAngel
#MakeItBetter
TeamStarAngel.com
Between tragedies we can seek out other sources of news, and it's nice to have a few out there focused on the good. The Good News Network is one of them.
http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/
By the way, this isn't a head-in-the-sand mentality, or whistling past the graveyard. Validating that which is desired is the first step on the road to making it better. Validating the negative is not. Validate the good, not the bad. You'll be surprised how well that works. :-)
#TeamStarAngel
#MakeItBetter
TeamStarAngel.com
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