Routines make us feel safe, organized and in control. So I suggest you get a writing routine now! You’ll accomplish more with it than you ever did without it.

Originally posted 2010-02-24 19:54:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

“Some writers are valued more than others. If we were to take a distinct measure of something let’s say money, we would be able to discern how much words are worth. Big name authors who have proven that the public values their work by buying the book in droves get more money than say new authors who’s value in the market is yet to be precisely calculated, only predicted by several factors (genre, length, writing style, and such.)

What about those whose words were not intended for profit like Martin Luther King Jr. ’s  “Letter from Birmingham Jail”? His words were powerful and moving, but he made no money from them.

The letter was published in various formats and its effects are still felt to this day. His words are valuable because it resonated with many.

That’s one of my favorite words. Resonate.

As writers we write words that will hopefully resonate within our readers. It is when this happens that magic happens and books are sold. There are different kinds of resonance. When someone reads a character they can relate to, that’s a resonance. When a reader fears a character that’s another kind of resonance. It shakes your bones, and creates an internal difference, a physical reaction.

Reading Native Son by Richard Wright made me cry. The protagonist was an impoverished black youth by the name of Bigger Thomas whose deadly mistake was done out of fear. His pain was so palatable I cried as if I knew the man myself. Problem is I did know this man. Growing up in Brooklyn poverty was evident. I saw and still see men like Bigger. Men hustling cheaply made electronics and bootlegs in beauty salons and bus stops and train cars, congregating outside bodegas, cigarettes and hard stories in tow.

These men whose life was neither kind nor forgiving already felt this fear. They (spoiler alert) didn’t stuff a white woman in a furnace, but truly the fear of a society that didn’t understand and aimed to oppress, was etched in their faces as wrinkles and scars from literal battles fought and won in the prison system.

This made up character wasn’t so made up. The pain, the fear and the horror were clearly outlined. You felt it. This is resonance.”

When this resonance is felt books are read and sold. So I wonder in starting this blog and as my first reading is in two days at Brownstone Books at 7pm, how much are my words worth?

Originally posted 2010-03-15 18:33:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

What should the pictures be of? Your mama. Oh wait was that only funny to me? Sorry. They should be anything that represents for you writing success. Angela Lansberry, Angela Davis, Maya Angelou. She’s awesome. Put some pics up of her. And other successful writers.

What does my Vision Board consist of? I’ll tell you that in another post. This one’s way longer than I intended.

Finish that Novel Already

Originally posted 2010-04-27 22:13:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Ok. Now you know you’re an awesome writer. Congrats! Now that you know you’re a hidden talent just waiting to break through, you need a crew (as small or big as you like) who’s going to support you. Maybe on a writing website (such as this one), in real life (supportive sibling or parent), or your Facebook friends. Whatever. Just get them already!

Ways to Get ‘Em

I would say the best kind of support comes from other writers. They know you’re woes and misery unlike, say you’re accountant friend. (Although I bet they know a thing or two about deadlines, April 15 anyone?) If you know don’t know any, find them, if you already have them, find some more!

The simplest way is to Goggle it. Your area and writer’s group. You can also find writing groups in your area by using Meetup.com. There are online social networking sites for creative types, such as Protagonize,  and Writer’s Cafe strictly for the written word, and Red Bubble, with an emphasis on art and photography.

You can’t turn everything into a damn acronym, but the creative folks behind the National Novel Writing Month didn’t give a damn. And now across the writing blogosphere NaNoWriMo is a rites of passage for many. The gist? Write a novel in the month of November. Writing a full novel in just one month is not impossible, but spectacularly Herculean, and not everybody who undertakes it actually completes the novel. Instead, many writers use NaNoWriMo as a springboard to finish or start their novels. As I’ve witnessed its more about conditioning yourself to write every freaking day. As in taking your writing from a lofty wish to a serious goal. With deadlines. You know how writers need deadlines or I’d doubt we’d get anything done. (This post is a courtesy of a deadline.)

Heck, even renting a shared office space might be something worth looking into. Not to be confused with a virtual office. In a virtual office, the use of actual office space is less common. Cheaper than renting out your own office, shared office spaces started as a way for freelancers and other home based entrepreneurs to escape the loneliness of working from home.

The least expensive will set you back at least $200. They often have several levels of memberships so you can decide how much space and how much other perks you want to enjoy. They give you a place to dedicate to your writing. The best part about it is the commitment. Shelling out at least $200 bucks a month, you’d better have a plan, and get some writing done.

