Hello!
It is late at night. I just got home from an improv show called Slay Bells in Capitol Hill. It was done by a wonderfully talented group of people know as The Blood Squad (bloodsquadpresents.com). This was my first time being in the audience at one of their productions but it most definitely will not be the last!
However, that is not what brings me back to this blog, after about a years time. I am going to try this whole blog thing again in 2011. I think it will help me to keep track of the creative schedule and goals I have given myself for the upcoming year.
It started out with NaNoWriMo. For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo is a month long contest in November to write a 50,000 word novel. I completed it this year, writing my first ever novel titled '15'. This reminded me how much I love writing and how much I need to do more of it. Luckily, NaNoWriMo has opened up a wealth of additional venues for motivation and competition in the written arts. Because of these new events being made known to me, I have compiled a schedule of what I will be partaking in;
February Album Writing Month- 14 track album in 28 days
Script Frenzy- 100 page script or stage play in April
National Epic Poem Writing Month- 5,000 line Epic Poem in May
Solo Photo Book Month- Solo photo book in 31 days in May
Write a Novel- 50,000 word novel in June
3-day Novel contest- Write a novel in 3 days in September
NaNoWriMo- 50,000 word novel in November
"In the Palm of Your Hand" poetry group- Write one poem a week for the year
If I were to complete all of these, in 2011, I would have recorded a music album, written 3 novels, a play, an epic poem, and 52 additional poems and a photo book. I would say that is a healthy creative schedule. In addition to these goals I will add finish edits on '15' by February and get published at least twice.
I am hoping this blog will help me chronicle my goals as I reach (or fail to reach) them.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Friday, December 25, 2009
Regarding the Man with the Bonsai Tree
You held life in dead hands
holding steady to the ideal of this man
who knew how to stick it out
Her purse on one shoulder and her coat on the other
one palm on her waist, an excuse to get closer
you held out the tree,to her disapproving composure
she smiled looking at the man across the row
he was giving his girlfriend a necklace, gold.
You'll never win her this way, you know.
holding steady to the ideal of this man
who knew how to stick it out
Her purse on one shoulder and her coat on the other
one palm on her waist, an excuse to get closer
you held out the tree,to her disapproving composure
she smiled looking at the man across the row
he was giving his girlfriend a necklace, gold.
You'll never win her this way, you know.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Day Two
Wrote about a young kid yesterday...
constant connetion
technology at your fingertips
brain waves link airwaves link rays of radiation
text on scroll pages in pocket computers and mp3 players
block out the sound of real life that surrounds you
trade LOL with laughter leaving soul to mouth to earhole
the click of some buttons to the graze of rough skin
a virtual lifestyle from miles of unchartered brilliant earth
forgotten what real life is worth
constant connetion
technology at your fingertips
brain waves link airwaves link rays of radiation
text on scroll pages in pocket computers and mp3 players
block out the sound of real life that surrounds you
trade LOL with laughter leaving soul to mouth to earhole
the click of some buttons to the graze of rough skin
a virtual lifestyle from miles of unchartered brilliant earth
forgotten what real life is worth
Monday, December 14, 2009
Poem 1-A Man and a Perdicament
Here is the first bus poem, decided these will be unedited poems
he lightly kissed the heads of three children
tucked into wooden framed beds he built
before he would head into the darkened day
hes been here before,
surrounded but alone
wedding ring feeling misplaced on left hand ring finger,
and bus of early morning commuters watch him play content
crossword puzzless done in pen
beanies on heads to hide the cold
big hands take backpacks, wide backs give rides to small kids
tying him to this life while he thinks ' i could've been big'
slips off his wedding band, opens a magazine with his left hand and feels relief
when ladies smile he feels seen
not stuck with thinking 'this is life for me'
stopping to greet the woman in the high heeled shoe
he exists the bus daily to sit in a room selling things to people who would'nt know what to do with the product
another hiccup in society
dreams crushed under the rest of life's necessities
its demanding 'feed me' needs leaving him hungry and empty for the filling
bent on knees pleading for a break
he lightly kissed the heads of three children
tucked into wooden framed beds he built
before he would head into the darkened day
hes been here before,
surrounded but alone
wedding ring feeling misplaced on left hand ring finger,
and bus of early morning commuters watch him play content
crossword puzzless done in pen
beanies on heads to hide the cold
big hands take backpacks, wide backs give rides to small kids
tying him to this life while he thinks ' i could've been big'
slips off his wedding band, opens a magazine with his left hand and feels relief
when ladies smile he feels seen
not stuck with thinking 'this is life for me'
stopping to greet the woman in the high heeled shoe
he exists the bus daily to sit in a room selling things to people who would'nt know what to do with the product
another hiccup in society
dreams crushed under the rest of life's necessities
its demanding 'feed me' needs leaving him hungry and empty for the filling
bent on knees pleading for a break
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Busy Bee and Resolutions
The time between then and now seems to have stretched a lifetime. I am changing, you are changing, the people we love are changing too.
