Thursday, May 25, 2006

Pulling Out My Hair

Why do I write?

The last seven short stories I put "out there" for workshopping and/or reviews received the same basic feedback: Amazing and original premise, but it's too involved for a short story. This needs tender loving care. It deserves to be made into a novel or at the very least, a novella.

Somebody tell me, is this good? Am I a failed short story writer, or a potentially good novel writer? Or none of the above? Sigh.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Learning The Hard Way

Happy days are here again!

I'm really cranked today. The Muse gifted me with a story. I came up with the premise a few weeks ago, maybe longer, but hadn't written anything on it until two days ago. I finished it this morning.

It's about 3,300 words -- longish for me -- and told almost entirely in dialogue. It's a little heavy on scientific jargon, but I think most people can follow it easily enough.

I've emailed it to a couple of friends and also posted it in my private office at Zoetrope. Hopefully I'll get some feedback on it in the next 24 hours.

So celebrate with me -- the Muse is back!

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

But Is It Art?

The Conundrum of the Workshops
Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936)

When the flush of a new-born sun fell first on Eden's green and gold,
Our father Adam sat under the Tree and scratched with a stick in the mould;
And the first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart,
Till the Devil whispered behind the leaves, "It's pretty, but is it Art?"
Wherefore he called to his wife, and fled to fashion his work anew --
The first of his race who cared a fig for the first, most dread review;
And he left his lore to the use of his sons -- and that was a glorious gain
When the Devil chuckled "Is it Art?" in the ear of the branded Cain.

They builded a tower to shiver the sky and wrench the stars apart,
Till the Devil grunted behind the bricks "It's striking, but is it Art?"
The stone was dropped at the quarry-side and the idle derrick swung,
While each man talked of the aims of Art, and each in an alien tongue.
They fought and they talked in the North and the South, they talked
and they fought in the West,
Till the waters rose on the pitiful land, and the poor Red Clay had rest --
Had rest til the dank, blank-canvas dawn when the dove was preened to start,
And the Devil bubbled below the keel: "It's human, but is it Art?"

The tale is as old as the Eden Tree -- and new as the new-cut tooth --
For each man knows ere his lip-thatch grows he is master of Art and Truth;
And each man hears as the twilight nears, to the beat of his dying heart,
The Devil drum on the darkened pane: "You did it, but was it Art?"
We have learned to whittle the Eden Tree to the shape of a surplice-peg;
We have learned to bottle our parents twain in the yolk of an addled egg,
We know that the tail must wag the dog, for the horse is drawn by the cart;
But the Devil whoops, as he whooped of old: "It's clever, but is it Art?"

When the flicker of London sun falls faint on the Club-room's green and gold,
The sons of Adam sit them down and scratch with their pens in the mould --
They scratch with their pens in the mould of their graves, and the ink and the anguish start,
For the Devil mutters behind the leaves: "It's pretty, but is it Art?"
Now if we could win to the Eden Tree where the Four Great Rivers flow,
And the Wreath of Eve is red on the turf as she left it long ago,
And if we could come when the sentry slept and softly scurry through,
By the favour of God we might know as much as our father Adam knew.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Hmm... Who Knew I Was A Tarot Card

You Are The High Priestess

You represent mystery - secrets that are yet to be revealed.
You find yourself sitting between two worlds: one dark, one light.
You tend to hold these two worlds in balance, reconciling the two.
Open and welcoming, you invite others to learn your secrets.

Your fortune:

Something hidden, or latent, in your life is about to come forward.
You need to pay more attention to your dreams, thoughts, intuition, and imagination.
And if that involves tapping into your dark side, it will all balance out in the end.
You have a lot of potential dying to be unleashed, so let those gates open!

Saturday, May 13, 2006

New Discovery

Rear seats in cars have potential to transport additional passengers to shared destinations...

It has taken that can-do pioneering spirit that has made the United States famous to find a novel solution to the $3/gallon gas crisis. In a true testament to American ingenuity, Americans have discovered that the extra seats in their cars may be used to transport additional passengers to shared destinations.

Read more here.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Latest...

I actually wrote a little this evening. My Muse is apparently crippled or just phoning it in. Or maybe that's her in this video... hmmm. ~GHC


Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Don't Attack Iran Petition


URL for peition: http://www.dontattackiran.org

Click HERE to sign petition (will open a new window).

Monday, May 01, 2006

How Weird...

I've been feeling rather strange for the past couple of months. When I found this quiz, it promised to answer my metaphysical questions. Unfortunately, I was left feeling dissatisfied with the results. Is that a manifestation of my weirdness? ~~GHC

You Are 50% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird...
But too damn weird to do anything about it!