30th Jul2008

I’m Your Zero

by Aaron

I am thoroughly convinced I need to break out my Zero T-Shirt and parade around my house and office declaring my lazyness. Excluding last week’s free write I haven’t put a word down on paper since June 23rd. I will say what all of you are probably thinking: THIS IS PATHETIC!!!

I’m a writer who doesn’t write.

If you could quantify my writing into a report, I would be a zero. Perhaps even less than zero! I really don’t know. I am frustrated, tired, annoyed and most of all not focused. I won’t try to make excuses such as my job is stressful (which it is) or that my personal life takes up too much time. The fact of the matter is that I am not making time to write, which to me says I don’t want it bad enough. I have a saying: “If you want it bad enough, you’ll make it happen” and I think this is applying to my lack of writing. I made sure to make time to watch the new Stargate Continuum movie last night. That was not a problem at all. Make time to work on Spirit Hackers? Ha! Fat chance!

Perhaps I’m being too hard on myself. Maybe I’m putting too much pressure on writing. I don’t know. I’m trying to come up with a new plan. Currently that entails waiting on my new work schedule. Basically I’m going to be working nights starting next week. With time every day alone and with not much to do, I think that I should set aside a small amount of time each day to write, even a little. I don’t want it to feel like a chore (which the idea of writing does right now) and I don’t want to feel pressured. Hopefully this will get my ass in gear to get this story written.

Bottom line, I’m not happy with myself in this regard. Sorry to vent to everyone but I needed to get this out there.

Category : Just me, Spirit Hackers
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5 Comm
27th Jul2008

Lyrically Speaking for July 27

by Aaron

Hello Sunday Copious Notes visitors! After last weeks’ abomination of a song, I want to rebound with one of the best-written songs I know of that is not Smashing Pumpkins related. It’s also a song I believe everyone has heard already.

Tracy Chapman broke out with Fast Car in 1988 and it became an instant classic. Aside from its Grammy-winning status, we have a song that does something many songs do not: it tells a story. Even more impressive is the fact that Chapman has a melody that is extremely pleasing and you can hear 99% of the lyrics without needing to read the liner notes.

I love hearing this song and paying attention to the sequence of events as the story unfolds. You can picture Chapman working in her small jobs and imagine her alcoholic father needing help. The progression of her life where she gets better jobs and becomes increasingly frustrated with her boyfriend are clear. The words are powerful and the song can be moving at times.

I don’t want to say much more, as the song really speaks for itself. I highly recommend that if you don’t already own this song, head on over to iTunes and pony up the 99 cents.

From Tracy Chapman’s self-titled debut, this is Fast Car:

You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere

Anyplace is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we’ll make something
But me myself I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
And I got a plan to get us out of here
I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
We won’t have to drive too far
Just ‘cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

You see my old man’s got a problem
He live with the bottle that’s the way it is
He says his body’s too old for working
I say his body’s too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody’s got to take care of him
So I quit school and that’s what I did

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so we can fly away
We gotta make a decision
We leave tonight or live and die this way

I remember we were driving driving in your car
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped ’round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
And we go cruising to entertain ourselves
You still ain’t got a job
And I work in a market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You’ll find work and I’ll get promoted
We’ll move out of the shelter
Buy a big house and live in the suburbs

You got a fast car
And I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I’d always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me would find it
I got no plans I ain’t going nowhere
So take your fast car and keep on driving

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so you can fly away
You gotta make a decision
You leave tonight or live and die this way

Category : Ideas
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3 Comm
24th Jul2008

Thursday Thirteen #154

by Aaron

And we’re back after a few weeks off for another Thursday filled with thirteen great things for all Copious Notes readers to see! For this week, I want to let you know about my writing environment. I like to have certain situations and things going on when I write. I think it helps stimulate the creative.

What do *you* need when you write? I’d love for you to let me know in the comments.

Thursday 13
Thirteen things I like to have while I write by Aaron Crocco.

1. A filled cup of Senseo Coffee.

2. Music playing (preferably Pandora).

3. A clean desktop where all programs are closed including my GMail notifier.

4. A full belly always helps, so I try to eat beforehand or have a snack on my desk.

5. All my email has to already have been read.

6. Any websites I want to read have to have been visited.

7. I like to know how long my writing time will be.

8. I like to re-read the previous 1-2 pages so I know exactly where I am.

9. Since I’m on a mac, I like to have my Dictionary widget open and ready in Dashboard

10. I like to set a low goal of how much I want to write (2 pages, 1,000 words, etc) where even if I want to stop writing, I still can accomplish something.