The best part about these places is the camaraderie. Odd and creative minds are abuzz at shared office spaces and collaboration is a natural byproduct. There are several in Brooklyn, including 3rd Ward, with free classes included in unlimited membership, the Brooklyn Creative League and Green Desk. I’ve even heard about Jelly. Not an office share but organized times when people of the entrepreneurial spirit get together.

If you’re not the typical writer, you might want to check out the NY Writers Coalition. Their mission is to give a voice to those who otherwise wouldn’t normally have one such as the incarcerated, disabled, immigrants and homeless. Basically, the people you don’t expect to pick up a pen and paper and bust out “Leaves of Grass.”

Go where other writers congregate, bookstores, and readings. Bring a business card, talk to other writers. This might be a radical thing for the introverts, but you gotta mingle if you don’t want to be single. Single as in all alone in the writing process.  I’ve met a few good people at readings of my favorite authors.

As for me, I am currently a part of the Write in BK writing group. From there I’ve met Raquel Penzo aka The Jaded NYer who hooked me up with my first opportunity to read my works in public.

It’s worked for me. I don’t know what’s going to work for you, but you know what does work? Getting off your butt, stop watching that rerun of Lost and actually trying! So do the damn thang and Finish The Novel Already!

Originally posted 2010-04-24 15:48:20. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

(You) In my novel the main character is heart broken.

(Kid/Adult)-Why?

(You) Because she loved this man very much.

(Kid/Adult)-Why?

(You) Because he effected her so deeply?

(Kid/Adult)-Why?

(You) Honestly, because the sex was so amazing. (Wait, would you be be honest enough to tell a kid that? Probably not, bear with me now.)

(Kid/Adult)-Is that it? Is it just sex that determines who your character falls in love with?

(You)Well, it is very important to her.

(Kid/Adult)-Why?

(You) Because she prides herself on being a sexual person with no hang-ups.

(Kid/Adult)-Why?

(You) Because her mother was? I don’t know. That’s just who she is. She’s used to being the giver not the receiver.

Now from that we can discern this character likes the sex a lot. She’s accustomed to being the pleaser, but when its the opposite she doesn’t know how to handle it. Actually I (I mean you) knew this already, but a good question is does the reader know this? I’ll read over what I have so far and clean up the passages that need it so it makes more sense. Or, maybe you won’t need to do so much cleaning up and you’ll feel like your passages are sufficient enough to convey what you mean. Congratulations! You can give yourself a pat on the back. You did good. Now how does that feel? Good.

Now write about another aspect of your character that’s poorly developed ‘cause surely now that you’ve found some weaknesses. You didn’t touch them then ‘cause that is not what you was doing at the time.

But now you are.

Let’s talk about your character’s hate for ignorance for instance. Write a funny dialogue where your character’s boring the hell out of of someone on said topic. Make that person squirm with boredom and make your readers laugh and sympathize with the situation.

Let’s go ahead and FINISH THAT NOVEL ALREADY!

Originally posted 2010-02-23 04:24:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Now here’s the part where many  an author is told to set up a rewards system. If they finish their pre-determined goal they reward themselves with whatever their hearts delight. Sweets, an hour of “Grey’s Anatomy”, what have you. My problem is that whatever I love I am going to have it, do it, or partake in it whether or not I’ve reached my goal. Because its called discipline. Self-discipline. And to be honest with myself and you I am not overflowing in that department. In fact, some might say I am understocked, and I wouldn’t be mad at them.

How about setting not just any reward but something you don’t regularly allow yourself? Something slightly out of your comfort zone. “Grey’s Anatomy” is too easy. If you’re like most people you own a TV. And if you live with somebody even more chances that TV will be on making that transition from your kids favorite show to Mommy’s favorite show.

For those of us (s)lacking will power: What do you want, but won’t allow yourself for any reason? For reasons financial, psychological, emotional, or all three? If you achieve your writing goal give yourself this thing. And make sure the reward, justifies the achievement. Don’t go out and buy that mink coat because you completed that one page. Buy yourself that mink coat when you finished that novel.

