Girl in Translation--Jean Kwok Reading - initial impressions

When my friend L invited me to drive to Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh to hear Jean Kwok reading from her debut novel, "Girl in Translation," I didn't know what to expect. I confess, I do not keep up with new writers like I should, and I find most of the time, my year of writing dangerously has more to do with just keeping my head above water and trying to keep my sanity "normal"---or what I have come to know as normal anyway.

Let me just say, I can see why the reviews were so stellar.
WOW.
Kwok has such an intense command of the language--the detail, the emotion, the description--and yet somehow manages to do this without making the writing sound 'thick' or overtly 'heavy' [for what I mean by 'thick' writing, look at Thomas Wolfe's "You Can't Go Home Again."].
The few excerpts she read showed a depth of emotion without being sentimental, a story that moves without sacrificing setting and detail, and vivid description that does not weigh down the pace of the story.
In short, pretty near darn perfect.

Background: "Girl in Translation" is about a young girl from China who comes to live in the US and it follows her transition as she adjusts to the language and the culture. She goes to school during the day and works in a sweat shop at night. Though not overtly autobiographical, Kwok did say that there were areas of her own life that were closely mirrored in the book.

Her use of first person is effective--if the narrator cannot understand what is said, neither can the reader. She provides a voice that is fresh, genuine, and somewhat lost in the world around her.

And for the record, Ms. Kwok was extremely generous. You never know what you're going to get with writers---the 14 city book tours, though an incredible blessing---can be exhausting, and discussing one's work can easily slide into egotism or esoteric ism [is that a word? Did I use it correctly?]

Kwok was generous, entertaining, kind, enthusiastic, and her genuine joyfulness came through quite clearly. Also, she is so darn intelligent, it's almost scary.

If you've not been to the Quail Ridge Bookstore in Raleigh, you're missing out. Thanks to my friend L who invited me and took me to Tripps for dinner.

And my creative contributions for the evening?
I did enter a short short story contest. They had a contest at the bookstore, where you had to submit a one page story about a high school reunion--fact or fiction. I turned mine in. I feel pretty good about it. It was fun to write, and I've learned if I have fun with it, my reader will as well...I'd print it here, but I may send it to some contests, so I'm not sure if blogs technically count as publication [most contests limit themselves to unpublished short stories].

Oh, I did write a haiku about my dessert at Tripps. It was a chocolate something that was better than Robert Redford.
I forget the details, but it is something like:

Chocolate, joyful
Cascading down my hot spoon
Back off! Get your own.

In short, two things to check out: Jean Kwok's "Girl in Translation" and Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC---if you're in town.

I'm going to a Renaissance Faire tomorrow. What a great way to kick off my next post---why I love the Brits....

The Publishing America case and interesting self-publishing article

Laura McFarland, one of my peeps, wrote this interesting article on self-publishing for the Rocky Mount Telegram. One of the things that the article emphasizes that I think is important is the situation with digital presses, and how the publishing game is rapidly changing. JA Konrath touches on this so well in his blog [I think I have a link to it on my blog, which you can find by utilizing the Google search feature at right].

Link to her article-
http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/features/publication-perks-perils-19232

In addition, many do not realize the work that goes into marketing a book, though the internet has certainly made that easier. For the record, I was NOT self-published. During the 70s- 90s, it carried a certain stigma to it that I think is fading somewhat. Its not that there aren’t good self-published books out there, but just that the bad self-published books are SO bad. I remember when I was a reporter, we were told specifically NOT to do reviews of self-published books for this very reason. I even confess, we would occasionally get a self published book with such pathetic writing that we would laugh at it before tossing it into the trash [I know, that’s bad. I have ‘paid it forward’ by mentoring younger writers so that I can avoid the wrath of karma].

For an interesting article on the a Publish America ‘case,’ see Preditors and Editors at this link:
http://pred-ed.com/pebpublisham.htm


I have to be careful about what I say on this subject, because I think there is a lawsuit involved, and as I have very little money---nuff said. So I’m just going to forward this link and as a legal disclaimer encourage you to get both sides f the story.

