[video] Dorothy Allison : The Power of the Writer's Voice

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Today I was able to listen to Dorothy Allison read an unpublished story and talk about writing and life and politics and community at Mt Hood Community College. I am still digesting what I heard, letting her story and her words and her wash through me.

I can't share video what I saw and heard today, but I can share this video from the Chicago Humanities Festival. The first video is an hour long; below that is a 6-minute excerpt from the discussion, "Advice for Emerging Writers."



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Story Structure Video

* Even though this video essay is about making a video essay and about making film, it is also about storytelling. It talks about structure and moving the story forward, which also applies to written storytelling.

I am a believer in cross-pollination in the arts: visual and writing, film and written story, music and anything. This short video can apply to many creative paths, even though the creator's focus is on film and video.

And if you need them, it does have CC.

You can read the article which goes with this video essay here: "The 3 words that are guaranteed to make your writing better". 

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Julie Berstein: 4 Lessons in Creativity (TED Talks)

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I was looking for something on creativity and came across this TED Talk by Julie Berstein. I like what she has to say - and I admit that I love pottery, especially raku and pit-fired pottery. I also am inspired by the beauty of impermanence and flaws and happy accidents when creating.

Nice words and images, hearing artists' stories. A good 17 minutes of time out to listen and look and take it in.

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December 14 is Monkey Day

While looking up a different topic I was planning to write about, I came across a heading that December 14th is Monkey Day. Distracted from the other topic, which I will save for another day, I decided to find a video about monkeys writing. Which led to this idea and that idea and then I remembered the snow monkeys in one of the movies by Godfrey Reggio with music by Philip Glass.

If you've followed my blog for very long, you will know that I am a big fan of Philip Glass. 

I started looking for the snow monkeys and couldn't remember which movie they were in. But it didn't matter. I found the video below, with meditative music, and snow monkeys in a hot spring in Japan.

It would have been clever to find monkeys writing, but I didn't find any videos I liked. And I do like this video. It is calming. Today I needed calming. So I thought I'd share the snow monkeys on monkey day.

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Deaf Sound Artist - oh, and NaNoWriMo Day 12 Update

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First the NaNoWriMo update: today I wrote 1923 words before work. This brings my NaNoNovel total word count to 22514. The blackout happened; there was a scream; a bloody hammer appeared on the stage floor; and the tech director has reappeared. Two actors went to the green room to check on the director and actor, who were having a serious discussion following an altercation with another actor.

NaNo : To Be Continued.


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Thank you to an interpreter in Oslo who sent the video's link to me. The video is of sound artist Christine Sun Kim, who is Deaf. Don't worry; it is captioned for the signing impaired. And, yes, she is a sound artist and performance artist. I would love to see her in person some day. I think she'd be a natural fit for PICA's T:BA festival; that would be awesome.

Todd Selby x Christine Sun Kim on Nowness.com

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Rubber Duckie Fun

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This is real. I saw a picture and wondered if it was digitally altered or a real event, so I went on an internet hunt.

It seems that there have been several of these 40-foot tall rubber ducks in cities around the world. Each city in which the ducks have appeared, have built their own duck from plans from the original by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman.

According to one article there is no political agenda. Yellow rubber ducks make people smile and that makes people happy. Simple. End of story.

This video is the London duck, floating down the Thames. 

Here's to smiling.



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"On Being Creative" video : Ira Glass

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A short video on being creative, by Ira Glass. This is an excerpt from a longer video, which I haven't seen. But this just under two minutes clip is wonderful. And there are no captions because they aren't needed - every word said is right there in the video. It's just this.

Enjoy.

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Razor's Edge:

It's the middle of the night. You heard a sound outside your window and, after lying in bed debating, you decide to take a look.

From a safe distance.

You pick up the flashlight from your bedside table, press it against your pajamas and click the on/off switch. It clicks. But no light. You return it to the table and walk on your tiptoes to the thick, nearly blackout level dark blue curtains. The sound seems to be gone but you think you hear whispering. Or the wind. Or maybe raccoons hissing at your cat. Or something.

A twig snaps. Too loud to be an animal, you think.

You stand as flat against the wall as you can and lift the edge of the curtain, waiting for your eyes to adjust.

You turn your head and look outside. And there, just feet from your house you see ....


(start the video below, go, write for as long as the music lasts - about 8 minutes)


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The Razor's Edge : Unexpected

This week you have another series of pictures to use. Pick one if it inspires you, or use the series of three and tell the story it, or they, brings to mind.

1. Look at the photos
2. start the sound video (it's ~10 minutes long)
3. and using the word prompt :  That morning, she noticed that something was different...
4. write until the rain stops.

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Razor's Edge : Memories

Today's Razor's Edge is a the following video of a performance piece, "Cassette Memories." I recently saw a performance here in Portland which was curated by Aki Onda, as a part of the T:BA:12 series.

