Fixing...What's Love Got To Do...With Writing?

taken from: http://www.wallpapersfreedesktop.com/
love-sound-love-wallpaper.html

Well, okay so to begin this post, let me make this very simple.  Yesterday, I used this blog to "vent my spleen" as we would say in the Renaissance.

Without saying, this is inappropriate.  This blog is supposed to be about writing and supposed to be about exploring my imagination and the concepts there in, not about climbing up on a soapbox and offending people.

I don't really know if I did, but if I did, then I would like to offer you all my most sincere apologies.

When it comes to deeply set issues of who we are we should all come together in discussion rather than using a public platform for arguing.  We should operate in discussion.

However, there are some salvageable gems from yesterday's little rant.

First, let me be frank, I have very high ideals about what love is.  Even though these maybe high standards, they are not unobtainable.  I've seen them with my own two eyes.  Love is a long journey.  A road over mountains, through valleys, and over raging rivers.  We need to be strong to make it through.  We need someone to carry us when we're weak, or drag us when we can't walk, or someone to lie with when we both are hurting.  But then someone also to soar with, to touch the stars and taste the Milky Way in our heights of joy.  In short, we need to grow together and become compatible.

Secondly, I think as writers, just as with all mass media engineers, we need to be honest with what love is and not just glorify the bedroom activities.  We shouldn't deceive the audience in thinking it all is beautiful and amazing.  I believe if we're going to display sexuality, then we need to not be blind to the dark side and we need to find ways to care for those hurt by our messages.  Social responsibility.

Third, I believe it's important for us to help create and become role models the generations to be.  We often argue that, well my book / CD / movie wasn't meant for that young of an audience.  The point becomes moot when the PR team begins to market it toward the audience with the most disposable income.  That point vanishes once that generation already has it in their hands.  And that point becomes especially moot when the emulation becomes apparent.

What's love got to do with it?

Taken from: http://www.smscs.com/photo/romantic_wallpapers_
of_kiss.html#.UXwlAaI3tsM, however there is a deviantart.com
profile: caramellina.

Recently I have been having a discussion with a few friends about love and romance and sex, and though these discussions are rather interesting, I'm slowly beginning to see a huge rift in what we used to believe Love is and what Love is becoming.  This scares me to a point that it actually causes me to stay awake at night with my pen in my hand writing out and thinking.

These aspects that we have been discussing have me pondering a lot about my role of a writer.

Should I just play to the current trend?  It'll sell books.  It'll sell stories.

Or should I hold to the truths that I have learned either the hard way or through careful study, dreaming, idealism, and faith in a higher standard of life?  This will make me enemies, but then I won't be a tool like just about every pop star out there concerned with the green.

That is sort of a point, once our concerns float toward money, we sell out that which we all long to understand: the greater purpose.  "Doesn't matter, I gots my millions," some will say.  But, if I have taken the world, and I have burned it to ashes....what's it's value?

Cautionary note -- this isn't meant as a dig on anyone, I'm merely taking a moment to explain my personal thoughts.  I apologize if anyone feels offended, that is not my intention.

The first of these issues I've waded into is the concept of "sexual compatibility".  This is a funny sort of topic, by it's own name it suggests that humans aren't sexually compatible by nature, that we must find that specific puzzle piece.  So in other words we may find that perfect someone, but...geeze in bed...it's iffy.  From what I've learned, sex is something that is learned and taught and brought to its greatest heights with someone you're free to be as you are.  It's something you teach and something you learn.  Of course it can be clumsy and awkward at first, but imagine if the person you're with really cares for you, really loves you, and really has the greatest of hopes for you.  Over time, as the pair grow together and the pair grow closer, then compatibility won't be an issue, it'll be achieved and multiplied and powerful.  That's why this is a non-issue.  We may not be great in the sack right from the box, but with love and devotion, we can be ecstasy.

So what about sex without emotional attachment?  Yeah, another topic I've walked into.  This--well basically this is a lie to ourselves.  "Yeah I had sex with my best friend, but it didn't mean anything.  Just had to YOLO."  Okay, so, here are some questions to ask.  1) Do you remember what happened, such as little images in your head?  2) Have you discovered things you enjoyed with one person?  3) Do you have ideas of what someone else may enjoy?  Each of these three would be considered an emotional attachment.

1 - 2 - 3. Any of those three are now set against the person you may meet next and choose to share your sheets with.  You have now set up a standard to measure someone who may end up becoming the greatest love of your life, by.  Doesn't that seem a little unfair?  Which this also goes right back up to sexual compatibility.  Now you're making the standard for compatibility that much more difficult.

So, I'll take those two pot-shots and see what fallout I may receive next.

Now, I bet the question has been raised: so what does this all have to do with writing?

That's easy.  Mass media culture is telling people -- this is what love is.  This is what sex is.

