Challenge Accepted...and Met.

Today I successfully completed the 100x100 challenge I took up back on January 24th.

Being someone who tends toward procrastination, and sometimes swayed by self-doubt, there were times when making it to this date felt a little iffy. By sheer determination, stubbornness, and a creative writing schedule, I hung in there, and here I am at day 100.

It's true, there were many days when I just barely made my quota, but there were also days when I wrote far more than the required count. (I also spent a great deal of time thinking about what I had written, and making notes for current and further projects.) As a result of sticking with this personal challenge I am a little closer to concluding the novel I started back in November for NaNoWriMo. In addition, I started two other stories. One of them I finished, and may revisit at a later date to see if it has merit for further work.

Currently I am working on a story that feels like it has promise. "Boy Oh Boy" (a working title) is about an amateur ventriloquist who may or may not be losing touch with reality due to failures in his personal life. I've presented two early chapters to my monthly writing group, and with their encouragement and suggestions will work toward completing the first draft. After that I will do some more research into ventriloquy, and begin the long task of rewrites. Keep you fingers crossed for me.

Just wanted to take a minute to share in my success. Thanks to all of you who encouraged me.

Now that's one big bug!

Yup, spring is here and the bugs are out. Don't mind this one too much though. Kinda cute, don't ya think? (and it doesn't bite or leave a awful odor on your hands)

Here are some pics of my latest creation. I have to say I am much happier with the softball ladybug than I was with bowling ball version. (Sorry no good pics of that one.) This one went home with Mom at Easter and is now hanging out at the library where she works. Have another of these in the works now that will stay with us. Mother's Day gift for Mary? Anyway, hope you enjoy these. Thanks to The Girl for taking the photos. She is turning out to be an impressive photographer!

More pics and thoughts later.

Oops!

Well, looks like I missed posting for the entire month of March. I had every intention of getting back here at least once, but procrastination done beat me down. I will attempt to be better in the future. (Seems like I have been saying this a lot here.)

So, to fill you in, I have been faithful to my 100x100 challenge, and have not missed a day of writing since beginning January 24th. Some days I just barely get my 100 words, and others I write as many as 800. (Sadly not as many of the big number days as I'd like.) I have completed a story, began another, and done a little work toward completely the story arc of my 2010 NaNoWriMo novel. I would really like to write more, but I have a way of letting that nasty self doubt sneak in and that tends to interfere with the more lengthy session. I am happy that I am at least getting some interaction with my writing on a daily basis. As Sark says, "Just do something."

Also on the writing front, I am enrolled to participate in a day long workshop called "Write Like a River" at the end of April. There will be writing exercises, meditation and interaction with two published authors. All of this will be conducted near the river in beautiful Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin. Hopefully this workshop will help me to work through the reasons that I have not completely allowed myself to embrace the author in me.

The writing group is still going well. I enjoy the interaction with other newby writer's and Kathy's enthusiasm and encouragement are inspiring. I have been reading a lot in my genre as well. I finished Joe Hill's Horns and have to say I really enjoyed it. Maybe not as much as Heart-Shaped Box, but it was still a very clever and entertaining story. I hear it has been optioned for a film. Hopefully it doesn't get ruined.

I also just finished the first book in a new Lincoln Child & Douglas Preston series. Gideon's Sword was a fairly disappointing book. I've really enjoyed the authors' Inspector Pendergast novels, but did not find myself engaged with the characters in this new venture. The ending seemed rushed and fairly unsatisfactory. I couldn't help feeling like I was missing something or like the two writers weren't sure how to conclude the story. Will have to see how the second book sounds before I decide whether to keep up with Gideon's escapades.

I am excited to start reading the latest Locke and Key graphic novel. It is in the stack next to my chair right now, along with a novel by horror author Brian Keene called Urban Gothic. This second book is very dark and more brutal that I was expecting, but I like the atmospheric tone, and novel storyline.

As for artwork, I intentionally took December off once I got a few orders completed and delivered. December off led into January off. It felt good, but then I started to feel guilty. Spent some time in the studio in February working on Mary's Valentine. As promised, here is a photo of the finished product.

I am quite happy with the way it turned out and I am thinking about doing some others. (possibly seasonally or holiday themed "cup"cakes) I see some potential here. Will shop around for some more cups and saucers and play around with the idea. I also have some new softballs started, and will be getting back into those this week. In addition an idea for some painted collage pieces came to me, and I am anxious to experiment with them. The arrival of spring has inspired me to get creative again. I fell into hibernation mode after the excitement of the holidays, and the momentary burst of enthusiasm that the new year brought. I will be posting photos of the finished character balls soon, and when I have some decent W.I.Ps to post, I will get those up her as well.

Thank you to all of you who read me. I appreciate knowing you are out there cheering me along. See you in the blogosphere again soon!

It's February, it's snowy and when did I get here?

I see that it has been over a month since my last blog entry. Where does the time go?

