Bascaljon is a brilliant scholar and author of Eastern Iowa, having also been an instructor at the UI. He also leads the event “Coffee with Dan,” a panel/discussion held at Pointdexter Coffee.

The topic of this workshop centered around the presence and use of “space” in creative work. I must say that workshops are not always a comfortable space for me, but Dan did a wonderful job making this one quite cozy and relaxed. He was aided by the presence of coffee and pastries from Java, which rescued us participants from early morning sleepiness.

Seated around a round-ish table in one of MERGE’s spacy conference rooms, we began by discussing answers to Bascaljon’s warm-up questions about what space actually is, and what it means to make space.

I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us tend to think of space in physical terms — rooms, elevators, cars. At least, that was what I first thought of in response to this question. But it initiated answers including physical movement, meditation, and marginalized voices as “definitions” or conceptions of space. Music was particularly interesting, as both inherently and actively spatial.

One way of visualizing space is as a sculpture. And instead of viewing it as a sort of void to be filled, we could see it as a block with endless possibilities, to be shaped, molded, and sculpted to its great potential.

And thus, music, if we view it as an agent, could thus be seen as something that shapes space.

And what about spaces that we ourselves inhabit? Participants also discussed what spaces felt comfortable or uncomfortable. Are we innately agoraphobic? Or is it that not space itself, but the way in which it leaves us vulnerable to other people who inhabit that space, which makes it disagreeable?

Bascaljon then took this discussion to focus on three main points, each with its own little homework assignment for each of u

First, he posited that writers, artists, creative people, etc., need to make space for themselves in order to reach their full potential and create their own space. This meant making space for yourself in both the mental and physical sense–“being ok with space and silence,” and knowing “what to take in and what to leave out” of your physical creative space (where you create).

Second, he gave us three examples of making space in literature, which he drew (and read out loud, which was awesome) from 19th century literature. This included “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “I Saw No Way” by Emily Dickinson, and “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe.

Now, I am sold whenever somebody brings up Poe. And I am not ashamed to say that his discussion of how Poe uses space in his work made. my. day. Rant over.

Finally, Bascaljon brought up creating spaces for your audience. I felt like this was the most complex topic of the workshop, and so I have slight difficulty reproducing the discussion here. But the takeaway was that how you create space in your creative work does affect your audience, in including some and excluding others, to some extent. There are several ways one can accomplish this, including alienating everybody as a form of shock, or trying to be inclusive to a specific target audience.

Bascaljon was a wonderful mediator, re-processing everybody’s ideas into more digestable forms, and mixing in a lot of humor and passion, which made everything better.

What I especially liked about this workshop, was its divergence from the other workshops that I am used to. (Again, I can only speak for myself.) What I don’t like about workshops is how they make you feel slightly exasperated about your own work, and somehow manage to lower your self-esteem when you come out of them. I always leave thinking “Well, rats, what am I doing wrong?”

But Bascaljon did a masterful job of maintaining a sense of hope and practicality, and ensured that we came out with positivity and (realistic) optimism, with the tools that we needed to rely on ourselves and achieve our creative goals.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Saturday lineup!

The post Witching Hour: Making Space @ MERGE 10/13/2018 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Writers of Color Reading

Fatimah Asghar, a Pakistani-Kashmiri-American poet and Fulbright fellow, leads with Writers of Color Reading Series for this year’s Witching Hour. Asghar co-created and wrote an Emmy-nominated web series called “Brown Girls”. Other readers include Natalia Reyes, Siyanda Mohutsiwa, Bruna Dantas Lobato, Aimee Fredericksen, Leon Pan, and Joe Emanuel.

This reading series will take place at The Englert Theatre on Saturday night starting at 8pm.

Julie Byrne

Julie Byrne, performing a concert co-presented with UI student organization SCOPE, is an atmospheric guitarist and vocalist. She has released two albums and two EPs in her career, the most recent titled “Not Even Happiness”. This recent album is inspired by Byrne’s first time witnessing the Pacific Northwest, and it is clear that nature drives her as soon as the album starts playing. Along with being a musician, Byrne is a seasonal park ranger at Central Park in New York.

Byrne will begin her set on The Mill’s stage Friday at 9:30pm after Squirrel Flower plays at 8:30pm.

