Karl with a "K"

Trouble with Women

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:38:00 +0000

Having some fun. I've been publishing about one short story per week. That schedule keeps me writing, keeps me practicing, and keeps me adding new titles into the marketplace for people to read. Trouble with Women is my first anthology of five of my short stories. You can find most on my work on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or iTunes.

New Year's comes at a strange time of year

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:30:00 +0000

New Year’s comes at a strange time of year.

Some people use the time to celebrate good fortune and some use the time to say good riddance. The New Year always holds promise, and hope. People are determined their dreams will no longer be deferred, their wishes fulfilled and somehow, this year will be the best one ever.

You can adopt this thinking any day of any month. It doesn’t have to be right after coming down from a holiday high when your souped up with sugar or laden with the weight of extra big meals.

Chances are everyone around you is talking about what they want to do, have or be in the New Year, so you might as well use that collective energy as a springboard.

There’s no shortage of tips and programs to help you achieve your goals. Google my name and you’ll come across a few that I hope you’ll pursue, but it’s the last day of the year, so here’s something quick:

Step One: Know what you want.

Step Two: Take action, right now.

Step Three: Notice if it’s working.

Step Four: If it’s not working, try something else.

Follow the steps above and you’ll accomplish more in 2012 then you did in 2011.

Enjoy your celebration, in whatever way is meaningful to you. Work hard, 2012 will have challenges and setbacks, but if you stay focused I’m confident you will have a very Happy New Year.

My New eBook ... GO GET IT!

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:59:00 +0000

I'm excited to announce my new eBook.

Go Get It! Your Guide to Finding Purpose, Setting Goals and Maintaining Success, is the perfect primer for planning what's next in your amazing life.

Through quick stories and clear action steps, I take you through a process that confirms your purpose and helps you set achievable goals. You'll also learn how to maintain your success and help others along the way.

Download it now at Amazon.

Please rate and review this quick and powerful read.

If you wrote every month like you did in November, how productive would you be?

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:35:00 +0000

Many people participated in NaNoWriMo this year, the writing project that challenges you to put 50,000 words down within 30 days. I was pleased to have reached over 60,000 this year.

Many accomplished more. Many accomplished much less. And most writers in the world didn’t participate at all.

I find the deadline and daily word count goal to be exceptionally motivating. Others find the whole thing too maddening.

Naturally there are many who had the best of intention but a sickness, or family trouble, or something else stood in their way. It happens. All the time.

Look at what you wrote in the month of November. I’m not talking about the quality of what you wrote, I’m talking about the volume. What if you repeated your performance all year long? How much more productive would you be?

Maybe you wrote a page a day and it took you thirty minutes. Maybe you wrote only on weekends and punched out 10-15,000 words. Every writer is different. There’s not a right way or a wrong way. The only thing that writers have in come is that they write. They carve out x amount of time and produce x number of pages. What were your x’s and what’s keeping you from extending them through the next year?

If you invest a half hour and write 250 words a day you can have over 87,000 words for just over 14 days worth of work. What can you do with 87,000 words?

If you already write with any regularity you can probably write more per day and at a faster speed. So pick your own numbers. It’s your art. The thing is, if you keep it inside, no one is going to see it.

Maybe secretly, that’s what some people want. To be thought of as a writer. How many more years do you want to wait for your first novel, or script, or book? How many years do you want to be thought of as a “new” writer?

Writers write because they enjoy writing. It’s a priority for them, guilt be damned.

Whatever you did in November, do again. Add more words, or pull back a few if you’re tired. You’ve already proven what you’re capable of achieving. Keep your momentum.

they and me can again be We

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:11:00 +0000

They can gawk.

They can mock.

They can swear,

and blame,

and fail to understand.

They can fear.

They can demonize.

They can protect what they know.

They can try to keep their status quo,

with ignorance or denial.

They can rouse their forces,

weaponized beyond proportion.

They can spray the eyes or pull the hair

of mothers or daughters or elders,

who will no longer sit.

They can crack the heads of unarmed soldiers

who, for a decade risked their lives in far-off lands

to preserve the promise of days like these.

They can speak from two sides,

pretending they don’t betray the constitution,

or morality, or commonsense.

They can tear down tents, disperse crowds

and destroy property of a free people.

They can invoke the cry of safety

to trump any law.

They can herd the young and old like cattle,

or throw men over barricades,

like worn-out mattresses.

They can disinfect parks sullied by occupation,

but not the hearts of an educated nation.

They can say they'll fix the wrongs.

They can bargain for more time,

in hopes bygones will be forgot.

They will not.

They can try to silence what's already been heard.

