"Everyone's entitled to my opinion ..."
"CrimsonAgent93" cracked his mental knuckles, prepared to go to war. He slid the headphones over his pierced ears, cranked up the tunes, and typed out his comic book review.
"This crapfest offends me! Joe Low can't type his way out of an open phone booth and Sy High should pull the pencil from his orifice so he can see what he's drawing for once. It's nothing like THE version of the book that I grew up with, which of course was the DEFINITIVE version of the character. So if you like toilet paper that sucks sewage through a dirty straw, this is the one for you."
So how seriously should be take Internet critics? Frankly, my contempt for these intellectually dishonest parasites grows every passing day. Hiding behind a pseudonym grants false courage to the "reviewer" which gives that person license to spout off without accountability.
Knowing that snark is easier to write than something well thought out and eloquent, the writer works himself into a lather ... or is that "blather?" And for good measure, let's start the name-calling because that's "always" funny. In fact, it's been funny in every blog entry for the last six months so repeating it should make it even more hilarious, right?
Besides, he's repeated the lie enough that he doesn't care if it's not the truth. It's time to make another blog entry.
But let's not check out the source of our ire. Heaven forbid we should confuse ourselves with potentially contradictory facts.
With one's ignorance firmly in place, the "reviewer" readies a few names and begins to type ...
* * *
My distaste for Internet critiques began a few months ago ... actually, it was more along the lines of I'd reached my saturation point with them. I make no secret of my out-of-control fetish for all things Kryptonian. My view of Superman doesn't favor one version over another. Instead, I look for the unique charm of each interpretation, much like how I enjoy Doctor Who in its myriad forms.
I also enjoyed the JJ Abrams relaunch of Star Trek. I thought it had plenty of decent acting and action (although I think my retinas are scarred from all the lens flares). I especially enjoyed the concept that this was an actual alternate timeline and the classic Trek of my misspent youth still existed, even if Mr. Spock wasn't in it any longer. That way, Classic Trek sill existed ... but the movie audience's attention would now be focused elsewhere.
Also, in September of 2011, DC Comics did a reboot of their mainstream comic book line which included Superman. Now, Superman was greatly affected by this in his origin seemed to have changed except in the basic premise of Neo-Moses found in the bulrushes of Kansas (no time spent as Superboy, his early days in Metropolis were spent as the Social Activist of Steel, his adoptive parents were dead, his uniform now resembled armor while no longer possessing the red trunks worn on the exterior, and Lois Lane was never his love, merely a good friend).
Creatively, it was a bold move. Contemporary comic books are so tied up in their own continuity that sometimes consistency with a story that was published before most comic fans were born that it took real guts to break away from 75 years of continuity and start anew. Also, sales were pretty bad so it was a calculated gamble that actually paid off when DC retook the #1 sales position in the comics industry for a couple of months. In fact, during the last year, a relaunch of Aquaman outsold The Uncanny X-Men. I'm tickled to see the day, I tell you. Anyway ...
Immediately after these franchises were relaunched, I read way too many rants, many of them from friends who I expected to be a lot more eloquent and well-reasoned. Suddenly, "Jar Jar Abrams" was supposed to have "ruined" Star "Track," past and present, forever and always and every actor in the new movie should have turned down their paycheck, rather than "steal" the roles from the original actors (some of whom have died prior to this movie, most of the rest are not exactly going to enter the Olympics to take the Gold in gymnastics, if you know what I mean).
And The Man of Steel was similarly "ruined forever," even before the first issue of "The New 52" (the number of mainstream titles that DC published as well as a reference to 52 alternate Earths in their continuity) hit the stands, even before a single page of artwork was drawn and shared with the community at large. DC was "turning its back on older fans" and "going to drive away all their readers" because they were no longer publishing "THE" Superman.
(Before you ask, yes, all quotes are from actual posts that I've read and rolled my eyes at)
In both cases, these judgments were made by people who had never seen the movie, hadn't read the comic books, and had no intention whatsoever of doing so.
Granted, I understand the feeling of disenfranchisement that comes with change. However, the vehemence of the reactions took me aback. I mean I'd listened to the "fans" dissing John Byrne revamping Superman in 1986, Michael Keaton portraying Batman on the wide screen, and then the howls of outrage when he left the role to Val Kilmer.
Now how does this relate to creativity? (or was this just an excuse to rant against the current level of social platform criticism ... well, now that you mention it ... ) We've discussed rejection in earlier editions of this blog. If you don't remember those, feel free to check out earlier editions of this blog (and a refresher is always encouraged).
One roadblock many writers/artists/actors face in presenting their talents to the public is the possibility of receiving negative feedback. Too much weight is given to the other party, putting them in charge of our attitude towards ourselves and our artistic endeavors.
One local theater group had a Facebook page to promote their shows and a volunteer to provide the site with continual content. Well, the theater took down its page for fear of someone posting something, anything, negative. A few weeks before, another local theater group received a trollish posting and the other fans of the acting troupe pretty much tore the offending writer a fresh, and much needed, orifice. But this group preferred to cut themselves off from free publicity, rather than endure just one sling, just one arrow of contrary opinion.
Too many potential Oliviers have never set foot on a stage for fear of someone telling them they lacked talent. Manuscripts sit in locked drawers -- or worse yet, never written at all -- because of a writer's fear of a bad review or a rejection slip. And sometimes, the negativity becomes more believable when it's delivered by a so-called friend. Also, it's all too easy to fall into the negative mob mentality.
But the only way you can never fail is to never make an attempt at success. You'll miss 100% of all the targets you never aim at. And the only way to never receive a negative review is to never put your talent out for display.
But you should never let that stop you. If someone has a criticism that's useful, see if you can apply it. If the feedback comes from someone who can't articulate their opinion or justify their judgment, let their words roll off your back. If they can't criticize without name calling or ridicule, drop them like a live ember.
Frequently, I've found that many critics are, to be honest, so full of crap that their eyes should be brown. Most people who have the time and inclination to assess your work really have no basis for judging, except if it appeals to them on a level that they can't put into words. I mean if a piece or performance works in a way that the person enjoys it, that's good. But as a creator, you want to know why. Keep searching until you can find that critic who has the words to help you grow as a creative entity.
If you're like me, you'll find your worst critic (in terms of both quality of judgment, usually) is yourself. That's why putting a different set of eyes to your work is important.
***
"CrimsonAgent93" adjusted his glasses and rested his fingers on the edge of the keyboard. He pondered what he was going to say as well as the reaction. Was he looking for "attaboys"? Was he seeking ego gratification? What if the source of his snark happened to read his review? What if that guy didn't read it?
Would it worth the time and effort to create a blog entry? Would the work improve? Would the sun shine a little more brightly tomorrow?
Just whose mind was he trying to change?
"CrimsonAgent93" turned off his monitor and considered his next words carefully. For once ...
***
Just a couple of quick aside here ...
First, thanks for putting up with my irregular schedule lately. I've had to get some rush projects done but I hope to put out (he said "put out") a couple of entries a week for a few weeks.
Second, check out www.audiomoviesclub.com. Mary Hackett heads up a great team of performers, writers, and technical people who put out all-ages friendly, reasonably priced audio adventures, or "the best movies you'll ever hear." Get in on the ground floor and enjoy their terrific stories!