It has been a little over a month since my last blog, bad I know, but life has a way of pulling your attention to places other than where you want it to be. Novemeber was National Novel Writing Month. I started off strong and determined to finish the race. Half way through the month a personal clamity struck in which everything I thought I stood for seemed to be questioned. I had always thought myself the strong person, with even stronger convictions, but I waivered in a situation that held universal sized importance. In my hesitance I failed a very percious friend. I stopped writing. To you, to myself, for NaNoWriMo. Depression reached a low I hadn't been at in years. I cried. Everyday and most of the night. I think I am back now, the guilt I feel i've been assured is unncessary and I am trying to be the person I have always hoped to be.
I am starting a new project for my poetry. I hope to list it here and on my site valerielongwriting.com, it will be a year of poetry inspired by the mass commuters I see on the bus everyday. This idea came to be when I first started riding the bus in August of this year. There were so many different types of people who all had a story, I wanted to write it for them. Particularly the girl in the yellow shoes, the one in the fishnet stockings, the man with the red nose, the couple with matching lip rings. They all had something to say, and I wanted to help them say it. So this year, for each day I am on the bus I will write about one person and their story, however fabricated it may be and I will post it for you. Its my way of saying thank you to diversity and to people for being beautiful and making me fall in love with you every day.
It has been a little over a month since my last blog, bad I know, but life has a way of pulling your attention to places other than where you want it to be. Novemeber was National Novel Writing Month. I started off strong and determined to finish the race. Half way through the month a personal clamity struck in which everything I thought I stood for seemed to be questioned. I had always thought myself the strong person, with even stronger convictions, but I waivered in a situation that held universal sized importance. In my hesitance I failed a very percious friend. I stopped writing. To you, to myself, for NaNoWriMo. Depression reached a low I hadn't been at in years. I cried. Everyday and most of the night. I think I am back now, the guilt I feel i've been assured is unncessary and I am trying to be the person I have always hoped to be.
I am starting a new project for my poetry. I hope to list it here and on my site valerielongwriting.com, it will be a year of poetry inspired by the mass commuters I see on the bus everyday. This idea came to be when I first started riding the bus in August of this year. There were so many different types of people who all had a story, I wanted to write it for them. Particularly the girl in the yellow shoes, the one in the fishnet stockings, the man with the red nose, the couple with matching lip rings. They all had something to say, and I wanted to help them say it. So this year, for each day I am on the bus I will write about one person and their story, however fabricated it may be and I will post it for you. Its my way of saying thank you to diversity and to people for being beautiful and making me fall in love with you every day.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
My First Write In (sorta)
Hey ya'll-
Today is going to be my first NaNoWriMo write in (nanowrimo.org). It is going to be a little different than most people's write ins. I am doing it with my sister who lives about 1,100 miles south of me. We will have Yahoo IM connected, the same music playlist and write from noon to four straight. We both have a goal of getting to 12,500 words today. We are looking at an increase of 6,117 for me and 8,083 for my sister. I have been so down this week feeling sick, I've hardly written at all so I am hoping this will give me that much needed boost to get me on that 50,000 word list. Happy Writting everyone!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Okay, so this time I did ditch, and for a while. I am sorry. I am going to try very hard to not let it happen again. Things have just been so CRAZY these past couple of months. Below is a quick run down of my life since my last post:
July: I got to see my wonderful family while we went on a 5 day Mexican Cruise to Cabo San Lucas, and I must say a cruise is the best way to spend a vacation. This was the first family vacation where we didn't have to fight over what to do, worry about the cost of the attractions, or try and find transportation for us all to have some alone time. We were able to do things ourselves, meet new people, see new things, and still all meet for dinner in the evening. Most of everything was paid for in the cost of the trip and so we didn't have to worry about money. Not to mention unlimited food...and really good food. We also met a beautiful couple, in their...lets say 50's. Linda and Charles. They were delightful and made each day just a little bit more exciting. We are set to go on a 7 day Caribbean Cruise in May as our second.
