tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27434219167049031172024-03-18T23:42:08.937-04:00Talking Animal AddictsTaurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-2418813941806545002013-04-27T18:01:00.001-04:002014-03-09T17:09:30.415-04:00I've MOVED - Details below...<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">-Follow me on Twitter (@Taurean_Watkins) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">-Or via the Official Twitter Feed (@TAA_Editor) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">-Also, Check out new author page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/taureanjwatkins) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Hi All, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> After three years on Blogger, I've made the leap to self-hosted Wordpress- </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://talkinganimaladdicts.com/">http://talkinganimaladdicts.com</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Thanks to those of you who supported me behind the scenes during my blogging hiatus, and while it will some time before I have regular blog updates again, I am working on new posts and other content I'll do my best to be worth the wait. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Despite all the recent outcry on other blogs saying "Blogging's irrelevant to writers in 2013" I don't share that view. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I blog because I saw, and still see, a GAP in my niche being underrepresented, and outright misunderstood.
Despite stumbles on my part in the past, I will continue to rep that niche to the best of my ability. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I've also decided that T.A.A. going forward will be less about my writing from the career side, and more of a reader-friendly environment. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Unlike many writers I admire/respect, I no longer feel comfortable mixing art and commerce on T.A.A.
I will eventually have my author site up to handle that side of things. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I'll have it launched as soon as I can.
From now on, I'm just going to share the variety of this misunderstood genre, and hope we can finally end the stigma, or at least put it in its place.
After all, even sexy vamps, YA books in general, and death-happy dystopian tales used to be the "Kiss of Death" as far as NY publishing was concerned, and now readers can't enough, even if agents and editors feel the exact opposite, LOL. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For those of you born AFTER the year 1987-2000, trust me, the hot genres and authors today had their axes to grind when paranormal fiction in general, even without XXX romance, or YA fiction, EVEN romance free, was as anti-receptive that you can can without being ethically shunned. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I'll still share some writerly stuff in my "Letters From the Editor" feature, and when my publications increase, you will hear about them on T.A.A., but I'm going to bring T.A.A. back to what I really meant it to be, about spreading the message that the variety of animal fantasy BEYOND preschool land is no less REAL and VALID than the countless flavors of paranormal romance and dystopian fiction that <b>(At the time of this blog post, April 27th, 2013)</b> is now. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">My blogger home for T.A.A. will remain up until the reestablishment on my Wordpress site, as some features and posts are up yet.
Those who have this blog bookmarked, please change to the new url above.
Thanks for your patience.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Until next time, on my new place of residence on the web-</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Taurean</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">-Your sometimes grumpy, still hopeful, and always persistant,
Literary Rat
</span></span>Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-79795622658500616642012-12-14T23:33:00.001-05:002012-12-15T02:07:25.465-05:00MY Next BIG Thing (W.I.P. [Work In Progress] Edition)<span style="font-size: large;">Still working on the Wordpress move, but will be dishing out some posts in the meantime, and today's post is partly thanks to Kelly Hashway's Blog. She tagged me for </span><span style="font-size: large;">"The Next Big Thing." </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As on Kelly's blog, I'll share a few choice tidbits about my current WIP <b>(Work-in-Progress)</b> novel. It's been an off and on project that 've just started really kicking into high gear.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Here goes-</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> What is the working title of your next book?</u></b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> The Baroque Weasel</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> Where did the idea come from for the book?</u></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">After reading some of the original Grimm's fairy tales, I got inspired to write my own style of fairy tale, though mine isn't as dark, and the female characters are more modern and proactive.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I also wanted to write a story about a weasel, an underused creature BEYOND the picture book world, and novels outside the confines </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">of Redwall (We're they're typically the villains), but in this story, the weasel's the hero. I LOVE to make misunderstood animals the heroes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u> What genre does your book fall under?</u></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A Fantasy/Adventure. It's either going to be Upper MG (10+), or straight YA (13+), but I'm not yet sure at it's current stage.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> What actors would you choose to play the part of </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> your characters in a movie rendition?</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">First, I really hope it will be animated, since some live-action movie adaptations of books are REALLY meant to be animated, and in this case, not CGI, but 2D with some CGI effects if needed. Okay, that out of the way-</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>NOTE: My animal characters have full names like humans, just mentioning the animals they are for the purpoes of this blog post to avoid confusion.</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005260/?ref_=fn_nm_nm_4" style="font-size: x-large;">Frankie Muniz</a><span style="font-size: large;"> <b>(Or someone similarly </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>pitched)</b> As Aurel the Weasel <b>(Gentle yet not too naïve)</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1454681/">Rachel Hirschfield </a>As Henrietta Caulfield </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">(Spunky but sincere is key for 16 year old human girl, </span><span style="font-size: large;">Henrietta)</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001626/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">Christopher Plummer</a> As Stragglefur the warm yet wicked fox </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">(He can be menacing yet endearing, the </span><span style="font-size: large;">latter is KEY for the antagonist's layered </span><span style="font-size: large;">personality)</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000104/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">Antonio Bandaras</a> As Vélasco the persnicketty crow <b>(If he can affect a Sharp, fairly natural Spanish accent)</b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1943661/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">Stephanie Young</a> As Chandra the warrior wolf </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>(She can sound serious yet convey strong emotion, very KEY </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>for Chandra)</b><br /><br /><b><u>What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>(NOT FINAL):</b> A lonely weasel who can turn into a human, helps down on her luck teenage girl save her father from a deadly curse, and fall in love on the way.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b><u> Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?</u></b><br />I might go the self-published route, but that depends on being able to afford outsourcing the cover art and illustrations <b>(I sadly don't illustrate)</b>, freelance editor, etc. That's assuming I don't get an agent with this or another book. <b>(Cross your fingers, or tails, for me)</b><br /><br /><b><u> How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?</u></b><br />Not done yet! <b>(It will be eventually…)</b><br /><br /><br /><b><u> What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?</u></b><br />I don't like to play the comparison game outside market purposes. But if it helps, but partly a semi-modern fairy tale, not too scarry or sappy, but not afraid to "Get Happy!"</span><u style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Who or what inspired you to write this book?</u></b></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Grimm's Fairy Tales and researching weasels and my desire to bring them together. It would also be my first book with a true villain, a</span><span style="font-size: large;">s opposed to a antagonistic rival character, who wasn't "Evil" to start with, and weren't trying to inflict his nastiness with <b>(Intended)</b> malicious intent.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><b><u> What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?</u></b><br />You've GOT to love talking animals, which if you're reading this blog, you've got the fantastical fauna fancier in you, right?<br /><br />Also, you'll have to accept not everything about my animal characters will be "National Geographic" accurate, but they retain much of their real life apperence, natural behaviors and instincts, etc. Think Half Beatrix Potter/Richard Scarry <b>(Anthropomorhpic)</b>, and half E.B. White and Tor Seidler <b>(More naturalistic, but might wear some clothes, and have human-like autnomy and self-awareness)</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">That's all for today.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Until Next Week, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">May the fantastical fauna be with you.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Taurean</span></div>
</div>
Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-60845696379348386042012-12-11T05:10:00.000-05:002012-12-11T05:11:27.911-05:00Anniversary and a BIG Announcement!<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 28pt; line-height: 42.66666793823242px;">HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Minya Nouvelle","serif"; font-size: 36pt; line-height: 54.66666793823242px;">Talking Animal Addicts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Modern No. 20","serif"; font-size: 28pt; line-height: 42.66666793823242px;">3 YEARS AND </span><span style="font-family: Lemonheads; font-size: 28pt; line-height: 42.66666793823242px;">STILL SQUEAKING!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kupcake_killer/2636564283/" title="Cupcakes for me! by Kupcake_Killer, on Flickr"><img alt="Cupcakes for me!" height="263" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3125/2636564283_22f4c0662d.jpg" width="350" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div align="right" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<div align="right" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="right" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Minya Nouvelle', serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">Photo Courtesy of Kupcake_Killer</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It was 3 years ago today I began Talking Animal Addicts, and like my haphazard attempts in NaNoWriMo, I jumped into the world of blogging blind, but unlike NaNo, I've made better strides on the blogging, infrequent and wishy-washy as my blogging's been this year. Thanks to those of you who took the time to comment and spread the word.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">While I'm still on hiatus, there are some big things happening at T.A.A. for 2013, and today I'm announcing the first big step.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After much thought, I've decided to move T.A.A. from Blogger, to a self-hosted Wordpress platform, so I can better customize the experience with the loyal supporters of this blog, and attract a wider audience and while I tried to have the relaunch done by today, it's taking more time than I hoped, so bare with me if the blog has some serious downtime. I'll announce the stable re-launch on the</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/TAA_Editor">T.A.A. Twitter Feed</a> so please follow it to know when the re-launch hits.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I'll have more to report in January. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Have a safe and joyous holiday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Until Next Year,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">May The Fantastical Fauna Be With You</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Taurean (Your Frazzled yet Unflappable Literary Rat)</span>Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-23231277889164696632012-11-01T23:11:00.001-04:002012-11-01T23:11:33.007-04:00November Update<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ljcybergal/68395454/" title="Pause-Cafe by ljcybergal, on Flickr"><img alt="Pause-Cafe" height="240" src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/6/68395454_87fa191f4a_z.jpg?zz=1" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Minya Nouvelle, serif;"><span style="line-height: 46px;">Photo </span><span style="line-height: 46px;">Courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/ljcybergal/">Ljcybergal</a></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Minya Nouvelle', serif; line-height: 46px;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Minya Nouvelle', serif; line-height: 46px;"> </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Minya Nouvelle', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Minya Nouvelle","serif"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 30.0pt;">Still On Blogger Hiatus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Minya Nouvelle","serif"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 30.0pt;">Doing NaNoWriMo '12!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Minya Nouvelle","serif"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 30.0pt;">(Will Return December 1<sup>st</sup> 2012)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Minya Nouvelle', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Minya Nouvelle', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Minya Nouvelle', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Minya Nouvelle', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Minya Nouvelle","serif"; font-size: 30.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Love,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Minya Nouvelle","serif"; font-size: 30.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taurean <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ybc8rmwxcVA/UJM4TliF2bI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/cIel1MLT5vU/s1600/twitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ybc8rmwxcVA/UJM4TliF2bI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/cIel1MLT5vU/s200/twitter.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Minya Nouvelle","serif"; font-size: 30.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Minya Nouvelle","serif"; font-size: 30.0pt; line-height: 115%;">P.S. If you'd like to follow my journey through NaNoWriMo,
