Day: September 10, 2015

A lot of ideas surging through my head these days, so I am taking ten minutes just to jot a few things down.

1. On a ‘superhuman’ level I am starting to truly appreciate Lebron James’ choice to return to Ohio and be the face of that state. It didn’t really click for me until the Ohio State game when players would score and strike a ‘Lebron pose’. Quickly then I came to realize that the dude is having an impact on that entire state in a way that could not have happened in Miami-Wade County or New York or anywhere else he’d considered playing. Lebron is Cleveland.
2. Super-exciting sports night finds us witnessing the return of regular season football and, far more importantly, Serena Williams effecting to move one step closer to a Grand Slam. Williams would be the first female player to do so in quite some time and the feat would lock her in for hall of fame status. She cleared her most difficult hurdle yet on Tuesday when she took down her big sister in a match that had to lead to bragging rights at family dinner night. This also means that Venus won’t be hoisting a trophy at all, since the Williams sisters won’t be competing for the doubles championship this time around.
3. On some level I have lost control of my external identity. I suspect I lost control quite some time ago, but only in the wake of my recent divorce and the subsequent reinforcement of negative perceptions through a series of unfortunate lies and assumptions have I truly seen what people think. As a result I know that not a whole lot of people in this world actually know me or care to know me. The preference, it seems, is to maintain the stereotype of me because that is comfortable in one way or another. It explains a lot of behaviors at least. I no longer have to question why people act or think a certain way, because one drink at the rumor well fills me up with their perceptions. I’m kind of at the point of not caring to a point–personally or professionally. At some point I have to accept that my actions are speaking for themselves, and it is my responsibility to act and speak in such a way as not to promote further rumor and misperception. I can evoke such clearness through concise use of language and controlled interaction.
4. I’m excited about the school year moving forward but less so about the kids’ sports year moving forward. I created a sports situation with a lot of overlap between sports, which demands that I find a way to get kids to different places at the same time. I haven’t quite figured out how to make that happen. I am going to need help.

This is on the verge of becoming a straight up writing blog.

I am not really surprised by the development. My life is largely about writing right now and I am moving towards a life that is mostly centered around producing quality fiction. As I blog I’m listening to John Truby speak about the story to Film Courage. I’ve been a fanboy of his since reading The Anatomy of Story. I considered making parts of it canon for my screenplay writing class, but opted to go building block mode and focus on genre and storyform with this 100 level class. Now, these students expect to produce some legitimate screenplays this semester. I am going to go to the mat to see that they develop something that will get them there, but expecting a completed screenplay is counterproductive.

I expect to cultivate effort and a sense of the writer’s life.

This is a bit of a co-dependent effort. Their success is my success and all… The more I allow myself to lock into that writing life and being successful in that fashion, the better I become as a writer and a teacher and really as a more complete person.

 

Some Thoughts:

1. The one thing that constantly surprises me in life is bold absurdity. I mean when someone calmly suggests something outlandish and makes it seem like what is being suggested is truly legitimate–practically a layup. Part of it is the delivery; a subtle presence that makes you seem the fool for not agreeing. Part of it is the sheer boldness of the request. When things are foreign it can be difficult to know how to react. Couple this with that smooth delivery and you might get snookered. I’ve learned to take a beat and think everything through.