That being said, Eragon was self-published. Mark Twain self-published [but I think that’s more like comparing apples and oranges because things were so different then], so the flip side of that coin is that when it works, it REALLY works. I would caution that money should ultimately flow toward the writer, and I am initially skeptical of any group that charges a reading fee.
I’m going to start a writing tip and writing exercise of the week. Hopefully, I’ll be able to compile all my blog information and tips into a book at the end of the year that will guide you through writing your novel in one year….

Writing tip of the week: WRITE!!!!! I can’t emphasize that enough. Write, even if it’s crap. Eventually, you will unearth something good—but you can’t do that unless you get started.

Writing exercise of the week: The character of your favorite TV show goes to his/ her 30 year high school reunion. Who is the first person he / she speaks to and why?

Putting Literature on the Streets--Broadside

I came across this in the latest issue of Poet's and Writer's magazine:

According to the article "Open-Air Publishing" by Alex Dimitrov, there is a renewed interest in bringing poetry into everyday lives. Broadside publishing--which was used as far back as the Civil War to post important information --is taking rise as writers are publishing poems and short prose and posting them in public areas or community bulletin boards. The purpose? Put literature in the hands of everyday people.

The article is worth a read and you can find it by going to this link:

http://www.pw.org/content/openair_publishing

My favorite was this paragraph:

"...in the United States, Broadsided has appeared in urban centers including New York City and Washington, D.C., as well as small towns such as Healy, Alaska, whose population is fewer than a thousand. "Each month I post the new Broadsided on a community bulletin board in the post office lobby, and it's up there amongst all the other signs from rural life," says Healy vector Christine Byl. "I see people stopping to read it and know it might very well be the only poem they see all month. I love that."

Wow. How cool is that?
Once again, I think this is a perfect example of showing folks that literature is 'accessible.'

I keep telling folks that Shakespeare was not some stuffed shirt---his comedies were more like the Elizabethan equivalent of Saturday Night Live.

You can get involved by submitting poems and prose via e-mail at broadsided@gmail.com OR by becoming vectors in their own communities.
More information is on broadsidedpress.org

I think I'll do that. I think it's a challenge that all writers should embrace. The cost of donating one poem into the world is so small. Maya Angelou once said that creativity wasn't like a well--the more you draw from creativity, the more you have...

Great article Alex!

Next project?

I have no idea what I'm going to work on for my next project. I'm planning on giving myself a break from the rabid writing I did trying to get the earlier manuscript ready, and pick it back up by August.

To ensure some type of accountability, I felt it would be good to place my "writing dangerously" goals on the side of this blog. Just my way of keeping track of stuff.

In the meantime, I'll finish up the short story collection and upload it to Kindle...AND I'll post a FREE read of one of the short stories here and on my website.

I AM REDESIGNING MY WEBSITE. Hopefully, that will be up by August, too. I'll send some screenshots of it as I complete it. [www.dawnwilson.net]

Next week: "Why I love the Brits."

An American Writer's Perspective on David Tennant as Hamlet...and why every writer should see it

So little time, so much to say....

DISCLAIMER: Let me just say, upfront, that I am biased: I would pay good money to watch David Tennant and Patrick Stewart read the phone book. Seriously. I think I'd even pay to watch Tennant take out the trash for two hours. They both deserve credit for taking on such iconic roles--it's hard to add to Hamlet something new and refreshing--after all, he's character who has been constantly invented and re-invented throughout history.

ABOUT ME: I hate reviewers who limit things to an oversimplified thumbs up or thumbs down, or reviewers who have had little experience with theatre or acting (either watching, volunteering, writing or performing). So just to let you all know, I have a master's degree in English (though I'm sure some of my posts would make one question that credential), I have a BA degree from one of the top ten journalism schools in the country, two published novels ( NOT self-published), and I have received regional and national recognition for my writing.

I do this not to brag, but because when I say this performance rocks, I do know what I'm talking about. (And PHFFFFTTT! to those who want to jump my case for ending that last sentence with a preposition. Snarky Muse--I'm talking to you)

The quick 4-1-1 -- wow.

I loved the modern costuming and the use of mirrors throughout the play. My friend C, who is a community college professor, said this type of setting would make the play more 'accessible' to those who maybe are under the (false) impression that Shakespeare is dry and boring. I do hope that the Royal Shakespeare Company realizes that by doing this production, they have opened the doors for a lot of students of every age.

