Robin Burrows's Blog, page 10
June 25, 2012
Blog: Share the Appreciation This Summer – Review Books You Love
Happy Summer! With school breaks and vacations (and hot-hot weather), summer is a great time to catch up on reading. It’s also a great time to show your appreciation to the authors you love. Writers need lots of encouragement. A kind word from a reader could mean the difference between a good day and a bad day for writing. We all need encouragement. We all like to be appreciated. But creative people need it more than most.
So this summer, if you read a book you love, let the author know.
Write a blog about the book.
Review the book on amazon.com, goodreads.com, or your favorite book review platform.
Or even sent the author an email and let them know why you liked the book.
As a writer, I don’t know if my writing came across the way I intended unless a reader tells me. However, most people only share their opinion if it is negative. As a society we rarely share our opinion if it is positive.
So take a moment this summer and write a review for a book you love. It could be the final straw of encouragement that helps a floating thought become the next great american novel. :-)
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June 18, 2012
Poetry: A Poetry Contest for Arkansas High School Students, Other Contests, and a Poem
Do you enjoy literature? Write a poem about it!
I had planned to wait for a while before posting more poetry on my blog. However, at a recent meeting of the River Market Poets (a branch of the Poets Roundtable of Arkansas), I got a copy of a summer poetry contest for high school students and thought I’d share.
The contest is open to high school students in Arkansas. (This is students who will be in high school in the fall…sorry Seniors who just graduated!) There is no registration fee to enter this contest, and since the contest is a summer contest, there will probably be a low number of entries. Yes, that increases your chances of winning. Come on, we all like to win. But you can’t win if you don’t enter.
The subject of the poem must be about enjoying literature. It can be in any poetry form, and there is a line limit of 24 lines. You must be a high school student in Arkansas. The deadline to mail your entry is August 15, 2012. For the address information and complete details, download this PDF document for the poetry contest.
The high school contest is contest #8 in the larger Poets Roundtable for Arkansas poetry competition for the Poetry Day celebration. For more information about Poetry Day or the other contests in the competition, visit the Poets Roundtable of Arkansas website. There are contests for Arkansas residents and poets anywhere in the US in addition to the student contest.
Also, as a special treat, here is another excerpt from my poetry book, Of Hearts and Souls. I don’t often write lyrical poems, but this one is. Enjoy!
Ode to the Sweet Night
By Robin A. Burrows
A dream,
hanging on the breath of Night
disappears
with Dawn’s light.
Eyes
that open to the world around
do not see how the dream
could be found.
They
search through the light of Day
for images lost
in Night’s gentle sway.
But as minds awake,
all is gone;
dreams are lost to Fate-
life, just a pawn.
Forces
move where Daylight waits,
forming bonds and
binding fates.
Life
chains the legs and binds the arms
enslaving hearts in
its worldly charms.
Death
taunts the body and the soul
threatening fates
beyond control.
Time
toys with the daily life;
its ticking minutes
causing strife.
In the Day
the true light is gone;
shut out by the walls that
Fate has drawn.
Eyes that once
shined so fair,
hide away
what’s buried there.
The heart aches
in Solitude’s call;
but what’s never known
can never fall.
Yet tucked away
in Night’s deep hold,
the heart whispers
of dreams untold.
And in the depths
of the life that is Dream,
the soul’s every wish
it shall redeem.
So sing
an ode unto the Night;
dream the dream
you cannot fight.
And in Night’s sweet arms
you can live
the life that Day
refuses to give.
A dream-
hangs on the breath of Night,
whispered softly;
eyes shining bright.
###
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June 11, 2012
Review: Game of Thrones and True Blood (spoilers)
I have a love/hate relationship with books that become tv shows.
If I watch the tv show first, the book is less interesting to read (because I already know what happens). But if I read the book first, I hate it when they change something major for the tv show.
It seems like season one typically follows the books enough that readers are hooked. But starting with season two, everything changes.
I’m currently watching season 2 of Game of Thrones. Please note that I’m a few episodes behind the latest episode that’s aired. I’m happy that the fantasy novels became a tv show. I was excited to see some of my favorite characters and scenes visually. And I was pleased with how the first season was translated into film. (My husband didn’t like it at first, but he hadn’t read the books and didn’t have the instant emotional connection to the characters that I had. Of course that’s a different story.)
