Friday, May 31, 2013

Day 145 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

ANNOUNCEMENT

 

1. I am a believer in the never ending process of learning. In that cause I would like to put out an invitation to poets living in the Ventura, California area. Wednesday nights, for the next four weeks, at 7 PM in Ventura at the Vita Art Center, 432 North Ventura Avenue, there will be an ongoing poetry workshop. This is a great opportunity to sharpen your craft and gather with other writers in the pursuit of excellence.

 

 

IS IT JUST BIG BROTHER OR ARE WE BECOMING OUR VERY OWN VERSION OF THE "THOUGHT POLICE"?

 

Where Are You When We Need You, George Orwell?
 
 
I can get off on something of a tear when I start dealing with the non-confrontational aspect of today's arts communities - the constant denial that there is such a thing as "BAD" art and that it should be pointed out as such. Most of this is masked in the security of group-think. In this behavior, people will band together in enclaves which share a particular style, genre, subject, agenda (and don't we just have a love affair with that pity-pot mentality)! Whatever the cause celebre is, it is then promulgated quickly across the strata and becomes a bastion from which to hurl derision at anyone who might question the validity of any particular  position.
 
Not being a wallflower by anybody's definition, I am more than willing to storm the walls and set fire to the altar within. Then, like the Romans in Carthage, I would love to plough under the ruins and sow salt on that particular piece of ground so nothing ever takes seed again. In today's environment, this can seem like a Quixotic crusade, tilting at windmills and, occasionally, finding myself flat on my ass through sheer weight of numbers.
 
That's why I appreciate it when I find another voice in this fucking vast Siberia of the soul. This time it is in the person of Maria Konnikova, who posted a thoughtful, and incisive piece on The Big Think. To save you having to dig around for it, here's the link to the specific page: The Pervasive Threat Of Conformity. I hope you find it as interesting as I did.
 
 
In the meantime, the in between time...live, love, write.
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Day 144 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

ANNOUNCEMENT

 
 
1. I am a believer in the never ending process of learning. In that cause I would like to put out an invitation to poets living in the Ventura, California area. Wednesday nights, for the next four weeks, at 7 PM in Ventura at the Vita Art Center, 432 North Ventura Avenue, there will be an ongoing poetry workshop. This is a great opportunity to sharpen your craft and gather with other writers in the pursuit of excellence.
 

 

IS IT REAL OR IS IT NARCISSISM?

 

 
What is it with the majority of this latest crop of writers, especially those to be found on the Internet? I realize that, with the advent of the self-publishing phenomenon, everyone is allowed to delude themselves into thinking that they've really accomplished something by putting whatever type of tome out for mass consumption...but really! As far as I've been able to tell, it's more like a giant bargain table at Barnes and Noble. You know, that place where the stuff that just wasn't moving ends up at twenty-five percent off before it's finally relegated to the recycle processor and turned into cardboard boxes.
 
Unfortunately, these works are seeing the light of day for the first time and being offered at prices that say, "Hey, I don't think anybody would pay me fair market value for this, so I think I'll just give it away." Hell, the time it took to conceive, write, and get these products into an acceptable format is worth more than what's being charged. (I'll forego my opinion on the quality of the writing involved...Yup, that was intentionally snarky.) It's an interesting sales concept and one I'm definitely not trying to discourage.
 
I've run a couple of businesses and had good success. This was due in part to the fact I NEVER accepted a "try it before you by it deal". My approach was, "Let's see how well we work together. If you come back often enough then I'll work with you on pricing. Otherwise, pay me what I'm worth or negotiations end here."
 
There are a couple of "guru's" out there advocating the self-publishing and I don't feel they're doing anyone any favors. About the only real niche I see being filled is between their more needy followers. This is a closed system and, eventually, is probably doomed to failure. I could be wrong in individual cases, but, for the majority of the participants, it all comes down to a simple matter of ego enhancement and has little to do with becoming better, more proficient, and artistically capable, authors.
 
