Writing a book often becomes a full-time job. And not only just the writing, mind you. The research, interviews, and outlining process might be the most difficult of all as you attempt to create from the air something. Once you get all that down, the book probably isn’t as difficult. That is, unless you’re writing like a jerk (Jack Kerouac). The truth is, once you have your break through, once the story starts to run, you’re able to work on it in your spare time. And that’s what the next few months have in store for me. For, you see, I have acquired a day job.

And what a terrifying omen that may bring. Since we arrived here in Seoul, I was terrified at the prospect of having to teach or work in an office again because working in an office and teaching aren’t for everyone (especially not me). And even though I did try and apply and go in for interviews with schools here, things didn’t work to much great disappointment (WOOOOOOO!). In that time I was able to research, perform interviews, and create a solid outline for the book – as stated above – and focus on the creation process. The birth of an idea. But now, poppa needs a day job.

Why? Well, I’m married and we’re struggling. Living in a large city has massive advantages in its brilliant public transportation and equally massive disadvantages in the price of a box of cereal. But you pay anyway because, hell, living in Seoul is incredible. So, after floundering, without fault on my end, for seven months, I packed it in and focused again on finding work. And not just because we need the money. It has far more to do with being an adult and not being a “layabout”.

Of course, most people of my generation, Generation Meh, would love nothing more than to be inactive, video game playing, corrugated potato chip eating philistines, but that’s childish and, lets face it, not my MO. Having lifted myself out of my desk chair and detached my brain stem from my USB port (I’ll miss you data) it feels a lot like failure. Like I’ve given up on the book and wasted all that time and might not actually get the thing done, but that’s where a schedule, determination, and a loving kick in the ass by your wife comes in. Because no one wants you to have wasted time more than your wife…she’ll kill you for it…she knows you’re afraid.

Anyway, the gears of my brain and time and space and the vastness of the interwebbings are working in tandem for the first time in a while.  What’s that, you say?  Well, I’ve been busy at work on this here graphic novel for the better part of three months.  Reading, researching, crying, writing, crying some more, outright weeping, and now, success.  Problem is, I can’t tell you about it yet.  It’s a secret.  For at last the next month.  Then I’ll tell you all about it.  And you’ll all be happy in your little happy hats.

With that said, I can offer up the following information: the book hasn’t been halted, it’s been transformed, in a manner of speaking.  Also, there has been a vast change in the production, people translating and lettering it.  It went from a book I was concerned would never be penciled, inked, colored, and birthed into something that, at this very moment, looks incredibly pretty.  Oh.  So. Pretty.

So yeah, more will be disseminated in the coming weeks and month.  Maybe little pearls of awesome will find their way onto this very page.  Who knows?  I don’t…probably.

Bye!

Anyone can pick up a book on keeping a schedule.  There are hundreds of thousands, flooding the market.  Books on scheduling your time in the office, home office, and freelance writing to name a few categories.  But, while writing a book can fall into one or all three of these categories, there’s something different for the creative types.  Something that comes with trial and error and that most books don’t often help.  I want to talk about scheduling the specific, creative moments that kick up the wind in the sails and cruise any writer and/or creative person toward their end point.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t give credit to my wife, who helped me to develop a fair and balanced schedule to maximize both my writing and researching.  Without her gentle nudging and loving understanding, I’m not writing this book, I’m playing Plants vs Zombies or Peggle or generally being lazy.  Because, the truth is, every creative person needs those moments of unwind or meditative zen, uninterrupted spaces where he/she can cleanse their minds of the book or whatever you’re working on and be a reed.  I took a class in college called ‘Contemplative Writing’ – one of the best and most beneficial writing courses I’ve ever taken – where we exercised various methods of meditating or simply allowing the ideas to come to you.  After all, when you fight with your brain (writer’s block), you’re going to lose.  It’s best to release yourself, take the ego out of the equation and simply let your subconsciousness or the ether of the universe or spirituality or whatever you believe in dust off the captain’s chair and correct course.

