Eradicating The Weed Of Publishing

Have all the great things been done? Have all the great themes been used up? Are there any original ideas? As a writer, and an individual, the thought of everything great being done before kind of puts me in some-what of a dejected state. Is there a point in even trying? I have four works in progress, but lately have no drive to even bother. The will to write has been sucked out of me.

This morning, as the sun peeked over the mountains in the distance and the black sky turned a salmon pink, I started to wonder why. Is it seeing all these writers running the same race? We scramble, we fight, we go at it time and again, and for what? For someone to look at our work and say, hey this ain't half bad? For someone to take the plunge and take a chance on an unknown kid? For some agent to spend more than five minutes reviewing our query?

There are success stories, but they seem far and few between. And still there's that nagging question lingering in the back of my head: what are my chances? My chances? Well, my chances are low. I've written a novel, the one I've chosen to present to the world, in a genre that is saturated with people trying to break through. They say they want something new, but yet they keep pumping out vampires and werewolves. It's enough to drive me mad. And so, I am realistic, my chances are slim to none.

I tell myself that at least I'm trying. At least I'm making an effort to obtain the things I want, but, as of late, this isn't enough to keep me warm at night. I write to write, but the work that goes into trying to be published and the battering your ego takes in the querying process, completely obliterates my desire to create. I don't take the rejection personally because I see the amount of people shopping their work around, but it still reeks havoc on my creative process.

Maybe at this point, I should remove the idea of publishing from my mind. Is it time to weed out the idea of seeing my book on a shelf at Chapters. I should cut out the roots and toss the idea of publishing into the garbage. Like any extra-strength weed,the bloody bastard will most likely grow back. For now, I think my goal of finding an agent or publisher needs to be smothered and my desire to write needs to be fertilized and handled with care until it grows back into the wild plant it once was.

Don't get me wrong. I want to be published, but I want to write more. And lately, my minds been on publishing, querying, rejections and not on the thing which once made me tick--crafting. Writers write. And I want to write again. I don't want to stare at my WIP and tell myself all the reasons why it will never be published. I don't even want to care about that. I want to just write it for me and not worry about commercial success. I want to craft for my muse and not for the marketability of it all.

Perhaps in the last year I've lost of sight of what I truly want. Maybe I'm not ready to struggle through the rat race which is the publishing world. At this point in time, I want to write. I don't want to have to feel that sick little kick in my stomach when I open my email and see a response to a query. I want to open my email and see responses from lovers in foreign places...okay that might be reaching.

How often do writers get lost along the path of publishing? How many writers lose grasp of why they're actually doing this? I didn't start writing for money. (though it would be nice to be paid to write.) I didn't start writing with ideas of grandeur, of getting a four book deal from Random House and doing world book signings. That wasn't my goal. My goal was to write. To finish a book...

For some reason I ran astray. I lost my grasp on that fact. And now that I've finished a book (or four) I need to get back on my original path and set another goal...not to be published, but to finish another book, or finish editing one of my completed ones. That's where I want to be. Not worrying about never being published.

I'm not ignorant. Agents and publishers aren't going to come to me. I know I will have to put the work into finding one, but I'm not going to let the struggle of trying to acquire one squash my passion for the written word.

So, you heard it here first. I don't want to be a query queen or a synopsis savant. I want to be a writer. And that's bloodly hard when you aren't writing. Screw publishing. I just want to write.

YouPorn

If you haven't heard of the website YouPorn then you are severely out of date, or perhaps not a pervert like most of the cohabitants of Earth. To sum it up, it is a pornographic version of YouTube. And while there are several 'professional' snippets of pornography, the vast majority of videos are people's personal flicks.

Here's the thing: I'm torn on YouPorn.

While the freak nasty part of me enjoys the ability of having free porn at just a click away. And yet, the other part of me, the high collared-no skin showing-don't look men in the eyes when I shuffle down the street part of me, is completely disturbed by this. Remember when porn was taboo? When we would do a quick look around on the street before popping into Red Hot Video? When we would hide our dirty magazines under our mattresses?

