"Who would win in a fight? Superman or Thor?"

Ah, the age-old questions, the ones that truly matter, never seem to find an answer, do they?

Superman is copyrighted and TM DC Comics, Inc. Thor is copyrighted and TM Marvel Comics, Inc.  Their combined power terrifies me far less than the lawyers for either company.

Seriously, over the years, I've sharpened my writing skills by working on exercises that I knew might never see public scrutiny.  These included business plans, comic book scripts, television "bibles," anything that struck my fancy at the time.

At one time, I thought monologs were what led off The Tonight Show or actors read them during auditions to get a gig.  But one of my brothers-from-another-mother, Paul Barile, produced a terrific theater event that he called "The Monodogs of War."

The idea was that a writer would be paired up with an actor (although one time, that actor was me).  We would be given a subject, such as a line from President Barack Obama's inauguration speech or the Wikipedia history of the City of Chicago.  Then the actor and the writer would confer for five minutes before the latter is given 25 minutes to hand-write a three or four-minute monologue that incorporated the subject line.

Afterwards, a panel of judges would eliminate half the teams.  The wining writer/actor pairs would go at it again with a different trigger.  The panel then selected an ultimate winner while the audience selected a favorite of their own.  During the entire process, everyone drinks a lot and laughter ensues.

See?  Everyone's happy!

Not too many years ago, I wrote a story for my own amusement concerning Superman.  This tale harkened back to his earliest days when he operated more in the shadows, when everyone was afraid of him.  Thus, he did his good deeds mostly as Clark Kent.  During the course of the story, he realized that perhaps his work as a reporter could do every bit as much good as being the Man of Steel, maybe even more.

The piece had to contain four parameters:

1. No character from the DC Universe could be named.
2. It didn't have to adhere to the Three-Act Play structure (more on this in a future blog), but it did require at least one instance of external conflict.
3. This story would occur in OUR world, not strictly the four-color one of the comics.
4. It could only be around 1,000 words.


It took a few days, but I managed to hammer the story out.  The monolog helped me get into the character's head so if I had to write, say, a novel or a screenplay about Superman, I could do it more easily.  In fact, the character would now be likely to drag me along for the ride as he sculpted the plot with his reactions, not that I minded in the least.

Part of the submission process to submit to my friends at Audio Movies Club (www.audiomoviesclub.com) included writing a sentence or two about each character in the play.  This exercise not only helped the voice actors to understand your characterizations, but this also demonstrated that you had a handle on the different fictional personalities as well.

Recently, Paul put out a call for monologs for a future project and of course, I had to submit something.  So I worked up a tale of Bruce Wayne on the verge of Christmas day.  What kind of Christmas would he have?  Did he even have a normal Christmas since his parents were murdered?  As you and I would anticipate our holidays to be with loved ones and exchange presents, how might pragmatic, logical Bruce Wayne plan his personal holiday?

For a moment, I recall my seventh Christmas with my family.  I never got my eighth in the foster home.  My holidays died with my parents.  Instead of jingle bells, I now hear gunshots, my mother's screams, and the clatter of unstrung pearls striking the cold pavement, their percussion decaying in the chill of the night where my war on crime began.  On that night, at my bedside, I vowed to turn myself into a nocturnal soldier, warring on the superstitious, cowardly lot that preyed on their betters.

That boy would have his holiday.  And dammit, so will every other child in my city.

Art by Neal Adams, Batman & Ra's Al-Ghul are copyrighted and TM DC Comics, Inc.

So why write a monologue?  Aside from mastering another form of writing, which is always useful, it's a good record of a character, a snapshot of the person's mental state and history,   If you must walk away from the story, a quick re-reading will serve to place you back into the psyche of that character.  Consistency is assured.

So who's your favorite character?  Whether you are an actor studying to nail a role, a costumer who want to slide into character more easily, or a writer whose words are to make a fiction seem real, try writing a brief monolog.  Read it aloud.  Does it sound like the person you wish to bring to life?

