The spam monsters have won. Over the past several months, I have tried to limit spam in the comments to this journal. Despite my best attempts, though, the spam continues to be posted -- often more spam comments than legitimate ones.
Therefore, I am forced to bar comments from people who are not my LJ friends.
But all is not lost! If you would like to comment on a post here, and you are not an LJ friend, and you don't care to create an LJ account to become my friend, you can comment on my main website, the one that mirrors to this journal. That website is
Mindy, regretting that it's come to this, but pleased to finally get rid of the obnoxious spam
Last October, I attended my local science fiction convention, Capclave, where I had the good fortune of being interviewed by Jean Marie Ward, for Buzzy Magazine.
Jean Marie has now posted her interview for all the world to see:
http://buzzymag.com/morgan-keyes-intervi
It’s interesting to me, seeing how I convey on camera. We were in a dim lounge area, with a lot of background noise; the video actually came through more clearly than I expected. There *is* something a bit funky with the recording of my voice — I sound like I have a rather pronounced lisp, which I don’t, in real life.
In any case, take a peek at the video, if you want to know more about Morgan Keyes, DARKBEAST, and what’s coming up next for Morgan and Mindy!
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
We had a pretty quiet weekend around here — at least, not much to write about. In a word, our weekend was: Baseball.
On Thursday afternoon, we went to see the Nationals beat the Tigers. (This was a makeup game, after the original got rained out on Tuesday.) The game was exciting — it all came down to the very last out, with Prince Fielder at the plate. After, we went to Five Guys for dinner, where I indulged in a burger and fries and didn’t even think about feeling guilty 
On Friday, relatives came to visit from North Carolina, and we went to see the Nationals beat the Cubs. I was surprised to find that two games, back to back, weren’t too much for me. I suspect that the two wins helped that to be the case! We sat one section over from our usual seats. (Enter long, boring explanation for why there isn’t an usher posted near our usual seats.) It was fun to watch a good usher properly handling the crowd — helping people find their seats, holding them in the aisle until breaks in play, etc. I ended up tracking down the ushers’ supervisor — both to compliment the usher we saw, and to try to remedy the lack of an usher in our usual section. I was pleased with the customer service, at least the lip service ::wry grin::
On Saturday, I went to see the yarn bombing to which I had contributed several pieces over the winter. Then, on Saturday evening, I watched BULL DURHAM with our visiting Carolina relatives. I haven’t seen the whole movie in a long time, and I was surprised by a couple of things — how much baseball I’ve learned since the last time I saw it, and how utterly unquotable-in-a-family-blog most of the dialog is. I think it’d be about a one-hour movie on TV, once they deleted all the lines they couldn’t satisfactorily bleep…
I’m reeling a bit from the discovery that this is a Monday, and it’s time for me to head to work. Nevertheless, it’s Writing Day, so I’d better settle down and get my words in – 5000 is today’s target!
So? Did anyone have a more exciting weekend than mine? (I like to give you easy assignments, once in a while )
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
I’m over at Magical Words today, talking about the details of writing a synopsis. Essentially, I provide line by line instructions for creating a strong synopsis for agents, editors, art departments, etc. Stop by and see what you think — and leave a comment or two!
http://www.magicalwords.net/mindy-klasky/s
Magical Words is a website by writers for writers (and readers who want a behind-the-scenes peak at the process of writing.) Regular posters include David B. Coe, John G. Hartness, Faith Hunter, and Misty Massey, with regular guest posts from Lucienne Diver, Diana Pharaoh Francis, and Carrie Ryan. We’re always happy to see new faces in the crowd, so don’t be shy!
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
Last weekend, we headed down to the Newseum for a new documentary, BLACK AND WHITE AND DEAD ALL OVER.
Having attended Silverdocs (a film festival that exclusively shows documentaries) last year, and having watched dozens of them on our own, outside of the festival, we have become something of documentary snobs. We talk a lot about whether the subject is worth the investment of time, whether the story is told in interesting ways, whether new facts were illuminated, whether the movie itself was enjoyable as a movie. We have pretty strong opinions — and sometimes they differ from the critics’.
