Thank you, Bobby

ver 13 years ago, shortly before walking across the stage, I ran into my college president, Bobby Vagt, and asked him what I had to offer a world that, in 1999, seemed to be doing just fine. In fact, unemployment was so low that even a year later the New York Times ran a piece about a community that's unemployment rate was so low that they'd taken to hiring ex-cons and...wait for it...liberal arts grads.

Without missing a beat, Bobby told me, "You know how to read, to write and to communicate." I didn't take much solace in those words at the time. I mean, the literacy rate in the U.S. is pretty high and, to some, grunting is a valid form of communication. Everyone knows how to do those things I thought.

No matter what my occupation has been over the years, I've continued to write on my own year by year putting together a portfolio of work while also continuing to read and to communicate what's on my mind be it in English, Spanish or New Yorkese.

Having dealt with people older and younger than myself, from different experiences and places and of different education levels, I've come to understand what the president meant that day: He meant that most people do not know how to read insightfully, to write clearly and to communicate consistently and clearly.

The other day I met with the president of a non-profit consultancy looking for a grant-writer. He bemoaned the lack of good writers out there. I smiled and thought of Bobby. Today I formally accepted their offer to be a grant writer.

If I've learned anything of the years (other than never to doubt Brian Cashman), it's that those who stick with something, who are not distracted and who make progress everyday are those who will most likely achieve their goals. In a small way, this new position is a testament to that.

And now...Game 4 of the ALDS. Go Yanks!

All Aboard

fter a long hiatus, the Little Engine is pulling out of the station again. I'm particularly excited to announce Hooey Savvy, my primary literary focus the last few months. Hooey is a kids book about financial education. While there's been a lot of talk about what brought about the financial crises of the last few years, too little has been said about education as a means to prevent future crises. I hope Hooey can help in that regard.

Enjoying Rehab

ell, what can I say? Rehab is exactly what I needed. My screenwriting course through the Gotham Writers' Workshop has been great. I have an excellent instructor and have already received positive and even more importantly, constructive criticism on my screenplay's first act from my classmates. They have helped me address a nagging problem: Giving Josaya and Gibson their own voices and building up their characters. Now I have a better view of the way forward. And on that note, it's time to hit the books.

All the king's horses & all the king's men need not apply

owdy, folks. In our last episode, we found our protagonist up against a wall looking for aplomb. Instead, he's spent the last couple of weeks piecing together adult aspects of life at the expense of his writing. But unlike Humpty Dumpty who put his trust in all the king's horses and all the king's men, all I need to do is string together an hour or two a day to get it together again. Tomorrow will be a good day to get back on track.

Meetcha at the corner!

"She wrote to him fairly regularly, from a paradise of triple exclamation points and inaccurate observations." I came across this quote in Salinger's Nine Stories, "For Esme - with Love and Squalor". And smiled to myself. And I thought people only over-exclamated with the advent of e-mail and text messages.

8 chapters written, 11 to go. Yes, I added a chapter. Have been looking over a chapter's outline in the morning and making notes, before writing after work at night. Seems to move the process along faster.

Back to Salinger for a moment. In an earlier post I discussed how he wrote without an edge to a certain degree, that is, he didn't use literary handicaps like murder, sex, violence, drugs or the cops to grab a reader's attention. He also wasn't afraid to abandon the traditional arch of a story. The dependence on an arch to guide a reader along is something I also look forward to abandoning as I gain a reader's trust.

I'd like to think that with President Obama in office and his way of speaking without sound-bites, ie, taking the long way around giving us context as well as content, that full-bodied stories will see a bit of a revival. I know, I'm a sucker.

Next Steps? So Danco Samba

While I would like to just jump into fresh edits of ACYW, I need to learn more about Brazil, its culture, its people and its language first. I have a slew of books, CDs (Gilberto, Jobim et al) and DVDs (the World Cup's greatest moments) waiting for pickup at the NYPL this Saturday. On recommendation from a friend, I have also joined a local Meetup group for Brazilians (or those interested in Brazil, its culture and language) in NYC. They watch movies (Orfeu on 8/31), they give rudimentary Portuguese classes and set up dance classes. All sound good to me! Needless to say, it may be a month before I put pen to paper on this project.

That being said, I'm going to start Family in the meantime. Not writing is making me cranky, even with the Yankees playing beautiful baseball.

Last Third To Go; Michigan in the press

I'm now about two thirds of the way through editing. I've found a good rhythm lately and hope to keep it up while in the boonies the next few days. Keeping it up when back in the city will require particular fortitude as New York in December is nothing but sugar and booze, at least, usually. This year may be more subdued. Then there's the Hot Stove and Davidson b-ball (big games against NC State, West Virginia & Purdue) that beckon. Whatever, I gotta bang this puppy out. The hardest parts are over, I'm in the home stretch and hey, have you noticed how much press Michigan's got lately?