Puddles Pity Party

Puddles Pity Party is described as “the sad clown with a golden voice.” He remains completely silent when he isn’t singing in a deep, melancholy voice, which caught public attention after his cover of Lorde’s “Royals” went viral. Puddles has performed his acts around the world and was a runner-up on America’s Got Talent. Puddles is an entirely emotive artist, and his work can reach everybody’s heart in some striking way.

The event will begin at The Englert Theatre at 8:30pm on Friday night.

Jack Lion and Jaimie Branch

Electronic, jazz-infused trio Jack Lion will be opening for Jaimie Branch, an experimental jazz trumpeter. Jack Lion, based in Iowa City, draws from each member’s formal jazz training for musical inspiration. Jaimie Branch, also a recording engineer and presenter will be performing with a band full of long-time collaborates for Witching Hour.

The concert begins with Jack Lion at Gabe’s on Saturday at 10pm.

Janelle James and Liza Treyger

Janelle James is a comedian, providing hilarious commentary on aging and family life along with her raunchy storytelling. Liza Treyger recently released her first half-hour Netflix comedy special, used to work on Chelsea Lately, and was a cast member on MTV’s “Joking Off”. The two female comedians’ sets will meld together to create a perfect, humorous evening.

James and Treyger will perform at The Englert Theatre starting with James at 9:30pm on Saturday night.

Parts Unknown Dinner

In the wake of chef Anthony Bourdain‘s death earlier in 2018, the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program and the Chef de Cuisine of St. Burch Tavern, Gabe Branch, collaborate to present the Parts Unknown Dinner. Bourdain was not only the host of a food-based television show, but made an extreme effort to fully appreciate and understand the people who showed him cuisine from across the word. He wanted to know the people, not commodify their food.

The dinner will take place at St. Burch Tavern on Saturday at 5pm, but has sold out in advance.

Passes are still available, and some events have individually priced tickets. For the first time this year, Witching Hour Festival is also selling student passes at a discounted and very affordable price. If you’re interested in attending the festival, check out passes here!

The post Witching Hour: KRUI’s Top Picks appeared first on KRUI Radio.

If you’re interested in learning more about what KRUI has to offer, come to either of our recruitment meetings from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 12 and 13th in Room W228 of the Chemistry Building. If you’re unable to make it to either meeting, use this link to express your interest in working with us.

The post Join Us at KRUI! appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Created and hosted by writer and editor Rachel Yoder and produced by Draft: The Journal of Process and The Iowa Writer’s House, The Fail Safe is a podcast on a mission to help struggling writers overcome the obstacles that come with the creative writing process. Each episode invites different successful writers to reflect on the challenges and failures they have faced and examine what it is that helps turn them into successes.

In this episode, recorded live at Prairie Lights as a part of Iowa City’s Witching Hour festival, Yoder prompts MTV’s editorial director Jessica Hopper and award-winning author Alissa Nutting with the questions that loom over every creative mind: How do I get through this?

Before the conversation began, audience members were given a sheet of paper with a list of ten rules titled “Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules,” originally written by John Cage and Sister Corita Kent, as shown in the image below. As the conversation began, Yoder noted that she keeps this list pinned to her work desk as a reminder and guide, reading a few of them aloud. This led into a deeper conversation on several more specific topics surrounding writing.

The first major topic discussed by the writers was that of managing self-doubt. After agreeing that “Facebook stalking” is a totally valid form of expressing admiration for those who inspire you, the three writers reflected on times they had doubted themselves and their writing and how they overcame that. Hopper recalled the times she had looked back on her ”awful,” “rookie” published writings and how that had hindered her current work flow. She stressed that writing is an ever-evolving process, and that a person should be gentle with him or herself when looking back on old works.

Nutting revealed to us a similar evolution, sharing her early writing memories of trying to replicate what her mind told her was “good writing” instead of it coming from herself. She shared a story about one of her early works as an undergrad where she wrote a fictional story from the point of view of a male soldier in Vietnam… We all have to start somewhere.

Another point concerning self-doubt, in Nutting’s words, was to “divorce writing from personal self-worth.” Both writers shared stories of getting caught in the whirlwinds of the constant, instant feedback of internet comments and reviews, and how damaging that was to their conceptions of themselves. Nutting mentioned that she found herself curtailing her writing because she was worried about the response it would get.