BAWADAO got a solid B from us.
It is subtitled “A Film About the End of American Newspapers”. As a unifying features, it shows a map of the United States, with dots placed to show cities where newspapers have been severely curtailed or, in some cases, shut down forever. The film cites various statistics, including the average age of readers (55, and growing older).
But that’s not really what the film is about.
BAWADAO is about the death of *investigative journalism*. It’s about those reporters who invest months — sometimes a year or more — in developing a story, ferreting out injustice, exposing bad government. Investigative journalism is very expensive for newspapers; it requires fronting salaries for months, along with the costs of the actual investigations. It is the very opposite of tweets and Facebook and other social media news.
BAWADAO tracks two investigative journalists from the Philadelphia Daily News, telling their story — both the Pulitzer-Prize-winning series that they wrote and their precarious job position. The film spends a *lot* of time talking about Philly papers, about how they’ve been bought and sold five times in six years, about how hedge fund managers make lousy publishers.
These are all part and parcel of the problem. But ultimately, the film claims too much when it says it’s about the (absolute) end of (all) American newspapers.
The Newseum welcomed us to the screening, handing out totebags with the slogan from the movie (“Democracy dies in darkness”.) The bags also contained a copy of that day’s Washington Post, a bottle of water, and a bag of SmartFood popcorn (you know, so we could enjoy popcorn and a drink at the movies.)
In fact, we’d already read that day’s Post (even though we’re younger than the 55-average-age.) How about you? When was the last time that you read a print paper? How about a mainstream paper, online? From where do you get your news?
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
… I have finally learned when a story is working and when it is not.
That doesn’t mean that I always know how to fix what’s broken. It doesn’t mean that I don’t rant and rave and despair that the book on my computer screen will never match the one inside my head. It doesn’t meant that bluebirds fly around my head as I work and mice carry me around my office, all singing saccharine songs.
But I can tell when I’m heading down the wrong path. And I know enough to stop before I get to the end.
This week, that happened in a major way. I started Chapter 10 of Jane’s story, a chapter that follows a big, action-packed, emotion-punching chapter. And I had Jane casually joking with Melissa about baked goods.
Yeah, Jane has a best friend. Sure, she looks for validation from her best friend on a fairly regular basis. Of course, it’s fun to figure out new treats from the Cake Walk bakery (and maybe even some recipes to go along with them.)
But Chapter 10 wasn’t the place for that. Chapter 10 was the place for exploring emotions, for grappling with consequences, for reacting to the Big Bad that went before.
Once I realized that, it wasn’t very fun to cut 2500 words. Especially since it was already 4:00 in the afternoon, and I had vowed I would finish the chapter that day.
But snip, snip.
And wow, is the new Chapter 10 *right*.
Are you a writer? Can you tell when things are broken, or do you need to ride them out till the end? And as a reader, how much faith are you willing to invest in a writer, that they’ll get back to where they need/should/want to be?
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
Once upon a time, I loved having noise around me as I worked. (I grew up in the 1970s, and I attended a “school without walls”, where classrooms were open, and there was a huge amount of ambient noise. I grew accustomed to working in that environment, although I understand that education is trending away from such things these days…)
I used to have a whole variety of writing music, with different mix-tapes (yes, this was a long time ago!) for different emotions. I relied on some pre-recorded music, too — often, the soundtracks to movies. I could still probably hum the entire soundtrack to Star Wars (A New Hope), if you just start me off with the first note!
Over time, though, I have found that I need to concentrate much more on my work. I find all but the *most* familiar music distracting (and even that becomes unworkable for me, if there are lyrics.) I have a small handful of fall-backs, about a half dozen albums that I listen to through my headphones, when I’m forced to work in an environment with a lot of background noise.
Today, I’m working at the public library. As has happened the last few times I was here, a group took over two tables and started talking — in street-level volume — about their real estate project. I shot them dirty looks and grumbled to myself and complained inside my head.
And then I remembered that there is a Quiet Study Room. One used to have to get permission to use it, signing up in advance. These days, though, it’s first come, first served, and there are spaces for about forty workers.
