Sharing ideas, procrastinating a tad, sweeping, mopping, and waxing the platform, and big, doughy eyes with fluttering lashes

          I apologize for such random posts.  I now owe you all pictures and details of the Moore/ Newalla tornadoes, it's aftermath, and my little Mexico trip.  Don't worry.  I'm good for it.  I finalize on the house this week and should close.  then as my wife packs and unpacks boxes, all I'll have to do is supervise and write.  Which means I'll have plenty time to write.  So again, apologies!  That said, and meaningfully so, let’s get on with it. 

          I am using BlogSpot (http://paulmichaelpoole.blogspot.com/), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/poole.paul.michael.), Google + (http://www.google.com/profiles/108402486118030830627),   and Xanga (http://crazyahab.xanga.com/) as the basis for my platform.   Facebook is the largest social networking site, and so it’s an obvious choice to include in the platform.  The blog is the component from which all the posts to Facebook and Google+ derive.  Unfortunately,  Google+ doesn’t allow for personalized URL’s yet and requires a Gmail account, so advertising it is more difficult and presently limited.  Xanga holds my short fiction, and allows the audience an honest look at the writer’s writing, without advertising. 

          The overall focus for the platform is to gather fans who like to visit looking for some light reading, maybe something thought provoking, something nostalgic, or evocative to read with coffee, or on a bus ride somewhere.  Basic entertainment.  Just a way to connect with fans, hopefully make them laugh a little, tear up a touch, and then move on with their day.  Something small, fun, and memorable so that when I can produce larger works that audience is willing to take a chance for a small fee on investing their time and attention.  

          BlogSpot focuses on current events in life, thoughts, random posts and a little bit of advertising.  It is linked to the Facebook page so that with each post, a post is sent to Facebook as well.  The same thing occurs with Google +.  Both the Facebook and Google+ components should grow organically, adding and being added by people, including and being included in circles, etc.  The blog is the key component, the central hub.  Both Facebook and Google + are used to reach a wider audience, and notify my audience that there is new material.   I have included the blog address in the Contact Info or About section of Facebook and with each new post, the BlogSpot URL is featured to direct traffic to that site.  Conversely, on the BlogSpot site there is a Like button to connect the audience to Facebook, if that particular audience member or members get on the proverbial airline at either location. 

          In keeping with the airline metaphor in the lecture series from David Corey, (https://blackboard.snhu.edu/courses/1/ENG-421-X5787_13EW5/content/_5062294_1/m8lecture/) ) it occurs to me that it does not matter where the audience member (fingers crossed for members, plural) gets on the airline, or where they are laid over for a short time, just so long as it’s my airline they’re on.  With that thought, I’m including my old Xanga site into the platform.   Xanga is probably currently on par with MySpace, referred to several times throughout this course as, at best, a ghost town.   It’s true, but it’s still in use.  It’s not the central hub of social networking, but audiences can still be directed there, and information can still be useful.  I think of Xanga in these terms as the red eye at St. Paul International (http://www.mspairport.com/ - just look at this monster of a place, I’ll tell you an interesting story in a another post about how I got lost here once and spent the night wandering terminals).   I’ve been adding short fiction that I’ve created throughout the writing workshops I’ve taken at SNHU to the Xanga site, as well as a few other projects I’ve worked on with other writers.  Initially, it was a way to collect all the work together in one place where I couldn’t lose it due to a computer crash or just saving a document to a random, unknown location on the machine, as I’m prone to doing.  Up until this point, it never occurred to me to feature those stories, all mostly craft and technique exercises without enough polish on them for featuring.  As it turns out, they make an excellent reflection of the blog theme and display my development as a writer.  It can give my audience a chance to see beyond advertising and persuasion that can’t help but trickle through with sites like Facebook.  The Xanga page holds stories, and stories only.  In a way, it becomes an endearing component to the platform for my audience to know more about me and the kind of work I’ve been struggling to produce with me overtly saying it.  And it’s 100% free, which, anymore, can attract just about anyone.  The Xanga site now includes links to the blog, Google +, and to the Facebook page.  I’ve gone into each and posted to help drive traffic there as well. 

       The overall platform, like my short stories, still needs a lot of polish.  But each component supports the other in a neat and tidy web.  One site helps the audience find the other.  In the future, I’ll probably move into a personal website, and involve micro-blogging via Twitter.  I may always keep the early versions of stories in Xanga.  I think it holds good potential for writing advice material I can be worthy to provide one day.  Posts through the blog will be moderately infrequent until then, planning on about once per month and to three times per month to Facebook with links to other writer’s advice and selected advocacy.  The central focus of the writer’s platform, of course, will be to new stories.  Without the writing, after all, there is only an empty platform.   And with that said, thanks for your attention, your time, and your patience.  Don’t touch that dial!