Recently, I took two weeks off from writing my graphic novel.  It wasn’t the best idea, but, having fought with a single scene for over a week, I decided I needed some time to not think about it.  So, I wrote a 3-page story and became heavily invested in the aforementioned Plants vs Zombies.  The first thing, the 3-pager, was a great idea.  I was able to put the big book to the side and allow the other ideas that had been calcifying in the back of the ocean of my mind (must keep the metaphor together) out.  And it was great.  The story turned out great and I had another short story that is currently being “arted” into existence, by the fabulous Kira Slaught, to show the world how versatile my writing is.  The other part, the Plants vs Zombies part, was defeatist.

I follow a lot of comic book writers on the Twitters, and all too often I hear them talk about playing a new video game.  At first it was Call of Duty 152 or which ever number they’re on (I’ve never played it) and switched to others, but one thing was clear to me, video games were helping writers.  The problem was, I wasn’t following all writers and found very quickly, in my own experience, that video games are neither going to help me tap into my ignored subconscious nor help me get my brain back into writing the book.  It took me out in a big way, and now I’m behind my self appointed schedule. (You thought I would never get back to the schedule thing, huh?  Ye of little faith)

But it wasn’t all bad, this weekend, Lindsay and I went to Gyeongbok Palace and the National Folk Museum and, by doing some hands on research, my on-board, creative motor was operational yet again (I will milk the metaphor, oh yes).  And I guess that’s the point: schedules are flexible.  They’re to be created and cater to each person; because, no matter how many experts tell you that playing a video game or taking a walk with their dog helps their brain reset, it’s not the same for everyone.  All creative types, however, need – and I can’t stress that enough – to struggle and fail with different schedules and methods of fixing their sails in order for their creative process to work right.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a painting to research…but first, a quick game of Plants vs Zombies…I hate you, brain.

There’s this phenomenon with creative types where they need to keep themselves going.  That’s to say, when everything around them is crushing or there’s little to be excited or have faith in but something keeps them going.  Fuels them.

I’ll explain what I mean in the form of a story:
Nearly a year ago, I finally graduated from college.  When I left, I was flown out to Nashville by Devon and Golriz of the fantastic site SoulPancake.com to work on content and help them manage their volunteer work force.  While there, I saw Dev’s drive and passion for the site.  He stayed up until two in the morning to make sure work was edited and ready for release the next day and pushed himself to wake up early to witness each posts response.

At some point, I thought I might be able to get a job out of SoulPancake.  That I’d be able to, eventually, earn some money from editing or some such work. When I first arrived in Nashville the prospect of a job was suggested to Devon.  He told me that he absolutely expected SoulPancake to earn money, that it would have cash flow from sponsors and other avenues within the next few months and that I would be one of the first to get paid.  This pushed me to do everything I could for the site.  The problem was, it didn’t happen.

Before I left, I wanted to know that this job possibility was still there.  On my second to last day I had a conversation with Golriz about their situation.  In the shadow of their trampoline, she told me that while she had complete faith in Devon and the growth seen on the site, it would be irresponsible to believe that she’d be paid.  After all, the economy wasn’t doing well and advertisers weren’t giving money out to everyone.

I eventually asked why she and Devon pushed themselves so hard if they knew it wouldn’t produce any monetary fruit and she explained that Devon had to.  If he didn’t believe that, eventually, things would work out the site would invariably never have been made or launched.  If he didn’t have faith that writers were talented and capable, it would have been a similar situation.  It was his faith and blind hope that drove the site, and now, it’s remarkably successful with a book on the way.

That might be a difficult concept for a lot of people to understand.  Throwing yourself headlong into a project with the knowledge that it could blow up in your face isn’t logical.  It’s the opposite.  And yet, I’m doing it right now.

I’ve been working on this graphic novel fr the last four months.  I’ve pushed myself by looking at a 6-page short comic I wrote as my motivation thinking, “if this 6-pager is published, publishers will read it and be more likely to give me a change.”  And it kept me going.  I wrote the 6-pager and, when it was done and edited, focused again on the graphic novel.  Now, two chapters in, things have started to fall apart.