<a href="https://twitter.com/Taurean_Watkins">follow me on Twitter!</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Minya Nouvelle","serif"; font-size: 30.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Minya Nouvelle","serif"; font-size: 30.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Minya Nouvelle","serif"; font-size: 30.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-71798538345613972092012-09-22T12:16:00.002-04:002012-09-22T14:41:52.815-04:00"Yet" and other loaded words<span style="font-size: x-large;">Some people have a hard time hearing or saying "No."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Others struggle with being selfish versus selfless.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">While I don't have issues with the former, and while I do struggle with the latter, I frankly have a harder time with the words-</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Yet</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Education</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Patience </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Reality</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">G.E.D.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">These words <strong>(or acronym in the case of GED)</strong> are loaded words for me. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Whenever I hear these words or terms, they always illicit anger, pain, and sadness I can't describe without melodrama, thus alienates me from my FAR more pragmatic and demure writer friends. I can't share it with my family either, we're just not close like that, and that's all you need to know.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Yet is a word I struggle with using more of. Because it's not like I always just "want" something </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span>at random without working for it.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I can't <strong>(YET)</strong> afford to live on my own.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I can't <strong>(YET)</strong> achieve certain goals until catch up on my education, and unlike some people I know, I just don't shine in an academic environment.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I can't <strong>(YET)</strong> go anywhere without someone driving me there, and before anyone asks, I don't have a license and even if I did don't have the money to buy and maintain a car, never mind the insurance, and I never learned to ride be bike and there's nowhere worth biking to where I live.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I just don't <strong>(Yeah, I know, YET...!)</strong> know what my second career will be until writing takes off. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I have worked hard for YEARS to find the answers to achieving ANY and ALL of the above. "Yet" is a hard word to say, or type, without feeling like I'm constantly in </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">As much as people say "Learning never ends" they're still has to come a point where you're NOT at level one, and that's just how I feel, otherwise no one would ever be president, walked on the moon, and women would be stuck in pregnant mode indefinitely if things really stayed stagnant, and say what you will about the constants of parenthood, that child has to be born first, he or she can't just stop in the middle, if you know what I mean.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">While being asked "What's your day job?"<strong> (i.e. How do you make money to pay bills, etc)</strong> is not a big deal to some <strong>(Particularly if you can write nonfiction, which I just can't, OKAY!)</strong>, for me, this question's more personally invasive than being asked how old I am or even what I look for in a girlfriend </span><strong style="font-size: xx-large;">(Not that I wish to share the latter at length to just ANYONE...).</strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I didn't complete high school and am currently studying for re-taking the GED, and despite what some have told me, it's NOT a cinch, and this is before the changes coming to make it harder, so make of that what you will.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Education is a loaded word for me now. Why? Because it's importance is lorded over you by family, teachers, the world at large, because as much as people lament or preach how d*** vital one's education is for your future, is it worth sacrificing any sense of present pleasure?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">As much as we get nagged by family, media, society, and just our own private, uncensored self-releflection about "living in the present", when a dim and harsh future is all you hear about, I ask you, what does that say about our present life?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I don't mean to sound pessimestic and prissy here, but while many people I know don't feel this pressure at all, I do, and can only hope I'm not alone, despite never knowing those who feel what I'm facing right now, as of yet. (Sighs)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The fierece tug of war of ideals in my heart and playing across the world's stage is REAL. However general or personal you wish to think of it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;">Education vs. Imagination</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;">PhDs over Passion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;">Survival and Sacrifice trumping Sustinance and Joy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;">Competition above Comraderie </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;">Conforming to survive fincancially at the cost of Living JOY despite tragedy and/or lack of money.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">While having degrees and letters after your name won't garauntee a job, especially in the current landscape, something coming to a head in the U.S. presidential race, and across the world in numerous ways, it does still matter, and those who say it doesn't are either FAR better off than most in my position, or are the self-made types who can weather the storms of uncertainty in how they make their living, or as a mother who homeschools her children recently told me, <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"I don't want them [my kids] sheltered from the real world. I just differ about what I view as the 'real world'.<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f5f5ff; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: verdana, geneva, lucida, "lucida grande", arial, helvetica, sans-serif, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I wish more people would realize the pressure we're putting kids and teens, and those us under 30 folks <strong>(unhappily)</strong> living at home, jaded of the day-to-day drudgery of being stuck and without the freedoms many take for granted. under to excel in school can do <strong>(In my opinion)</strong> MORE damage than letting them slack off. We always talk about striving toward a balance life between business and pleasure, business seems to matter more, while pleasure is exiled to "The Land of Useless Ways to Spend One's Time."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">While that may sound melodramtic to some, it is a reality for many. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Including me.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Part of the reason for my recent hiatus from this blog, and writing in general, comes from no longer able to deny, or ignore my lack of education.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I now must do something about it. As much as it hurts me emotionally.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">As always, thanks to the writers I know who keep me in the their hearts and prayers, they know who they are, and for those of you academics out there, please understand that I don't mean to belittle or denounce your world. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I just don't feel comfortable in it, and hope against hope that there is a place in that world of academia for me, however small.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I don't think I've lost my love of learning. Something I had to seriously ask myself this summer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">But it's on life support. Plain and simple.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-10603203803879261052012-08-26T14:31:00.001-04:002012-08-26T14:31:32.464-04:00T.A.A. Update (Miss you all, but this had to happen, again...)<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3558/3592863420_03994457b2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="500" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3558/3592863420_03994457b2.jpg" width="378" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sorry for yet another long hiatus, I wish this wasn't the norm , but life's been a less than stable <b>(forget fun...</b>) master lately. </span><div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I'm still in talks with Swinebert and others I hoped would help pick up the slack in my absence, as they too were hit with unforeseen chaos in their lives, so hopefully I can update you soon. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In the meantime, I had something important to share. I entered the "<a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/11th-free-dear-lucky-agent-contest-middle-grade-fiction">11TH FREE 'DEAR LUCKY AGENT' CONTEST (MIDDLE GRADE FICTION)</a>" I don't normally enter contests because I find them too constricting. But after my experience at WriteOnCon 2012, I feel I have as a good a chance as anyone, but please wish me luck anyway.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">While I'm still on indefinite hiatus from regular blog posts, <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 11.333333015441895px;">as per the rules of the contest linked above (Tomrrow's the LAST DAY for entires if interested), I've got to let two social networks know about it.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 11.333333015441895px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 11.333333015441895px;"><br /></span></span></div>
Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-18282073827230810002012-06-25T06:40:00.002-04:002012-06-25T06:40:16.619-04:00QUERY BLOG HOP!<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Before getting to the meat of today's post, I have announcement concerning T.A.A. I forgot to mention last week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Musical Musings, and my other usual schedule postings will be on hiatus as I work through my offline life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">But I do have an update worth sharing today.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Earlier this month, I signed up for a <a href="http://www.heatherwebb.net/blog/query-corral-blog-hop/">Query Blog Hop</a>, started by the blog "Between The Sheets" by author/editor, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Heather Webb</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">For those too busy to read the whole rundown on Heather's blog, here's (roughly) how it works-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Writers who registered before 6/22/12, critique each other's query letter(s), maximum of two per entrant, and send a revised "final" version based on feedback, by <b>Friday [6/29/12]</b> at <b>Midnight</b>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">The winner gets a free editorial critique of their first 2,000 words, and so I hope you'll offer your thoughts on one or both queries I share with you today. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"> This contest also gives me an opportunity to sharpen my own critiquing skills, which is still not a straightforward thing for me, but I'm trying. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Without further delay, here are my entries-
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">NOTE: Any changes differing from the norm of "standard issue submission format" was done for ease of reading via the blog.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Query #1</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Dear Agent, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Gabriel Crisping loves pawing through junkyards, village alleys, dumpsters, salvaging the junk humans throw out—and he recycles them to build his inventions. While some of the forest residents appreciate his tinkering, the majority his fellow rats, even his best friend Rum Wheatland, think him a crazy dreamer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">When a harsh storm blows in, ruining a promising dumpster dive, Gabriel seeks refuge in Mr. Quint’s toy shop. He finds a kindred spirit in the elderly toymaker, who loves theorizing and inventing contraptions as much as Gabriel does. Yet by befriending Mr. Quint, Gabriel has broken a universal law – he has spoken directly to a human!
