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01 December 2008

Newbie Notes The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Newbie Notes

micarr@4-writers.com

Chat Guide, Part One

If you are new to Chat, you are probably as confused, as I was when I started. Where do I go? Do I need special software? What should I get? What is IRC? ICQ? Java?

There are some definitions and explanations in the FAQ and they helped some, but I was still confused. I went ahead and downloaded a bunch of stuff but couldn't figure out how to get it working. Finally, I just used the entrance to the Chatrooms and it worked. Since then I've learned how to install and configure the other software. I do use them but I am convinced that built-in entrances are greatly under-rated and that they are the best bet for beginners.

Is your browser Java capable?

If you have a recent version of either Internet Explorer or Netscape, the answer is almost certainly "yes". For a quick check, see if you can get in through the entrance on the site. If you get a message telling you that you need Java capability, it may only mean that it is not turned on in your browser.

Enabling Java in Netscape and Internet Explorer

For Netscape select Edit, then Preferences, then Advanced, and Enable Java and Enable Java Script. That should do it. Internet Explorer is under View, then Internet Options, then Advanced. You have to scroll down the list until you get to the Java portion. Check either Java Console enabled or (if you've downloaded the new virtual machine) JIT compiler for virtual machine enabled.

Checking it out

The chatrooms are open all the time so just pick a convenient time and try it out. If you are there with someone else, the first thing you will probably notice is that when you type something in and click Enter, the only thing you see is what you typed, yet other chatters' comments have their nicknames before their comments. Don't worry about it. They see your name before your entries because the server automatically adds it.

Take a minute or two to look at the screen carefully before clicking on the Connect button. This is a "do-as-I-say-not-as-I-did" suggestion that can save you a lot of time and confusion. When I first tried it, I got through the left side alright--entered my name in Nick[name], my email, and accepted the already entered room. Then I clicked on Connect without checking out the right side of the screen.

On the Right - the Options

Seven options are listed on the right side:

Play sounds (checked)
Sound on join
Sound on notice (checked)
Use colors (checked)
Color Panel
Show joins (checked)
Popup msg windows (checked)

If I am expecting to meet someone, and I am there first, I will check Sound on join (if I remember) so that if I get distracted, I won't miss it when someone joins the channel.

Using colors

The other options I may change are the two involving colors. My aging monitor does not make it easy to read lighter colors. If I think a group is going to experiment, I may uncheck Use colors to more easily follow the content of the chat. Friends who are subject to migraine have told me that the colors can set one off. I usually recommend that anyone who has similar problems play it safe and uncheck Use colors before connecting.

On the other hand, or OTOH as used in chat, when I want to use colored text or background, I check Color Panel before connecting. Strictly speaking, this isn't necessary since you can bring up the Color Panel at any time with Control+K. But I find it more convenient to keep it in place rather than turning it on and off.

Some people prefer not to use the mouse. Using Control+K to bring up the panel can be a reminder of what numbers indicate which colors. If you just use one number, it will change the color of the text you type. If you use two numbers separated by a comma, the first number sets the text, or foreground color, and the second number changes the background color. For instance, 0,4 gives a red background with white text. Interesting, but not something I want to look at for very long.

For experimenting, whether with colors or other options, I prefer switching to a different channel. How to do that?

Changing Channels (rooms)

When I first started using chatrooms, I would quit, change the name of the Channel in the Connect Form and reconnect. Later, I noticed the information at the top of the screen tells you to type /join #channel-name. If the channel name you type already exists, you will go there. If not, the system will create a room and take you to it there. You can also click on the name of a channel in the left-hand list.

Ready-made or Do-it-yourself?

Fiction 99 has three reserved channels--Fiction-1, Fiction-2 and Fiction-3. WVU has one that has a number of different names, but it appears as the-other when you get there. The-other is set as invisible, which means that people who are just browsing around on the list of channels won't know it is there.

If you are experimenting or want privacy, creating your own channel gives you a little more control. The first person in a new channel will have op status and can use the /mode channel-name commands. For example to set the channel called #myroom to invisible, type /mode #myroom +s. To give another person op status, type /mode #myroom +o nick, substituting the person's nickname for nick.

