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By Katie Corbett
When it came time to write my post for last Friday, I couldn’t decide on a topic. I asked my intuition, and I got the feeling I should take a break. I had a busy weekend and still couldn’t think of a topic, so I’m blogging about this.
What answer do you get when you’re solving a problem or surmounting a creative obsticle? Leave me a comment and share your story.
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By Katie Corbett
I decided to blog about my latest creative project (my novel) because I want to use this opportunity to brainstorm a little bit. It can be fun to move away from writing serious posts about deep life things, and think a little more about something fun and creative.
I envision my novel expanding into a series. My novel is about a pac of werewolves, and there are five members in the pack, so I would like to write a book from each of their perspectives. The first book in my novel is from the point of you of the pack Alpha. I think, for the subsequent books, I will write from the point of view of each of the other members. I am even playing with the idea of having each book be written in a different genre, but we will see. That is probably quite controversial, so I will get some feedback from my writer friends before making a firm decision.
I also see this book being made into a movie. It would be really cool to do some creative things with that, since one of my characters is blind, and another one experience is impulse control issues because she is a psychopath. I would love to find a creative Director who is interested in Exhibiting each of these characteristics in a fun way, so the audience can experience a little of what life might be like in that person’s shoes.
Are you working on any creative projects right now? What is your vision for your latest project? Is your vision as simple as getting started? I would love to find out, so feel free to leave me a comment.
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By Katie Corbett
My favorite artist is singer/songwriter Avril Lavigne. I love and appreciate her work for many reasons.
I can relate to a lot of her lyrics. Especially when I was in high school, her music gave me solice during a lonely, confusing time.
She’s clearly doing what she loves. Anyone who has been in the music business for 20 years, as Avril has, is working from a place of passion.
I also think it’s cool that she dabbles in a variety of projects, from acting to fashion to film-making. She’s a woman of many talents.
Who is your favorite artist? Why are you a fan? Let me know in the comments.
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By Katie Corbett
I wasn’t sure what to write about this week, so I used an app that I turn to when I need inspiration. The prompt that came up asked who are the three people who light up my life. That seemed like an interesting topic, so I figured I would go with it.
The first person I will mention is my best friend. We talk almost every day, and I can always rely on her to be there for me. One of my favorite things about her is that she always knows what question to ask to get me out of my emotions and into a more rational frame of mind.
The next person I thought of was my husband. I enjoy spending time with him, and he is always up for a road trip or adventure. We have been together for more than 6 1/2 years, and while every day hasn’t always been easy, I appreciate him for being such a great partner to me.
The final person who came to mind was a friend I made earlier this year. She lives in New Zealand. We have been having fun writing a story together, and I always appreciate her perspective on things. It is fun to be friends with someone who is so different from me.
Who are the three people who come to mind who light up your life? Let me know in the comments.
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By Katie Corbett
Music has always played an important role in my life. I remember beginning piano lessons when I was eight years old and guitar lessons when I was 14. Not only has playing music been a source of solace for me, but it has also inspired my art and other creative activities.
I am currently writing an urban fantasy novel. I use music to help me get into the mood when I am writing, or even when I am just brainstorming about the activities of my characters.
My characters also reference music a lot throughout the book. They have their favorite artists, their favorite songs, and the music that puts them in a good mood. They also use music to communicate with each other. One of my characters creates a playlist to connect with her love interest. Naturally, I created that playlist myself because I wanted to listen to the music that they would be listening to and have all the feels.
What role does music play in your life? How does it help you create, explore, and give back to the world? I would love to know, so feel free to leave me a comment!
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By Katie Corbett
This month, I’m posting pieces of an essay I wrote back in 2013. In these pieces, I reflect on my writing process. Many of the ideas in these posts are still true today. Enjoy!
I’m proud to say I’ve been writing every day for over a month—a practice I used to say I didn’t have time for in the past. This practice has forced me to write in more than one genre, switching between genres without more than a day between each switch. I used to focus on one genre at a time—either the novel I was working on, or a class in poetry at my high school, or personal essay when I took the “Creative Nonfiction” course at the university I attended. I never thought I would be able to switch from one genre to another so quickly, only dependent on what I felt like writing that day. I feared at first that the uncertainty of what style I would write in each day would bother me, but I found that I express myself differently depending on the genre in which I am writing. I feel that commenting on these different methods of expression, as well as on my writing process itself, will help me to get to know myself better, and in turn, will help me continue to grow as a writer.