Third, my friends Jim Amash and Teresa Davidson run a page on Facebook called Buster's Boosters. Buster was a beloved cat who left this world too soon, but with a lot more love than when he came here. Jim and Teresa have worked for various comic book companies, Archie Comics in particular, and are helping repay Buster's owner for medical expenses incurred while trying to save the animal.
Go to https://www.facebook.com/BustersBoosters where Jim and Teresa are selling original art pages from various comic books they've worked on as well as original sketch commissions. The pages are VERY reasonably priced, many as low as ten buck a page, and you can often pic up entire stories filled with your favorite Riverdale friends. So if you would, please help my friends help their friend while giving yourself a one-of-a-kind work of art.
Meanwhile, what's the worst or best criticism you've ever received? Let me know at bkmorris56@gmail.com or leave me a comment below. See you in a few days!
Friday, August 10, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
"I was sick when my dog ate my manuscript, just before my ex came over, wanting to make up."
Last time around, I spoke of the importance of deadlines. In the world of print, there's a whole lot of people who can't do what they need to do (usually in order to be paid) until you complete your literary task. If nothing else, an audience awaits you. Produce on schedule and you become a joyous habit for them. Don't produce on time, they find another addiction.
However, as vital as deadlines are, there are times when it's understandable to ignore them.
My wife works in a day care and is thus exposed to several dozen small children. The age range spans infants to sixth graders and all of them seem to be carriers for the disease du joir. Well, the missus contracted a rather vigorous stomach flu and being the dutiful husband and faux nurse that I was, I got the bug too. Boy, did I get the bug! Without going into glorious breakfast-ruining detail, let's just say I lost ten pounds in ten minutes the hard way. But I digress ...
I've missed deadlines. I'll miss more (this blog notwithstanding). So will you. There are times when it is unavoidable, however, so learn to live with it.
For instance, you cannot predict getting sick (as I can attest). We should all try to take care of ourselves like actors during the last two weeks of rehearsals. When the premiere looms, you will never find a more health-conscious group of people than actors. We suddenly remember to take our vitamins every day. We somehow find time for a power nap and rediscover the joys of fresh vegetables. We should remember how to take such care of ourselves every week of the year, right? Uh-huh ... pull the other one.
However, there are times when illness is as avoidable as either Death or Taxes. In that case, perhaps the proper course of action might be to work as far ahead of deadline as possible. Very few editors will shout at you for turning in your work ahead of schedule. If you aren't sure your editor is one of those, run a test where you amaze him/her with your deadline-meeting skills.
But you can't predict illness and most editors should understand. Once you believe your physical condition will affect your writing negatively, let the editor know! Sometimes, you can't give your boss too much information.
Sometimes, you cannot schedule a needed interview for an article. Or some component, such as a book to assist with your research doesn't arrive in time. A lot of this can be solved in advance with some proper time-management skills, of course. Remember, the local library is open all week long except holidays. Get your Plan B in place when lining up your A because crap occurs.
There are also times when nothing comes together for your article. I was writing an article on a comic book series that was announced back in the '80s, but never saw print. So I got the phone number of the writer and contact info on the artist. After a month's worth of attempts, neither one would get back to me. Since this was a spin-off of an existing series, I contacted the artist of the parent comic because we'd talked before and gotten along quite well. It seems that he'd done a podcast and pretty much outlined his involvement -- or lack thereof -- with the spin-off. While I'd rather have talked to my friend -- always looking for an excuse -- I could still use the podcast as a source. Then I also got ahold of the editor of the series.via Facebook. His more-polite-than-I-probably-deserved reply was that this spin-off represented the absolute nadir of his professional life and he'd spent many years trying to forget this book. So I had virtually no one who could, or would, discuss the comic with me.
(actually, he was quite polite about it ... but what's a little drama in the retelling?)
Once I realized the unwritability of this article, I contacted my editor immediately! He reassured me that this happened all the time, that sometimes an article simply can't be written. This had happened with two other writers for this issue, it seemed. But he was glad to know as soon as he did so he could make alternate plans. It seems he had his Plan B in place already.
Despite my editor's reassurances, I was annoyed that the history of this aborted comic series would be lost to time. But I digress ...
When you run into problems, talk to your editor immediately! The editor may have a solution to your problem. If nothing else, the sooner they know of your dilemma, the sooner they can design a solution, whether it includes your work or not. It beats the heck out of blowing off the deadline. So own up! It's easier on everyone involved.
But if you can't write the article, for whatever good and proper reason, you cannot write it. But be professional, apologize, and perhaps you'll get another assignment because the editor would probably rather have a good article from you rather than one you simply ground out to make a deadline. Now what about that dreaded deadline? It is the alpha and omega of publishing?
When I worked in newspapers, there was one deadline and it was to be adhered to uber alles! In the daily journalism trade, the time between the deadline and going to press is a matter of hours. In magazines, it is a little more flexible, especially if your editor and publisher have their acts together. As one of my editors told me (and I was sworn to secrecy so guess all you want, I won't confirm or deny), "There are deadlines ... and there are deadlines."
Many print magazine editors will tell YOU what the deadline is, but it isn't necessarily his/hers. Many editors will set a deadline that gives them time to handle problems, to edit the article, to move it through the gauntlet of production, and then to publication. You are not the only player in the editor's game, remember?
But treat their deadline as THE deadline. It's all a part of keeping your editor good and gruntled, which could lead to further assignments. If they choose to cut you some slack by cutting into their production time, be grateful and cooperative. But don't assume that your writing is so precious that you are worth blowing a publishing deadline. Chances are that you aren't.
What's the best defense against missing a deadline? Manage your time and resources so you can turn in your work before the dreaded date ahead of time or at the latest, on the day of deadline. If blowing the deadline is unavoidable on your part due to illness or other difficulties, communication with your editor is as vital as communicating with your friends and family.
And I blew last week's deadline and almost this one's. However, there has been illness and other difficulties as of late, all of which have been dealt with. Fortunately, I am my own editor so I get to do that. After all, there are deadlines ... and there are deadlines.
By the way, discussion is welcome in the convenient box below. Or if you're shy, drop me a line at bkmorris56@gmail.com. And let's see what I come up with next week ... on time, if I do this right.
So discuss already ... what is your experience with deadlines? What's kept you from making them? What do you do to make sure you beat the submission date? Have any horror stories about trying to reach the finish line on time? I'd love to hear it!
Last time around, I spoke of the importance of deadlines. In the world of print, there's a whole lot of people who can't do what they need to do (usually in order to be paid) until you complete your literary task. If nothing else, an audience awaits you. Produce on schedule and you become a joyous habit for them. Don't produce on time, they find another addiction.
However, as vital as deadlines are, there are times when it's understandable to ignore them.
My wife works in a day care and is thus exposed to several dozen small children. The age range spans infants to sixth graders and all of them seem to be carriers for the disease du joir. Well, the missus contracted a rather vigorous stomach flu and being the dutiful husband and faux nurse that I was, I got the bug too. Boy, did I get the bug! Without going into glorious breakfast-ruining detail, let's just say I lost ten pounds in ten minutes the hard way. But I digress ...
I've missed deadlines. I'll miss more (this blog notwithstanding). So will you. There are times when it is unavoidable, however, so learn to live with it.