11. I like to make sure all bathroom breaks are taken care of before I sit down. I’m sure you will all agree that they are quite destracting.

12. I like to write during the day.

13. The temperature needs to be at a comfortable level. I hate writing in a sweatshirt or in next-to-nothing.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Category : Just me
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7 Comm
23rd Jul2008

Free Write

by Aaron

I’ve been sitting here for the past hour trying to figure out what to blog for today. I’ve decided that I’m going throw caution into the wind and do some free writing. The below words are unknown to me at this point and I have no idea what is going to come onto the page within the next few minutes. I figure the words I put down may be interesting but may be boring. I’d love to know what you guys think, even if it’s crap! :-)

Enjoy!

Anger corsed through my veins. My fists were clenched and my teeth pushed up against one another to the point of my gums going numb. The glass before my eyes was clear and showed me the world outside the operating room where I was barred from entering. I had gone through the halls of Mercy Medical plenty of times but since my last outbreak more than three years ago, I was unofficially admitted permanently.

Click here to see what my brain produced!

Category : Ideas
Tags :
5 Comm
22nd Jul2008

Capacious Kindle for July 22

by Aaron

I really wanted to title this post “I’m a reader, not a writer” but I figure that I beat up on myself enough right now about not getting any writing done and so I’ll keep with the standard title this week. It’s great to get this post up because I just finished yet another book on my Kindle I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell by Tucker Max. This is the fifth book I’ve read since owning my Kindle and now makes 2008 the ‘most books read’ year in probably most of my life (excluding college).

It seems my inital goal of reading more is working out and my Kindle was a good purchase in that regard. I get a solid 30 minutes in each day during my lunch breaks and I get a few pages in here and there while at home. The portability factor is huge for getting me to read more. Just like my iPhone, it is almost always with me.

My writing drive may have waned again but I think that the fact that I’m reading does keep things moving along, even if it’s at a snails pace and doesn’t at new words to Spirit Hackers. I was never a big reader before just due to time and such, but the Kindle makes it too easy and gives me no excuses. As you all probably knew already, I am in love with this thing.

Next up to read is between two books: Confessions of an Economic Hitman or The Lincoln Lawyer. I’m trying to sample each for free right now to see which one looks better. I started the first four pages of L.L. yesterday. We’ll see how it goes!

Category : Just me
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2 Comm
20th Jul2008

Lyrically Speaking for July 20

by Aaron

Happy Sunday everyone. Today I wanted to switch it up a little and talk about a song that may not inspire and also could be rooted in controvery. Now, I don’t listen to the radio for various reasons but that doesn’t mean I can escape the hype machine of certain songs. This is partly because my wife loves the radio. It’s because of this that I know about Katy Perry.

Katy Perry seems controversial because of her hit song “I Kissed A Girl” and also because her latest album is titled “UR So Gay”. Now I know this can offend people and I also know it’s a common saying but these two things combined make me think that Perry is trying to capitolize on being risque. Like many pop songs, this song has a catchy tune and can get stuck in your head but unlike other songs I feature in Lyrically Speaking, I want to show how songs can have the opposite affect on writers. I feel this song has just fluff words and additonally it is written by so many people that this song seems “engineered”. A quick Google search shows the song is credited to no less than four people! These include: Dennis, Cathy/Martin, Max/Gottwald, Lukasz/Perry, Katy.

So what is the whole point of this week’s post? It’s to show everyone that sometimes writers put out shit. Sometimes writing can have too much input. Sometimes writing is just there to be sold and it has no soul. Frankly I believe this song is garbage but I’ll let you all decide for yourselves. I’m sure you’ve all heard it already, so feel free to counter my points in the comments!

From the stupidly-named album UR So Gay, this is Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl”:

This was never the way I planned
Not my intention
I got so brave, drink in hand
Lost my discretion
It’s not what, I’m used to
Just wanna try you on
I’m curious for you
Caught my attention

I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chap stick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don’t mean I’m in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it

No, I don’t even know your name
It doesn’t matter
You’re my experimental game
Just human nature
It’s not what, good girls do
Not how they should behave
My head gets so confused
Hard to obey

I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chap stick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don’t mean I’m in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it

Us girls we are so magical
Soft skin, red lips, so kissable
Hard to resist so touchable
Too good to deny it
Ain’t no big deal, it’s innocent

I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chap stick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don’t mean I’m in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it

Category : Ideas
Tags : ,
2 Comm
16th Jul2008

The Community

by Aaron

AW Logo

I’ve only been involved in the writing community online for a few months but one thing everyone talks about is the Absolute Write Forums where writers go to have conversation, get help and overall nurture their writing skills. I joined up a while ago but only posted a few times. I have seen many, many people post about AW (as it’s known) and I’m trying to figure out how to get more involved in that aspect of the community.