Watch his performance and take the perspective of the performer or of a performance viewer. There are some interesting characters who pass by in this video.

Or perhaps your story is of an outsider, who stumbles on this performance and maybe the story isn't about the performance, but about the experience of watching those who are watching the performance. Or not watching but wander by and wonder.

Let yourself sink into the video and then write. For 8-10 minutes.

Go.

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Razor's Edge for 9/14/12

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Today's prompt starts with a video of a Contact Improvisation dance. Watch and listen to the dance and then read the prompt below the video.

And, go!




Prompt: Think about the people you've been closest to in your life. Make a list of the top five to seven. Look at the list and let an event come to mind with each of them. Which event feels strongest or evokes the most vivid images? Choose that one.

Tell me about this person. Start with the image which came first to mind and write. Write for 10 minutes.
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Razor's Edge for 8/31/12 : Sharing Space

Today's prompt is a video along with words. The words might be sentence starters, or the essence of a paragraph, or perhaps your writing takes you in a completely different direction. Don't feel compelled to use the exact words, though you can if you like.

The video is about 20 minutes long; it is pieces from a performance.

Watch the video for at least five minutes before you start writing. But I suggest waiting as long as you can to start unless you are pulled to start earlier.

Start by reading the word prompts. Then start the video. Write when you are ready. Write for about 10 minutes.

Go.


[1]  Before I forgot what I knew, I thought that ....


[2]  Her arms touching my arms felt like ...


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Radical Writing Advice: Step Away From the Computer

Sometimes we sit at the keyboard, waiting for inspiration or the perfect word. Or any word. Or we gaze at the unfilled paper on the desk, tapping the eraser of the pencil or the clicker end of the pen, hesitant to make a mark until we know it's work the ink and piece of tree.

Or maybe, sometimes, we try reworking the story or the page or the sentence over and over. And over. Until we get it just right except we pass the point of knowing what "just right" looks like. Then, next thing we know, it's 5:30 AM and the sky is lightening and birds are singing in the tree outside the window over the fireplace. Or whatever your particular brand of hanging in there a little too long may be. Perhaps it's passed out on the sofa with the laptop's battery running dry next to the now empty bottle of wine; and you're alone. Or maybe you're in bed dreaming of characters who are now zombies who have invaded your home and you bury deeper in the covers to avoid being consumed in their quest for satisfaction.

Yes, we must write to be writers. (Although I did read something a while ago which questioned the idea of writing being a requirement of being a writer. Hm.) But sometimes we have to not write.

Sometimes we need to get outside. To get out of our writing environment, leave the desk and the words and the projects behind. Step out.

I do mean literally to step out. Go outside. Explore your city. Maybe take a bus to downtown if you're not a frequenter of the area. Or ride a bicycle to the inner city lake with a bike path. If having a target destination helps, pick one. It can be familiar or new - it doesn't really matter. The point is to move and to immerse yourself in life outside of the writing womb.

I won't even mention the health benefits of taking an urban walkabout. We've heard about that many times and we now that a lot of sitting should be balanced with a lot of movement. Keep the circulation going, blood pumping, lungs breathing; all of that. Look anywhere and you can see information about how moving your body will benefit you.

But what I'm talking about is moving the energy around and getting away from the writing place. And being present. Mindfulness if you will; maybe I'll talk about that in an upcoming post. But for now I'm talking about noticing. Not walking head down and avoiding people and surroundings. But looking, noticing, seeing what is there. Being present in the world.

Which is why I say it can be beneficial and even enjoyable to try something new. Or something you haven't done in a long time if "new"makes you nervous.

Get out. Look. Listen. Smell. Feel.

Be.

In the world. Be. A writer. A writer in the form of a person who is not writing at the moment but is just living.

Being.

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled across this video. An illustrator talking about finding inspiration. In the world. Outside of the studio and house.

Watch and consider.

Where would you like to go explore?

In this episode of Epiphany, Maira Kalman, illustrator,  finds inspiration while walking the city streets and veering off the prescribed path.

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Radical Writing Advice : Cheryl Strayed Video

* Radical Writing Advice will return next week.

In the meantime, here is a TEDx video of Cheryl Strayed, talking about "Radical Sincerity."

Enjoy!

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Razor's Edge for 6/22/12

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Today's prompt is a video: Regina Spektor's "All the Rowboats." It's a music video - but my challenge to you is to turn your speakers off before you watch it. Watch the video all the way through and then write for 10 minutes.

What are you (or your character) about to fall into? Are you (or your character) running to something or running away? Or do you (or your character) feel trapped where you are?

Where are you?

Start with this:   All around me I could see ....

After you've written, go back and watch the video again, this time with sound. Did something different come to you with her music? Or does it deepen what you've already written?

Write for another 5 - 10 minutes. Add on to what you already put down, or start something new. Start with this:   And then I knew ... .