For instance, you cannot predict getting sick (as I can attest). We should all try to take care of ourselves like actors during the last two weeks of rehearsals. When the premiere looms, you will never find a more health-conscious group of people than actors. We suddenly remember to take our vitamins every day. We somehow find time for a power nap and rediscover the joys of fresh vegetables. We should remember how to take such care of ourselves every week of the year, right? Uh-huh ... pull the other one.
However, there are times when illness is as avoidable as either Death or Taxes. In that case, perhaps the proper course of action might be to work as far ahead of deadline as possible. Very few editors will shout at you for turning in your work ahead of schedule. If you aren't sure your editor is one of those, run a test where you amaze him/her with your deadline-meeting skills.
But you can't predict illness and most editors should understand. Once you believe your physical condition will affect your writing negatively, let the editor know! Sometimes, you can't give your boss too much information.
Sometimes, you cannot schedule a needed interview for an article. Or some component, such as a book to assist with your research doesn't arrive in time. A lot of this can be solved in advance with some proper time-management skills, of course. Remember, the local library is open all week long except holidays. Get your Plan B in place when lining up your A because crap occurs.
There are also times when nothing comes together for your article. I was writing an article on a comic book series that was announced back in the '80s, but never saw print. So I got the phone number of the writer and contact info on the artist. After a month's worth of attempts, neither one would get back to me. Since this was a spin-off of an existing series, I contacted the artist of the parent comic because we'd talked before and gotten along quite well. It seems that he'd done a podcast and pretty much outlined his involvement -- or lack thereof -- with the spin-off. While I'd rather have talked to my friend -- always looking for an excuse -- I could still use the podcast as a source. Then I also got ahold of the editor of the series.via Facebook. His more-polite-than-I-probably-deserved reply was that this spin-off represented the absolute nadir of his professional life and he'd spent many years trying to forget this book. So I had virtually no one who could, or would, discuss the comic with me.
(actually, he was quite polite about it ... but what's a little drama in the retelling?)
Once I realized the unwritability of this article, I contacted my editor immediately! He reassured me that this happened all the time, that sometimes an article simply can't be written. This had happened with two other writers for this issue, it seemed. But he was glad to know as soon as he did so he could make alternate plans. It seems he had his Plan B in place already.
Despite my editor's reassurances, I was annoyed that the history of this aborted comic series would be lost to time. But I digress ...
When you run into problems, talk to your editor immediately! The editor may have a solution to your problem. If nothing else, the sooner they know of your dilemma, the sooner they can design a solution, whether it includes your work or not. It beats the heck out of blowing off the deadline. So own up! It's easier on everyone involved.
But if you can't write the article, for whatever good and proper reason, you cannot write it. But be professional, apologize, and perhaps you'll get another assignment because the editor would probably rather have a good article from you rather than one you simply ground out to make a deadline. Now what about that dreaded deadline? It is the alpha and omega of publishing?
When I worked in newspapers, there was one deadline and it was to be adhered to uber alles! In the daily journalism trade, the time between the deadline and going to press is a matter of hours. In magazines, it is a little more flexible, especially if your editor and publisher have their acts together. As one of my editors told me (and I was sworn to secrecy so guess all you want, I won't confirm or deny), "There are deadlines ... and there are deadlines."
Many print magazine editors will tell YOU what the deadline is, but it isn't necessarily his/hers. Many editors will set a deadline that gives them time to handle problems, to edit the article, to move it through the gauntlet of production, and then to publication. You are not the only player in the editor's game, remember?
But treat their deadline as THE deadline. It's all a part of keeping your editor good and gruntled, which could lead to further assignments. If they choose to cut you some slack by cutting into their production time, be grateful and cooperative. But don't assume that your writing is so precious that you are worth blowing a publishing deadline. Chances are that you aren't.
What's the best defense against missing a deadline? Manage your time and resources so you can turn in your work before the dreaded date ahead of time or at the latest, on the day of deadline. If blowing the deadline is unavoidable on your part due to illness or other difficulties, communication with your editor is as vital as communicating with your friends and family.
And I blew last week's deadline and almost this one's. However, there has been illness and other difficulties as of late, all of which have been dealt with. Fortunately, I am my own editor so I get to do that. After all, there are deadlines ... and there are deadlines.
By the way, discussion is welcome in the convenient box below. Or if you're shy, drop me a line at bkmorris56@gmail.com. And let's see what I come up with next week ... on time, if I do this right.
So discuss already ... what is your experience with deadlines? What's kept you from making them? What do you do to make sure you beat the submission date? Have any horror stories about trying to reach the finish line on time? I'd love to hear it!
Monday, July 16, 2012
"Deadlines are deadlines."
One of my first writing gigs was the high school newspaper. In fact, my second regular writing job was the college newspaper. When you are assigned a story, or your pitch is accepted, one of the things you are assigned is a deadline. There's a reason for that.
Writing for publication does no good until it's published. And very few -- might as well call it none -- will put out their wares without a target date. Now deadlines can be missed ... and we'll go over that a little later.
(if you aren't assigned a deadline, be nervous. Very rarely will an editor assign a piece without a deadline unless that person wants filler for when someone else can't come through. If you are contracted for filler, that's okay, I guess ... but your piece doesn't elicit the love it should from your editor and might get lost in the shuffle. I submitted an article to someone I still do business with as a transcriber and he said he'd use it when he got space ... and we've never spoken of it since as if it was an experience shared in a seedy bar that we'd never mention to each other again. So demand some love of your own and go for a deadline commitment)
Some writers love deadlines -- I'm one of them. Given that I come from a foundation of newspaper work, it's good to have a target to complete the task or else it might never get done. There's too many pages on Facebook to examine, too many hours of Jerry Springer to watch, too many comic books to read, so knowing that a piece has higher priority is a good thing.
Plus, the prospect of a deadline helps me to focus, almost as much as a word count. I've been told (read: accused) that if someone asked me for the time, I'd relate the history of clock making. Mea culpa. Anyway, without the limitations of a word count and more importantly, a deadline, I'd prattle on endlessly, drowning you in the width and breadth of my knowledge ... whether you wanted it or not.
Also, there's something about the ticking of the deadline clock that seems to unlock the best writer in me. I am forced to prioritize my research time and maintain my subject focus. Also, I don't overthink the article or story, which sometimes leads to questioning my writing choices.
When you make your deadline, it also marks you as a go-to person. Editors appreciate people who make their lives easier. Turning in your work on -- or better yet, ahead of -- schedule shows you possess a professional attitude and a commitment to meeting your editor's goals, the primary one of which is getting the magazine (whether online or old school paper, glue, and staples) out in a timely manner.
In regular print, a whole line of people are waiting for you to submit your writing. The editor knows he or she will require some time to edit your script, even if your prose is flawless and your research golden. A graphics person might be waiting to lay out and design your article. An artist might be drumming his fingers, knowing that every minute he waits is putting off other drawing assignments and waiting on you is losing him money. The printer checks the calendar, knowing your publisher has booked time on the presses. The publisher seethes, knowing anything that delays the publication could cost him in late printing fees. A distributor years for your work to be delivered so he can dole out copies to book stores, supermarkets, and other outlets and hope to sell enough to justify your rack space. The retailer wants to make money from your work and in some cases, that storeowner has already paid for your books and wants nothing more than to recoup his/her investment.