Now we have whole drawers dedicated to these items (usually the bedside table). We have discussion groups. And while Sex & The City wants to take credit for allowing women to discuss their orgasms over brunch, in truth-women were whispering these things long before Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha ever were. Women have been sizing up each others men and alluding to what is done in the bedroom since...well, I don't have a date, but for a long time. What those four NYC tramps did do was take away the embarrassment/shame of it all. Sex has always been there, porns been around forever, but now anyone can be a porn star. Exciting, no?

NO, you're right. NO!!! It is not exciting. I am sick and tired of watching these celebrities acting horrified when their sex-tape is leaked. I'm sorry, but if you're making a sex tape there is only ONE thing you must do-it's sort of like the cardinal rule of sex-tape-making. Always ensure you are in possession of the video. Don't leave it with your ex, don't email it to a friend, don't keep it on your hard-drive at work so the IT guys can copy it. And don't act surprised when you log onto YouPorn and your video has had fifty magillion hits.

Oh, YouPorn, you are enabler, and I don't like it. The other day, I am pretty sure I saw someone I know on YouPorn. Isn't that horrifying? I thought so. And the worse part, I wasn't even on the site trolling for jollies. Nope. I was searching for this funny video called cheeseburger (don't ask) to send to a friend, when Fat Ass Candy With A Fast Ass Black Cock caught my attention. And of course, since the girl looked familiar, I had to click on the link to confirm. Well, the angle was weird-as was the lighting-but I am fairly certain it was her.

I don't want to see people I know knocking boots. I prefer not to know the dick size of the guy who pumps my gas. Call me a prude, I don't care, but I think YouPorn is disturbing. What if I saw one of my old teachers on there? Or worse, one of my siblings! I much preferred my porn less easily accessible, I like to work for my porn. I like to have to click through a hundred pop ups and advertisements. I just want to go back to the old fashioned way of things.

Is The Pen Mightier?

The pen is mightier than the sword. It's a popular phrase and a metonymic adage coined by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839 for his play Richelieu; Or the Conspirac. Though his phrasing is by far the most popular, Euripides is said to have wrote, "The Tongue is Mightier than the blade." Same meaning-different words.

Last night, or this morning, depending on when you feel three AM rests, I was wondering whether this phrase has been rendered obsolete? If the pen is truly mightier than the sword, would people not put more stock into things they read?
And, in this day and age, how can the pen be mightier than the sword when the line of fiction and reality is so skewed? Is there truth behind the word anymore? Is it even valid?

We live in a world where it is virtually impossible to trust any source. When reading an article about a certain event, one must considered who wrote it, their sex, creed, religious stand points, political position and a number of other facts. How do we decide what is a trustworthy account of an incident and what is not? Do people write unbiasedly? I would say no, emotions are too big to ignore and so, whether the writer intends to or not, parts of themselves are filtered into their work.

With the world revolving around the Internet everyone has a platform to wield the pen now. People, who fifty years ago would be considered radical, free-thinking, hippies, now have a way to reach the masses. And while the beatnik with his tie dye shirt isn't a threat to the common person, the racist, sexist, homophobes are. While some chose to spread love with the word, the majority of articles being posted to the Internet boast intolerance and hate.

Since everyone has access to the mighty pen does that diminish the importance of the written word? Every Tom, Dick and Henry can type out a blog, fancy up a website, and market their thoughts, feelings, and opinions - no matter how accurate they are, or how cruel or vindictive. It's sort of like the phrase 'too many cooks in the kitchen'. The more people cooking a meal the more diverse the meal with be, but there also runs the risk of things not turning out or someone eating something that could make them ill.

If I chose to do so, I could tell the world that there is an underground subculture of people in Canada who are working to overthrow the government and create an anarchist society. It would be a lie, but that doesn't mean people out there wouldn't believe it or donate money to help my cause via my paypal account.

It seems as though 'the people' have grown tired of 'the word' and are calling for 'the sword'. They can no longer trust 'the word'. And 'the word' isn't bringing about any results or changes. How long can you use 'the word' and not be heard before you resort to other things?

Is the sword becoming more mighty than the word? Government officials would like you to believe, no. The reason for this? They don't want 'the people' picking up the sword. How much damage can you cause sitting in your parents basement blogging about the injustices of the world? Not a hell of a lot, but if you put into the hands of the people action, then they have something to worry about.