I’m in the Quiet Study Room now, and it is heaven. The *only* noise is from people shifting in their chairs, the occasional turn of a page, the tap of fingers on a keyboard (and I’m the loudest at that, much to my embarrassment). No talking. No cell phones, even for a quick call. No headphones with music bleeding. Sheer, unadulterated silence.
How about you? Are you a silence fetishist? Or a background noise person?
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
So, I’m now two full weeks into my new writing regimen. (Thumbnail version: I write — and do no socializing, administrative tasks, or erranding — on Mondays, Wednesdays, and every other Friday. I socialize, admin and errand on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I take off weekends, and every other Friday.)
Two weeks is obviously early days — I’d be a fool to draw grand conclusions about what’s working and what’s not working. But I can say this: the system seems to be working. Each day, I’m frustrated that I have to set aside the work that I’m doing. I’m eager to continue either my writing or my administrative tasks (which makes it more likely that I pick up same, with enthusiasm, on the next scheduled day).
In two weeks, I accomplished the following:
- Editing a total of 40,000 words on Single Witch’s Survival Guide
- Writing approximately 15,000 new words, replacing 20,000 old words in Single Witch’s Survival Guide
- Upgrading both the Mindy Klasky and Morgan Keyes website, including installing current WordPress, themes, widgets, and plugins
- Upgrading the electronic copies of the Jane Madison Series, Fright Court, Capitol Magic, and the As You Wish Series on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.
- Loading electronic copies of the Jane Madison Series, Fright Court, Capitol Magic, and the As You Wish Series on Apple.
- Preparing electronic copies of the Jane Madison Series, Fright Court, Capitol Magic, and the As You Wish Series for an exciting new venue that I’ll be sharing with you in the very near future.
- Designing and ordering new business cards.
- Creating and sending a newsletter, updating my readers on various, um, news
- Completing about a million errands around the house, not directly related to writing (grocery shopping, clothes shopping, closet cleaning, cooking, bill paying, tax deduction filing, etc.)
I’ve still got long to-do lists. Survival Guide still has about 40,000 words to go. I still have lots of administrative tasks to complete on the self-publishing side of things. There’s a never-ending list of to-do items around the house. I haven’t updated this blog as promptly or as often as I’d like.
But for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m getting things under control. I can see the general shape of the to-be-dones, instead of just a huge wall of FAILURE.
So. Back to work
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
If you receive my newsletter, then you know my big news — all five of the novels in the Glasswrights Series, along with my stand-alone traditional fantasy novel, Season of Sacrifice, are on sale for the entire month of May — $2.99 for each ebook, regardless of the venue where you buy. That means that you can buy my first six novels for less than $20. Pretty cool, huh?
(And if you don’t receive my newsletter, why don’t you? You can sign up on the front page of my website — just complete the easy-peasy form in the lower left corner of the page.)
And, while it’s not part of the amazing, incredible sale, the Glasswrights and Season are also available as audiobooks from Audible and Audible.co.uk.
So, just to make your purchasing all nice and easy, here’s a slew of links. (Click on the book name to get to the page on my website where you can read the first chapter — for free. Click on the buy links to, you know, buy.)
- The Glasswrights’ Apprentice (Amazon Kindle | Amazon Print | Apple | Audible UK | Audible US | B&N Nook | B&N Print | Diesel Ebooks | Ebooks.com | E-reads | Google Play | Kobo | Sony)
- The Glasswrights’ Progress (Amazon Kindle | Amazon Print | Apple | Audible UK | Audible US | B&N Nook | B&N Print | Diesel Ebooks | Ebooks.com |E-reads | Google Play | Kobo | Sony)
- The Glasswrights’ Journeyman (Amazon Kindle | Amazon Print | Apple | Audible UK | Audible US | B&N Nook | B&N Print | Diesel Ebooks | Ebooks.com | E-reads | Google Play | Kobo | Sony)
- The Glasswrights’ Test (Amazon Kindle | Amazon Print | Apple | Audible UK | Audible US | B&N Nook | B&N Print | Diesel Ebooks | Ebooks.com | E-reads | Google Play | Kobo | Sony)
- The Glasswrights’ Master (Amazon Kindle | Amazon Print | Apple | Audible UK | Audible US | B&N Nook | B&N Print | Diesel Ebooks | Ebooks.com | E-reads | Google Play | Kobo | Sony)
- Season of Sacrifice (Amazon Kindle | Amazon Print | Audible UK | Audible US | B&N Nook | B&N Print | Diesel Ebooks | E-reads | Google Play | Kobo | Sony)
Happy reading!