Even more than all that, a reader is waiting to take in the fruits of your creativity. If your work is accepted by a periodical, the steady release of that magazine/newspaper gives the buyer a reason to enter a store where they might buy even more. If the periodical doesn't hit the stands at the promised time, the buyer loses faith in the magazine and may wind up spending money on something else. So when your publication finally hits the stands, the dough may not be budgeted for the purchase.
So it's not just you. A whole line of people will be affected by your ability to meet a deadline. It's not quite so critical online where many deadlines are pretty fluid. But if it runs through a regular press, you should adhere to your promised deadline as closely as you can. And even your work won't be immortalized in ink on dead trees, delivering your work on time, as I said earlier, shows you have the right stuff to make an editor's life easier.
And now that I've (hopefully) demonstrated how vital deadlines are, my next blog will ed-u-ma-cate you on when it's understandable to blow a deadline, how to not annoy your editor any more than you need to when you do, and why some deadlines are more rigid than others. I'll also tell you what made me think of deadlines ... because I skipped one too.
If you have any comments on this blog, feel free to leave them below. Or else you can drop me a note at bkmorris56@gmail.com. So discuss, already ...
One of my first writing gigs was the high school newspaper. In fact, my second regular writing job was the college newspaper. When you are assigned a story, or your pitch is accepted, one of the things you are assigned is a deadline. There's a reason for that.
Writing for publication does no good until it's published. And very few -- might as well call it none -- will put out their wares without a target date. Now deadlines can be missed ... and we'll go over that a little later.
(if you aren't assigned a deadline, be nervous. Very rarely will an editor assign a piece without a deadline unless that person wants filler for when someone else can't come through. If you are contracted for filler, that's okay, I guess ... but your piece doesn't elicit the love it should from your editor and might get lost in the shuffle. I submitted an article to someone I still do business with as a transcriber and he said he'd use it when he got space ... and we've never spoken of it since as if it was an experience shared in a seedy bar that we'd never mention to each other again. So demand some love of your own and go for a deadline commitment)
Some writers love deadlines -- I'm one of them. Given that I come from a foundation of newspaper work, it's good to have a target to complete the task or else it might never get done. There's too many pages on Facebook to examine, too many hours of Jerry Springer to watch, too many comic books to read, so knowing that a piece has higher priority is a good thing.
Plus, the prospect of a deadline helps me to focus, almost as much as a word count. I've been told (read: accused) that if someone asked me for the time, I'd relate the history of clock making. Mea culpa. Anyway, without the limitations of a word count and more importantly, a deadline, I'd prattle on endlessly, drowning you in the width and breadth of my knowledge ... whether you wanted it or not.
Also, there's something about the ticking of the deadline clock that seems to unlock the best writer in me. I am forced to prioritize my research time and maintain my subject focus. Also, I don't overthink the article or story, which sometimes leads to questioning my writing choices.
When you make your deadline, it also marks you as a go-to person. Editors appreciate people who make their lives easier. Turning in your work on -- or better yet, ahead of -- schedule shows you possess a professional attitude and a commitment to meeting your editor's goals, the primary one of which is getting the magazine (whether online or old school paper, glue, and staples) out in a timely manner.
In regular print, a whole line of people are waiting for you to submit your writing. The editor knows he or she will require some time to edit your script, even if your prose is flawless and your research golden. A graphics person might be waiting to lay out and design your article. An artist might be drumming his fingers, knowing that every minute he waits is putting off other drawing assignments and waiting on you is losing him money. The printer checks the calendar, knowing your publisher has booked time on the presses. The publisher seethes, knowing anything that delays the publication could cost him in late printing fees. A distributor years for your work to be delivered so he can dole out copies to book stores, supermarkets, and other outlets and hope to sell enough to justify your rack space. The retailer wants to make money from your work and in some cases, that storeowner has already paid for your books and wants nothing more than to recoup his/her investment.
Even more than all that, a reader is waiting to take in the fruits of your creativity. If your work is accepted by a periodical, the steady release of that magazine/newspaper gives the buyer a reason to enter a store where they might buy even more. If the periodical doesn't hit the stands at the promised time, the buyer loses faith in the magazine and may wind up spending money on something else. So when your publication finally hits the stands, the dough may not be budgeted for the purchase.
So it's not just you. A whole line of people will be affected by your ability to meet a deadline. It's not quite so critical online where many deadlines are pretty fluid. But if it runs through a regular press, you should adhere to your promised deadline as closely as you can. And even your work won't be immortalized in ink on dead trees, delivering your work on time, as I said earlier, shows you have the right stuff to make an editor's life easier.
And now that I've (hopefully) demonstrated how vital deadlines are, my next blog will ed-u-ma-cate you on when it's understandable to blow a deadline, how to not annoy your editor any more than you need to when you do, and why some deadlines are more rigid than others. I'll also tell you what made me think of deadlines ... because I skipped one too.
If you have any comments on this blog, feel free to leave them below. Or else you can drop me a note at bkmorris56@gmail.com. So discuss, already ...
Monday, July 9, 2012
"Out of the moment? More like out of your mind!"
I used to be a mortician. No, I didn't take all the courses and get the piece of paper that made it official. But I worked as the good right hand of someone who did and he assured me I was an honorary member of this noble profession. I wish he'd been an auto mechanic because perhaps I could have been considered a Lamborghini. But I digress ...
But for one year, I worked in Estate Planning and funeral pre-arrangements for a local cemetery company. It was very satisfying work in that three years before, when I'd lost my mother and had to cope with all the funeral planning by myself, I was glad to help other people solve their problems before they occurred. There wasn't a lot of money in the field at that time, but that's another issue.
By the way, even more of another issue is to when you blow off a funeral consultant by saying, "I'm not planning on dying any time soon." Hey, tinhorn! Neither did (fill in the blank of your favorite celebrity/friend/relative)! I would tell the more obnoxious clients, "Like the old commercial used to say, you'll either pay me now or you'll pay me later." But I digress again ...
When you throw yourself into a job, you learn all you can about it in order to do it well. Having held a number of jobs in my life, I can discuss not only writing, but also doughnut making, funeral procedures, forensics, acting, water distribution, comic book retailing, inventory control, graphic novel production, and even certain retail aspects of the adult entertainment industry. And usually, that interest doesn't go away when one leaves that field of endeavor ... nor does the knowledge.
Not long after I left the funeral industry back in the mid-90s, I watched an episode of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. The episode dealt with the world's most famous reporters investigating a plot to fake the deaths of various gangsters to evade arrest and naturally, several scenes took place in a cemetery. In one scene, towards the end of the graveside service, someone performs the "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" ceremony and tosses a handful of dirt on the bare coffin lid before the rest of the berm was shoveled onto the bare coffin.
Immediately, my jaw dropped like my belt buckle had turned into white dwarf material. From my work in the funeral biz, I knew that caskets were placed inside vaults made of either PVC or cement. I was told this was not because of a need to help preserve the body or the casket, but the cemetery's desire to minimize the amount of ground that settled post-burial, thus to facilitate grounds keeping. But for whatever reason, the vault on Lois & Clark should have been sealed before the dirt went on and this kinda took a great deal of the pleasure from the story for me. And it wasn't even a major plot point. The scene simply made a decent visual for the audience, not a sin in itself. However, the incidence could have been done correctly or not at all for what it contributed to the tale being told.
