The Anatomy Of ConstructionThe Anatomy Of ConstructionWriting belongs to everyone, and anyone who can write at a highschool standard should be encouraged to share their stories- there is an endless fascination to be found in each and everyone of us 
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A peaceful interlude....
2008-01-07 22:13:00 First day without ?The anatomy of construction?! Creative come down sucks- I had savage nightmares last night and am still trying to draw the shattered pieces of my psyche back together. OK, I've been working hard trying to draw everything together for ?Fleeing Babylon? the trouble is I've two stories I want to write- the first is the story up there right now- Jack, the anarchist who is a little bit silly and his battles with ?the man? and the second is the story of a young man whose father is a mythomaniac- dare I try to spin this many plates at once? Write two books at once? Conventional wisdom says ?No?, but I've always been one for finding out for myself, and if nothing else, the why. The why with why not work on two books at once is obvious, I guess- writing a book requires your undivided attention. Writing is wonderful in this sense, in that it shows you black and white what is possible and what isn't if you can't do it, the pages you write will seem ugly and stiff- i... More About: Peaceful
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part LXIV)
2008-01-06 22:05:00 Click on the above image to see the full size page.Part sixty four of sixty four. Wow. Um, gosh, does this mean I'm going to stop writing? Does this mean I'm going to stop writing "The Anatomy "? Hell no! When I came to part 20 I thought- this would make a great graphic novel, or maybe something like "Calvin & Hobbes"So I'm going to take "The Anatomy" In that direction.There is so much ground I haven't covered, in addition to all this- semi-colons, what to do when you're scared to write (it happens) and the thousand other things that I can come up with and the million other things I learn every single day by writing.So bear with me.This may become something like my writing catch all- there's not a topic I enjoy speaking about more and I've never had a better reason to go around taking photos of pretty things.Sixty four pages doesn't seem like a big thing, bu you know, if some of you out there enjoyed what I've presented so far, or if it helped someone over a bad patch, i... More About: Writing , Stories , Inspiration , Construction
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part LXIII)
2008-01-06 00:07:00 Click on the above to see the full size page.Holy hopping hippopotamus's! The page came out like it's tie died! Well, I guess that's another thing you learn from writing- intention and outcome so rarely coincide as to be insignificant- I think Neil Gaiman said that. Sometimes when you're writing, you contrive so much detail and texture that up close, as the writer, you cannot see the cloth you weave- which, quite honestly is frightening. It can feel as though you've lost control over the shape of the piece, and it's very tempting to discard it entirely and start again.Trust yourself.Right or wrong, what you feel about the piece is important- if you've no wish to keep writing it, stop writing it.Writing is fun, not a chore, make sure you enjoy it. And enjoy the sunshine too- it's a beautiful day out there.... (At least in Adelaide)TomX More About: Anatomy , Inspiration , Construction , Part
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part LXII)
2008-01-04 23:51:00 Click on the above to see the full size image.OK, here's my attempt at 55 fiction... It had been three long years since I'd seen her. Three long years and I'd grown in ways she would never know. I'd tried to reach out to her, but she was so far away and I well firmly rooted. Now finally, she's deigned to rest under my shady branches again, after three long years.Not bad, but not great, either- it's a story about something telling a story, not the best way to go, but quite legitimate (Look at Norwegian Wood by Murakami) and damned if it wasn't fun. to tell the truth, it was a bit like a high school assignment- I left it to the last minute, which always fills me with a sense of panic, and dread. I don't believe in writers block, but ideas are hard to come by when you need to pluck them from thin air, lol.In that vein, what the hell am I doing with Fleeing Babylon?Writing evolves- and after finishing chapter six, I knew the damn thing was wandering- it's not that ... More About: Anatomy , Inspiration , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part LXI)
2008-01-04 00:43:00 Click on the above to see the full size image.I love writing, and everyday I sit down at the key board I discover something new- take today's subject, 55 fiction. it's something I've been aware of for a long time, but I've always marvelled that people can do it- 55 words, tell a story, draw people and give them a surprise that isn't a Jack-in-the-box surprise, something about burying meaning deep inside tight lines that I'd love to learn. I've never done it before, so I'm going to give it a go- I'll post the results tomorrow- share yours with me, try it....For more about 55 fiction see New times. Keep on writing, peeps...TomX More About: Writing , Anatomy , Stories , Construction , Part
