To Liven

It’s been two weeks since I’ve posted anything. I think that’s a first! Obviously, I haven’t been the most consistent blogger. I believe myself to have a good reason, though…

To work towards my goal of submitting 3 pieces each to both contests and magazines/journals, I’ve been hard at work constructing stories.

On Tuesday, I attended the Jane Urquhart reading at the library. For those of you who aren’t yet aware, Jane is a very successful writer from Ontario. She has won many, many awards and held many roles in various literary communities. As she was introducing her book, Sanctuary Line, she said something that struck me. She said that when she learns about something (a fact, a story, a person etc.), she lets it sit with her for a while. When it’s still on her mind some time after she hears it, she knows it is something worth writing about.

There are certainly events and musings that I have collected from my life that I keep tucked away in my mind until I have an occasion to bring it out. As I’m writing, pieces of knowledge and experiences that I thought I had forgotten are bubbling back up to the surface. They seem to be effortlessly and beautifully weaving themselves into my stories. I can feel it all fall into place.

I think that research and a well-thought out plan are important in the making of a story. But it seems to me that what makes a piece impactful is what you can bring to it.

Artist’s Statement

So, I’m currently working on my Artist’s Statement.

It’s really important for me to lay out what I feel art is and why I do it. Once it’s created, I’m going to treat it as a compass of sorts. Any of the work that I do in the foreseeable future, regardless of the medium (words, marker, paint, sound, etc.) will comply with and satisfy the Statement. This will allow me to have a body of work that is consistent, and, ultimately, one I am proud of and believe in.

I’ve got to say, it’s a lot more challenging than I thought it would be. I was sure I knew what I would include in it, but every time I write a sentence, I review it to make sure it’s exactly how I feel. It’s become an incredibly dainty task that has allowed me to challenge my current beliefs. In the end, I hope to have a stronger vision to play around within and contribute work to.

Do you guys have a clear idea of your body of work’s purpose?

Have you put it down on paper?

A whole new issue!

Friends,

Writtle Magazine‘s September Issue is now ready and available!

Click here to check it out

(And tomorrow, folks, back to regular programming!)

 

 

 

Lit-folks galore

Yesterday, I woke up and went to work. For me, work is wherever I’d like to bring my laptop and sketchbook that day. Quite often, just like this day, it was the library’s Central branch. I arrived at 8:58 and expected to look like the biggest book worm in London, sitting alone, waiting for when I was allowed to go in. As I rounded the corner in Citi Plaza, I’m sure my eyes popped out of my head. There was a huge sea of people waiting for the doors to open. I had no idea that there were this many people excited about going to the library.

But what were they in a rush to go do frantically in there?

As I sit here now, just as I did yesterday, I am looking around. There are people writing in notebooks; people on their computers; people reading magazines and newspapers; people perusing the shelves for the perfect book to hunker down with. Nobody is in a huff now that they’re in. It struck me:

They were in a rush to have a good morning.

They are in a rush to be in an environment where relaxation and enjoyment is the key to productivity.

 

Man, I love London.

What now?

It’s been a whole year since I started this blog. When I wrote my first post (and for most of the year following), I had no idea what the blog was actually going to be about or what I wanted to do as a career. Now that I’ve figured it out, I’m planning on making this year a goal-oriented one. What better time to start than during your Blogoversary Week?

To begin, I’d like to catch you up…

For personal reasons, I’ve decided to postpone going to school. At first, I looked at it as a struggle that I was going to have to get through. I’ve had a really long journey to get to the point where I can finally go to school. But now that I’ve settled into the decision, I’m looking at this as a positive decision.