The big tip for this was to force yourself to unplug and silence the notifications, to avoid reading any comments to keep yourself sane. Both writers agreed that writing is something personal, something between yourself and your editor, and in order to create the truest writing, a person shouldn’t let unwanted, outside opinions stand in the way.

It’s important as well to mention that although this is true, the “Facebook stalking” mentioned at the beginning of the conversation was more than a cute joke – it was a way to tell us listeners that creative minds shouldn’t let the public dictate what or who you yourself aim to create or be. Instead, find inspiration and choose role models that suit YOU. Hopper mentioned some of her first inspirations, especially seeing women as leaders and role models, namely her own mother.

Many other topics and obstacles were touched in this episode of The Fail Safe – parenting, teaching, and job security, to name a few. If you are interested in hearing more of what these three wonderful, insightful, and funny women have to say, this podcast should be published within the next month or two, which you can anticipate here. If that seems too long, The Fail Safe already has several other episodes published – click here to catch up!

Right now Hopper is working on a proposal for a new novel, which is moving “at a glacial pace,” she said. Click here to keep up with what she’s doing.

To keep up with Nutting’s work, visit her site or follow her on Twitter.

The post Witching Hour: The Fail Safe @ Prairie Lights 11/5/16 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Witching Hour, according to the festival’s website, highlight’s the “unknown, creative process, and new work.” During its second year, Witching Hour features a diverse lineup ranging from multi-media workshops to comedy shows to cinematic adventures. Here are the events KRUI can’t wait to see!

Music 

Psalm One

After opening for Saul Williams at Mission Creek 2016, Psalm One returns to Iowa City to perform some new art! She’ll perform at 10:30 PM at The Mill on November 4.

White Lung

At midnight on Friday night, White Lung will perform tracks from their fourth album at Gabe’s. Hailing from Canada, this punk rock band will impolitely rock Iowa City on November 4th at midnight!

Wu Fei

Combining cultural and musical influences from Beijing and Nashville, Wu Fei will deftly charm audiences with her new and original compositions on the guzheng. See her perform at 9:30 PM at the Englert on Friday, November 4th!

Jlin

Jlin is known for pushing the boundaries of the footwork genre. Her track “Erotic Heat” from the Planet Mu compilation Bangs and Works Vol. 2 announced her presence to the world. Having attracted critical acclaim for her 2015 LP Dark Energy, Jlin brings her production magic to Gabe’s at 11:59 PM November 4th.

 Rhys Chatham

Guitarist, trumpeter, and composer, Rhys Chatham can rightfully be compared with Philip Glass or Steve Reich, though he likes guitars a lot more (he has composed pieces for up to 200 guitars and more). While he has the minimal edge of Glass and Reich, he also occasionally engages in prog and fusion. We’ll be seeing him in a rare solo performance at 10:00 PM at Gabe’s November 4th.

Jack Lion

Jack Lion is an Iowa City band that blends jazz and electronica seamlessly. At times heady, at other times spaced out, but always in the groove, if you haven’t had a chance to see them live yet, you’ve been missing out. They will be playing at 11:00 PM at Gabe’s November 4th.

Writing/Spoken Word

Pussy Riot in conversation with Jessica Hopper

Radical Russian punk band member Maria Alekhina will join Jessica Hopper at the Englert at 7:00 PM on Friday to discuss music and activism!

Jason Sole: From Prison to PhD: A Journey of Pain, Promise, and Protest

Jason Sole will captivate audiences as he details his life journey from a three-time convicted felon to his personal redemption as a mentor, consultant, and assistant professor of Public Safety and Criminal Justice at Metropolitan State University. This event takes place at 5:00 PM at the Iowa City Public Library.

Jason England: National Anthem: The Sociopathic Nature of Racial Discourse in American Sports

Jason England, graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop and full-time faculty member of the University of Iowa Rhetoric Department, will delve into the intersection of racial politics and sports in the United States with his presentation at 7:00 PM at the Englert Theater November 5th.

Writers of Color

Following last year’s highly successful event, visiting writer Rachel McKibbens joins undergraduate and graduate writers of color for a reading of new work at 4:00 PM at The Mill November 5th.