However, the sexuality and the moments that are expressed in songs and television and books are only a small, micro moment of love.  They hare hardly the full compassing aspects.  We, as creators of media, need to be telling the whole story.  We need to be responsible for our creation.  If a singer writes a song about getting drunk, getting laid, and how great it is, they need to be standing in a rape crisis center and comforting girls who got raped while drunk because part of the outcome of their message will be a dark side.  These media pop stars need to be supporting programs that will help protect children who are obtaining their messages and educating them on reality.

The concept of a living novel...

Okay so here's a thought...

When we think of literature we think of literature as that for which we read and enjoy.  John Milton spoke about this in his poem "Il Penseroso" the man alone in his tower with the great store of books reading into the dark twilight hours with our imaginations on the loose.

Well, that's all fine and dandy, but this is a new age.  This is the 21st Century...isn't it?  Let me just make sure--Yes, this is the 21st Century folks.  So what does that mean?

Well, for one, that time marches forward.  Time marches on.  Time leads us to new ideas.  Our TV shows have become interactive.  Our music...well not so much but sort of.

So...this may not be a new idea to some, but I believe I will try it.  I think it's possible to make an E-novel come alive in the hands of the readers.  A living novel that is as much a part of the discussion as the readers are.  Author and audience working in tandem...why not?

heading home after a long day.

Well, I believe I'll take up the challenge and see what happens.

Wish me luck as I head out on this highway to see what new adventures may come my way.

Follow the story at: ammutterings.tumblr.com

The End for a Critter

Gemini watching me from her box.

A well known fact about me, I love animals.  I love to watch them, I love to play with them.  I love just about everything there is about animals.  I've helped rescue some.  I've cared for sick and ailing animals.  I've even had to learn the very delicate art of rolling at cat in a towel just so that I could get food down her stomach.

So, that is why today is a bit of a hard day for me, and as a writer a day to study and examine my thoughts and feelings.

This morning one of our neighborhood cats was mauled to death by someone's bet boxer.  The cat was a lovely brindle (grey and white striped) cat.  She would have turned sixteen this year, except for this morning's violence leaving fur and gore scattered about my neighbor's front yard.  Q-Bear was a friendly cat, happy to greet me, happy to purr, loved a good belly rub, but she ached and was slow moving, so she became easy pickings for the dog this morning.

Now, first off, I know animals eat animals in the wild, but this wasn't about eating another animal.  This was just cruelty.  Secondly, I have dogs and cats and they live in harmony because they weren't raised where they starved or violence was a method of life.  Though I shouldn't really presume much about the boxer's home life, but somethings can be discerned from the actions of the dog.

But I'm feeling a lot of anger right now.  I'm mad that my neighbor would have a fifteen year old cat still living on the street rather than bring her inside for the twilight years.  I'm mad at my other neighbor who saw the whole ordeal go down and didn't try to run off the dog.  I'm angry because a member of my house should have been alerted to the situation, that I was not able to attend to, because sitting in a day dream state and ignoring someone shouting and screaming outside was a preferable state.

I'm also sad. Bear was a very gentle cat and a very sweet creature to be sure.  So, I have to admit to a little sadness.  I'm going to miss her throaty call and getting to pet Bear in the evenings.  More than that, I can only imagine Bear's last moments in total fear.  Being chased by a snarling beast, teething digging into her flesh as she is jostled and jerked all about wildly, trying to fight back as best as she could, but knowing it wasn't enough.  Pity crawls deep within me as well.

To close out today, I'll leave with a thought.  Last October one of the neighborhood cats had kittens, and one evening when I came home, I found that one of the kittens had been hit by a car.    Less than a week later, I found another one laying in the street in a pool of gore.  My heart always breaks in these situations and I developed a little prayer.

"I did not know you, but for your life I honor you.
I did not see care for you in this life, but for your struggle, we were kindred.
As my brother I will do my best to commend your body to the Earth and your soul to Heaven.
As my brother I loved you so seek friends upon your arrival and we shall meet once more."

A change for Q-Bear:

"As my friend, I loved you, so seek your sister Bama in the lush fields beyond and she'll take good care of you until we meet again."

Shaking The Dust Off

borrowed from www.guardian.co.uk

It has been a very long time since I've sat here and blogged about writing.  This is largely in part to some very simple, and very silly, reasons.

First, I would like to blame work and how my life has gotten to be so very, very busy, but in fact that's not a reason at all.  It's more that I let my work find time to detract me from getting here to maintain a living journal.

Second, I will proclaim that intimidation is a factor.  I've never enjoyed receiving rejection letters.  I know that not everyone is an acceptable story or idea, but still, it's very hard not to take a rejection personal--at the moment.  I've been told by friends that you grow numb after a while, but still, it hurts for the time being and it tends to shut me down for a week or two.

However, this past week I sent out a query letter or three.  This time, instead of trying to sell myself I decided to be honest.  I decided to approach literary agents with my hand out and trying to showcase who I am as a writer rather than a product I have created.  I decided to put my skills on display rather than a product that I have no clue if it is good enough on its own merits, but--maybe my merits will be enough.

So, here I am shaking off the dust to my blog.  I need to reconnect and redirect my efforts.  I need to put a focus once more on my art.

In short, I need to be me again.