Wanted to post something inspirational today, and this 2008 TEDTalk from novelist Amy Tan is a perfect way to reflect on the evolution of the writing process and on the personal meanings of creativity.
Roxane Gay to write series for "Black Panther" universe
SO FREAKING EXCITED ABOUT THIS. Roxane Gay and Ta-Nehisi Coates are pairing up to write a new series for Marvel: "Black Panther: World of Wakanda"!!
mindy
I've been a fan of Roxane's lyrical, gorgeous work since The Butter, so I am THRILLED to see her branch out into comics.
World of Wakanda will chronicle T'Challa's struggle to bring order to Wakanda in the wake of civil war, and will also center on two members of the Dora Millaje, Ayo and Aneka. It will also provide more insight into the women of Wakanda.
According to the interview, they've got some awesome writers and artists lined up, as well:
...Alitha Martinez will be drawing Roxane’s story, and Afua Richardson will be providing the covers. Additionally, there'll be a backup story in #1 that Ta-Nehisi is co-writing with Yona Harvey, and Afua will be drawing that.
Cannot wait to get my hands on this series and see where their new story takes us! Congrats, Roxane!
Happy Wednesday,
CL
What Do You Eat When You Write?
This article over at Catapult Community interviews their program instructors about their favorite writing snack. As a writer who loves snack food, it's cracking me up.
I also laugh because I have a weird quirk when it comes to food and writing. Whenever I set a scene in detail and describe my characters' meals, ten times out of ten that item of food is the one thing I end up craving for days afterward. This is why people find me baking cheese danishes at 10pm or running to the grocery store for butterscotch pudding after I've already been to the store twice in a week.
What kinds of things do you guys snack on when you write? My go-to is always tea and a couple of cookies or a handful of chips.
"The Importance of Bitch Planet's Backmatter"
This article from Graphixia delves into the gloriously feminist comic book Bitch Planet and its "backmatter" pages, which include guest essays from writers and scholars, letters to the editor, faux advertisements for in-world products or spaces where fans can interact.
Personally, I think it's a brilliant approach. Structuring the backmatter as a forum of ideas gives people a way to engage with all or parts of the text without feeling like passive listeners. It gives authors and artists a way to talk about evolving story and visual elements in a casual space. And after the story presents tough ideas and images, the backmatter picks up that lead, and encourages people to consider what those stories mean in a larger world context.
Also, I LOVE seeing people talk about Kelly Sue and Val's amazing series - it gives me so much joy to know Bitch Planet resonates with so many passionate fans! Can't wait to see what happens next for Kam, Penny, and the rest of our badass ladies.
Happy Thursday,
CL
Image credit: Graphixia.
"The PEN Ten With Stephen Graham Jones"
Guest editor Natalie Diaz has a gorgeous interview with Blackfeet writer Stephen Graham Jones up over at PEN America. They talk obsessions, linguistics, writing process, and more. But I think this quote is my absolute favorite:
While the notion of the public intellectual has fallen out of fashion, do you believe writers have a collective purpose? To say the truth, or something in the arena of the true. Something that feels true. To carve down to what’s real, and then fold the reader into that spot for a couple hundred pages. To write for the people of today, not the ones who aren’t born yet, and not the ones from generations ago, who can no longer be impressed with your talent. To—to be one of the ones Plato would have kicked out of his republic, because we won’t shut up, because we won’t stop stirring things up, because we insist on rousing emotions and thoughts in people that are inconvenient for those in power. And to do all this without seeming to be trying to do all this. Mostly, if we have a collective purpose, it’s to dream on the page, such that others might subscribe not so much to that particular dream, but just to dreaming in general. To asking What if? That’s the most dangerous question. The most necessary question.
Last night, I couldn't sleep because I had a story creeping into my head. Let's hope we can all hit the page running today.
Happy Wednesday,
CL
Image credit: PEN America
"After 75 Years, The Cheese Stands Alone"
This beautiful article about an heirloom wheel of cheese - frozen and kept fresh by a New York family since the 1940s! - reminds me of the tiny morsel of fruitcake my mother still keeps in her fridge; has kept safe in her fridge for over twenty years.
That little sliver, which gets smaller and smaller every year, is taken from one of the last fruitcakes my grandmother used to make and serve at Christmas. Spiced with blackberry rum (a special, holiday-only treat) and filled with candied fruits and other spices, she would prepare it around Thanksgiving, and then leave the cake to "season," wrapped safely in cheesecloth, until Christmas.
Describing the little intricacies of meals or food is such a visceral part of my writing. It's one of my favorite ways to get into characters' heads. I hope you have the same kind of luck with your stories. Imagine the kind of food or drink that would spark a new experience for them, and for your work as a whole.
Happy Monday,
CL
Image Credit: The New York Times
"How the Writer Researches: Annie Proulx"
I love, love, love behind the scenes looks into the processes of different writers, so this recent LitHub interview detailing Annie Proulx's method and overall career is fascinating.
Right now, I'm waiting for a word processor update to download so I can get back to writing. Hope you guys are having better luck with your work today.
Happy Sunday,
CL
"On The Slow Pursuit Of Overnight Success"
Victoria Schwab, on the heels of her first #1 NYT debut The Savage Song, has a great post on her blog about how failure and success throughout her writing career, and how the big successes don't happen overnight -- even when they seem instant to your readers.
Her post reminds me of what my friend Aaron used to say about writing: basically, that "you have to write a million words of crap in order to start getting good."
So, fellow authors and writers, let's keep plugging away toward those million words!
Happy Friday,
CL