Gabriel keeps Mr. Quint a secret until Rum's parents are killed in a human trap. When Rum learns of Gabriel's friendship, he severs ties with him and focuses his anger on Mr. Quint, planning to wage war toward not only the old toymaker, but also humanity at large. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The only way for Gabriel to save Mr. Quint is to stop Rum, whose grief sinks him into the madness and violence of vengeance. The only thing worse than losing an old friend, is betraying a new one, and maybe, he can save them both.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">GABRIEL is a 34,000-word middle grade novel. Thank you for your time and consideration.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><u><b>Query #2</b></u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Dear Agent,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Aurel Finnwhistle may be a weasel, but the only things
crooked about him are the bent tip of his tail, and bent spike pearl he wears
around his neck. This irregularly shaped 'Baroque Pearl' contains ancient
magical properties from times gone by, and gives Aurel the ability to transform
into a human, to both search for his elusive father, and to solve the mystery behind
the dark powers that took his mother's life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Henrietta Caulfield is a working class high school student
who suppresses her dream to be fashion designer, to care for her father who is
losing his eyesight due to a curse, and is determined to find a rare tea that
is the only known cure to reversing her father's curse. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">These worlds collide when Henrietta's best friend Orla
reveals her identity as a weasel princess who escaped her kingdom when an army
of unknown origins seized control. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">To save the queen and restore peace, Orla must create a team
of warriors to defend her kingdom, and Aurel and Henrietta insist on standing
by her. What they did not expect was to fall in love along the way.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">THE BAROQUE WEASEL is a 50,000-word Young Adult novel.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Share your thoughts to either or both query letters in the comments below. What could be tighter? What read weird or unclear? Anything that seems off or confusing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Remember, the better you can explain and show WHY something doesn't work for you, the easier it is for the writer to fix it, or at least know it's there...</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">You can find the full list of writers in the blog hop <a href="http://www.heatherwebb.net/blog/query-corral-blog-hop/">here</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Best of luck to all of you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Ciao for now,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Taurean</span></div>Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-55976911235511667022012-06-24T20:41:00.002-04:002012-06-24T20:41:42.600-04:00Wonder of the Week<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">Yo Chicks and Chickies!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">When the Boss Rat enlisted me and Dempsey into this blog, he said it was
only right we had our own special features for the blog, so welcome to the
first edition of Wonder of the Week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">Here's how it works<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">Every Sunday, one of the T.A.A. staff will share something special
they came across that week. Food, books, movies, whatever we find exceptionally
interesting that week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">This week is my turn, and my interesting find of the week is-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">The word<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">"Yegg" which is an old slang word for a burglar, and
also a safecracker or thug. </span><span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">Dempsey will be
here tomorrow. </span><span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">Until next
time,</span><span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">Hoggishly
Yours,</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Fleck; font-size: 48pt; line-height: 150%;">Swinebert</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735448844957810520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-41673395744875496502012-06-23T06:32:00.000-04:002012-06-23T06:34:16.113-04:00Swinebert Swaggers In!<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">Yo, Chicks and
Chickies! </span><span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">I'm Swinebert, one of the new faces on
T.A.A. </span><span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">Well, I haven't uploaded my photo yet, but
I will, just trying to find a good one.</span><span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">As the Boss<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>(Taurean)</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>told you in his last regular post,
I'll be helping him out by contributing to T.A.A. </span><span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">But not to worry, he'll be back,
eventually, and I'm not just a temp fill-in. I'm part of the new forming staff
here, and even with the Boss Rat on pilgrimage leave, we'll be
communicating offline on how T.A.A. will make the rest of 2012 a more fun
experience for you faithful and patent pals who've enjoyed the earnest yet
emotional roller coaster we've been riding so far.</span><span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">I met Taurean the first time a few months
ago, out of respect I won't get too personal, but let's just say he gave the
phrase "Compulsive Eater" a new meaning. </span><span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face';"><span style="font-size: 38px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">Quickly, I saw he was a guy after me own
heart, not that I swing that way, mind you.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>(LOL!)</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">Anyway, h<span style="background-color: white;">e
told me and my pal Dempsey about his blog and we knew we had to get in on
this. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">After learning of his recent
writer-related trauma, he asked me Dempsey to fill in for him while he takes
the time to overcome his ordeal. We both agreed, and I'm first up to introduce
myself.</span><span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">Check back tomorrow with
another update from me. Dempsey and the other new folks on T.A.A. will be
arriving throughout the next few weeks.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Ugly Face'; font-size: 28pt;">Hoggishly Yours,</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Fleck; font-size: 48pt; line-height: 150%;">Swinebert</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735448844957810520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-20266900805248403672012-06-23T05:54:00.001-04:002012-06-23T05:54:37.971-04:00T.A.A. NEWSFLASH!Dear T.A.A. Readers,<br />
<br />
Sorry I've been M.I.A. from the blogosphere, but once again, things aren't looking so rosy on the writer front, so I'll be on hiatus until further notice.<br />
<br />
But that doesn't mean T.A.A. will be left unattended. That's because starting today I'm bringing in some outside help to keep the blog alive, and even after I return, these guys and gals will be regular contributors to T.A.A., and I'm grateful they agreed to aide me in my time of need.<br />
<br />
The next post will be from one of the new recruits I hired. Be sure to greet him.<br />
I'll do my best to work through my personal issues and return, and I'll still contribute when I can.<br />
<br />
Until then,<br />
Take Care All,<br />
<br />
TaureanTaurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-11420421678929952462012-06-05T06:19:00.001-04:002012-06-05T06:19:57.331-04:00Take A Chance Tuesday - 5th Editon<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>NOTE: Today's the last day to send in your feedback from l<a href="http://www.talkinganimaladdicts.com/search?updated-max=2012-05-30T04:55:00-04:00&max-results=1&start=2&by-date=false">ast week's "Take A Chance Tuesday</a>, before Midnight, June 6th, 2012, after which comments will be locked.</b></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 28px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Last week, I asked you to share the hardest aspects of the writer's craft that you need to work through, and I appreciate all who commented so far. Sharing your struggles is something hard for some people, while easier for others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Hard for people who don't like to talk about themselves, either to avoid being whiny.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Easier, for people who had to learn what they know the hard way, and who've been burnt out by less than helpful folks in their own writer's journey, and can relate all too well how someone can struggle with something other writers around you seem to find a no-brainer. Those of you with intense writer's groups <b>(Like I once had)</b> will know what I'm talking about. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Or they might have this unique kind of self-confidence that doesn't make them arrogant and blind to help, but know when they need it, and when their own judgement is enough.<br />But this blog is more for writers like me who are in the middle of these different, yet true points of view on the subject.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />This week's challenge comes in two parts, but to avoid "I don't have time" comments, this challenge will be broken up into parts throughout the month of June. Think of it like a mini-writer's workshop of sorts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Part 1: </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">In the comments below, list five books you've read and enjoyed, who wrote them, and why.</span></span><br />
</h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">But here's the twist, in one or two sentences, explain why you love each book you picked, for the STORY only <b>(i.e Characters who moved you/challenged you/compelled you to read on)</b>, not how it was written <b>(i.e. prose and structure)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Admittedly, this is hard for me, because when you've spent the last decade of your life writing trying to improve your craft, it's hard to distinguish and single out "Story" from everything else. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Technical aspects aside, a story can be fun without refined and/or stylized prose, but I think we can forget that sometimes when it feels like the pragmatic and technical problems get in the way of the "Story" even if that's the main point for most readers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I advise you check out author <a href="http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/06/read-on-do-your-read-like-reader-or.html">Janice Hardy's blog post</a> on the subject, it's where I got the idea for this challenge. She explains it more simply than I can.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Part 1 takes place June 5th to June 12th, 2012</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">(Deadline: June 12th, 2012, at Noon EST, or Midnight PST)</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Part 2 begins June 12th to June 26th, 2012</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>(Deadline: June 26th, 2012, at Noon EST, or Midnight PST)</b>
</span><br />