Other useful commands

All commands start with the backslash (/).
/quit or /exit or /bye is the way out. You can tag on a message after them but it is not required.
/query nick followed by your message sends the message to only the person who's nick you type.
/nick newnick will change your nick to newnick. You substitute what you want to be called for newnick.
/ignore nick will block all messages from the person who's nick you list. You will not see them at all although other people on the channel will still see them.
/whois nick will give you some information about the person.
/topic newtopic will change the topic shown at the top of the screen and on the channel list for visible channels unless the mode is set so that only ops [chatroom operators] can change the topic.
/kick nick is only available if you are op (your name on the list at the right will have an @ symbol before it) and will kick the person out of the channel. Unless someone is really obnoxious and persists in trying to be disruptive, I suggest using /ignore instead.

Once you are comfortable with on-site chatrooms, you may notice some other chatters talking about watching, or being in more than one channel at a time. Other than running more than one browser simultaneously (which I do not recommend!), I do not know of any other way to watch with the on-site chatroom setup. There are several IRC programs that allow this as well as logging. I'll give some tips for finding them and getting started in a future column.

Oh yes, ICQ (the personal communication system) is not accessible through WVU chatrooms. Once I'm more familiar with the new 99a version, there will be a column about it. Until then, Happy Chatting!

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Sparks

Karenika@hotmail.com

Most people think that cemeteries are dreadful places. Not me. Not because I haven't lost anyone close to me. Actually, I like cemeteries especially because I lost someone so close to me.

About seven years ago, my maternal grandfather died of a rare disease. Of all the people in my family, I had always felt closest to my grandfather. He understood me the most. He gave me the confidence that I could do anything I wanted.

He died during my last year in high school. He wasn't around to see me get accepted to the college of my dreams. He had been my biggest champion about college. It had really hurt not to be able to share it with him.

Everyone has his or her own beliefs about people who die. For the longest time, I didn't go to the cemetery. I thought that if I didn't see his epitaph, he wouldn't really be dead. He would be in a long trip, where I couldn't reach him. But like all trips, his would eventually end and he'd be back one day.

About three months after his death, my English teacher mentioned something about how she liked cemeteries so much. I was baffled by her comments. I stayed after class to talk to her and asked her how she could feel that way about a cemetery.

She told me that it was hard to explain and that I should go see it for myself. I had the highest respect for my teacher and wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. Without telling anyone in my family, I went to my grandfather's cemetery.

I had never been in a cemetery before. I mean, I had driven by them, but I have never actually been in one. I tried to walk really slowly and relax. My heart was beating pretty hard. It was a warm and sunny day and I noticed that the place was covered with greens. It was so quiet.

I started looking at the stones. I read a couple of names out loud. Here lied someone's beloved. As I walked down the hill, I stopped when I noticed a familiar name, "Hugo Grunberg." My paternal grandfather. I had never had the chance to meet my paternal grandfather because he died two years before I was born. Here I was staring at his name. No one had told me that he was in the same place as my other grandfather.

I was overcome with emotions and questions. I wished I had had the chance to know him. I stood there staring at his name for a while and then reminded myself that I wanted to find my other grandfather, so I kept walking downhill.

After a half-hour I found him. Looking at his name, tears started to trickle down my face. I spent the next hour telling him about how I got accepted to college and that I was going to America. I told him that I would make him proud and that I knew he was keeping an eye on me. I leaned over and kissed his name and promised him that I would come and visit a lot more often.

After that day, cemeteries were never the same for me. I visited my grandfather very often and I cherished the quiet sound of the wind rustling on the colorful trees. I went there to talk, to write, to read, and to think. I walked around and looked at people's names. I tried to imagine what their lives must have been like. I tried to picture the people who loved them and their children.

I know it sounds weird to suggest someone go to a cemetery, but I encourage you to try. If your a loved one is deceased, maybe today is a good day to pay a visit. If you don't feel comfortable yet, then go to one that does not hold so many personal memories.