They can try to obfuscate what's already been seen.

They can try to blame the odor on others,

like children who hide the stink.

They can try to ignore the taste of justice

that brews in cafés and cafeterias and classrooms

and the places where debate is still safe and welcome.

They can feel satisfied when streets are cleared

and they think things return to normal.

They can throw money at any problem,

because it is easier to find than good judgement.

They could find a cure in the sea of faces,

that hold the common man, woman and child,

doing uncommon things for the good of each other.

Then they, and me,

can again, be we.

And we, can overcome anything.

Building A Writer's Character; 25 Tips, Prompts and Warnings

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:13:00 +0000

Below are 25 ideas around building a better character from my forthcoming book, “Write Advice II; More inspirations, tips and thoughts specifically for writers”

Let me know your favorites.

1. If you know every characters’ internal and external motivation before you start writing, you’ll be less surprised by their actions.

2. Give your protagonist a nervous tick or habit that reveals their character. Make them fold a napkin, slurp a straw, twirl their hair, check their phone incessantly.

3. To find fictional names, open up a magazine and scan the masthead of editors and contributors, then combine the first or last name with a noun.

4. Often the best villains are the ones that practically mirror the main character except in one or two areas.

5. Are your characters developing?

6. If your antagonist showed up in an art gallery what pieces would they gravitate to and how long would they stay?

7. How would you feel if you were in a cafe and you learned another writer was looking at you, getting inspiration for their villain?

8. What trait do you personally have that would serve your antagonist well?

9. What would happen if you changed the sex of every character in your story and started over? Would your characters be the same if you changed their race, or age? If not, you might not have enough life in them yet. If you change those identities, your characters should change. If they don't, you’ve got some more work to do.

10. What would your story's antagonist blog about?

11. Put your characters in conflict. Make them uncomfortable and write them out of a predicament.

12. What would happen if one of your created characters tweeted you?

13. Pick up on a random conversation at a cafe and then imagine the backstory or create a new one.

14. Characters that have at least one thing that others admire about them, and one thing that makes them an ass, gives them realism.

15. Run your characters through something like a Facebook 20 questions and see what they would answer.

16. Sit your characters in front of Google. What would they do?

17. Would you like to have dinner with your character, or are you worried that they may think you're too boring? Would they pick up the tab?

18. What’s an interesting and potentially awkward dinner topic to have with the characters you create?

19. Be careful of developing crushes on your characters, they don't love you nearly as much.

20. Interview your fictional character.

21. Open Cosmo or whatever they would read and have them take one of the quizzes.

22. Do you know if your characters are left or right handed or are you just assuming?

23. Insult your characters and pick a fight with them. See what they do.

24. Your characters will tell you when the words don't feel right. Until then, let them talk.

25. Give your villains something to love and your heros something to hate.

Look for more in Karl Bimshas’s forthcoming book,

“Write Advice II; More inspirations, tips and thoughts specifically for writers”

Can't wait? Click Here for the Original

Fannies, Faith and Other People's Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:34:00 +0000

Sitting outside, enjoying my overpriced coffee and editing a piece of work over the weekend I was distracted by three lessons that simultaneously converged around me.

Lesson One: Fannies

Earlier I had noted three generations of women, clearly related, entering the store. They were all tall, blonde and attractive for their respective ages. Now, as they left I found humor, and maybe delight in the bar graph they inadvertently created as they walked in a row, oldest to youngest. Amazingly, they were all the same height. The young looking grandmother had her hair down and wore a long cardigan that draped just above her knees. The mother, also had her hair down but wore an oversized sweater that covered her buttocks. The college aged daughter had her hair in a ponytail and wore spandex pants with a jacket that stopped at above her waist.

Moral: As people get older they tend to cover up their assets.

Lesson Two: Faith

The store and surrounding parking lot crawled with people in green and yellow football jerseys. This infuriated one Charger fan in a blue and white jersey with bolts on his shoulders. He turned to his friend who was dressed in church clothes.

“They’re not real Cheeseheads, they’re just jumping on the bandwagon because the Packers are 7 and 0,” he said.

“They’re winning,” his friend replied.

“They’re not faithful,” Bolt Man replied.

“Faithful to what? People don’t follow losers.”

“They’re top in the division”

“They’re 4 and 3,” his friend explained, “That’s not 7 and 0.”

Moral: When you perform .571 of the time many people feel let down and lose faith in you.

Lesson Three: Other People’s Goals.

A couple was walking toward their vehicle. The man looked beleaguered and besieged as he headed to the driver’s side of his truck. All I heard was the woman say, “Here’s your goal for the week...”