Comedy

Supertalent Show and Friends

Those familiar with Iowa City’s comedy scene will remember many of these faces. Iowa City’s own Arish Singh, now based in Chicago, is a major reason the Iowa City comedy scene is what it is today. A stand-up comedian (in every sense of the word “stand-up”), Singh has been putting together wonderful, politically aware comedy shows for Iowa City and Chicago for the last couple of years. He brings a group of hilarious improv actors and comedians to the Mill November 4th at 9:00 PM. (All images courtesy of WitchingHourFestival.com)

Jen Kirkman

Best-selling author and stand-up comedian Jen Kirkman, whose 2015 Netflix comedy special I’m Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine) earned high praise from The Atlantic, New York Magazine, and The Atlantic, shares her wit and insights with Iowa City at the Englert Theater November 5th at 9:00pm. She will also appear In Conversation at the Mill November 5th at 10:30 PM.

Film

Romeo Is Bleeding

Set in Richmond, CA, Romeo Is Bleeding follows Donté, who, rather than get swept up in a violent turf war between rival neighborhoods, attempts to open up a dialogue about violence in the city by putting together a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Will he succeed? Find out at FilmScene November 5th at 1:00 PM.

Tony Conrad: Completely in the Present

A film about, of, for, and by artists, Completely in the Present follows the legendary career of Tony Conrad. Conrad’s cross-disciplinary work has heavily influenced modern independent music, public access television, visual art, and film. Using intimate footage of Tony and collaborators over the last twenty-two years, Completely in the Present gives us access to one of the strangest artistic minds of our time. You can catch it at FilmScene November 5th at 3:00 PM.

Mixed Media, Workshops, and Panels

Hip-Hop Kitchen

Get into a discussion and performance on hip-hop history, cooking, and the art of freestyling. Featuring Sepehr Sadrzadeh, the Chef of Pullman Diner; The Cubist, legendary producer who has worked with Kendrick Lamar; Icon Amerie, rapper and hip-hop culture historian; moderated by André Wright, producer, artist, designer. This discussion and performance will take place at The Mill November 5th at 12:00 PM. (All images courtesy of WitchingHourFestival.com)

Broad Perspectives

This will be a panel discussion and workshop featuring Katie Roche, Rachel McKibbens, alea adigweme, and Teresa Magnum. The discussion will be about creating and maintaining female-only spaces, why it is necessary and important, and how they operate differently than other creative spaces. This panel and workshop will take place at Prairie Lights Bookstore on November 5th at 6:00 PM.

Beforeplay: An Exploration of the Art of Playtesting

Game developers of board and video games to make money come together in a panel discussing playtesting the relationship of dialogue it creates between gamer and make-maker. This event takes place at 2:00 PM at The Mill November 5th. (All images courtesy of WitchingHourFestival.com)

Will Duncan: The Art of Doing Nothing: A Deep Exploration of What Meditation Is and What It Is Not

Will Duncan will be easing us into a deep understanding of the relevance, usefulness, and spiritual potential of the ancient practice of meditation. Duncan completed a Three-Year Silent Meditation Retreat in 2014, and has returned to the world to share his insights with us. The Art of Doing Nothing will occur at the Englert November 5th at 11:00 AM, and he will be giving a lecture about his silent meditation retreat experience at the Iowa City Public Library November 5th at 3:00 PM.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it, folks. KRUI’s Guide to Witching Hour would like to remind you of a couple of things, however: (1) More than half of the acts are free, so if you’re not sure you can afford to go, think again, dear friend. (2) We have only provided highlights. Please see the festival website for the full line-up. (3) The festival spirit is one of exploration and coming out of our comfort zones, so be sure to explore, keep an open mind, and maybe go to something you normally wouldn’t go to!

The post KRUI’s Witching Hour Guide appeared first on KRUI Radio.

For those who, like me, thrive on that outlet, it is a new kind of Hell to have zero idea what to do. There is no algorithm for creating a next step, no formula for coming up with something else to make happen. This doesn’t just happen in writing, it can happen in art, in life, at the office, anywhere that requires some kind of procurement of an idea. It can cause procrastination, questioning of life choices/oneself, and many internal crises. More than just feeling a block on one aspect of my life, I feel a sense of being completely blocked off from the way I see the world best and the way that I communicate with myself. As you can imagine, that feeling sucks.