Real improvement is accomplished by meeting the challenges of peer assessments and competition in the open market. This is not a path of least resistance scenario, but one that requires constant learning and striving to apply the lessons acquired to exceed the abilities of others in the field. If you eschew this as too competitive and judgemental, then you are only setting yourself up to rise to a general level of mediocrity. Again, tally-ho and have at it, wandering around on a vast plain can be familiar and comforting but you can only glimpse far horizons when you accept the call to climb the mountain.
 
Just My Not So Humble Opinion...Meanwhile...live, love, write.
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author. 
 


Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Day 143 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

ANNOUNCEMENT

 

1. I am a believer in the never ending process of learning. In that cause I would like to put out an invitation to poets living in the Ventura, California area. Wednesday nights, for the next four weeks, at 7 PM in Ventura at the Vita Art Center, 432 North Ventura Avenue, there will be an ongoing poetry workshop. This is a great opportunity to sharpen your craft and gather with other writers in the pursuit of excellence.

 

 

QUESTION FOR THE MASSES?

 

I'm not sure how many poets are in the audience I assume I'm reaching, but I want to ask a simple question. The premise involves your familiarity with the term "chapbook". For those of you unfamiliar with this bit of 'Ye Olde English', it translates as, "a cheap book", or one that is inexpensively produced, usually at the expense of a writer of short fiction or poetry. It is meant as a limited edition, limited distribution piece, intended to showcase a writer or small group of writers latest works. Quite often you find them after poetry readings as a means of the featured reader or readers augmenting whatever happens to come from passing a hat.
 
My question is, quite simply, how do you view this practice? Is it something you're familiar with? Do you think it useful in getting out quality work of serious poets and writers, or merely as a vanity? I ask this because the poetry workshop I am taking part in is in the process of producing a chapbook to highlight the better works that have been brought in by the participants. I hate to say it (Perhaps I'm just jaded?), but I'm having something of a crisis of enthusiasm over the whole thing. Partially, I blame a real balls to the wall spree of my own writing and having to be constantly aware that I'm flirting around the edges of creative flame out.
 
Any of your thoughts on this would be enormously appreciated. You can comment, as usual, through the box at the bottom of the page or my email address. Thanks for anything you might want to put forward.
 
 
Meanwhile...live, love, write.
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Day 142 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

ANNOUNCEMENT

 
 
1. I am a believer in the never ending process of learning. In that cause I would like to put out an invitation to poets living in the Ventura, California area. Wednesday nights, for the next five weeks, at 7 PM in Ventura at the Vita Art Center, 432 North Ventura Avenue, there will be an ongoing poetry workshop. This is a great opportunity to sharpen your craft and gather with other writers in the pursuit of excellence.

 

 

WHAT KEEPS IT ALL GOING?

 

Just one of those questions that comes up over dinner. You get to thinking about all the things you're doing. All the different projects, the daily requirements and goals, others you might shuffle or suspend to help meet the timetables for the former...When, suddenly, someone points it all out to you (usually with a query as to whether you ever get concerned over burnout), and you wonder to yourself if that's a realistic possibility?
 
So, what does keep it going? Like an obsessed juggler, you're always looking for another "something" to get into the rotation. You look for the rhythm, the beat that will ensure your hands are where they need to be. You concentrate ever more sharply on each obligation as it reaches apogee. You never question your endurance or commitment, you just sit at the typewriter and bleed.
 
Maybe that's what keeps it all moving? The ability to just slip from one task to the next without questioning how or why. You keep your personae as separate as the files you keep your work in. There's the blogger, the short fiction writer, the novelist, poet, editor, and whatever else you want to throw into the mix. But what is it that drives this engine?
 
For me it is a simple matter of creative overdrive. I get on to an idea and, if it doesn't immolate before I can begin to formalize a train of thought, then, before I know it, I'm making notes. This is a habit I've developed simply because too many nascent possibilities disappeared into the ether of my subconscious. The downside is, once I've given any attention to them, they take on those pesky lives of their own and demand attention.
 
