Mango in Poem

Even though I’m a writer, I have not written or read much poetry. However, I’m trying to open myself to the genre. A great resource is The Writer’s Almanac, a free daily electronic newsletter that features a poem along with literary and historical notes.

In the December 2 issue, I enjoyed a poem entitled “Eating a Mango Over the Kitchen Sink” by Phebe Hanson, from Why Still Dance (© Nodin Press, 2003). I know, I’m talking mangoes again! You know how sometimes you come across a word or person or thing that’s not common in your world and suddenly you find it everywhere? That’s what’s happening with mangoes for me right now. So here’s a snippet from the poem.

But a mango is a different story, impossible to eat except leaning
over the sink, tropical juice dripping down my pale Minnesota
winter wrists as I gaze
out at snow raging against my windows, like the storms of my childhood.

Free Will

Humans are blessed with free will. We can do absolutely anything that we want to, for good, bad or otherwise. So how come we so often waste this time we have living? After reading Kurt Vonnegut’s book, Timequake, I got thinking about what it would be like to relive ten years of my life precisely the same as the first time.

I look back at periods of my life — hours, days, weeks, even years — and I don’t think I’d want to relive them. They weren’t necessarily happy, satisfying, or productive moments. They didn’t make my life or the lives of my friends and family better. They didn’t have any effect on the world.

Now, not every minute of my life has to have meaning or add value. I couldn’t handle the pressure! However, I think it’s good to be mindful of my time — to remind myself that I have free will and can be doing anything I want to. Do I need to be up at 3 a.m. watching a That 70’s Show marathon? Not generally.

How do I really want to spend my time at any given moment? It’s a question I will actively ask myself more often.

Crocadilius Shitus

I’m reading Kurt Vonnegut’s book, Timequake, for my book group. It’s not a book I’d normally select, so I borrowed a copy from the library.

At the end of the opening chapter, Kurt quotes his alter ego, Kilgore Trout, as saying, “being alive is a crock of shit.” A previous reader illustrated the page with this pencil drawing …

My New Love Affair with Zines

I love the printed word and buy lots of books and magazines. I’ve recently become enamored with a new medium — the zine (pronounced like magazine without the “maga”). Fans of the independent press will scoff at my discovery, as zines have been around in one form or another for centuries. Zines are not mass produced, slick publications full of mainstream advertising. They’re made by people like you and me on computers, letterpress printers, or by hand.

Like anything self-produced, quality ranges from sophisticated to sophomoric (intentional or otherwise). But you can find some extremely well-written, entertaining and informative zines that are available for just a few bucks. Publications are available both as stand-alone issues or published regularly and available by subscription. Topics are as varied as they are in the blogosphere.

Here’s just a few zines in my personal library:

• CROQ – Published quarterly by Heather Mann, CROQ is written for crafters by crafters and covers the online crafting community, independent crafts, the indie business and DIY projects. I have at least 6-8 issues by now.
• Christmas Digest 2007 and Creative Spirit – by Sister Diane, a favorite blogger and podcaster of mine.
• How to Bag – a single issue DIY zine on how to sew your own messenger bag
• Do It Yourself Silkscreening – another DIY zine
• Bread and Salt – a zine of food history by Tim Miller (3 issues only)
• Ker-bloom! – a letterpress zine that’s been produced bi-monthly for over 11 years; I own #56, which describes a 2-week bike trip from Eugene, OR, to San Francisco
• Stolen Sharpie Revolution: Zine and DIY Resource Guide, 3rd Edition – the master resource for making your own zine

Did I pique your interest? Learn more or buy zines from these resources:

• Distributors that I’ve purchased zines from: Microcosm Publishing, Sweet Candy Distro, and Parcell Press
• List of more distros and another list
• Xerography Debt – zine that reviews other zines
• Definition of a zine
• Zine World – A reader’s guide to the underground press, including zines, books, comics, newsletters, one-shots, videos, posters, spoken word recordings, or anything else in almost any media on any subject — except music.
• The Book of Zines – everything you want to know about the world of zines
• ZineWiki – an open-source encyclopedia devoted to zines and independent media; covers the history, production, distribution and culture of the small press

NaNoWriMo Winner 2007

At 9:15 pm this evening, I finally crossed the NaNoWriMo finish line with 50,090 words. It has taken me three attempts, but I am finally a WINNER (that’s the title we bless ourselves with if we manage to string together at least 50,000 words of a story during the month of November). I posted the mini winning icon on my sidebar, but here it is in this post in its larger-than-life glory!