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
As a writer, I am frequently asked, “What books most influenced your writing?” I have my stock answers — Lord of the Rings, Katherine Kurtz’s Deryni books, a bunch of other old favorites. But last week, I heard a segment on NPR that completely threw me for a loop, because it made me recognize a huge influence on my writing, one that I’d never consciously thought of before.
Pippin.
The musical (music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz; choreography by Bob Fosse). About the son of Charlemagne, sort of. About the quest for the meaning of life, sort of. About sex, drugs, and rock and roll, sort of.
I first saw Pippin in the late seventies. I was visiting my grandmother in Los Angeles, and she had tickets for a production at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. For reasons long lost in the mists of time, my grandmother didn’t go to the show; instead, she sent my cousin and me.
I remember being absolutely, 100% enchanted by the performance. And I remember being somewhat embarrassed by the show — there were scenes about men and women (and men and men and women and women) who were sexually interested in each other. There was rather suggestive dancing. There were somewhat revealing costumes. I wasn’t quite sure what to say to Grandma when she asked what I thought of the performance.
But, in my heart, I loved it. I loved the lyrics. I loved the music. I loved the costumes and the staging and the laugh lines and the sheer energy of the entire thing. And most of all, I loved the message — all about what it takes to be free and committed and independent and bound and, and, and.
I can probably sing every single word of the musical, by heart. I used to use the soundtrack as one of my writing pieces, because I knew it so well that it didn’t disrupt my creativity.
But it wasn’t until last week, it wasn’t until I was listening to the NPR segment — about the current revival in New York — that I realized something I’d never consciously thought about. Pippin is about a person who goes on a quest. And while he’s searching for the meaning of his life, he comes across a troupe of traveling actors. He becomes one of them, only to find that his future does not lie with them.
And when I heard that, when I thought about that, I realized that I’ve told that story over, and over, and over again. Rani Trader finds her Players. Keara finds her Travelers. Even the As You Wish Series is about women finding their true selves against the backdrop of contemporary theaters.
I love the otherness of acting, the ability to literally and figuratively don masks. But I never realized just how deep that love was, just how early I learned to tell that story…
(Incidentally, the revival of Pippin sounds ***amazing***, with circus performers interspersed with the acting company. ::eyes New York with longing::)
So? How about you? Ever had a deep epiphany about what you write or what you read? Care to share it?
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
Reposting, because you’re very busy, and you might have forgotten… (But Lea, Alethea, and I have not forgotten you! We can’t wait to see you!)
* * *
You! Yes, you!
What are you doing this coming SUNDAY, April 28? At 3:30 p.m.? In Arlington, Virginia, at One More Page Books, 2200 N Westmoreland Street #101 Arlington, VA 22213?
You’re coming to visit me, aren’t you? And to see Lea Nolan, too. And Alethea Kontis. Because we’re going to be talking about middle grade fiction, especially fantasy! We’d all love to see you, and your friends, too. So, what are you waiting for? Add this visit to your calendar and stop by on Saturday! (And if you can’t make it to the store, but you want a signed, personalized copy of any of our books, just call the store and let them know.)
Mindy, looking forward to seeing lots of friends!
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
You! Yes, you!
What are you doing this coming SUNDAY, April 28? At 3:30 p.m.? In Arlington, Virginia, at One More Page Books, 2200 N Westmoreland Street #101 Arlington, VA 22213?