Another pitfall is an utter inability to say no. People will ask me to write a piece of fiction, or an introduction, or verse on a particular topic, and I am completely unable to say no. This isn't as much a matter of ego, as it is being absolutely flattered when another human being takes enough of a liking to my style and voice to make a personal request like that! At that point it is more than obligatory for me. I look at it as a rare opportunity, one which has been laid before me instead of something I am pursuing in the hopes that I MIGHT be noticed.
 
What's my point? Follow your muse. Even if it is a rare and obscenely demanding mistress. Not everything will succeed but something always does. The more time you spend exploring your own imagination and ability, the better you will become at this game. Of course, I'm not talking about a pleasant, ego driven stroll through the land of, OH WHAT A GENIUS I AM, but an honest job of work with the intent of getting out whatever your striving for in a form better than you have ever produced. Oh yeah, go outside from time to time. Even a muse needs a good airing and the occasional vacation!
 
 
Meanwhile...live, love, write.
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Day 141 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

ANNOUNCEMENT

 

1. I am a believer in the never ending process of learning. In that cause I would like to put out an invitation to poets living in the Ventura, California area. Wednesday nights, for the next five weeks, at 7 PM in Ventura at the Vita Art Center, 432 North Ventura Avenue, there will be an ongoing poetry workshop. This is a great opportunity to sharpen your craft and gather with other writers in the pursuit of excellence.

 

 

AUTHENTICITY

OR

I Honestly Don't Think He Was Bullshitting Just Then.

 

You know what I mean. That spot in a story where, as you're reading it, you just know that the writer has more than an Internet reference to some set of facts. It might be a location, or language, or the description of a particular emotional reaction. There's something there that tells you, this author has had experience.
 
Is this always true? No, after all, how many writers of historical fiction have ever really been in a sword fight? Or stood forty yards apart, reloading a flintlock, in the face of the whithering fire being delivered by a Redcoat regiment? Or exited a C-130 above thirty thousand feet for a covert insertion behind hostile lines.
 
How many have written slice of life vignettes involving a blues musician who, themselves, can actually pick up a guitar and lay down a competent B flat riff? Or describe the intricate taste of a pasta puttanesca (Or what it translates as?)? Or accurately describe how to prepare sawmill gravy and homemade baking powder biscuits? Or what it's like to sleep rough in a boxcar?
 
How many times do you read a description of a gunfight between cowboys, mob soldiers, or gangsters on modern streets, and say to yourself, "I don't think so?" So, what makes the ones that come off so good, actually work? Sometimes it's life experience, but more often than not, it's research.
 
Some of this can be conducted on the Internet, or in a library, or through any number of museums and organizations. (You would be amazed at some of the obscure subjects that have clubs or societies devoted to their reenactment, preservation, or resuscitation.) Not only are there people all over the world actively preserving the records of almost any given historical period, and the incredible minutiae of each, there are also any number of groups actively keeping the pomp, ceremony, and gritty everyday life of any period you can think of, alive. It might take a bit to find them, but once you do, you have an incredible, in depth resource at your fingertips.
 
How about the hands-on aspect of it? Well, what does it take just to properly load, prime, aim, and accurately fire a flintlock of the Revolutionary war period? Again, there are historic sites, enthusiasts, and reenactors who can really improve your knowledge and believability there. As can any number of Fur Period groups, or Western Frontier Cavalry groups, and on, and on.
 
How about the foodie questions? The best way I can tell you to get some authenticity in those descriptions (the kind that allows you to mention one small detail and be in indisputable command), is to find the recipe and ingredients and step into the kitchen. Come on, you cannot live on a diet of fast food and prepackaged mystery meat and expect to tell me what a good Jaeger Schnitzel mit Salzkartoffeln should be made from or taste like. When was the last time YOU cooked Boeuf Borguingon? Have you ever made bubble and squeak or champ? For that matter, how many times have you made bread or beans in a dutch oven?
 