Season two of Game of Thrones is when progressively bigger changes started occuring and started to bother me more and more. The first major change was with the Nightwatch recruits. Instead of showing a bunch of kids wandering around in the wilderness during a war, HBO cut to their capture by the enemies. Instead of being the cup bearer for an underling, Arya Stark ends up being the cup bearer for Tywin Lannister – the man pulling the strings behind the war. I can see why they cut straight to Harrenhal. It helped increase the tension. So I accepted that change without too much worry.
But ever since then, I’ve seen more and more things that differ from the books. The “frog” kids. The stolen dragons. Davos, Meredith and the spirit creature – and it’s purpose. All of the little changes eventually add up.
Then I watched True Blood and the tv show is so different from the books now that it’s more like fan fiction based on the books than a visual intrepetation of them. Some characters who died in the books are still alive in the tv show. (I’m actually glad Lafayette is alive. He’s an interesting character.) Little scenes in the book have become the point of an entire season in the tv show. And of course, if HBO can make something sensational, they do.
While I understand that the changes are good for sales of the DVDs and books, I’m sad that True Blood is so very different from the books now. And I see Game of Thrones heading in that direction.
It’s also confusing trying to keep the two converging plotlines separate in your head. Especially when neither the tv series nor book series are complete (Game of Thrones). Now what did so-and-so do in this version of the story?
I enjoy the tv shows. I like watching my favorite characters. But don’t watch them if you expect the shows to be true to the books. Because they slowly drift away until they become almost inrecognizable except for the same characters and the same larger plot themes.
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June 4, 2012
Blog: It’s Not What Everyone Else Wants, It’s What You Want
Well, it’s official. I’m at the end of an era. Because of restructuring, the position I work for my day job is being eliminated.
So I’m on the job hunt again. And everyone seems to know what I should do for my next day job…except me.
What I want to do more than anything is to be a novelist for a living. But all of us writers know that writing fiction for a living rarely is financially possible. Most writers need a day job to pay the bills.
My current experience is in marketing and social media. But I’ve had trouble finding the energy to write after a long day of work. I don’t know if it will get any better if I continue in this current field.
I know…I know… Write first before you do anything else. But I am so not a morning person. Those early morning hours (sometime between 4am to 10am) are when my brain finally reaches REM sleep. So waking up early to write before work really isn’t an option for me. My body just does not operate on full power unless I get my REM sleep.
What I do know is I want to either do something creative or do something that makes a difference (helps people). I’m still trying to look at this as an opportunity. We will have to wait and see how it all turns out.
In the greater sense, as a writer, people often try to write what’s popular or what people tell them they should write. But the best stories are the ones you are passionate about. The ones closest to your heart. So don’t forget to do the things that matter to you because it’s your life and you have to make the most of it.
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May 28, 2012
Blog: We Need More Good #ScienceFiction and #Fantasy TV Shows
How many science fiction and/or fantasy tv shows can you name?
In no particular order: Babylon 5, Andromeda, Firefly, Stargate, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe, Farscape, Once Upon a Time, Eureka, Warehouse 13, Smallville, Battle Star Galatica, Terra Nova, Game of Thrones, and 4 or 5 Star Trek series.
How many can you name that are currently airing?
Not many. Especially not many good ones. And nothing like the “good ol’ days” when there were several long-term shows airing new episodes at once.
What happened to our science fiction and fantasy television? Besides SciFi changing to SyFy and airing wrestling? Any ideas anyone?
We need more good SFF shows. Someone needs to start writing the next amazing SFF tv show and pitch it to tv producers. I’m in the process of watching some shows I missed, but soon, I think I may run out of new SFF shows to watch. So someone better get busy. Anyone? Please? :)
P.S. - Happy Memorial Day and Happy Birthday weekend to one of my favorite little munchkins!
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May 21, 2012
Musings: #Touch, Connections, and the Branching Paths of Life
Are you familiar with a tv show called Touch? It’s about a little boy who has a talent for making connections between people who need to be connected in one way or another. The show is really inspiring, perhaps in part because of the themes: that everything and everyone is interconnected, and each person is a part of something much bigger than themselves.