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Good Luck!</span></div>Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-82214834866229480822012-06-04T14:43:00.000-04:002012-06-04T14:46:55.414-04:00Musical Musings #4 (Top 10 Jazz and Rock ) + Feel Good<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">This week, I'll share my favorite single songs* from various bands or artists from wide range of musical styles. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>*Note: Songs listed are not necessarily from single albums but rather particular songs from a larger standard albums, unless otherwise stated.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Now on with this week's song picks-</b></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Top 10 Jazz Singles</u></span></h3>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />1. Sunlight <b>(*Single)</b> by Esperanza Spalding </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">2. "The Trumpet Child" by Over The Rhine <b>(From the album, The Trumpet Child)</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">3. "Hard Times" <b>(By The Crusaders From Old Socks, New Shoes)</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">4. "Prelude For Lovers" <b>(By Fourplay feat. Esperanza Spalding From Energy)</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">5. "Way Back Home" <b>(By The Crusaders From Old Socks, New Shoes)</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">6. "Bemsha Swing" by The Caribbean Jazz Project <b>(From the Album, The Gathering)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">7. "If The Stars Were Mine"[Orchestral Version] </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">by Melody Gardot </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-large;">(From the album, My One and Only Thrill)</b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">8. "<span style="background-color: white;">Your Heart Is As Black As Night"</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><b>(by Melody Gardot - My One and Only Thrill)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">9. -I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'- <b>(Performed by Brian Wilson from the album Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin)</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">10.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Top 10 Rock Songs</u></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">1. "Munasawagi No After School" by LINDBERG<b> (From the album, </b><b>LINDBERG VI)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">2. "Skies So Blue" by The Rocket Summer <b>(From the album, Calendar Days)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">3. "A Voice In the Dark" by Elvis Costello <b>(From the album, National Ransom)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">4. "A Slow Drag With Josephine" by Elvis <b>Costello (From the album, National Ransom)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">5. "Summersong" by The Decemberists <b>(From the album, The Crane Wife)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">6. "Onegai Kamisama Dream Come True" by LINDBERG </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-large;">(From the album, </b><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-large;">LINDBERG VI)</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">7. "Be My Valentine" </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">by LINDBERG </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-large;">(From the album, </b><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-large;">LINDBERG VI)</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">8. "My Half Broken Radio" by LINDBERG<b> (From the album, </b><b>LINDBERG VII)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">9. "Love On the Border" by LINDBERG <b>(From the album, </b><b>LINDBERG VII)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">10. "Welcome to my Life" by Melissa Ferrick <b>(From the album, Valentine Heartache)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Top 10 Feel Good Songs</u></span></h3>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">1. "Country Roads" by Olivia Newton-John <b>(Originally by John Denver)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">2. "Streetcorner Symphony" by Rob Thomas <b>(From the album, Something To Be)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">3. "Sailing On The Tide" by The Carpenters <b>(From the album, Voice Of The Heart)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">4. "Power of Two" by The Indigo Girls <b>(From the album, Retrospective)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">5. "The 59th Street Bridge Song" [Feelin' Groovy] - </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">by Simon & Garfunkel </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-large;">(From the album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme)</b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">6. "Beautiful Life" by Fisher <b>(From the album, The Lovely Years)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">7. "On the Sunny Side of the Street" [Live At the Crescendo] by Ella Fitzgerald <b>(From the album, Twelve Nights In Hollywood -Live-)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">8. Today is Your Day <b>(*Single) - </b> by Shania Twain</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">9. "Those Good Old Dreams" - by The Carpenters <b>(From the album Made in America and the compilation album: Singles: 1969-1981)</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">10. "New Orleans" <b>(*Single)</b> by Emmylou Harris</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Share your top ten song recommendations in the comments below. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">That's it for Musical Musings. Next week the regular in-depth review format returns</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"> (I promise for real this time!)</span></div>Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-61725044852266629792012-05-30T09:10:00.002-04:002012-05-30T09:13:41.634-04:00Random Wednesday (5/30/12)<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Random Wednesday is back. Once a week, I share some of my favorite sites, blogs and the like, that may more may not do with writing. This week though, I'm going to have some writing related things to share, by highlighting some of the blogs posts I found helpful and informative during my recent long <b>(and unplanned...)</b> abstinence from blogging.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://katrinadelallo.blogspot.com/2012/05/starting-in-right-place.html?spref=bl">The World Crafter: Starting in the Right Place</a>: Learn how my writer friend Katrina (Cat) take on an all too common problem for any writer, but especially for fantasy or non-plot centric writers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://institutechildrenslit.net/Writers-First-Aid-blog/2012/05/16/quantity-vs-quality-big-issue-for-todays-writer/">Writer's First Aid: Quantity vs. Quality: Big Issue for Today’s Writer</a>: If you need further convincing about what I feel is becoming a serious issue for unpublished writers today really isn't a "newbie rant thing" maybe what ICL instructor and established author Kristi Holl has to say might add more needed weight to the discussion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://ididntchoosethis.blogspot.com/2012/05/you-are-not-fraud.html">Adreienn Kress, The Temp, The Actress, and The Writer: You Are Not A Fraud</a>: One of my early mentors on the writer's path reiterates something we all struggle to embrace, but need to for our sanity if nothing else. We may not always agree, but our commitment to writing's same, it's worth checking out more on her blog, just be warned, she's more pragmatic and realist in her approach to writing than I am, and that's not a negative, just something to keep in mind.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Sometimes the best advice to the problem is presented in a "less than ideal" approach for our personality type, which in this case, is self-doubt.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Also, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/wishlist/3T77Y7LVPXCLW/ref=cm_wl_prev_ret?_encoding=UTF8&reveal=">Here's My Wish List for Nonfiction and Reference Books I want this summer!</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">That's it for Random Wednesday. Next week, I'll share what's on my summer reading list this year, since I'm going to make reading more in general a high priority after a difficult start to 2012.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<br />Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-42377836089528535302012-05-30T04:55:00.001-04:002012-05-30T20:30:36.122-04:00Musical Musings #3.5 (Cheer Up Edition #2)While you wait for new posts later today, here's fun cheery video that hopefully will empower you to after sharing your struggles as we near the end of the first half of 2012. Enjoy-<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw7smVjqQQ6y8pUud5npk5Ye7snaKFdt60cVu2aWe5VUm96BCv01xu_1ssHTPXgKULX1Y_1yAR5_TTTBZ4U1Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-57173161055451903582012-05-29T07:34:00.000-04:002012-05-29T07:34:29.174-04:00Take A Chance Tuesday - 4th Edition<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">After another long hiatus, Take A Chance Tuesday returns, and this week's writing challenge is to share one of the hardships from writing so far in 2012. Now before you think "Query Letters" and things that are strictly about getting published, STOP!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">What I'm asking you to do instead, is to comment below about an aspect of the craft of writing that you need to improve, but it's hard for you, and no amount of being lectured about why it matters makes you any better at it, and I urge you to be really honest here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">For me, just finishing a story I start is my biggest problem this year especially, but this is an issue that's gotten worse in the last three years especially. Part of that is simply fear on my part. But it's not the only thing holding me back. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Sometimes, it's just hard to find your next story after your last one doesn't succeed for whatever reason, and when you do find it, it's hard to keep the faith in it when it feels like no one "gets it" and no amount of being told to "analyze books in your genre" will resolve the problem, and possibly even make your inner critic run you into a despair that's hard to fight through.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">As much as we writers preach about what we can and can't control, sometimes writers don't always feel all that "in control" of what we can control, working at our craft. You can tell me how vital plotting and simplicity matter until your blue in the face, there's still a difference between understanding, and acting on that understanding, and for you more pragmatic writers out there, this is a struggle you need to understand, because while you might be spared similar frustration in a certain area, doesn't mean the writer you admire or workshop with can say the same.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">So again, share a craft issue you know you have to work on this year, but <b><u>don't tie it publishing</u></b>, we can't force people to publish our writing, and not everyone can go the self-publishing route, this is about how to make peace with and find solace to our struggles at honing the craft of writing, sometimes solace in itself, is the solution to moving forward.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Send in your comments by Tuesday, June 5th, 2012.</span><br />
<br />Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-10856232796797455682012-05-28T12:05:00.000-04:002012-05-28T12:05:53.823-04:00Musical Musings #3 (Memorial Musings or Victoria's Playlist)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v_XxO2PARMk/T8OhiFPvsXI/AAAAAAAAAPc/MQg0g0a-Gzg/s1600/C1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v_XxO2PARMk/T8OhiFPvsXI/AAAAAAAAAPc/MQg0g0a-Gzg/s320/C1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T9ILPdVGOUU/T8Ohh-VGN3I/AAAAAAAAAPU/qzygIzi-Zs4/s1600/A1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T9ILPdVGOUU/T8Ohh-VGN3I/AAAAAAAAAPU/qzygIzi-Zs4/s1600/A1.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">This week on Musical Musings, to honor Memorial Day in the U.S. <b>(Or a Belated Victoria Day for you Canadian T.A.A. readers)</b> I'll share some of my favorite songs that while not tied to any one country <b>(or it's politics)</b> they reflect the mixed universal feelings for this time of year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">For those we have lost to war, on or off the proverbial battlefield, military or otherwise, these songs are for you-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Goodbye My Friend <b>(Linda Ronstadt featuring Aaron Neville - Cry Like a Rainstorm - Howl Like the Wind)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Melodies of Life <b>(From FINAL FANTASY IX [Original Soundtrack])</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">It Was a Good Time <b>(by Liza Minnelli - Liza With a "Z"</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Your Heart Is As Black As Night <b>(by Melody Gardot - My One and Only Thrill)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Songs for those who need hope in face of harsh reality-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Our Story So far <b>(Preformed by Rachel York from Summer of '42 (Original Cast) [Soundtrack from the Musical])</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Where Do I Go From Here? <b>(The Carpenters - Love Songs)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">It's Going To Take Some Time This Time <b>(The Carpenters - Singles [1969-1981])</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">We've Only Just Begun <b>(The Carpenters - Singles [1969-1981])</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Finally, some songs to remind us of the joy in the world-</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Return To Love <b>[Jazz Version] (by Geila Zilkha from -Solty Rei Original Soundtrack Vol. 2</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>-)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Together Again <b>(by Janet Jackson - Together Again)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">More Than Yesterday <b>(by Mari Iijima - Gems)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">That's it for Musical Musings this week. Until next time, take care, and have a safe holiday.</span><br />