Fiction samples of mine available for free

I know Xanga is a passing ship, but it's where it's at for me, figuratively and, well, literally at the moment.  I have writing samples that I've worked on through fiction workshops posted here if you'd like to sift through.  When I create my own site, I'll post a link that redirects you.  Thank you for your interest, your time, and your lovely eyes.

http://crazyahab.xanga.com/

Happy Father's Day, Stephen King

          When I think of a writer, I don't normally think of great journalists like Joan Didion.  I think of her when I hear the term Journalist.  Not sure why writer sends me another direction.   The parent makes me thing of a mother.  But when I hear writer, I think of storytellers.  Didion and other journalists do tell stories, but stories to me are embedded with fiction, with myth, with a guise of disbelief associated as much with entertainment as with anything pragmatic.  Truth comes in many forms.  So, for me, I think of stories that come in the form of fiction.  I don't always think of classic fiction writers either, like Hemingway, Faulkner, or Melville.  Those who do come immediately to mind when the word writer is mentioned are more on the front of new media in some way; modern storytellers, whose lives are still weaving the legend that surrounds their name and works.  

          The name Stephen King is the strongest of these names.  There are writers I seek out other than King, and writers I enjoy reading more than King, but no one living person who writes fiction embodies and represents the title of writer in a new media world in the magnificent way he does.  He embodies this sense of fatherhood in the new media of writing to me.  He is the advice giver, the model of what to do learned by experience, and what not to do (and he will unabashedly tell me so) also learned by experience.  He relates his wisdom, reveals his sense of humor, passes on warnings, shares his quirks, those we can relate to.  He appears in jeans and a tee shirt, speaks of classic rock and good hamburgers.  He cracks jokes, laughs with his audience, and in a sense takes their hand and guides them through his particular view of writing, of storytelling, of his world and life.  

          If you would like a glimpse of the casual, candid King speaking, please take the time to view the short video below presented by bordersmedia.com.  Here King speaks about the short story, his attraction to them, his lifelong relationship with them, and his short story collection Just After Sunset.  



Within the interview, King emphasizes the craft of writing novels, and differentiates that skill from the craft of writing short stories.   For a writer of short stories, and even a novelist frustrated with the novel form and wanting to hone their writing skills with a challenging approach of what King calls "almost an art of miniaturization," this clip brings the comfort level of King speaking to you with honesty and maturity.

          If you have a little more time, say about an hour, below is another video of Stephen King speaking at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell for their English Department.  He speaks to the Creative Writing students as well as the English Lit students about the power of a book, the impression it might hold within certain times during the life of the reader and writer.  






Here he delves fairly deep into the different ways a book is read, not simply because of cultural or spatial boundaries, but by perspective of the same reader reading for different aspects and levels of the writing.  He equates this to the writer, and the way a writer might work on a story in a similar way.

         The speech is titled "Stephen King on Twilight, 50 Shades of Grey, Lovecraft, and More."  What you might find here is more of the championing of the individual spirit of the writer, along with that spirit finding it's way into the various translations of the finished work's (or body of work's) readers.  Spoiler alert!  There is actually very little said about Twilight, 50 Shades, Lovevcraft, or anyone.  Very early on, King relates a story about working with John Irving, who he uses to separate his own techniques based on his individual approach.  Irving, he says, knew the last line of everything he wrote.  For King, this made the entire process boring.  King basically pantses, or writes his stories mostly creating as he goes.   He says as he writes, it is like shaking a strainer, where all the excess will sift out leaving only the important elements and the growth of the story coming out of those remaining elements.

         He is asked in the Q&A what his thoughts are on popular fiction.  Here he mentions, and it is a small segment, that he enjoys the idea (as it gives hope for the enduring spirit of the storyteller) of such a large part of the population simply reading something.  He says some of these contain good parts at least, the only exception is that they may not be challenging enough.  Like a good father, King encourages his audience and other writers to challenge themselves to a greater degree, and continue to do so throughout their lives, as this is what ultimately makes everything worthwhile.  Keep writing, keep reading, keep challenging yourself and your audience.

Neil Gaiman on Facebook, and my two other favorite writers briefly compared

  Neil Gaiman’s Facebook page introduces the author as someone who “will eventually grow up and get a real job.  Until then, will keep making things up and writing them down.”  He nudges forward that dose of humility to share with his reader.  Here is a post from May 29th with Neil at a book signing:

Neil Gaiman shared a link.

May 29

Look, I am reading from the beginning of the new novel while having a beard.  Do not watch if you want to be unspoiled...

Neil Gaiman Reads from His Novel THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE (video 1)

youtu.be

A brilliantly imaginative and poignant fairy tale from the modern master of wonder and terror, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is Neil Gaiman's first new no...

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 He completely humanizes himself.  Under his personal interests, he lists his wife first.  Then “putting things down on paper.  Words, mostly.”  This consistently humorous, puttering and almost blundering yet quiet voice then goes on to list his dogs, where he may have misplaced his cell phone, the comic book legal defense fund, and bees.  Neil presents himself as informal, humble, fun, a little goofy, and passionate about writing.  He is as consistent with posting new links as he is with his sense of humor.  New links along with brief introductions from Neil sharing his blog, Tweets, adventures, interviews, and event appearances are frequent.  He posts several times a week at the least, and there are multiple posts per day on most days.  His latest link posted to Facebook “about an hour ago”:

Neil Gaiman shared a link.

About an hour ago

Backstage in the control room at the #AFPsalon at bit.ly/TheAFPSalon. Starting soon.

Neil Gaiman's Photo

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Backstage in the control room at the #AFPsalon at bit.ly/TheAFPSalon. Starting soon.

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          The #AFPsalon belongs to his wife, musician Amanda Palmer (Amanda F*cking Palmer) where Neil performs readings along with musical acts with her.  Neil includes his family often in his posts.  He has several daughters as well as pets that find their way into his posts.  He shares his everyday life, helping ground the extraordinary celebrity, allowing the readers to know him as if they were there with him.  Neil is social, engaging on an equal footing, as well as natural. 

         Neil is also diverse.  He indulges visitors with his life as a father and husband.  There is also advocacy for human rights.  This past Sunday Neil shared a link for humanrightsturkey.org, helping spread awareness and gathering followers and directing them towards assisting with aid:

Neil Gaiman shared a link.

Sunday

Amnesty International has a http://humanrightsturkey.org/ page that has an excellent summary of whats going on in Turkey right now and what you can do.

Human Rights in Turkey

humanrightsturkey.org

Amnesty International - USA: Turkey Regional Action Network

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          He promotes other writers and artistic expression.  Also on Sunday, Neil shared a link that helped publicize an art auction:

Neil Gaiman shared a link.

Sunday

I pondered not publicising this Auction, and going and picking up artwork by the likes of David Mack and Michael Zulli for a song. There is amazing stuff here going really cheaply, I think because nobody knows it exists. I am putting it up here anyway...

http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/8185/auctions/9000

PS122 Spring Gala 2013

www.32auctions.com

Silent auction 'PS122 Spring Gala 2013' hosted online at 32auctions.

         Neil Gaiman finds a balance through Facebook between promoting himself, his work, and sharing time with his family, with readers and page visitors, all while presenting his life in common terms with his fans in a comfortable fashion.

        Several other writers besides Neil who I follow and visit via Facebook are Michael Chabon and Margaret Atwood.  All three share common threads and similar voices in their work.  Their Facebook pages help distinguish them from Neil Gaiman.

        Margaret Atwood’s page is updated frequently.  She shares links as often as Neil that engage the reader and visitors.  However, I don’t get that warm feeling, that sense that we’re on equal ground in the same way Neil gracefully presents himself.  Her page doesn’t demonstrate diversity in the scope that Neil does.  However, along with promoting her work, she provides links that discuss writing and philosophy where she weighs in.  Her page is professional.  What breaks through some of this professionalism are the endearing and beautiful photographs of herself throughout her career.  In contrast to Neil, the About section states that the author’s page is maintained by her international publishers.  That removes her personality from it, and I’m left with only the photographs. 

        Michael Chabon’s page is also maintained by his publisher, Harper Books.  Although there are many links that open to interviews, along with pictures of Chabon smiling to visitors, the page contains only promotion for his work.  I noticed that the page is only a year old, created in July of 2012.  Maybe he, or the publisher, just needs time to develop it more. 

         Neither Margaret Atwood or Michael Chabon, although both just as incredible in their written work as Neil, do not share the same online presence as Neil.  There really is no on quite like Neil himself.  

         Off to Mexico in the morning for a week.  I can't wait to share my own new adventures with you then.  Nos vemos mas tarde, mis amigos.  

Some Reflection on Social Networking

          I’ve been a member of Facebook since 2008.  Friends looking for other friends within a less cluttered platform pulled me over from MySpace.  MySpace pages were filled with personalized and borrowed (even purchased) HTML that took too long to download.  I remember a Family Guy episode (McStroke?) where Stewie comments about his own MySpace page filled with pictures “along with my favorite songs and movies and things that other people have created but that I use to express my individualism.”  It was a jab obviously meant to be ironic.  I took it seriously, though, and soon abandoned MySpace altogether.  There was something narcissistic and immature about it.  And there were better and easier ways to communicate with people for free. 

          I was a late bloomer to MySpace.  I created a page in 2007 during a divorce.  Instead of drowning my time and sorrows in low places, I found old friends that I hadn’t seen or heard from in over ten years.  It filled a lonely time, and became a springboard towards a better life.  But yes, the page downloads were slow, and a few friends (I think I had about 40) mentioned Facebook, and so-and-so was on there, but not MySpace, so if I was looking for them, I might try creating a profile there, etc.  And so I did.   