They doors slammed shut before I could hear anything else.

Moral: You may feel like you’re driving, but if other people are dictating what your goals should be, you’re really not.

Process, Execution and Flexibility

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:43:00 +0000

This year I’m following scores of writers on various social networks who are participating in NaNoWriMo. There’s already the separation of those who are struggling and those who are very pleased with themselves. As it happens every year, there’s a wide discrepancy in actual word count produced in both camps, which tells me success or failure is rooted in goal setting and personal expectations. One writer may have 2,000 words down and be happy with their progress. Another may have surpassed 10,000 and have crippling doubts about their characters’ motivation.

I take the slow and steady approach. A little bit each day equals a lot over time. I use this opportunity to rebuild my writing disciple. I also want to increase my productivity. I’m not a particularly fast typer and I burn through way too many drafts. For me it’s about process AND execution.

When I planned the novel I’m currently working on I grabbed a cup of coffee and a stack of index cards and started jotting notes on each one. It was a form of brainstorming with phrases, imagery, rough or specific ideas or thoughts, each on one card. After about fifty cards the flow of my ideas began to slow so I stopped.

I sorted the cards, shuffling and reshuffling until some semblance of a story began to unfold. I combined a few cards, tossed some and created a few more. That’s process.

For execution there’s a built in goal to have 1,666 words written each day to stay on pace. I like to overachieve that number to give me some breathing room later if I need it. As for the actual writing, a.k.a. execution, I’ve been using each card as a prompt. This method has been freeing because even though I’ve been writing linearly so far, I know I don’t have to. If I get stuck or bored I have options. I can pick any other card and start writing. I don't care where the character or story takes me between those cards because, as a composer knows, "Music is the space between the notes."

A clear process, regular execution and the flexibility of options makes for a better writing experience. Try it with the other goals in your life.

I’m Participating in NaNoWriMo and What it Means for You

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 20:21:00 +0000

NaNoWriMo, also known as National Novel Writing Month, is a creative writing project which challenges you to write 50,000 words of a new novel in November.

Purists will note that 50,000 words is a relatively low number for a complete novel. True, but it’s longer than a novella and before you get all hoity-toity, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby has 50,061 words and that’s good enough for me.

For others who recall with dread the agony it took to write a two page essay in school, 50,000 may seem like a lot of words. It is. Nearly 1,700 words per day. That’s one of the main reasons I’m embarking on it again this year. It creates a discipline for writing every day.

People who have read my blogs, newsletters and books over the last seven years tend to think of me as a motivational writer, since much of my work deals with leadership, goals and upbeat ways of tackling challenges. I’ve never considered myself a fiction writer. For some reason I fail to count the half dozen spec screenplays, the flash fiction, short stories, poetry and prose I’ve written over the years as part of my bona fides. For one month a year, NaNoWriMo changes that.

Anecdotally I’d guess 75% of the people I know either consider themselves writers or regularly talk about wanting to write. Of that number maybe half write with any regularity. Call me old fashion, but I think a prerequisite for writers is that they write. By commiserating and celebrating with other active writers who struggle over managing goals, deadlines, and their inner critic I’m able to summon my strengths from both worlds.

The goal is not to have a completed novel in a month. The goal is to place 50,000 words on a page in 30 days. It’s not about judging if there’s a good enough story worth being told. Having something to edit and refine, ideas to massage and themes to evolve comes later, after it’s done. The point now, is to begin.

In November my social media streams may act as a mood ring. I’ll share the status of the goal and any troubles, tribulations and insights. If you’re involved with NaNoWriMo, consider me a helpful friend who shares in your endeavor. If you’re not a writer, or couldn’t give a crap, that’s fine, simply tune out. I do hope you’ll stick around and see what happens in this word driven laboratory, because as I pursue my goal, you may pick up some hints to accomplishing your own.

Quick Plotting

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:15:00 +0000

A "Back of the Napkin" Illustration

Plotting a story can be daunting for a writer, particularly if they view themselves as an "artiste" and prefer to write by the seat of their pants to see what moves them.

A story well told is one well planned. There's no need to account for every last detail, your muse, inspiration or deadline will take care of those. You just need a general map to get your bearings.

Who's your Hero and what's their Goal?

Pretty cut and dry and if your hero and their goal is so compelling and interesting, that may be all you need.

It's probably not.

To add more flavoring, determine your hero's biggest Wants and Fears.

Make those wants and fears tangible by thinking about the Sacrifices and Rewards your hero is willing to make and likely to get.

Now, let the story unfold and alternate your hero's wants and fears with sacrifices and rewards along the way toward their goal.