There are problems with the artist, and I’m not sure if he’ll finish any of the work he agreed to. I spent two days wallowing in self-pity, talking with Lindsay about how horrible things were and how I should just give up, but somewhere inside me a loud voice responded, “Write the damn thing.”  Despite the anger that I deservedly feel, I want to continue.  I have to.  If I don’t stick my fingers in my ears and shout everything will be drowned out by the overwhelming prospect of failure.  And failure will not happen.  I don’t care if this 6-page story isn’t published.  I’ll try a different venue and a different artist.  I don’t care if the first six publishers shoot down the 6-pager and the graphic novel because someone, eventually, will read it and recognize what I’m trying to do.

Is it egotistical to think this way?  Of course it is.  But, really, there’s nothing else I or nearly anyone else with a dream can do but think we’re awesome and capable and that our idea is worth it.  Because, without that ego, we would sit in cubicles like I used to and bemoan the opportunity we let split.  And I’ve already spent six years in cubicles, working at jobs I had no desire to be doing.  It’s time to buckle down.  My stories will be published, dammit.  Not because I think so, but because they’re pretty damned good.  And when that day comes, I’ll feel vindicated for all my slamming into walls and verbose prose and pontifications.

This is what creative people have to do to keep themselves sane and get work done, put on the blinders, have faith in yourself, and hope.

This derailment doesn’t mean I won’t be writing about the book I’ve been working on or the process, it just means that I’ll be focusing on getting healthy – I’m on the road – before dedicating myself.  It’s not what I wanted, but what ever is?

With all that said, I just want to tell whomever it is that reads this blog that I’m doing better and should be blogging consistently this week; also, writing a script for a book.  That’s it for now.  Night eastern hemisphere!

The whole blog won’t just be this, of course, but I’d like to focus on it a bit more than anything else…anything else being that I haven’t written anything at all for quite some time.  As well, it’ll allow me to exercise one of the pillars of what I’d like to talk about, exercising.  So, without further adieu, here’s what I’m thinking…

This may start out as a rambling, incoherent mess as I’ve just woke up and my faculties aren’t completely with me but what the heck, it’s a blog after all, not the Wall Street Journal.

I am writing a book, a series of books, actually, about Korea, Asian culture, and how some of the tenants of Asian culture have found their way into the western world and vice versa.  It’s a subject I’ve been thinking a lot about since we arrived here in Seoul and one that I think will interest some people.  The story is about a Kyopo, someone of Korean descent who was raised and grew up with a Korean family somewhere else.  So as to say, a guy whose family left Korea in the early 20th century and moved to the U.S. is a Kyopo.  It’s a far more universal concept than the Korean word allows, but it’s great that such a word exists.

See, my mom’s from Tehran, Iran.  She fled the country in the 70s for the U.S. and has never returned.  So, I’m a Kyopo of Iran, I guess.

Anyway, the story will focus on several characters, many of which are Kyopos, both going back to their native lands and dealing with those feelings of being reattached to something missing.  A reunion to a past unknown, of sorts.

Now that I’ve given you the most basic summary of the story, I’d like to address the actual nature of what I’m trying to do here.  See, I just had this conversation with my wife about how things were structured at CSU’s (Colorado State University) journalism department.  Not only were students taught how to write and edit stories, but also the process of being a successful writer.  There were lessons about how to write a letter introducing an article you wrote to publishers and how to file for taxes as a free lancer, and I realized I had none of that.  Perhaps I took the wrong classes – I don’t think so – but there’s something of absolute importance in understanding the realities of writing and the business of writing.  All to often folks talk about how they’ll be writing a novel, sit down, and try to write one without understanding basic ideas and tenants of structure, outlining, and theme.  It’s a problem, so I understand it, that definitely takes place in grad schools but should be addressed in your undergrad.  After all, some of us couldn’t, and still can’t, afford to attend graduate school but still have the talent and ideas to write a book.

That said, I’ll give you a list of some of the topics I’d like to address in the coming months:
The business of writing
Structure of the outline
Motivation
Schedules
Planning
The creative process is won through devotion and pushing yourself
Practice, and don’t stop even if he ideas aren’t coming
Taking breaks are necessary
Reading as research
Reading as exercise
Writing outside of the book
Multiple stories at the same time

This list will expand as I get started and I’d love to receive comments and suggestions from people in the notes ares.

