I Only Mostly Write...: "The Art of Dining"

Friday, November 5, 2010

"The Art of Dining"

Coffee, please
Black
Yes, someone will be joining me
Soon
Sometime
Never
I like two place settings

We'll both have
The super duper
Double deluxe
For one
None
Split the order
And more coffee, please

No, no more coffee
Just the bill, please
Soon
Sometime
Never
Of course there's no one there
That's why he's buying

(84. the first poem to win National Library of Poetry contest a year after writing it!)
~~~The entire chronology of poetry (aka the manuscript, “Chronologically Filed Stanzas”) is available as a pdf on my website.
~~~

(No coffee, place settings or bills were harmed during the production of this post.)

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rules from experience...

(Not to be confused with Gibb's rules, official rules of the game or the Cider House Rules)

...For Writing:
1) Remember, “no” is only 1 editor/publisher/producer’s opinion.

2) Never ever show your material to anyone until it’s done or, at the very least, the first draft is completed and you have a solid outline*. Because A) the minute they say anything—good or bad—you will loose your original vision for the writing where it's no longer just yours, and B) that’s like asking someone to critique your painting after a you’ve thrown on a few blotches of paint or to give you an opinion about your play after reading only a few scenes.

Conversely, never ever agree to read anyone’s material for the same reasons.

(*Definition of an outline: it must have an opening, an ending and at least 1-3 plot twists/reasons/objectives/agenda items/selling points/etc. , for your writing it in the first place.

3) All writing is communications* in one form or another. It doesn’t matter if it’s a marketing proposal, a play, a poem or a blockbuster script, etc., you must be clear on all 3 components of communications for it to work—especially before you hit the send button.

(*Communications 101= sender, receiver and message.)
~~~

...Care For Self (CFS):
1) Get the rest you need, when you need it—even if it means curling up on a bench in the middle of Disney Land or finding the first aid station at the Renaissance Fair where they have these nice little cots to nap on.

2) Spend your energy dollars wisely. Sometimes it's more important to visit with a friend instead of doing the dishes. The dishes will always be there, the friend may not.

3) Never, ever put yourself in a situation you can’t manage. Do you really—I mean really, really—think you won't be tempted to do more than you should and still be able to get out of bed the next day? Really?
~~~

...For Life, the Universe and Everything Else:
1) Always try to focus on solutions (positive) and not the problem (negative). Makes sense and sounds easy enough, but I know it’s hard sometimes not to keep dwelling on the negative—especially when your 2 brain cells don’t give damn cause one doesn’t get it & is too frustrated & cranky to listen to reason and the other is too exhausted to care.

2) Kill ‘em with kindness and/or humor first and ask questions later. Why? Because love can cover a multitude of sins. Hey, we all make mistakes and can blunder big time, but that's where Mercy and Grace can come in and make up for the shortcomings all around.

3) Never hesitate to forgive someone and give them a 2nd chance. Not only does it wipe the slate clean, but it gives them some chalk back (aha! a positive solution). Besides, good things always come to those who give 2nd chances...
~~~

other topics of interest (besides writing & cfs)...

(the short list...)

~~~Books (James Doss, Clive Cussler, Anne McCaffrey, Tony Hillerman, Steven Havill, Mardi Oakley Medwar, Eloise, Rex Stout, David Brin, CS Lewis, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Juliene May, Marion Zimmer Bradley, David Brin, Peter David)

~~~Faith, Grace and Mercy
~~~Space (backyard astronomy, NASA & the astronauts)
~~~Anything involving Communications & Anthropology—my BA double major & even graduated w/ honors! (archaeology, cultures & communications, paleo southwest & meso-america—especially the Anasazzi & Aztec connection, biblical, Mayan, Egyptian)

~~~TV shows (NCIS, Mentalist, Good Wife, Dancing with the Stars, Eli Stone, Stargate: Atlantis, XFiles, ST:Next Gen, ST:Voyager, Highlander, Forever Knight, Xena, Northern Exposure, Heat of the Night, Young Riders, Friends, Frasier, MASH, Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Nash Bridges, Perry Mason, Kung Fu, Gunsmoke, Wild West, The Carol Burnett Show)

~~~Music (Smooth jazz, Seal, Sade, Chris Rea, Ottmar Liebert, Chris Whitley, Jethro Tull, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, the Monkees, Bob Seeger, Gordon Lightfoot, Steve Miller Band, Harry Chapin, Barenaked Ladies, Crosby Stills & Nash)
~~~British Invasion (the Who, Reginald Perrin, Black Adder, Inspector Lewis, Foyle’s War, the Avenger’s)
~~~Comedy (Triple Espresso, Craig Ferguson, Whose Line, Jonathan Winters, Jim Carrey, Sarge, James Michael)

~~~Power of prayer
~~~Unsolved mysteries (including paranormal & x-file-ish stuff)
~~~History (Titanic, Civil War, genealogy, pirates & caribbean)

~~~Movies (Pirates of the Caribbean, Sherlock Holmes--RDJ's version, Princess Bride, Red October, Wall-e, Independence Day, 5th Element, Iron Man, Xmen, Thunderheart, Rainman, Cocoon, City Slickers, Chariots of fire, Night at the Museum, DaVinci Code, Lady Hawk, Liar Liar, Close Encounters, ET, Indiana Jones 1, 3 and 4; Runaway Jury, MIB 1, Midnight in Garden of Good & Evil, Leap of Faith, Nell, Contact, Sneakers, In The Line of Fire, Matrix 1, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, IQ, Young Guns, Apollo 13)

~~~Classic adaptations (David Suchet’s Poirot, Timothy Hutton’s Nero Wolf, Wes Studi’s Joe Leaphorn, Raymond Burr’s Perry Mason)
~~~Cruises and snorkeling (Princess platinum member)
~~~Art (Georgia OKeef, Amado Pena, Lassen, Frank Howell)

Wow, you read all the way through the list? I'm impressed--thank you!
~~~