If you can plot a story you want to write, you can plot the life you want to lead. You're the Hero in your life. What's your goal? What are your wants and fears? What sacrifices are you willing to make to reach your goal? What rewards have you already enjoyed?

Go. Write. And live the life you've plotted.

Some days I write. Some days I edit.

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 18:55:00 +0000

Some days I write. Some days I edit.

Is Your Writing Better Than Sex?

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:00:00 +0000

The Great Writer must compete for Attention and Induce Action

Writing is very personal. It’s a seemingly magical method of capturing images and thoughts from your imagination and putting them on the page in a way that very few other disciplines can. Painters, musicians, sculptors, architects, maybe engineers and extemporaneous public speakers are perhaps the only vocations that demand the inspiration that comes from within go straight to the blank canvass before them. This means they may need to throw away more of their creations than others because they are unfit for public consumption. Everyone should study their craft to continually improve, but the writer has a unique challenge in that they must compete with the rest of the world for the readers attention.

A painting can hang unobtrusively on the wall or be visited in a gallery. Portable music has become the personal soundtrack of many people’s life. A building, regardless of the fluidity of it’s lines, does not move.

To be read, the writer needs to compel the reader to make the time for them. The reader always gets to choose when to pick up your book, or fire up the Kindle and read your work. As a writer, you have no control over whether you will be carried along with your reader, or left on the nightstand, relegated to the bathroom, or placed on the coffee table like an ego stroking trophy for guests to see and enjoy.

Your work has to compete for attention against screaming toddlers, the television, Facebook and countless other distractions.

As a writer your work should endeavor to be your reader’s travel companion and lover. It, (meaning your work, and since writing is personal, it, meaning you) should be called upon during long waits in line, aboard flights and ferries, trains and busses. You should be brought to bed at night where you are chosen over sex or sleep, for at least for a little while longer. If your writing isn’t at that level you will lose. If you achieve that tier of preference, you can be considered a very good writer. To be a great writer, you need to do more.

The great writer doesn’t settle for winning the competition over preference. The great writer induces the reader to think about and do things differently. Perhaps to be a better parent, or to be discerning over which television channel to watch, which websites to visit, which airline to fly, or which revolution to fight. The great writer must seduce and challenge the reader. The great writer, leads with their words.

You don’t have to be a great writer, but you should try.

Creepy Writers

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:25:00 +0000

I recall many years ago, when I was in my late teens, watching some Friday night movie on television with my mother. The name and plot escape me, but I remember it involved a young woman finding the man of her dreams, only to learn he was a manipulative writer who used her as a character in his book.

I don’t remember my feelings at the time, though judging by the horror and disgust on the actresses' face I knew I was supposed to empathize with her. At that time I was barely beginning my discovery as a writer, let alone an adult, and I recall being a little torn. Obviously it was a horrific act to use another person solely for the purposes of researching a character, but don’t writer’s do a tame and more socially acceptable version of that all the time?

Every writer has a specialty they are particularly proud of. For some it is plot or character development, for others it’s believable dialogue or concise narration. To perfect this they observe and learn, constantly. Most writer’s are admitted people watchers, turning boring wait time in line into research for potential protagonists or antagonists. There have been more than a few parties I’ve endured in the name of research. I listened to the boasts of guests, watched the body language of couples, and surmised what interaction or conflict was going to occur next.

To the non-writer it’s creepy to learn that someone is probably watching your every move from across the coffee shop and making note of how you twirl your hair or tap your foot. They are brainstorming how to describe the ubiquitous white earbuds dangling from your head like leftover steamers from a birthday celebration in a fresh way.

That’s why some people don’t trust writers, because they are always plotting. Before Facebook and Twitter it used to be more threatening, but now people put themselves out there for examination much more freely.

Sometimes, when deep into a project the writer will immerse themselves into the world they’ve created. This can be great for the reader down the line, but maddening for roommates or spouses, particularly if the writer is working on a murder mystery or suspense thriller and wanting to capture the look of surprise or pain.

It’s equally dangerous when they are writing of love, or lust, or both. I recently wrote about the dangers of a writer falling in love with their character, this can be particularly problematic if the character is based on someone real. That someone could be a paramour from your past, or an innocent bystander trying to enjoy a latte. That’s the chance you take. The danger for the writer is that the character they have created is a perfected version of someone else and will never love them back.

As a writer myself, I don’t advocate making friends with someone with the intent of writing about them. I also know it’s nearly impossible to not put a little of everyone you meet into a little of everything you write. I’m convinced this is what makes some writers irresistible to the social set who are hoping to be written about. I’ve learned that truth is not only stranger than fiction, it’s frequently not as exciting.