<br />Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-75721595950359923202012-05-14T15:41:00.002-04:002012-05-16T08:39:40.091-04:00Birthday Tribute (A True Artist Who Taught Me A lesson I will Never Forget)<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Today is my birthday, and as hard as I tried, I may not have any new posts up today, I'm trying to "Celebrate" and am still not feeling it yet, if I do update the blog further you'll be alerted via the new T.A.A. Twitter feed, which you can find <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/TAA_Editor" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Before I was using my Author Twitter feed, but it is more streamlined and less spammy to separate my Author Twitter feed and the one for T.A.A.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />In the spirit of the "Random Acts of Kindness Blitz" that's going on other blogs today, I'd like to send special thanks to someone I've spent the last year working with on a project I wasn't ready to talk about, and while the plans for this project are delayed for various reasons <b>(Lack of money sadly being one of them)</b> she deserves my deepest, most sincere gratitude.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Illustrator Ellie Record</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Aside from being a joy to work with, my experience with her will explain in part why T.A.A. was yet again "Going Dark" with no new posts.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Late last year I was seriously considering going the self-publishing route when lack of interest in my middle grade novel, and being unable to find my next story with agents left to try with it, it seemed my only option left, so I looked into finding ways to essentially launch my own indie press.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />However, unlike some of my writer friends who took a more simple DIY approach, which can certainly work, as in their case, I personally saw the idea of going indie differently, not necessarily better, but different. I wanted my brand to look no less professional than the few, and thus hard to reach independent publishers that have survived past the early years of the recession and continue to thrive.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Unlike T.A.A.'s logo, which I've grown to love <b>(Though not quite what I envisioned)</b>, its fine for a blog, but I need every aspect of my indie press, including the logo, to evoke three key things-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />1. Professional <b>(I don't shortchange what my best work deserves)</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />2. Playful <b>(For the kinds of books I'd self-publish under this brand)</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />3. High Quality <b>(Books from Candlewick Press and Dutton Children's Books is what I personally strive toward)</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />I spent much of last year, mostly through the summer, trying to find illustrators who could deliver the quality and style of illustration for a price I could actually afford, but even one drawing or sketch costs more money than I've ever had in my life, but then I found Ellie, and she was gracious enough to guide me through the basics of art direction, and even negotiate pricing.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Howeve</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">r, here's where the story take a shameful <b>(On my part)</b> turn...</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I had agreed to a price that I felt I could pay at the time without too much difficulty, but I didn't budget like I should and delayed it for months after she delivered the art I needed for the logo, and this weighed heavy on my conscience for months, which caused me to be unfairly short with people. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Especially the writers in my support circle, who I never told about any of this, they knew I wanted to go indie, but nothing about the mess I got myself into with commissioning art that while under $1000 USD, was something I shouldn't have done without having it at the time.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">For the writers in my support network who I hurt during this time <b>(You know who you are)</b> I again apologize. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"> I've since resolved the payment issues, but the aftermath of my mishandling things caused tensions between my grandma (My stand-in parent) and me, to explode, and we were already on shaky ground with each other before this, but thankfully she got something out of Mother's Day, more than I can say.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">After today, that's one thing I'd be okay with staying in neutral, for both our sanity's sake.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Now for those of you who might deservedly think, "Why go through with something you didn't have the money for right then?" and this is the only honest answer I can give-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />I believe in my writing. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">As much as I still agonize over the process, nothing I've done up to now has been fake, and every time I come to the computer, I push myself hard, maybe too hard sometimes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">However, the more ambitious your goals, the more I feel you have to surpass your limits to achieve your dreams. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Sometimes this turns me into a jerky tyrant, and I'm not proud of that, and what it did to my writer friends, but thankfully they know any rage is rarely ever about them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Only the effort from sharpening my skills and not letting harshly conflicting critiques <b>(However valid)</b> stop me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I didn't do this to get rich <b>(But I do need/want to make some money, and there's a happy medium between earning pennies versus millions, that's all I say about that)</b>, I did this as a proactive declaration of what I'm <b><u>able</u></b> and willing to do, so I can finally open some doors, after years of being blocked by closed ones. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">But that blinded me to the logistics of my situation.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />While for some of you, spending over $400 is not a big investment <b>(Medical bills, home mortgages and car and student loans can go well beyond that)</b>, I took what for me, and my life at this point time, is a BIG risk. Not just in money or time, but putting absolute faith in reaching the readers who will give my way of storytelling a chance, and prove to myself that there are still readers who connect with what I write, and by building a large and vocal enough following, I might open doors that otherwise remained closed to me.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Long shot, I know, but it DOES happen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Despite how negative I can unintentionally come across, I'm really an optimist, even when it looks naive, it's how I maintain even an ounce of sanity on the worst days. Today is thankfully not of those days. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Generally speaking, despite some of the angst and touchiness about self-publishing going away, it's still not easy or affordable to do it right, especially if you want to achieve professional results. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I honestly feel it's the only way to logically reach readers who might still be wary of books outside the big 6, or small publishers like Candlewick or Holiday House, who have proven their mettle from many years and successful authors in the business, and I'm not just theorizing here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">As a reader myself, with little money to my name, I too have to be selective, since many of the books I'm interested in are never available in my library network where I live, and I often have to buy much of what I read, including the market guides, my local library, even through inter-library loan only has editions of CWIM <b>(Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market)</b> that are two to five years old. That won't do in finding markets THIS YEAR, and for those of you T.A.A. readers who are writers like myself, know what I'm talking about. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">It's why I get a bit testy when people tell me to utalize my library more, but aside from working out ways to get to the library, they rarely have the books I want to check out, and with the slow pace I read and retain information, I'm better off buying the book myself, so I can take my time, especially in the case of craft books or market/reference guides.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Maybe if I lived in a more book-friendly city, with far less debt, this wouldn't be as hard a problem.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Anyway, I sadly have been tempted to pack it in the past three years especially. As much as I take no one's gratitude and support for granted, there's still a difference between what my writer friends like about my writing, and finding either agents or editors who feel the same way, not to mention the readers I'm trying to reach in the first place. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Back to the main point, in short I finally paid her for the initial sketches, but asked her to hold off coloring the art until the summer when I can pay that upfront a lot sooner, and hopefully that'll be cheaper than the initial sketches were, but they were worth the money I paid, and once the coloring's done you can the results when my indie press launches later this or next year. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Originally, I planned to launch my indie press this month. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">But delays with the aforementioned logo art; limited funds to aid in book covers and other needed art, and the editorial process needed to weed out sloppy writing, not to mention the books I'm working on are either not emotionally, or technically ready to bring out--I had to delay the launch until things improve.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Ellie, thanks for being so patient and understanding of me the past year. I never intended or meant for things drag out this long. This has more to do with my lack of self-discipline and desperation on my part. I promise things will be different from this point on. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">As someone who can't create art visually the way you can, you deserved more than we agreed on, and I'm truly sorry for any inconvenience my delays of payment caused you.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Writers, there are two lessons I hope you can learn from this story-<br />1. Patience <b>(Duh!)</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />2, Just as important, be willing to take <b>(reasonable for your life and finances)</b> risks.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />Until Next Time, this your literary rat signing off for today.</span></div>Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-36343795255076783832012-04-20T12:59:00.000-04:002012-04-28T04:38:20.956-04:00Face Your Fear Friday - Episode 3<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Welcome back to Face Your Fear Friday. This week's entry will be short and sweet as real life offline is getting cramped for time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
Every Friday, as we slide into the weekend, I issue a challenge that even the more frazzled writers can at least identify with, if not execute.<br />
This week's challenge is simple. Again, I repeat for your multitasking parents/writers, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">S-I-M-P-L-E...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
Just answer the following two questions-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
<b>1. What's one aspect of the writer's craft that you've yet to master, and are working towards this year?</b><br />
For me, it's being able to rediscover the joy of writing, without the pain of drafting and rewrites make me a neurotic pessimist, which I'm really not at my core, though lately I have to hit rock bottom to realize that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