While I was in the military, there were two occasions when I was either interviewed by, or assigned as escort to, a fiction writer who was doing research on a piece he was writing. You'd be surprised how cooperative the military can be in some circumstances. No, they don't always agree, but they have been known to allow access even when there was a good possibility they weren't about to be portrayed in the most flattering light. You don't know until you ask. But once you ask and follow through with honest, insightful questions and inquiries, you mark yourself as someone who has better reference than the others writing a hundred similar stories. Let's face it. if you find a way to stand out, then take it.
 
Why are there so many fantasy and vampire writers out there? Because it doesn't require the same level of work as someone trying to put something in a context that requires more than making it up as you go. Sorry to all the elves, trolls, and neck biters out there (Ooooh, Margot, you naughty little thing. That'll leave a mark!), but if I have my druthers, I'd druther the person I'm reading pull me in by showing me they actually had to work to put their story together.
 
 
Meanwhile...live, love, write.
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Day 140 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

ANNOUNCEMENT

 

1. I am a believer in the never ending process of learning. In that cause I would like to put out an invitation to poets living in the Ventura, California area. Wednesday nights, for the next five weeks, at 7 PM in Ventura at the Vita Art Center, 432 North Ventura Avenue, there will be an ongoing poetry workshop. This is a great opportunity to sharpen your craft and gather with other writers in the pursuit of excellence.

 

 

REMEMBER YOU'RE HUMAN.

 

IT'S UP TO YOU TO VALUE YOUR DOWN TIME. ESPECIALLY WHEN OTHERS DEFEND IT.

 

Here we are on the Memorial Day weekend. For a lot of people, it's just a three day weekend. For others, it's a somber day of remembrance. I fall into the second category. Having served for a number of years in the U.S. military, today has a stronger significance for me than barbecues and sales. It's a time to remember some whom I've lost touch with and others I've lost. It's also a time to Rest and Recuperate, those two R's that can mean so much.
 
So, thanks to the federal government and a day job in civil service, I have the luxury to take part in something I figure I earned anyway, a little down time. What has that meant? Well, a trip to The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens on Saturday for one thing. Yesterday was also the monthly meeting of the Oxnard Bonsai Club, which is an affiliate of the Oxnard Buddhist Temple. This garnered an invitation by one of the members to come by today and take a look at a stunning collection of plants, both in its scope and number.
 
Today was also groceries day. (Hey, body and soul operate better as a cohesive unit!) A trip to the library in the early afternoon was followed by a little reading and then some time piddling around with my own modest collection of bonsai trees.
 
Tomorrow will be some time spent with my wonderful wife in our gardens and taking care of the never ending housework. As much as I'd like to hire it out, I haven't hit the Power Ball yet. But that's okay, one of the things that has helped maintain a marriage for over thirty-three years is the sharing of the drudgery.
 
Amongst all that, I find myself stopping from time to time, accosted by a memory I thought had been lost forever. Men, and some women, much younger and vitally alive, proud in their service to their nation. We all shared hardship and heartache, good times and bad. Some of them were brought much closer by the possibility of death, and some, who paid that price at far too young an age, I try never to forget.
 
So, whether it's a day off or a day to remember, take just a moment to know, somewhere in the world, right now, some young man or woman is standing his or her shift so we might Rest and Recuperate in peace.
 
 
Meanwhile...live, love, write.
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Day 139 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

ANNOUNCEMENT

 

1. I am a believer in the never ending process of learning. In that cause I would like to put out an invitation to poets living in the Ventura, California area. Wednesday nights, for the next five weeks, at 7 PM in Ventura at the Vita Art Center, 432 North Ventura Avenue, there will be an ongoing poetry workshop. This is a great opportunity to sharpen your craft and gather with other writers in the pursuit of excellence.
 