You’re coming to visit me, aren’t you? And to see Lea Nolan, too. And Alethea Kontis. Because we’re going to be talking about middle grade fiction, especially fantasy! We’d all love to see you, and your friends, too. So, what are you waiting for? Add this visit to your calendar and stop by on Saturday! (And if you can’t make it to the store, but you want a signed, personalized copy of any of our books, just call the store and let them know.)
Mindy, looking forward to seeing lots of friends!
(Edited to correct the day!)
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
Often, I’m asked about my favorite books. I usually answer by saying that The Lord of the Rings has been the most influential book in my life, because it made me want to write a sequel, which led to my first finished novel, which led to my first published novel, which led to my current daily life.
But when I was in middle school, I very well might have answered, “Anything by E.L. Konigsburg”. Her Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth remains one of my very favorite books — and there’s a touch of Jane Madison lurking amid all those names. And From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler was probably the first time I fell in love with a museum. And with Michelangelo. So, it only made sense that I learned about Leonardo da Vinci from The Second Mrs. Giaconda. And I actually wanted to be reincarnated as Eleanor of Aquitaine after I read A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver.
Along with books by Zilpha Keatley Snyder and Ruth M. Arthur, the stories of E.L. Konigsburg were some of the very first that sparked my imagination, that taught me about secret worlds where I could explore very far away from the suburban streets of North Dallas. (And I’m a bit astonished to realize that virtually all of Konigsburg’s books are set in the real world — historic world sometimes, but not in made-up secondary venues. I’m surprised because those books carried a sense of wonder, a vision of different-ness, that flavors my speculative fiction today.)
E.L. Konigsburg died over the weekend, at the age of 83. She’ll live on, though, on my bookshelves, and on the shelves of every kid I buy books for in the future.
Off to re-read some favorites…
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
Because auto-posts post, and I need something to distract me from Boston, I’m up at Magical Words today, with a post about the problem of the Elf in the Kitchen. Yeah. If you read it, you’ll understand what I mean. As always, comments are preferred at MW, but I’m happy to hear what you have to say here, too!
http://www.magicalwords.net/mindy-klasky/t
Magical Words is a website by writers for writers (and readers who want a behind-the-scenes peak at the process of writing.) Regular posters include David B. Coe, John G. Hartness, Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, and Kalayna Price, with regular guest posts from Lucienne Diver, Diana Pharaoh Francis, C.E. Murphy, and Carrie Ryan. Stop by and let me know what you think about characters’ names, in my work or elsewhere!
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
I have the theme from The Six Million Dollar Man running through my head (and now, I suspect, you do too…)
A few weeks ago, I attended a writing workshop let by a Big Name Author. In the past, I had heard many positive things about the BNA and his workshop, but I have to admit, I was *very* disappointed in the actual presentation. I thought that the BNA was very … slippery — when asked for specific advice about specific aspects of the professional writing life, his answer was almost always, “I don’t know what works.” Alas, the entire weekend came off as a promotional pitch for his professional editorial and publishing services, and I came home feeling cheated.
BUT (and that’s a huge qualifier!), I did come away with one substantial piece of advice that I felt truly applied to me: I need to work harder. I need to put in many more hours, and I need those hours to be vastly more productive.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m already a pretty good worker. I set deadlines and (mostly) I meet them. When they’re deadlines for outside people (like an agent or an editor), I always meet them. I put my butt in my chair and my hands on my keyboard every working day, and I generate or edit words. I’ve sold those words, too — both in traditional publishing and in self-publishing. 2012 was my most successful year for traditional publishing (financially speaking), and I made more than that amount of money in self-publishing.
But that’s not enough.
Traditional publishing is failing, not-so-slowly, but oh-so-surely. I still believe the model can be good for authors — an advance’s certain money is nothing to be sneered at. But that money is harder and harder to come by.
Self-publishing is growing by leaps and bounds. There is still a vast amount of potential out there — in U.S. markets and abroad. But self-publishing is an entirely separate career. I’ve heard lots of people say this, but I’ve never really absorbed it — you need to design your books, edit them, publish them. To me, that’s actually the easy stuff — I outsource what doesn’t come to me naturally. But to self-publish, you also have to generate content — lots of it, and on a predictable, increasing schedule. You also need to network, with as many interested people as possible.
