Tag Archives: Ideas

Around the Web: MFA offers bragging rights, but will never replace my ‘MBS’

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By G. Robert Frazier

Every once in a while I like to share some links to interesting articles about reading and writing I’ve stumbled across on the “interwebs.” I haven’t posted any in a while, so let’s catch up a bit with this offering:

The Atlantic recently weighed in on the debate over the value of obtaining an MFA in Creative Writing. It seems the biggest advantage to having an MFA is simple bragging rights on your resume. People see that MFA and think, well, that person must know how to write… or, he has an MFA, so he can teach others. I don’t have one and I don’t believe at this point in my life I’ll be spending the time or money to get one. I’ll just stick with my MBS: Master of Bull-Shittery, thank you very much.

Do you keep a reading journal? Writer’s Relief extolls the benefits of analyzing what you’ve read and how it can help improve your own writing. I publish book reviews on several sites, including this one, and keeping a journal is part of my routine. Sometimes it just helps to keep track of all the characters and storylines, since I know I will be referring to them in my book reviews.

If you struggle with writing authentic dialogue, you’re in luck. BookBaby recently offered a series of free instructional videos on how to strengthen speech in your stories and books. It’s a bit elementary, but also good reinforcement for anyone in the writing biz.

The old journalist in me found these articles interesting: What Happens to Older Journalists and  How Facebook Swallowed Journalism. The Charlotte Observor held a wake of sorts recently as it bid farewell to its old digs in favor of smaller space because of downsizing. The Dallas Morning News says it’s reinventing itself by starting over, but what it’s really doing is the same thing Gannett has already done with all of its newspapers: Buying out or outright firing its long-term, experienced journalists and hiring a bunch of wet-behind-the-ears Millennials who supposedly have more digital-savvy skills but in reality will work a whole lot cheaper than the veterans. Ten or twenty years from now those employees will be out the door for another younger generation of suckers, if the “paper/website/app/whatever you want to call it these days” is still around.

If you’re a writer, I’m pretty sure you don’t need any added stress. You’ve got enough to worry about already. This article by Susannah Felts sort of sums it up, doesn’t it? I try not to worry about everything she worries about, but I do worry about her lack of paragraphs in the article.

If you need inspiration after that worrisome post from Susannah, you should read this column from writer Skyla Dawn Cameron.

And here’s some bad advice from writers you may want to ignore.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the recent loss of author Pat Conroy. I hate to admit that I have never read any of his works, so I welcome your recommendations. Conroy recounts his lessons and passions for writing in this article for The Writer magazine.

Seen any good reads lately? Post them in the comments section!

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WIP Update: Webisode, spec script see progress; NaNoWriMo on tap

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by G. Robert Frazier

It’s Saturday, and it’s late, but I just realized I did not post an update on my works in progress Wednesday. It’s an idea borrowed (nay, stolen) from another blogger. The purpose being to help hold myself accountable for how I spend my time and as inspiration to actually get something written.

The good news is I did actually get some writing done. Not as much as I would like, mind you, but progress nonetheless. For starters, I churned out a one-page intro to a web series I’m writing. The intro piece, or title sequence, will precede all of the webisodes. I followed that up by writing a seven-page first draft script for the first episode. I can’t tell you what the webisode will be about at this point, other than to say that it will be fun. I can also probably share the title of the first webisode: “Pizza and the Pomeranian.”

It is a first draft at this point. Might be a bit too long for a webisode at seven pages, or roughly seven minutes if one page equals one minute of screen time. So there may be some trimming in order before all is said and done. But it is a start. As the webisodes will all be fairly short, I hope to churn out a couple more of these this week.

Speaking of scripts, I plan to spend the day Sunday tweaking and making some minor revisions to the feature spec script I wrote with my brother. We’ve made a number of notes since finishing the initial draft of the script and now it’s time to incorporate those notes into the script as needed. I’ll then print the script out again in full to read more intently. Then, it will be back to the computer to make additional changes. Ah, the joys of rewriting!