Let the Reward Fit the Accomplishment

A fashionista would salivate  over this, a lumberjack not so much. Also, don’t go into too much debt or stretch yourself silly with this reward. If that mink coat can be bought with credit and paid off in three months then buy the damned thing and pay for it that way. Three months ain’t so bad for your heart’s desire. On the other hand, if a mink is what you want but they’ll put a lien on your house for it you’re going to have to find another mink coat (literally or metaphorically). I for one am not a huge shopping fan. My mink coat would have to be…..Hmm…Actually I don’t know what my mink coat would be. I’ll let you know in another post.

Alls I am saying is Get Over the Delayed Gratification by instituting the Right Instant Gratification. We can all learn to get two marshmallows, but for now we’re the one one marshmallow kid, and that’s what you work with.

Originally posted 2010-02-02 02:49:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

After we picked the book, we were then instructed to write a paragraph of what we thought the first sentence would sound like. Great, because I’m so Indian and I know exactly how to write as a young Indian boy.

Well, to hell with it! I did it anyway:

My name is Kiran Sharma.

Today is Sunday and I do not want to go to temple. There the boys are extra mean and so are the girls. I used to play the flue for the temple. But they said I took too long, and indulged in secular solos that took away from the spiritual essence of church.

But I love playing the flute. My solos weren’t long, they were dutiful. If I was Krishna I would love to hear a small child praise me with long flute solos praising my name. If I was God I would smote those who dare to shut up such a child.

We went so far just to find a temple in where Indian people are rare. We have to pile into the old Volkswagen and drive two hours just to get there. And then when we get there I can’t play my flute anymore.

“He was all showboating, shaking his butt, swishing his head side to side like he’s Stevie Wonder. This is temple, not the Night at the Apollo,” so I heard the HIgh Priest say.

Now is this accurate in any way? I have no idea. This was a 5 minute writing exercise, accuracy be damned.

We then read the actual first paragraph of the novel we tried to copycat to some very funny results. I suggest you pick up a copy of Blue Boy and compare the two paragraphs yourself.

Later On

Holding unto the book all night, I found myself unable to put it back on its shelf. This was essentially my book. I bought the book at the end of the meeting. Now the fact that I haven’t even cracked it open, never mind that. In fact I’m unable to read any book because frankly, I don’t give a damn.

Now eventually I’m going to have to immerse myself in the publishing world, and learn about the works of others. But I’m in the stage of my work, where I don’t want to read anybody else’s story. The story I’m writing is the story I want to read.

I know these three women so intimately, I enjoy fleshing them out, I’m even surprised at what they do, even though I’m the one creating them.

That’s because I sought to create black female characters “we” all know. The sometimes bourgeoisie/ghetto/down-to-earth black women. You know the kind of women who can live in Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Flatbush or Fort Greene. Got cornrows in their hair one week, a weave the next.

They went to college, but when they return home, they still hood. They can speak “proper” English at school and on the job, but when they get home I’am turns into Imma; as in Imma ‘bout to go the corner store, want something?

I see myself in these characters. And I hope when I finish this novel, a lot of other black women can see themselves too.

While many black people have experienced a life straight out of a  Donald Goines novel. Not every black person has. And then on the other side of the spectrum, I didn’t live the Cosby lifestyle either. But my sister has a pond in her front house, a small boat, and a pool in the back.

There is a middle ground I’m trying to bridge that gap.

Also in Write in BK News!

We are to have our own shelf in Brownstone Books in which we can recommend whatever sort of literature we fancy. This just happens to coincide with the one year anniversary of the writing group. So to celebrate both things we’re going to have a little soiree at Brownstone Books to commemorate. Sat, Jun 19.

I’ll be reading, there’ll be wine, there’ll be music from 7-9pm. And later there will be wine AND food as we head over to Therapy Wine Bar down the block. I can hardly wait!

Originally posted 2010-06-10 00:19:20. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

As creative people, we get caught up in our ideas, you can’t blame us, we have so many of them. But the one mistake I’ve been making for a long time and I won’t make anymore is getting distracted by a million and one good ideas, and not concentrating on any one of them. When my energy becomes split up into different projects before I’ve found a stable rhythm for the main one, I accomplish nothing. So this will be my main baby, and all that interior design, art stuff and other stuff, will go on a tumbler blog eventually.

I’ve been sidetracked by a lot of things: picking the wrong grad program, deciding to work and go to school full time like an idiot, resulting in an unsuccessful year at grad school, getting rejected by Hunter, unemployment. I’ve been living ya’ll; gathering those life experiences and was miserable for it.

