Samantha Combs's Blog, page 18
April 13, 2012
My Muse Has Returned!
My kids were gone all week for Spring Break and you can't believe how much my hubs and I were looking forward to the time alone. With each other. And away from them. We were going to eat what we wanted, watch what we wanted, and maybe even get frisky without locking down the master bedroom like Fort Knox. But, here's the funny thing.....we hated it. We hated the no-kidness of the whole week. The house was lifeless, with no color or happy vibe. I prowled back and forth from their rooms, peeking in just in case I forgot to send them to their grandparents and Nanny's homes and they might still be there, casually lounging on their beds, playing a pink or black DS, depending. Hubs walked around the house bitching about how quiet it was, much in the same way he bitches about how noisy the kids are. But he missed it.
Another nasty by-product of the deafening silence in the house is that Musina took a powder. Nowhere to be seen. Va-moosed. I thought I would be thrilled to write in the lovely peace and quiet. I couldn't have been, in my son's words, "wronger," Not a single word came out of my head or my fingers this whole week. I had no original thoughts, no fabulous story lines ripping around in my empty spaces, nothing bubbling or percolating at all.
But it was temporary, Thank the Muses, and changed the second my kids were on my radar.
Swear to God, I stepped into the shower this morning, which is my "idea-zone" and the good ones began pelting me harder than the shower stream. I had to jump out of the shower and pound notes about the gems furiously into my iphone before they left my head for good. I needn't have worried. The stream of killer topics and projects have been constant and non-stop since I woke up and realized this was the day the babies came home.
So, I learned something important, besides how much I love those kids.....Musina loves them too. And apparently, we can't write unless they are around. Even as I write this, one kid is practicing his Cabbage-Patch dance in front of me, and the other is flitting about in her pajamas like a lost moth. Both of them are in my orbit. And because of this, I'm writing. So fast my fingers can barely keep up. And they ideas keep on rolling in. Topics include haunted makeup, supernatural trees, harried and weather-beaten cabbies, strippers, scary banjos, creepy ambulance drivers and, believe it or not, a kind of shit-monster. Yup. You read it right. An idea, by the way, my son completely LOVES. Big surprise.
So, there is really no lesson to be learned from this post, no big "A-ha" moment. No heartfelt advice I am doling out in the hopes of helping aspiring writers. I'm just so chuffed my kids are home, I wanted to shout about it. A writer's equivalent of shouting out? Blogging, baby!
Oh, and from a person whose child calls them "freaky, but in a good way", enjoy your Friday the 13th! I sure am.
Another nasty by-product of the deafening silence in the house is that Musina took a powder. Nowhere to be seen. Va-moosed. I thought I would be thrilled to write in the lovely peace and quiet. I couldn't have been, in my son's words, "wronger," Not a single word came out of my head or my fingers this whole week. I had no original thoughts, no fabulous story lines ripping around in my empty spaces, nothing bubbling or percolating at all.
But it was temporary, Thank the Muses, and changed the second my kids were on my radar.
Swear to God, I stepped into the shower this morning, which is my "idea-zone" and the good ones began pelting me harder than the shower stream. I had to jump out of the shower and pound notes about the gems furiously into my iphone before they left my head for good. I needn't have worried. The stream of killer topics and projects have been constant and non-stop since I woke up and realized this was the day the babies came home.
So, I learned something important, besides how much I love those kids.....Musina loves them too. And apparently, we can't write unless they are around. Even as I write this, one kid is practicing his Cabbage-Patch dance in front of me, and the other is flitting about in her pajamas like a lost moth. Both of them are in my orbit. And because of this, I'm writing. So fast my fingers can barely keep up. And they ideas keep on rolling in. Topics include haunted makeup, supernatural trees, harried and weather-beaten cabbies, strippers, scary banjos, creepy ambulance drivers and, believe it or not, a kind of shit-monster. Yup. You read it right. An idea, by the way, my son completely LOVES. Big surprise.
So, there is really no lesson to be learned from this post, no big "A-ha" moment. No heartfelt advice I am doling out in the hopes of helping aspiring writers. I'm just so chuffed my kids are home, I wanted to shout about it. A writer's equivalent of shouting out? Blogging, baby!
Oh, and from a person whose child calls them "freaky, but in a good way", enjoy your Friday the 13th! I sure am.
April 11, 2012
Amazon Steps Over the Line
I was alerted to this article from American Editor by a fellow author at Musa Publishing. I find the content so important, I am sharing it here. PLEASE read and sign the petition. Our indie-ness is in jeopardy!
Several weeks ago, I wrote Breaking News: Amazon vs. IPG , which was followed by Worth Noting: Amazon is an Author's Friend — Or Maybe Not . The first article was picked up by other blogs and at one of those blogs, Bryce Milligan, publisher and editor of Wings Press, as well as an award-winning poet and author of books for children and young adults, posted a comment that caught my eye. I asked Bryce to write a guest article expanding on his comment. That article follows._______________Amazon's Assault on Intellectual Freedomby Bryce MilliganThere is an undeclared war going on in the United States that threatens the linchpins of American intellectual freedom. In a statement worthy of Cassandra, Noah Davis wrote in a Business Insider post last October, "Amazon is coming for the book publishing industry. And not just the e-book world, either." When titans battle, it is tempting to think that there will be no local impact. In this case, that's dead wrong. Amazon's recent actions have already cut the sales of the small press I run by 40 percent. Jeff Bezos could not care less.One recent battle in Amazon's larger war has pitted it against a diverse group of writers, small publishers, university presses, and independent distributors. It is a classic David-and-Goliath encounter. As in that story, however, this is more than just pitting the powerful against the powerless. In this case, the underdogs have the ideas, and ideas are always where the ultimate power lies.Wings Press (San Antonio, Texas) is one of the several hundred independent publishers and university presses distributed by the Independent Publishers Group (IPG), the second largest book distributor in the country, but still only a medium-sized dolphin in a sea of killer whales. In late February, IPG's contract with Amazon.com was due to be renegotiated. Terms that had been generally accepted across the industry were suddenly not good enough for Amazon, which demanded discounts and practices that IPG—and all of its client publishers—could only have accepted at a loss. Yes, that does mean what it sounds like: To do business with Amazon would mean reducing the profit margin to the point of often losing money on every book or ebook sold.IPG refused to accept the draconian terms and sought to negotiate further. In what can only be seen as a move to punish IPG for its desire to remain relevant and healthy, Amazon refused to negotiate and pulled the plug on all the Kindle ebooks distributed by IPG, marking them as "unavailable."Not a big deal? Imagine that Walmart controls everything you eat, and Walmart decides to stop selling fish because it thinks that fishermen are making too much profit. Amazon is the Walmart of online bookselling. The dispute between Amazon and IPG will affect every literate person in America. It is a matter that goes to the heart of what librarians have termed "intellectual freedom." In other words, the resolution of this dispute, one way or the other, will affect every individual American's access to certain books. It will affect your ability to choose what you read.Restrictions on access to literature generally have more politically motivated origins. The banning of certain Native American and Mexican American authors and books in Arizona, for example, is purely political. Attempts in the past to ban literature based on its "moral content" were largely political in nature. This dispute is purely capitalistic, and is much more difficult to fight.A single practical example. Wings Press had offered up one of its Kindle titles, Vienna Triangle by California novelist Brenda Webster, for the Amazon daily deal— a limited time offer of 99 cents per download. The book zoomed to the top ten of one of Amazon's several bestseller lists. While it was still listed as a bestseller, Amazon suddenly marked the title as "unavailable." The trail of loss increases in impact as it descends the food chain: Amazon doesn't notice the loss at all. IPG sees it as one of its 5,000 Kindle titles that vanished. Wings Press sees it as one of its 100 Kindle titles that vanished. The author sees it as the loss of her book, period.Lest one think that eliminating a single ebook novel is a loss of little consequence, Wings Press also publishes the works of John Howard Griffin, includingBlack Like Me, one of the most important works of the civil rights movement and widely considered an American classic. Amazon's refusal to sell the ebook of Black Like Me should be of serious concern to every American.Ebook sales have been a highly addictive drug to many smaller publishers. For one thing, there are no "returns." Traditionally, profit margins for publishers are so low because books that remain on shelves too long can be returned for credit—too often in unsalable condition. No one returns an ebook. Further, ebook sales allowed smaller presses to get a taste of the kind of money that online impulse buying can produce. Already ebook sales were underwriting the publication of paper-and-ink books at Wings Press.It has been increasingly obvious to independent publishers for the last two years that Amazon intends to put all independents out of business—publishers, distributors, and bookstores. Under the guise of providing greater access, Amazon seemingly wants to kill off the distributors, then kill off the independent publishers and bookstores, and become the only link between the reader and the author. The attack on distributors like IPG and on some larger independent presses is only part of the plan. Amazon has also been going after the ultimate source of literature, the authors.Having created numerous (seven or more) imprints of its own, Amazon has begun courting authors directly by offering exorbitant royalties if the authors will publish directly with Amazon. Among the financial upper echelon of authors, Amazon is paying huge advances. Among rank-and-file authors, not so. Here they are offering what amounts to glorified self-publication. The effect is to lure authors away from the editors who would have helped them perfect their work, away from the publishers and designers and publicists and booksellers who have dedicated their lives to building the careers of authors, while themselves making a living from the books they love. Even the lowly book reviewer has been replaced by semi-anonymous reader-reviewers. All these are the people who sustain literary culture.For Amazon to rip ebook sales away from independent publishers now seems a classic bait-and-switch tactic guaranteed to kill small presses by the hundreds. Ah, but predatory business practices are so very American these days. There was a time not so long ago when "competition" was a healthy thing, not a synonym for corporate "murder." Amazon could have been a bright and shining star, lighting the way to increased literacy and improved access to alternative literatures. Alas, it looks more likely to be a large and deadly asteroid. We, the literary dinosaurs, are watching closely to see if this is a near miss or the beginning of extinction. Fortunately, this generation of dinosaurs is a little better equipped than the last one to take measures to avoid such a fate.One can choose to buy ebooks from Barnes & Noble (bn.com) or from almost any independent bookstore rather than Amazon. One can buy directly from IPG. A free app will allow one to read those books on a Kindle. The resistance has already begun, and it starts with choice. I invite you to sign the petition at Change.org
Several weeks ago, I wrote Breaking News: Amazon vs. IPG , which was followed by Worth Noting: Amazon is an Author's Friend — Or Maybe Not . The first article was picked up by other blogs and at one of those blogs, Bryce Milligan, publisher and editor of Wings Press, as well as an award-winning poet and author of books for children and young adults, posted a comment that caught my eye. I asked Bryce to write a guest article expanding on his comment. That article follows._______________Amazon's Assault on Intellectual Freedomby Bryce MilliganThere is an undeclared war going on in the United States that threatens the linchpins of American intellectual freedom. In a statement worthy of Cassandra, Noah Davis wrote in a Business Insider post last October, "Amazon is coming for the book publishing industry. And not just the e-book world, either." When titans battle, it is tempting to think that there will be no local impact. In this case, that's dead wrong. Amazon's recent actions have already cut the sales of the small press I run by 40 percent. Jeff Bezos could not care less.One recent battle in Amazon's larger war has pitted it against a diverse group of writers, small publishers, university presses, and independent distributors. It is a classic David-and-Goliath encounter. As in that story, however, this is more than just pitting the powerful against the powerless. In this case, the underdogs have the ideas, and ideas are always where the ultimate power lies.Wings Press (San Antonio, Texas) is one of the several hundred independent publishers and university presses distributed by the Independent Publishers Group (IPG), the second largest book distributor in the country, but still only a medium-sized dolphin in a sea of killer whales. In late February, IPG's contract with Amazon.com was due to be renegotiated. Terms that had been generally accepted across the industry were suddenly not good enough for Amazon, which demanded discounts and practices that IPG—and all of its client publishers—could only have accepted at a loss. Yes, that does mean what it sounds like: To do business with Amazon would mean reducing the profit margin to the point of often losing money on every book or ebook sold.IPG refused to accept the draconian terms and sought to negotiate further. In what can only be seen as a move to punish IPG for its desire to remain relevant and healthy, Amazon refused to negotiate and pulled the plug on all the Kindle ebooks distributed by IPG, marking them as "unavailable."Not a big deal? Imagine that Walmart controls everything you eat, and Walmart decides to stop selling fish because it thinks that fishermen are making too much profit. Amazon is the Walmart of online bookselling. The dispute between Amazon and IPG will affect every literate person in America. It is a matter that goes to the heart of what librarians have termed "intellectual freedom." In other words, the resolution of this dispute, one way or the other, will affect every individual American's access to certain books. It will affect your ability to choose what you read.Restrictions on access to literature generally have more politically motivated origins. The banning of certain Native American and Mexican American authors and books in Arizona, for example, is purely political. Attempts in the past to ban literature based on its "moral content" were largely political in nature. This dispute is purely capitalistic, and is much more difficult to fight.A single practical example. Wings Press had offered up one of its Kindle titles, Vienna Triangle by California novelist Brenda Webster, for the Amazon daily deal— a limited time offer of 99 cents per download. The book zoomed to the top ten of one of Amazon's several bestseller lists. While it was still listed as a bestseller, Amazon suddenly marked the title as "unavailable." The trail of loss increases in impact as it descends the food chain: Amazon doesn't notice the loss at all. IPG sees it as one of its 5,000 Kindle titles that vanished. Wings Press sees it as one of its 100 Kindle titles that vanished. The author sees it as the loss of her book, period.Lest one think that eliminating a single ebook novel is a loss of little consequence, Wings Press also publishes the works of John Howard Griffin, includingBlack Like Me, one of the most important works of the civil rights movement and widely considered an American classic. Amazon's refusal to sell the ebook of Black Like Me should be of serious concern to every American.Ebook sales have been a highly addictive drug to many smaller publishers. For one thing, there are no "returns." Traditionally, profit margins for publishers are so low because books that remain on shelves too long can be returned for credit—too often in unsalable condition. No one returns an ebook. Further, ebook sales allowed smaller presses to get a taste of the kind of money that online impulse buying can produce. Already ebook sales were underwriting the publication of paper-and-ink books at Wings Press.It has been increasingly obvious to independent publishers for the last two years that Amazon intends to put all independents out of business—publishers, distributors, and bookstores. Under the guise of providing greater access, Amazon seemingly wants to kill off the distributors, then kill off the independent publishers and bookstores, and become the only link between the reader and the author. The attack on distributors like IPG and on some larger independent presses is only part of the plan. Amazon has also been going after the ultimate source of literature, the authors.Having created numerous (seven or more) imprints of its own, Amazon has begun courting authors directly by offering exorbitant royalties if the authors will publish directly with Amazon. Among the financial upper echelon of authors, Amazon is paying huge advances. Among rank-and-file authors, not so. Here they are offering what amounts to glorified self-publication. The effect is to lure authors away from the editors who would have helped them perfect their work, away from the publishers and designers and publicists and booksellers who have dedicated their lives to building the careers of authors, while themselves making a living from the books they love. Even the lowly book reviewer has been replaced by semi-anonymous reader-reviewers. All these are the people who sustain literary culture.For Amazon to rip ebook sales away from independent publishers now seems a classic bait-and-switch tactic guaranteed to kill small presses by the hundreds. Ah, but predatory business practices are so very American these days. There was a time not so long ago when "competition" was a healthy thing, not a synonym for corporate "murder." Amazon could have been a bright and shining star, lighting the way to increased literacy and improved access to alternative literatures. Alas, it looks more likely to be a large and deadly asteroid. We, the literary dinosaurs, are watching closely to see if this is a near miss or the beginning of extinction. Fortunately, this generation of dinosaurs is a little better equipped than the last one to take measures to avoid such a fate.One can choose to buy ebooks from Barnes & Noble (bn.com) or from almost any independent bookstore rather than Amazon. One can buy directly from IPG. A free app will allow one to read those books on a Kindle. The resistance has already begun, and it starts with choice. I invite you to sign the petition at Change.org
April 10, 2012
Inspiration and Dedication.....Finding Them When You Don't Expect It
Hey all. I was lucky enough to read a great post in my publisher's private yahoo group. I was so moved by it, I asked her if she would give me permission to repost it. She did, and here it is. Note: Celina Summers is the amazing Editor-In-Chief of Musa Publishing. Check out the website for submission information. You know you want someone with this much vision and passion behind you. http://www.musapublishing.com/
We areall part of an artistic community that relies heavily on
inspiration. And, like most artists, we find ourselves upon occasion
sitting at our computers, staring at a blank new document and waiting
fruitlessly for the Muse to emerge.
Yes, I have days like that too. Too many to count lately, it seems,
because I've finished my projects for my agent (who is shopping them
now) and trying to determine what my next project will be. So here I am
on a holiday, getting pissy because I have all these hours to write and
nothing is stirring my imagination. I flipped through the TV stations,
and finally just left the television on the Figure Skating World
Championships--more for white noise than anything else. And then--here
comes this kid, skating his life out. Seventeen years old, Japanese
kid, skating to the soundtrack of Romeo and Juliet (not the DiCaprio
version either). Just watching this kid's performance totally pulled me
out of my writing zone and into his skating zone. He was amazing.
Hitting all his jumps and spins, skating with such joy that he managed
to look electric and at his ease at the same time.
And then he fell. Not on a jump--his skate hit a divot in the ice and
threw him down onto the rink floor. And I thought, "Damn. What a shame.
That kid's not going to recover."
Yep. I'm an idiot.
He got right back up, got right back into step with his routine and hit
every schedule jump. He even ADDED jumps to compensate for the fall.
The entire rink was rooting for him--heck, the entire world was rooting
for him. Not just because his joy in his chosen art was so apparent,
but because he refused to let a setback keep him from his purpose.
And then at the end of his performance, he stood there gasping for
breath--not because he was winded, but because he's asthmatic.
What kind of--excuse the phraseology--balls does it take to stand back
up and supersede your own expectations after you fall in front of the
world? What kind of courage does a young man--yes, a kid--need to face
all of that and come out on top? This young man isn't in contention for
the world championship, probably. Not yet. But he will be one
day--probably for the next winter Olympics. Because he already has the
dedication to his art. He's a skater--he works his ass off every single
day of the week to better himself. And that makes his performances
inspired.
And he knows this at SEVENTEEN, while I struggle with it at FORTY-FIVE.
Sometimes, we find inspiration in strange places. Music, photos, movies,
nature--whatever it might be. The first novel I ever completed was
inspired by a single image on a regrettably not-that-good film. As soon
as the movie was over, I sat down at my computer and started to write. A
month later, I had 100k words. Two years after that, it was published.
The trick is to take that inspiration and dedicate yourself to bringing
it to fruition. What inspires a story in you? And what needs to happen
in your everyday life to develop that inspiration into a story that not
only engages you, the writer, but the people who will one day read it?
I have a storehouse of things I do or places I go online when I'm at a
loss with a story. I have one place I go when I'm getting down on
myself, doubting that I'll reach all my goals and fulfill all my dreams.
All I have to do is to watch a simple film clip,
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk>and I discover that I can
dig deeper, find something within myself that encourages me and
reassures me that it's never too late to take whatever it is you desire
above everything else creatively.
My source may not work for you. That's okay. It works for me. What you
need to do is to figure out what will work to inspire you--and what you
need to do in order to dedicate the time and attention you can to make
that inspiration come to its ultimate final state.
A story.
By the way, that kid? Huzuru Yanu placed third in the World Figure
Skating Championships. Despite his age, his asthma, his inexperience,
his fall--he made it onto the podium at the 2012 Worlds with a bronze
medal around his neck. And everything about him during that medal
ceremony was just pure, unabashed joy.
Take joy in what you write. It will make your ultimate victory that much
sweeter.
Celina
April 5, 2012
New Year...New Changes. Or How is a House Like Writing?
We have to move. I didn't anticipate this happening at all, but you know the old saying....Just when you least expect it, BAM! No way can my life just chug along happily, seamlessly, DRAMA-FREE. That wouldn't be my life at all. It makes for an, um, exciting existence. That's what I keep telling myself.
But being raised by an eternally-optimistic and forward-looking mother causes me to think of reasons why this is a good thing. I'm still thinking, and haven't had much luck yet, but that's beside the point. At least I am thinking. And looking.
We go out with the agent at the end of every business day and have the unique pleasure of tramping through people's lives. They are pleasant enough, since, ultimately, we have the same goal in mind, but it's still really weird. We saw a home yesterday where the resident hung all her bras on the back of the bathroom door. I mean, there was like a hundred of them. Every color of the rainbow. Right there in my 9-year old's face. Still another one we saw had baby gates in EVERY ENTRANCE to climb over. And another was using the garage as a closet. Seriously. There were wardrobe racks everywhere and bins stuffed with shoes. And one bedroom was so cluttered and stuffed with enormous, oversize furniture I found it hard to think and had to leave immediately. Never even saw the bathroom.
Then, it was as if the seas of inadequacy and mediocrity parted and I found myself standing in the driveway of my dream home. I knew I wanted it before I even walked inside. And I was right. The home is made for us. So, we have completed the necessary paperwork to move in and now we wait. Why? Because that is how my life is. I have to YEARN for, and PINE for, and COVET the damn thing or somehow the world will stop revolving. God forbid something should just fall in place for me. We have to wait for the owner to return from overseas. AArrrgghh! But, and here is my Mum's voice again, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. And to make it all suck more, I haven't been able to write.
But quite suddenly, in the middle of this madness, I realized something profound: writing is not easy. Just like house-hunting. Because if it was, everyone WOULD be doing it. It's hard work. And it requires a lot of patience. And an agent. ANOTHER thing I don't have in my writing life. I don't have an abundance of patience at the moment, so that must be why Musina has taken a powder for the time being. I'm sure I'll get back on track, just checking off the next thing on the list and getting my ducks in order. I'll write soon, because I always conquer whatever is trying to get me down. And you know what? I'll do it in my LOVELY NEW HOUSE!
P.S. Prayers, lit candles and spiritual mantras will be happily accepted.
But being raised by an eternally-optimistic and forward-looking mother causes me to think of reasons why this is a good thing. I'm still thinking, and haven't had much luck yet, but that's beside the point. At least I am thinking. And looking.
We go out with the agent at the end of every business day and have the unique pleasure of tramping through people's lives. They are pleasant enough, since, ultimately, we have the same goal in mind, but it's still really weird. We saw a home yesterday where the resident hung all her bras on the back of the bathroom door. I mean, there was like a hundred of them. Every color of the rainbow. Right there in my 9-year old's face. Still another one we saw had baby gates in EVERY ENTRANCE to climb over. And another was using the garage as a closet. Seriously. There were wardrobe racks everywhere and bins stuffed with shoes. And one bedroom was so cluttered and stuffed with enormous, oversize furniture I found it hard to think and had to leave immediately. Never even saw the bathroom.
Then, it was as if the seas of inadequacy and mediocrity parted and I found myself standing in the driveway of my dream home. I knew I wanted it before I even walked inside. And I was right. The home is made for us. So, we have completed the necessary paperwork to move in and now we wait. Why? Because that is how my life is. I have to YEARN for, and PINE for, and COVET the damn thing or somehow the world will stop revolving. God forbid something should just fall in place for me. We have to wait for the owner to return from overseas. AArrrgghh! But, and here is my Mum's voice again, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. And to make it all suck more, I haven't been able to write.
But quite suddenly, in the middle of this madness, I realized something profound: writing is not easy. Just like house-hunting. Because if it was, everyone WOULD be doing it. It's hard work. And it requires a lot of patience. And an agent. ANOTHER thing I don't have in my writing life. I don't have an abundance of patience at the moment, so that must be why Musina has taken a powder for the time being. I'm sure I'll get back on track, just checking off the next thing on the list and getting my ducks in order. I'll write soon, because I always conquer whatever is trying to get me down. And you know what? I'll do it in my LOVELY NEW HOUSE!
P.S. Prayers, lit candles and spiritual mantras will be happily accepted.
April 3, 2012
Introducing.....Banjo Slim (AKA: my brother!)
I am taking a departure from my regular blog topics, (namely things I bitch about, LOL!) to use another favorite B-word....BRAG! I want to blow the horn about my amazing and talented brother. He has started a newsletter and I am helping him to expand his audience and fan base by sharing it here. So, let me introduce the fantastic Jason Weiss....Banjo Slim himself!
BanjoSlim'sApril 2012 eNewsletter
Hello Everybody,
Welcometo the second issue of the BanjoSlim eNewsletter! You are the fortunatereceiver of this bounty of musical information because you are on my mailinglist. If you would like to be removed, please send an email to jason@banjoslim.com. Please forward thiseNewsletter to anyone who might be interested in it.
Marchwas filled with music, but it ended with sadness. On March 28, my hero, thelegendary Earl Scruggs passed away at the age of 88. His place of prominence in the banjoworld is well known by all. Though he didn't invent it, he revolutionized thethree-finger picking technique, turning it from a rare novelty to a unifiedapproach to playing any and all music on the banjo. What I am most grateful tohim for, though, is that he pioneered the transformation of the banjo from ademeaned comedian's prop to a respected virtuoso's instrument.
JASON'S APRIL SHOWS
Sunday, April 8, 10:00am-2:00pm Plow@ Urban Solace, North Park
Saturday, April 14, 1:00pm-2:00pmTheTail Draggers @ Bluegrass Day at Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Saturday, April 14, 9:30pm-10:30pmPlow@ Winston's, Ocean Beach, opening for Ten MileTide
Saturday, April 21, 3:30pm-4:30pmPlow@ Adams Ave Unplugged, AdamsPark Stage
Sunday, April 22, 5:00pm-6:30pmPlow@ Adams Ave Unplugged, KensingtonCafe
Sunday, April 22, 10:00pm-11:00pmTheTail Draggers on KSON's Bluegrass Special with Wayne Rice
Tuesday, April 24, 8:00pm-9:00pmTheTail Draggers @ SDBS Feature Band Night, Boll Weevil, Kearny Mesa
Saturday, April 28, 5:00pm-6:00pmPlow@ the Train Song Festival, Old Poway Park
Pleasevisit my website at banjoslim.com formore information and updates.
THURSDAYJAM NEWSAftera discussion at the last Thursday Jam, I've decided to leave "BluegrassBasics" on the website and perpetually open to revision. Instead of havingpreprinted copies of the entire songbook, jam regulars can print out copies ofindividual songs to keep in a folder. I will print out some easily amendablecopies of the songbook for audience members and those who don't want to botherwith maintaining a folder. This system will allow us the freedom to revise thesongbook whenever we wish. And since Banjo Bob started this jam to be primarilya learning environment, we can select tunes that highlight musical lessons tobe learned, for example.
BanjoBenny asked me to pass on the message that he is forming a band. Talk to him atthe jam for more information if you're interested.
OTHERNEWSAlthoughI've have it for a couple of years now, I'm finally going to get with theprogram and start using my twitter account. Of course, I have a facebookaccounts that I've been using for years. Please friend, follow, like, tweet,and poke me at twitter.com/banjoslim and facebook.com/banjoslim.
ThoughPlow had planned to record our St. Patrick's Day show up in Wynola last month,the weather had other plans. That day saw plenty of rain and snow, and with it,too many variables to risk an expensive venture such as professional mobilerecording. However, Plow is still eager to do a live recording, so furtherbulletins as events warrant.
Onthe subject of recordings, the Sickstring Outlaws have finished work on ourupcoming album, "Johnny Drank Jack." Production is complete and Ialready have an advance copy. It really looks great (I know it sounds greatbecause we got Dennis Caplinger to lay down a bunch of tracks!). I warn you:bluegrass it is not. The Sickstring Outlaws play a rowdy form of old countrymusic that the leader Ron Houston calls "outlaw country." On thealbum, I play both acoustic and electric banjo, but when we play live, I playsolely electric. The album will be released very soon; we're just lookingfor the right venue for a release party. Check out thesickstringoutlaws.com or mywebsite for information.
Myown recording project is still on track to be released this summer. No nameyet, but since one track is named "San Diego Home," I might use thatname for the whole album.
Myfriends from the Julian Family Fiddle Camp wanted me to convey someinformation: There's still room forguitar and mandolin players at this month'scamp. Also, there's going to be a huge jam at Town Hall on Main Street inJulian at 12:30PM on Saturday, April 14th, andmusicians get a 10% discount on anything bought in town on that day. See familyfiddlecamp.com for moreinformation, and a list of some great weekend concerts happening up there.
My friend andguitarist extraordinaire Alex Finazzo just published his own website! Check itout at afinazzo.com.
And in case youhaven't seen it yet, the fiddle and mandolin phenom (and Thursday Jam alum)John Mailander has a website at johnmailander.com.
That concludes thisinstallment of the BanjoSlim eNewsletter! If you're still reading, thank youvery much for staying with me to the very end!
JasonBanjoSlim.comFacebook.com/banjoslimTwitter.com/banjoslim
BanjoSlim'sApril 2012 eNewsletter Hello Everybody,
Welcometo the second issue of the BanjoSlim eNewsletter! You are the fortunatereceiver of this bounty of musical information because you are on my mailinglist. If you would like to be removed, please send an email to jason@banjoslim.com. Please forward thiseNewsletter to anyone who might be interested in it.
Marchwas filled with music, but it ended with sadness. On March 28, my hero, thelegendary Earl Scruggs passed away at the age of 88. His place of prominence in the banjoworld is well known by all. Though he didn't invent it, he revolutionized thethree-finger picking technique, turning it from a rare novelty to a unifiedapproach to playing any and all music on the banjo. What I am most grateful tohim for, though, is that he pioneered the transformation of the banjo from ademeaned comedian's prop to a respected virtuoso's instrument.
JASON'S APRIL SHOWS
Sunday, April 8, 10:00am-2:00pm Plow@ Urban Solace, North ParkSaturday, April 14, 1:00pm-2:00pmTheTail Draggers @ Bluegrass Day at Flower Fields, Carlsbad
Saturday, April 14, 9:30pm-10:30pmPlow@ Winston's, Ocean Beach, opening for Ten MileTide
Saturday, April 21, 3:30pm-4:30pmPlow@ Adams Ave Unplugged, AdamsPark Stage
Sunday, April 22, 5:00pm-6:30pmPlow@ Adams Ave Unplugged, KensingtonCafe
Sunday, April 22, 10:00pm-11:00pmTheTail Draggers on KSON's Bluegrass Special with Wayne Rice
Tuesday, April 24, 8:00pm-9:00pmTheTail Draggers @ SDBS Feature Band Night, Boll Weevil, Kearny Mesa
Saturday, April 28, 5:00pm-6:00pmPlow@ the Train Song Festival, Old Poway Park
Pleasevisit my website at banjoslim.com formore information and updates.
THURSDAYJAM NEWSAftera discussion at the last Thursday Jam, I've decided to leave "BluegrassBasics" on the website and perpetually open to revision. Instead of havingpreprinted copies of the entire songbook, jam regulars can print out copies ofindividual songs to keep in a folder. I will print out some easily amendablecopies of the songbook for audience members and those who don't want to botherwith maintaining a folder. This system will allow us the freedom to revise thesongbook whenever we wish. And since Banjo Bob started this jam to be primarilya learning environment, we can select tunes that highlight musical lessons tobe learned, for example.
BanjoBenny asked me to pass on the message that he is forming a band. Talk to him atthe jam for more information if you're interested.
OTHERNEWSAlthoughI've have it for a couple of years now, I'm finally going to get with theprogram and start using my twitter account. Of course, I have a facebookaccounts that I've been using for years. Please friend, follow, like, tweet,and poke me at twitter.com/banjoslim and facebook.com/banjoslim.
ThoughPlow had planned to record our St. Patrick's Day show up in Wynola last month,the weather had other plans. That day saw plenty of rain and snow, and with it,too many variables to risk an expensive venture such as professional mobilerecording. However, Plow is still eager to do a live recording, so furtherbulletins as events warrant.
Onthe subject of recordings, the Sickstring Outlaws have finished work on ourupcoming album, "Johnny Drank Jack." Production is complete and Ialready have an advance copy. It really looks great (I know it sounds greatbecause we got Dennis Caplinger to lay down a bunch of tracks!). I warn you:bluegrass it is not. The Sickstring Outlaws play a rowdy form of old countrymusic that the leader Ron Houston calls "outlaw country." On thealbum, I play both acoustic and electric banjo, but when we play live, I playsolely electric. The album will be released very soon; we're just lookingfor the right venue for a release party. Check out thesickstringoutlaws.com or mywebsite for information.
Myown recording project is still on track to be released this summer. No nameyet, but since one track is named "San Diego Home," I might use thatname for the whole album.Myfriends from the Julian Family Fiddle Camp wanted me to convey someinformation: There's still room forguitar and mandolin players at this month'scamp. Also, there's going to be a huge jam at Town Hall on Main Street inJulian at 12:30PM on Saturday, April 14th, andmusicians get a 10% discount on anything bought in town on that day. See familyfiddlecamp.com for moreinformation, and a list of some great weekend concerts happening up there.
My friend andguitarist extraordinaire Alex Finazzo just published his own website! Check itout at afinazzo.com.
And in case youhaven't seen it yet, the fiddle and mandolin phenom (and Thursday Jam alum)John Mailander has a website at johnmailander.com.
That concludes thisinstallment of the BanjoSlim eNewsletter! If you're still reading, thank youvery much for staying with me to the very end!
JasonBanjoSlim.comFacebook.com/banjoslimTwitter.com/banjoslim
March 27, 2012
Can You See the Forest Through the Trees?
I was picking up in my son's room and getting madder by the minute. Socks, discarded baseball uniforms, and school clothes were strewn about the room in a haphazard manner. This is not unusual. What ticked me off is that the majority of them lay within ONE FOOT OF THE HAMPER. How in the hell can he not see the damn hamper, I wondered. Some of the clothing on the floor was actually TOUCHING the hamper. I policed the room and talked to my son. How come you didn't put them in the hamper? I asked. I didn't see it, was the answer. Oh, really?
Never mind that the hamper is this huge, navy blue affair that springs up when you unsnap the sides. Its the kind touted as best for college dorms. Also, forget the fact that I purposefully and strategically place it in between the Lego box and the movie player. (I'm no dummy) It's right there, I said. How do you not see it every time? How can you miss it? My son answered, I guess I see it too much, so now I don't see it at all. I had to give him credit. The kid made me think.