The performance of the Big Three on Capitol Hill and on Wall Street only justified a scene in the book where bored Ford execs prank call the guys from Botswana looking for business tips. The Batswana turn around and tell them to short Ford stock. I wrote that this past winter. If only I had taken my own advice...Fuhgedaboutit.

The Halfway House

I've officially hit the halfway mark in editing. This feels good, but there's plenty of work ahead. I'm definitely filling in blanks that previously existed.

Working at my Mom's (aka, the igloo) for the holidays will do me well. My sister will be leaving town soon so even fewer distractions although I have taken to hitting the gym once a day to shoot hoops. The local college students are currently out of town and the court's all mine. It's a beautiful thing.

I'm also getting some good background reading done. I finished Muslim Women in America by Haddad, Smith and Moore. Did you know there's an Arab doll called the Razanne? Good stuff. I'm now working on Douglas Brinkley's Wheels for the World about Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company.

To Be Or Not To Be

One of the things I believe separates amateur writers from professionals is word choice. I'm not talking about impressing folks with unnecessary polysyllabic nonsense. I'm talking about choosing words rather than simply using the first ones that come to mind. While I have a list of about 7 words I try to avoid at all times (always, forever, perfect and my own personal tetragrammaton, l-v-, come to mind), the verb "to be" is right up there.

Substituting was, were, is, being, been and the like with other verbs or by rearranging the sentence typically adds strength to one's writing. Take the first sentence of this post:

"One of the things I believe separates amateur writers from professionals is word choice."

Let's take out the "is" and rework the sentence.

"I believe word choice separates amateur writers from professionals." Or, more definitively, "Word choice separates amateur writers from professionals." I've also omitted "things" which was an example of me being a lazy writer and "I believe" which has an element of weakness to it as it's only one person's opinion.

Are there times "to be"? Sure. I typically give "to be" a reprieve in dialogue because that's how a lot of people talk. If you have a particularly weak, passive or uncertain character or situation, the passive voice that the verb "to be" engenders also works well.

The idea of "choosing words" is a big topic. Substituting "to be" is but a small piece of that pie.

From Point A to Point B

As a religion major in college I enjoyed thinking about what happened between one sentence of scripture and the next. One minute Abraham and Isaac are walking along; the next Isaac is about to be sacrificed. What a second! How'd we get there?

In editing chapter two, I come across similar situations. Do I fill in the gap between one sentence and another or does the absence of detailed explanation add intrigue or humor to the story? Conversely, and more often than not, filling in the space between A & B allows me to make the story richer and more accessible.

It took me a long time as a writer to learn how to write the story I wanted for readers other than myself. I have to thank a corporate public relations job for that. There I wrote detailed copy to be read by a large and diverse audience. Yeah, I had to "know my audience", but I also had to learn how to communicate clearly, consistently and quickly with them. This kind of writing most certainly lent itself to some pretty damn boring print, but it drilled into me some more perspective and restraint that has balanced the loony drivel that I had been previously spilling.

First Draft of Chapter Two in the Books

That's right bitches, the first draft of the second chapter is done. And it feeeeeeels good. I mean, it's absolute shite of course, but definitely a step in the right direction. Even has a nice little lead in to Chapter Three. And once Chapter Three is done the formal Submission Rejection Process begins! Yeehaaaaaaawwww!

In other news, "fustercluck" is the word of the week. I mean, clusterfuck was waaaay too tidy for what it was trying to convey. Fustercluck, on the other hand, is not only messy, it's barnyard messy.

Gerhard Richter and the Art of Literary Maintenance

Before I even finish writing chapter two, I've already started making notes on how to edit it. In editing, I typically use a few different metaphors to help me along.

1) What kind of drink would this chapter be? Does it read like a shot of Jaegermeister (short and strong) or a can of the Beast (more content, but watered-down)? Ideally, I'm going for Guinness (smooth and hearty, and if the barkeep's poured a shamrock on top, even better).

2) Is it Grandma Moses (no surprises, very simple and straightforward) or Jackson Pollack (what the fuck am I looking at?)? Me, I'd like to go for Gerhard Richter who's painting in layers interests me.

The Layers:

The first layer usually just moves the story along. It's more action than description. It's more two-dimensional than three. For the second layer, I close my eyes and ask myself what I see. This is where I flesh out characters, settings, dialogue and the sequence of events. Transitions between sentences, paragraphs and the general action smooths out. You've moved the story along, congratulations, but have you made the most of opportunities for comedy? Have you introduced or played up the conflicts enough to keep people interested in the characters and the story? Also, have I stayed true to the main themes or have I lost focus by introducing tangential ideas and allusions while trying to be clever showing everyone what a fucking genius I am? That being said, I usually go through 5-8 drafts before opening the process up to public comment.

I had a junior high gym teacher stand over me once while on the bench press. I did a few reps and then heard him say, "OK, one more." I did one more. Then he said, "Now one more." I did another. After a third "one more" I saw where this was going, but I'm glad he pushed me. I've come to enjoy editing as it presents a similar challenge: Are you humble enough to admit that what you just wrote is shit and can you make it better? Ok, now make it better again. And again.