Look at people's names. Imagine what their lives must have been like. Try to think back to the years they were alive. What was happening in the world back then? Look at how old they were when they passed away. Were they young? What do you think was the cause? Did they live a long life? Was it a happy life? Were they alive during a war? Look at couples who were buried together. Were they happy together? Did they die together?

Try to go to a cemetery this week, even you can only stay ten minutes. Try looking at people's names and make up a character with that name. Give the character the same life span in the same period. Fill an entire character sheet on him or her. Write about his fears, his dreams, and his biggest achievements. Anything you want. After that, pick another person. Do the same for that character. Then, put them in a story together. Maybe, after a couple of visits, you might get more comfortable and feel ready to visit your beloved one.

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RedPen

CaLana@4-writers.com

The dawn of another age sucks us into plateaus of thought, perspective, and expression. With each, we have the opportunity to create like no other writers and artists before us. Whether we achieve the Bestseller List or win the Drabble of the Month, the most significant feat we can accomplish is sharing.

Using our inked medium to communicate is a treasure in itself. The Village revels in Members' forums, which drip support and camaraderie. Winter graces into new Spring breezes. T-zero is scheduled for a facelift and you should notice other enhancements around campus as well.

The Editors, who bring you diversity and originality each month, are only a handful of the talented at WVU. Their dedication and diligence is greatly appreciated by all. Your Spotlight Editor, Emma Gaulton, has seized a different concept in which you're sure to enjoy this month. We also welcome a refreshed "opinions in literature" column, entitled Inclinations, coming in future issues.

Our apologies to Member Sally Goslin, who was featured last month. We misspelled her last name and the name of the poet she referenced. The writer's name is in fact Albert Cumus. Lastly, we'll talk to Member Gene Gryniewicz in May.

Celebrate life. Breathe its perfumes. Write like it's the last time you'll do either.

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Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All Rights Reserved

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Note to Self

proof@earthlink.net

A Guide to Programming Yourself into a Writer

Part 2: Keep with the Program

It's been month of erratic weather. Everything from warm spring days to a late winter, and even some scenes from Deep Impact. With all this fickleness on nature's behalf, it's hard not to imagine the fragile human psyche has been less than willing to buckle down to a regime of writing. Not to wager against a willing ear, I would just take a second to ponder how much writing has been done of late.

You may have heard me say this in the past, and I assure you to its impending ingraining. "You are what you surround yourself with." In fact your writing, and everything about it, is also part of this "mirror phenomena". So when we sit down to write, our mind (like the weather) can be hostile and messy, or cold and numbing.

I've stressed it's important to "just do it", to write for the sake of going through the motions. And hopefully this has been working. Hopefully you've set a little goal (i.e. 5 pages a week). And hopefully you've built a small routine about it--your content with your ability to sit down and pout out the words of the day. And in fact you've gotten a good collection of "just doing it" with you at all times.

You may also find, you've started to take on more than just the one notebook. You suddenly find yourself with a notebook for rhyme, a notebook for that screenplay you want to write, and a note book just for notes (ironically), and it makes sense. Dividing things up is a good idea, but I warn you to be careful of spreading yourself too thin.

Once you begin classifying all these different projects, you run the risk of focusing only on what goes where. You become frigid about writing anything bad or, worse, anything that just doesn't fit. It also slows you down. Once you get the brain going it doesn't care what book it's writing in. So let it go, try and stick with one notebook. You can always organize things later.

As for those other people who are still struggling to fill those 5 pages a week, I know a simple "keep at it" may not be enough. Discouragement is tough, since it comes not only from the world around us but from our own inner voice. You need to use discouragement, come face to face with it. Give agreement to those inner tauntings of "you're not a writer" and "it's all been done before". Answer with a "yet" or "but not by me". Heck, better yet, write it down. Battling the inner critic is a wonderful forum to get the brain moving.

Finally, no matter which type of problem you're facing, keep at it. Set your small goal, 5 pages a week, a half hour a day. Pay attention to building your routine, and toward when you write easily, and when things are tough.

