Archive for May, 2008

I Really Wish I Could Have Thought of Something Else

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008

But I have to go with what I am thinking. To become a better writer I have to simply write more. And I have to write down the thought that is in my head at the moment. Yes, there are times I wish my thoughts were something different. But I am just going to have to go with the moment.

As I have stated I really hate writing about politics. However, in a Presidential election year politics are the “White Elephant” in the room. I am likely many people (regardless of political party affiliation) are tired of the current “dog and pony” show that is going on right now. The last thing we are going to hear about is the issues. They are only mentioned in passing. Any issues mentioned are treated like doughnuts. They may taste good but they really have no nutritional value behind them at all.

I have not picked who I would like as President. And right now there is no good choice at all. It lead me to have this idea. Supporting any of the current candidates is like believing in a fake orgasm. Sure you may be pretending to smile and say all it was “all good”. But deep down you know that nothing really got accomplished in the end.

It is similar to this classic movie scene.

Sorry. But I am just the messenger here.

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The Phrasing of the Question

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008

MUSIC: R.E.M.

I know I have to get myself back into the discipline of writing (especially blog posts) on a more regular basis. But as I said in my last post, I have a lot of projects coming together at once. And for the most part I am a “crew of one”. But I do not want to go any farther on that point.

Last weekend, I went on a Ghost Hunt. It was a really cool experience. And “Yes” I did see things. I am still reviewing my photos of the event so I may have more about it later. But I want to talk about something else. It is about how people react to what I am up to. I am trying to grow as a writer. I am trying to write characters that seem real. So I listen to not only what people say but how they say it. And it is all in the phrasing. So this is what I have noticed over the last few weeks. This example relates back to my Ghost Hunt experience. Whenever I told people (the few) what I was about to do. This is what I heard almost 100% of the time. “Why would you want to do that?” Take a good look at the phrasing of the question. Here is what I have come to realize about the phrasing of that question. It is a negative response. It shows a person who is most likely not willing to accept whatever is going on. But what phrasing would make the question a positive inquiry? It goes like this “Why are you doing that?” Can you see or read the difference between the two? The first is a person is seeing the world through his own filters. The second is a person trying to understand your filters.

This is what I have learned about people from my experiences. If a person cannot “accept” whatever you are doing until they “understand” what you are doing is a person who will “roadblock” you more often than not. A person who is willing to give some to “benefit of doubt” to you as you are doing your thing is exercising some “faith” in you. Is not the basis of “faith”? Is that not the base for “acceptance” based in “faith” which is not necessarily based on a complete “understanding”?

It is not just what people are saying. It is also how they are saying it.

And by the way. Why did I want to do the Ghost Hunt? Why not? It was something different to try.

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Tuning Out to Tune In

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

As I have said in previous posts, I find my MP3 player to be a valuable tool in helping to develop my writings. It helps make the time I have to spend at work seem to go a bit faster. The more important part is I am able to load it up with podcasts and music that I find interesting. And with the earphones on I can tune out the BS of my daily work day. I don’t have to hear the usual, “You listen to weird shit” comments. It usually comes from people who listen to the same shit over and over or sports talk radio. They cannot admit to be “boring” as a person. I am programming the sounds of my own little world. I am learning things in a different way. It may look like I am in my own little world. That may be true. But so are people who are out in public talking on their cell phones and texting like mad. But I did find a way to deal with Blue Tooth users. I just want to say that there is so much out there and you should take some time to program what you listen to. You do have a choice. You have more now than ever before. If you just accept what is being handed to you by the mass media outlets then you are just being lazy.

There are times when I listen to music that is just instrumental. The new Nine Inch Nails’ album Ghost I- IV is a good listen. It has let me tune out in a way to focus on writing. This album has made more news for the way it is being distributed. It does not have any singing in it so you will not hear on any radio stations. Albums like this are a challenge to listen. And that is a good thing. It is an album that you have to search out. It is not a predictable album so once again radio stations will not play it. And radio stations wonder why they are losing their audience.

And I am going on a Ghost Hunt in couple of weeks. So this may become the soundtrack for it. And I cannot seem to find a copy of the music “that drives them nuts”. (That was a Ghostbusters reference. And I hope we have a plan that is better than “Get ‘em Ray”.)

There is another album I have been listening to lately. This one does have lyrics. The music here is based on the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. It is titled The Raven by Lou Reed. This month’s script contest is to create a short screenplay based on the works of Poe also. So this album is going to be heavily played this month. I need some inspiration and a lot of perseverance to tackle this month’s script entry.

You can probably say it will be a “Macabre May”.

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