Words from James Kochalka, courtesy of Dan Stafford’s hand-written interviews with cartoonists:
Here’s a cool post from Tom Kealey about writing and the importance of play.
SIGNS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
I’ve been dicking around with India ink and a Japanese brush, and it’s been really difficult to get used to, so I made this sign to put up over my workspace to remind me to keep going. (It started out as a mistake — spilled ink!)
I like signs like this. I have a couple of them over my desk. One is the old Isak Dineson by way of Ray Carver quote, “Every day, without hope, without despair.” The other is Joyce’s “silence, exile, and cunning,” modified with the word “generosity.” (My old teacher gave me that one.) The third is “Apply Ass To Chair,” (also from my old teacher), but somehow that one got covered up with a James Kochalka comic. Oh well.
Anybody else out there have signs like this you put above your desk?
The one problem with signs is you have to mix them up: otherwise they become just like wallpaper, and lose their effect.
If you want to print out your own, here’s a nice big pdf of the sign above.
IN WHICH WE TALK ABOUT THE CREATIVE PROCESS
Somewhere in the past two months I’ve lost the joy of waking up in the morning, and, to paraphrase Donald Barthelme and Lynda Barry, not-knowing. Everything seems forced and planned, and spontaneity is dead, just like the work.
No more! I say. Time to get back to the good stuff. Time to play.
I pulled out my Good Books last night, my James Kochalka and my Lynda Barry, and afterwards just started doodling in my notebook, trying to get back to that state.
Then this morning, I was checking up on Lynda, and in addition to a new page from WHAT IT IS, I came across this magical artifact up for auction her ebay account:
That’s right! An original manuscript page of CRUDDY. As Lydna says, (and I know I’ve quoted this before):
I tried not to think about the book unless I was actually writing it and I tend to write in the first person, in the character of someone, and that someone was Roberta….My goal was to not think about things at all. To dream it out instead, trying very hard not to edit at all as I went. The first draft really took shape when I found that I needed to slow way down and distract myself at the same time so I used a paintbrush and Tuscan red watercolor and painted the manuscript on legal paper, trying to concentrate on the calligraphic aspect of writing rather than trying to craft beautiful sentences. I figured as long as the sentences looked beautiful, the rest would take care of itself. That draft was seven hundred pages long. I used a hairdryer when I got to the end of each page so I could stack them without smearing. I can do some pretty nice handwriting now. I tried to write it a word at a time like it was being dictated. Cruddy was the result.”
Genius. Check out her interview on Talk of the Nation.
Now back to work play!
U GOT THE LOOK*
deleted panels from Calamity
Looks different around here, huh?
It’s been years since I made up the old header, and I had some spare art from work on the book, so I decided it was time for a change. Let me know how you like it.
I remember Lynda Barry talking about major writer’s block and having the revelation, “How can you write a book when you don’t have the book to write it in?” So she went out, got a big notebook, made up the cover, and started making a book.
The package is important.
* * *
Here’s Lynda talking some more about making CRUDDY:
I tried not to think about the book unless I was actually writing it….My goal was to not think about things at all. To dream it out instead, trying very hard not to edit at all as I went. The first draft really took shape when I found that I needed to slow way down and distract myself at the same time so I used a paintbrush and Tuscan red watercolor and painted the manuscript on legal paper, trying to concentrate on the calligraphic aspect of writing rather than trying to craft beautiful sentences. I figured as long as the sentences looked beautiful, the rest would take care of itself. That draft was seven hundred pages long. I used a hairdryer when I got to the end of each page so I could stack them without smearing. I can do some pretty nice handwriting now. I tried to write it a word at a time like it was being dictated. Cruddy was the result.
If I am obsessed with Lynda’s advice, it’s only because it’s so good. You have to leave your book at the drawing board. Leave it, leave it, leave it. Make it play. Dream it.
This is tougher to do than it sounds.
What Lynda taps into though, is that you have to DISTRACT yourself somehow from what you are doing, you have to trick your brain into thinking you’re not working, and with me, I can’t distract myself in Microsoft Word. That stupid ass cursor blinks and blinks and all of the time I am thinking, my God, my God, I am wasting my life.
I’ve yet to get my sumi-e set, but I’m going to, SOON.
* * *
I don’t know about you, but around our place, we need a vacation. In a couple weeks we’ll be headed down to the beach with my mom, and I’m bringing absolutely nothing related to the book. For one week, I’m going to read whatever I want, eat a bunch of seafood, walk the beach with Meg and Mom, and swim in the ocean.
Fresh eyes is what I’m hoping for when I get back.
Here’s my reading list so far:
- CAT’S CRADLE, By Kurt Vonnegut (reread)
- CASH, By Johnny Cash
- CASE HISTORIES, By Kate Atkinson
- MOTHERS AND OTHER MONSTERS, By Maureen McHugh (paperback, re-read)
- Something by Elmore Leonard, probably GLITZ, RIO BRAVO, or THE HOT KID
- And something by Haruki Murakami, if I can get a cheapo paperback…
- And added thanks to Corey: CANDIDE, by Voltaire (preferably Chris Ware’s design)
I need just one or two more books to read, so if you’ve got any suggestions, send them my way. Nothing taxing, nothing thick. And NO graphic novels, because I’m trying to get back into reading prose.
We’re due for a Half Price run soon.
*Yes, that’s a Prince reference.