liberation..##.!

liberation..##.!

...from desires and needs…
--- passion and possessions ---
/fame…power…security…fortune/
need, oh blasted need!
let its blinding currents
rush, then
eddy, then
drip,then
drop,then
nestle…….
……slowly, and become Lost
in cool, green moss

Upcoming Talk, Unitarian Universalists of Fallston

I'm speaking at the Unitarian Universalists of Fallston in Fallston, Maryland from 11am to noon on October 24, 2010. My talk, titled The Good Guys vs. the Bad Guys, explores scripture and other literary sources to sample cultural notions of who’s “good” and who’s “bad.” More details? Here's the press release.

Writing creates so many intellectually enriching opportunities beyond the written word. I look forward to a lively and enlightening interaction with the congregation of the Unitarian Universalists of Fallston.

Johnny vs. Johnny

I began writing in middle school. By high school I had finished my first batch of short stories. Some were perverse, others dull. One starred Urine as a central character (yes, the bodily fluid). Looking back, my prose was forced, lacking color; my themes were difficult to follow; my stories were glaringly unlikely with plot-holes big enough to fly a jet through; my characters were uni-dimensional, stereotypical cardboard cut-outs. Despite these searing truths, I saved some of that adolescent mess. I even posted one of those early stories on my web-site.

Guess what? That story, born of hormonally driven adolescent angst and titled Johnny vs. Johnny, has somehow become the most viewed item on my author web-site.

Is my writing as a 15 year old more interesting than my writing now?

That's a frightening question. The answer is probably even more frightening.

Ramadan Mubarak!

Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, begins today and will end on or about September 10, 2010. I'm taking this time off from blogging to focus on observance and family gatherings. I'll be back after the sighting of the Eid moon. Until then, Ramadan Mubarak to the 1.5 billion humans celebrating this holy month. May G_d bless every precious living being on our glorious planet!

Mohamed

Friday Friends: So What Do You Do for a Living?

Are there ideal vocations that prepare people for becoming great writers? If so, what are they? Both questions have been lingering in my mind ever since I read a recent post on aspiring_x's blog, Hairnets and Hopes. In Raising My Plebian Voice, aspiring_x discusses career choices, literary perceptions and writing. She shares some of her recent experiences and offers an interesting range of reactions and conclusions. I'm sure that each of you will have a unique opinion on the piece. Personally, I savored aspiring_x's raw honesty.

I've considered the relationship between vocations and writing once before. The question came up during my virtual book tour in March. An anonymous reader asked if my background as a chemical engineer influences my writing. I answered honestly: it does.

How about you? Do you believe that there are ideal vocations that serve as training grounds for writers? What's your career choice and how does it affect your writing?

Planning a Virtual Book Tour

Writing World recently published my article on how to plan a virtual book tour. The article describes a simple, five step process that I used to plan my own tour in March 2010 and includes sample text for hosts and for press releases.

Would I do another virtual book tour? As I say in the article: "Absolutely! Done right, the process yields increased visibility to an author while increasing traffic for the host blogs. It's an ideal venue through which to create and leave behind a long-lasting cyber-trail of information about your book, about your writing and about yourself. Most of all, a virtual book tour is a perfect vehicle through which to enjoy the benefits and revelations of a real-time, deep conversation with readers and literature enthusiasts the world over."

I've always said that I value our cyber-community here at Thoughts and Ponderings. I truly do. That said, if any of the followers of this blog would like to do a virtual book tour this year, I'd be happy and honored to be one of your hosts.

Wishing each of you a week full of enjoyable reading and lucid writing,

Mohamed

Friday Friends: Learning to Write Through Other Artistic Means

Can writers improve their craft by participating in or studying other modes of artistic expression? Absolutely. A case in point: e.e. cummings was an accomplished visual artist. He imported those skills and techniques into his writing. The next time you read one of his poems, pay attention to its graphic layout. As an example, in Cummings' poem, Grasshopper, the letters and "words" appear on the page like a jolting grasshopper.

That short preamble brings us to this week's installment of Friday Friends, the July 21, 2010 post from Lynda Young's blog, W.I.P. IT, A Writer's Journey. The title, 8 Tips Actors Can Give Writers, is certainly fulfilled in the text of the post.

Although I've never acted, I have created a comic strip. I found that many of the themes, puns and dialogue from that strip found voice in my first novel. In that sense, I have personal validation that the creative impulses of non-writing artistic pursuits can and do influence an author's writing. Lynda's post is yet another instructive demonstration of how the lessons of acting can positively influence a writer's prose.

How about you? Do your non-writing artistic ventures influence your writing? How so?