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part LX)
2008-01-03 00:18:00 Click on the above to see the full size image...Back from Lorne, is about nine hours drive from Adelaide- M and I did it in one run through, stopping at the few places who sold LPG (Gas is hard to get in some areas- not many service stations sell it).Lorne is a lot closer to where I grew up than Adelaide is. the landscape, the scenery, the animals, the smells, the colors all made me very nostalgic. Every once in a while I thought I was home. it made me think how far I've come from home, but how close home still is to me.Write from the heart, write from your home, and write from who you are, who you want to be, and who you don't want to be.Most of all, just write.TomX More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part LIX)
2008-01-02 00:30:00 Click the above to see the full size image.OK, new years resolutions, they're kinda weird, aren't they? You resolve to do something, and then after a month, stop doing it, laugh it off and know you'll resolve to do (or not do) the same thing next year. New Years resolutions are a story we tell ourselves- we look back over the past year and think, "I really should have done that," we look over the history, the stories attached to the year, and feel a certain soft sadness. This is all looking over the book of our year with an eye to a particular type of story- a regretful story. We can do this with anything. A story about an abusive relationship can be looked back on as empowering, something that bought us great strength, or we can look back on it and experience sorrow and regret- it can be a horror story or a tale of triumph over tragedy. Certainly the abuser in an abusive relationship will have a more positive view- or maybe not. this is an extreme example, but all stories have ... More About: Writing , Anatomy , Stories , Construction , Part
The Anatomy Of Construction (LVIII) HAPPY NEW YEARS!
2007-12-31 23:31:00 Click on the above to see the full size image.2008- I hope it brings your great success and good fortune. Finish up at the Falls festival at one-thirty-ish- you know you're getting old(er) when you have to explain that you can't dance to the music, there's nothing in it; you know you're getting older when the headline act at a New years Music festival is someone you've heard of, but not really listened to before. These are good things to write about- when we write we're measuring and describing how things change. Lists are a great way of writing: You know you're old when... can be a little depressing, but it is just one way of tapping the way you see the world-give it a go. There's one form of writing that deals almost exclusively with lists- songs. Lists of ways you've been hurt, ways you love someone else, lists of things you think, feel and wish. A song is just describing things in a repetitive, list form- take an idea and reinforce it.... TomX More About: Anatomy , Construction , Happy , Years
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part LVII)
2007-12-31 00:25:00 Click on the above to see the full size image.My favorite ride at the falls festival- the line ride, waiting an hour in 30deg + full sun to start the day with a trip down to the township of Lorne to post. Last night saw Paul Kelly take the stage- every other act that came before and followed was who? Having a great time- this is not the first time I've tried Gonzo writing- I'll post the results soon- but it definitely won't be the last. TomX More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part LVI)
2007-12-29 23:40:00 Click on the above image to see the full size version.First night of the falls Festival- piccies to come. There are places you shouldn't write- music festivals are supposed to be one of them, but let's see what we can do about that today.... Hunter S Thompson made his first big impact in writing with an article titled "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent"- it's regarded as the first example of Gonzo Journalism- writing journalism from a subjective point of view, the author's point of view. This style makes for some interesting challenges. You're trying to capture what exists in your minds eyes NOW, not after the fact, but in the living moment. This produces notebooks full of short sentences, no structure, just machine gun bursts of moments captured.Gonzo is a fun way to write- it pushes your fears back- lest you write nothing at all- it pushes you forward as a character / narrator figure in your own work. Finally, Gonzo can release your writers voice- give it ago sometime.I'm off t... More About: Writing , Anatomy , Construction , Part , Thom Yorke
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part LV)