I’ve also got another script in its infant stage. I have an idea and a broad outline, which I shared with my fellow writers at a recent Tennessee Screenwriters Association meeting. They noted a few holes and areas in which to concentrate to make it a more viable script. But perhaps most encouraging was our fearless leader’s words that my idea was timely and has loads of potential! This past week I did some additional research for it by, get this, watching and re-watching an episode of Nancy Grace. Now tell me that doesn’t pique your curiosity.

As if that’s not enough to keep me busy, I also had another idea brainstorm for a possible spec TV pilot/series. I did some preliminary online research. And, I reached out to someone I know from my previous journalism career. He supplied me with some initial information on my subject and expressed a willingness to talk further on the subject. He also gave me the name of another possible resource. So, I am extremely excited for this series as well.

Next month is another matter, as I plan to finish my novel as part of National Novel Writing Month. I’ve already vomited out the first 30,000 words or so and hope to finish the novel by the end of November. One thing I may do this week is reread and tweak the first couple of pages. I have an opportunity to present those pages to an agent/editor roundtable at the Killer Nashville writers conference next week, so I want to make them shine.

I also have my sights set on submitting items to a couple of short story contests in the next couple of weeks. But more on that another time.

Obviously I have a full plate. But after several weeks of stagnation and a lack of motivation, I couldn’t be happier. Stay tuned for more Adventures in Writing…

Around the Web: Dirty dancing, kinky robots, fear of family spark changes

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Every day I scour the Internet and my news feeds for story writing tips and advice. But every once in a while I come across some stranger than fiction articles that compel me to read further. You never know, some of the articles or ideas may just become fodder for a story later on.

Just when you thought you’d heard of everything…

A Gorham, Maine high school announced this week it will no longer hold student dances because of today’s tendency by students to participate in risqué dance moves, also known as grinding. The sexually suggestive dirty dance moves are making parents and dance chaperones uncomfortable. The ban follows on the heels of a similar ban by Hopkinton High School in Massachusetts last year.

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Is it wrong to love the Internet?

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It’s a time suck, I know. But it’s also one of the most rewarding  inventions, too.

It’s the Internet. The World Wide Web.

My bane. My curse. My favorite resource.

Think about it. At just the touch of a few buttons, a few strokes of the keypad, you can open the door to a world of news, education, and entertainment on the Internet. Yes, there is a lot of nonsense and a lot more distractions and, unfortunately, I am prey to them just as much as the next guy. But I try not to let myself get carried away by the nonsense.

The key is to be selective and to be mindful of the time you have for surfing.

In many cases, just glancing at a headline is enough to glean all you want about a subject. If you must read further, there’s nothing to say you have to read it right then and there. I often bookmark the page and put it in a To Read folder. Then, if I find I still want to read it at some point, I know where it is and I can call it up at a time more suitable to my schedule.

I think part of what I like best about the Internet is the chance of discovery it represents. The breadth and scope of stories on the Internet provides an endless buffet of ideas and information to be devoured. I say ideas because oftentimes that’s how I look at what I am reading: as a potential idea to inspire a new short story or novel. In recent weeks, I’ve been inspired by articles about  beached whales and noise-canceling headphones. Both topics are potential story ideas that I am working on.

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James Franco

And then there is the pure education factor of the Internet. Where else can you log on and get access to free columns, advice, tips and even webinars on virtually anything? In my case, I am constantly finding fascinating, informative articles and videos about writing and screenwriting, many of them right here on wordpress.com. Today, for instance, I found several great posts by blogger MJ Wright about essential writing skills. I stumbled upon a blog by Steve Feek on how to Write A Screenplay in 70 Days. I also came across a cool series of video lessons from writer-actor-director James Franco on writing a short screenplay. And there’s an online film festival where you can watch free shorts and even vote on them throughout this month.

Time suck?

Yes, if you allow it to be. But if you set a limit on your online time, say thirty minutes or an hour each day, you can still learn a lot and still have plenty of time for writing. Like I said, bookmark what you can’t get to for another time. If you don’t return to it, maybe you weren’t really interested in it in the first place.  Time has a way or re-prioritizing what’s important.

How do you feel about the Internet? Time suck or invaluable resource?  Is it an endless distraction to writing? How do you keep it from getting the better of you? Share your thoughts in the comment section.