The use of mirrors is incredibly effective, in many ways, because we project onto Hamlet our own fears, ambitions and worries.

Okay, let’s just say this and get it out of the way: David Tennant was Doctor Who, and David Tennant is a hottie. Seriously. Blind people know this man is handsome. But I’m not going to gush, but rather look at his acting chops.

I think the biggest positive, is while so many of us were used to seeing him in the Doctor, that was furthest from my mind as I watched the performance: there was only Hamlet. Imagine playing such an iconic character as the Doctor---which is an intregal part of British cultural history---and then playing an iconic Shakespearean character who has perhaps the most famous lines in all of literature.

To give my fellow American friends a bit of perspective, Doctor Who –for lack of a better comparison—has had a similar cultural impact ‘across the pond’ as Star Trek has had here. [I know, bad comparison, but work with me here!] Of course, I’m very thankful that Dr. Who has a great fan base here in the States. And even more thankful for friends who have cable who tape it for me (hint, hint)

And yes, I do realize I am the only person in the 21^st century without cable. It’s my line in the sand. That’s all I can say. If I had the History channel and Sci-Fi channel, I’d never leave the house.

Tennant’s eyes were incredibly expressive, and I think he did a brilliant job of really bringing even more to the screen the incredible depression Hamlet carries, and the angst that he believes the only way he can get justice is to commit murder. I particularly loved the “is he acting crazy or has he really gone crazy?” perspective.

Major praise goes to the cut away of Hamlet’s “home movie” [for lack of a better word] that he is filming off and on during the event. It is meshed and edited into the overall piece seamlessly. The security cameras almost gave it an Orwellian feel to it.

Tennant is a very physical actor—he uses his height and very thin frame to his advantage, appearing both at the same time elegant and awkward, clearly giving me the impression of a young man on the brink of becoming a true leader, only to have his entire world ripped out from under him.

Tennant is a powerhouse. It was actually the BBC production of "Recovery" I saw him in that made me realize how incredible he is---I mean, I knew he was good, but ---WOW.

This scene from Hamlet shows just how powerful his performance is...in this scene, Hamlet comes to visit his mother in her bedroom--she expresses her concerns that he is going mad, and he confronts her about marrying his uncle so soon after the death of his father. Note the use of mirrors and the height / position of the actors [as will be explained in my Citizen Kane reference below].

I must admit that the BEST piece of brilliance about this production dealt with how the actors used the space around them. When Orson Wells did “Citizen Kane,” he wanted the camera to reflect the character’s relationship—i.e. if one character towered over another, if one character was on the ground, if one character’s face was hidden—because he believed you should be able to watch the movie without the sound and be able to clearly understand the relationship wit the characters.

This becomes even more intensely effective in Hamlet.

If I have one minor fault with it is that the final scene, where some of the characters died [oh come on, do I really need to put a SPOILER alert with bleeping HAMLET?] it seemed to come off as a tad melodramatic—but then, having four characters die in the scope of such a short span is melodramatic, and I confess, I’m rarely comfortable watching actors ‘die’ onstage. I’m not really sure why. Seriously though, this is me being majorly picky [and may just be in the mood for missing my deadline [see earlier post.]

Why should writers pay close attention to Hamlet? Because Hamlet is both blank and multifaceted, he is both deep and shallow, eloquent and stumbling. Shakespeare has created a character that, as I mentioned earlier, serves as a catalyst to allow ourselves to project our own feelings onto him. Maybe this is just an American perspective, but it seems I’ve seen a WWII Hamlet, a classical Hamlet, a Great Depression Hamlet, a McCarthyism Hamlet…I think he reflects an image of a national consciousness as well. When the whole Freud thing was popular, we had the incestuous Hamlet --albeit, not a concept I think is supported by the text, but is often accepted as the case. That’s why I loved the Gertrude scenes I’ve posted here. They were incredible intimate and sensual without being sexual.

Hamlet transcends time because he becomes – dare I say it—almost too real to the viewer, because he not only creates a cathartic feeling, but the elements of Hamlet that make us uncomfortable may very well be the same—but milder-- issues we are dealing with ourselves.

To summarize: If you want to get your class interested in Shakespeare—see it. If you want to see amazing acting—see it. If you are remotely a theatre/ writing major – see it. If you’re breathing—see it.