2007-12-29 01:58:00 OK, we're in a little town called Hamilton- it's a thriving rural city, I guess, more than a town. We're about six hours out of Adelaide. The scenery here makes me nostalgic.I guess one of the things that will always come through your writing is where you were born, where you grew up and how the two differ. You can write about any character you want, in any situation, but always they'll be painted by you, and the way you see the world.The more our writing resonates with those who read us, the more we are writing exactly what we see. This is why writing polishes our souls- to write better, we must more truly be ourselves.In the city you don't see stars, last night I looked up through a crack we left in the window and saw stars, like dust scattered on perfect black tile.Every day is a privilege-TomX More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part LIV)
2007-12-27 21:40:00 Click on the above to see the full size image.Never, ever work for eighteen hours solid and assume you're going to write anything worth keeping.... Take it from me, take it for free.TomX More About: Writing , Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part LIII)
2007-12-26 21:35:00 Click on the above to see the full size image.Notepads, cameras and pens are invaluable tools for a writer on a walk. You can learn so much by just walking fifty meters around the area in which you sleep. Look for things that make you feel. it doesn't matter how they make you feel, just notice that they make you feel a certain way, and write it down. the more often you write down the things you see and feel, the more your own voice comes out. every one's heard a sunset described by a movie star; the first couple of times we describe a sunset we'll try and use lines before- after a while, those stale old words feel a little light weight for something so wonderful as a sunset, and so you begin to describe not what you see so much, but how that makes you feel.Call it practise, go out and describe a sunset tonight, and enjoy it.Hope Christmas was all you could have dreamed of.TomX More About: Writing , Anatomy , Inspiration , Construction , Part
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part LII)
2007-12-26 01:15:00 Click on the above to see the full size version...It's boxing day- the names of things are another thing you can have fun with an use to encourage your writing- boxing day conjures up some fairly hectic images- boxing me up and shipping me away after too much gorging of myself on fine fine Christmas food and drinks.Writing is important, but you can't write all the time- if you do that you'll come to look at writing as hateful work. Do what you do do well, and enjoy it. More About: Creative , Anatomy , Inspiration , Construction
Help!
2007-12-26 00:55:00 Ok, here's the situation- I'm looking at heading to Lorne for the falls Festival- but only if there's some way to keep posting "The anatomy..." Does anyone know anywhere in Lorne, Victoria, or anyone who might have a machine online with USB ports... please? anyone?TomX
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part LI)
2007-12-25 03:10:00 click on the above to see the full size image....Merry Christmas - Christmas is a time of sharing. the above piece is all I have to offer- it's a story my father would play every christmas from a Johnny Cash Record- I hope you have a wonderful day, those you love are near and your year to come is magnificent.Merry Christmas everyoneTomX More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part L)
2007-12-24 00:46:00 Click on the above to see the full size image.Now onto a thorny subject- the ground clunk after you finish a piece.The high then low of completing a work hurts, and is confusing. It can leave you horribly depressed- or maybe that's just me.So, just write. you'll overcome, again, and again and again. you'll grow more strong, more daring, and learn to love this depression, for it will be the very thing that drives you away from complacency and depression.Just write.TomX More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part XLIX)
2007-12-23 01:58:00 Click on the above for the full size image.So did you get all your Christmas cards out in time?Writing cards and letters is an excellent form of writing- it's communicating with a specific individual, a specific audience and you will write with the greatest tenderness towards these people- you get to see all that's beautiful in your pen and heart- 'tis the season to reveal how beautiful you really are. It's only a little way to go until I've finished the Anatom y - it's exciting, what, fifteen more pages! will it end there? Well, no. The original idea was sixty four pages, but I'll continue on- I'd like to explain things like apostrophes (did you ever notice how close the word "Apostrophe" is to "Catastrophe" ?) presenting manuscripts, tracking down agents, publishers, etc, but this will evolve from where the Anatomy (technically) finishes. i too am learning the art, all i can do is share my experiences, so maybe I'll add a bit more of that, too.TomX More About: Construction , Part
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part XLVIII)
