The View Up Here

Read my blurb on the Ithaca Farmers' Market at Trazzler.com. If you feel so inclined, please "save" this Smart Travel Contest entry.

Met with my writing group tonight. I'm finding that I have a pattern of problem with all my main characters: they're too passive for too long. I understand exactly what the problem is, but I'm not sure how I can fix it or catch myself before I get into page 35 with too much passivity. As one of my writing colleagues said tonight, even if the main character is not ready to deal with his situation right away, he has to be active in his passivity, e.g. trying to run away (but not being able to).

I just entered one of Trazzler.com 's travel writing contests. Please check out my entry here: Jogyesa Temple . I enjoy the challenge of writing a travel piece in 65-120 words, so I'm going to do a few more of them and build that part of my portfolio. Meantime, my fingers are crossed for a win.

I love it, but it hurts and I feel like I'm getting beat up every time I sit down to write. Sounds like I need an intervention. Thank Jeebus I have a fantastic editor. This is such a great learning curve for me, and Bill Latham over at Powys Media is just the guy to help me figure it out as I go. I'm so grateful to him and Powys. I'm sure he would agree with me, though, that novel writing is as painful as it is fulfilling.

My return from Korea was less painful than previous bouts with jet lag and reverse culture shock. I've spent the last week and a half recovering, figuring, writing, reading, and sleeping. I go back to work at TC3 next week, and the week after that my class at I.C. will start up. This semester's schedule promises to be more sane than last semester's, allowing me to devote more time to writing (and also derby!). A few reflections, in no particular order: 1. Characters or at least their desires need to be in jeopardy. Always. 2. Conflict means nothing without connection. It's the tension between those two opposites, the yin and yang of them, that makes good drama. 3. Meditation helps me to write better; it's great practice for focusing. 4. TV writing is like breathing air on another planet. I think I like it, though. 5. Writing excellent scifi or speculative fiction requires more than creative thinking. It requires research.