non-gamer becomes gamer and then tries to explain games to non-gamers (video)
So I've gotten into playing video games. Nothing too hardcore — I mean, I haven't lost my day job and I'm still successfully married and I'm not all that good at the games I play. But I love playing games on my Nintendo Switch. And I want to talk through the delight I've felt from playing some of my favorite games in my favorite genres… This is coming from someone who previously looked down on gaming as a waste of time. Well, to hell with that. Playing a great video game has been an unexpected joy in my life these past few years… at a time when there have been a lot of not-too-damn-joyful things going on. So, yeah, here's the video where I try to explain that in more detail with some game footage. (Sorry about the video footage of me in the shower… At least it's censored!)
make something terrible (video)
I recently got some insight into my creative process from my kid's music teacher… who is now, somehow, my music teacher… even though I previously had no skill or interest in music. But he's really more of a creative mentor. The work we do goes from making music to making videos to managing time better, and it even informs my writing process. And how to worry more effectively. So I thought I could share with you some of the ideas I've gotten from his teaching style that have helped me with my creative life, and my... life life.
expose your mess (video)
I'll admit it. I resent other writers who can write something start to finish without needing any input. For me, after bathing in the unknown (aka: my last video), I need to have others look at it. I need to listen for when they laugh or sigh or gasp or hold their breath. And then, I can better understand what the hell I’m writing. That’s when I find out that my story I thought was about all the crazy bus routes in Portland is really about one lonely man’s longing to connect with another person. Or how my Darth Vader story is really a story about the challenges of step parenting. Or how there are already enough think pieces about Bojack Horseman. Or how maybe I shouldn’t have filmed my most recent video while on the toilet...
the I-don't-know-ness (video)
So I'm trying out non-animated videos with the notion that I might be able to create more than two a year when I'm not crudely drawing every single frame... But, unfortunately, we now have to rely on my real-world, crudely-drawn face... And my crudely drawn face is here to tell you that bathing in the I-don't-know-ness of a creative project is really valuable...
a multi-creative in the attic (video)
I've always struggled with being monogamous when it comes to my creative outlets. I've been writing for most of my adult life, but I also dabble with YouTube videos and making apps and making music (sort of) and various other activities. I used to focus on the downsides to working on so many different pursuits (and there are plenty of downsides!), but this video is about me accepting (and maybe kinda sorta embracing) this quality. (I also do about 12 seconds of research and find out that there's already a name for this quality. But since I don't like the name, I made up a new name…)
Writing a Novel When You're Too Busy to Write a Novel (video)
In a blog post about my forthcoming novel, I claimed that I'd pull together a video about writing the novel. Well, here it is. It's under five minutes, but it still required 1060 bad drawings, some background music that I created on my iPad, and one video of me sitting on the toilet. Oy!
How I Use Tech to Write (video)
For the past few years, I've wanted to make a video about my writing process when I'm working on a book-sized project. My process is a zig-zaggy combination of scribbling and typing and listening. I particularly love writing on an iPad because you have a few different ways to interact with it (stylus + keyboard + voice + weeping under the desk), and I also find it a less distracting tool than an old-school computer. The problem with my first few fAiLeD attempts at making this video was that I overly focused on exactly what tech and which apps I used... It's just too easy to get caught up in buying the trendy app of the month with the hopes that it'll save you from the difficulty of writing. (Nothing will save you. Writing sucks!) And my main goal was really to focus on how and why I use the tools that I use. (But I also didn't want to totally ignore the apps that I find valuable, because they are lovingly built and they are fabulous to use.) So... hopefully this short video gives you a feel for my approach without getting too lost in the technical weeds...
Writing Through Pain (video)
It's time for my yearly visit to the online surface — where I pop my head up, look around, and when I don't get enough likes (or I get too many likes), I go back into my hole until next year. This time I'd like to share with you a video I made about how I write alongside chronic pain...
Breath of the Wild Game Review (video)
I don't know about you but in the middle of all the heavy stuff going on in the world, I've needed to make a little time and space just to escape. I'm reading and watching more fantasy and sci-fi. But my obsession this month is all about a video game: Breath of the Wild. I haven't been a gamer in about 30 years (!!!) but I got hooked into this world. So much so that I now have trouble telling anecdotes in real life without mentioning my exploration in the land of Hyrule. To rationalize all the time that I've wasted this month, I made a video about my obsession with this game...
The Pain in My Head (video)
Who wants to watch a ten-minute video about chronic pain and headaches!? Of course you do! In this latest video, I walk you through the experience of having a nine-month headache... I've been a little bit obsessed with trying to think about (and talk about) the suffering associated with chronic pain. And so I made this delightful romp into my headache saga. I actually do intend it to be entertaining to watch, regardless of whether you can relate -- at the very least, it'll be easier to stomach than a presidential debate. This video will also be used as a quasi-valid excuse for why I haven't responded much on social media, or gone to many social events, or been productive at my creative projects in 2015, or failed in all the other ways. Enjoy!
Why Scrivener? (video)
So I made this short video called "Why Scrivener?"... Why did I make Why Scrivener? I've been tutoring people on how to use Scrivener for many years now. I find that it is effective to first show people what it can do and make sure that it addresses something they are struggling with. As much as I love Scrivener, it's not the right tool for every writer or for every writing project. I run through this shpiel enough times in an average month that I thought I'd make a short video where I make the case for Scrivener (and get to say some dirty words in the process). Let me know what you think!
The Attic Method (video)
Here's a video about my attic, which is where I do most of my creative(ish) work. I hope you'll agree with me (and not with my misguided wife!) that I have a real system to how I do things around here. I mean, it's not so messy. Right? Right???
Creative Sprints (failvid-17)
In this Failed Writer video, I talk about how I chip away at my creative projects. I'm definitely no model for success — every week I consider dumping my novel — but I still manage to keep doing creative projects every week. So here is my tactic, sort of...
Stand-up Comedians (failvid-16)
I've been obsessed with stand-up comedians lately... and what writers can learn from comedians about finding their voice. Or something like that. Just watch the video and tell me if you think I'm crazy...
Taking Risks (failvid-15)
The idea of taking a risk has been on my mind lately. In particular, I've been thinking about those risks people take that don't necessarily end with a fabulous success story. So here's a video about it.
Closed for retooling + Is this video funny?
This post is an update about my audio+video projects. It also contains a nearly amusing video...
What's a podcast app and why should I give a shit?
There's an enormous disparity between my geek friends and my literary friends when it comes to how they listen to podcasts. While my geek friends argue over the subtle quirks between their seven favorite podcast apps (aka podcatcher, aka podcast client), quite a few of my literary friends don't know what the hell a podcast app is. And when they do listen to a podcast episode, they do it by going to a website from a browser on their computer and clicking play. I want to change this. Not the part about us geeks arguing over trivial features – no one can stop that, it’s a force of nature – but I want stop this method of playing podcast episodes from the browser...
vid004: The index card treatment
In this video, I get to focus on Kate's perspective on the index card treatment, which is how she lays out index cards to outline her novel. It not only can help with plotting a story, but with detecting patterns in your book. Kate also came up with a fabulous metaphor about a risk with the index card treatment — a metaphor that required all of my bad animation skills. She says many more things that I didn't get a chance to animate, so check out the full one-hour audio conversation for more of her insights. Enjoy!
vid003: From start to end
In this video, I dig into Kristen Forbes' process for writing a story or essay. And I vent about my dislike of the pantser/plotter stereotype. (For those who don't know what the hell I'm talking about, watch the video for a quick explanation.) But most importantly, I animate a great story Kristen told about her obsession with Chad Simpson's writing -- a story that I hope you find as wonderful as I did...
vid002: From head to heart
In this video, I fixate on one particular topic: Scott's quest to turn his second book (a novel in progress) into a deeper story. And more generally: can you turn something formulaic (and in your head) into something deeper (and in your heart)? ...