If you have writer friends you should assume some trait of yours, however obscure, has the potential to be repurposed in a far different manner. My advice would be to relax, don’t go looking for it, or worse, asking for it, and if you see it in print, feel proud that you were able to contribute something of yourself to an author.

For fellow writers, you’re expected to make magic out of the mundane, to make illiterate dialogue read like poetry and to give voice to things that speak too softly. I believe it’s okay to use what you come across in life in your writing, but it's never okay to use people for the sole purpose of your writing.

Falling In Love With Your Character

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:37:00 +0000

Falling in love with one of your characters is treacherous but not unfamiliar territory for a writer. Forget the ego complex of how great you are to have created the perfect character, because if your character is perfect you failed. Forget the fact that falling in love is probably inevitable because of the concentrated time you spent with her/him/it, likely during the cherished late evening hours. You know them better than anyone else. You know what they will say, think or feel, because as the writer you shared intimate thoughts with them first.

You powered through a difficult chapter where your character was not cooperating with you. Perhaps the words didn’t fall effortlessly from your pen and off their lips. Perhaps, it was your first fight together. You compromised, or someone won, but it doesn’t matter now because all is forgiven and they can do no wrong. They speak just the way you want. They dress appropriate to every occasion. They have been transformed into your muse and suddenly you write for them, willingly and madly.

This is natural but difficult. Because, despite all your backstory and character interviews and sketches or magazine collages, this persona you conceived, the love of this part of your life, is not real.

You can argue that they are based on real people, or are the manifestation of imagined experiences. You may go philosophical and ask, “Well, is any of this real?” To which I will probably try to change the subject.

Your creation is real to you, and if you do a good job, will be real to the majority of people who read your work. And that is where the sweet agony lives. You can not have dinner with your character. You can not wipe away their tears, or dance with them and hear them sing a sultry song softly in your ear.

What you created exists in your mind and on the page and depending on how well you did that, they will also rest in your reader’s mind. Once in there, your reader may fall smitten with them too. It’s what you want, but it breaks your heart, because you do not want to share your love, but you must.

Your manuscript pages spread out before you like a scrapbook. You reminisce over older drafts and favorite passages. You can probably find the line they spoke that wooed you, standing out like a first kiss. You may weep when you read their final scene.

No matter how effective you are, no one else will share in that relationship because it’s deeply personal. The relationship between the writer and the character they love is mesmerizing. There is no greater example of unrequited love.

Writing Yet?

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 06:51:00 +0000

With October on the horizon many writers realize there’s less than 100 days left in the year. Maybe they better get started on something. Starting something is great. Finishing is better.

If you’ve got a writing goal make a clear distinction between your goals and your wishes. You don't want to catch wish-itis. Goals are concrete. They are specific, motivating, attainable, relevant and time based. Candidly, I think potentially unattainable is fine. I prefer the people who are over ambitious to those who are underwhelmed. Their hopes and dreams may end in disappointment, but at least they didn’t start that way. When you’re committed you can achieve more than you think.

Maybe you’re a procrastinator. That’s okay, but right now you need to write now. So schedule your procrastination time for later. Don’t wait for inspiration. Inspiration doesn't sit around all day hoping to be found. It does its thing with or without you. It doesn’t really care and it’s not thinking about you so stop wasting your time. If you should happen to meet, give it a happy hug like a little seen friend and keep writing.

To me, a writer without the means to write is like a non-writer with the means. So do whatever gyrations you need to do to before you write, then you’ve got to write. Until then, you're just thinking. Thinkers are great, but they don’t get things done. Doers get things done.

Some writers become overwhelmed with ideas. Blessed with the curse of imagination they let them float by like dandelion seeds. Pluck a few ideas that strike you and plant them on the page or bury them in your notebook. After a week, see what blooms then use all your resources to nurture that. Let everything else become noise.

Still not writing? Try this formula:

Day 1 - Write something.

Day 2 - Write more.

Day 3 - Write better.

Repeat.

Eschew the pseudo experts who tell you how to create. You know how. Now, you must do.

Write often or little,

Because you can

Or because you must.

Write of silly things that move the world.

Or serious things that must be stopped.

Write to educate and entertain

Others or yourself.

Write for the pride that comes with seeing

Your writing on another’s shelf.

Write to record your feelings, thoughts or fears.

Write in a way that brings the stoics to tears.

Write because your gifted

And you’ve a perspective to share.

Write the things that others would never dare.

Write. You need no more excuses.

Write Anyway

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:42:00 +0000

There is a growing contingent of people who believe writer's block is the writer's fancy way of making laziness or procrastination sound more "arty" and even admirable. It's a kind of creative martyrdom.