Here's what I have been up to since last time:

I purposely took the month of December off from spending time in the studio. Unfortunately it melded into a January of no art making. I did pick up a few things for the studio during that time, so it hasn't totally been "out of sight..."you know the rest. I bought a desk lamp with a base that can hold brushes, scissors, and other tools, as well as a set of attachments for the Dremmel tool. I am pretty well outfitted for now. I recently returned to the studio to work on a Valentine for Mary. I am not much of a store bought card kind of guy, so I usually try to make her something. When it is completed, I will post a picture of it here. After I finish with that, I have a couple of softballs to work on, some plant stake "heads," and some other ideas I've had brewing.

Most of my creative time lately has been spent reading about writing, writing and writing some more. About two weeks ago, some of us in my writing group started the 100x100 challenge. We have committed to writing at least 100 words a day for 100 days. If you miss a day, you start over at day 1. I am determined not to have to start over, so I have stayed on track. Got a little discouraged for a stretch because I felt like I was writing 100 crappy words, but I am feeling like I have rebounded lately. It has been a good exercise, because it succeeds in making writing a part of my life on a daily basis, not just once in a while. To help along those lines, I have started carrying a small notebook with me at all times so that when inspirations strikes, I can jot down whatever it is that I have thought. Forgot to take the notebook with me yesterday when I went to the grocery store, so I found myself jotting some things down on the back of my list while I waited at the checkout. Don't know if I will every use the things in the notebook, but again, it keeps my writing in the foreground throughout the day. Feels good to be writing so much.

In addition to reading about writing, I have been reading for pleasure (and research of sorts) as well. I got the graphic novel bug lately, and after a trip to the comic book store a few weekends ago, I have been working my way through a couple of series. I read "The Umbrella Academy," "The Stuff of Legend" and Joe Hill's "Locke and Key." Of these I most enjoy "Locke and Key."

Clever storylines, and great graphic work by Gabriel Rodriguez. Though it is an entirely different way to read, I will continue with the graphic novel and comic book reading (for now anyway). It makes me think even more visually, which I think is a good thing given that I am an artist and a writer.

Through this reading, I have rediscovered the author Joe Hill. I read his book "Heart Shaped Box" a few years back and it has stuck with me. His ideas are unique and he is a master and creating mood, and truly believable characters. I am currently reading his newest novel, "Horns" which, if described here, might sound silly, but at a quarter of the way in, I am enjoying. Again it is unique, dark, and surprisingly humorous.

I have to admit to some writer's envy when it comes to Joe Hill. He writes like I hope to write eventually. Being as good as he is might have something to do with his genes (he's the son of Stephen King), though I think it is more than that. I will try to glean as much as I can from reading him for now in the hopes that some of his magic might rub off on me.

Guess that catches us up a little for now. Will try to get back here soon with more news on art and writing. Till then, let's hope for an early spring. It's getting me down. (Though creatively that might be a good thing.)

My new year in writing

In the new year, I am increasing my focus on writing, but first I have had to embrace and accept the fact that I write within the horror genre. Reading the book On Writing Horror has helped quite a bit in that respect. Though I am not even half way through, I have encountered numerous entries from respected authors who also struggled with the stigma of writing something other than mainstream literary fiction. Apparently I am not alone! Now I vow to spend my time learning to be a writer and honing my craft. In addition to reading about not just writing horror, but also about writing in general, I will be continuing with my monthly writing group, and have made the decision to attend my first writer's conference this spring. I will include the details on this in a future post. Currently I have the novel I started for NaNo this past November (Plain Folk) that still needs my attention. I met the 50,000 word challenge, but did not reach a conclusion with my story, so I want to get back to it while the idea is still somewhat fresh. In addition to finishing the thought there, I have a short story (Bitter Pill) started and rewrites on my very first NaNo novel (The Gingerbread Lady) that I will be working on in the coming months. I have a good feeling about this and look forward to my journey into this relatively new endeavor.

I promise to not let my attention to my art lag while I spend more time writing however. In many ways I think that the art and the writing will prove to be good companions. I took some of the money I made this fall selling my painted softballs and bought a work light for my studio. (The overhead fixture just wasn't cutting it.) Though I have only been putzing down there, it has proven to be a good investment. Now that I am pretty well outfitted, I will continue with what I was working on prior to the holidays as well as beginning some new things that have been floating around in my head lately. I will be venturing into making pieces that combine my interests in sculpting and painting by fashioning dimensional wall hangings. I also would like to try out some hand painted banners this year. I am excited about all of the possibilities.

The graphic says it all

New Years "Intentions" for 2011 (I prefer intention to resolution.)

1. Embrace the quirkiness.

2. Feed the creativity.

3. Fill up on positivity.

4. Enjoy the ride!

Here's hoping  for pleasant surprises, loads of love and a few valuable life lessons for us all in the coming year. 

Thanks for being there!

Merry Christmas to all!

The result of the gingerbread house workshop I lead at work last week.
Can't wait to eat it!

Just a few minutes away from holiday hubbub to wish everyone an enjoyable Christmas wherever you are and whatever you do. Looking forward to the promise of 2011!