I will be ordering my DVD copy ASAP.

In short, Tennant’s Hamlet was just what the doctor ordered J

Deadline Missed--but thankful for small victories

I hate to say it--and the former reporter inside of me is screaming-- I will not make my deadline. Ick. I could blame it on being sick for a week and pout and whatever, but the bottom line is the book is not going to make it. Needs to be at least 200 pages for the deadline. I'm at 156--still not quite finished.

This may be one of those cases where the glass is literally half empty or half full. So even though I missed the deadline---to have 156 pages in your novel in four months?

I'll take it. I'll take it and run with it. I'm usually pretty hard on myself, and a novel in four months [even a novel that I had been rattling around in my head for a while] was pretty ambitious. It was a big push to get me going and up to speed mission accomplished.

We stumble. We get back up.

I'm also trying to keep reminding myself of WHY I started the year of writing dangerously. It was because I had lost touch with what made writing 'fun.' While I recognize the importance of sending stuff out and of deadlines, I also recognize that writers [or really any artists] must keep track of what makes us joyful...and joy is not the same as happiness....

Plugging forward.
As Oscar Wilde said: "All of us are in the gutter, but some of us are looking up at the stars."

Reflecting Character Behavior--and David Tennant as Hamlet

I guess it's really no secret that, like many writers, I tend to be prone to melancholy and occasionally quite profound, depression. I tend to say it's like the old expression, "some days you eat the bear and some days the bear eats you."

The strange thing is, I'm not sure what exactly triggered it this time. I was under the weather last week and reacting to a medication that didn't "play well with others." That set me greatly behind on my writing deadline. This manuscript must be postmarked by May 1 to enter a contest [that I recognize it will not win, but as I said, this is about pushing me to make a deadline.] The characters I've been writing about, two in particular, are going through an extreme depression and angst. For the first time as a writer, I wrote what I considered to be a fairly violent scene. It's not that I'm opposed to writing them--if the story merits it--but just that I had never done it before. I kept it kind of Hemingway-esque--short erratic bursts, I guess because less is more, I'm hoping it was more style-merited instead of my own hesitation.

I'm wondering, if exploring these nooks and crannies of characters, in my effort to kind of step outside my comfort zone, that I had maybe been reflecting some of the feelings of my characters. Maybe I just need a good cry. Maybe I've been thinking about this whole thing a bit too much.

I'm hoping to get back to regular posting. I'm really excited about some [hopeful] guest bloggers I've got lined up. I've got some great online resources I want to share. And of course, Snarky Muse will be here with her revelations. I'm also hoping to redesign my website and start my 'page count' in the corner of this blog.

Despite it all, I know life is good. I know the world is not going to end tomorrow [well, I don't know that, but I'm not overtly worried about it.] My faith brings me peace, though faith never promises an easy life. I've learned that being joyful and happy are not the same thing. I've learned that cell phone companies will try to screw you over six ways till Sunday, and some days we're just sad for no explanation. Here's hoping for a good dose of serotonin tonight.


And I wonder sometimes if anyone is out there in the blogosphere. There's a lot out there. I don't expect my little ol' blog from ---yet another---nutty Southern writer to grab your attention. There are those that are far greater at it than I, and probably not half as neurotic.

Heat Wave Winner--

Changing the subject, the winner of our Richard Castle novel is ROSS! Congratulations. I know Ross has done some blogging before, and I hope he will be willing to accommodate me and maybe pop out a guest spot.

The Hamlet you MUST see...

Not your daddy's Hamlet. Modern costuming, an edgy attitude, and two of my favs, Patrick Stewart and David Tennant [who I am madly crushing over.]
I'm going to hang out with my buddy C for an old-fashioned girl's night in. Kind of like a slumber party--we'll braid each other's hair, paint our fingernails and talk about boys.

This Hamlet looks so incredibly dynamic and it amazes me that Bill the Bard can create a character that is so reflective of ourselves, so multi-dimensional and yet, at the same time, such a blank canvas to paint things on.

Wednesday at 8 on your PBS station. Set your DVRs. Here's the trailer.

