National Day on Writing Self Pep Talk (I Need This More Than You but Bear with Me)

Here are some thoughts I had while writing with my composition students the other day. As today is the National Day on Writing, I thought I would share them on the off chance that it helps someone else, too.

Ten more minutes to write. What would I do with more? A lot.

I’m starting to believe that my reluctance to throw myself into another writing project (and Writing Project) stems from a deep yet faulty belief that I don’t have enough time to do a good job, and like so many of my students continue in the false philosophy that it’s better to not even try than to try and fail. I often voice aloud that I am not afraid to fail (at writing…because that is what revision is for), but I think I really am.

 I claim that my most toxic enemy is time, or the apparent lack thereof. I don’t have enough. At least I don’t have the time I want/need to start and finish projects as I used to. Sure, time adds up, yes, but my inner self struggles to produce writing when I perceive that I don’t have wide-open slots on my schedule. Lately my available “free” time minutes have been relegated to numbers I can count on my fingers and toes.

And I’ll admit that it is true that ten or twenty minutes here and there could make a difference if I made use of said minutes. However, those small chunks don’t permit my mindset to allow flow to happen. (Thank you very much, Mr. Csikszentmihalyi.) It takes me that long to warm up. To be honest, when I have to quilt the piece scraps of time together, the patchwork writing isn’t as pleasurable for me. What’s the fun in turning it off before the engine is heated?

Here’s my thought—probably not new to any who might still be reading—but hang with me. What if I use those small snatches of seconds and the odd handful of minutes I do actually have to become more organized or methodical or strategic about what I write and what I do as a writer. It might seem to be more work—starting and stopping like a new driver on a clutch—but I might actually produce something. As a wise mentor once (or twice or a thousand times) told me, only writing produces text. Using my time this way might allow me to navigate the shallow waters my creative vessel has been treading lately. Yes, I am mixing my metaphors. Judge harshly! It doesn’t matter right now. What does is that I am writing.

It has been too long. I’ve lost my groove, and there is no one to blame and chuck out a window except me. I gotta get back on the bike, as I once told a crowd of English teachers at UCTE. Seriously! In the past three years, I have only presented at a conference once. Pathetic. 

I need to get over the ugly despair that falls when I can’t find a perfect description or if my alliteration is over the top; the writing on the wall (which is not mine, by the way) clearly dictates that I have to get back to work. I just have to write. I might need a stricter taskmaster, though.

 

Shuffling through the National Day on Writing

The National Day on Writing has come and gone, and here at the end, I feel like a failure. Well, at least when it comes to trying something new, which is what I usually do this time of year. I though about doing something with this year's theme: writing you community, but it just didn't work for me today. Instead, I just introduced zombie poetry to this year's group. It was a different experience, though, as all my classes are ninth graders, and they've been around the annual SFJH Zombie Haiku Contest for three years. Usually I have an easy sell with 7th graders, but this time 'round it was more like reselling an idea to them that they had discarded two years ago. Most of them bought back in though.

Just a warning, I wasn't really feeling the undead flow today. However, I did eke out a few between all the empty brainwaves.

Here they are for your (dis)pleasure:

counting syllables

has left the zombie poet

without any brains

zombies volunteer

as tribute to get a spot

in the hunger games

cancer, like zombies,

eats your insides without

mercy or remorse

(for the girl who wanted to write kitty haiku instead of zombie haiku:)

munching on kittens

causes zombie snacker to
hack up excess hair

Hopefully I'll come up with something a tad more profound the next time I attempt to write.