How could it have been fixed? If the writer had done the research, the scene would have been written correctly with the vault being sealed first. The drama and information needed for that scene to function would have been delivered as the burial was more "window dressing" for the program than anything else. It made for a good visual, but the error brought me out of the story's "moment." In a millisecond, I was no longer in Metropolis, a great metropolitan city, but back in my home, watching actors pretending to be Clark Kent and Lois Lane, shadowing another actor who pretended to be a criminal.
So how often do we think we know something and we're wrong? How often do we credit a weapon with more or less damage than it can truly do? Do we believe building a house is as simple as buying a lot and then hiring a carpenter? How long have the ninja arts been taught? Do we know how many members of our audience are shaken by our lack of knowledge and returned to the real world instead of remaining immersed in the one we've constructed?
Research is a vital part of the writing process. It gives the piece verisimilitude and gravitas (and other impressive-sounding qualities). It educates those who don't know and for those who do, it shows we care enough about their field of expertise to get it right. Heck, learning about something new might give us ideas for more tales, wouldn't it?
To "outsiders," someone's professional world may seem like an entirely foreign dimension. So when you build a world, just illuminating someone else's profession might appear totally foreign ... at least until you educate the audience enough to feel at home. The job becomes the environment itself as evidenced in books like The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton, Brad Meltzer's The Tenth Justice, or The Firm by John Grisham. Until reading those books, how up-to-date was the everyman's knowledge of immunologists, Supreme Court clerks, or even lawyers? As an attorney once told me, you could learn just as much about the legal profession from watching Perry Mason as you could from watching Wagon Train.
Doing the legwork on the facts is more than looking something up on Wikipedia, although I've been known to double-check their referenced materials. Researching might mean a Google/Ning/Yahoo search to find a variety of experts online. It might consist on making some phone calls to find a professor at a local university (and believe me, people appreciate sharing their knowledge with you) or another professional in the field that you can locate from the phone book or the Internet.
Simply explain why you want the information ("I'm writing this screenplay and I need to know how to repair a broken water man under pressure.") and ask if there is a convenient time to talk. Then bring your questions, a tape recorder (two, if you're paranoid like me), and notepad. If someone can give you ten minutes, plan your most important questions to be asked first and don't assume they'll be so flattered by your attention that they'll give you more time. If they do, demonstrate the appropriate amount of appreciation. Also, be sure to acknowledge their assistance somehow, whether it's giving them a credit in your article ("Special thanks to ... ") or naming a character after them. Give them the option of fact-checking your piece. Thank them a lot ... then go home and write a thank you letter (or e-mail, if you must).
If you care enough about your work, you want to make certain your facts are true. You do a disservice to an unfamiliar profession, as you do your own work, if you take the lazy way out.
So when have you caught a book or movie or TV show in the act of getting it wrong? Feel free to discuss in the comments area below or drop me an e-mail at bkmorris56@gmail.com if you have a comment or suggestion for a future column on creativity. And yeah, I'll give you credit. It's only fair. Discuss.
I used to be a mortician. No, I didn't take all the courses and get the piece of paper that made it official. But I worked as the good right hand of someone who did and he assured me I was an honorary member of this noble profession. I wish he'd been an auto mechanic because perhaps I could have been considered a Lamborghini. But I digress ...
But for one year, I worked in Estate Planning and funeral pre-arrangements for a local cemetery company. It was very satisfying work in that three years before, when I'd lost my mother and had to cope with all the funeral planning by myself, I was glad to help other people solve their problems before they occurred. There wasn't a lot of money in the field at that time, but that's another issue.
By the way, even more of another issue is to when you blow off a funeral consultant by saying, "I'm not planning on dying any time soon." Hey, tinhorn! Neither did (fill in the blank of your favorite celebrity/friend/relative)! I would tell the more obnoxious clients, "Like the old commercial used to say, you'll either pay me now or you'll pay me later." But I digress again ...
When you throw yourself into a job, you learn all you can about it in order to do it well. Having held a number of jobs in my life, I can discuss not only writing, but also doughnut making, funeral procedures, forensics, acting, water distribution, comic book retailing, inventory control, graphic novel production, and even certain retail aspects of the adult entertainment industry. And usually, that interest doesn't go away when one leaves that field of endeavor ... nor does the knowledge.
Not long after I left the funeral industry back in the mid-90s, I watched an episode of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. The episode dealt with the world's most famous reporters investigating a plot to fake the deaths of various gangsters to evade arrest and naturally, several scenes took place in a cemetery. In one scene, towards the end of the graveside service, someone performs the "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" ceremony and tosses a handful of dirt on the bare coffin lid before the rest of the berm was shoveled onto the bare coffin.
Immediately, my jaw dropped like my belt buckle had turned into white dwarf material. From my work in the funeral biz, I knew that caskets were placed inside vaults made of either PVC or cement. I was told this was not because of a need to help preserve the body or the casket, but the cemetery's desire to minimize the amount of ground that settled post-burial, thus to facilitate grounds keeping. But for whatever reason, the vault on Lois & Clark should have been sealed before the dirt went on and this kinda took a great deal of the pleasure from the story for me. And it wasn't even a major plot point. The scene simply made a decent visual for the audience, not a sin in itself. However, the incidence could have been done correctly or not at all for what it contributed to the tale being told.
How could it have been fixed? If the writer had done the research, the scene would have been written correctly with the vault being sealed first. The drama and information needed for that scene to function would have been delivered as the burial was more "window dressing" for the program than anything else. It made for a good visual, but the error brought me out of the story's "moment." In a millisecond, I was no longer in Metropolis, a great metropolitan city, but back in my home, watching actors pretending to be Clark Kent and Lois Lane, shadowing another actor who pretended to be a criminal.
So how often do we think we know something and we're wrong? How often do we credit a weapon with more or less damage than it can truly do? Do we believe building a house is as simple as buying a lot and then hiring a carpenter? How long have the ninja arts been taught? Do we know how many members of our audience are shaken by our lack of knowledge and returned to the real world instead of remaining immersed in the one we've constructed?
Research is a vital part of the writing process. It gives the piece verisimilitude and gravitas (and other impressive-sounding qualities). It educates those who don't know and for those who do, it shows we care enough about their field of expertise to get it right. Heck, learning about something new might give us ideas for more tales, wouldn't it?
To "outsiders," someone's professional world may seem like an entirely foreign dimension. So when you build a world, just illuminating someone else's profession might appear totally foreign ... at least until you educate the audience enough to feel at home. The job becomes the environment itself as evidenced in books like The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton, Brad Meltzer's The Tenth Justice, or The Firm by John Grisham. Until reading those books, how up-to-date was the everyman's knowledge of immunologists, Supreme Court clerks, or even lawyers? As an attorney once told me, you could learn just as much about the legal profession from watching Perry Mason as you could from watching Wagon Train.
Doing the legwork on the facts is more than looking something up on Wikipedia, although I've been known to double-check their referenced materials. Researching might mean a Google/Ning/Yahoo search to find a variety of experts online. It might consist on making some phone calls to find a professor at a local university (and believe me, people appreciate sharing their knowledge with you) or another professional in the field that you can locate from the phone book or the Internet.
Simply explain why you want the information ("I'm writing this screenplay and I need to know how to repair a broken water man under pressure.") and ask if there is a convenient time to talk. Then bring your questions, a tape recorder (two, if you're paranoid like me), and notepad. If someone can give you ten minutes, plan your most important questions to be asked first and don't assume they'll be so flattered by your attention that they'll give you more time. If they do, demonstrate the appropriate amount of appreciation. Also, be sure to acknowledge their assistance somehow, whether it's giving them a credit in your article ("Special thanks to ... ") or naming a character after them. Give them the option of fact-checking your piece. Thank them a lot ... then go home and write a thank you letter (or e-mail, if you must).