What he said made profound sense to me, in the way sometimes kids do without meaning to. Suddenly, in the middle of the elementary-school sized hurricane, I realized what was wrong with my latest writing project. I hadn't been working on it much because nothing was coming to me. I am a pantser, but unless you are receiving whatever ideas your own Musina plants in your creative little brain, you ain't pantsing nuthin'. I had been trying too hard to get to a pre-determined destination instead of letting the project lead me there. In other words, I couldn't see the forest through the trees.
My Mum used to reserve that saying for people who were, well, too stupid to live. They just couldn't see what was right in front of them. More often than not, this group included salespeople, fast food attendees, and generally anyone in the service industry. What I realized is I could be in the group at that moment as well. I needed to get un-stupid. When I stepped back away from the project, it became clearer to me, and more focused. And the ideas began to flow again.
Now, I don't recommend that you find a particularly messy 3rd grader's room to clean, but it worked for me. Yours might be cleaning, cooking, jogging, or getting a mani-pedi. Whatever it is, the point is take the break you need to clear your mind and redirect your focus. And as for that forest? You'll find the clearing you need in no time.
So, tell me....what do you do when you need to step away from the WIP?
Never mind that the hamper is this huge, navy blue affair that springs up when you unsnap the sides. Its the kind touted as best for college dorms. Also, forget the fact that I purposefully and strategically place it in between the Lego box and the movie player. (I'm no dummy) It's right there, I said. How do you not see it every time? How can you miss it? My son answered, I guess I see it too much, so now I don't see it at all. I had to give him credit. The kid made me think.
What he said made profound sense to me, in the way sometimes kids do without meaning to. Suddenly, in the middle of the elementary-school sized hurricane, I realized what was wrong with my latest writing project. I hadn't been working on it much because nothing was coming to me. I am a pantser, but unless you are receiving whatever ideas your own Musina plants in your creative little brain, you ain't pantsing nuthin'. I had been trying too hard to get to a pre-determined destination instead of letting the project lead me there. In other words, I couldn't see the forest through the trees.
My Mum used to reserve that saying for people who were, well, too stupid to live. They just couldn't see what was right in front of them. More often than not, this group included salespeople, fast food attendees, and generally anyone in the service industry. What I realized is I could be in the group at that moment as well. I needed to get un-stupid. When I stepped back away from the project, it became clearer to me, and more focused. And the ideas began to flow again.
Now, I don't recommend that you find a particularly messy 3rd grader's room to clean, but it worked for me. Yours might be cleaning, cooking, jogging, or getting a mani-pedi. Whatever it is, the point is take the break you need to clear your mind and redirect your focus. And as for that forest? You'll find the clearing you need in no time.
So, tell me....what do you do when you need to step away from the WIP?
March 21, 2012
Why I Thought I'd Never Write a Series.....Until I Did
Witchie and Ghosty YA'sPosted on March 21, 2012 Today I've got my dear friend Samantha Combs visiting. She the author of a YA series which features witches. Um, did I get the right which, or is it witch, where it's suppose to be.
Why I Thought I'd Never Write a Series…..Until I Did
The first book I ever wrote was intended to be just that….a single book. I had read plenty of series and I had problems with them. I felt as though I had been roped into them, as though the writer was purposefully leading me on and making the end of each one a cliffhanger, so I was forced to go out and get book after book, just to get to the end of the story. It kind of made me mad. So when I was writing my first book with Astraea Press, Spellbound, I had every intention of writing it as a stand-alone. I was going to be the writer that captured my reader, then freely released them after my book finished. Kind of like the saying, "If you love them let them go, if they love you, they will return to you." At least, that was the intention. It is definitely not what happened.What I didn't count on was the fact that I wasn't really in control of the story, the characters were. Selena and Logan were telling THEIR story through me. And by the time I got to the end, 300 some odd pages later, I had a startling revelation: This was a series. Dear God, there was almost no way to control it or stop it from happening. I had embarked on a story, not just of two people, but of a family of people, more than twenty in all, and this opus I had written would go on. Not because I particularly wanted it to, but because they did.I would wake up in the middle of the night with ideas. I would be driving and characters would have whole conversations in my head. Whenever my mind meandered, it drifted back to the lives of the Daniels' and the Starrs' and this fantastic, mystical, magical family of witches I had created. Or thought I had created. I didn't know Musina well that first year (my personal muse), and wasn't aware she was there even back then, guiding and gently nudging me in the creative process.I know right about now you are thinking I should be committed, but honestly, if you write as well, you know exactly what I am talking about. It was about this time that I started making small notes on the side about the continuation of the story. Soon, I realized, these notes were the beginnings of the second book. When I succumbed to that realization, I gave in and took those notes and began writing a follow-up, with no idea what it would become. It became Everspell, Book Two to Spellbound. And it is what it was meant to be all along….a perfect continuation of the witch family's story. But it's not over.
Yes, against all my better judgment, even against my own preference, there will be a third book. There has to be. Loose ends must be tied up and important characters have way more life to live. At least, that's what I have been told. Musina is definitely in the house on this one, too, as evidenced by the furtive note-taking I have recently found myself doing. I only recently gave the notes a name: Spellbound Three. *sigh* I seriously am not in control.
Samantha Combs is an author of YA/MG paranormal and supernatural fantasy, and adult and MG horror. She has five books published, three of them with Astraea Press: Spellbound, Everspell, and (a true stand-alone) Ghostly. Check out her blog atwww.samanthacombswrites.blogspot.com to learn about all five of her books.CONNECT WITH ME!Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samantha-Combs-Fan-Page/205186202866933Email: samanthacombswrites@gmail.comBlog: http://www.samanthacombswrites.blogspot.comTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/samanthacombs1WRITE, PUBLISH, AND BE INFORMED
March 18, 2012
Wanna Know Some Secrets About Me? I Tell ALL!
I was the guest blogger today on the Musa Publishing Blog, under the Ten Things blog. I chose to do something fun since I spend so much time on the business of writing, I thought you might want to know something about me that has nothing to do with my books. Get to know me here: http://musapublishing.blogspot.com/2012/03/top-ten-things-i-never-leave-house.html or just read about it here.
Author Samantha Combs,Author of Spellbound, Everspell, Ghostly, Teeth andTalons, and The Detention Demon confesses all!
Check out the Top Ten Things I Never Leave the HouseWithout:
1. Pink lipstick, Cover Girl #415 and a compact,since I was sixteen, actually2. Shoes that make me feel like a rock star (I cando ANYTHING with the right shoes!)3. Bookmarks for any of my books (Spellbound, atthe moment)4. Gum (only spearmint, never, never, evercinnamon)5. Dangly earrings that jingle in my ears (theydon't even have to match anything I'm wearing at the moment to make the cut)6. Migraine medication ( because the headachedoesn't care how busy my day is)7. My Iphone, not as much for calls than foremails, (and the notebook function that lets me jot notes for books as theycome to me, as they do, all day long, plus the recorder function, for the samereason)8. Stamps (sometimes I carry them so long theyexpire and I need more, but I always have them)9. Sunglasses, big round ones like Jackie O my hubshates (sorry hubs, I lurve them!)10. A small purse that goes around my shoulder. I despise big purses that look more like amine shaft, and those small ones with such a short strap they snug up into yourarmpit.
See?........
Spellbound Review: Night Owl Reviews
A NIGHT OWL REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW | Reviewed by: InkeddreamsLoganis an average guy, somewhat sheltered, but he knows what he wants in love andlife and just hasn't found it. It's funny how life can change your viewswithout any notice. From the moment Logan sees Serena, he knows there issomething special about her. He knows he wants to be with no one else in hisschool as much as he wants to be with her. He is even more surprised when hefinds that she holds the same feelings for him, but Serena and her sisters havea big secret. They're witches. When Serena has to reveal herself to Logan,worry that her new boyfriend will not be able to accept what she is, sets in.However this is just the tip of the iceberg.Itseems that the ruling council has plans for Serena and will stop at nothing toget their way. But, they aren't alone. Serena and her sisters, along with somenew and old friends have no intention of giving in without a fight. What'sworse, a demon seems to have taken over the council. Can Serena and Logan'srelationship endure despite the abrupt changes taking place in their lives?Even as powerful as her coven appears to be, can they stand up to a powerfuldemon and its followers? Can Logan protect not only his new girlfriend, despiteher revelation, but also his mom, sister and friends?Spellboundis the first book in a fabulous series by Samantha Combs. Comb's has theability to make one remember falling in love for the first time and all themagic that comes with it. Spellbound itself was a roller coaster of emotion.One moment the characters are just typical teens learning the joy of love atfirst sight and the next they are in terror of just how bad things can go bothin a magical and non-magical world. Comb's truly has a gift for being able todevelop her words into something her readers can envision.Thestory itself is told from a first person point of view, but this one differs inthat all of the main characters are telling the story, with a fresh perspectivefrom chapter to chapter. At some points, I did have to look back at thebeginning of the chapter to see whose point of view I was reading the storyfrom, but this was not a drawback. The story is fast paced and flows fairlyevenly considering the change from action to romance at the drop of a hat.Spellboundhad me wanting more before I was even halfway through the book. This one haseverything a Paranormal Romance is meant to be. Readers will find a story thatwill bring them along for the ride and leave them with a smile on their face.Readers might think this is another typical witch story but it really is somuch more than that. Readers will be clamoring for more at the turn of the lastpage, and looking forward to the next book in this magical series!Mar 16, 2012 | B0055T3D1E
March 14, 2012
Do You Suffer From Manuscript Personality Disorder?
Lately, I've felt as though I have a multiple personality disorder. When I look up the word "schizophrenia", I learn that it means the splitting apart of mental functions. This describes my current affliction perfectly...except the name is not quite right. I'm actually renaming the disorder to more closely match my problem.....the new name is Manuscript Personality Disorder. And I am suffering from it as we speak. Let me explain:In the past, it has not been unusual for me to have two manuscripts working at the same time. It has never stopped me from completing any of them. In fact, I wrote Ghostly simultaneously with three of the horror stories in my anthology, while I was wrapping up Everspell. So, I'm no stranger to it. I kind of equate it with shoes. I adore, adore, adore shoes and each morning the outfit I put together starts from the ground up with shoes. Or boots. But, it all depends on my mood.
It's the same with my Works In Progress. Which WIP I work on at any given time is entirely reliant upon what my mood is. If you have been checking out the new information I stuffed this blog with to jazz it up, you know I am working on, in no particular order:
a YA paranormal about the seven deadly sinsA Sci-Fi about aliens landing, set in a car rental facility near LAX (used to work in one)A YA dystopian novel about a girl who learns she can fly in a post-apocalyptic worldan adult horror about a taxi driver (manage them now)an adult horror about a babysitteran adult horror about a serial killerSo, I'll set the scene for you......I finish with dinner and everything, get the kids homeworked, teeth brushed, pajamed and into bed. American Idol is on (go Skylar!) and I pull the laptop onto my legs. I open it up and NOT UNTIL THAT MOMENT DO I KNOW WHAT MOOD I'M IN! So, is that weird?
I would love to know what you think. I have read that my personal idol, Stephen King, works on one manuscript at a time, and has said if it takes more than 2 1/2 months to write, he's doing it wrong. Interestingly, I take the same amount of time to complete a novel-length story, even if I am dabbling around in others. Don't get me wrong, the paranormal I'm writing about the seven deadly sins is still the headliner, if you will. But I just can't seem to eat the steak without taking some bites out of the veggies, the mashed potatoes and a buttered roll or two. Are you the same?
