Steven Barnes's Blog, page 12

“If You Love Someone…DON’T set them free, but…”

 

“If you love someone, set them free.   If they come back, they’re yours; if they don’t they never were.”  Richard Bach

Not quite what I have in mind.  But almost.  Let me explain…

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Seth Breidbart said:   “At Detcon, at a room party. Someone asked you for dating advice, and you told him to treat every woman as if every other woman he’d meet would ask her for advice about him.

Felicia (his current wife)  was sitting on the bed trying not to die laughing, because before she agreed to go out...

The “Geek’s Guide to finding your Soulmate” is cooking no...

The “Geek’s Guide to finding your Soulmate” is cooking now, at the same time as the “Write a story in a month with a sentence a day” program, and at the same time that I came across a person in deep pain, struggling to make it through his day.   I made the suggestion of a Morning Ritual to access their positive emotions, and received the following heartfelt note:

 

(“Sidney” said:)

“I know you’re trying to be helpful but — a morning ritual? It’s a victory just to get out of bed, get dressed,...

October 13’s “30 Day Story Writing” after-action report

So we had another great webinar Saturday, where T and I chose an idea, and then dove into process: how do you turn an idea into a story?  To avoid pure instinct and emotion, I discussed the technical aspects, questions like “Who, What, Where, Why, How, When?” and patterns like the Hero’s Journey.

 

If I had ANY lack of clarity or faith in my ability, I would never begin a story until I had applied these tools, understood the overall shape and HAD AN END IN MIND.   I wouldn’t write it unless I...

Love is the greatest thing in the world…so start with yourself

So…the next major project will probably be our first complete “Soul Mate” course, probably a four-part Webinar.  I’m just dreaming about it now.  Frankly, I wasn’t convinced I could do it after my first marriage broke up. But when T and I passed our 20th anniversary…I said: “yeah. It is now honest to talk about this.”  So…I am.

A couple of things about finding a “Soul Mate”

Definition: a person with whom you can see and feel your entire life path opening before you.  They are the other half...

Can’t have it both ways

I had a recent FB conversation with a gentleman  who defended Confederate statues and memorials, and insisted that they were appropriate.  I do believe I understand his position.      But if he simultaneously claims to be a greater ally of black people, with more respect for us, than those opposed to the maintenance of those statues, I can only conclude that he is either asleep, or a snake.  If he would make the same argument to a Jew about a statue of Goebbels, he is at least consistent, and...

How Much Is Your Life Worth?

I had some fun today asking people how much money they would take for a year of their life.   At this point, the average is over 1 million for one year.

I ask you a serious question: do you live every day as if it is worth 3000 dollars?   If you wouldn’t trade a year of your life  for less than 3 million, are you living as if your life is worth 10k?  Do you seek that kind of joy, commitment, passion, contribution?   Do you treat each new day as if you have received a gift of that value?

 

I h...

My most important thing today:

My most important thing to accomplish today: rest. I’ve not taken a day off in almost eight weeks, pushing to create my new script. The title: MISSISSIPPI SHUFFLE. Just turned it in to my agents yesterday, and while it is far from perfect…I think it has the potential to be the best visual art I’ve ever created. LOTS of work to be done, yes.

 

But…I can feel that my regulator is “stuck” on “on.” I have to chill, calm down, work out (done: Kettlebell intervals) and sleep until my body feels “li...

Stress Conceals Itself

I was talking to a dear friend yesterday who was feeling massive life stress over current events. Last week, a nice lady told me that I was literally the only person she had spoken to who wasn’t in despair.   A couple of days ago I watched an entire thread of people talking about how much anger, pain, sleeplessness, and stress they were boiling in.

 

And what I know, beyond any doubt that the common thread is that none of them are doing Heartbeat Meditation.  None doing a “Morning Ritual.”  N...

Fourteen Solid Notions

We’re pushing into the “Sentence a day…horror story in a month” territory.  Today I’ll be choosing one of the two main ideas we came up with.  And I’ll let the students know which it was.   But meanwhile, in  a completely different arena, I’m getting some business coaching, and was given the following list of principles. And (surprise surprise) every one of them applies to writing this story.   As there are many students who are working on their OWN project along with me, I thought I’d share...

First Question From Saturday!

We did a webinar Saturday, the first of the “Write a Halloween Story in a Month With a Sentence A Day” class we’re doing all month. (you can join at http://www.lifewrite.com)

Got a question today from “Judy”:

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“Good morning Steve, I enjoyed the 1st. part of the short horror story we’re going to build together. I wasn’t able to tune in live as I had guests from out of town. I can already feel the anxiety starting that always seizes my mind when I want to write. I think that I have pinpoint...