I wish that I could refer to a definitive list of ways to overcome these feelings, but I don’t have that magical list. I have no idea how to get over that block. I’m slowly figuring it out, but the big fear is that it will never be an issue that is resolved. I’m an art major and will probably always continue writing. If it is not an issue that goes away, my career will probably suffer.

Perhaps it’s an inspiration flaw. When around fellow artists or writers, the phrase “drawing inspiration” constantly comes up, and maybe the real problem is that I have no idea how to do that. I am writing this on a deck on a house in the country with a beautiful view, and I am still struggling to come up with the words to put in this article. I constantly listen to podcasts that make me see/think about things differently, and I still can’t translate that into an idea. I have an amazing group of friends that will always talk about ideas and theories and anything else. Yet, somehow, I am still struggling. I know that there are others as confused as I am when somebody says they spent some time looking at the sunset and got a brilliant idea for a piece. How come somebody else can so easily read a quote from their favorite author and suddenly be set to go again?

Then comes the real question in this long string of “what ifs” that come from being blocked. Am I really an artist if I don’t know how to draw inspiration? Am I really a writer if I’m struggling to write about, of all things, my greatest passion? Am I kidding myself even trying, or is this something that everybody goes through constantly?

But of course, I’m not kidding myself. Every artist has their block, which is why it can be so damn hard sometimes. We create, and our well-being is based on the quality of our own work and how other people perceive it. Qualifying myself as an artist or a writer only depends on how I value my own work and therefore how I handle this writer’s block. So far I’m handling it by brainstorming more ideas for articles, and coming up with ideas for a potential new column. I’m trying to write more when I have the chance about whatever I can. I’m trying to come up with things that I could draw when I have the chance to sit down and draw them. I’m thinking of projects I could try for the intermedia class that I am taking in the fall. So far it’s a lot of thinking about things and experimenting, which is something that everybody has to do. It connects me to myself more than being blocked off could even disconnect me from myself. It is a comforting thought.

So, step one for getting over this writer’s block is to do what seems natural: write a column about it and post it on the internet. I’ve been working on this for weeks, and now I’m done with it. Maybe this will make it easier to sit down and write about Frida Kahlo, or comic book/graphic novel art, or synesthesia, or the capitalistic side of the art industry, or aesthetic, or the concept of an album, or whatever else I want to write about. I am excited to see what I come up with after this block is gone, and I hope that it is all created soon.

[SHAMELESS PLUGS: here are my Instagram and Twitter if you would like to keep updated on what I’m doing next]

The Looking Glass is a bimonthly column that aims to analyze and share different aspects and forms of art. It will focus on different artists, writing, music/musicians, exhibitions, etc. Along with this, the column will ask questions and point out interesting controversies. Art is a constantly flowing and vast part of our society and culture that we are all submerged in daily, and discussion about the medium is a critical part of a full understanding and open mind.

The post The Looking Glass: Blocked Off appeared first on KRUI Radio.

I didn’t know he was coming home until that previous Monday. I had been sitting on the pleather couch in Doug’s apartment, Mitchell’s friend who I stayed with while Mitch was away, when I heard the door unlock. Doug already came and left, so I was suspicious. I leapt off the brown couch and took my position in front of the door. If someone was breaking in, I would be ready.

I watched as the shiny, gold doorknob turned. I crouched down, preparing myself to pounce. Finally the door swung open. It was Mitch standing tall, dressed in his army greens with a smile plastered shamelessly across his face.

“Hey Jake, ya miss me?” Mitchell asked as he knelt in front of me to pet my short chocolate hair. I got so excited that I knocked him to the ground and planted a slobbery kiss smack dab on his clean shaven face. Of course I had missed him and now that he was back, safe and sound, I was not going to let him out of my sight.

The rest of that week, Mitch and I spent every waking hour together. Each morning we got up early and jogged to the dog park, where we played Frisbee until it got crowded. After that, we ran back to our apartment and watched TV for the rest of the day. Every now and then, someone would knock on the door during the day, but Mitch wouldn’t answer it. He just kept his eyes on the screen.

At night, Mitch would toss and turn and scream and sweat in his sleep. One night it got really bad. Mitch began screaming through hot tears, “No don’t take him, take me,” I began licking the salty water off his afflicted face. Suddenly, Mitch woke up and shoved me off the bed. I hit my shoulder on the wood floor and let out a distressed whimper. My cry for help brought Mitch back to reality.

