Happy Leap Year! We're sitting here with this extra day that we don't have every year. What are we supposed to do with it? Write.
You have one extra day to finish your novel this year, so here are a few inspirational links to get you writing again.
Nicholson Baker in the New York Review of Books on the joys of saving writers from obscurity and deletion on Wikipedia:
"But the work that really drew me in was trying to save articles from deletion. This became my chosen mission. Here's how it happened. I read a short article on a post-Beat poet and small-press editor named Richard Denner, who had been a student in Berkeley in the Sixties and then, after some lost years, had published many chapbooks on a hand press in the Pacific Northwest." (Thanks, Ed!)
LitPark on why you need to keep writing despite rejection.
Watch memorist Janice Erlbaum explain how keeping a journal can improve your writing in my web video feature.
SciFiSignal on the R. Crumb and Philip K. Dick's religious experience.
Finally, our buddy Michael Calderone just landed a new blog over at Politico. Cruise his archives and spice up your novel with biting insights into election coverage in the age of reality television.
"Even though Barack Obama declined to answer the all-important "boxers or briefs" question — who says he's getting a free pass in the media? — the Senator's Us Weekly interview was a huge success, according to WWD.
Two stories caught my eye this busy Monday. Take them home with you and think deeply. But not too deeply. And when you finish thinking about it, check out my brand spanking new interview with novelist Tony D'Souza.
First of all, if you watched the Amazing, Novelistic Superbowl Upset That We Will All Tell Our Kids About last night, then you probably saw one of the two misguided, stereotypical ads done by SalesGenie during the game. According to the company, they fully intended to create The Worst Superbowl Ad.
I know you don't believe me, but read the St. Louis Post-Dispatch story for more details. Maybe it's a crazy-like-a-fox writing strategy--I'm drafting The Worst American Novel tonight, so don't even try it! Thanks, Mixed Media.
After all that badness, this new idea over at the AP made me happy with goodness. Politico reports how the wire service is trying to mix video, cultural reporting, and a little bit of personal opinion into the news organization famous for pithy, objective work.
I'll tune in for some Super Tuesday primary coverage tomorrow. Just like our site, print and video are learning how to get along. Check it out:
"in covering the presidential election, substance is being infused with a bit more style. A.P. veterans Ron Fournier and Ted Anthony will co-write the series, beginning with this week’s 'The Mythic Presidency,' a 2,600-word magazine-style piece accompanied by a five-part video series."