"I want to write...I need to write...I just can't do it right now. The muse's are being too cruel."

Sounds good. But it makes me yawn.

Yes, anyone who has had the urge to write has from time to time been vexed by the blank page, or even the next paragraph. Sometimes it feels like you've run out of things to say. You're washed over by a wave of anxiety that maybe you're done, there's nothing left in you. Perhaps you feel an anger. A wall has been erected separating you from your creative genius, denying you the wit and spellbinding prose you imagined. I suppose you could call THAT writer's block. The thing is, it takes more than that to stop a writer. A writer writes anyway. It might be crap, it might be lofty. It doesn't matter, because it's written. That's better progress than all the bemoaning coming from those who haven't spilled any ink.

A writer writes.

That's not to say things don't keep writer's from writing, but that's always the writer's choice. An argument with a loved one can ruin your day, or it can inspire a character's rage. Feeling sullen or ill can keep you from the keyboard, or that keyboard may be your therapy.

I'm not interested in people who say they write, but don't. To me the one who struggles over which words to cut or add, or feels pain over tone or tempo is a far more engaging person than one who laments that the writing gods aren't favoring them today.

Give me a break.

A writer writes.

I've fallen down on my novel. I've not picked it up to edit it since that dreadful chapter twelve got under my skin. I'm not blocked. I'm chicken shit. I'm a damn good writer and could fix it in thirty minutes, if I sat down and faced it. Instead I've written other things. Poems, business articles, newsletters. I've not stopped writing. I've stopped working on that project, and it's pissing me off. That's my responsibility. Not the kids who want to play, not the loved one who provoked a draining argument, not the economy which fills me with financial tension. No, righties, it's not even Obama's fault. It's mine.

A writer writes, that's the thing that makes a writer unique to everyone else. So don't be a hack. The next time you bleat about not writing, at least put it in an email so you will have written something.

Please Ban My Books

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:01:00 +0000

I saw this article pass through my Facebook stream today, about a Catholic School Student who runs a secret banned books library from their locker. CLICK HERE TO READ

What struck me, besides the fact that it's sorta difficult to call something secret if I'm reading about it on the web, is the fact the people STILL think banning a book is an intelligent thing to do. Banning something is one of the best PR moves an author could hope for. It stimulates curiosity. We should all be so lucky.

Let's think back in history when banning books, or burning them to illustrate one's fear over the written word and expression of ideas has worked effectively. It doesn't. When you demonize something you don't understand you highlight your ignorance. It's weird to me that people still attempt to do it.

It's also strange to me that kids are passing tangible books around, like they were in a ... what's that thing called .... where you can borrow books .... not Amazon's Netflix idea, that other thing ... oh yeah, a freaking library. A FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY which any one can visit (though in some cities it may be only open between 1pm and 2:45pm every other Tuesday).

Nearly every "classic" book can be found online, also for free. So what is it that causes kids to want to read, even it it's off of pages instead or a screen?

Adults who tell them they can't.

Adults who moan and groan about too much sex and violence on TV and in video games.

Tell them to read a book.

Adults have befuddled me my whole life. Sometimes I wish they would grow up.

Candles on a Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 06:37:00 +0000

A line of candles smolder

on a lonely beach.

Waves lap closer,

but they’re just out of reach.

Rocks from the jetty

cast long shadows

thanks to the white light

of the full moon.

Fishing boats dot the horizon,

like symmetrical stars

rising in the night.

No music,

save the rumbling surf.

So many bright lights in this darkness

each illuminates for another.

As it should be.

Organized to Write

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 01:58:00 +0000

I haven't been writing for a couple of days because I've been organizing. instead I know, classic avoidance stuff. I've got a lot of stuff I want to put out into the world and it's been difficult prioritizing. I've been sorting files and projects on my MacBook trying to find some order because for some reason once I dig down into a few layers of files I get a mini anxiety attack. I can't explain it. I don't want to explore it. I just want the feeling to go away.

So I've been minimizing all the files, or at least grouping them into sections that will make it easier to find what I'm looking for. I'm naming things, not in some coy way that I'll forget three months from now, but by just calling it what it is. Simple enough, except three months ago I didn't think that way. I created a document, called it something I thought would be useful and saved it to my desktop. There's only so many times you can do this before the desktop becomes full, so I stuffed them into a file called "writing" because that's what they are. I kept doing this week after week and eventually, as I tucked things away it began to feel similar to stuffing things under the bed. This is always a bad sign.