“Oh Jake, I am so sorry! I didn’t realize that was you,” he said as he picked me up and placed me on the bed. He rubbed behind my ears as I recovered.

“I guess I am just having a hard time adjusting this time. I don’t know why, but this tour is staying with me more than the others,” Mitch confessed as he laid back down.

After that, I wanted to make sure Mitch didn’t have any more bad dreams. So that Saturday night, I watched him until my eyes were too heavy to stay open. When I woke up, I instantly looked over, expecting to see Mitchell sprawled out with his chestnut hair in disarray, drool spilling slowly out of his mouth like molasses. But Mitchell was nowhere to be found. I stretched out to his side of the bed to feel that the sheets were cold and crisp, meaning he had been gone for a while. I assumed he went for a run without me since I hurt my shoulder when he threw me off the bed.

I didn’t think anything of it as I jumped off the bed in search of breakfast. I trotted to the kitchen where my chrome bowl was waiting for me, filled to the brim with chicken-flavored kibble. As I was about to dig in, a foul smell hit my snout. The smell reminded me of an old iron pipe. Curious where it was coming from, I left my delicious breakfast behind to go investigate.

I walked back into Mitchell’s room but the scent became less potent. My next destination was the bathroom. As I advanced, the smell crept its way back to my nose. When I arrived at the bathroom door, I found it slightly cracked open. Now the iron scent was overpowering. I nudged the door open slowly. The first thing I saw was blood, and a lot of it. The deep brown sludge covered the tiled floor. Then I saw Mitchell. His arms and legs were thrown chaotically on the ground and his face resembled a tortured man. A piece of notebook paper with his scrawled handwriting sat above his bloody head. A pistol with a silencer attached laid a foot next to his right hand. I stood there in disbelief as I took the scene in.

I let out a tormented howl. I did not want to see my best friend like this. He was a hero, not someone who should be mangled by his own hand. I began to whine as I shuffled over to his contorted body. I solemnly licked his face one last time before I toppled down beside him. I felt the thick blood soak into my fur, but I didn’t care. I continued crying until I heard a knock on the door.

A few minutes following the knock, the manager of the building came in as a result of the noise I was making. When he saw Mitch’s body, he turned around and threw up. After he got his barrings, he got out his phone and called the police. When they showed up, a woman in a dark blue uniform came over and sympathetically stroked my head with a latex glove. She stopped when she saw the note laying by Mitch. She slowly picked it up and began to read it out loud. I zoned it out. I knew why he killed himself, I didn’t need to hear confirmation. It wasn’t until I heard my name that my ears perked up.

“And tell Jake that he truly was a man’s best friend.”

The post Cold appeared first on KRUI Radio.

“Hey grandma, I was just about to make some Mac N’ Cheese. Do you want any?” Joe yells.

No response. Joe walks towards the entryway. She can hear someone in the living room, but it doesn’t sound like her grandmother. With the pot in her hand, she rushes in. It is her grandmother, but she’s not herself.

Her face is grey and drained. Her arms and legs look like they have been dislocated. And there is a red stain smeared around her mouth. She is drooling over the couch, right where Joe had been sitting only a couple minutes ago.

“Grandma? Are you okay?” Joe says creeping towards her.

Joe’s grandma turns her head towards Joe and moans loudly. She stands up and starts limping in Joe’s direction, her head cocked to the right and her eyes drooped low. Joe’s father had warned her about this. There had been an outbreak of a virus in Canada that made people forget who they were and start attacking anyone with a heartbeat. They were calling the people who had been infected zombies.

Joe holds the metal pan tight to her chest as her now zombie grandmother gets closers. A tear rolls down Joe’s thirteen year old face as she lifts up the pan and slams it into her grandma’s cheek. Her grandma hits the floor with a thud. Joe kneels next to her and lets the tears fall. Caught in remorse, Joe doesn’t notice her grandma coming to until she feels her hands grab her body. She lets out a surprised scream and stabs the zombie with the handle of the pan. It breaks through the soft skull and impales its brain.

Joe stands up and walks backwards, towards the front door. She stands with her back against the brass knob, trying to catch her breath. Suddenly someone opens the door, causing Joe to fall on her back. She gets up frantically, in fear that another zombie is about to attack her, but it is just her neighbor, Bella. Joe throws her arms around Bella, thankful to see a friendly face. When she lets go, she sees Bella is not alone. Her other neighbors, Scarlett and Benny, stand in her driveway, looking as scared as Joe feels.