2007-12-22 02:17:00 Click on the above to see the full size image.Whoa, 'tis the season to be stressed out as hell! I wonder what Jesus would say if he saw all the mad efforts people go to around the time of his birth? Probably something like, "Hey, that's not what it's all about!"Too often we worry about the wrong things, do things for the wrong reasons. Writing reflects life. We write because we want to write- we celebrate Christmas because....? I guess this season, answer this question and see how that question relates to your reality. Would your loved ones want to see you suffer a double heart attack to gorge yourself on food and double your credit debt? Buy a gift for someone you've never met who'll never know you to thank you. Make your effort at spending time with people not the quality of the table setting, but the quality of the listening. Make your gift the keys to your heart and know that the blessed moments you spend with those you love are blessed moments, not moments of strained tens... More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part XLVII)
2007-12-21 00:57:00 Click on the above to see the full size image.Writing is learning to thrive on challenge, to grow and exceed yourself and your fears. The whole, "Proving the pudding" thing, a chapter a day and posting the rough draft is quite a challenge.A number of people have told me they wouldn't feel comfortable putting a rough draft out there. I don't feel comfortable either, but I want to share with you the process of what happens and how the writing grows- it really is a beautiful thing to watch- at least from a creators point of view. I hope you're enjoying it as much as I'm enjoying putting it out there. by the end of the third chapter you should start to see how the central character is developed, and how the cast around him is forming. I'm not sure where it's going long term, but with writing, you can never be sure at what the finished product is going to look like.The most important thing is to write. you won't get this feeling of success unlesss you write; you won't get this fe... More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Pasrt XLVI)
2007-12-20 00:51:00 Click on the above to see the full size image.OK, a deal is a deal here's the link to the first chapter of the book I promised I'd bring you, one chapter every day until it's done. On the blog itself I explain the exact process I'm using to write and present the book as. Hope it makes you see just how possible it is for you to write.TomX We're going to Miss you Amber. More About: Anatomy , Construction , Anatom
The Anatomy of Construction (Part XLV)
2007-12-19 00:59:00 Click on the above to see a full size image.I've been talking about writing and how easy it is, but I haven't shown you any proof yet, have I? My writing grows by challenging myself everyday- stretching the limits of what I'm capable of and exposing my weaknesses and fears to the burning light of day.So here's the deal. Starting tomorrow, everyday, I'm going to produce a chapter. I'm writing a new book, and I'll share it with you every day. The minimum requirement I've set is four thousand words (OMG how much further can I drive my work load up?) I'm thinking a nice social satire, something in the vein of Catch 22, something with the heart of Fight club, something that shows the absurdity of the world I get to see everyday.What you're going to get is the first draft, one chapter at a time, typo's and all. i want to show you it's simple; i want you to see how mistakes are natural to everyone, and that with a polish, they disappear- more than anything else, I want to share... More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part XLIV)
2007-12-18 01:57:00 Click on the above to see the full size image.I talked to a friend last night about the reason for writing. She writes for herself, her own reasons and a positive effect in her life- she writes to achieve a goal in her life. Which is fantastic- it's the only way to write.It's all well and good to write to save the world, free the pandas, and show people the foolishness of smoking cigarettes, but it's got to be for you and for a result in your; life- it's the only thing that will keep you going. Preaching is only good when you've got a pulpit, a pulpit is just a listening post, you've got to entertain people with your writing, you've got to entertain yourself first. Yourself and your dreams.I love learning new things- today's page is a pure product of Photoshop- never done that before. The same is true with writing- I love new writing styles and new things to write; haiku, novels, articles, reviews, critiques.The some of the best come back to listening- like trying to write i... More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part XLIII)
2007-12-17 01:37:00 Click the above image to see the full size version.We all have bad days- it's important that we put them in perspective. they are, just bad days. A bad day doesn't not make a bad life, a setback does not make a failure. When you have days like this, write, make the bad days the days you learn something more about yourself and grow. TomX More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part XLII)
2007-12-15 23:29:00 Click on the above image to see the full size version.The humble comma has many uses, about twenty of them in fact. There are some basic rules of thumb to apply to the comma. the most important one I use is "Read aloud"- when you use this rule you can see clearly where commas belong, and don't belong.Lets try the new camera out, shall we? I write in two different locations, my house....(I sacrifice neatness for productivity, paint, wax paper, coke and great stacks of CD's are very necessary for me to function. The basic equation is, No Music+ no art= no pages.)Just to put things in perspective, the computer in this image is a Pentium with 32 MB of RAM- you don't need a whiz bang machine to write, or a computer at all, for that matter.The other is my girlfriends house, much neater... Ah, breakfast awaits me, next to the keyboard. I make a rule of listening to a lot of music while I work, it helps me relax and enjoy myself , and what I do.Writing can sometimes be like living in a ... More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part XLI)