THIS WEEK'S EXERCISE: Write up to 1,000 words in first person about your favorite fictional or historical character encountering a potentially challenging holiday situation.  For instance, how might Archie Bunker avoid Mike Stivic during National Brotherhood Week?  How would Ebeneezer Scrooge celebrate the following Christmas after meeting the Three Ghosts?  Imagine Cathy deliberating whether or not to send Heathcliff a Valentine's Day letter.

Have fun with this.  Leave comments below and tell me what you did.

He's blurry, but his eyes not only follow you around the room, but they follow you into the next room as well.

Other bits of business:

Thank you all for enduring my irregular blogging as of late as well as your compliments.  One of the reasons I'm otherwise engaged is I'm writing a book entitled Networking Made Way Too Simple that I hope to have out before the end of the year on Kindle and then in paperback form after the first of the year.  It's a painless way to master the job seeker's most potent tool.

Speaking of e-publication, check out my friend Kelly M. Edwards' first novel, Scorcher (Forces of Nature).  It's the first installment of a trilogy that's worth your attention.  So check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009NOIGB4

Kelly will also be writing a guest installment of this blog in the very near future.  Be on the lookout for that!

While I'm plugging my friends, give some love to Billie Jo Ellis, an illustrator and designer that you're going to be hearing a lot about pretty soon.  Check out her work at www.bjellisart.com and let her know Freelance Words sent you.

By the way, Kelly and Billie Jo have Facebook pages for their works.  Give 'em a LIKE and feel your karma points adjust into the positives.

I've just joined Pinterest.  I've dipped my toe in the water, but little more than that.  PLEASE feel free to friend me there, okay?

If you subscribe to this blog, it'll magically appear in your e-mailbox for your reading pleasure.  Cast your gaze towards the upper right-hand corner of this missive and make life a little easier on yourself.

Meanwhile, www.freelancewords.com exists to make your life easier through writing and publishing.  So bookmark it and check out the links.

Feel free to leave a comment below, if you wish.  Until we meet again, be good to yourself and be good to each other.

"How Can You Miss Me If I Don't Go Away?"

I know, I know ... you've been asking, "Where the heck has Brian been?"

Busier than a Van Helsing at a Twilight convention, that's how busy your not-so-humble typist has been!

First of all, I attended the amazing Popeye Picnic in Chester, Illinois in early September.  The people of Chester definitely know how to put on a party!  The town where Thimble Theatre creator Elsie Segar was raised, and where some of the locals inspired many of the characters in the famous newspaper strip.

On State Route 3, welcome home, spinach fan.  (photo copyright 2012 Cookie Morris)

I also got to see Nicola Cuti, filmmaker and former Assistant Editor at Charlton Comics and co-creator of E-Man.  This man couldn't know it at the time, but way back when, he sent me a small pamphlet on comic book production that set me down the path of writing. He was a kind man, just as he was when I saw him at an Indianapolis comic book convention back in the mid-'70s.

The freelancer and Nicola Cuti (R) at the 2012 Popeye Picnic (photo copyright 2012 Brian K. Morris)

I"ll scribble down my adventures on the banks of the Mississippi River later on, promise!  Needless to say, it was a good time, especially thanks to the kind people of Chester and friends like Debbie & Mike Brooks (presidents of The International Popeye Fan Club at www.popeyethesailor.com), artist Ken Wheaton (and his mom), new buddy Donnie Pitchford, and indefatigable hostess Cathy Rinne, to say nothing of the staff of  the Chester Public Library who all made for a great and memorable weekend. 

Also, I've been spending time setting up my business website: www.freelancewords.com.  If anyone tells you that setting up a website is easy, slap them for me, would you?  Granted, I had a template to work with, but it certainly wasn't easy ... although I admit I tend to overthink some things, my website among them, apparently.