Just as Joe is about to tell Bella what happened, the kids hear lazy moaning coming from the end of the street. A dozen zombies stumble towards them. They slowly creep back in the direction of Joe’s house, trying to find an escape route. As the zombies get closer, Joe begins to cry again.She knows this is it. Suddenly a man on a black horse comes riding down the street. He hits the zombies in the head  with the butt of his shotgun, taking them out.

“You guys look like you need some help,” the man says, “My name is Eragon. Follow me.”

Joe walks next to Eragon’s horse as they head towards his ranch to get more materials. After they gathered everything they need. They get into Eragon’s truck and drive until the sun starts to set. They stop at an abandoned town that appears to be safe and rest, thankful for the day to be over.

TO BE CONTINUED…

The post Adventures of Joe appeared first on KRUI Radio.

“Where do I start?” 

I bet you expect me to say, “at the beginning”–nope.  It’s perfectly acceptable to begin writing a scene from the middle of your story if you’re really excited to write it, or if you know how to end it but not to begin it.  But what might be helpful would be creating an outline for an overall idea of how you want the story to go.

“But I don’t know how to outline!”

There are so many templates for outlines, from the super-broad to the intricately detailed.  No matter what works for you, you can probably find an outline template for you online.  My personal choice is the seven-point outline, which you can learn all about on Youtube.  The point is, people write in different ways–some prefer a detailed outline before writing, some like a loose, general outline (like me), others don’t.  You don’t know which camp you’re in until you try.

Another way to dip your toe into writing is world-building.  If you write sci-fi or fantasy, you’ll especially have to do this.  World-building is where you make up details of the setting that may or may not be mentioned in your story, but will make the story feel more fleshed out.  This can range from making up religions and magic systems, to economics and government.  You can also try to figure out your characters’ backstory, interests, and other details that may or may not be important to the plot, but will help inform your characters’ actions.

Remember, there are multiple ways to start writing.  The only way to lose is to never try–then all the people who tell you that you’ll never be a writer (and that your ideas are dumb) will win.  And that leads us to the second question.

“Is my idea for a story even worth writing about?”

This is a question you will likely have no matter how much you’ve written.  Apparently Neil Gaiman (who’s written Sandman, Coraline, The Graveyard Book, and many others) calls his editor with this fear every time he writes a new book.  I’ve had this crisis of thought multiple times–the answer is “Yes.”  Not always for the same reasons, though.

Not everything you write will be published.  I remember my first writing endeavor–in seventh grade, I began writing a story about a girl who finds out she’s a witch, and goes to a girl’s boarding school for witches.  This was eventually scrapped because 1) I had matured to the point where I didn’t feel like ripping off Harry Potter anymore, and 2) I had a much better idea that I wanted to write instead.

Ripping off Harry Potter wasn’t a waste of my time, even though it was never published anywhere.  If I had never started to write an entry-level story, I never would have gotten that initial practice I sorely needed.  It also had another effect: I knew I could write.  I began to look at myself as a writer, and started me on a path to learn as much as I could about writing.  After numerous podcasts, how-to books, and mediocre first drafts, I’m proud of how much progress I’ve made since I first began to write.

As one of my favorite authors told me, writing is like an apprenticeship.  It takes time, practice, and the willingness to be a beginner.  Sometimes you find out that writing’s not for you, and that’s not a loss.  And sometimes you do really well and end up publishing.  The only way to truly lose, is to give up before you even start.

Now that you have some ideas on how to start, are there any other questions burning in your mind on how to proceed?  Feel free to email me at madwar_krui@yahoo.com with any questions or concerns about writing.  Perhaps it’ll inspire my next column!  Happy holidays, and happy writing!

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Iowa City. The famed Athens of the Midwest. I’ve heard many people say that the University of Iowa was built on the arts, and the Writing Workshop here is world-renowned. So is it any wonder that I, an aspiring author, ended up going to graduate school here? Well, kind of, since I’m in the biology department, but a girl can have multiple interests.  And one of those interests is not only writing, but sharing my personal tips and tricks with other fellow writers.  I’m by no means an English or Creative Writing expert, but I’ve been going at it ten or so years, and I’ve found plenty of resources that have helped me to progress to the level I’m at now.