Practicing What I Preached

True to what I implored all of you to do for the National Day on Writing, I wrote today.  (Most of) My students did, too.  They came away with quite a few projects that they are anxious to pursue, too.  A successful day if a do say so myself.  Here's my draft:

“Melancholic Block”

I flip blankly

through the curling blue-covered notebook

in my hands—

seventy pages of college-ruled nothingness—

and chew the end of my eraser,

along with my thoughts,

spitting out nothing—

digesting even less

Memory’s phonograph drones

its nondescript tune

until it reaches the inner-most

circumference of the aged vinyl—

song over;

the needle, abandoned and forgotten,

trips incessantly—

going nowhere

Melancholy wanders over

and notices that I

don’t look up

she drapes her dusty arm

over my shoulder,

her wispy tresses trailing

like a metaphoric afterthought

that means nothing in particular

and listens to the same slow symphony:

sad

a glance from her ashen eyes

clarifies:

words won’t work today—

the muse is absent—

home with a sore throat

but even without words,

understanding exists,

as she places a

tepid hand over mine—

not grabbing

not holding

not squeezing—

just there

it’s reassuring,

knowing these doldrums

of unmoving lines,

will be weathered,

but for now…

I break out the oars

and strike for the other side

As always, comments and criticism are welcome.

Reminder and a Plea for Help (or The Well is Running Dry)

First and foremost, I need to remind everybody that next Sunday, October 20th, is the National Day on Writing.  Since it falls over the weekend, I am going to celebrate the day twice.  First, I will celebrate on that day individually.  Second, I will celebrate on Monday with my students.  Awesome, huh?

I just have one problem.  I'm not sure how I want to celebrate this year.  I started this blog for the NDoW back in 2009.  In 2010 I asked for feedback for help with a publication decision.  Only two people responded.  I guess not that many people read this blog.  The next year was a complete bust, and I blamed it on Fall Break.  Instead of celebrating on October 20th, I began my first of two failed attempts at NaNoWriMo.  2011 definitely doesn't make the writing highlight reel.  Last year, in 2012, I reminded everyone else to celebrate.  I gave my students the assignment to "impress me."  That actually produced quite a bit of good student writing across multiple genres.  I also decided to share the story behind Average Joe--a little history behind the name.

And that brings me back to now.  I have a couple ideas kicking around in my brain.  There's a presentation that my colleague and I are working on that I'd like to squeeze an article or two out of.  The muses have also whispered a poetic line or three; they just didn't show me how to connect the dots.    My committee chair would probably be happier if I buckled down and finished my dissertation proposal.  I'm trying to figure out how to approach NaNoWriMo.  And, like always, sixty-three and a half assorted ideas remain percolating on the back burner.

If any of you have any ideas, please feel free to share.  Anyone have a challenge or something?

Introducing Average Joe (of Joe Average Writer)

Several people have asked where the name Joe Average Writer came from.  I think I can pinpoint an specific job interview as the conception of my moniker.  The final question, as asked by the assistant manager Charlie (who, as I came to find out was a wonder doofus and breaker of pretty girls' hearts), went something along the lines of "So...what makes you stand out from the average Joe?"  He then proceeded to toss his black wavy hair and laugh at his own joke.

Apparently, the applicant after me, Shannon (who was also hired), overheard that last part and spread it around school.  Fast-forward to...um...yesterday.  I was writing an introduction about myself for an online independent study class that I am rewriting, and I decided to play off my name and who I am.

               I have always suffered from an identity crisis.  From the time I was old enough to think for myself, I wanted to be everything: a policeman, an explorer, a baseball player, a zoo keeper, a restaurant owner, even a lyricist.  I wanted to be the best.  And so I dabbled…in just about everything (and that’s almost not a hyperbole).  I ran from one activity to the next, always wanting to play a part, always wanting to be included, like that little puppy that just wants to sniff every hand swinging down the sidewalk.     

                So it seems only natural to dub myself a Renaissance Man—adept at anything I attempt.  Right?  I do it all: language, math, science, arts, philosophy, even video games.  Well, there’s  kind of a problem.  My lack of focus contributed to my lack of mastery of any one particular field.  And so, I am the understudy, the runner –up, the honorable mention.   I don’t excel in anything—sports, cooking, writing, music, intelligence, crocheting (not that I’ve ever really wanted to), or anything that I can think of.  I’m not a mechanic or a computer tech geek.  My wit isn’t the sharpest, and neither is the #2 pencil I sketch with from time to time.  I’m your average Joe.