2007-12-15 00:42:00 Click on the above image to see a full size version.Slowly I', slipping into some of the technical aspects. So tomorrows page is going to be all about the comma. Punctuation is easy, but the terminology is hell so examples are the way to go.Just further proof that that adage, "Show, don't tell," applies to all writing, be it technical or narrative.Summer in Australia- the sky is heavy overcast, there's been no storm, yet some light rain and cool air. Yesterday was muggy, leaving you With the sensation that your clothes had to be pried from your skin like a sticky second skin.Being a writer means you don't get paid very much at all, unless you're Jo Rowling (She is, along with Thom Yorke and John Steinbeck, one of my heroes). Being poor gives you some immense advantages. Buy a new pair of trainers and you're over the moon, buy a digital camera and you just about have an aneurysm with the sheer excitement of it all. You've been warned, expect photos....= )TomXWho'd have though... More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part XL)
2007-12-13 22:15:00 Click on the above image to see the full size version.Writing is sometimes hard for people because we've been conditioned to accept that relaxation is doing nothing- avoiding activity. Activity, is work and work is not good. we don't want to be at work.Look at what you do as play; there's no dividing line between enjoying what you do at work and at home (OK, I'll admit that if you've got a job on an assembly line putting labels on fruit tins it might be hard to see the fun side) Fun, is a sense of accomplishment.Writing is one of the easiest ways to experience this.And it's fun.TomX More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part XXXIX)
2007-12-12 21:33:00 Click on the above to see the full size version.The above is the first page of the (fifth) redraft of the novel I'm working on. Something completely different to what I thought it would be intially.Be prolific, write a lot, think about how you would describe things, how other people have described things and how what you see resonates with you.Most of all have fun- looking on your work when it's done and seeing something close to what you envisioned is a joy- seeing something that took on a life of its own and became a beatiful piece is a sense of fullfillment nothing else can compare to.TomX More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part XXXVIII)
2007-12-12 00:45:00 Click on the above image to see the full size version.Motivation is a funny thing, and when you write, you don't always come out where you thought you would.The page behind the text today is the first page of the very first draft of the novel I'm currently finishing up now. It's been, three, four years in the works. initially it started as a book about where I live- I live in some very rock n Roll Flats on Hindley Street in Adelaide, they are to punk what Greenwich Village is to beat- the book changed into something very different.I didn't choose the direction, the direction pushed itself through my writing. the drafts changed, the only thing I had a firm grip on was it was a book about loneliness, desperation, tragedy, hope and rebirth. You know what, I like it better now. Let what you're writing take its own shape- create a situation and make sure you sit down and write everyday and a book will come out of your efforts.I've never worried too much about having notebooks descr... More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom
The Anatomy Of Construction (Part XXXVII)
More articles from this author:2007-12-10 21:25:00 Click on the above image to see a full size version.Don't click on the above image is you don't want to learn the frightening truth that you choose how much time you spend writing. It's true.Art is a support mechanism for life, but life will never wash up its shores some "Art time" While we can't spend every waking hour writing, we do get a lot more free time than you'd imagine. Free time that is easy to spend at a a bar, with friends, watching television; it's hard to spend that time writing.In school we're taught writing is work, and as we grow up, even if we want to write, some part of us still thinks of it as a chore, and not something we'd want to spend our spare time on.Make time to write.Throw the television off your balcony- Michael Franti put it best when he said "TV is the only wet nurse that would create a cripple" Your television doesn't like you, after six months you won't even miss it- it will be a strange little glaring and blaring box, you'll laugh as you ... More About: Anatomy , Construction , Part , Anatom 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
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