Where it all is

Today I haven’t done much “work”, per se.  Which is an odd thing to say, really, and not necessarily the truth.  I’ve spent today reading and just generally being a sponge.  It is in doing this that I realize the absolutely necessity of such a posture for a writer.  And I’ll explain why after this story…

On Friday night, I spent several hours at my friend Josh’s Bad Movie Night.  We watched the ‘Star Wars: Holiday Special’ and generally enjoyed each other’s company.

• Side note: If anyone is planning on putting themselves through the pain of sitting through this piece of cinematic torture, be forewarned, it is the worst thing I’ve ever witnessed.  Worse then ‘Plan 9 from Outer Space.’  Worse, even, than ‘Manos: The Hands of Fate.’  There is nothing, on this or any Earth to prepare you.  End side note.

As the collection of folks I did not know grew I felt a little sheepish, as per normal, and frightened to participate in the traditional razzing of the abomination before us, not so normal.  (To be truthful, Josh is a fantastic writer and someone who has already broken into the comic book /getting paid to write worlds, so its always a bit difficult for me to sit there and not just want to pick his brain for hours on end.)  As the movie concluded, however, and I became a little more comfortable, conversations broke out.  I, having been saved by a face I knew in Mark, began talking about the process I was about to begin.  I explained that school would soon begin and that I would spend the majority of my time holed up in my on-campus apartment, working and writing as much as possible.  At this point the conversation had taken the collective, now smaller, upstairs to the kitchen/dinning/living flow through area where I learned that two of the other folks in attendance were writers/artists of American-based manga.  I retreated.

They continued to talk about how Jennifer (Brazas, her work can be found in the Blogroll) was antsy about a fast-approaching anime convention.  She reminded Josh of his promise to introduce her to as many of his New York-based comic and anime friends, editors, and publishers as he could.  As things continued, I found myself blurting out, “I’m looking forward to the day I get to do Cons.”  The three of them shrugged a bit and began explaining the pros and cons of these Cons.  It was shocking the balance of positive and negative stories they told and their level of support for someone who wanted to break into the business they were already working in.  They took it on themselves to suggest I polish my pitches, the presentations of the books I’m working on, and trying to condense them down into short, appetizing bites.

And we just talked about being creators.  About being artists.  And I was happy.  I felt like I was taking the first steps toward being what I’d like to be: an author.

Finally, it came to me to explain a bit of what I’ve done already to get myself in the door.  I explained Josh’s advice to start with short, one- to two-issue books or “one-shots”, and that I had already launched a website so that I will be able to disseminate and spread word about everything I publish, giving my “audience” a way to read and to tell their friends.  They asked how the site was doing and I explained, not fully knowing what this meant, that I was averaging between 100 and 150 page visits every day.  They were satisfied, and here’s where I was a bit blown away, until Josh explained that the site had been launched two weeks ago.  (I should now note that this weekend, I’m averaging 250 page views per day, the highest total being 276.  I should also thank you all for your overwhelming response and constant, minion-like dedication to me; kidding.)  They were stunned.  “That’s…really, really good.”  “Yeah,” Josh yelled matter-of-factly from the kitchen where he acted like a bartender and refiller of water for me.

From there we talked about our processes; our beliefs about religion, faith, hope, and politics (I’m not one for politics, so I just sat and listened); and gave lists of the current, American comics that we thought were worth reading.  It was in this swirl of peaks-and-valleys conversation, where our volume matched our fervor and passion for the subject matter, that I realized I needed to do more absorbing.  That I need to spend more time sharpening not only my stories and ideas but my conversations.  To take in other people, listen and chew on their rational and explanations for, well, everything.  It reminded me that my current obsession with ripping through as many books as I can before I leave for school and my thirst for conversation is as natural as it could be; especially the conversation part, after my last apartment’s loneliness and this apartment’s overwhelming quietude.

So, I’ve felt, as I flip through the pages of ‘The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay’, like I’m part of the world.  Not only a world specifically about comic books and writing but of thought and analysis.  An exciting world that I’ve longed for for as long as I can remember.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to absorbing ‘JLA: Earth 2’…

P.S. – If any of you are interested in reading what I’m reading or looking for the recommendations of several of the folks I’ve befriended through the internets you can click the link for Goodreads.com and friend me.  Feel free to holler through there or write reviews of what you’re reading/have read.  I’m always looking for more to read.  Help a dude out.