On Writing Lazy.

I've been thinking about writing, and all it's past and future formats.

Kindle.

Blogs.

Books.

Comics.

THE KINDLE OF DOOM

I'm still not sure that Kindle is going to put books out of business; at least in my lifetime. But I look over at my 30k worth of worthless Anime DVD's; which have been completely subverted by 'fan-sub' pirating, and I can't be sure.

BLOGGING THE ANONYMOUS

Buster comparing himself to Emma Goldman brought up the issue of Anonymity again. Emma Goldman is one of my favorite historical characters -- mostly because of her sheer guts and courage. (Her politics are another matter....)

There was a good documentary on the American Experience about her, and I've always been partial to the Stewart Holbrook's (a good Northwest Writer) books on 'progressives'.

She stood up to the Man. She walked right up the the Man and told him exactly what she thought of him. She got thrown into jail over and over again, and eventually she was deported. She didn't back down. And she certainly never hid behind anonymity.

I started this blog without fully thinking out whether anonymity or not was an option.

I'm kind of glad I went with this format. I find that when I read comments by people who are anonymous, I tend to dismiss much of what they say. Except when they make a good, reasoned point.

And the same good, reasoned point could be made with even more credibility with a real name.

NEWS OFF THE TOP OF THEIR HEADS

I'm also noticing that I find the less formal, less structured economy blogs better reads. Calculated Risk, Mish's and Big Picture have a loosey goosey nature that I like, whereas more formally written columns by the likes of Krugman and Wolfe are interesting, but somehow....stilted. There is something very spontaneous and fresh about some blogs.

COMIC INDEPENDENTS.

The comic distributer Diamond has imposed limits on low selling independents. They have this right, but since they are a near monopoly, this policy has major ramifications.

Comics have always had a low barrier to entry. Self-publishing isn't considered Vanity Press -- most of the time. We get tons of schlock, but also the occasional gem.

I believe that this creative freedom has made comics an incredibly fertile territory, which Hollywood, video games, and even books have taken notice.

FREEDOM TO EXPRESS.

Which has got me thinking about my own creative efforts. One of the things that blocked me on writing future books was the concern that it needed to be right, it needed to be well-thought out, it needed to be spectacularly different and new.

But if I'd just been spinning stories all these years, without regard to heavy handed editorializing, who knows what might have emerged.

LAZY BOOK

I announced at the Farewell Bend Writer's Roundtable that I was contemplating a Lazy Book.

"What's that?"

"Any damn thing I want. And I'll read it to you guys, but don't you dare criticize."

I know from past experience that I'd eventually polish and rewrite -- but I also remember that I finally sprung my writing loose on the first book by telling myself to "Just Write a Story."

And when I got bogged down a few years later, I sprung myself loose by telling myself, "Write Sloppy."

So....writing Lazy is just another version of that.

IT ALL KIND OF MELDS.

Just as in my store I threw out all the rules about what constitutes literature; and I allowed myself to carry everything that intrigued me, whether it be cartoons, books, games, comics, graphic novels, art books, children's books, etc. etc.

I think that the creative urge takes all kinds of forms -- I'd like to write songs, and draw pictures, and so on. But writing comes pretty naturally, and I need to just let it flow, no matter what format it takes.