By the time I looked around I was older than I was before. My peers were doing great things and I felt behind and discouraged. That didn’t feel so good. The LOA disciple that I am, I stopped hovering on that feeling because we can’t concentrate on the past because we can’t change that.  We can’t look to the future and past at the same time like Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings (you know the dude with two heads). And if we look to the past too often we’ll forget that the present, thus our future is still very much in our hands. Just because the timeline’s changed doesn’t mean its impossible to achieve. We can affect our future by sowing the seeds today.

I almost forgot that what makes me truly happy is writing. I almost forgot that what I wanted the most was to get that acceptance letter so that I could write seriously under the tutelage of those who know much more than me.

I almost forgot that I was talented. I almost forgot that I’m gifted. I forgot that I dreamed of having a book with my name on it that inspires countless women to get in touch with their feminine power and pursue their dreams. But when I was miserable and asked myself what I wanted, it all came back to me.

I already had this conversation with myself a while back. But as humans we are all infallible. We came here to learn a lesson, and most times these lessons have to repeat themselves. Over and over and over again.

So here I am writing everyday. If I’m not writing new stuff for the novel, I’m transcribing some of the old stuff. If I’m not, I’m blogging here about my experience. If I’m not doing any of that I’m writing in my journal. Everyday is a writing day, because I’ve worked through all that self-doubt crap, and that’s all it is is crap, and now I’m living solely to create.

And that’s what we are all here to do is create. Whether or not our profession is in the creative field we do it anyway, we can’t help ourselves. We create relationships, we create candor, we create an aura of self-confidence about our abilities, we create our reputation, we create our lives by the choices we make.

So I ask that you, never lose sight of your (writing) dreams either.

And I’m off to finish that novel already.

Originally posted 2010-06-30 18:55:47. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

If it is the latter I suggest you take a good dose of self-esteem and write what you know in your heart has the potential to be amazing despite your crappy first draft. Believing in yourself as a writer will take you wonders.

Don’t look for anyone else to tell you you’re good if you don’t first believe it for yourself because guess what? There are plenty of examples of artists of all mediums (written, visual, performance) who were lauded for their genius but still battled self-doubt.

That mentor might talk himself blue in the face self-esteem happens on the INSIDE!

Originally posted 2010-02-26 17:02:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Before I read it I gave my group a little heads up that its similar to my other stuff. “More erotica,” Captain Kirk opined. Yes, Captain Kirk, more sex stuff. And not only that I was nervous to curse in front of them. I’ll tell you what my fellow Brooklyn writers had to say after the jump. Don’t judge me! Or judge me all you want:

“You know what I need? I need her feet broken. Her lips ripped, her pussy to fall off, and her tongue to rot in her mouth.”

“I see, I see,” he said stroking the goatee on his chin.

“Can you do that for me?”

“Of course I can. The issue isn’t my competence, the issue is what are you willing to do for it?” He put his hands over hers.

I should have known the Devil was out for himself. He was the most handsome black man you’d ever seen. Skin of smoothest ebony, finely chiseled features and a body like a black Adonis. A body carved out of rock and lusciousness. In other words a spitting image of Hakeem. He was every ex she’d ever dated. Daniel’s brows, Jordan’s lips and Fela’s sneer sense of humour and sleaze. They were all staring at her eye.

She put her other hand on top of his. “Look into my heart and tell me what you see.”

A few moments later, “You’re a very bad girl Naan, a very bad girl.”

“Remember those words. You’ll be saying them long after I’m done with you,” because nobody takes anything from Naan.

I was so nervous that all my work is beginning to sound the same! My fellow writers laughed at the part when I said Hakeem, and generally enjoyed it the whole of it. Kirk said it was a style. Tiffany offered the sage advice that I’m still in novel writing mode, and its not easy to switch off. Whew! In the words of Sly and the Family Stone “THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BE MYSELF AGAIN!”

This is Fiction; Sort of

Another fellow writer was apt to know just how much my writing was an extension of myself and a past experience. It has been apparent to me that my writing is reflective of a previous state of mind from a year ago. Although I have grown much since I’ve written many of the parts of the novel in this state of mind, my writing has not yet moved on. It’s still a reflection of the past. When will my writing reflect the more blissful, assured and driven me I cannot be sure. But one thing’s for sure, writing this novel is cathartic.

And with that, I’m off to finish this dangblasted yet wonderfully novel novel already.

Originally posted 2010-07-15 04:05:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter