Dance & Powerpoint (A TED Talk)

Do you know how every once in a while you run into a concept or a presentation or a thought or a person and you actually feel the connections start to light up in your brain? It's such an exciting moment and for me this TED talk was one of those most recent moments. It's a completely fascinating meld of idea, presentation and challenge. Maybe you won't see it the same way but for me, it once again stirred the pot of potential and it's always amazing to see what comes out of that.

Imagining big.

It boggles my mind to think of the mental gymnastics necessary to produce this art. But wow.

Counting sheep?

Between the mural, a trip to France and a computer that keeps trying to eat my camera cards, it's been a little hectic around here. (Oh and don't forget conference prep!) So once again my best blog ideas are waiting until

1. the mural is done
2. I'm over my jet lag
3. I can access the photos I want to share
4. I have something constructive to show about my hopes for the conference.

But here's another one of those creative gems that just makes me giggle:

The Writer's Life

A friend pointed me to this video and it is too funny not to share. (I'm also a little envious of the beautiful bookshelves in the background.)

A full band (Josh Wilson)

I've mentioned before how much I enjoy creativity. And seeing people be creative in their own field is doubly exciting if it's not a field I typically work in. So here's a snippet from a very talented guy, Josh Wilson. I got to see him in concert last weekend and and love some of the unique ways he blends his many musical talents with technology to give it that little extra spice. (I'd also recommend that you watch the video on YouTube. There are actually six Joshes in the video but it won't size properly for some reason.)



How do you suppose an author could make use of multiple appearances? :)

Self-murder and other editing tools

I came across a quote recently that, to me, stands among the brilliant statements of a writing career:

Ruthlessness with one's own copy remains the mark of a professional, because you have to stab yourself in the back. - Paul Collins, How to Write Like A Victorian

Collins was writing about the first "how-to" writing book, written in the 1890s, and how it's advice is very similar to the tips writers receive today. It is somewhat ironic that the writer, Sherwin Cody, really didn't have a track record of writing fiction, but he blazed a trail of Victorian writers into that pernicious field of fiction.

Collins point is an excellent one. It is no surprise that the title editors and agents always encourage writers to pick up is "Self-editing for Fiction Writers." (BTW, did you know SEFFW is on Facebook now?) The ability to take a firm stand with one's own work is really one of the marks of the writers that have the best chance of succeeding in publishing. The other, sometimes, is the combination of nerve and nose that Cody demonstrated in the late 1800s. (See the full article here - it's a good read.)

While you ponder that, here's a very funny look at the writer not willing to mess with his own work. Maybe you'll recognize him.

Pixels

How cool is this!


PIXELS by PATRICK JEAN.
Uploaded by onemoreprod. - Arts and animation videos.

"Re-vamp-aderci!"

I've mentioned before that I love creativity in promotion. Lately, the "thing" seems to be book trailers. And so many authors are creating book trailers - some compelling, some fun, some odd and some - well - slightly painful. I think they serve their purpose, but for the most part, I don't think many of them have the advantage of novelty that they used to. Don't get me wrong - video book trailers have taken their place on the list of marketing essentials, but they are rather like author websites - much of a muchness.

But here's a GREAT book trailer! It's fresh, funny and he invents a word too! Enjoy...




If you're interested in producing your own book trailer, Writer's Digest did an article awhile back with some how-to advice. Check it out here.

Author action figures

I generally try not to post two in a row (two videos, two writing prompts, etc) but this is too fantastic to pass up on. I hope it puts a grin in your day.

Another gem

Words + concept = art

Flash Mob Marketing

It's always fun to see when an author does something a little different to promote their books. After all, we're creative people - why not do something creative? I've come across several great examples lately and will be sharing some of the best.

Some authors really seem to have a flair for it. The best I know of in this department is Canadian author Eric Walters. He always seems to have something out of the ordinary and exciting connected to a new book. Here's an idea that he came up with for his book "In A Flash." What better idea than create a flash mob?