So I've been unpacking all the damage I've done. Sorting with a touch more logic with files named WIP, Creative Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Tips and Ideas among others. Not perfect. Not bad. The beauty of a Mac is the Spotlight search field which has gotten me out of jams far more that I'd like to admit. Why be orderly? Because I feel better. There's a place for everything and everything has a place mentality.

It's the difference between a cluttered desk and a clean desk. There's not a right way or a wrong way. There's just written or unwritten.

I like the desk and desktop to be clean when I approach it, just like a blank sheet of paper. Then, as the creativity or brute force sets in, I give myself permission to muddy it up. That's the "in progress" part for me. When I'm done with the project...or company is coming over, I can put most things away and look presentable.

It must work, because now I'm organized and I just wrote. Tada!

When a Character is Complimentary to the Writer

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 05:53:00 +0000

“The women are not undressing you. It’s not seduction they feel. It’s the afterglow. They are imagining themselves laying in bed with you, their arms draped over you, deeply satisfied after a session of lovemaking. You are their cigarette and they want to take one more long drag of you before falling into a blissful sleep. That’s what your words do to them.”

Those are the words Donna McKnight shares with Ken Shea, a successful poet in my story, "Three Blinks and a Sigh". I read it again recently and I gotta say, this Ken Shea fellow is a lucky guy. Doesn't every writer want to know their words have some type of effect on the audience? And doesn't every male writer, either secretly or overtly hope to elicit a similar reaction from female readers? Or is that just me?

Every author wants to move their reader, and most began their passion for writing with some fantasy about how the power of their finely crafted words would rock some one's world - if not the entire world.

Interesting to contemplate:

What got you into writing in the first place? (probably a guy or a girl)

What kept you writing? (probably accolades or the promise of some)

What keeps you from writing? (yourself, but you can blame anyone you want. No one cares if you write or not)

And what drives you to write again? (probably that last statement because it may have pissed you off and you'll be motivated to write just to prove me wrong but by doing so you will have proved me right)

I think the writer who doesn't care what others think of their writing is either, only writing in their journal, or have reached a level of financial or emotional success that gives them the liberty to let it hang out there.

Now, of course I care what people think of my writing, I haven't reached that level of emotional success yet. Caring about the readers opinion is wise, but that doesn't mean you have to change, you may just need to find different readers.

This blog is a different outpost for me. It's tone is different from what my friends and family call my "business writing". Here I give myself the freedom to ramble my thoughts across the screen when I should be in bed catching up on sleep.

As a business writer it's nice to get feedback on your perspective of a particular belief or product. As a creative writer, it's also nice, and scary, because in poetry and prose, the writer is likely to leave a little more of themselves on the page.

It's akin to when the fourth wall comes down in television. The writer sometimes encourages a character to gently compliment the writer because of their deep rooted and irrational fear that it may be the only one who does.

Addicted to School Supplies

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 01:44:00 +0000

I'm a menace this time of year. It's nearly impossible for me to pass up twenty-five cent notebooks or massive multipacks of pens. I gaze at new three-ring binders and marvel and the latest models and colors as if they were Italian automobiles.

For all the technology I have access to, from speech to text software and digital mind maps I still desire the tangible paper and ink. This is why traditional books won't vanish completely. Lot's of people who have money to spend still like tactile things.

Occasionally I wonder if this makes me less productive. This particular post is a stream of conscious, but some I've hand written on scrap paper, dictated and transcribed then edited and imported. That's a lot of steps...for what? This isn't meant to be lasting art. I never suspect a reader is thinking, "what was his motivation for that sentence structure."

Could it be I feel more productive when I'm surrounded by paper? There's evidence of my imprint all over my office. In messy notebooks and pristine journals, on sticky notes and envelopes and in crumpled balls in the wastebasket. All of it feels more satisfying there rather than a glowing desktop that I shut down each day. It's more satisfying for me to empty real trash filled with real bad writing than clicking a button on my virtual screen (also filled with poor writing). When I empty real trash, it's almost meditative. I reflect for a moment on those past struggles.

I think it's liberating to be able to throw things out. Which makes me now flash to my childhood and an episode of Yogi Bear and Friends when they are flying their ark over an island run by a guy who only uses things once and throws them away. Naturally he's the villain and pollution ensues. So it's not like I don't have a little twinge of guilt when I toss barely used pages away. But come on, it's motivating to me to have a stack of spiral notebooks or fancy composition books accessible that I can fill with different ideas, topics, stories, business plans, lists and what have you. They sit there at the corner of my desk imploring me to fill them, like a frosted glass in the freezer on a hot day begs for a cold drink.

It's damn hot where I am right now, and I suddenly want a cold drink ... and more notebooks.