August: I MOVED!!! That's right, I got out of the house and moved into my own studio apartment in the North End. It has been glorious. It was like when I moved my creative floodgate opened up to whole new realms. My first month in here I wrote 3 new songs, several poems, and a short story that I was proud of. This was after months of trying to create anything worth keeping. I bought a microphone and am looking into some software to look at recording a CD (for myself) that consists of seven songs I have written since living here. In the move I did lose a dear friend, and that is sad. She didn't die, she just went away but those are the choices we make. I am able to hear through the grapevine a general of how she is and that makes me feel a little bit better about that.
September: BUMBERSHOOT and COHEED AND CAMBRIA. Those two alone would have made September the best month ever. I made incredible concert friends, one of whom I still talk to a little bit. Felt loved, and fell in love during the Modest Mouse show, and yes I was on the bar. Then at Coheed I met up with an old friend, Aaron and even being in seats that show rocked it. They played 'The Crowing', how does it get better than that? Oh wait, it was that they finally played 'The Velourium Camper III: Al the Killer' because I LOVE that song and have always wanted to be in a crowd of [mostly] white girls screaming, "die white girls, die white girls!" Note: The band is not racist, you just have to know the story behind Al.
October: October was glorious. I saw WHY? yet again, this time with Hannah and they made my heart scream "WOOHOO!" The newest album Eskimo Snow is different but intelligent and beautiful. Pick it up, listen, then listen again. My best friend, Priscilla also showed up for a few days and we had the pleasure of seeing the ever funny Kevin Smith, that night my stomach hurt and my pants, I must admit had been peed.
On another note, I was also promoted and got a raise in this month of October, that's always good news.
November: So I start NaNoWriMo this month, I get the pleasure of writing a frantic novel of 50,000 words in thirty days. I will keep my updates here, also at nanowrimo.org. Check it out, it's going to be a good time!
July: I got to see my wonderful family while we went on a 5 day Mexican Cruise to Cabo San Lucas, and I must say a cruise is the best way to spend a vacation. This was the first family vacation where we didn't have to fight over what to do, worry about the cost of the attractions, or try and find transportation for us all to have some alone time. We were able to do things ourselves, meet new people, see new things, and still all meet for dinner in the evening. Most of everything was paid for in the cost of the trip and so we didn't have to worry about money. Not to mention unlimited food...and really good food. We also met a beautiful couple, in their...lets say 50's. Linda and Charles. They were delightful and made each day just a little bit more exciting. We are set to go on a 7 day Caribbean Cruise in May as our second.
August: I MOVED!!! That's right, I got out of the house and moved into my own studio apartment in the North End. It has been glorious. It was like when I moved my creative floodgate opened up to whole new realms. My first month in here I wrote 3 new songs, several poems, and a short story that I was proud of. This was after months of trying to create anything worth keeping. I bought a microphone and am looking into some software to look at recording a CD (for myself) that consists of seven songs I have written since living here. In the move I did lose a dear friend, and that is sad. She didn't die, she just went away but those are the choices we make. I am able to hear through the grapevine a general of how she is and that makes me feel a little bit better about that.
September: BUMBERSHOOT and COHEED AND CAMBRIA. Those two alone would have made September the best month ever. I made incredible concert friends, one of whom I still talk to a little bit. Felt loved, and fell in love during the Modest Mouse show, and yes I was on the bar. Then at Coheed I met up with an old friend, Aaron and even being in seats that show rocked it. They played 'The Crowing', how does it get better than that? Oh wait, it was that they finally played 'The Velourium Camper III: Al the Killer' because I LOVE that song and have always wanted to be in a crowd of [mostly] white girls screaming, "die white girls, die white girls!" Note: The band is not racist, you just have to know the story behind Al.
October: October was glorious. I saw WHY? yet again, this time with Hannah and they made my heart scream "WOOHOO!" The newest album Eskimo Snow is different but intelligent and beautiful. Pick it up, listen, then listen again. My best friend, Priscilla also showed up for a few days and we had the pleasure of seeing the ever funny Kevin Smith, that night my stomach hurt and my pants, I must admit had been peed.
On another note, I was also promoted and got a raise in this month of October, that's always good news.
November: So I start NaNoWriMo this month, I get the pleasure of writing a frantic novel of 50,000 words in thirty days. I will keep my updates here, also at nanowrimo.org. Check it out, it's going to be a good time!
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