Kurt R.A. Giambastiani

Your Brain on Books

02 Oct 2014 by KRAG

You know I like books. I mean books, real books, those things made of paper and ink. A well-made book is a treasure, not to mention a marvel of low-level technology and, while I have an e-reader, read the occasional novel on my e-reader, and while I was one of the earliest adopters of the technology (I owned a first-generation REB1000, back in the ’90s), I do not like them.

I like books.

I like the heft, the feel, the fixity of the thing. I cannot turn it off. I cannot download it. I cannot erase it.

A book is a quiet, confident thing. It does not shout or wheedle. It rests, waits, and says, “Read me, or read me not; your choice.” It simply is.

I like reading from a physical book more than reading off my Kindle. When I read from a book I get more involved, I experience a greater immersion in the words and the story.

And I am not alone. Science, it turns out, is right there with me.

Posted in Books, Culture, Hi Tech, Low Tech | Tagged books, digital format, Faulkner, Kindle, physical book, print vs digital, Proust, Reading, reading comprehension, reading reduces stress, Richard Castle, silent reading, slow reading | 1 Comment »

Fifty Shades of No

30 Sep 2014 by KRAG

Dragons Ahead Rejection: a small message written in fog and tea leaves from which a writer tries to extract any clue as to where the hell he went wrong.

I’ve got ’em–a big thick stack of ’em–and now that I’ve re-entered the fray of short story marketing, I’m getting more. Unfortunately, as cryptic as were the rejections I amassed a decade ago, the ones hitting my desk these days are totally inscrutable.

But last week’s Submit post got me thinking about those old rejections…Was there more to learn from them than I thought? So I went up into the attic, pulled down the dusty, crack-edged binder, and started to paw through them.

Here’s what I found.

Posted in Writing | Tagged creative writing, publishing, rejections, short stories, submitting short stories, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips | 5 Comments »

Submit

25 Sep 2014 by KRAG

Dragons Ahead I’ve never liked the word “submit.” To Submit, to place under, to capitulate, to yield.

Nope. Never liked it.

When I started writing, I learned a new meaning for the word “submit”: to send for consideration a manuscript, born of sweat and tears, wrapped in prayers and orisons, in hopes that, against overwhelming odds and counter to all probability, an editor will find it pleasing and bestow upon it the gift of acceptance.

And submit I did. Often and regularly. For years. I have the rejections to prove it (more on them, next week). For now, though, some thoughts on the mechanics of submitting your work to markets.

First: Do it.

Posted in Writing | Tagged creative writing, publishing, self-publishing, submitting short stories, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips | 1 Comment »

Globe Trotting

23 Sep 2014 by KRAG

Some people (you know who you are…Ari) feel that Kenneth Branagh’s cinematic version of Much Ado About Nothing is the gold standard. I admit, though Ken’s version is one of my favorites, I cannot find it within me to apply that label to anything with Keanu Reeves in it. Sorry. Ain’t gonna happen.

Then there is Joss Whedon’s Much Ado, filmed on a shoestring at his home in Malibu, but for all that it’s made by Joss (squee!), it still takes about 20 minutes of film-time to get its feet under itself, and that’s too long.

There’s also the Brandon Arnold version, a high-school production that might best be re-titled “Much Ado 90210.” Just…don’t.

Beyond that, you have to go back to the ’80s or the ’70s to find a decent version so, still and all, Branagh’s version is one of the best…

…but…

…it’s a movie.

Posted in Culture, Movies | Tagged globe theater, Globe Theatre, Joss Whedon, Keanu Reeves, Kenneth Branagh, movie review, much ado about nothing, play vs movie, Shakespeare | 2 Comments »

Self-Flagellation, Follow-Up

18 Sep 2014 by KRAG

Pursuant to my earlier post on self-promotion, I want to share what happened to me yesterday: a prime example of what NOT to do.

I am very well aware that, these days, writers must promote their work. I also know that, for the self-published, all promotion is, by definition, left solely to the author’s efforts.

But there are limits, both to what is effective and to what is appropriate.

Posted in Books, Culture | Tagged creative writing, self-promotion, self-publishing, Writing, writing tips | 1 Comment »

The Other Half

16 Sep 2014 by KRAG

When I visited my school guidance counselor to discuss my future careers, the term “creativity scientist” never came up. Then again, neither did “musician” or “novelist” or even “computer programmer,” all of which I have used to describe various aspects of my “career.”

But “creativity scientist?” Wow, that sounds like a good gig. Of course, “zookeeper” sounds great, too, until you realize that it’s mostly shoveling poop. Come to think of it, “shoveling poop” describes every single job I’ve ever had, to one degree or another. Sometimes it’s my poop. Most times it’s someone else’s. No matter what, it’s poop. Everyone shovels poop.

Anyway…Jefferson Smith, who runs the Creativity Hacker website and blog, obviously attended a different school district than I did. He is a creativity scientist and novelist, and he’s got some interesting ideas and thoughts on all things creative, and especially about creative writing.

One of his ideas is his “Immerse or Die” program: Take a book, get on the treadmill, and see how long the author keeps the reader immersed in the world of the novel. Continue Reading »

Posted in Books | Tagged creative writing, creativity hacker, ebooks, immerse or die, jefferson smith, novel writing, self-publishing, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips | 2 Comments »

A Moment of Silence

11 Sep 2014 by KRAG

–k

Posted in Culture | Tagged 911, Memorial | Leave a Comment »

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Kurt R.A. Giambastiani

Words and Works from a Seattle Author

Your Brain on Books

Fifty Shades of No

Submit

Globe Trotting

Self-Flagellation, Follow-Up

The Other Half

A Moment of Silence

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