                Instead of a Renaissance Man, I guess I am the Joe-of-all-trades, master of none.  With my lack of ability to be the lead, the starter, the headliner, there is no way I could ever hold court with the likes of Leonardo or Michelangelo, unless we’re talking about ninja turtles, and even then only if we’re talking pizza consumption. 

                I never became everything I dreamed of as a kid.  I became more: a teacher, a coach, a father, a cook, a writer, a well-rounded human being, and I’m not just talking about my waistline.  I still don’t steal the show, but I don’t have to.  Even though I’m not the best at everything, I still make a difference.

Sort of fitting, don'tcha think?  Since the inception of being an Average Joe (or 'better than the average...' or 'rougher than the average...' or 'smarter than the average...'--you get the idea) it's floated along with me.  When I worked at The Brick Oven in Provo, there was a kid named Chris whose greatest delight was hearing himself talk.  And he loved more than anything to make up "Yo Mama" jokes.  Those of you with good inferencing and predicting skills already see that this led to "Joe Mama" jokes (none of which ever made any sense, by the way).  This inadvertently led to servers asking for "Joe Mama's Special of the Day" and would actually introduce it to a select group of customers that way.  It stuck.

The wordplay part of me loves the play on "Joe" and the colloquial "Yo'" part, not to mention the obvious pronoun reference in espanol.  And so, when creating this blog three years ago for the National Day on Writing, I incorporated it with my love for writing.  But like my short introductory snapshot states, I'm not the best.  I never will be.  And I'm okay with that...as long as I can make some kind of a difference.  The microscopic few who are still reading at this point are some evidence of that.  So thank you for validating who I am, especially those whom I torment on a regular basis.

The National Day on Writing: How Can I Get Involved?

Just thought I'd put in a plug for the National Day on Writing, which is how I started this blog a few years ago.  This year, the NDoW (October 20th) falls on a Saturday.  Plan early.  The following link is to the NCTE site and several suggestions for how you can celebrate this awesome day!

How Can I Get Involved?

Yep. I'm a Slacker...Sort Of.

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything on here, but it's also been a long time since anyone read this either, so nanny-nanny-boo-boo! No one even tried writing a zombie haiku for me. That's okay. The contest here had much higher quality than the year before even though not quite as many students participated. Maybe they were too bust fleeing from the undead hordes to stop and encapsulate their experiences in seventeen syllables.

Lately, I have also been "writing" research papers.

Enough said about that. The project that I am currently enjoying and stressing over and falling behind in is my first ever attempt at the NaNoWriMo challenge. I'm trying to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. I'm having my 9th graders honors classes do it as well, although I let them set their own goals. I must say that for the most part I have been impressed with this group. Nobody transferred out. Then again, I kind of broadsided them with the project only a few weeks before we actually started the typing.

Anyway, if any of you have any suggestions for complicating a sixteen-year-old boy's high school social life, I'd love to hear from you.

So, there. That's why I haven't posted lately. I'm a slacker.

P.S. I also didn't celebrate the National Day on Writing. Some idiot thought it was a good idea to have Fall Break on that day. So happy belated Day on Writing. You should all go celebrate or join me in my NaNoWriMo endeavor.

Happy National Day on Writing!

Last year, to celebrate this special occasion, I started this blog. I've made a little progress, picked up a few confused disciples along the way, and I've even done a bit of writing.

This year, I'd like to submit one of my previous blog posts to the National Gallery on Writing. I'm asking you, my readers, to comment as to which piece you believe I should attempt to publish. Feel free to browse my past posts, or if you know of some other piece I've done in the past (or am currently working on) that you think is worthy to be published--or close enough--let me know.

Here are a few possibilities arranged chronologically backward:

20 Aug Bring It On!
18 Jul Swears and Voice
1 Mar Back-to-Back-to Back Donut Jack
14 Feb Valentine Splat!
16 Dec Low Brow
26 Oct "Quality Piece"
22 Oct Where Do I Write?


In the meantime, I'll be working on a few pieces with my students today, and I might post one or two over the course of the day. Or maybe my conscience might get to me and I'll be writing my part of a group presentation for tomorrow.

I look forward to hearing from you.