More On Reading

When it comes to writing, a common recommendation is to read what you want to write. Thinking that I wanted to start my writing with short stories I decided I needed to read short stories. It seemed to me that the best way to do this was to find some magazines that specialize in printing the type of stories I wanted to write. I knew of a few such magazines, but I didn't no how many there were out there.

I first tried to subscribe to Asimov's Science Fiction (http://www.asimovs.com) as I had read a few copies over the years (The rare times I'd seen one in a newsagents), but I accidently subscribed to Analog Science Fiction & Fact (http://www.analogsf.com) instead. The Asimov's online subscription page was down and I got the Analog one through random pressing of anything that said subscribe. I managed to subscribe to Asimov's some months later. 

I discovered a number of online magazines, but at this point I was only interested in printed stuff. I also wanted something Australian. I found Aurealis (http://www.aurealis.com.au) and promptly subscribed. It was interesting timing that I subscribed, hoping for a printed magazine, just as Aurealis decided to go digital. They did send me two hard copies for my troubles.

Anyway, this opened my up to the possibility digital reading. I've since subscribed to two other digitally formatted SF magazines; the webzine AntipodeanSF (http://www.antisf.com.au) and SQ Mag (http://www.sqmag.com) both of these are free subscription. Lastly I subscribed to the online version of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine ASIM (http://www.andromedaspaceways.com/).

There are many more magazine and ezines I could subscribe to, but the truth is I cannot keep up with what I'm getting now. At one point I had three unread Aurealis' on my computer, I've got one now, the latest. I'm trying to get through my first ASIM. I've got two unopened Analogs and one Asimov's unopened.

I guess I'm just a slow reader. I am also trying to read books at the same time.

Perhaps I'll tell you about that next time.

On Reading

When I decided to have a serious go at writing about 12 months ago one thing I did was start looking around at what advice was out there about writing. One of the messages that was repeated many times was, "A good writer must also be a reader." At first I went, "Great, I'm a reader.", but then I realized that it was no longer true. I'd actually stopped being a reader.

I came to reading late. I could not read until I was 10 years old, but I then tried to make up for lost time. I also had a desire to write from the very beginning. The first book I read was The Hobbit and I wanted to write stories just like it. I also discovered comics and ended up creating a whole pantheon of Super Hero's in my head. As I grew, I read great Science Fiction writers like Asimov Heilein, Herbert and Dick, and great fantasy writers like Tolkien, Moorcock, Leiber and Le Guin.  (There many other writers I could name these are just a sample.)They all inspired me to want to write, but I never did.

In time, the tasks of life gradually took over and I read less and less. At first I began to just re-read my old books, never finding the time to discover new ones. However, over time I mostly stopped even doing that. I never stopped completely.

The passion for reading has returned with my quest to be a writer. In some ways it is almost over whelming, but I might keep that for another post.

I'm Surprised

I'm surprised that I'm blogging again.
I'm surprised that after only 12 months of writing I've written three short stories and two flash stories.
I'm surprised that I have a story published. Check it out: http://www.antisf.com.au/the-stories/leprechaun-in-the-backyard
I'm surprised that I once thought that Kenny Roger's 'The Gambler' was really deep and meaningful.
I'll be surprised if more than 2 or 3 people read this blog.

Back with more Writing Journal

Last time I posted an aim to complete two flash fiction and two short stories by the end of April. It did not all happen. There were a number of reasons, but let us not dwell on the past.

I did, however, get the two flash stories done. 

I am submitting them both. One, 'Leprechaun in the Backyard', to AntipodeanSF. The other, 'Mouse' to 100 Words or Fewer Writing contest. I'll report here how I went in both, when I know, in a future blog.

Meanwhile, even though I intended otherwise when starting it, this blog will just be about writing from now on. My quest to become a successful writer, my thoughts on writing (if I have any) and, hopefully some reviews of writing by others.

Only time will tell.

Rick's Writing Journal (dropping the numbers) Learning To Write.

It was around six months ago that I really decided to give writing a real go. One thing I really had no idea about was how much there is to learn.

First, I heard of something called, 'voice'. I was reading comments about a piece of writing having a strong or weak voice, I had no idea what this meant. I think I'm now beginning to get it; just the act of trying to write has helped me to understand.

Next came 'flow', people talking about how some writers have a great flow in their writing. Again I had no idea, but I have begun to understand after recantly reading a book by Margo Lanagan. The book, 'White Time' has ten stories in it. I did not like all the stories, but I found myself wanting to read them just because of the way they were written. Because of the way the words 'flowed' off the page.

Most recently, I want to a one day workshop on grammar for writers. I knew that I didn't know a lot about grammar, that good grammar helps, but how much I need to know really surprised me. It was a classic case of, 'The more you learn, the more you realize you need to learn.', but I learnt enough to want to learn more.

Learn about all of it, I want to learn and to write.

PS. I'm making good progress on my story goals for the end of the month.

Hallelujah

Hi discovered this really incredible version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah the other day, the link to it is below.

http://www.godvine.com/Girl-Sings-an-Absolutely-Beautiful-Version-of-Hallelujah-1337.html

I was so amazed by this girls singing that it lead me to look closely at the words of the song and was quite struck by by the things I found. Here are just two:

1. The song seems to be about King David!

2. There are some amazing words.

The most amazing, to me, are:
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

What this line said to me is that real love is not about when it's easy, when you feel your a winner. Real love is when it hurts.True love is there in the deepest darkest hours, when all hope seems lost, when it cannot hurt any more that it does right now. Love finds it's greatest expression in our greatest pain, when you love that which hurts you the most.

I'm writing this on Good Friday, the day that God still loved us when it hurt the most, more than we can ever know.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Jesus on the cross, God's cold and broken Hallelujah.

Baptism No. 1

I had the privilege of baptizing two men on Sunday the 1st of April, yes a perfect date for it.

Leading up to the baptisms, I was struck by the number of times I had to explain that I wasn't sprinkling water on the heads of babies, but actually baptizing two grown men by immersion. This lead me to thinking about the different views of baptism found in christian churches. Two different views to mine that I have encountered often and recently are:

1. You must be baptized by full immersion to be saved.

2. A child of christian parents who is baptized, by having some water sprinkled on their head, is part of the covenant relationship between God and the Church, and assured a place in heaven until old enough to be accountable to God for themselves.

These represent to totally opposed views of baptism and, as I have already said, are both wrong in my judgment. However, the only real judgment that counts in God's word, the Bible. So over the coming few weeks I'm going to attempt to show how these two views do not reflect what is taught in God's word, and how my view does, or at least comes closer.