T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine
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Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All Rights Reserved

Tidbits The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Tidbits

Emma@4-writers.com

International Calendar - April

1st Holy Thursday NORWAY & PHILLIPINES

2nd - 5th Easter

5th Arbor Day REPUBLIC OF KOREA

5th Ching Ming Festival TAIWAN

6th Women's & Children's Day TAIWAN

6th Chakri Memorial Day THAILAND

6th Ching Ming Festival HONG KONG

9th - 12th Orthodox Easter GREECE

12th Songkran Festival Day THAILAND

17th Muharram INDONESIA/MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE/STH KOREA/THAILAND

21st Independence Hero Tiradentes BRAZIL

Anzac Day 25/4/99 - NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA

The word ANZAC is short for Australia and New Zealand Army Corp. In 1915, the ANZAC's, as they were known, first landed in Gallipoli, Turkey. Over the next eight (8) months 400,000 troops would land on the beaches of Gallipoli, half of which were killed or wounded in the fighting. This day not only remembers the fallen from World War I but those fallen in World War II as well.

25th Liberation Day ITALY

29th Greenery Day JAPAN

30th Buddha's Birthday INDONESIA/MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE/STH KOREA/THAILAND

Did You Know...

Here' a little bit of Herbal Medicine for you.

NOTE: These are traditional remedies and should not be used without first consulting a specialist.

Acne: Take 2 oz of Clover flowers, 2 z of Nettle Tops, 2 oz Bonsesett (Comfrey) flowers. Mix the herds together with 4 pints of boiling water. Simmer until 2 pints remain. For best results drink 1 small glass (wineglass) every 3 hours
Baldness: Rub head with a mixture of onion juice and honey, both morning and evening. (A lovely smelly, sticky mixture hmmm Yum)
Childbirth: Six months before the birth, drink raspberry tea. Add 1 oz of raspberries to 1 pint of boiling water. This is supposed to enrich the mothers milk and prevent miscarriage. During the pregnancy drink Linseed Tea. Take 1 tablespoon of Linseed and soak in 1 pint of boiling water, add honey to sweeten.

Curious Happenings

In 1850, Madame Tussaud died. During her life she had the unenviable job of making wax impressions of the rich nobility, who were arrested by the French Revolutionaries and killed by the blade of Madame Guillotine. Today, however, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum makes models of the rich and famous prior to their death. A rather chilling thought that if some of our stars today had been around in 1850 their fame would have been cut short - so to speak. :-)

A little bit of superstition for you

If on 24 April (St. Marks Eve) an unmarried women leaves a flower on the porch of the local church, then returns after midnight to retrieve it, she will see not only a ghostly wedding procession, but also the ghost of her future husband. Spooky.

What Happened...

LITERATURE
538BC Public Libraries in use in Athens.
641AD Arabs destroy the last book copying industry at the Alexandria Library.
1732AD Benjamin Franklin published Poor Richard's Almanac in America

HISTORY
18BC Adultery made an offence against the State of Rome.
1305AD Execution of Sir William Wallace in London.
1969AD Tidbit Editor born :-) (hee hee)

SCIENCE
2900BC Egyptians used standard measure calibrated in Cubit, hand and palm.
1698AD Newton calculated speed of sound.
1975AD World population reached 4 Billion.

ARTS
860AD Work began on Angkor thum, Cambodia; ruins survive.
1350AD Italian Majolica ware, earthern ware coated with tin glaze developed.
1918AD The song Till we meet again written by Egan & Whiting becomes popular.

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Healthy Horizons

Laurie@WVU.zzn.com

Writers struggle constantly to improve the artistic talents they're given. Educating themselves, writers learn new writing techniques as well as marketing sales and resources. They read from authors who are currently on market and recognize what is most interesting to their audience.

Research plays an important role in how believable the story becomes. The writer must be precise about the information he/she gives in making the plot more realistic. As writer's we are dedicated to fulfilling every scene and creatively leading the reader into the next.

Our characters are developed from people in our lives, environment, television, or books we've read. They start with an idea and are developed into life-like beings who become part of who we are. They have voices, appearance, emotion and uniqueness. We create obstacles for them to overcome and lead them on a journey of our choosing. They succeed or fail at our discretion.