My fiction is the place where I explore things that are as far from reality as possible. Fantasy is my escape, and almost all my characters pop in and out of mirrors, change into wolves during the full moon, or haunt people after death. I’ve tried to write “normal” fiction, but unless there’s some element of the weird in it, I just don’t feel passion for the story. My fiction is very character-driven, so without passion, the story doesn’t really go anywhere. I rarely write about scene; describing things is a chore for me. I don’t know if this is because it is difficult to describe things as a totally blind writer, or if I really just don’t care all that much about what things look like—I just want to tell the story. I can tell I’m growing as a fiction writer because when I reread stories I’ve written in the past, I’m able to find areas on which to expand and sentences to improve. I used to hate revision; whatever I had written, I had written, and I usually didn’t change anything. I’m glad to see this growth in myself, as most of writing involves editing and revision. It’s a necessary part of the craft.
Poetry is the genre in which I feel the most free to express my emotions about the happenings in my life, whether it’s a romance ending, a fight with a friend, or how I respond to situations in life as a blind person. Most of my poems are non-rhyming and non-stylistic, which gives me the freedom to just say what I want and not worry about form. I really enjoy automatic writing—just writing whatever comes to mind—and revising and organizing the pieces later. I don’t use much imagery or simile in my poems; I just write what is. My poems aren’t cryptic, and if a reader knows me at all—or has a general idea of what I’m going through personally—it isn’t hard to figure out what my poems are about, or what events might have triggered the poetry. I’m not used to being so autobiographic and emotional in my writing, but reflecting on my emotions through poetry—the rhythm and musicality of it—helps me release the feelings in a constructive, reflective way.
My personal essays and creative nonfiction pieces are mostly about people. I write about how they have affected my life, and how I think differently because of having met them. My favorite pieces to write while I was in journalism school were personality profiles. From there, I started thinking not only about what people did—which is generally the focus of the personality profile—but about how these doings impacted the lives of others. It was easiest to do this by thinking about the people who affected my own life, from the toughest professor I had in college, to the scholarship mentor at a convention. The idea resonated with me, so I just continued to consider people in that context. I’ve tried to write about stand-alone issues, but I have a hard time separating myself from my essays—that is, writing about the issue without getting too emotional and going on a long, tangential rant—so I have decided to stick with personal experiences and encounters with people until I feel ready to tackle the issues and ideas themselves.
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By Katie Corbett
Summer brings longer days and more sunlight! I’ve recently discovered the many fascinations of solar cooking, and I’m so excited to share my journey with you! Listen to find out how I got involved with this little-known way to rustle up some grub! Enjoy!
By Katie Corbett
Everything that needs to get done will get done. That, and “There is a right time for everything” are two phrases that used to stump me. If I’m not working constantly and trying to do everything, how will things get done?
In his book, “Eat that Frog,” Brian Tracy says to do the worst, toughest things first and ignore the little things. Eventually, even the little things will become truly urgent, and they will get done. That idea has applied to my blogging more than I might like to admit. Here’s how.
Choosing the Next Book: I like to buy my books in batches. (I read digital copies and then buy physical copies once I decide to blog about the book, so I have it for my blog photo.) Book selection occurs on a quarterly basis, as I reflect on the books that have made a difference in my life and career. I pick the top three and purchase those.
Selecting the Post Topics: Early in the month in which I plan to write about a specific book, I go through it and pick out the tips and ideas I have applied to my life and found success doing. I create files for each post and put the title, my name and an idea of what I would like to cover in the post. That way, I can start writing when it’s time to write.
The Actual Writing: Mid-to-late month, I sit down and start writing. Nothing need be perfect or final. As long as I get the ideas out, that’s the goal.
The Recording: I typically do my recording after this initial post writing is complete. All I do is think of a topic, write a list of things I’d like to talk about and press record.
Editing and Uploading: Sometime the week the first of these newly-written posts will publish, I do final edits, upload, and email my virtual assistant to get the photos up.
This creative procrastination idea applies throughout the entire process. Instead of worrying about all the little things that I want and need to do for my blog, I focus on the one important task of the day. One day, that might be selecting and ordering new books, another day it might be writing, and another day I edit and upload. If it seems overly simple, that’s probably because it is. And sometimes, even if you might not feel like doing the tough thing, circumstances will force you to do it. This blog post, for example, exists because my phone, laptop and portable book player all have dead batteries and are recharging at the moment. I didn’t want to sit near the outlet, so I’m writing this post using my braille display, even though I’d honestly rather do it tomorrow. It turns out that doing the hard things involves sitting down and, you know, doing the hard things. They’re called hard things for a reason, but it’s usually worth it to get them done. And, as with what happened to me today, sometimes life gives you no other option.
At the start of each day, I ask myself: What do I need to get done today for the day to be considered a success? I hope you start asking yourself that, too. It might be to apply for some jobs, revise your résumé, or do something kind for yourself or a loved-one. Whatever it is, I’d love to hear about the success you end up having, so leave a comment so I can cheer you on.
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