Sometimes you can see the paths of life moving and changing around you in your own life; though mostly in hindsight. A lot of people I know are facing big changes in their lives at the moment. I feel like a lot of branching paths are opening up for people, and depending on what path they take, their lives might quickly change into something completely different.
It’s interesting looking back on some of the paths people have taken, and seeing how that one single decision changed everything. For example, a number of years ago, I helped a former coworker find a job. He met his wife through that job, and his life would be completely different today had he taken a different path.
I was a recent college graduate with very little actual work experience. I was madly in love with a guy who didn’t know what he wanted. I was naive enough to believe he wanted to be with me. Ultimately, that wasn’t the case, but that’s a different story.
Anyway, the job market was tough, especially for people with very little experience. But I finally found a job, and hoped to save up some money so I could move away to be with the guy. (Hey have you seen the cost of renting a U-haul to travel across the US? Not cheap. Not to mention students loans, car payments, and living expenses for a city with twice the cost of living than where I lived.)
A job that would pay more money opened up at my company. I considered it but then decided not to apply for it because it was an important long-term position, and I didn’t plan to stay in the area that long. However, the job was a good match for a former co-worker who wanted a job closer to his degree field.
At that point I hadn’t spoken to the person since I left my previous company. When I tracked him down, I learned that he was newly jobless. I pointed him in the direction of the job at my company and he got the job based on his own merit. He has done well in the company and his life would be different had he taken another path. A single coincidence changed everything.
Somewhere along the way while I wasn’t looking, my temporary job became a promising career. But my living circumstances changed, and for a while I was living paycheck to paycheck, unable to save anything. Then, I became responsible for my sister and couldn’t really move even if I wanted to. Of course the guy had already moved on, and so eventually did I.
But my decision to work at this company became a huge branch in my life path. So much has changed because of this job. I was in the right place at the right time several times to truly make a difference. I think my life would have been very different had I not worked at this particular company.
Of course with current restructuring in my department, I might be looking for a new job again soon. (Anybody have one?) :)
Last week, I was helping a friend with their resume. My husband thought I was working on mine. When I explained, and mentioned the person’s unique background, he said his company is looking for someone with those skills. I don’t know if this friend will get the job, but I pointed him in its direction.
It was another coincidence with perfect timing to bridge the connection to a new possible path for someone.
For every connection I make, there are hundreds of times that bad timing prevents a connection. But when I do make a connection, I feel like maybe everything I have been through has been worthwhile. Because of this job, I was in the right place at the right time to help several people when they really needed it. I was able to make a difference.
Maybe someday, someone will notice an opportunity perfect for me, and point me in its direction. :)
If you haven’t watched Touch, and like heart-warming coincidences and connections, check it out. Some of the episodes are currently available to watch for free on Hulu.com.
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May 15, 2012
Poem: To Know Not Change
This week I decided to post an excerpt from my poetry book Of Hearts and Souls. The first half of the book is experimental Twitter poetry. The second part is free verse poetry. If you like this poem, please consider buying my poetry book. It is available in paperback and various ebook formats.
To Know Not Change
By Robin A. Burrows
Oh to be a child again
And to believe the world of now
Will last forever
And to fear not
The things I cannot know
And know not
The fear of change.
Oh to be a child again
When the world
Would last forever
Best friends
Now and always
Same street
Same house
Same people
Same life.
Oh to be a child again
When dreams,
However impossible,
Seemed closer
Were closer
Without the burdens
If reality’s great hands
Upon my shoulders.
Oh to be a child again
And know not change.
May 7, 2012
Blog: Musings on How Writing Is Easy…Or Is It?
Happy Children’s Book Week!
Recently I met someone who told me writing was easy (in particular writing children’s picture books). He is not a writer and as far as I know has never written anything creative.
He said that he could write a computer program to write picture books. He would have three words on each page, and it would be a book…or that’s what he said. While he might sell some copies on the novelty factor, there’s a lot more than word count that goes into a story.
I remember the summer before my junior year in high school. Back then I thought writing was easy. Or at least it felt easy to do. I don’t recall ever specifically thinking, “This is easy.” I just wrote because it was fun and pressure-free.
I wrote nearly a dozen of my Captain Codfish “novels” that summer. I would have written more, but I was busy dealing with family stuff that last few weeks of summer vacation.