<b>2. Name one book that normally is not your thing, yet read it anyway, but liked?</b><b>(NOTE: What you were FORCED to read in school doesn't count, that's a unique pressure few of us want to relive)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br />
</b>For me, it's "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield. Well, I actually listened to the audiobook, but it's a top notch production in its own right, and for writers who know me well, this was the ONLY way I'd experience this book the first go round, and I want to experience again, this time on the page, but like my writer friend Kelly told me recently on her blog, "Books are books, no matter what the medium."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
I agree with this, if only in part to ease my own guilt, but as craft books and experienced writers will tell you often, there are times when reading on the page, opposed to listening to the audiobook or even the e-book isn't the same.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
Writers say all the time they notice things in print they don't on computer screens when they edit books, so doesn't the same apply to reading books, too? But truth be told, if not for audiobooks, I'd have enjoyed few stories in the last three years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
I personally need to combat this problem, because for me it is a problem, not all the books I want to read are available in audio form, and I do have a restrictive feel when I read books on the page, because trying to mime craft from it is not a particularly helpful, never mind joyous experience. A feeling that wasn't always there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
Craft books aside, I read for escape and solace, and I don't find picking authors apart all that entertaining, and that mindset has ruined the reading experience for me, at least at this point and time. I'm trying not to be so absolute in my thinking, since some struggles do improve and lessen with time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
If you grapple with this literary tug of war as I do, please share in the comments below, if you're the only one among your posse of writer friends who has this problem, I URGE you to comment below, because I'm there with you, I really get it because I'm there myself, know you're not alone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
You have until April 27th, 2012 before comments are closed. Thanks to all who commented in last week's challenge, and I hope comments increase this week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 30px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">UPDATE (4/27/12): Commenting Closed.</span></span>Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-86818910373524817022012-04-19T18:35:00.001-04:002012-04-19T18:41:08.280-04:00Animal Fantasy Awareness (T.A.A.'s going Back to Basics!)<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Some time ago, my writer friend and "Comrade in Revisions", <a href="http://kellyhashway.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kelly Hashway</a>, posted on her blog something she shared with me in private </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">She's unabashedly a <a href="http://kellyhashway.blogspot.com/2012/04/feeling-of-ya-books.html" target="_blank">YA writer</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Those who read my <a href="http://www.talkinganimaladdicts.com/2012/01/critter-chat-with-kelly-hashway.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Critter Chat</a> with Kelly in January know she began her writing career in different realm form where she's heading now. Between various sales of her work in magazines, her first major release was a picture book, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/May-The-Best-Dog-Win/dp/0984589082/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334874984&sr=8-1" target="_blank">May the Best Dog Win</a>" inspired by her daughter (pre-K at the time of this post) who asked her to write one, and the rest is history--for that book, anyway. She later went on to collaborate with her illustrative sister, Heather, on her self-published effort, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Purrfect-Puppy-Kelly-Hashway/dp/1466353902/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_5" target="_blank">The Perfect Puppy</a>, and more recently, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Santa-Bunny-Kelly-Hashway/dp/1470072351/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3" target="_blank">Santa Bunny</a>. Heather also did the cover art for "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Imaginary-Friend-ebook/dp/B005L4Z9OW/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1" target="_blank">The Imaginary Friend</a>" her two part short story now available for free* at Amazon.com <b>(Price of Free may be subject to change)</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Kelly's work has appeared in various magazines and anthologies, and we each have a story in the anthology "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trunk-Stories-Chris-Bartholomew/dp/1617060607/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_10" target="_blank">Trunk Stories</a>." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">But as I said at the outset, Kelly's found her new home in the world of YA with the first two books in her trilogy, TOUCH OF DEATH AND TOUCH OF, currently slated for publication in January 2013 and July 2013 respectively <b>(Pub Dates are subject to change so please follow Kelly Hashway's blog for any date changes)</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I'm happy for you, Kelly, there's nothing like the feeling of finding where you belong and are most happiest. True for anything in life, but especially for writers who have to endure decades of apprenticing to start their careers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Be it a magazine piece, memoir, nonfiction, novel or poetry/story collection.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Those who follow my blog know I struggle with writing my own stories for the YA audience, a skill that I know will serve Kelly well, but what you may not know is she landed her agent with a middle grade novel, which is my specialty, but the current market for debut middle grade fiction is struggling, even more-so for folks like me who are more at home with animal fantasy, than anything with a dystopian or edgy and dark bent. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Aside from wishing I could write YA, I also longed for finding my own tribe of readers, not just writers of animal fantasy, and not just paranormal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">As many of you T.A.A. faithful may have noticed, I haven't written much on genre-specific issues nearly all writers of animal fantasy face.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I mean my blog's named, "Talking Animal Addicts" and yet I've kind of deviated from the core message of my blog, and there are really two key reasons why-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I Didn't "OWN" my love of the Genre</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">There are many posts I wrote to tackle this subject that I never posted or completed because I had doubts of the impact my passion could have.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Envy Delayed My Progress</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">That pretty much speaks for itself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">But no more. Like Kelly, and many writers before me, I need to embrace my niche, rather than feel shame from it, that's vital for all the writing I do, and those of your who also blog know full well what I mean.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">So, consider this statement a follow-up to my intro post when I began Talking Animal Addicts in December 2010-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I started this blog to protest the myth that only preschoolers like animal fantasy, and unite other like-minded writers who know all too well as I do that stigma attached to these stories, especially as an unproven brand name author, but the stigma also comes from educators and parents, other writers (Even those we love and respect), even some publishing insiders who argue that kids are demanding more books with more contemporary, or reality-based plot lines.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Maybe there aren't millions of us, but there are more than the average person might think, especially among the non-parents or writers who aren't easily in tune with their "Inner Child" and/or interact with children on a regular basis. and I think part of this is the fear we have of divulging our passion for animal fantasy, since the first thing people will say is "That's a hard sell, especially for non-famous author." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Whether this is true of every case or not isn't the issue here, the real issue is for those of us who proudly write the books we love to band together, and shout to the world, "We're not crazy for reading or writing books about or featuring talking animals!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Okay, maybe not shout it at work, or outside your kid's high school <b>(Or anywhere people who know you will hear...)</b> but it's important to remind yourself why you do what you do. It keeps you honest, if not always sane.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I felt strongly there needed to be an outlet for these writers, a sanctuary even, where their passion would not get made fun of, but meet like-minded writers, that span the ages and stages of writers worldwide.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I want T.A.A. to become that safe haven, and will get back to more animal fantasy related posts in the coming weeks. If you have any ideas, feel free to share in the comments below. I urge all you writers of animal fantasy out there to let it rip in the comments below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Tell your writer friends to find T.A.A. on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Talking-Animal-Addicts/264183403615301" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116758766464942515878/" target="_blank">Google+</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Eventually T.A.A will have its own Twitter Feed, but for now you can follow my separate Twitter Feed <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Taurean_Watkins" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Remember, "We're not just for preschoolers anymore" We're for readers and writers who love what we do, and eventually people will see that reflected in our stories, instead of thinking "We're just trying to ride the copycat wave of Charlotte's Web, Redwall, and Watership Down." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Some people do that. No question. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I'm not one of those people. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Anyone whose read my work, even people who normally don't read or particularly like animal fantasy, have told me this, a writer can't ask for a better endorsement than that<b> (Well, a paycheck would be nice, really, but that's a topic for another time)</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Until Tomorrow, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">May the Fantastic Fauna Be With You</span>Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-18042727773406212172012-04-13T09:51:00.001-04:002012-04-20T12:22:34.692-04:00Face Your Fear Friday - Episode 2<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Face Your Friday is back, after a long <b>(unplanned)</b> hiatus. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Just like with "Take A Chance Tuesday", I want to make this weekly feature more accessible to those you juggling far more than I can or do, but at the same time remember, facing one's fear's take TIME. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">All Face Your Fear Friday's about is taking the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">FIRST BABY STEPS to facing the writer fear of the week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">For example, if the theme was "Reading what Scares You" or "Name 5 writers you respect, even if their books are just not your thing, and why" all you have to do is admit and share a little from your personal experience. There are no right or wrong answers here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Writers are all different, even if our goals overlap in the the general sense (<b>Those of us who are struggling for their first SALE, be it book-length story or magazine piece, poem, etc. Already published writers trying to advance their career, etc) </b>how we get there is varied, and some wait longer than others, but unless your naturally pragmatic in your thinking, you can feel alone in your frustration sometimes, especially if most of the writers you know are strong in areas your weak, and it's those weak areas that might be holding your writing back. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Sometimes simply admitting to a fear, however off the wall it may be, is the first step to getting better at facing that fear and pushing past it to achieve your writer dreams and goals. You have to acknowledge your fear is REAL, no matter what anyone tells you, many writers I know don't feel the same level of frustration about writing YA level fiction, and don't have problems writing nonfiction, but these are barriers for ME, in the same way some of those pragmatical writers don't feel as in tune with their imagination as I do,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">While that makes critiquing each other's work hard, we can appreciate what the other does better than us, and its imperative that support goes both ways.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">With that said, let's get into this week's challenge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">All you have to do is answer the following question-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>"If you could name ONE writer skill you could magically enhance, what would it be and why?"</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">My answer: Better Query Letters, Better Query Letters, Better Query Letters!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Why? Because t</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">hese letters are becoming all the more vital, but I HATE writing them regardless, because it's easy to feel like the most hapless writer on Earth because they have to be so professional without being soulless, and anyone who takes this lightly will be sorry, that's as much speaking from my personal </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">experience</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"> as it is a friendly warning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Now it's your turn! Share you answers to this week's challenge in the comments below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Please keep your answer PG-13 and below, and please stay on topic <b>(No "I don't have time to comment" type comments)</b> comment when you do have time, or try again for next Friday's challenge.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>I moderate the comments on T.A.A. and will not approve posts that don't follow the guidelines.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Your answers must be posted by Friday, April 20th, 2012, Noon EST, think of it as a mild time challenge, since for some of us, admitting to fear or weakness is a BIG DEAL, and sharing it among our fellow writers can help take the fear away, or at least bring it down to less traumatic levels, and we may even find a precious gem of advice, insight or a comrade-in-revisions <b>(Comrades in Arms for writers, get it?)</b> that will serve us well for the future.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Anyway, see you here next Friday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">UPDATE (4/20/12): Commenting Closed.</span>Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-22671294443996005632012-04-10T08:36:00.000-04:002012-04-10T08:36:14.025-04:00Musical Musings #2.5 (Special Edition)<h3><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">For those of you interested in the Japanese Jazz Combo, Our Love To Stay, here's a music video for your view pleasure, of their song, "Sweetie" </span><b>(Note: This song's not available in the</b> <i>Telepatia</i> <b>album which I <a href="http://www.talkinganimaladdicts.com/2012/04/musical-musings-2-southern-fried.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">reviewed</a> yesterday)</b></span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyFG6Q7iLkg6hN9rN7uYqRHhvXp6Mlmm9sTnZloMamPjC_9nNUhbPgkQYomxXuX42mq54OX-R9b5OnGRnTB9w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Share your thoughts in the comments below!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Ciao for Now,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Taurean</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-27871040951545669332012-04-10T08:16:00.002-04:002012-04-10T08:20:52.835-04:00Take A Chance Tuesday - 3rd Edition<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Before going into this week's challenge, I've got to come clean. I was a bit discouraged about continuing this feature since many found the first two impossible to commit to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Outside the week leading up to Easter (Or Passover), which I know many folks would be too busy on average to do a challenge, no one found earlier challenges well before either holiday in their reach given the comments of the first being all in the vein of "Sorry, no time this week" and the second having no takers at all. (My family's not into togetherness, to put it gently) so my ability to perceive that in more connected families is not all that great.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I started to feel like no one found my first couple challenges achievable or relevant.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">So, until I get enough reader mail to prove the contrary, I'm keeping my challenges really simple, and whenever possible, don't require the reader to leave the blog to complete them. Though, I thought people could do the last challenge easy<b> (All you had to do was recommend 5 books, that's all there was to it!)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I strongly suspect the majority of my readership are women, and often mothers, so ladies, and lads too, help me out here. This week's challenge is the first every "Take Requests Tuesday." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">What are some writer challenges that you can fit around family, day jobs, and seemingly endless responsibilities. I don't have these specific barriers, so maybe my challenges ask too much of the majority of the writers who drop by, and I only wanted to motivate, NOT overwhelm. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Just tell me in the comments below, what kind of challenges you'd like to see featured on future editions of Take A Chance Tuesday. They must be something that aren't too genre specific, and that can be accomplished within a week from the start of the challenge.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Come on, everyone, T.A.A. can only be so interactive unless you help me out a bit, so come on, show some grit and gumption. Most of us are living Spring, the time of renewal and growth, T.A.A. can't grow if I'm in this alone.</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">So again, in the comments below, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SHARE SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE EDITIONS OF TAKE A CHANCE TUESDAY, THAT ARE SIMPLE, NOT TIED TO ANY ONE GENRE, AND PEOPLE CAN ACCOMPLISH WITHIN A WEEK, AND DOESN'T ASK FOR ANY SPECIAL RESEARCH OR LENGTHY TIME COMMITMENT.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">PLEASE, help me. help you better.</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<h2><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Call for submissions ends Tuesday, April 17th, 2012, at Noon EST.</span></b></h2><b><br />
</b>Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-22260976195793465462012-04-09T18:35:00.003-04:002012-04-10T08:21:26.722-04:00Musical Musings #2 Southern Fried Retrospective with Rising Sun Swing? (Double Feature Edition)<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Since Musical Musings was M.I.A. for a couple weeks, this week is a double feature, usually I review a couple albums of music each week, but this time, you're getting an in-depth look on four albums that are a mainstay in my listening library. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">First, I'm spotlighting another album by the rebels of Folk Rock, The Carpenters, Lovelines.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lovelines-Carpenters/dp/B00000HY5H/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1334007289&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="318" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/---rlNawIZCk/T4LJC3eHMnI/AAAAAAAAANY/A1xTkoFzt8M/s320/19-12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">(Click the Album Pic Above to find on Amazon)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Those who remember my debut Musical Musings review know I'm a fan of the folks who knew how to sing about love without being derogatory and tasteless, yet still honest and avoid unrealistic saccharine censoring.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">While some of their signature love songs made it into their Singles compilation, it's here in Lovelines where Karen's vocals show all the facets and forms love can take.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Not just the "At first sight Puppy Love" or "Being out of love after betrayal and loss" but </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">More so than than their "Love Songs" compilation, I feel Lovelines best shows all the ranges and ways love can bring people together, pull them apart, and the gray and shady drama and trauma in-between.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Highlights from this album-</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"Lovelines"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">It'd be sad if the title song in the album didn't rock, but this one does, and I think it's no less relevant now, and unlike some of their more well known songs, this doesn't sound "dated" though personally, I embrace the dated when it's for the good of the music and done right, but this song is a happy medium for the modern day cool kids as they were for the teenyboppers of yesteryear.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">It's like "The Beach Boys" but Carpenters-style, yet less high school surf n' turf and more classy and mature, but still with the fun hooks and bridges.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"If We Try"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I dare you to listen to this and not feel the need to call an old flame, if you have one, I don't, but it makes me want to write about one. Again, mature and tasteful, with slow tempo with mild hook and slide.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"You're The One"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">A song for those us who found or (Like me) will find the one long after high school, it's different, but still special.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"Honolulu City Lights"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">I love the rhythm and hooks in this song, and unlike a lot of songs with a nod to Hawaii, it's not stereotypical, and you don't feel the "Tacky Steel Drum Effect" as much as I love steel drums in general, but you know what I mean, right?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Slow Dance</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Think Modern Sadie Hawkins or senior Prom, and by modern I do mean 21st Century, as long as your music is not mandated to have rapping or direct inclinations to S.E.X.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Sometimes, imagining is better than exact imaging, at least a prude romantic like me thinks so.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">On a scale of 1 to 10, Lovelines by The Carpenters gets my highest score of 10! Need a good love song for date night or just because, you can't go wrong with the songs in this album.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Next, we're heading to the trippy side of the south for the compilation from The Indigo Girls, Retrospective.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Retrospective-Indigo-Girls/dp/B00004Z3SS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334007117&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kAkspHaT2eg/T4LJBjQzlcI/AAAAAAAAANQ/wNhg4KprQmo/s1600/19-12-2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">(Click the Album Picture to Find it on Amazon)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Somehow, this dynamo due of offbeat yet relevant tunes manage to tread the lines between personal and universal, something that struggling writers like myself find more an esoteric fortune cookie-esque snipped of babble that's near impossible to strive toward as a tangible goal, but at least far as how this albums sounds for this newcomer in music reviewing, they've achieved this mythic balance with the songs put together in this collection.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Favorites of mine include-</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"Power of Two"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">This feels like an effortless jam session between two performers who are at home with their sound, in that rare kind of chemistry that's hard to find between musicians themselves, and even harder to convey to the listeners on the other end, and for me, is a favorite in this collection, I don't often go a month, if not a week, playing this song.