Are the people leaning towards inflicting change as opposed to writing about how they could inflict change on the world?

Maybe.

Maybe people have sat by for too long being told contradictory facts, or maybe people are tired of being lied to by their government and spoon-fed half-truths. Whatever it is, the people want to take action, they want to be heard. The government isn't listening-well at least not to the words they are writing. They don't see the petitions, the books, the blogs, the written word which is supposed to be more hefty than the sword.

And what does the sword in today's society represent? Action.

Which leads to another question...what happens when the people get angry enough and toss the pen to the side? What happens when the pen is rendered useless? What happens when the fear tactics written in the paper or on the news no longer work? What happens when the people take up the sword?

Will anyone dare say the word 'revolution'?

Wilde Wednesday

In a fit of insanity I have decided to add another feature to my blog. I have Melodic Mondays, which I really enjoy writing, and now I will start off on Wilde Wednesdays in which I will take a moment to post a quote or excerpt from Oscar Wilde.

If you didn't know, Mr. Wilde is one of my most favorite people. If I could talk to anyone dead and gone I would talk to Joe Strummer, but second to him it would have to be Oscar Wilde.

Wilde is an Irish writer (his most notable work/famous work is: The Importance of Being Earnest) with a some-what shady past (after all he was improsoned for his sexuallity) and is one of the most wry, wonderful, and witty people to ever reach the masses. Not only is he one of the most iconic figures of late Victorian era, but he is associated with scandle and has a razor-sharp social critism which he is known for-and which has endeared me to him.

Sometimes when I read his work, I swear I can here the smirk on his mouth, do you know what I mean?

Probably not, since I am nuttier than a bowl of peanuts. Regardless, I have this thing for Oscar Wilde and I am going to inflict my thing on you. More people should appreciate the writer

Today's quote from my man Oscar Wilde:

“To get back my youth I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early or be respectable.”




If you would like to read more about Oscar Wilde, which I high recommed doing, visit this link:

Wilde Wiki

Too Much Information

It seems like we live in a day in age where people have no qualms about posting too much information on the Internet. Blogs, twitter, facebook and Internet forums offer up a platform to people who are listening. And with these easily accessible communities it is becoming increasingly popular to see people posting things they really don't need to be posting.

Today my brother-in-law's facebook status was "cooked his wiener at Wreck Beach today" And he wasn't talking about his hot dog. Wreck beach is a nudey beach here which I have yet to go to because I'm terrified to find my brother-in-law cooking his wiener there. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm not concerned about my brother-in-law's well being, or that he now has lobster cock...(makes me think of the B-52s Rock Lobster-I have a feeling I am going to be singing Cock Lobster for the rest of the night) It's just that I don't want to think about his wiener, him at Wreck beach, or anything else nude related when it comes to my family.

Today, I also found out that a girl I knew from high school is pregnant but doesn't know if she wants to keep the baby. Wow, if that isn't inappropriate for posting on the Internet, I don't know what is. You are talking about having an abortion, and I don't think the severity of that decision should be trivialized by posting it as a status update. It's akin to posting about cheating on your husband, tactless and ridiculous.

You know me, I am all about smashing down the door of modesty. I post things in my blog that are good for a laugh, I leave comments that are tacky and rude, I share things about me that people don't necessarily NEED to know, but I keep it clean and fun. Somethings should be kept behind closed doors, if not for the person posting its sake, but also for the readers sake. I mean, next time I see my brother-in-law, I will feel the urge to ask if he put aloe on his burn, his burning being on his balls. I might be kidding around with my brother-in-law, but in all honesty, there is such thing as too much information and it is floating all around cyberspace.

It's Just A Little Crush

This may come as a shock, but I like to flirt. I feel it's harmless, it makes other people feel good, and gives a little boost to some otherwise boring days. I'm a free-thinking flirt, I like to spread it around to anyone who's willing and ready. Girls, boys, young, old, smart, not-so-smart-there is no discrimination when it comes to who I bat my eyelashes at or whose jokes I giggle at. Many people say flirting is healthy, I don't know what sort of credentials those people have, but I imagine there must be at least two doctor in the bunch. Therefore, doctors think flirting is healthy.

