Matthew Dicks's Blog, page 341

How to Age Gracefully

It's a good video full of excellent advice.

My favorite bit of advice from the video - and one that I am constantly telling people  - is the advice of the 47 year old. 

People of all ages offer words of wisdom to their younger counterparts in this WireTap farewell video, from CBC Radio One.

Audio excerpt of The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs

As an avid audiobook listener, it was thrilled to receive the audio excerpt from my upcoming novel, The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs. I had no say in the choice of narrator, but once again, the producers have done a fantastic job. 

I actually think the book sounds better in Cynthia Hopkins' voice than it does when I hear it in my own head.   

Booklist, Kirkus, and Library Journal review The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs

Booklist
Dicks (Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, 2012) knows high-school bullying firsthand, and his story rings true. But the strength of this novel is its well-rounded characters, notably children and teens, as they deal with life in general. Polly particularly shines in this sometimes quirky story with special appeal to all who struggled during their difficult high school years.

Kirkus
Dicks well balances Caroline's caution against Polly's pluck, Caroline's passive-aggressiveness against Polly's outrage, creating a believable mother-daughter relationship. As each secret comes to light, he shapes their initially fraught ties into strong friendship. Heartwarming and often darkly humorous, this road trip for vengeance fairly cries out for filming.

Library Journal
Dicks's fourth novel is for anyone who has wished they'd stood up for themselves or delivered that perfect comeback at just the right time.

Ariel Lawhon - shereads.org
THE PERFECT COMEBACK OF CAROLINE JACOBS is an enchanting novel about the ways in which our childhood experiences reverberate through our lives. It’s the story of a woman looking to fix her life through an act of bravery, and of a mother and daughter learning to understand one another. Deceptively simple and highly engaging, this latest novel by Matthew Dicks is perfect for those of us who were last to be picked at sports, and for everyone who is thrilled not to be in high school any more.

My book launch party: Who's coming?

The sign says "Reading/Signing" but it really should read:

Storytelling/Hilarious Student Readers/Giveaways/Question-and-Answers/Laughs/Signing/Pretty Wife.

You should come. 

I am not talented. I am only tenacious.

Every month for the last five years, I have been posting my yearly goals and the progress (or lack thereof) that I have made. It's been an outstanding way of holding myself accountable to the goals set at the beginning of each year and has served as an excellent source of motivation for me as well.

Oddly enough, these posts - which were originally written with only myself in mind - have become some of the most popular things that I write on this blog. Readers follow my progress religiously, and I receive more emails and comments from regarding these posts than almost any other.

Readers offer my encouragement. Sometimes offer to assist in the completion of a goal. They express disbelief in the amount of things I manage to accomplish in a month or a year. They claim to find great inspiration in my progress.

I cherish these unexpected words of support and encouragement from people who I've never met. 

But I want to be exceptionally clear:

Any of the success that I've had has come through hard work and intense focus. If I am talented, my talent is marginal at best. I work hard. My mind is active at all times. I remain focused on the things I want to accomplish. 

In reading the emails that I receive, I sometimes worry that people think that I'm different or special or gifted or am blessed with greater energy than most. None of this is the case. The only gifts that I possess are tenacity and drive, and these are available to anyone who wants them. Anyone willing to work hard. Anyone willing to relentlessly pursue their goals. 

There are many ways that I manage to achieve my goals. None of them are especially insightful or even original. But when applied with rigor and consistency, they work. You can read about some of my productivity tips on this blog, but a few big ones:

I watch very little television.I create routines, habits, and systems in my life that allow me to maximize my time. I'm hyper organized, which increases my productivity substantially. I'm a non-materialistic minimalist, and as such, things (or the need for things) do not get in my way.I exercise daily, which increases my energy level and allows me to work better and longer.I love what I do. I have chosen work that I am deeply passionate about. I enjoy the support of a remarkable wife and a group of incredibly accomplished friends. 

With the exception of the last bullet, we are all capable of making these things happen in our lives today. None of them are exactly groundbreaking. None of them haven't been said before. 

I say all this because I don't want anyone to read these posts on my yearly progress and think that I am special or talented or gifted. I am none of these things. I am simply determined as hell to achieve my goals. 

Anyone could realize the same level of success as me. A great many people accomplish goals much greater than mine.

Please don't ever think that success is beyond your capability. My belief in the capacity of human beings is immense. If I can do it, anyone can do it, and it can probably be done better.  

Resolution update: August 2015

PERSONAL HEALTH

1. Don’t die.

Feeling younger every day. Sincerely.  

2. Lose 20 pounds.

Down 12 pounds as of this morning. I might actually accomplish this after all.   

3. Do at least 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups five days a week.

Done. 

4. Stop drinking soda from two-liter bottles.

I didn’t drink soda from a two-liter bottle in August. Soda consumption continues to fall dramatically and water consumption is on the increase. 

5. Practice yoga at least five days a week.

I continue to practice yoga every morning. I am still not good. I still need a refresher from my coach. I will try to get one this month.   

6. Learn to cook three good meals for my wife.

I have three recipes to plan for courtesy of a good friend. I have done nothing with them thus far. 

WRITING CAREER

7. Complete my sixth novel before the end of 2015.

Good news! My publisher and I have agreed on a new two book deal, including this novel. It will not be completed by the end of the summer, so I am adjusting my goal is the end of 2015.

In fairness, I've written more than a novel's worth of content this year, spread between three different books, but none are completely finished.   

