New Year

I have made far too many resolutions this year to be able to keep them all.  I know this going in.  They all boil down, however, to one resolution: to write brilliantly and consistently.  There.  Deep breath.  I've said it.  Eating healthier and avoiding bad substances will help my brain, which I need to write.  Exercise increases oxygen to the brain, which I need to write.  Following a schedule gives me time which I need to write. 

What are your resolutions, and do they focus mostly on writing?

To Schedule or Not to Schedule

What does your normal daily writing schedule look like?

I generally try to stick to a five-hour shift which starts and ends with a journal entry.  I don't necessarily take any breaks, just grab a bite to eat when I'm hungry, stand and stretch if I'm feeling overwhelmed, etc.  I also try to start with some meditation (qi gong) beforehand.  I alternate projects each hour, more or less.  If I'm on a tear I may go over, or if I'm in a slump I will switch over early.  Of course, some days, every hour is a slump, but it's important to realize that not every day will be like that.  The important thing is to try every day.  As I'm reading this over I realize that a five-hour stretch of uninterrupted time might seem like a luxury to people with kids and full-time jobs.  I've been there.  Don't worry.  Be patient.  These days will come for you too. 

Strengths and weaknesses

What are your strengths and weaknesses as a writer?

Me, I can pound out a first draft like nobody's business.  Making that first draft into a finished work is my weakness.

Universal

If your book were guaranteed to be read by every person in the world, what would that book be about?

I suppose the inspiration for this question is Mao's Little Red Book which, if I understand it correctly, is the most-read book in history because it was required reading in the most populous country in the world.  This is also the reason (population) that Mandarin Chinese is the number one native language on the planet. 

Social Responsibility

After the terrible events in Paris this weekend, the next question on my list has certainly given me pause.

If you were able to publish something that would have a significant impact on only one social issue (a la Silent Spring by Rachel Carson), what social issue would that be?

I wish I could write a book that would put an end to terrorism.  That doesn't seem likely, though.

Screenplays

What do you feel is the best written movie you’ve ever seen (or read the screenplay for)?  Not necessarily your favorite, but the best written?

I must give a not to Castaway

Very difficult to make a compelling movie out of a man and his volleyball.

Nightstand Reading

What book is on top of your nightstand/reading table right this very moment?  How do you feel about that book? Are you ashamed or proud to be reading it?  Are you reading it to be impressive or do you really want to read it?

I am currently reading Lost in the Funhouse by John Barth.  I found this book at my workplace and started reading it during a lull in business.  It is a very old (1966) collection of short-story-metafiction pieces.  It is a confusing mixture, but loaded with gems, such as: " We don't know what drives and sustains us, only that we are most miserably driven and imperfectly sustained…Love is how we call our ignorance of what whips us…"  The book is literally falling apart in my hands and I am enchanted.