Most of my friends and family think I’m crazy. The non-writers certainly don’t understand why anyone in their right mind would want to be a wrimo. Even my friends who write (albeit non-fiction, PR/marketing kind of stuff), don’t quite get what this experience is like. They crank out press releases and corporate crap all of the time (which I also do in my real life). Writing 1,667 words every day should be a piece of cake, they scoff. Ah, little do they know the true horrors.

I had eight zero-count days this month and was sweating it towards the end. It took an 8,000 word blitz over the past weekend just to get my daily average back down to 2,500 words.

Ultimately, my novel is horrible. Yes, I really mean that. H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E. I’m not just trying to be modest. It’s worse than the sappiest Lifetime “Television for Women” storyline ever written. At the 50K mark, the plot isn’t close to being resolved (not that there’s much of a plot), but I have no interest in seeing it to the bitter end. Instead, I want to reflect on what I did learn (like how NOT to write), and then go become better educated about this craft of fiction writing. That way, I can try writing something next year that I actually want to go back and edit and turn into something real.

For now, I will sit here in utter giddiness as I realize I just finished writing the most words of fiction I have ever, ever, ever, ever, ever even attempted to string together in my entire life. Whew …

P.S. – And since November and NaNoWriMo are finally over, I’m actually going to try and achieve 30 days of consecutive blogging. Fun! Come on back now, you hear?!

NaNoWriMo Update

It’s almost the halfway point of National Novel Writer’s Month, and I’m getting nervous. I haven’t managed to write more than 25,000 words in each of my last two attempts, and it’s starting to look grim for this year’s novel. I love my characters, but have struggled with an actual plot. Rose gets a job. Rose rents an apartment. Rose meets a character named Van. Rose has a brother named Johnny. So what?!? How about they actually DO something. INTERESTING.

I know, I know … NaNoWriMo is all about writing a shitty first draft. But geesh, can’t my characters have some action, some conflict? Where’s the story??

To prevent this year’s attempt from dying, I decided to use my writing time today to brainstorm a few story lines. It took me a while, but I think I finally have some ideas that will keep me writing through the 50,000 word mark. Something’s actually going to happen in my novel. I just hope I have enough material and drive to make it by November 30.

NaNoWriMo 2007 – Day 1

Today I start my 3rd novel. I haven’t managed to make it to the elusive 50,000 word mark during the previous two National Novel Writer’s Month (NaNoWriMo) attempts, but I feel it’s really in me this time. Yes, I’m determined. I’m focused. I’m motivated. I can do this (and no, I did not say that in a John Schneider voice).

It’s 11:08 pm and I’m almost to the daily quote of 1,667 words. Time to quit blogging and get writing (well, you know what I mean!).

Mondegreen

Merriam-Webster editors are considering the word mondegreen for entry in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

mondegreen noun : [from the mishearing in a Scottish ballad of "laid him on the green" as "Lady Mondegreen"] : a word or phrase that results from a mishearing of something said or sung <”very close veins” is a mondegreen of “varicose veins”>

Excellent addition! I could blame kids as the sole users of mondegreens (which they do to often hysterical results). However, I have to admit to singing along to songs using the wrong lyrics. Musicians need to sing more clearly and not mumble!

I learned about this new word from the Merriam-Webster monthly online newsletter available to subscribers. I’m a writer and a grammar nut, so of course I subscribe to the Unabridged edition. Even if you’re more of a casual dictionary user, I recommend you consider subscribing to either the Collegiate or Unabridged editions. The fees are modest and either option provides access to invaluable resources not available for free on the Internet.