           From a late bloomer to an early settler in the public forum of Facebook, I began to find more people.  Over the past 7 years, I’ve connected to what seems like everyone I ever met and shared time with at some point in my life.  The friend count is up to about 500 (not much in comparison to some, but beginning from 40 …).  I don’t post much anymore, now that the network has grown so large.  There’s some sort of strange transference of shyness, I suppose.  I do post pictures of my little boy, and “like” a lot of statuses.  I creep mostly.  I dislike that term, because it’s really more like channel-surfing, a kind of passive entertainment that simultaneously keeps me in some sense of touch with that network. 

          Since I began classes at SNHU, I’ve joined a few writers’ groups on Facebook.  I am a member of Writing at SNHU and the SNHU Writer’s Hangout.  My habits haven’t changed much.  I enjoy reading posts far more than posting, but I do participate actively.  I’ve written, and helped write, two short fiction pieces with members of the group, and offered detailed feedback for other writers seeking help.  These groups have led me to fiction contests, other resources for reading as well as writing sources, and really has become the writing community I always wanted (just couldn’t ever find locally).  Facebook fan pages have become a great way to stay close with favorite authors, and on a much more personable level. 

          With the ease of use via smartphones, I’ve joined other social networking sites since.  I have a Twitter account, Instagram, Goodreads, Google +, Vine, and a Pinterest (I love Pinterest!).  These are about all I can keep up with in fragmented bits of hours scrolling through the apps.  They can take up a lot of time, but not in ways that interrupt the rest of life going on around me.  They certainly take the edge off long staff meetings.  I think there is a lot of good available through social networking, from global awareness to local advertising (even crime fighting!).  The use of social networking unexpectedly assuaged a difficult time in my life.  It has pitfalls and dangers, along with warnings from naysayers, but so did Gutenberg’s press. 

Drifting into June

If April is the cruelest, then May is the fastest.  Superman succeeds Lex Luthor.  My son graduated from the first grade.  With honors.  Math honors to be exact, since it's math after all.  Here is holding his award, distinguished among all first graders (about 100 of the them, or so)

Notice his math award is upside down.  Going to have to work a bit more on the literary side.  He loves books, and stories, and movies, and creating stories, so no worries in the long run.  He'd take the cruel month of April and pit it against the superpowers of May, throw in some tornadoes for added external conflict ... all action, no love scenes, and completely unpredictable.  Incredible mind, that boy.  I'm a very proud dad.

Speaking of tornadoes, I escaped the Moore, Newalla, Shawnee tornadoes last weekend unscathed.  On Sunday, I bunked  literally in a van down by the river, dug into a hillside, with a backhoe (as the owner demonstrated with scooping motions of his hands like a retriever when I exclaimed genius towards his construction).  I'm having some trouble uploading those images.  I should seek help from my brilliant son.  But since there are no pictures or video at this time, I just want let you know that for $200 and a broken down rusted out van with reinforced walls covered in asphalt, I know a farmer who will dig, not with his hands, but with a backhoe, a hole into the side of a hill so that you can feel safe, and a bit like a post-apocalyptic Walking Dead renegade trooper seeking refuge from the world, from tennis-ball sized chunks of ice falling from the sky, concrete-piercing tree branches flying by, and suddenly mobile unmanned vehicles and homes spinning toward Oz.

It seems my sentences are emulating tornadoes in May ...

And my wife and I found a house.  Safe in the Piney Woods of East Texas.  Away from wind, earthquakes, floods, and other acts of God not to exclude wild-fires, which seem unlikely this year with the rainfall (perhaps a relay hand-off from April to May).  It has a fireplace, a pool, an office for me, a screened in covered patio, and ... wait for it ... a pond at the back of the property.  This wasn't supposed to happen so soon.  We had just decided to start looking.  And this is our first home.  So, needless to say, we don't know much about it.  But the experience has been easy and painless.  And wonderful.  We are very happy.  Busy.  Full of life.  Full of weather.  Full of blessings.  And appreciation.

I look forward to writing another blog post for you in a few weeks from the redwood deck of the pool, playing with my son and admiring the tan lines around the corners of my wife's swim suit, under the pines and the Texas sun.

Bio

Paul Poole, born in Ft. Richardson, Alaska, grew up an Army brat throughout the US. He discovered writing at an early age, but not the discipline. Before completing a degree in Lit. at the University of Oklahoma in the late nineties, he abandoned his studies. He returned to SNHU, earning a degree in Creative Writing in 2013. He has a son, Parker Lee, named after boyhood heroes Peter Parker and Stan Lee, and a devoted wife who keeps him sane. When not writing or playing tee-ball, Poole is an Operations Director at Sysco East Texas.