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"Galileo"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Makes me want to rekindle my lost love for the history behind the artist most famous for this name.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"Go"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">A classic, yet modern take on the song of rebellion, whether teen or not, one of the few rebel songs that I feel can speak to teens and adults the same, but in different ways.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"Get Out The Map"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Road Trip Rock at it's finest.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">This is the "Country" album is for folks who think they don't like country. It's less raw jug band and more southern acoustic R&B, yet not as morbid as some classic rhythm and blues songs are known for.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">On a scale of 1 to 10, The Indigo Girls Compilation, Retrospective gets a solid 8.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">For fans of the more raw Country fare, a solid contender is Carolyn Wonderland's Album, Miss Understood.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Understood-Carolyn-Wonderland/dp/B00120H3SE/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1334008391&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GQaMqBET73c/T4NanliqKSI/AAAAAAAAANg/nBTEcqJ8TUw/s1600/Miss.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">(Click the Album Picture to Find it on Amazon)</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"Long Way To Go"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Peppy beat, light pith to the lyrics, and Carolyn's signature attitude makes the song work, without coming off too brutish, hard to do in this style of music that in many ways demand raw and rough, but as proven here, polish doesn't have to tarnish passion, harder perhaps, but not impossible.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"I Found The Lions"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Feisty and Fierce, just don't watch "The Lion King" right after listening to this, it might be a bit off putting, to say the least.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"Walk On"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">A bit short, but fun and peppy, good for a road trip, even if that's just to the mall and back.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"I Don't Want to Fall For You"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">If you need a "Down in the Dumps" slow love ballad, without the word "Dog" in it, Carolyn's playing your song here.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"Trouble in the City"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Solid Narrative Blues Ballad with a light jazz tinge.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"Feed me to The Lions"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Nice, but again, don't listen to this before watching "The Lion King." It just feels...wrong somehow. Good song, though.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">On a scale of 1 to 10, Carolyn Wonderland's Miss Understood gets a sultry 7.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Last, but far from least, is the (So far...as of the original posting of this review) the ONLY album available in the U.S. by a new favorite group of mine, the now sadly disbanded, Our Love to Stay: Telepatia.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/telepatia/id308852916" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5vih32sxxN4/T4NhP2873rI/AAAAAAAAANo/vIIdGaERM0w/s1600/tel.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>(Click Album Pic to find on the U.S. iTunes store, as of the original posting of this review, this can only be bought in the U.S. via iTunes)</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">For those who enjoyed my video Musical Musings some time ago, this is a group I love and listen to on a regular basis.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">If names like Armstrong, Gershwin, Mancini, or Sinatra mean anything to you, or even if you've no idea who I'm talking about, but are a novice Jazz fan, this is an album you need to own, even if you're literal understanding of Japanese is limited at best.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">You don't need to be fluent in the language to hear the heart and synergy of this album, and for those of you whose only knowledge of </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Japanese music and musicians are traditional Enka ballads <b>(Think Japanese-Style Opera, but often sad like the old Chicago Blues)</b> or J-Pop from anime or that one Studio Ghibli movie you know and love (Some of which is quite stellar) this is a good primer for seeing how non-Americans portray Swing Jazz in the spirit of the artists mentioned above.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">While this is classified as "J-Pop" on iTunes, think Jazz here.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Favorite songs for me include-</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"Telepatia"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Once again, the title song delivers and is worthy of being the lead off track.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"Give You all of My Love"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">If Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald could sing and song-write in Japanese, this is what it might sound like.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">"Anatawo Aishite Yokatta"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Hip-Hip meets lounge swing in classic "Our Love to Stay" fashion.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">While it's sad this stellar combo have parted ways, what's even sadder is that their albums prior to and post this one are not yet available in the U.S. So, if you grow to love this swing revival band as much as I do, give the iTunes store further incentive to rectifying this by buying this album and sending feedback to Apple (Amazon too!) that you want the entirety of this band's work available to download in the U.S. and Canada, or wherever you live outside Japan, since at the time of this review, importing's the only sure way, and while I'd be willing to do that myself at some point, the shipping makes it cost prohibitive as far as impulse, hassle-free buying's concerned.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">That said, on a scale of 1 to 10, Telepatia by Our Love to Stay is gets my second 10 this week.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">This concludes this special double feature edition of Musical Musings.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Until Next Time,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Rock on, Swing Low, and Cruise the long proverbial road to your own playlist.</span></div>Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-9433825464840325262012-04-07T20:36:00.001-04:002012-04-07T20:38:33.197-04:00Sunshine Award and Blog Update Status!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Umm9ufx7dbw/T4Da4EQNQ1I/AAAAAAAAANI/rI1l5WzKeT4/s1600/Sunshine+Award.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Umm9ufx7dbw/T4Da4EQNQ1I/AAAAAAAAANI/rI1l5WzKeT4/s1600/Sunshine+Award.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
<br />
I'm a bit behind with this being Easter weekend and all, but I do have something to tide you over for the time being.<br />
<br />
Today, I was awarded the Sunshine award by my friend and fellow writer, <a href="http://katrinadelallo.blogspot.com/2012/04/sunshine-award.html" target="_blank">Katrina "Cat" DeLallo</a>.<br />
<br />
Here the answers to the questions-<br />
<br />
<b>1. Favorite color?</b><br />
Red, especially Crimson and Burgundy shades.<br />
<br />
<b> 2. Favorite animal?</b><br />
Real: Dogs, but Foxes, rats, Wolves and weasels are in my top five.<br />
<br />
Imaginary: Dragons, with Griffins and Minotaurs close behind.<br />
<br />
<b> 3. Favorite number?</b><br />
8 (Eight) , and it's many lingual variations-<br />
<br />
Acht (German)<br />
Bah (<img src="http://www.enchantedlearning.com/school/China/numbers/8.GIF" /> ) - (Chinese)<br />
Hachi (八) (Japanese)<br />
Huit (French)<br />
Ocho (Spanish)<br />
Otto (Italian)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b> 4. Favorite drink?</b><br />
Depends on the season-<br />
Spring and Summer: Lemonade, Natural fruit punch, and iced tea<br />
<br />
Fall and Winter: Hot cocoa and coffee, black, no cream, with sugar, Milk Tea, Apple Cider<br />
<br />
Year Round: Milk, Orange Juice, Grape juice, and Apple Juice.<br />
<br />
<b> 5. Facebook or Twitter?</b><br />
Facebook, though I have to admit I'm starting to like Twitter a lot more than I ever thought possible, despite the strict word cap.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b> 6. My passion(s)?</b><br />
Aside from the obvious if you've followed the blog, Cooking and Music.<br />
<br />
<b> 7. Getting or giving?</b><br />
<br />
Both, but I do prefer give when I can.<br />
<br />
<b> 8. Favorite pattern?</b><br />
Checkerboard pattern in general, not just red and black squares on a checkers board.<br />
<br />
On clothes, however, I'm partial to vertical pinstripes.<br />
<br />
<b> 9. Favorite day of the week?</b><br />
Sunday, because it's not as manic as the rest of the week can be, for me, anyway.<br />
<br />
<b> 10. Favorite flower?</b><br />
That's tough, but I'd have to say pink roses, because they represent Friendship and Happiness in flower language.<br />
<br />
Here are the bloggers I'd like to share this honor with-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://ididntchoosethis.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Adrienne Kress</a></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://allynstotz.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Allyn Stotz<br />
</a></span></b><b><a href="http://sheriperloshins.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sheri</a></b><br />
<b><a href="http://www.carryusoffbooks.com/blog.html" target="_blank">Gueh Yanting</a></b></span><br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://blog.janicehardy.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Janice Hardy</span></a></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
I couldn't think of 10 for this one, as I don't want to mention the same number of folks, and I only pick people whose blogs I've read, and whose writing I've read before.</span><br />
<div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Insightful endorsement is part of my personal writer's code of ethics.</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Until next time,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Ciao for now.</span></div><br />
<br />
</div></div></div>Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743421916704903117.post-13794229621628162492012-04-02T05:01:00.005-04:002012-04-08T07:35:24.775-04:00The Daily Squeak (Week of 4/2/12)<span style="font-size: x-large;">Hi All,</span><br />
<div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">A new week, and a new look for T.A.A. <b><u>Please let me know in the comments</u></b> what you think of the new design, if something hard to read or access.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Also, welcome to "The Daily Squeak." Since my posting's been erratic as life offline and non-blog writing is getting hard to balance, I'll use The Daily Squeak to update you on new posts and features on T.A.A. I will still try to meet my original schedule deadlines, but if not, The Daily Squeak will keep you from missing new posts and future contests and giveaways, which is another reason to follow <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Talking-Animal-Addicts/264183403615301" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">T.A.A. on Facebook</a> <b>(Twitter Coming Soon!)</b>, and follow me at my <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/113701246732430750716/posts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google+ page</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">I updated the Future Headlines section.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">There's a new "Letter from The Editor, which I'll do regularly once a month, versus separatism as I'd done before, since they take a bit of time. Hope you like this month's one.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Musical Musings may be a bit late, but it will be a review this time, as per our usual format.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Ciao for now.</span></div>Taurean Watkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.com6