Side node: unlike smoking, it is unanimous amongst all doctors that smoking is not healthy.

Back to point, sometimes while flirting my way through the Internet ether, I snag a live one and get some flirting back. Sometimes it's in the form of a veiled reply to a pseudo-sexual comment I posted, sometimes it's a *wink* or a 'x' (that's a kiss for all who are unaware of the super-secret-super-sexy-cyber speak.) No matter what it is, the proper response is to toss up a winky emoticon and reply with a sweet response that could be taken two ways: innocently or not so innocently.

Now, it seems I've managed to acquire some sort of reputation in the last year in virtual reality. (In reality, I've had this rep for a long time-there's no point in denying it.) I imagine the recipients of my merciless flirting wonder if the person they are talking to in a forum or chat room is the person they say they are and if they actually act the way they do on the Internet. My Internet persona, is not a persona. It's how I am in real life, except in person my misanthropic ways are far more evident and my sarcasm reigns supreme. I've learned sarcasm doesn't transfer through emails or forum posts all that well, something about inflection of tone, or something like that.

Incidentally, flirting on the Internet can develop into crushes. Each of these crushes range in intensity, some are just a fleeting adoration, but some span months and (gasp) even years. At one point, you might realize one of these crushes isn't just a crush, that you actually like the person...who they are behind their funky profile picture and witty replies. And though you're still a rational person, and you aren't going to ditch your long-term spouse, sell your house, buy a plane ticket, and show up in nothing but cling wrap on their doorstop, you might entertain the idea. (Boy, wouldn't Noelle get a surprise if I didn't just entertain it! *ahem*)

All jokes aside, I am a big enough person to own up to the fact that I have a crush-and I have had it for a fair amount of time. And though this person is only my friend, I still toy with the idea of doing something irrational, and find myself feeling a little giggly when they send me some affection. So there, you have it...there are dangerous sides to flirting. And as we all know you have to respect Flirt Code #1: Don't allow harmless flirting to develop into crush, because you run the risk of having other icky feelings get involved.

And with all that said, let me just add one last thing. I like having a crush (Though I don't know how the person feels about me having a crush on them.) I have a feeling I'm going to be served a restraining order any day. Oh well, just another one to add to the collection.

Twitwit

I will be the first to admit that I am not, nor will I ever be, a technology-savant. It took me ages to join Myspace (when that was still popular) and I only recently started using Twitter. My first hundred posts were a jumble of questions centering around how to use the bloody thing--which really notified my ten followers of the imbecile I really am. Upon review, I've taken note of how easy it actually is, and what a simpleton I've grown into. And so, I coined the phrase twitwit, a twitter-nitwit, which sums me up to a tee.

Here's the thing. I am crap at networking. I turn to the gorgeous and talented, Noelle Pierce, who happens to know everything about everything about anything about anything when it comes to networking. Every day I am rendered speechless by this woman's ability to spread herself around. (Well, that didn't sound good) What I mean is, this girl is everywhere. Her Facebook friends grow daily, she has more Twitter followers than I have hair on my head, and she seems to just keep it all together. I still choose to believe a HootSuite is an accommodation for owls.

I, on the other hand, am a mess of posts here and there, snippets all over the place, and random comments on everything under the sun. When I post, I am unsure whether I should sign with my email, my twitter link, my blog link or my website link. How on earth did I get on so many platforms? Since when did I think it was a good idea to have a website? And why did I get it into my head that the world wanted to know what I had to say? I'm just a persnickety Canadian with misanthropic tendencies and a wry sense of humor, nothing special.

While I spend my time wondering how I can get more Twitter followers (for what reason, I do not know) I find myself pondering what I have done. At one point in time, I was shy about my writing and I would have never in a thousand years posted my book, short stories, flash fiction, or horrible poetry on the Internet. I didn't want my sister to read my junk, let alone some Englishman on the other side of the world who is sipping a nice cuppa tea and eating a delicious biscuit. And yet, here I am, posting my work with some sort of authority.