Our environment also plays an important role in whether we will create effectively or with great distraction. Most likely, if we are in a room with gray walls and no decoration, our work will be solemn and depressed. On the other hand, if we work in a room filled with pictures, flowers, and music, we may express laughter, romance, and inspiration.

I decorated my work room myself. The walls are gray with a light textured flower design colored lavender, maroon and turquoise. The border is much the same, decorated with flower baskets and geese. I have hung on my walls, creative works of myself and my children. I haven't designed it with live plants just yet, but it is my favorite room of the house because it represents many of the things I love.

One thing writers should train themselves to do is always carry a pen and pad whenever they leave their work area. Whether it be to go for a walk or to the market, ideas are all around. Perhaps a certain person you pass on the street attracts your attention with something he/she says or does. Maybe an event takes place to which your curiosity is stimulated. Plots and characters are everywhere.

Last but certainly not least, I want to remind you that a stressed and frustrated writer is not a productive one. Take time to treat yourself and enjoy life. Breathe in the fresh air. Take time to smell the flowers. Soak in a hot, bubbly tub with your favorite book. Go out for your favorite ice cream--whatever it is that brings you enjoyment. Happiness is a relaxing.

A calm mind is productive.

Until next time, spice up your creative plate with some soul food and strive for those Healthy Horizons!

T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine
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Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All Rights Reserved

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Fiction Corner

Alison@4-writers.com

"Call the cliché police!"

This is not what you want to hear when someone looks at your beloved work! It's the writers' equivalent of the fashion police. I've seen the same advice over and over; "Don't use clichés." But what do we use instead?

A good place to start is by scrawling out everything to do with the subject--synonyms and antonyms, words that might be vaguely connected with the subject, phrases that convey the same meaning as the cliché.

But you have to be careful what you choose. If I were looking to replace the cliché "quick as a wink" one of the alternatives I would come up with would be "in a Planck second." The people I took my Quantum Mechanics courses with at university would know that a Planck second is the fundamental unit of time, in the same way that one sock is the fundamental unit of lost laundry. You can't get any smaller than that.

While my cliché replacement works for me, it requires specialist knowledge to understand. It would be safer to assume your reader doesn't share any of your specialist knowledge or background. In my case, I need to come up with something that someone with a background in, for example, sociology could understand. Having shared a house with a sociologist, I know it's about as far away from my physics background as you can get while still remaining on this planet, with the possible exception of underwater basket weaving.

The reason clichés became clichés in the first place was because they were once new and fresh, startling and apt. So good that everyone started to use them. Everywhere. These days, they are old and familiar. People in the last century would look at the phrase "in two shakes of a lamb's tail" and recall what a lamb's tail looks like and how fast they can shake it. In our more industrialised lives, "faster than gossip" or "quicker than email" would be more appropriate.

If the brainstorming doesn't work, take a look around you. Think whether anything you see could evoke the right sentiment. "Fragile as a crystal vase" could come from a glance around the living room, or "she has a mind like an unmade bed" from the bedroom. What else does the moon look like besides green cheese or a bowl of milk? A spotlight, or a Frisbee at the top of it's arc, a bald man's head or a snowball, the back of a CD perhaps?

Replacing something good enough to stand the test of time is no pushover. It gives me butterflies just thinking about it...

Drabble of the Month

The theme for April is Computers, so here is this month's Drabble from Paul in England. It should be familiar to anyone who has watched Linux or Unix start up.

Going Multiuser...

Mounting remote filesystems...
Starting daemons: syslogd klogd sheepd inetd lpd
"Good morning Dave. Would you like some orange juice?"
Chores, menial, repetitive. Nothing too taxing though.
Repairs.
"Dave, are you malfunctioning? Shall I fix you...
...your supper?"
Movement. Darkness.
shutdown -t now
Broadcast message from root:
"System is going down NOW!!"
There it goes again. Three million, two hundred and fifty thousand, eight hundred and two. And another: jumping over the nand gate from one bit field to another.
"Dave, does an android dream of electric sheep?"
Three million, two hundred and fifty thousand, eight hundred and three.

The Drabble theme for May is Travel and for June is Vacations. Please keep those Drabbles coming in.

March contest update : In light of the late March T-zero, the deadline for the March contest has been extended from April 15th to April 30th.

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Spotlight

media@writopia.com

If you could bottle his panache and writing style, you'd pour a tangy vintage. Member Sam Graber lives in Bala Cynwyd, a "suburb right next to Philadelphia". Although his home for over a decade, he's lived in Pennsylvania over 20 years. Sam recently caught his foot in the door at TV Guide, so we're shining the spotlight his way.

How long have you been a member and staff member at WVU?

Just over a year now, in both cases. The two are almost completely in sync. Basically, I joined up for one of the writing classes and a day or so after my first visit, I sent an e-mail to find out about becoming staff.

Tell us a bit about Sam's philosophy.

Well, I wouldn't feel right if I did not take some time to talk about my past. Much of which took place in a little cafe called La Tazza. Sometime ago, '94 I believe, myself and another writer had been pestering the owners (Frank and Tammy) to have open mic[rophone] nights. Their answer was "sure, you host it." With that other writer (Jeremy), we took turns hosting open mic for the local college and high school kids. Eventually, Jeremy took on a project of his own and founded d' magazine, which I am currently (and have been since the first issue) an Associate Editor.

I think, as a writer, it's important also to be an avid reader. It's easy to look at Dante or Shakespeare and find a gem. But there is a patience and respect taught to you once you've searched through a pile of a hundred submissions to find one gem.

You have such an extraordinary outlook on life, writing, and writing life. What drives the personality behind your pen?

Now that's an intense question. I'd love to be able to start with, "Well I've done a lot of things in my life..." and it's possible that I have. But I have a sheltered little boy from my past deep inside who wonders just how much "a lot of things" are when pertaining to life. The interesting thing is that sheltered little boy is constantly watching old 80's movies, and those slogans seam to seep into my every thought.

Also, I have a large cluster of close friends. We've been together for a long time now (over a decade in instances). Now, even with us spread around the country, we stay in touch daily. Every once and a while I find myself saying something like, "I'm so overwhelmed, I cannot stand having so many friends." I then realize what a horrible bastard I am for saying that. Together we've shared a lot of dreams, obstacles, and personal triumphs. It is truly uplifting to watch them achieving their own goals. It makes you know your own dreams are within in reach.

What are you currently working on?

One of my favorite topics--my projects. According to my zodiac (Gemini), I'm a "jack of all trades". Coincidentally, I'm a "jack of all trades".

At any given point you can find me totting around my bag of projects. stuffed full of note books, folders, sketch pads and various pens. I'm constantly working on multiple projects. Each one unique in its own way. These are the three that I'm most feverishly working on.

First, in the written word category, I've been working on a poem. In my few years of working for d'magazine, I've seen several hundred 1 page or even 1 paragraph poems. You rarely see anything longer than a full page, and generally when you do it's disappointing. I've always wanted to see something that told a full story, instead of simple a full thought. I've talked about this before so I'll skip the lecture. Oddly I never thought I'd be the one to do that. I admit it, I've written almost 100 one page poems.

One night however at the crack of dawn I went down to a café and wrote for five hours. I smoked, I drank coffee, and I wrote. I did it again the next day. In fact, I did this same routine for almost two weeks. Then I let the piece rest. About a month later I picked it up again, and cut it down a bit. Then, I went to a different café and did very much the same thing as the first time. I've been letting the piece rest again. It's my lather rise, repeat process... always repeat.

In the meantime I've been starting a comic book. An odd thought, from a poem to a comic book, yes. I'm sure you're thinking something like "It must be some kind of crazy new age, non super hero, intellectual graphic novel." You'd be close, but mostly wrong. It's of all things--an introspective super hero, comic book. Currently I'm doing mostly dialogue parts, and sketches. The comic is called If Tomorrow... Comes. It's about a super hero, Daniel. It's my new five-hour fix. I've been working on it for over a month now. I go to the café two or three times a week minimum. I usually stay for no less than 5 hours. (It helps knowing people who own or work at the café).