It’s actually that last bit that’s making me stumble. I’ve recently become a member of an incredible new group (more about that later), which has inspired me in many professional ways. I’m seeing more energy and enthusiasm from a few dozen writers than I’ve seen in years. But that input comes with a cost — more than 200 emails a day. (Most aren’t vital, but some, oh, some are… Getting the email in digest forms seems very dangerous at this point.)
And another group I’ve been a member of for months has shown similar explosive email growth — another 100 emails a day. And another group, and another… And there are still groups I want to join, places where I can teach and learn, organizations where I can grow.
I need to be more involved; I need to work more. But there are only so many hours in a day. And so I arrive at my new organizational plan: Alternate Day Writing.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I’m an author. I write words. I edit them. I’m a hermit who presents to the world as a writing machine.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I’m a publisher. And a household manager. And a social person. I’m only scheduling coffee breaks, lunches with friends, grocery store runs, errands at the bank, post office, you-name-it on Thursdays.
I’ve only been doing this for two weeks, and I had company for four of those days and a cold for four more. But I think I’m onto something here… Let’s see how it works.
And you? Any organizational tips and tricks that you live by?
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
Every year, I feel like spring hasn’t begun until I see these:
Japanese Magnolia Blossoms
And a lot of years, the blossoms freeze and turn to ugly brown sludge. But not this year!
Everyone is now in town to see these (at least until rain and heat wash and wither them away):
Tidal Basin Cherry Blossoms
But my favorite blossoms won’t be out for another couple of weeks:
Double Blossom Cherry Trees
The double blossoms come a bit later and last somewhat longer. I’d be happy if they stayed around all year. (I say that, but I suspect even I would get tired of them eventually.)
In any case — happy spring!
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
Earlier this week, the very wise Jim Hines wrote some incredibly-even-wiser-than-usual words about his writing career. Specifically, he tore apart the old canard: “Choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life.” Here’s Jim’s post. Go ahead and read it, I’ll still be here.
In many ways, I’m “living the dream” even more than Jim is. Okay, I don’t have fans making cool visual art based on my books (at least not that they’ve shared with me yet). And I’m not Guest of Honor at great cons (again, not yet ). And I don’t have thousands of unique readers reading and commenting on my every post.
But I do have the opportunity to write full time. I don’t have to juggle a day job. And I *know* what a gift that is — I’m a long way from the author who set her alarm for 4:30, to wake up, have time to write, then get to the law firm office for a full day of being a litigation pit bull.
I am grateful for my current flexibility. I treasure the time I have to write, the way I get to set my schedule, the way I can control my life. I rejoice every day that I don’t have to commute, don’t have to answer to an immediate supervisor who may or may not understand what I’m doing, don’t have to sit in on routine meetings that bore me to tears.
And yet, I *do* work. And over the past few months, I’ve slipped into some bad habits for working. When I ran into some plot snarls in Jane 4, I let myself spin for far too long.
I’ve figured out those snarls now, though. And I have some new “office rules” (dividing up my work in new ways to be more efficient.) I’m testing those new methods now — I’ll write about them more as the system settles down.
In the meantime, I have to remember that I’m lucky. I have a great job. It *is* a job, though, and I have to treat it as one. Any other boss would require me to do so; I can’t ask less of myself. (Thanks, Jim, for helping me to clarify some of these ideas!)
And, just because I can’t walk away from distractions 100%, forever, I have a question for you: What is your dream job?
(I think mine might be “marine biologist, with a focus on marine mammals”, but I would have needed to completely restructure my education, so I’ll never know. There’s also “neurologist, with a focus on dream generation”, but I have the same caveat…)
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
Earlier this week, I trudged to my mailbox. There, amid the catalogs for clothes I don’t need and the flyers for food I don’t want to eat was a white Tyvek envelope, bearing my name and address. Inside the white envelope was a manila envelope. And inside the manila envelope was a *huge* sheet of paper, with a lovely message from Mrs. Lese’s third grade class, thanking me for helping them to celebrate their “Reader Leader” goal of 100,000 minutes of reading from all class members, combined, since the start of the school year. (Earlier this year, I attended their Reader Leader party, sharing bookmarks and postcards from DARKBEAST, and talking about my career as a writer.)