We didn’t have a computer, and my mom’s old typewriter was reserved for school projects only, because ribbon and paper cost money. So I wrote each story by hand on notebook paper.
I wrote 10 pages each day.
My mornings were spent helping my parents with chores and such. After noon I would write for a few short hours until I completed my 10 pages. I don’t really remember the writing process now, but it must have been mostly stream of consciousness building toward the ending in my head. After writing, I would spend the rest of the day reading, watching tv, daydreaming/brainstorming, and relaxing in general.
I planned for a week break in my schedule when I reached the end of each “novel”. Of course after only a couple days of “break,” I would grow so bored that I always started writing on my next story before the end of my planned break.
I made sure each novel was 100 pages – because I thought that was the length of the average novel. My main reading resource was the classroom libraries of English teachers, so my estimation of what was normal was skewed toward middle grade and young adult genres.
The genre of my stories began as adventure and ended up a mashup of treasure hunting, adventure, and fantasy before the end of the series. The style of the books often changed depending on what books I read/reread, especially when school started back and I had access to more than my small collection of books.
Part of me wishes I could go back to those days when writing was “easy” and pressure-free. But my writing is a thousand time better now than it was back then. Recently I saw a quote about how we are born with love, but we learn fear. Is writing harder because the pressure, fear, and reality of being a writer grow as we age? Or is it because we were blissfully ignorant of the quality of our first youthful stories, and once we can see the quality, we strive harder to write the perfect words instead of simply letting the story flow?
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April 30, 2012
Blog: 2012 Arkansas SCBWI Conference Follow-Up
The Arkansas SCBWI Conference last weekend was amazing! Normally, when I attend a conference, some speakers are significantly better and some significantly worse. But every single speaker at this conference was top-notch. Each session was interesting and informative. I think I learned something important from each one.
The conference was smaller and more personal than most some of the regional conferences I have attended. Of course, it specialized in children’s books and art. I met lots of talented writers there. I hope that my words sound as clear and beautiful as theirs someday.
I spoke with the editors at this conference about my stories. While there was some interest in my projects, I’m not sure if either of these publishing houses are right for my books. I’m meeting with my artist, Tim Robbins, this week to discuss how we should proceed with our children’s picture book, Joey No Tail’s Search for a Home.
As for my Kaylee Nevins fantasy novel, I’m still deep in the revision process. It’s taking a lot longer than I had hoped. I need to flesh out some concepts to add a little magic in the right places of the story. I will probably be working on this for a while given my limited free time.
Speaking of conferences… If anyone is in the Little Rock area, the Poets Roundtable of Arkansas will have their annual spring workshop on Saturday, May 5 at Cox Creative Center (in the River Market beside the Main Library). It will be a hands-on workshop on how to write several types of poetry. Also, the Arkansas Writers’ Conference is quickly approaching. It will be the first Friday and Saturday in June.
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April 23, 2012
Update: Arkansas SCBWI Conference, Joey No Tail, and More
Where has the time gone? I can’t believe April is almost over. This upcoming weekend is the Arkansas Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Conference. This will be the first time I have attended. I just joined SCBWI this year.
There will be two editors at the AR SCBWI conference: one from Random House’s Delacorte Press and one from Chronicle Books. I was hoping to pitch my Kaylee novel at this conference, but between registration and now I realized I have a lot more editing to do on it.
I also have my children’s picture book: Joey No Tail’s Search for a Home. I plan to make it my primary pitch at the conference now. I revised the words one final time, and Tim Robbins is almost done with the artwork. The only step that’s really left with the artwork is formatting.
I don’t know if anything will happen with the Joey story at this conference or not…especially considering most publishing companies want to hire their own artists to work on projects they purchase. If nothing happens at the conference, my next step will be to look for an agent while Tim finishes the artwork. But I can always dream that the story will be a big hit at the conference, right? :)
Here is a sample picture of Joey. Joey No Tail is an orphaned puppy who lives at a shelter with a vet and lots of other puppies. More than anything Joey wants a home, but without a tail to wag, how will he ever catch the attention of potential families?
Joey No Tail's Search For A Home - Artwork by Tim Robbins. Story by Robin A. Burrows.
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