Anyway, I am now in business.  My specialties are copy writing, multi-media scripting, and e-publishing.  I've spent a lifetime learning this stuff, now I can put my talents to use for you, your company, or your friend's business.  Please feel free to pass on the news of my website, which not-coincidentally is named after this blog ... or is it the other way around?  Who knows?

During this time, I collected ideas for future blogs which will be appearing over the next few months.  In addition, I'll be retooling this blog just a bit.  I'll try to add more graphics, keep you posted on Freelance Words (the business), and I'll be serializing my first two e-books.

The first tome will be a non-fiction book on networking and the other is a childrens book that I think you'll all appreciate.  Keep visiting this blog and my website for updates, okay?

Also, I'll be offering exercises for you that I hope will inspire you to kick down the barriers that limit your own creativity.  Plus, they'll be fun!

So what is the tie-in to this blog's theme?  While it was a pain to do -- and at times, I thought I'd never finish and almost gave up -- the final result was worth it to me.  I now have a website that's in MY voice that's delivering MY message to the world.  And as a "living document," the site will grow and change to reflect any changes in my business as well as my own personal evolution.  It's "good enough" right now ... but I know what will make it better, having written and designed the site.

I'd never written copy for an entire sales website before ... just as I'd never blogged before last spring ... but if I didn't try, I wouldn't know if I was any good at it.  Also, by doing this, I learned a lot about my new business -- what to offer, how to describe it and what to not mention -- as well as honing my design skills.

Just because you've never done it before, NEVER use that as an excuse for not attempting something new.  If you are an actor, try directing.  If you script nothing but comedy plays, write a dramatic monologue.  If you paint pastoral scenes, do a pencil study of a futuristic, Mega City One (for your Judge Dredd fans) on a winter's day.

Don't just step outside your box.  Kick the walls down!

Then take the lessons you learn back to your specialty.

Always challenge yourself.  Never stop growing.

So what can you do that will kick down your limitations?  Write me at bkmorris56@gmail.com and tell me.  Or check out the Freelance Words website (and don't forget to visit my friends' links ... tell them I sent you!), hire me for an estimate on a creative consultation, and I'll see you soon with a new blog entry.

"Thank you so very much."

Two of the easiest words to say, often withheld like both syllables were bored from a vein of platinum.  It's easy enough to say them.  We should make it more of a habit.

As creatives, we don't always get paid for our work, especially when we're staring at the dust under our heels, standing on the ground floor.  We frequently aren't paid proportionally to our efforts or the rewards for whom we're laboring.  Sometimes, we have to give a lot more that we can't exactly quantify on an expense account like it's an episode of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.

(btw, YTJD is one of those properties that I would write almost out of love, The Green Lama being another, so if someone needs a writer, well, you know... one of these times, remind me to talk about what we'd do for the Klondike Bar of our creative dreams)

One of my interests is costuming.  Not just helping sew and design for the theater, but actually getting dressed up in outfits and playing Major Attention Sponge at comic conventions and similar gatherings.  For many years, I've admired the costumers who've sewn their outfits and crafted their bodies to more closely resemble their favorite characters from TV, movies, comic books, anime, whatever. 

I followed their activities for years before deciding to become one of them, albeit nowhere near the leagues of some of my friends.  Some of them make appearances at childrens hospitals, military bases, and other places where people could use a smile from a four-color personality.

The municipality of Metropolis, Illinois pops up in this blog frequently.  This is no accident.  Some of the most creative, kindest people make their ways there, if they don't live there already.  Here's one more love letter to them.

Noel Neill is more than an actress and singer.  She's more then just the Lois Lane of the serials and all but the first season of the classic Adventures of Superman television program.  Since 2003, she's been the official "First Lady of Metropolis" and deservedly so.  Well, to honor her career in show business a few years ago, the Superman Celebration put on a gala '40s-themed dance ball.  Needless to say, I had to be different (something I'd heard since first grade).