I guess in a way, I’m doing things backwards. Most people work on getting readers by being part of a message board and promoting their blog / site. They then work on spidering out through the community to gain support and make new friends. For me, I worked this backwards. I really want to get into the AW realm because ever since my falling out with the moron running my old writers group, I have had no interaction with anyone regarding writing. My searches on Meetup.com seem fruitless. I also think this contributes to my lack of writing drive.

One thing I’m not sure about for AW is my username. I used my old standard ID that I have been literally been using for over 15 years. I’ve been trying to move away from it to a newer screenname but I am unsure what people do on AW. Should I use an ID that is a variation of my name? Should I just use a handle that is obscure? I really want to know what you guys think. What is common on AW? I tried browsing it for a bit but couldn’t make a real assessment. Any help would be appreciated!

Category : Just me
9 Comm
15th Jul2008

Capacious Kindle for July 15

by Aaron

I’m going to pat myself on the back for this post because I was “this close” to not posting at all today. If you’re not sure why, see the previous post about my hellish weekend to Mass. Anyhow…. it’s Tuesday and that means we’re back to speaking about my favorite eBook reader, the Amazon Kindle. Today I wanted to address the ‘killer app’ as they call it in the tech world. For those of you who don’t have any clue what that means, the killer app is the one amazing thing about a computer or product that it kills on. For the Kindle, its ace in the hole is the built-in ‘Amazon Whispernet’.

One thing that a lot of people don’t know about the Kindle is that it never needs to be hooked up to a computer, which is a big plus for people who are bad with technology. The reader is charged with a standard plug and that is the only time a wire must be hooked up. If you’re looking to get books onto the device, you’re going to do it right on-board. I cannot tell you how valuable this simple idea is to the Kindle as a whole.

Sony has a reader that has no built-in wireless. This means that when you want to get a book, you must get to your home computer and search their program for the particular book you want. Once you find & buy it, you then must sync your reader to copy it over. If you’re not home, you’re out of luck. I hope you have a pen and paper with you so you can remember it later. The Kindle nixes all of this.

If you have a modern cell phone, you know you can access the internet anywhere via the cellular network. Normally this is a paid service that is added to your plan. The advantage of cell data is that you can be virtually anywhere and get online. The Kindle uses this technology to deliver a knockout to the Sony reader. If you want a book, you simply click the navigation wheel from any screen and select “Shop in Kindle Store”. You’re Kindle connects and brings you right to the storefront. Along with the recommendations and ‘front shelf’ items, your cursor is defaulted to a search box making it even easier to find what you want. Once you find your book and purchase it, it downloads instantly over the air and within one minute your book is ready to go.

When I first heard about this whole thing, I suspected there was marketing involved. I was surprised to find out that Amazon was 100% truthful in their claims. Anything I’ve bought has been ready to go within 30 seconds. Additionally, I was ready for Amazon to tack on a monthly service fee or one-time premium fee for the data access. I mean someone has to foot the bill for the data being transferred through the Sprint network. Well Amazon gives it to you gratis. That’s right. Use all the internet you want because it’s free. The price you pay for the Kindle includes the data.

You, my dear C.N. readers, know what it’s like when you speak to someone about a book or author. Almost always, someone will recommend a book or writer that you should check out. Any time this happens to me, I will instantly pull out my Kindle and see if they’re available in Kindle format. If so, I tag the book as “Save For Later” and know I have a potential new book in my queue. The on-board wireless also is great because you can utilize the amazing Amazon recommendation engine to see what books are suggested for you. I, for one, find it pretty accurate.

As I’m sure you can all guess, this feature of the Kindle was a major selling point for me. Aside from being Mac compatible (you can hook it up to a computer if you want) the Whispernet was the feature that put it over the line for me over the Sony reader. You never know how valuable it is until you’re sitting in La Guardia airport and want to read the NY Times, then having it $0.75 and thirty seconds later. I didn’t even need to get out of my seat!

Category : Just me
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