Finding the time

Lately I've been finding a better way to use my time wisely. Since my mind is always so concentrated on so many different projects at a time it helps me now that I carry around this little grey notebook. I've been able to draw, write and read more efficiently. It's like finally my brain always has a place to put the ideas that flee across it in the passing hours. Because usually my mind is bouncing so much between all the thinks I want to do I often lose track of what it was I was thinking at from one moment to the next. 

I've been able to write down the scenes I'm thinking about for my novel every time I think of them. In able to sketch out quick ideas for my comic or for my random illustrations. It's great! Try it out. 

Getting to work

Getting more work done on my novel. Hoping to complete it this year and to actually start doing the hard part of finding publication. 

New essays on masculinity and other topics coming soon!

Life

Life happens man and you can't stop it from happening. Doesn't matter what you have to or want to accomplish it'll get it's way over you every time. Not that anything bad has happened to me since my last post, well that's not entirely true but I won't get into it. Staying focused and positive have become my number one priorities again and I love it. I'm feeling more creative and goal oriented than ever lately and it's mostly because I have such an amazing wife who is also an artist of life. 

So more updates are in the way and coming. How petulant I can actually sell some art and writings this year at least through publications or through my own sleep publishing efforts. In excited and I will keep you guys or guy/girl in the loop. Thank you for whatever it is you do and I hope we can all affect each other in positive ways this year! 

WIPs of "Hipster Skull Girlz 1"

Story Structure Notes cont'd

Event- 1. Events are change taking place, are always meaningful and never trivial.
            2. Creates meaningful change in life situation of a character that is expressed and experienced in terms of a VALUE <-- of="" p="" soul="" storytelling.="" the="">            3. Story VALUES are the universal qualities of human experience that may shift from positive to negative, or vice versa, from one moment to the next.
            4.Events are achieved through CONFLICTS. Change is motivated though CONFLICT.

Scene- 1. An action through conflict in more or less continuous time and space that turns the value-charged condition of a character's life on at least one value with a degree of perceptible significance. Ideally, every scene is a STORY EVENT.
           2. If a scene isn't meaningful, cut it.

Beat- 1. An exchange of behavior in action/reaction. Beat by beat these changing behaviors shape the turning of a scene.
          2. Beats are meaningful behavior changes.

More notes to come! Any questions or suggestion shoot me an email!

Story Structure

So in my desire to become a better writer and artist I am always searching for the best reference material and books out there. Some great books that have helped me are: The DC Comics Guide to Writing, Story, Writers on Comics Scriptwriting, How to Write what you Want and Sell what you Write. All of these books are invaluable to me in my writing, along with the classics and books from my favorite writers. In the spirit of free learning I figured I would share some notes here on the blog that I've made based off of my research in these books. Here is just a bit now, what I hope to do is keep sharing my notes on writing to not only reinforce them in my head but to hopefully help any would-be-writers out there like myself. Even tho I've self-published I am still looking for that mighty feeling one gets from being a writer working for a nice publishing house, here's to hoping and please enjoy the beginning of these notes! Thank you!

PART ONE: STORY STRUCTURE

The Elements of a story- a beautifully told story is a symphonic unity in which structure, setting, character, genre and idea meld seamlessly.

Terminology of a story design- 1. Tell a whole story
                                                   2. Only select a few moments
                                                   3. Tell present story while life story is also told

Structure- 1. A selection of events from the character's life stories that is composed into a strategic sequence to arise specific emotions to express a specific view of life.
                 2. Compose events to flow one after the other.

Setting up a schedule for the old blog here

Had a thought recently to start organizing what it is I talk about on this blog so as to better take care of it and use it to its fullest. I'm constantly shifting focus between my many many passions and at times on a blog like this it can get confusing for audience members as well as the blogger himself. So as to better serve all of my passions I've decided to break up the days into what it is I will post about. What I came up with is this:

Sunday-Art
Monday-Art
Tuesday-Writing
Wednesday- Acting
Thursday-Art
Friday-Writing
Saturday-Acting

I believe that this schedule will not only bring a needed focus to the blog but also organize my time better as well. I've always been a person who needed structure in my life otherwise I seem to flounder about and do things to sporadically. Its important as an artist to be creatively spontaneous but that doesn't mean to only do things at the spur of the moment. You can harness that surprising creative burst energy into a managed slot of time where you focus your mind. At least that's what I think. We'll see. So tonight expect a blog geared toward writing.