Category: Video

You Asked, I Answered: My First Vlog!

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Today I join the ranks of Grumpy Cat, old episodes of 80s television shows you probably didn’t watch, and scores of people drinking Diet Coke and eating Mentos–I have my first video! That’s right, I’m not just a disembodied hand typing away at a keyboard. Check out the video below, in which I answer questions about writing, plotting, and where to find good pizza:

Special thanks to Mary, Ghenet, and Stephanie for their wonderful questions! Tune in next time for more writerly video fun.

I See (Writer) Pride

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Sometimes being a writer is tough. We have to deal with constant rejection and, even when we are successful, we don’t really know what the future will bring. So today, I want to share one of my favorite movie inspiration moments:

Whenever you feel like quitting, remember Junior and Yul Brenner. Now let’s get out there and write!

Billy Murray, Coming to Your Next Poetry Reading

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When you think “poetry,” you don’t necessarily think of Bill Murray. (Okay, maybe you do, but it’s probably because of the innate poetry in Ghostbusters.) But Murray can pull of a surprisingly good poetry reading. Here, at the 16th Annual Poets House Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge, he reads Billy Collins’ poem, “Forgetfulness”:

I’ve seen Collins at a couple of readings and Murray really hits that Collins vibe–humorous at first, with that great thoughtful turn at the end.

Click through to see Bill Murray tackle more poetry readings.

(via Tweetspeak Poetry)

You’ve Got Questions, I’ve Got Answers

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One reason I like blogging is that it’s an easy way to share all the awesome things you find online. Stumble across a cool article? Blog about it! Interesting infographic? Blog about it! Adorable hedgehog video? Oh you better blog about it!

But that means I don’t tend to post a lot about myself, and when I do it’s usually in relation to whatever article/infographic/video I’m posting about. I’ve also been wanting to get in on the world of vlogging, so I figured I’d combine the two issues into a first-ever, brand-new Q&A vlog post!

Which means I need your questions! Specifically, your questions that I might be able to answer. They can be writing-related, reading-related, life-related; they can be serious or silly; they can be easy or hard. A few examples to get you started:

  • What’s your favorite kind of cookie?
  • What’s on your summer reading list?
  • If you could have a superpower, which would it be?
  • What’s your writing process like?

Feel free to post your questions in the comments and I’ll answer as many as possible–which could really vary, depending on how the first video-creation experience goes. And if you don’t have any questions, I’ll have to talk about my favorite kind of cookie. (Who am I kidding? I’m just going to make a video about cookies.)

Don’t Hate Boo Radley, Hate the Game

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In college, my friend a professor whom we all described as the filmmaker version of Shaft. He was a dedicated teacher, a bold and thoughtful filmmaker, and his syllabus included the phrase “Get ya asses to class.” Needless to say, his students loved him.

Thug Notes has a similar approach to the canon of English literature. Sparky Sweets, PhD recaps the plot of classic novels and dives into the major themes of the books. For example, his take on To Kill a Mockingbird:

Even cooler? In the Youtube comments, people are clamoring for Sweets to tackle other works of English literature. Most badass way to get people involved in literature ever.

(via Book Riot)

Every Bean Matters

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Not exactly writing related, but a lovely video by Ze Frank featuring a whole lot of jelly beans:

Of course this reminded me of Our Town and Mrs. Dalloway (because everything reminds me of Our Town and Mrs. Dalloway). Our lives are filled with all of these seemingly insignificant jelly bean moments. Make each jelly bean count–not necessarily by climbing Mount Everest or saving orphans from fire (okay, at least call 911)–but by appreciating and recognizing each bean. We only have so many beans and we need to appreciate them while we can.

This week, let’s try to acknowledge and appreciate our beans as much as possible.