It should also be noted that my process – so as to say, everything I will be writing about within this context – will be focused on writing a graphic novel and not simply a “traditional” novel.  The process, I’m sure, varies in many ways, but I’m guessing that generally they’re much the same.  Also, because of those differences, there’s something specialized and focused for a different set of people.  There are tons of books and blogs about writing books, but few about writing a graphic novel…especially written by me.

All right, so that’s the plan.  I’ll be writing my first post tomorrow are part of my warm ups for the days work.  All posts will be shot over to twitter and my facebook page, so as to alert as many people as possible to my jabbering.

Thanks, and I look forward to writing and reading your responses.

Laziness set in quickly.  Then, boredom.  Then, I got yelled at by my wife.  And now I’m trying harder.

That sounds much harsher on my wife then it should.  She didn’t “yell” at me, per say, as much as read an essay by George Orwell (Politics and the English Language) about the downfall of writing and excerpts from a book about one writer’s schedule.  There was no raising of voices or angry eyebrows, just pointing out something that I cleverly ignored.

Snuck away, is a better way to say that [annoying double 'way'] as I’m sure, at some point I read books or articles or essays by writers about their work schedule.  In fact, I know I’ve read Stephen King’s On Writing – or some of it – and remember a scene about his mother…so, I didn’t read all of it.  The point is, these things are important to the life of a guy that will be working at home.  A guy that will take ideas and pictures and words from his head and mash them together onto a page, hoping they’ll form something coherent enough to be readable.  And that’s what I’m aiming for.

So, I wrote out a schedule and planned on sticking to it.

Thursday worked out pretty well and Friday even better as I forced myself to do writing exercises followed by plotting and editing and research, and then getting as much actual writing as I could at a coffee shop.  It seemed like a good plan, and it was, like I said, for those first two days.  Problem was, the weekend happened.  Laziness found its way back into the schedule and I’m sitting here, in bed and in my pajamas, having written or thought about nothing.  It’s shameful most of all.  And not just because my wife will get home from teaching erratic and painfully energetic children English and be disappointed, because she would have read this by then, but because I’m annoyed with myself.

I need this to work out.  It can’t be a fly-by-night operation of inconsistent workloads and a “flexible” schedule that lends itself to hours of ‘Friday Night Lights’ watching.  No, no, good readers.  This needs to be a well oiled machine.  I have two books to write.  One of which needs to be complete by the end of the summer, and that includes art.  It means a script mostly written and a chapter drawn, inked, colored, and lettered so we can present said pieces to publishers in hopes of getting published.  And that’s something that can happen…if I can kick my ass more often.

I already know the plan, know the goal, and it’s all execution from now on.  Execution of work and not self – even if I am a sad sack because nothing has been completed today.  I’m off to do that.  On this cold, December day.  Where the temperature wavers but the blankets on the bed keep my legs and hips at a constant temperature…damn you, Stupid.

Off to get started.

We’re nearly at our 1 month mark, here in Korea, and considering purchasing a wireless router as a reward.  Wouldn’t that be swell!  Anyway, it’s Friday afternoon here, nearly late night Thursday for those in the U.S. und Ahh, and I’m thinking about relaxing over the weekend and the kilograms of fried dough I would like to eat.

This week hasn’t been terribly crowded, but still exhausting.  I continue my meetings with Seeyong and Daniel to edit the five elementary and middle school textbooks I proofed last week.  We have arrived at our the last book and, thusly, our last meeting to take place tomorrow at…some point, somewhere. (This is not on me, I’m waiting to hear from Seeyong.)  With that said, I’ve enjoyed proofing these books.  While I wouldn’t choose this as a career path, it’s nice to be reading, writing, and editing something that is guaranteed to be in print soon.  And it doesn’t sadden me as I thought it would.  Sure, the writer of this textbook doesn’t have a great grasp for the English language, especially nuance, and will still be payed/published for work they’ve done, but that doesn’t hurt my current situation.  In fact, it bolsters my resolve.  If someone that requires that much editing and proofing can be published, even in the world of textbooks, why can’t I?  I mean, I would require, what?, 10% less editing.  That’s bound to count for something…moving on.