8. Complete my seventh novel.

This book is also more than half finished.   

9. Sell one children’s book to a publisher.

Four of my children's books are in the hands of an actual editor who requested to see them. We await word on any potential offer. 

10. Sell a memoir to a publisher.

The memoir is written and polished. It will be paired with my book of essays, so it remains on my laptop, waiting for the essays to be complete.  

11. Sell a book of essays to a publisher.

My book of essays was pitched did not sell, but the revised version of the project is moving along at a rapid pace. Based upon the feedback from editors during the first round, we are very hopeful. 

12. Complete a book proposal for a book on storytelling.

Progress continues. It's now fully outlined. I need to write 2-3 sample chapters and the actual proposal. Elysha thinks that completing this proposal should be a priority, so I have made it such.  

13. Write a new screenplay.

Revisions of my first screenplay - based upon film agent’s notes - are nearly complete.  

I have decided upon the story for the next screenplay and have the story fairly well outlined (thanks in part to a friend's excellent suggestion).   

14. Write 50 pages of a new memoir about the years of 1991-1993.

The collection of essays that I am writing now encompasses this period of time. This book and the book of essays are now one and the same.   

15. Write a musical for a summer camp.

Done! I was lucky enough to see it performed onstage in July. The feedback was outstanding. I hope to find a home for it at some point.

The musical that we wrote for last year's summer camp will be produced this fall at schools and other venues in the Hartford area. I am thrilled. 

16. Publish at least one Op-Ed in a physical newspaper.

Done! I published an Op-Ed in the Hartford Courant in July on why I choose to write in McDonald's restaurants.

I've also been asked to write another Op-Ed for the Courant for October. My dream is to land a weekly column at a newspaper like the Hartford Courant someday, but this is probably a hard gig to get. 

17. Submit one or more short stories to at least three publishing outlets.

I submitted one of my short stories to a student magazine in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and it was accepted. The bar for acceptance was admittedly quite low, but it counts. 

18. Select three behaviors that I am opposed to and adopt them for one week, then write about my experiences on the blog.

I spent a week in July backing into parking spots, which was something I assumed was only done by lunatics of the highest order. I'm in the process of writing about my experience in for a blog post (or perhaps an Op-Ed somewhere).

I'm on the hunt for my second behavior. Suggestions? 

19. Build an author mailing list.

Done! My latest newsletter was sent today. My mailing list is close to 1,000 subscribers and growing. 

If you're not signed up for my mailing list, you can do so here. 

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20. Build a new website for matthewdicks.com

Done!  

STORYTELLING

21. Produce a total of eight Speak Up storytelling events.

We produced our seventh show at Real Art Ways in August. Our next show on September 12 at the Noah Webster House in West Hartford, CT will complete this goal. We will exceed it by at least three by the end of 2015.   

22. Deliver my fourth TED Talk.

Done! The recording was released in August. One of the cameras did not record my talk, and the other started about two minutes late. The recording is disappointing and useless. I have the worst TED luck ever.  

23. Build a website for Speak Up.

Done! It’s a single page on my new author website, and it’s not nearly as robust as we want it to eventually be, but Speak Up finally has a webpage where you can find dates of events, ticket information, an opportunity to sign up for the mailing list, and more. You can find our webpage at speakupstorytelling.com.

24. Attend at least 10 Moth events with the intention of telling a story.

Done! I attended three Moth StorySLAMs in August and told stories at all three events. This brings my total number of Moth events in 2015 to 18. 

25. Win at least two Moth StorySLAMs.

Done! I won a StorySLAM at The Bell House in Brooklyn on August 3. I won a StorySLAM at Oberon in Cambridge back in April, giving me the two wins needed to achieve this goal. 

I'd like to double this win total before the end of the year. 

26. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

Done twice over! I won the New York GrandSLAM at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in April and June.      

27. Launch at least one podcast.

We have a name. We have a recording date. It should publish before the end of October.

NEW PROJECTS

28. Pitch at least three new projects to two smart people.

No progress in August. So far I have pitched two new projects to two smart people.  

29. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

Nothing scheduled yet.

MISCELLANEOUS

30. Enroll in the final class needed for certification as a high school English teacher.

No progress. 

31. Set a new personal best in golf.

I did not break 100 in the month of August. I shot a 48 for nine holes, which was three off my personal best.  

32. Post my progress in terms of these resolutions on this blog on the first day of every month.

Done.

My son says the funniest things. In retrospect.

Texts from my wife abut my three year-old son, Charlie:

Driving thru Starbucks. Clara wants a water. I ask Charlie if he wants one, too. He says, "How about no? How about a Dunkin Donut?" 

Charlie woke up early because he pooped. When I went in his room he said, "I pooped. Will you change my diaper and then take care of me in your bed?" So cute. I was hoping he'd get in bed and cuddle and maybe nap but nooo. He was wide awake by then! Now he's chasing Owen around with a Lego saying, "Here kitty kitty kitty!"

We The Stupid

Slate's Mike Pesca says a lot of smart things, but this might be the best thing he has ever said. You must listen.

Creativity fail

When you have to affix a sheet of computer paper below your artsy sign in order to translate a three letter word that could only be one of two words, you have failed.

The parenthesis are weird, too.

Mom and Dad Are Fighting: The Back to School Edition

I appeared on Slate's parenting podcast Mom and Dad Are Fighting this week, discussing what parents can do in the first week of school to help ensure the success of their children. 

You can listen here: