Learning To Write Hack #2

Today we continue on the theme of morphing Mark Lee's Songwriting Hack series into a Learning to Write Hack series.

Songwriting Hack #2: Dream big, but keep it to yourself is the next entry in his series. This entry discusses the reasons to keep a dream, like learning to write songs, private initially. He discusses words of wisdom from both Hugh Hewitt and Dorothea Brande. Hugh Hewitt says that though you should strive for the Super Bowl equivalent of whatever field you are in (or want to be in), you don't announce that to the world in the beginning. Dorothea Brande says that "the average person writes just too much and not quite enough to have any great opinion of an author's life". She is basically saying that most people don't understand the writing process enough to have an appreciation for it. So, if you advertise your dreams to people - tell your friends you want to be a writer - they will stomp on your dreams. Sometimes it will be intentional, because they are jealous, or have no ambition of their own. Sometimes it will be unintentional, because it is just something that is too unfamiliar to them. For example, a good friend of mine has a young daughter. One day we were discussing careers, the future, college, etc. and he made the comment that he would not let his daughter go to college to study music or art. He would make her focus on some area that would provide better for future employment, and that she could study art or music in her spare time. I argued against that, saying that should she have a creative spirit like that then it should not be stifled.

This particular songwriting hack describes the reasons why this blog is set up the way it is. It is completely anonymous. Nothing here has any of my "real" contact information on it, though I do check the email address tied to this blog. Nothing else shows here - not my location, any part of my name, any links to any of my friends websites, etc. I haven't told anyone I know about this blog. I hope it will be gradually discovered by a few faithful readers who can provide good constructive feedback.

At the end of the entry, Mark Lee mentions that at some point a trusted mentor is needed. Someone who can provide loving and honest feedback. I will need one at some point, and I have a couple in mind. But for now, this is a big secret.

Great weekend

It's the end of a great weekend. Two very relaxing days of great weather. Some yardwork occured, but it was fun. Grilled some, had some family over for dinner, sat in a comfortable chair outside and read, went to church, and basically enjoyed two days off work.

I hope your weekend was as good for you as mine was for me.

Learning To Write Hack #1.5

The next hack that Mark Lee posted in his blog is Songwriting Hack #1.5: A Clarification. This post talks about how you can write songs without ever becoming a professional songwriter. Just because you never sell a song doesn't mean you can't keep writing just for yourself. How many people play golf every weekend? What percentage of those are doing it for a living? Well, the same thing applies to songwriting, and to writing in general.

I really need to keep this in mind as I go through this process. I may never, ever write anything anyone would pay money for, much less replace my current career with a writing career. But I must say that just the few posts I have made here have really been fun. I look forward to this time of the morning when I am the only one at home and I can log in, read a little bit of stuff online, and come here and write. And since the job tasks I have right now at work are often less than creatively challenging, it makes a great start to my day, too.

How to write

Mark Lee plays guitar for my favorite band - Third Day. When I say favorite band, I mean the kind of band that whenever they come to town you get tickets. Every time. Whenever. No exceptions.

Mark has started a series of songwriting hacks. I don't aspire to be a songwriter, but as I've been reading the songwriting hacks I realize that they also apply to writing in general. His first hack is about starting a blog as a creative outlet and to get feedback. Also a good reason if you are learning to write in general. A creative outlet and good for feedback. That is, if you can get people to read it.

A nice quiet evening

A rare thing is happening right now. I am home alone, the house is quiet, and I am in the backyard on my laptop enjoying a nice cool evening. I love this time of year. Absolutely love it.

I sit here as it starts to grow dark and look around my yard. So many things I see that I'd like to do to improve things back here. Simple things like mow the grass (it's getting to be that time of year), clean some leaves out of some flower beds, or make a new bed for some tomato plants, to semi-major projects like painting the garage or putting up gutters. And for the first time in years, I don't cringe at the thought. In the past I'd be doing those things alone, as my wife isn't one for yardwork. But right now I have a good friend in my life who likes to do these things, and with no home of his own enjoys helping me. All this time I thought I just didn't enjoy doing yardwork and things like that, but apparently I just don't enjoy doing them alone. Or with someone who feels like they have to do it. Doing it with someone who enjoys it is great!

So this Saturday, I plan on doing a few things around here. Probably not paint the garage or put up gutters, but hopefully the rest of those things. And there are a couple of other minor projects that need to get done, too.

Taxes

They sent some Pharisees and followers of Herod to bait him, hoping to catch him saying something incriminating. They came up and said, "Teacher, we know you have integrity, that you are indifferent to public opinion, don't pander to your students, and teach the way of God accurately. Tell us: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

He knew it was a trick question, and said, "Why are you playing these games with me? Bring me a coin and let me look at it."They handed him one.

"This engraving--who does it look like? And whose name is on it?"

"Caesar," they said.

Jesus said, "Give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his."

Their mouths hung open, speechless

Mark 12L13-17 from The Message


Since I last posted I have paid my taxes. Everyone files their tax return, but some people get a refund, while others pay even more than what was withheld. Last year I was in the former category, and this year in the latter. Didn't have to pay much, and why I had to pay more, while having the maximum withheld from both my and my wife's income, is a long and tedious story that I will spare you. It would help against my first million word count, for sure, but on the off chance someone drifts by I don't want to run them off with that dry story.

As if this post wouldn't run them off anyway. Heh.

Loving your wife

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church--a love marked by giving, not getting.

Ephesians 5:25 (The Message)

I am having a real struggle with this right now. Not with loving my wife. I love her very much. But loving her as Christ loved the church -- a love marked by giving and not getting. There are parts of our personalities that are polar opposites. In some areas it is no problem. In others, it is a real problem. I was raised with a very strong work ethic, as in no "playing" before the work is done. She, on the other hand, apparently was not raised that way. This can (and is currently) causing conflicts. I know I'm not handling it right, but I don't really know how to resolve it in light of the verse above. Any tips?

How will anyone see if you don't shine your light?

I teach a Sunday School class at my church. Well, using the word teach is a stretch. I facilitate a Sunday School class at my church. The class is for high school youth. Basically I pick a song every week and prepare a handout that has the artist name, album name, song title, album cover art, and lyrics. Typically I pick a Christian alternative rock song, but not always. Not always alternative rock, and not always Christian (as labeled by the music industry). This week, as I was going through some of my new CDs trying to pick a song, I listened to the song "Are You Real" by KJ-52 from his new album Behind the Musik. Yes, I know, it's hip-hop. But my main motivation for doing this class is to connect with the youth. Listen to the styles of music they are listening to, and relating to them on their level. So, I'm listening to hip-hop. And actually, this song isn't that bad. It even features the singer from one of my favorite bands, Kutless.


As I listen to this song, something struck me hard. In the last verse (is it even called a verse in hip-hop?), there were the following lines:

they're too worried about what people thinking of they life
how can you fight if you won't lay down your pride
and how will anyone see if you won't shine your light
so many of your friends is walking around blind
and you've got the source that can open up their eyes.

Ouch. I knew I'd been feeling a little far away from God lately, but that really hit home. It's time to get back to shining my light.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 (New International Version)

Or, from a translation I prefer most of the time:

Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand--shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 (The Message)

Posting via email, and RSS feeds

I tried sending in a test post via email, and it has never shown up. Not published, and not even in the list in draft mode waiting to be published. I sent the email from the email account attached to this blog, and sent it to the email address established in the settings to send posts to for publishing. I'm not sure what the problem is. If anyone out there has experience setting up blogger to accept and publish posts sent in via email, please comment here.

In addition, I have enabled the RSS feed for this blog, and subscribed to my own blog in Bloglines. For some reason, Bloglines never shows that new posts have appeared, but if I click the blog name link, new posts in the feed show up. Why does it not notify me that new posts have been made? It apparently is getting the RSS feed since the posts show up when I click the blog name.

Writing about writing, and not writing

In my desire to keep this something other than a "I had a sandwich for lunch then went to a movie" type of blog, I have managed to not post at all. This, of course, breaks the first rule of writing which is to write. If all I have to talk about is my lunch, then I should still write about it. It's about writing, and getting those first million words out, rather than what I'm writing about.

I think about this blog, and what to write, almost every day. The problem is that I typically think about it, and get inspired to write, in the middle of the afternoon. Why is this a problem? In the middle of a weekday afternoon I am at work. I am intentionally keeping this blog anonymous, at least for now, so I can feel more open here, so posting from work is not the optimal situation. People could come into my cube while I'm posting, resulting in questions. And, of course, there is the ever-vigilant IT department that monitors and logs all internet traffic. Then, upon arriving home in the evening, there are typically other things to demand my attention. I understand there is a way to post to the blog via email, so I need to get that set up. That will make posting much easier.

As far as a topic goes, I think I will focus on information about writing for the most part. I've been finding some information online recently about writing, and since that is my focus here that should provide much fodder about which I can ramble on and on.

Ok, enough rambling about that. I've now done the obligatory "Sorry for not posting more" blog post, and promise to refrain from this kind of post in the future. Worst case I'll just link back to this entry.

Now, off to work for the day. As soon as I figure out how to post via email.