If you care enough about your work, you want to make certain your facts are true. You do a disservice to an unfamiliar profession, as you do your own work, if you take the lazy way out.
So when have you caught a book or movie or TV show in the act of getting it wrong? Feel free to discuss in the comments area below or drop me an e-mail at bkmorris56@gmail.com if you have a comment or suggestion for a future column on creativity. And yeah, I'll give you credit. It's only fair. Discuss.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
"I can never come up with an ending."
For years, I've said that when I write, I have no problem with kicking off the story and I can wrap it up with a fair amount of satisfaction. It's that "middle" part that gives me fits. And without the Holy Trinity of Plotting (Beginning, Middle, and Ending), you don't have a tale, merely a vignette.
When crafting a story, I've often found that creating the ending makes plotting easier. I simply cannot write just to write any more. I need structure or else I'd be typing nothing but character studies that drone on for pages and pages and pages. Heck, I'd really be doing little more than typing and not providing a story for the money, right?
For me, the ending might come first and I'd work to find a path to reach it or else the basic premise would come to me and then I'd have to come up with a way to resolve it. Either way, I'd have a beginning and an end ... now how would I get from point A to point C? That's where you construct your Middle.
In fiction, it would be too easy to create a path where learning of one person who knows someone else who has the phone number of somebody different. However, it's often far from exciting. A fiction plotline would involve various obstacles that prevent the protagonist from reaching the goal. Mike Hammer learns that someone picked up the evidence he needs to solve the case but the killer found that someone first. Superman needs a special herb to cure Lois Lane's Crimson Fever, but Clark Kent's been "arrested" for a "Get Out Of Jail" charity event sponsored by The Daily Planet. Babette found the recipe to Joe's favorite meat lasagna, the one that his mother used to make and would surely win his heart, but learns that her intended also intends to become a vegetarian until he finds his One True Love. Work around the characters' problems and you'll solve your plotting issues, one step at a time.
But don't make it easy on yourself. If it's a choice between coincidence or the character using their innate abilities to emerge victorious, always choose the latter. Sure, one coincidence can spice up a story, but don't rely on more than one per adventure. If you can summarize your plot and must use the words "he/she just happened to ..." then replot that section.
When outlining your non-fiction, consider that your story may also have an ending. Figure out your conclusion first and it makes wrapping up the piece a lot easier. Whether its a report for a school project or an article for your favorite magazine, even a book on a particular subject, how many times have you sat staring at the word processor, wondering how to tie the bow on the piece? I've personally written an article, several thousand words of deftly-crafted prose (I hope!) on a subject in a day or two, only to spend twice as long trying to find the words to conclude the piece without sounding like a five-year old or having to wish everyone a good night and to drive home safely.
This theory wasn't taught to me. If only! I was writing an article on Supergirl for BACK ISSUE Magazine #17 (available at http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=373 or your local comics monger) and course, you have to do your research. In the Maid of Might's first appearance (Action Comics #252, May 1959), Kara Zor-El came to Earth, barely escaping the destruction of Argo City, a domed city that was launched into space as a result of the explosion of the planet Krypton. To allow Kara to use her powers while adjusting to Earth life, Superman decides she'd be his "secret weapon." As writer Mark Waid once said, when Superman got his butt kicked, Supergirl would have to save him.
Eventually, Supergirl was killed in The Crisis on Infinite Earths (a thrilling limited-run series that allowed DC to reboot its continuity) but appeared one more time in a short story in an anthology book as a spirit that would appear to those in dire need. And it dawned on me ... as Superman still flew high to save all of humankind with his great physical might, Kara Zor-El still existed to help those in spiritual and emotional need ... so she's still a "secret weapon." Once I had that in my mind, it was easy to craft my article to lead towards that ending. I could write the rest of the article with confidence, knowing my ending was all sewn up.
Now, that's not to say that you couldn't discover a better ending by the time your story ended. However, it takes a bit of pressure off your writing if you have the ending in sight. To quote a line from The Monkees' Head, when you see the end in sight, the beginning may arrive.
So when you get to your ending, are you as surprised as your readers may be? Do you know your ending before you begin typing? Discuss
(Note: this week, I'll be spending some spare time, such as that is, working on my website. When it's up and running, I'll gladly invite you to come on over, maybe even take advantage of my various writing services. But I'll try to deliver something this week.)
For years, I've said that when I write, I have no problem with kicking off the story and I can wrap it up with a fair amount of satisfaction. It's that "middle" part that gives me fits. And without the Holy Trinity of Plotting (Beginning, Middle, and Ending), you don't have a tale, merely a vignette.
When crafting a story, I've often found that creating the ending makes plotting easier. I simply cannot write just to write any more. I need structure or else I'd be typing nothing but character studies that drone on for pages and pages and pages. Heck, I'd really be doing little more than typing and not providing a story for the money, right?
For me, the ending might come first and I'd work to find a path to reach it or else the basic premise would come to me and then I'd have to come up with a way to resolve it. Either way, I'd have a beginning and an end ... now how would I get from point A to point C? That's where you construct your Middle.
In fiction, it would be too easy to create a path where learning of one person who knows someone else who has the phone number of somebody different. However, it's often far from exciting. A fiction plotline would involve various obstacles that prevent the protagonist from reaching the goal. Mike Hammer learns that someone picked up the evidence he needs to solve the case but the killer found that someone first. Superman needs a special herb to cure Lois Lane's Crimson Fever, but Clark Kent's been "arrested" for a "Get Out Of Jail" charity event sponsored by The Daily Planet. Babette found the recipe to Joe's favorite meat lasagna, the one that his mother used to make and would surely win his heart, but learns that her intended also intends to become a vegetarian until he finds his One True Love. Work around the characters' problems and you'll solve your plotting issues, one step at a time.
But don't make it easy on yourself. If it's a choice between coincidence or the character using their innate abilities to emerge victorious, always choose the latter. Sure, one coincidence can spice up a story, but don't rely on more than one per adventure. If you can summarize your plot and must use the words "he/she just happened to ..." then replot that section.
When outlining your non-fiction, consider that your story may also have an ending. Figure out your conclusion first and it makes wrapping up the piece a lot easier. Whether its a report for a school project or an article for your favorite magazine, even a book on a particular subject, how many times have you sat staring at the word processor, wondering how to tie the bow on the piece? I've personally written an article, several thousand words of deftly-crafted prose (I hope!) on a subject in a day or two, only to spend twice as long trying to find the words to conclude the piece without sounding like a five-year old or having to wish everyone a good night and to drive home safely.
This theory wasn't taught to me. If only! I was writing an article on Supergirl for BACK ISSUE Magazine #17 (available at http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=373 or your local comics monger) and course, you have to do your research. In the Maid of Might's first appearance (Action Comics #252, May 1959), Kara Zor-El came to Earth, barely escaping the destruction of Argo City, a domed city that was launched into space as a result of the explosion of the planet Krypton. To allow Kara to use her powers while adjusting to Earth life, Superman decides she'd be his "secret weapon." As writer Mark Waid once said, when Superman got his butt kicked, Supergirl would have to save him.