How to tell if your writing group sucks

Dawn's Snarky Muse discusses: How to Tell if Your Writing Group Sucks

by Moywn, guest blogger, the Muse Of Your Worst Nightmares

In honor of the incredible writer [and ex of mine] William "Big Bill" Shakespeare's birthday, I'm doing a guest column on how to know when to get out of a writer's group.

I'd also like to take this time to point out Dawn's typo of 'peak' instead of 'peek' in an earlier entry. Tsk, tsk. She and I talk more about this when I get home.

Writers--whether we like to admit it or not--are social beings, and as much as we'd love to hole ourselves up in a beautiful Rocky Mountain lodge all winter and write the Great American Novel, being isolated can --for most people--cause them to go crazy. You know what they say about all work and no play [why does this have a familiar ring?]

This is a picture of my last writing group, painted so beautifully by de Simon Vouet around the 1600s [I think...I was kind of drunk at the time.] You can see me in the lower left hand corner telling Apollo that his lyre was out of tune and asking him for Big Bill's messenger. Yeah, we didn't have Tweets or Facebook or e-mail. We had to kick it old school. I'd give this writing group of mine a B minus....as you can see, things got a little out of hand some times. So.....

How to tell if your writing group sucks:

1-- You're reading this. If you're wondering if it sucks, then it does. If you have to ask, you have your answer. Just like if you have to wonder if that is a good haircut for you. If you wonder, it's not.[hint, hint, Dawn].

2-- You don't have any accountability. I'm not talking about getting all old school on folks [that's my job] but if every other person is "oh, I didn't bring anything this week" then to hell with them. It's not fair for other people. B is really good at keeping her writing group in line and balancing the fun/ friendship/ work. She should be imitated. I'm quite impressed.

3-- It's a social hour. I'm not saying writers can't socialize for writing groups [as you can tell from my old photo, some good times were had by all] but when the social hour replaces the writing hour, then you need to obviously either a) lengthen your writing group time so you can have social hour and critique hour or b-) just call it a social hour and not even call it a writing group.

4- You have one person whose work is such an Incredible Work of Brilliance that No One Can Compare To and If You Have Critiques Then You Just Don't Get It. One person can ruin the group. Then you start talking about him [not being sexist, it's just that, in my experience, it's always a guy, though I'm sure there are ladies who get their panties in a wad over it, too] and his obsession with himself takes over the group. Get out. But not before giving him this (( Moywn shows middle finger)).

5-- You talk ABOUT writing and not the stuff you've written.

6-- You have a bunch of morons in there.

Now, don't get me wrong. I think we are all aware that writing talent does not equal a degree. There are great writers who have little more than a high school diploma, and there are PhDs who can't write their way out of a paper bag. The whole point is that the writers have some sense that what they are doing. Sure, everyone is interested in learning and everyone needs feedback, but you also want to have a good 'give and take' with who you are with---I mean, if not, it would be like me sitting in on a clinic to teach Michael Jordan how to dunk the ball better. See what I mean? There are some people that, to be quite frank, I don't care what they think of my writing....

7-- People don't show up to the group again after criticism.

Criticism sucks. Deal with it. Get a life. Harper Lee said that one of the most important things a writer could do was develop a thick skin. One reason why she rocks.

8--People don't attend regularly.

I understand. Life happens. Certainly if you have the swine flu or are in a coma, no one expects you to show up. But if it's like 'I got to wash my hair' I'd be like 'just shave your head and come on.'

9-- No one completes the goals.

Flexibility is good, but if my goal is to finish x number of chapters or to send x poems out and I want to group to help me toward that, then I need to have made reasonable progress toward that goal to mean that the group is doing its job.

And finally, the most important:

---10-- If MORE THAN TWO members of the group have manuscripts that include ANY of these type of endings:

a) Wow, it was a ll just a dream

b) Characters end up being--surprise--- Adam and Eve

c) Characters are ---surprise--- dead / alive/ purgatory

d) The characters are ---surprise---dogs, cats, vermin.

e) Oh, wait, the story was just all a big acid trip

f) Oh damn, the character just got hit by a Mack truck

g) "Sorry sweetheart,but to tell the truth, I'm.---surprise---..... gay/ straight/ dead/ a vampire/ a zombie/ democrat/ republican"

Then run. Run and never look back.