 
 
 

INTO EVERY LIFE AND ALL THAT JAZZ!

OR
 

NO ONE SAID IT'S EASY

 

 
I'm the one over here singing the rah-rah song all the time. So how would it be if I was the one looking at the rejection notice? Let's explore that for a minute.
 
Never having been one for starting at the bottom, or waiting my turn, I sent off a piece of short fiction to the Iowa Review for their annual competition. Mind you, I am VERY  aware that academic competitions are not the same as writing commercial fiction. There is a markedly different tenor and form to this world. Also, when there were over five hundred submissions for one prize, well let's just say, I recognize long odds when I run into them. Throw into the mix that judging in a case like this is bound to be subjective and I wasn't looking at this as a done deal.
 
But, hey! We all have hopes and dreams. Yours truly is no exception in these matters. All of us would love to see ourselves referred to as, "This Year's Winner of the___________ Award"! If you don't think that way, you're either totally devoid of ego, or you are suffering from the world's record case of third sub-basement esteem syndrome. I hate to break the news to my loyal followers and the casual reader, but I am not, "This Year's Winner." As a matter of fact, I didn't make the final cut. That was worth about sixty seconds of, "Well, shit!"
 
No, I'm not kidding. The advantage of advanced years and enough times around the block is to realize that it's more of an opportunity for me than a failure. How so? Well, the story's been in the bottom drawer dungeon of my desk since I sent it out and there have been a number of projects between times. Quite a few of these involved submissions of all types, so I wasn't exactly sitting here watching the mail. I'm smack in the middle of a couple of things right now, one of which is yet another short story. So, as soon as that one's done, I'll be able to devote some time to the one that just got rejected.
 
I'll be able to read it with fresh eyes and a mind sufficiently far removed from the initial heat of creation that it will no longer be a "darling" for me. I'll be able to be far more objective and workmanlike in my assessment and rewriting of the story. My reading of it won't be tainted by my own self-aggrandisement or quite so much self-involvement. I will be able to more finely craft what I have. This is the advantage of distance. The work becomes something written by the me of several months ago, who isn't the same me reading it today. Who knows, maybe this time I'll find someplace to sell this puppy. If not, then maybe next time, because quitting isn't a damned option!
 
 
Meanwhile...live, love.write, rewrite, and resubmit!
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Day 138 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

ANNOUNCEMENT

 
 
1. I am a believer in the never ending process of learning. In that cause I would like to put out an invitation to poets living in the Ventura, California area. Wednesday nights, for the next five weeks, at 7 PM in Ventura at the Vita Art Center, 432 North Ventura Avenue, there will be an ongoing poetry workshop. This is a great opportunity to sharpen your craft and gather with other writers in the pursuit of excellence.
 
 
 

THIS IS THE FOURTH TITLE FOR TODAY'S BLOG

It's Been One Of Those Weeks! So Instead Of Profound Or Sarcastic I'm Just Going To Stick With Helpful Hints.

Why was it I quit drinking?

 

I'm not sure if any of you are familiar with K.M. Weiland , but there's a link for you that's worth a click. Author, blogger, speaker, teacher...a load of helpful FREE stuff. If nothing else she  has a Writer's Manifesto that is a one page printout that I have smack above my monitor so that it is completely unavoidable. Great reminder of who you are and what you're doing if you're a writer. Check it out!
 
 Another terrific source of information, instruction, and writerly wisdom can be found at Writer Unboxed, the brainchild of Kathleen Bolton and Therese Walsh. There are tons of articles by the regular contributors. Interview upon interview with writers and industry movers and shakers, and a stunning list of other blogs in their blogtopia section. My only caveat with this site is that you can spend far more time in there than is healthy if you're trying to maintain a daily word count or page quota.