For the purposes of this column, “Mary Sue Says,” I’d like to go by Mary Sue, like Abby of “Dear Abby.” Why Mary Sue, you ask me? Because the term “Mary Sue” is one of those concepts I believe every beginning fiction writer should know when they begin to develop their main character.

At first, “Mary Sues” were only applied to original characters in fan fiction, where it was obvious the character was meant to stand in for the actual author – simply a form of wish-fulfillment rather than a character any of the readers could really relate to. As of today, a Mary Sue can be a fictional character in any medium, not just in fan fiction.  However, an overt Mary Sue (or Gary Stu, for male characters) is often easily identified by several symptoms.

1. How awesome they are.
2. Other characters’ relationships to them.
3. How smoothly their story goes (usually because of how awesome they are).

First, most Mary Sues are written to be the main character of the story. This means we have a lot of insight to their viewpoint, and their problems. In a fantasy story, there are a lot of awesome characters with really cool powers. But when a character starts becoming powerful beyond belief, either by breaking the laws of that fictional universe or by not having any truly challenging obstacles or personal flaws in their life, that’s when a character might be a Mary Sue.

For example, Harry Potter.  The Boy Who Lived is obviously a special person in his setting, but he has a number of enemies who try to get him killed – or worse, expelled! – and Harry often fails or screws up throughout the book series.  He’s by no means all-powerful, and we’re always reminded that he’s just a normal teenager who can use magic.  In the series, he’s not the smartest of his friend group. We often see him struggle in classes, or procrastinate on asking somebody to the school dance. That’s good character writing.

However, a character who is a master on the very first day they learn a skill, who nearly everyone likes except the one token villain, and who was practically perfect in everyway? That is a good character to avoid like the plague.  Nobody can be that perfect and be relatable, unless we find out later that they have more nefarious purposes in mind.

Second, how do the supporting characters find your main character? Is your main character seen as super-attractive? A genius of their time? The nicest and sweetest person anybody’s met?  In that case, you might have a Mary Sue on your hands. Like a said earlier, the best characters have awesome qualities and some major personal flaws (and I’m not talking about “her teeth are too straight”). And supporting characters need to be aware of those flaws, whether from the start or from learning about them in the middle of the story.  Supporting characters shouldn’t be yes-men or worshippers of your main character… unless your character is their boss or cult leader, I guess.  A good tip to remember is that everyone considers themselves the main character of the story – all of your characters can be interesting, or at least notable, without relying on any of the other characters to tell the reader how awesome they are.

Third, how many bumps in the road does your character have before accomplishing their goal?  How high are the stakes, and does your main character make any mistakes?  If the only reason any danger occurs is due to some other character constantly messing up, and your main character is perfectly blameless or flawless, that’s a sign of a possible Mary Sue.

Another common Mary Sue tactic?  Sacrificing their life for the sake of the other characters (because they’re just so gosh-darned perfect), and then being resurrected because… the writer made it happen.  It trivializes the climax, and often doesn’t make the intended impact because the Mary Sue is so perfect and awesome and cool.  The problem is, when you have somebody who is impossibly cool as a main character, it’s hard for a reader to relate.  It’s why Frodo is the main character in Lord of Rings, not Gandalf.  Every main character needs to be relatable in some way to your readers – otherwise, nobody will want to finish reading it.

Mary Sues (or Gary Stus – again, this kind of character can be any gender, race, sexual orientation, etc.) are a common feature of beginning writers.  Nobody wants a dull, unlikeable main character, right?  But developing a character in any kind of fiction is a balancing act.  What makes it even harder is that there are so many reasons a trait works on one character, but makes another character turn into a Mary Sue.  It something that requires a lot of thought, as well as the ability to think not just as a writer, but as a reader.

I can’t list everything in one article, but if you want to know more, this link can help with some common traits of Mary Sue characters.  Check out the Mary Sue Litmus Test to see how close to the Mary Sue zone your own main character might be.  And of course, if you’d like to ask your own questions about writing characters, plot, etc., I’m always available at madwar_krui@yahoo.com.  Maybe it’ll even give me an idea for my next column!  Let me know what you think, and happy writing!

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