The great and powerful Henry Warren and I are frantically attempting to assemble our proposal for the Reading With Pictures Anthology that was mentioned in the last post; earlier in the month.  Sure, it should have been done a long time ago and Thanksgiving has made it nearly impossible for Henry to get much drawing done for the proposal, but I’ve been busy trying to find work and coping homesick pangs and all that.  Yeah, that’s the excuse I’ll use.

Also, Kira has delivered unto me some basic sketches for a book we’ll be working on in the next three weeks.  They are fantastic.  I could not be more excited to be working with her on this project as it is not only right up her alley but…she’s also excited about it and can probably use it for college credit.  Hey, look at that.

Sadly, I’ve neglected the ‘Page of the Month’ and ‘Now?’ sections of the blog as I don’t have a camera and the one on my phone is generally terrible.  Until we either get new phones or a boss camera, that section will begin to whither, only to be resurrected later.  That’s mostly the issue with the ‘Page of the Month’ section as well.  I don’t have a lot of material that’s ready to go, so I don’t know how I feel about posting it up yet.  Maybe that opinion will change, but in the mean time…sorry.  If you’re interested in how things are going out here in Korea you can visit my youtube page as we’ve been able to use our iPod Nanos to shoot some short bits.  As well, if you have anything you’d like to see, leave all requests in the ‘comments’ section and I’ll find the time to shoot and post it.

I’m working on some review-type entries that may or may not see the light-of-blog in the coming days but that’s what you get.  I’m trying to remain busy and stave off my obsession with street foods.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  Please send us pie.

Bye, bye.

• We’ll be moving to South Korea by the end of this or early next month to teach English to children.  We’re both really excited as this means we’ll be able to teach, save some money, and attempt to ride out the “recession” that has prevented us from finding any meaningful jobs.  The problem is that I won’t be able to use my iPhone…which is depressing.
• I’m working on a Features comic strip for SoulPancake.  Although I’ve finished the first script and have had good conversations about the jump and jive of the strip we won’t know for certain what changes are necessary/will occur for another couple weeks.  I’ll keep you posted.
• Be on the look out over the next few months for a new section to be added in ‘Short-reaching tentacles’.  It’s a project I’ve been working on for the last two years and might actually come to being.  We’ll see.
• …that wasn’t as many items as I thought.  Meh.

Take care, folks!

We’re in the Denver area, hanging out, attempting to not count our chickens before they’ve hatched, and look for work.  As it stands we haven’t found much on this continent aside from one offer for Lindsay that she’s not keen on but will probably take on the short term.  This has forced us to think “outside the box” and really “utilize other corporate speak” to “maximize our creativity” or something.  I don’t know.

On the writing front, now that I have time, I’ll be focusing more on some comic book projects.  My goal is to have at least a single-shot book done by the time we leave here, perhaps a week or two, and ready to send to an artist.  At least then I’ll feel as though I’ve done something creative.

On that same front, however, I finished up a spec script for “The Office” and am attempting to shop it around.  Problem is, I’ve never written a spec before and probably got a lot wrong.  Like, a lot.  Based on the response so far, it’s not bad but needs quite a bit of work; which is great.  I’m all about feedback.  And while comments from family and friends have been great, it helps to get some from people in the business or who might be more critical then those  with a vested interest in saying such glowingly wonderful things.  So, maybe I’ll work on another spec, an hour-long drama of my own devices or something already on air, and see what I can do with that.  It’ll be a back burner thing, so I don’t expect anything, if ever, to happen from it in the near future (this year).

Going in a direction that I haven’t gone in a while, SoulPancake.com has announced that they’ve signed a book deal and will be putting out their first tomb next fall.  Check out this Entertainment Weekly article for more information on the book to be written by Devon, Golriz, and Shabnam’s incredible minds; their fingers will remain attentive to the SoulPancake site.

With all those updates made, I wish to end this transmission with an awesome image Lindsay found earlier today.
There’s a lot of octopus art out there, including Henry Warren’s beautiful work on the header, but few are as epic as that black and white wall print.  Take care, y’all!