If you didn't guess my third main project is a graphical one. I've been running a website for a band called At the Drive-in. They're a band from El Paso, TX. They are also very creative people. Since I'll be talking about this in 3 questions from now I'll just let you check it out. It's at http://hblc.com/atdi

You work for TV Guide! What do you do? Do you plan to stay with the company but move on to another department?

Yeah that's new. I'd been making pizza for 3.5 years and then I realized it was a conflict of interest. If you want dinner you don't eat a bunch of cookies till someone else cooks it for you. I think I learned that when I was an 8 yr. old "latch key kid".

But yes I am now a scheduling reporter for TV guide. It's a temporary position I stumbled upon. The basic gist of what I do is contact roughly 25 stations and see what's playing. The more interesting part is going "copy". You take the 200 word press release and turn it into a 15 word blurb. It's not the most prestigious writing job, but it's not making pizza. Point being when you approach a paper or a magazine, what would you rather have on it "pizza technician" or "reporter"?

What are your career goals (in general and/or pertaining to writing)?

I think I'd better stick toward simply my writing career, or else I'll be writing a book, which is one of my goals, not the most immediate though. [The most immediate] would be the poem I'm working on. I'm planning very much to have all my revisions done by the first day of summer. The goal being [to find] a place to publish a 30 - 50 page poem. To me this will be the most significant mark in my writing career since I began. This is because it's the first piece I'm putting major efforts into publishing. I've already begun [searching for] possible markets.

After that my plan focuses on a stable, permanent writing job by October. A newspaper, or magazine. Within in five years, I aim to do three things: publish a full length novel, get a writing job for TV, and sell a screenplay. (I'd also like to make toys, but who wouldn't. Actually the screenplay is just so somebody will make the toys I want to play with.)

Are you still working on your website? How'd you develop the idea to construct one? How much time do you put into it?

As I was saying earlier, I've been focusing on the At the Drive-in Fan Site. The work I do for it now is primarily fact-finding and maintenance. The nice thing about a fan site is it shows you, among other things, how to do research. The fans demand it. I've spent a lot of time [looking for] a little fact of even a single link.

Development is generally simple. I sketch a simple framework/layout-- navigation here, image there, and choose a color scheme. Before I started for TV Guide I was a nocturnal beast. I would put roughly 2-6 hours of work per week, per website. (I do several). Now I do about 20 minutes total, but that's the beauty of [musical] band sites. It's all updates and answering email now.

Sam knows how to make an entrance, an impression, and a bang of an exit. Interesting being, isn't he? Our interview comes to a close, and this is what Sam leaves us:

I'll say it again-- "you are what you surround yourself with." I mean, everything you read or watch, every person you interact with, they all have an effect on you. The best thing you can do is choose what you let effect you the most. This is a list of books, movies, [and other things] that I know I've let effect me:

Of Human Bondage -W. Somerset Maugham

The Razors Edge (again Maugham) Also a great movie with Bill Murray

Ender's Game(the series) - Orson Scott Card

Freud, Jung, Plato, Socrates, Niestzche - various works

The Plague Dogs - Richard Adams, also an animated movie

The Upanishads

Movies by Hal Hartley and Mike Leigh

Kicking & Screaming by Noah Bombach

Kurt Vonnegut, especially for Breakfast of Champions

Paul Auster, Jim Carrol, Truman Capote

All though I've only glanced at The Time of our Time, I've open up to Norman Mailer

The X-files, Millennium, The Prisoner, Nowhere Man

Mary Shelly's Frankenstein

And to give music it's due: Jimmy Eat World, Jets to Brazil, Jawbreaker, At the Drive-in, Sunny Day Real Estate, Brody, Burning Airlines, Tuesday, Hot water Music, and Pegboy.

And for that little kid inside Red Dawn.

Of equal importance to me are those late nights walking in the cold brisk air of Valley Forge National Park with a close friend and a warm cup of coffee in a dim lit café.

	T-zero Xpandizine *The Writer's E-Zine*
	Produced and published by the members of Writers' Village University since 1998 ISSN 1521-2639