If you're just looking for a little something inspirational, try THIRTY INDISPENSABLE WRITING TIPS FROM FAMOUS AUTHORS. Hey, if you're reading a world renowned crackpot like me, you might as well take a break and check out the men and women who supposedly knew what they were saying. As a painter friend of mine once told me, "Melvin, if you do this crap long enough, someone will have the balls to call you a master." It's actually worth a look in that it's pretty much short bits of wisdom that are sound byte digestible.

Last, but far from least, for those times when you need a little protection! (Carol Anne...What are you thinking???!!!) Not that kind, silly, this kind, U.S. Copyright Office. Let's face it, we all have need of that little symbol...(Don't think so? E-mail me and I can tell you my personal horror story involving a major producer of motion pictures who won't necessarily remain unnamed).

So, there you have it. That ought to be enough to keep you busy for anywhere from twenty seconds to several days, depending on how well you're reacting to those A.D.D. medications. Love to hear about your helpful, entertaining, or just damned cool sites...I'm always looking for another way to procrastinate three or four hundred words off my daily totals!


Meanwhile...live, love, write!


Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.


Tomorrow,

Dane F. Baylis
Author.
 

 

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Day 137 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

ANNOUNCEMENT

 

1. I am a believer in the never ending process of learning. In that cause I would like to put out an invitation to poets living in the Ventura, California area. Wednesday nights, for the next five weeks, at 7 PM in Ventura at the Vita Art Center, 432 North Ventura Avenue, there will be an ongoing poetry workshop. This is a great opportunity to sharpen your craft and gather with other writers in the pursuit of excellence.
 
 
 

 

IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER

 

It Isn't About The Trip, Or The Destination, It's All About The Road You Travel.

 

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned along the way that, though a westerner born and bred, I am a practicing Shin Buddhist of the Pure Land School. Before any of you ask the obvious question, I haven't any real idea what enlightenment is or feels like, nor do I know the true meaning of life. Although I spend a lot of time in my office/studio, it's not a cave and I'm not a reclusive monk. Sorry.
 
Something I've learned in the study of eastern philosophy and beliefs that has left an indelible impression on my work and my life is that it isn't the final goal or destination we are headed toward that is most important. What is tantamount is the journey itself. Each step we make is the one we should be concentrating on the fullest, striving to set our foot on the best part of the path, so the trip is as smooth and effortless as possible while paying attention to the details that surround us.
 
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." This quote is attributed to Lao Tzu (also spelled as Lauzi) and is more accurately translated, "The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one's feet." In other words, the proper place to begin any endeavor is where you are RIGHT NOW! 
 
I've talked to so many people, of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels who say things such as, "as soon as I reach this point", or "this happens", or "I finish this, I'm going to try writing". They speak of it as if it were something that would require all their time and energy and involve the accumulation of some vague skill set. The true secret to writing is actually very difficult to comprehend. There are several steps, but perhaps the best summation I've encountered comes from Jeff Goins, who put it like this:
 
1. Sit down.
2. Place your fingers on the keys.
3. Write.
 
That simple. No huge mystery or arduous preparation. If you want to write, then write. Does this mean that you will be a New York Times best seller or Pulitzer Prize winner? Well, anything is possible. But the probability is a little low in this case I'm afraid.
 
The important part is that you have grasped the entire meaning of Lao Tzu's little homily. It isn't the goal you're after that's important. That may change for you or you may arrive at an entirely unexpected place. The important part is the journey. Setting one foot down...and then the next...and the next, until you arrive at whatever it is that awaits you. The place you begin is where you are when you set out. Before you take the first step, when you have made up your mind and set your heart to the journey, you are underway. From then on it is a matter of remaining mindful of all that is revealed to you along the way and being open to the lessons to be learned from other writers, from the world around us, and from the innermost places in our own hearts. Will it all be smooth and an even grade? One would hope not. Where's the adventure or learning in that? This isn't AmTrak we're talking about after all. All things worth accomplishing involve some level of struggle.
 
 
Meanwhile...live, love, write.
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author.