Every student signed the letter, and they used *cursive*! (And here, I’d just been reading this past weekend that no one was learning cursive any more!)
The thank you note made my day. I’m really looking forward to making more author visits when DARKBEAST REBELLION comes out in September!
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
This past weekend, we went to this year’s final session of What Makes It Great, a program where music educator Rob Kapilow dissects a specific piece of music. This class was on Schumann’s Piano Quintet. The first half of the class involves Kapilow going through the piece in detail, explaining the steps that Schumann took to develop a unique composition, focusing on composition, dynamics, etc. The explanation is illustrated by students from Curtis, who play snippets as necessary — sometimes as Schumann wrote it, sometimes as Kapilow revised (to demonstrate various points). After a brief intermission, the quintet performs the piece straight through. The evening wraps up with a short Q&A session.
We’ve gone to more than a dozen of these classes (a different musical composition and different performers in each one), and I learn a lot each time. Alas, the learning is relatively short-lived — I don’t know a lot about music theory, and I don’t have a good memory for the specific facts of each lesson. (After this class, I compared the situation to watching baseball — after a game, I certainly know who won and lost, and I remember the major plays, but I don’t remember the structure — precisely when each reliever came in, which pitch sequence he used to get the batter out, etc.)
The Schumann class was interesting musically, but I was most taken with the interaction of the performers. As a quintet, they performed without any conductor, trading off who had the lead (sometimes, phrase by phrase). During the classroom portion of the evening this actually resulted in a minor flub — the pianist and the first violinist weren’t able to play one phrase together (but they got it on the second pass).
Apparently, Kapilow does a lot of consulting with corporations, where he discusses leading from within and group success without designated leadership. I enjoyed watching the concrete example of the quintet. And now, I’m thinking about how this applies to my writing. Not so much the structure of my day-to-day professional career. Rather, the way it fits into SINGLE WITCH’S SURVIVAL GUIDE. In that book, Jane Madison has created a school for witches. I’m sure it won’t surprise any of you that things don’t go all that smoothly. A lot of the book is about Jane learning how to be a leader.
I think I might buy the quintet, to listen to as I work through the rest of this novel!
So. Anyone else have examples of leaderless groups succeeding at relatively complex tasks?
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
I was going to take some time to write about my new writing regimen, and how productive I think it’s going to make me. And then I was going to take some time to write about how I went to my first baseball game of the season last Thursday, and I enjoyed every minute of it, except for the bits when I thought my frozen fingers and toes were going to fall off. And then I was going to write about how I am settling in to my new computer system, with all my files on my laptop and a tangle of cords that Mark is helping me sort out.
But none of that really feels fresh or meaningful or important. Instead, I’ll write about how my friend Tiffany Trent came to visit. We stayed up way too late on Saturday evening, eating pizza and drinking wine (yeah, it felt a bit like college, too!), talking about books and publishing and friends and publishing and reading and publishing and inspiration and publishing and… Well, you get the idea.
On Sunday, we headed down to the National Gallery, for its major exhibit on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. This exhibit, you might be aware, was *savaged* by the New York Times — according to them, the art is mediocre, and only banal fools would waste time strolling through the galleries.
Well, I’m a banal fool. I’ve been one twice, as a matter of fact. Last week, I visited the exhibit and spent most of my time reading the extensive curatorial notes on the walls. This time, I really focused on the paintings, on what stories they told, about how they told them. Once upon a time, I wrote several short stories based on PRB paintings. One of them is broken beyond repair, and another isn’t great writing. But I have a special place in my heart for a third. And I have ideas for a lot more, now that I’ve really studied the exhibit.
So, I might be writing some short stories soon. You know. After I finish all the other writing commitments on my stack
So, a good weekend. And now I have some writing obligations, so I’m off to follow the new regime. Did you have a good weekend, yourself? Did you see, say, hear, or learn anything wonderful?
Mirrored from Mindy Klasky, Author.