It's as though I am saying, I am T.L Tyson and you better take notice. When in reality, I don't know what I am doing and should probably be flying under the radar. It's one of my best kept secrets, I'm on the road trip of life, but I don't have a map. Well, that's the beauty of the Internet, isn't it; the ability to reach a bunch of people while not knowing your ass from a hole in the ground. (That was a cliche, by the way, something people shouldn't use when writing, but alas, I am a rule breaker.)

Don't get me wrong. I kinda enjoy all this tech-stuff. And lord knows I always have something to say, though the degree of importance ranges from not important at all to super not important. There really is very little grey area. Regardless, I am heading off to check my twitter to see if anyone mentioned me in their tweets. Oh, and I came up with the term twitterati today. It's twitter intellectuals who know what they are doing and who use terms like tweep and know what #FF means. (I am not part of the twitterati.)

Note to self: don't contemplate networking or the importance of my own blog. It's like the Bermuda triangle-there's no way out. Oh well, I suppose I can rest easy knowing that no matter what happens to me, my sites will live on forever. Oh, wait. That doesn't make me rest easy, that scares the crap out of me. Tonight I will pray, and my prayer will be: Please don't let my grandkids google me. Please don't let my grandkids google me. Please don't let my grandkids google me.

And if you were wondering, this blog post has been created while I am supposed to be writing. Well, it isn't a secret, I procrastinate like no one else.

Welcome to the Blog Hop!

And The Blog Award Goes To...(Drum Roll Please)

There is nothing like waking up Friday morning and seeing you have won a Blog Award from some lovely blogger-the lovely blogger being Noelle Pierce, of course. Just when I thought I was blogging for my cat and dog, what a pleasant surprise. Aren't they shiny and pretty? I thought so.

I shall now take a moment from edits and procrastination of edits to return the favor. Needless to say, Noelle's blog would be on here, but I am not too sure what the protocol is for that. I am going to post new people, I think.

Here are the rules of the awards:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order…)
4. Contact the bloggers you’ve picked and let them know about the award.

I forgot my seven things, so I am editing them in:

1. I don't drink. Never have, never will.

2. I am in love with Red Vines, they make life better

3. My biggest pet peeve is ignorance.

4. Pirates are my thing. I love anything nautical.

5. Music is everything to me. I spend more than 8 hours a day listening to it. I am a nerd.

6. I think I am a lot more funny and witty than I actually am. :)

(I forgot seven, so I am editing again)

7. I clearly don't have my head on straight today.

JuJu - Wonderful blogger @ Tales Of Whimsy - does fantastic reviews on books (mostly of the YA genre). Not to mention this gal is something else, sweet and smart!

Rebs - Another book blogger, this one a little more close to me and a little more dear to my heart. It could be because she sits two desks down from me. Anyways, she tells her honest opinions of books. Mostly YA again.

Jane Alexander - One of the most enjoyable women I have met in the last year. She is a fantastic writer, and always keeps me entertained.

Craig Saunders - Funny guy, Funny blog. Great writer.

Jackie Buxton - I really enjoy reading this blog. Just recently stumbled upon it.

Genevieve Graham-Sawchyn - Another writer documenting their efforts with their work. I love peeking in to see what is going on.

Mandy E Ward - A enjoyable blog that centers around Mandy. She is witty and wry and wonderful.

N Gemini Sasson - This makes me laugh every time I head on over, I think perhaps because of the blog title. The Dog Ate My Manuscript.

RC Lewis - I think Lewis here should update her blog more. I am putting it on here to let her know that people DO read it and that it needs more TLC.

Mark E Rich - And you thought I was a music nut? This site will give you everything you ever wanted/needed to know about music. The obscure to the extreme.

Poppet - Another author, this one likes to set music into her blog, probably one of the main reasons I stick around.

Cameron Chapman - On summer break, but an enjoyable blog that will (hopefully) be back in action sooner, rather than later.

Cheri Lasota - Take a look at this. It has been on my read list for awhile and I am ever so pleased I stopped by.

Sadie Dent - This woman has a sense of humor I adore. And not only that but she creates really trippy looking facebook profile pictures.

LA Dale - Author of Heart of Glass - her Bono post made me laugh out loud. Take a look at what the buzz is about.