tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84542753152340515812024-02-20T11:47:00.527-05:00Recording CreativityA record of my education in writing, literature, creativity, and self-expression. Updated whenever I can publish a quality post.achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-71851234421646101042009-01-27T02:40:00.001-05:002009-01-27T02:40:44.419-05:00Funny thought: "the story about a computer that writes its own stories."achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-51084674150387983452009-01-19T14:13:00.004-05:002009-01-24T19:44:32.993-05:00SS1: ProgressI'm about 400-500 words in right now, and I want to conclude this one at around 4000. This isn't a budget or hard cap, but a prediction on how much material I'll have to work with.The story is progressing well. I'm feeling more confident about sentence structure and diction, and I like leaving threads open for future writing sessions. This is thoroughly enjoyable when I'm not so rigid about it.1/achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-55232445155739589872009-01-16T02:35:00.001-05:002009-01-16T02:35:28.903-05:00First Fiction ThoughtIf I don't find my own story interesting, no one will.achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-30390391102974026492009-01-16T02:10:00.002-05:002009-01-16T02:35:06.558-05:00SS1: About FaceIn light of a bet, I'm going to churn out a short story over the next month. The bet involves writing a 6000-word story between now and February 15th. This means a 250-word pace for 24 days, followed by 6 days of editing. We can chop those days in half and take 3 days of time to plan...maybe a planning session once a week with two days of editing?Anyway, a six-pack of beer (!!!) is at stake here.achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-13368616260571896902008-12-21T13:33:00.001-05:002008-12-21T13:37:44.489-05:001SS: Theme and Plot-ThemeI'll refer to this first story as 1SS. Today's post is a mini-exercise on the story's theme and plot-theme. It took about 15-20 minutes to write.NEXT: Review additional short story construction activities, start writing.ThemeSituations which require forced action and how to cope with them. i.e. "have to work to help the family get by," "putting a sick dog to sleep," etc. An examination of achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-69845287036577028262008-12-19T15:00:00.002-05:002008-12-19T15:08:17.851-05:00The TranslatorA story about a translator born and raised in Darfur during its regional genocide. The writing isn't super sharp but still solid. The story is incredibly interesting, even 20 pages in.A quote about traveling in the Sahara:...So you will want to know the ways that have worked for thousands of years.If you are good, like my father and brothers, you will put a line of sticks in the sand at night, achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-4270563084889201642008-12-15T20:13:00.002-05:002008-12-15T20:17:43.213-05:00Short Story: Setting pt. 1Written in 40 minutes. Next goals: continue developing the kitchen a bit more, start developing the main character.-----The morning sunshine floods into the kitchen and warms every cabinet door and countertop. The walls--which normally take on a light, butterscotch color--appear like honey in the nascent dawn. A pan lined with cooking oil, black pepper, and egg yolk remnants rest atop the gas achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-37079301625512032762008-12-08T00:20:00.002-05:002008-12-08T01:36:06.450-05:00Two Month Layoffsince I've written meaningfully, read anything powerful, or worked on anything related to economics.I've used most of my free time to ride bike, go out, or play video games. Even now, I'm distracted with the TV while trying to write this blog post. Then I jump to websites. And AIM. In general, I'm neglecting these important activities for filler, which is pretty depressing.So I'll propose achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-79234842873622741512008-10-21T16:13:00.002-04:002008-10-21T16:17:54.227-04:00Reading in Octoberhas been limited because of exams and vicarious living. No complaints.Right now? David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas. Hoping to have it done by 11/1. Moving onto Stephenson's Cryptonomicon after that. Might revisit Hemingway, or even read The Sun Also Rises for once.No work on Strunk & White. Again, I've been procrastinating.EDIT: Forgot to mention I finished Nemirovsky and Fitzgerald. Both are gems in achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-3084983983776260002008-10-14T17:28:00.003-04:002008-10-21T16:13:30.295-04:00Character Development AttemptThe logical introvert.He uses ultimate logic as a standard of judgment. Are someones actions rational? Do they judge their own behaviors by how rational they are? Do they behave in agreement with a rigid value system?Abstract problem-solver. Runs hypothetical situations internally. Risk averse. Fearful of confrontation, or much of social interaction. His few conversations end in judgment, achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-81911846377258200722008-10-13T12:36:00.004-04:002008-10-21T16:09:59.868-04:00Great writing is not just motivated by personal introspection. Writers have other goals in mind at times.Examples: Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm. I'll find some more later.achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-84223368593876582312008-09-23T17:35:00.003-04:002008-10-13T12:34:50.192-04:00Beginnings of a character study:The disdain comes from an intrinsic source. It's a feeling of disappointment that births the hatred for who he is. He does not hold any specific area of his personality in contempt, but his whole self for not existing on a grander scale. These feelings drive him to accomplish many things of varying importance. On slower days, he invests his time in trivialities to achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-61646485652905211992008-09-17T00:08:00.001-04:002008-09-17T01:46:47.732-04:00As I went over to say good-by I saw that the expression of bewilderment had come back into Gatsby's face, as though a faint doubt had occurred to him as to the quality of his present happiness. Almost five years! There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams--not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-37950134914808285852008-09-12T13:44:00.004-04:002008-09-17T01:51:51.562-04:00Unintentionally funny sentence of the day:Nine women and three men have been selected to judge O.J. Simpson and a co-defendant. They are charged with kidnapping and robbing two sports memorabilia dealers last year in Las Vegas.I guess even alleged felons can serve on juries now.achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-70304826145115274772008-09-12T11:30:00.002-04:002008-09-17T01:52:28.864-04:00Avoiding RamblingLets discuss appealing to your audience.I hadn't considered this concept until reading passages from two different authors. Kurt Vonnegut is the author of the first passage, which is here and on numerous blogs in a condensed form. He outlines eight points which are all illuminating, but these two caught my attention:2. Do not ramble, though. (followed by one sentence of advice: "I won't ramble onachompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-51478539948581778872008-09-11T17:49:00.002-04:002008-09-17T01:52:46.572-04:00Syntax-related thought: choose active or passive voice based on the subject of the sentence. Strunk and White discuss this at length.I should get back to that book. Haven't read much recently thanks to math homework. The opposite of learning to write! I've changed my schedule to accommodate these interests more; we'll see how it turns out.achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-66480908269168502542008-09-09T13:16:00.001-04:002008-09-09T13:16:48.651-04:00Starting PointLet's begin with the following caveat: I have absolutely nothing important to contribute yet. There might be a literary idea gestating in my mind, but its nothing more than a wisp right now. My writing is not where I want it either; I'll make some personal changes so that I can convey ideas better from now on.Literature: reading Irene Nemirovsky's Suite Francaise, rereading The Great achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454275315234051581.post-53202821870247370612008-09-09T13:09:00.000-04:002008-09-09T13:16:25.323-04:00Day OneHere's a new blog where I'll track my exposure to literature and writing. Hopefully there's some stylistic evolution taking place during this process, but I'm a bit pessimistic about it.Also, I'll examine both what I'm reading and what I'm writing here.achompashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07297295669625241218noreply@blogger.com0