Eventually, Supergirl was killed in The Crisis on Infinite Earths (a thrilling limited-run series that allowed DC to reboot its continuity) but appeared one more time in a short story in an anthology book as a spirit that would appear to those in dire need. And it dawned on me ... as Superman still flew high to save all of humankind with his great physical might, Kara Zor-El still existed to help those in spiritual and emotional need ... so she's still a "secret weapon." Once I had that in my mind, it was easy to craft my article to lead towards that ending. I could write the rest of the article with confidence, knowing my ending was all sewn up.
Now, that's not to say that you couldn't discover a better ending by the time your story ended. However, it takes a bit of pressure off your writing if you have the ending in sight. To quote a line from The Monkees' Head, when you see the end in sight, the beginning may arrive.
So when you get to your ending, are you as surprised as your readers may be? Do you know your ending before you begin typing? Discuss
(Note: this week, I'll be spending some spare time, such as that is, working on my website. When it's up and running, I'll gladly invite you to come on over, maybe even take advantage of my various writing services. But I'll try to deliver something this week.)
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
"And you believed me?"
So much for getting back to this blog in a timely manner this week. Last weekend was the Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois. This is more than just a vacation for me, being the Kryptonian fetishist that I am. It's more like an annual pilgrimage for me and a few thousand other people.
Aside from meeting celebrities from film, TV, comics, and other creative venues, it's a chance to rub elbows with like-minded pop culture fans. And many of us have become close friends.
It seemed that my weekend mantra became, "I used to come here to relax!" On Thursday night, I lent my backstage assistance to The Metro Players, our performance group. Since 2008, a group of us have been putting on various skits to launch the Celebration and we're kind of a tradition now. This year, writer/director John Gleckler put on the Captain Marvel uniform opposite Michelle Lyzenga (Lois Lane), Steven Kirk (Perry White), Dough Hubler (Black Adam), and Josh Boultinghouse (Superman).
Then it was off to the bowling alley to welcome our Super Friends to Metropolis.
On Friday, I was asked to moderate a Q&A session with actors John Rockwell and Gerard Christopher. Rockwell portrayed Superboy (the teenage version of Superman) in a 1961 unsold pilot produced by the production team that did the George Reeves series. Christopher was the second actor to portray the Boy of Steel in the second through fourth seasons of Superboy (later, The Adventures of Superboy), replacing John Haymes Newton. Starting with season three, Christopher began writing and producing the program. Later, he would audition for the role of Clark Kent in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman but would lose the role to Dean Cain when the producers learned Christopher had already played the famous dual role.
The audience had some great questions and I managed to sneak in a couple that the actors hadn't received before. If I interview you and you tell me, "That's a good question," that's as good as a paycheck for me. The interview can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dm2Z2RZ7k4
Friday night, I unveiled my Uncle Marvel uniform to my friends. For the uninitiated, Uncle Marvel was a member of the original Marvel Family from the Golden Age of Comics. The group consisted of Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, and Captain Marvel, Jr. Dudley was a lovable con man who claimed he couldn't access the powers of SHAZAM because of his "Shazambago," but the kids allowed him to hang around because they liked him. Well, the costume (that I unveiled here last week) was quite well received, especially by artist Trevor Erick Hawkins (www.popimages4u.com) who had been relentlessly lobbying, shall we say, for me to construct the uniform.
One of the comic book guests, George Perez (who has drawn probably 99.9% of both the DC and Marvel Universe characters) leaped out from behind his table, leaving a line of well-wishers to take my picture. I asked him, "You take my picture? Shouldn't that be the other way around?"
Saturday, as part of the annual Auction, a group of us re-enacted segments from the classic episode of I Love Lucy called "Lucy Meets Superman." In this, Ricky tries to get "Superman" to attend Little Ricky's birthday party, but fails. To make up for it, Lucy puts on a mock Superman disguise, complete with plaid boxers and a football helmet. The presentation was a combination of showing the original on video and interspersing it with a group of us performing it live. It was spearheaded by Keith Howard, who portrayed George Reeves/Superman with able support from Tiffany Kresse (Lucy Ricardo), Steven Kirk (Ricky Ricardo), Ashley Bayles (Ethel Mertz), and even me as Fred.
Then the next day, it was back to Uncle Marvel again for the Costume Contest before changing into Perry White for the Closing Skit with Josh Boultinghouse as The Official Superman of Metropolis and Michelle Lyzenga at Lois Lane. With that, the 34th Annual Superman Celebration came to a close.
While down there, I wrote not only my own presentation for the costume contest, but entries for a couple other people as well as the Closing Skit, which I also directed.
And if I mentioned all the most excellent Super Friends of Metropolis, this blog would take a month to type up. Let's just say I'm glad you CAN choose your family after all.
So what does this have to do with our usual theme of creativity? Years ago, I was just another tourist. But as I got to know who was who in Metropolis, I just started talking to them and we all became friends. In time, I let them know that I was a writer and actor and interviewer. This year, I left Metropolis exhausted, but you can see how many stories came back with me.
Outlets for your creativity are wherever you can find them. And "networking" is nothing more than talking to strangers, turning them into friends, telling them what you can do to make their lives easier/profitable/more fun, and waiting for the door to open.
So how have you networked your way into creative gigs? I love your comments so leave me a lot of them.
So much for getting back to this blog in a timely manner this week. Last weekend was the Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois. This is more than just a vacation for me, being the Kryptonian fetishist that I am. It's more like an annual pilgrimage for me and a few thousand other people.
Aside from meeting celebrities from film, TV, comics, and other creative venues, it's a chance to rub elbows with like-minded pop culture fans. And many of us have become close friends.
It seemed that my weekend mantra became, "I used to come here to relax!" On Thursday night, I lent my backstage assistance to The Metro Players, our performance group. Since 2008, a group of us have been putting on various skits to launch the Celebration and we're kind of a tradition now. This year, writer/director John Gleckler put on the Captain Marvel uniform opposite Michelle Lyzenga (Lois Lane), Steven Kirk (Perry White), Dough Hubler (Black Adam), and Josh Boultinghouse (Superman).
Then it was off to the bowling alley to welcome our Super Friends to Metropolis.
On Friday, I was asked to moderate a Q&A session with actors John Rockwell and Gerard Christopher. Rockwell portrayed Superboy (the teenage version of Superman) in a 1961 unsold pilot produced by the production team that did the George Reeves series. Christopher was the second actor to portray the Boy of Steel in the second through fourth seasons of Superboy (later, The Adventures of Superboy), replacing John Haymes Newton. Starting with season three, Christopher began writing and producing the program. Later, he would audition for the role of Clark Kent in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman but would lose the role to Dean Cain when the producers learned Christopher had already played the famous dual role.
The audience had some great questions and I managed to sneak in a couple that the actors hadn't received before. If I interview you and you tell me, "That's a good question," that's as good as a paycheck for me. The interview can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dm2Z2RZ7k4
Friday night, I unveiled my Uncle Marvel uniform to my friends. For the uninitiated, Uncle Marvel was a member of the original Marvel Family from the Golden Age of Comics. The group consisted of Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, and Captain Marvel, Jr. Dudley was a lovable con man who claimed he couldn't access the powers of SHAZAM because of his "Shazambago," but the kids allowed him to hang around because they liked him. Well, the costume (that I unveiled here last week) was quite well received, especially by artist Trevor Erick Hawkins (www.popimages4u.com) who had been relentlessly lobbying, shall we say, for me to construct the uniform.