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Music as Inspiration and Healer

From time to time I write something about music which inspires me - in that moment, over time, while I write or make art. If you've been following my writing for long you've seen Philip Glass appear more than once; a favorite of mine for many years and most circumstances. And I've been thinking about writing a short piece about music - but this is not that.

This is the first full song played on the radio this morning as I was waking up. There was the end of the song before it - which I don't recall at all: incomplete and the song which pulled me from sleep.

But this one. Perfect for today. Perfect for this moment. It resonates for me, in this period of transition and healing, at many levels, not only for myself, but friends, as well. Self healing, friends with physical condition flare-ups or new levels to adapt to, a friend caring for a dying parent, friends with difficult work situations - and more.

The song is "Come Healing" by Leonard Cohen, from his new album. Come healing, for each of us in the way appropriate and desired - yes.

It was a nice way to wake up.



This is listed as an "unofficial" music video. And if you'd like to see the lyrics, go to the YouTube link - they're all there.

... now, back to finishing typing up the two written assignments due today (one in Inga's Decerebralization online writing class and one in Ariel's Lit Star Training class), which will be followed by brunch with a friend, then doing a new free write for Inga and a quick write for Ariel and then - tada - work! ...

I hope you enjoy the song and that it touches each of you in some way.

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Razor's Edge : New Year, New Opportunities

I postponed the final Razor's Edge for 2011 until Saturday, December 31. The last day of the year - one day.

I'm not going to say to make resolutions. You can if you want. And there are some excellent resources all over the internet and probably with friends and family if you want prompts or a starting place.

Instead, set an intention for the coming year. An intention to go deeper in your relationships. An intention to write with more energy. An intention to be true to your vision and your voice. An intention to feel good. An intention to put yourself first.

And, if you prefer, place one of your characters in a situation where her life will be altered by the events of the evening. Something will happen to give her a new outlook and her future will be changed.

I offer the following music I found on YouTube to listen to as you begin writing: "InTENtion" by My Sleeping Karma.




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Razor's Edge for 10/28/11

I am standing at the edge of NaNoWriMo 2011. In 74 hours and 41 minutes, NaNoWriMo 2011 will begin. I won't begin until about 90 minutes later - but I will not go to bed until I have reached at least my first 1,667 words. And that first sprint usually goes pretty quickly - it shouldn't take long.

Twice in the last week an ad has popped up on Pandora while I was listening. This wouldn't seem too odd if I listened to Pandora often - but I don't. The first time I just listened to the ad, the name slipped my mind, and I forgot about it. The second time it caught my attention and I was stopped at a light, so I was able to glance at the screen - and the visual helped. I also linked to the iTunes website where it can be downloaded and saved the page, for later reference.

The CD I'm dreaming about is, "The Goat Rodeo Sessions" with Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Chris Thile, and Edgar Meyer. I watched three videos, "teasers," about the making of The Goat Rodeo and this is the basis of today's prompt. In Teaser #2 the musicians talk a little about their coming together and it clicked.

NaNoWriMo is authors of all experience levels, ages, and genres from around the world participating in this write-a-novel-in-30-days event simultaneously. We are not creating a novel together - though there might be some authors collaborating somewhere.

So - watch this video, listen to just a small sample of their incredible music, listen to their talk about coming together, diversity, colliding universes.

After watching the video, read the two character sketches and write a story about these two people coming together. Or your variation of these two people. Write for 10 minutes. Let it sit for a while. Then share it with someone, see where it sings, where it could be expanded and revise.

Happy writing!
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Character sketches:
A: Man whose days are spent thatching, weeding, grooming his lawn - by hand and meticulously.

B: She's the kind of woman whose closthes reflect the seasons. No. Reflect the
holiday of the season. Whenever she goes out, she dresses in the consumerism holiday driven choice of colors and style and appliques.
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From NaNoWriMo: Natalie Goldberg

The start of NaNoWriMo 2011 is just around the corner: five days and just under four hours from now the NaNoNovels will have begun.

Today the Office of Letters and Light (OLL: the bucks and brawn behind NaNoWriMo) sent out this video and an article you can read here.

For now - here is the video... Natalie Goldberg's NaNoWriMo advice.

Razor's Edge for 7/8/11: Falling and Flying

I've linked to a new contact improvisation performance today. This one is appropriately called "Falling and Flying."

I've been riding the ups and downs of my life recently. Some causes external, some causes internal. Flying high with submitting the book excerpt and accompanying information; stumbling into an emotional puddle with some unexpected news; recovering to explore and deepen my capacity for joy; being triggered by yet other news.

This is life - that's all. The wins and losses and breaking even. Laugh; cry; let it go and go on.

So - when I saw the title of this performance - it called to me.

And it's Friday - time for another Razor's Edge.

Two word prompts - choose one. Then watch the video. And write (paint, draw, dance, sing) for 10 minutes. Then let it sit for a while and return to it when you're ready - to add to, revise, or put away for even later.

Prompts:
- Through the window he saw ...
- I felt the power in my wings and ...




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