May 08, 2008

Toon Thursday: Back to the Writing Grind


Now that you've suffered with me through all seven Stages of Rejection, we're back to normal (-ish) around here at Toon Thursday. Though I do have a quick question for all of you toon fans: If I were to make the Stages of Rejection available printed on, say, mugs from CafePress, and that sort of thing, would you be willing to purchase them for your favorite writing buddies? How about writing notebooks with the "So Where Do You Get Your Ideas" toons printed on the cover? Just an idea I'm playing around with. I'll keep you posted...


In other news, some congratulations are in order--congrats to Readergirlz Diva and Fire Escapee Mitali Perkins, who won a 2008 Jane Addams Children's Book Award (via Jen Robinson's Book Page). Also, congrats to Disco Mermaid Jay Asher for receiving a California Book Award for Young Adult Literature for Thirteen Reasons Why. Ying Chang Compestine was also honored for her novel Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party. Hooray for everyone!


On a totally different topic, check out Gurney Journey for the charming story of the mysterious origami cranes. Lastly, this past Nonfiction Monday, Sara H. featured The Artist's Way on Read Write Believe. I haven't tried The Artist's Way myself, though a few friends have and found it a valuable experience. I'm always interested in what people think of this, if they've tried it. Beth Lisick had an amusing take on it in her book Helping Me Help Myself. I'm intrigued by The Artist's Way, but I have to admit to getting a weird vibe from the website. Could just be a personality thing...Anyone else have opinions on The Artist's Way?

10 comments:

Erin said...

I LOVE THAT TOON! lol!

Little Willow said...

Click for cheezburger.

Sarah Stevenson said...

LOL, LW! That is a good one. Have you seen the Lolowls?

tanita✿davis said...

THAT would go well on a mug.

David T. Macknet said...

Oh, literally laughing out loud. Fabulous!

David T. Macknet said...

I wonder if you could get that done as a t-shirt over at Threadless.com.

tanita✿davis said...

I have to say that I've read through a bit of The Artist's Way... and ...I'm... not a big fan. I say this with the proviso that I didn't actually DO it, but I just skimmed through the first few chapter and it was a bit Stuart Smalley for me.

I believe that writing can be both mental and spiritual, but I have trouble with the sort of amorphous belief that exercises and affirmations lead to enhanced creativity and spirituality... it's too The Secret for me -- as if all you have to do is fiddle with the universe and find The One True Thing, and suddenly you will be published and all your dreams will come true.

ALL OF US want that kind of power and all of us want that level of success, but I'm leery of things that are so subjective that they come back on the user. As in, if you don't have success from this, YOU DIDN'T DO IT RIGHT.

My scanty pesos on the matter.

Sara said...

I like the idea of notebooks with toons on the cover---those would be fun to use.

TadMack, I hear you on the Artist's Way. I think the difference for me is that she prescribes action: writing morning pages and doing artist's dates, among other things. You don't just sit there and wish for success. (Which is pretty much what I was doing and it wasn't working!)

And so much of what she asks you to do is simply look at what you already believe, write it out and really SEE it, so you don't keep bumping up against unacknowledged, submerged obstacles.

Sarah Stevenson said...

Interesting comments, guys. Sara, I can see how that would be useful--becoming aware of your own biases and the ways in which we tend to sabotage ourselves, especially.

I think what's keeping me from doing it is the time-investment-to-perceived-benefit ratio...I'm just not sure exactly how tangible the outcome would be. Also, I'm not always very good at sticking to self-imposed schedules. (Now THERE'S an important bit of self-knowledge...)

Jennifer R. Hubbard said...

I think the 7 stages of rejection have an audience.

I would also love to have the ferrets on a T-shirt, but that might be just me. (Oftentimes in life, it's just me.)

Haven't done the Artist's Way. Two friends have, and they really loved it. Like any tool, it's right for some and not for others.