One of the comic book guests, George Perez (who has drawn probably 99.9% of both the DC and Marvel Universe characters) leaped out from behind his table, leaving a line of well-wishers to take my picture. I asked him, "You take my picture? Shouldn't that be the other way around?"
Saturday, as part of the annual Auction, a group of us re-enacted segments from the classic episode of I Love Lucy called "Lucy Meets Superman." In this, Ricky tries to get "Superman" to attend Little Ricky's birthday party, but fails. To make up for it, Lucy puts on a mock Superman disguise, complete with plaid boxers and a football helmet. The presentation was a combination of showing the original on video and interspersing it with a group of us performing it live. It was spearheaded by Keith Howard, who portrayed George Reeves/Superman with able support from Tiffany Kresse (Lucy Ricardo), Steven Kirk (Ricky Ricardo), Ashley Bayles (Ethel Mertz), and even me as Fred.
Then the next day, it was back to Uncle Marvel again for the Costume Contest before changing into Perry White for the Closing Skit with Josh Boultinghouse as The Official Superman of Metropolis and Michelle Lyzenga at Lois Lane. With that, the 34th Annual Superman Celebration came to a close.
While down there, I wrote not only my own presentation for the costume contest, but entries for a couple other people as well as the Closing Skit, which I also directed.
And if I mentioned all the most excellent Super Friends of Metropolis, this blog would take a month to type up. Let's just say I'm glad you CAN choose your family after all.
So what does this have to do with our usual theme of creativity? Years ago, I was just another tourist. But as I got to know who was who in Metropolis, I just started talking to them and we all became friends. In time, I let them know that I was a writer and actor and interviewer. This year, I left Metropolis exhausted, but you can see how many stories came back with me.
Outlets for your creativity are wherever you can find them. And "networking" is nothing more than talking to strangers, turning them into friends, telling them what you can do to make their lives easier/profitable/more fun, and waiting for the door to open.
So how have you networked your way into creative gigs? I love your comments so leave me a lot of them.
Monday, June 4, 2012
"Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' ... into the future."
This week's gonna be a little light. All the cool kids will be at the Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois from Thursday, June 7 through the 10th. Special guests will include John Glover and Cassidy Freeman from Smallville, and the Superboys of two generations -- John Rockwell and Gerard Christopher -- along with comic artists George Perez and Terry Beatty as well as other writers like Bruce Scivally and painter Trevor Hawkins and many, many more.
There will be parties, Q&As, autogrph sessions, auction, costume contests, re-enactment of the radio program, live skits, and more. For more information, head on over to www.supermancelebration.net and I hope to see you there.
Anyway, as a result, I'll probably only have one blog entry this week. I'll be back to two or more next week when I've recovered.
One thing that impresses me when I go to Metropolis is the range of creativity in its myriad forms. First of all, it takes a lot of creativity to assemble one of these affairs. Guests have to be selected, contacted, cajoled, negotiated, and then imported to this town of 6,500 that'll several times that number of people during the best four days of the year for some people.
Then there are writers who've done historical books on Superman and other pop culture icons or the writers of the comic books and movies. We've also gotten artists who've worked on the Superman titles or used him as a muse for their own work.
A large draw every year are the actors. Since I've attended the Celebration since 1999, I've met actors from Broadway, TV, and the films as well as actors who've appeared in other shows such as Batman, The Incredible Hulk, and SHAZAM!
I'm not above dropping names of the amazing creative people I've met ... however, I would regret omitting any names.
One demographic that seems to be taking over the Celebration, much to my delight, is the growing number of costumers who spend a lot of time and re-creating the look of their favorite media heroes or heroines. I've read many times where some Hollywood designer, with millions of dollars at their disposal, might claim that a comic book or video game costume might be impossible to recreate and not look idiotic. Then on any given weekend of the year, there's a costumer who's replicated the look flawlessly and for a fraction of the price.
(An aside here: in reading about the costuming community, you may have heard the hobby referred to as "cosplay." My friend Ned Cox once explained to me that he viewed the replicators of the Oriental manga and anime [their comic books and animated shows ... see how educational this blog can be?] as "cosplayers" while the more Western world-based characters were portrayed by "costumers." It seemed like a reasonable idea at the time and I fully concur with it now)
And not only do the costumers take pride in their threads, they also make sure they, themselves, stay in shape to resemble their favorite characters. Also, a great many of them visit hospitals, military bases, and appear at various charitable functions in costume. To me, that's a whole different level of heroism that we all should aspire to.
But I will say that the costuming bug may bite anyone ...
This week's gonna be a little light. All the cool kids will be at the Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois from Thursday, June 7 through the 10th. Special guests will include John Glover and Cassidy Freeman from Smallville, and the Superboys of two generations -- John Rockwell and Gerard Christopher -- along with comic artists George Perez and Terry Beatty as well as other writers like Bruce Scivally and painter Trevor Hawkins and many, many more.
There will be parties, Q&As, autogrph sessions, auction, costume contests, re-enactment of the radio program, live skits, and more. For more information, head on over to www.supermancelebration.net and I hope to see you there.
Anyway, as a result, I'll probably only have one blog entry this week. I'll be back to two or more next week when I've recovered.
One thing that impresses me when I go to Metropolis is the range of creativity in its myriad forms. First of all, it takes a lot of creativity to assemble one of these affairs. Guests have to be selected, contacted, cajoled, negotiated, and then imported to this town of 6,500 that'll several times that number of people during the best four days of the year for some people.
Then there are writers who've done historical books on Superman and other pop culture icons or the writers of the comic books and movies. We've also gotten artists who've worked on the Superman titles or used him as a muse for their own work.
A large draw every year are the actors. Since I've attended the Celebration since 1999, I've met actors from Broadway, TV, and the films as well as actors who've appeared in other shows such as Batman, The Incredible Hulk, and SHAZAM!
I'm not above dropping names of the amazing creative people I've met ... however, I would regret omitting any names.
One demographic that seems to be taking over the Celebration, much to my delight, is the growing number of costumers who spend a lot of time and re-creating the look of their favorite media heroes or heroines. I've read many times where some Hollywood designer, with millions of dollars at their disposal, might claim that a comic book or video game costume might be impossible to recreate and not look idiotic. Then on any given weekend of the year, there's a costumer who's replicated the look flawlessly and for a fraction of the price.
(An aside here: in reading about the costuming community, you may have heard the hobby referred to as "cosplay." My friend Ned Cox once explained to me that he viewed the replicators of the Oriental manga and anime [their comic books and animated shows ... see how educational this blog can be?] as "cosplayers" while the more Western world-based characters were portrayed by "costumers." It seemed like a reasonable idea at the time and I fully concur with it now)
And not only do the costumers take pride in their threads, they also make sure they, themselves, stay in shape to resemble their favorite characters. Also, a great many of them visit hospitals, military bases, and appear at various charitable functions in costume. To me, that's a whole different level of heroism that we all should aspire to.
But I will say that the costuming bug may bite anyone ...
Uncle Dudley Marvel ... real and unreal!
So if I don't blog at you later this week,I'll continue my dissertation on creativity next week.
So what's your next-favorite creative outlet? Discuss!
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