Always. But Sometimes, Never.

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 01:19:00 +0000

This one came to me fairly quickly as part of another project I'm working on:

Always is forever,

and most things seldom are.

Never is not ever,

and that goes a bit too far.

Sometimes rests between the two,

with honesty and moderation.

But sometimes lacks the punch for you,

and reeks of hesitation.

Write Advice - The Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 07:07:00 +0000

Visit the Write Advice Online Shop for Gifts and Shirts

You'll find top inspirational quotes taken directly from my practice and quote book, "Write Advice; Inspirations, tips and thoughts for leaders and artists."

  Find gifts that are perfect for the writer, leader or artist in your life who's ready to make a difference!

Click HERE

Friday Distraction

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 04:40:00 +0000

I joined a poetry group on LinkedIn of all places and answered the challenge to share a poem about attraction without using the word. Here's what I came up with.

Friday Distraction

She pulls you toward her,
Like north to south.
She speaks with her eyes,
And blots her mouth.

She clears her throat
In a subtle way
As the waiter takes
The plates away.

You suggest dessert
Or just peruse the list.
Making mental note of the time,
And the several trains you’ve missed.

She beams at the choices
Of chocolates and liqueur,
Of cakes and cobblers
And other treats that blur.

She is mesmerizing,
Alluring, a pleasant distraction.
Then she startles you
With her sudden reaction.

“None for me.
Too rich, too sweet, too soon”
You nod your clouded head,
Still floating like a ballon.

A peck goodnight
Across the cheek.
Your legs still tremble
As you try to speak.

She hushes you,
Gives a wave,
And departs across the street.
Red heat flushes through,
But you did not cave,
And kept it all discrete.

You can read other poems by visiting Wooing of the Mind. Throw me a challenge and let's see what I can come up with.

When Your Writing is Like Bad Roast Beef

noreply@blogger.com (Karl Bimshas) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 04:53:00 +0000

There are a few schools of thought when it comes to editing your own work. There are those who print out their latest draft, settle into their comfy spot and read for the sheer joy of reading. There are those who don't ever print their work because they read and edit exclusively on screen. There are some who spend an inordinate amount of time over each sentence, reading and rewriting until perfection is achieved. I'm not any of these.

I never stop editing. For me, a piece is never done, I just run out of time and it's good enough. I don't suggest this is an ideal for everyone. For example, I know far too many writers who don't edit a damn thing for one reason or another. I admire them, and it annoys me. It always has. Back in school I would have to study for hours to maybe eke out a B while another seemingly oblivious student would have an aw crap moment and finish their assignment in the hall on the way to class and earn an A. Remarkable, though my remarks were not always vocal or supportive.

When editing my own manuscript I like to expect that the warm copy I pick up from the local printer will be an enjoyable read. But I immediately spot things. Yes, grammatical things and typos, which annoy me, but I've learned to forgive myself and move on. It's the plot questions, or the character development, or the pace or some other major thing that throws me into a funk.

That's where I am on Chapter 12 of Three Blinks and a Sigh. I can't get past the first paragraphs. Chapter 11 is good, and Chapter 13 makes sense, but Chapter 12 sucks and it's disappointing. It's like bad roast beef stuck between the most savory bread you can imagine. You've been there. You're craving a roast beef sandwich for days and you finally get one only to discover the meat is overcooked, shiny and a weird color. It's doesn't even smell good and the things you craved now ruins your appetite. That's my Chapter 12 and I find myself just staring at it with disgust.

So how do you combat a lousy chapter? Skip it.

I recall a high school english teacher who presented a very freeing concept to me. He said when you're working on an early draft and you can't come up with the right word or phrase, don't struggle over it. Instead, draw a blank line and keep going. You can come back to it later. What sweet liberation! If that can apply to a word or phrase, why not a sentence or a paragraph or a whole frigging chapter?

It can. It should.

I've been staring at this disappointing sandwich on my plate for four days and I'm still starving. Don't be like that in your writing. Your writing needs to compel others and keep you moving. If you come across a section that stops you in your tracks, make note of why in the margins. Star it with a big *Needs Work* and move on. Don't sit there and bemoan it. Keep moving forward.

Words are like money, they are a renewable resource. Given the right skills you can create more. So don't let a bad investment (or chapter) hold you back. Keep producing. Keep moving forward. In the distance of a few pages you'll get some perspective and will determine your next course of action. You might be struck with an idea to rewrite it, or perhaps you'll cut it completely, or maybe the key content will dissolve from that chapter and reemerge into others where they make better sense or provide greater power and clarity.

Don't let your own writing delay you from getting something written.