I designed a Victorian tuxedo in the colors of Superman, which my wife Cookie (that's her real name ... we just nicknamed her "Carol") sewed with a little (tragically little) assistance from me.  The pants and jacket were blue, the vest was firehouse red, and we sewed the famous S-shield onto the lapels and the back of the red opera cape.  We also constructed a belt that matched the design of the classic uniform.  We rounded out the ensemble with red trainers (there's only so much discomfort I was ready to endure) in lieu of finding the correct shade of formal shoe.  With a pair of  red suspenders and a bright yellow shirt to match the hue of the chest and cloak emblem, we were ready to go.

We received compliments for the outfit, mostly for the moxie it took to wear it.  Later on, I wore it for the 2010 Gen Con Costume Contest and received a special judge's commendation for its imagination (and the word "weirdest" did pop up).  Plus, I got my ego fed for all the pics that were taken, one of which wound up on Wikipedia.

(for those of you who aren't in the know, Gen Con is held annually in Indianapolis and is the largest game-related convention in North America.  It is four solid days of gaming and good gamer vibe as well as massive love from Indy who knows how to make out-of-towners feel like family)

So to follow up, this year my wife and I crafted a costume based on Uncle Dudley Marvel.  You see, I admire the costumers who will "become" a character, despite not fitting the original's silhouette (can you tell I watch too much Project Runway?).  This is far from a criticism.  If being their fave hero or heroine makes them happy, then why the heck not dress up?  God bless them for it, I say!

(for those who came in late -- sorry Phantom fans -- Uncle Marvel was really a lovable con man who accompanied Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, and Captain Marvel, Jr. in their adventures ... one of the most memorable was when Dudley tricked their most powerful foe, Black Adam, into uttering his magic word that robbed him of his magical abilities)

Anyway, I dressed up as Uncle Marvel (and even entered the costume contest) and immediately upon entering the Indianapolis Convention Center, I was asked if I minded having my picture taken.  After a half dozen of these requests, I started saying, "Do you this I'd be dressed like this if I didn't want my picture taken?"

Cookie was having lower back problems so I carried her backpack as often as I could.  But the longest I could carry it was around a minute before someone asked to take my picture (and Lord knows how many were taken without asking).  Fortunately, I'd worked out a pose: pointing at the camera, the other hand on my hip usually, and with a big smile.

Sure, it was tiring to pose, to find a place to pose where I wasn't blocking the aisles, and to organize a crowd so everyone got a "smile and a point" of their own.  Also, I couldn't really eat or drink a lot for fear of spilling on my uniform.  Mostly, I rinsed out my mouth with a quick swallow of water, ready to pose once again.

However, as the day wore on, more and more con-goers, young and old, male and female, thanked me for making them smile and reminding them of a time of their youth they treasured, a story they read long ago and ached to read again, or just being upbeat and cheerful amidst the sturm und drang of some videogame/anime/comic characters.  And the ladies didn't seem to mind putting their arms around Ol' Dudley ... I'm married, but I retain a pulse, okay?

And Cookie delighted -- although she's loathe to admit it -- in watching the smiles and hearing the compliments for her work.  I was just the model.  She was the designer and the one who truly "made it work."

Once I realized it, I found myself swept up in my emotions.  I wish I'd counted how many people had asked me for my picture, how many posed with me, how many compliments I accepted with as much grace as I could manage, how many people genuinely smiled at me.

(we will ignore the people who called me "Flash" because of the red outfit with yellow lightning bolt on the chest as well as the ones who called me "Captain Marvel" or "SHAZAM!"  Close enough, I say, and why rain on their parades?)

When we take the stage, or write a story in whatever format or genre, we are not just feeding our our creative urges.  We might see ourselves as singing in the dark of night, hoping someone will hear us and find our talents pleasing.

But know that somewhere, there is someone who is waiting for us to become another character or to create something that might put an aspect of everyday life into sharper focus.  Perhaps someone waits for us to simply distract them from the pain of real life, or to rekindle an emotion thought lost, or even simply to let someone know they are not alone.