This year, I’m going to focus on accomplishing some literary goals:

1. Submit at least 3 poems/short stories to contests
2. Submit at least 3 poems/short stories to magazines/journals
3. Complete planning of first novel and be ready to write
4. Illustrate 1 or more stories
5. Design and have 3 book covers or more published
6. Build portfolio (both online and physically)
7. Create website for Illustration clients
8. Sell 10 illustrations or more
9. Read 10 books or more
10. Begin the ‘Art, Craft & Design Certificate Program’ at Fanshawe College

I’m not entirely sure how my list stacks up compared to others. Regardless, I’ve got a lot on my plate and to accomplish these on top of everything else in a year is going to be a lot of work.

Let’s the games begin!

Blogoversary!

Mine was yesterday.

I missed it, yes, but that doesn’t make it less special. This way, I’m going to make it a Blogoversary Week rather than one day. Rejoice!

Whether you read my thoughts with every new post, or you drop by once in a while to see what’s going on, I thank you. It is a warm feeling to know that I’ve got a community that both wants to hear what I have to say as well as supports me in my endeavors. It is because of some really hard work and your help that I’ve discovered a passion.

I would like to hear what you have to say also. If you have a blog, please leave a link in a comment on this post so I can follow it.

 

Gratefully,

Amy

P.S. More Blogoversary Week fun to come!

If a tree falls in the woods, will anyone know you’re a good writer?

Here’s a thought: If you want people to read something, they have to know about it.

If you spend all of your time writing and none talking about your work, is anyone going to read it but yourself and, if you can convince him, your cat? You could be the next Sylvia Plath (without the unhappy ending) or David Foster Wallace (…also without the exit strategy) and nobody would know it.

We have to go out and let the world know that we exist.

I guess the next question to ask is how.

My suggestion is anyway we know how that will create an impact. Preferably, a good impact.

Discovering yourself. (To self-publish or not)

Self-publishing vs. being discovered.

Go.

It’s a tough one for me. I have a romantic notion that if you work really hard at improving your skills and write your ass off, you will eventually be discovered. But, in a society that is now all about go-getting and taking your destiny (or whatever) into your own hands, is it the best decision to fill the portrait of a solitary character at a keyboard, writing and writing and writing?

The biggest question for me: Does it take away your credibility as a talented writer if you have taken it upon yourself to make your writing official?

To self-publish, nobody has to think you’re talented except yourself. Not even your mother.

On the other hand, the starving artist lifestyle goes stale pretty quickly. I don’t need to be tortured to write a good story. If somebody is going to discover me, now would be ideal.

Thoughts? Opinions? …Thoughts?

A

The beginning

In a blog post last week, I let everyone know that I’m going to focus a little bit on my personal journey into a career in literature. I’m at the point in that road now that I need to choose which way to go. I feel like I’m standing before one of those poles with a million signs, all pointing somewhere unique and exciting.

Where to first?

I’ve put a lot of thought into where I can fit into the industry. And I’ve decided that for my main source of income (something I admit, I have to factor into the decision), I’m going to work as a book illustrator/cover designer.

I’ve always painted and drawn. As a child, I never stopped trying new mediums and expressing myself through visual images. I’ve sold pieces here and there, but never considered being an artist as a feasible career option. Now that I’m older and know that it is literature that I’m most passionate about, it seems that the perfect career for me is to use my artistic abilities to be a part of the creation of books (kind of like how I’ve incorporated both into a magazine).

I’m going to go grab some new art supplies at the store and get honing my skills.

A

Books: Entertainment? Media?

The ‘Books’ section of The Huffington Post is under the umbrella category of ‘Media‘. The only other option I see that it could be under is ‘Entertainment‘.

Yes, books help dictate what is ‘in’ right now. (So ‘Media’ is correct.) Yes, people read them as a pastime. (‘Entertainment’ is too.) But both of these categories, although true, seem to accentuate the parts of the reading experience that are least important to me.

There is so much more to a book.

It’s so carefully crafted. The author has carefully selected each word to weave a story made of pieces of themselves. He has put his time and intelligence into the book. She has put her soul into it – what she truly believes.

I think ‘Books’ should fall into the ‘Arts’ category. It’s like a painting with the smallest brushstrokes imaginable.