We are not only creating for ourselves.  We are also creating for someone else, even if we don't know -- and may never learn -- who they are.  But when they find you, it's worth all the effort and then some.  So don't give up ... someone is waiting for you to finish what you do.

***

Have a comment?  Feel free to leave some below or drop me a line at bkmorris56@gmail.com.  And as Stan the Man -- and I ain't talkin' baseball -- used to say, "Hang loose, True Believers."  www.freelancewords.com is almost ready to be launched.

So feel free to discuss below. 

"No, you can't have everything done first!"

Did you ever have a week when too many things are happening at once?  Welcome to the world of the creative person who still has to deal with the pressures of mundane life.

(please note that until this paragraph, I'd kept my inner geek wrestled down and didn't refer to real life as for the "mundies")

This week, I'm working on reading a dear friend's screenplay, editing another friend's manuscript (I'm glad she's either patient or too polite to tell me she's given up on me taking so long), writing a script for a presentation on Saturday, writing a mystery novel, starting a childrens book, researching a financial grant, and taking in webinars to expand my store of knowledge.  And I'm planning an out-of-town trip in the near future.

So I won't be too long here.

It's all too easy to become overwhelmed when you see the enormity of the tasks before you.  While Nature abhors a vaccuum, you and I frequently like the idea of keeping ones duties in manageable amounts.

(Granted, we don't want our lists too short because that means we are running out of paying gigs, right?)

Sometimes, to keep the pressures at bay, you have to make a schedule for yourself and your creative endeavors.  The key to this is prioritization.

First, make a physical list of everything you think needs to be done today before you go to bed/have dinner/make time for yourself/whatever.  This can also include household tasks, cuddling the S.O., watching your fave TV show, whatever is really important to you and must be executed before the end of the work day.  This list must be written out.  This gives it power by making it real.  Besides, mental lists are like verbal promises ... they aren't worth the paper they're written on.  Don't let this list get any longer than nine items.  There's a lot of stuff that can be done.  The list exists to demonstrate what must be accomplished today.

Second, examine the list thoughtfully.  What has a firm deadline and what doesn't?  Which deadline comes sooner?  Is it a paying job or one done for fun or as a favor?  This is where you decide which is more important, love or money.

Third, alphabetize by priority.  Any deadline job might get an A while something for free might get a B.  Reserve C for stuff you've wanted to work on, but it can wait. Obviously, if your list is longer than three items, some letters will be used more than once.  I'm ahead of you here.

Fourth, number each task within each letter grouping.  Look at your A tasks and decide which one needs to be worked on first and which one(s) can wait.  Then do the same with your B groupings and then C.  You will wind up with a 9-item list with a A1 job ... that one should be worked on uber alles if possible.  Then your A2 and A3 jobs, followed by B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, and C3. 

This gives you a roadmap of what requires your attention first.  And if more than one task requires some labor, even if it's not to complete the job but to make some headway, then set a timer for an hour.  That will represent the maximum amount of time you should allow for any given effort, although you may find you wrap up your task in less than sixty minutes.  On the other hand, you may find yourself on a creative roll, in which case you'll reset the timer for another 30-60 minutes.

Feel free to remake this list every working day.  As you remove jobs as they're completed or cancelled -- it happens -- or reprioritized (because deadlines are changed or you realize you didn't give the proper importance to some task), re-do your list.  A priority list shouldn't be used for more than a couple days in a row, really.  If nothing else, re-do the list to ensure that your focus is on the proper jobs in the right order.

As I said, priorities can change for any number of reasons.  Thus, yesterday's C3 task could be your  A1 tomorrow.  Don't panic ... this is perfectly normal and usually means you're getting stuff done and out the door.

Making a priority list is how you forbid the jobs at hand to overwhelm you.  Remember the old saying, "By the yard, it's hard.  But by the inch, it's a cinch." 

"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!

"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!

"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 ...