I wrote a short article for the Pink Line Project (a local arts blog) on survival tips for the Capital Fringe Festival. In short: dress comfortably, bring water, expect nudity.
Friday Photo: Capital Fringe Festival
I can’t believe it’s been a year since the last Fringe Festival. Walking up to Fort Fringe on New York Avenue, everything looked exactly the same – the big white tent, picnic tables, a DJ playing tunes, performers hyping their shows. Only the bar selection had changed (they now have prosecco on tap).
The Capital Fringe Festival runs from July 7-24. It’s an opportunity to see crazy performances in intimate spaces, some of which include nudity and/or puppets. The bar aka Fort Fringe offers a front-row seat to this bohemian spectacle.
I was an official photographer for last year’s festival – here are my favorite pics to give you a sense of what you’re in for. And here are the shows that won in 2010 – many of these performers have new shows for this year.
Warning: Novel in Progress
With more than 40,000 words written, I think it’s safe to reveal that I’m working another another book.
It’s not a mystery like my previous novel, Murder in Ocean Hall.
Instead, it’s a satire called Don’t Mess Up My Block. My novel is a parody of self-help tomes like Who Moved My Cheese.
The story is told by Laurent Christ, a management consultant and life coach from the plains of North Dakota. A late-night encounter with a hooker (who tells him to get lost) becomes his core philosophy, one that he applies successfully to life and work.
Aren’t we all afflicted with people or situations that are “messing up our block”? Whether it’s a nagging spouse or an annoying boss, wouldn’t we be more effective without them?
From the swankiest of CEO sanctums to the bowels of government, Laurent leads us in a misfortune-plagued journey through the world of work in America today. A creature of his own invention, he always comes out ahead, while leaving his clients in misery.
The book was inspired by the self-help genre, this popular and peculiarly American phenomena. If Mark Twain were alive today, he’d probably be writing a book on getting organized.
Excerpts from this book have already been published, as stand-alone stories:
Don’t Mess Up My Block
Thirty First Bird Review
Laurent goes to Africa and destabilizes a whole country.
Boom and Bust
SPLIT Quarterly
Shareholders are angry and only Laurent can save a desperate executive.
I’m diligently working on the book right now. Look for it on a Nook or Kindle later this summer!
Friday Photo: Waving the Flag
I came of age in the corrupt and violent DC of Marion Barry. Plagued by open-air drug markets, it was the murder capital of the country. It was a place where a mayor could be caught smoking crack on tape – and still get reelected.
In 2011, the city has changed to the point where the past is unrecognizable. I wrote about these changes in my novel, Murder in Ocean Hall.
But even I never imagined that people would one day proudly wave the DC flag in the middle of Dupont Circle.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts – Not Just for Women
The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is one of those museums that even long-time Washingtonians aren’t aware of. It’s not on the Mall, it charges admission and with only a small sign marking its location on New York Avenue, it’s easy to overlook.
I had never been inside until invited by Michelle Cragle, the Communications Director at the museum. A former Masonic temple, NMWA is an architectural wonder. And it has some fascinating artistic treasures of interest to any gender. You don’t need to be a woman to visit the museum, as I wrote in a guest post for NMWA.
Birthing a Book the National Geographic Way
I had the privilege to work with Janice Hall Booth. She’s a very inspiring woman who wrote a great book, Only Pack What You Can Carry. It’s like Eat, Pray, Love but is about someone who actually went out into the world and did something 😉 Her message is that you can find your personal mission through solo travel.
Janice has been a whitewater rafter, a photographer, a nonprofit executive and an avid adventurer, always willing to push the limits of what’s possible.
But perhaps her most challenging adventure was getting a book published! She’s been blogging about this and has now put the publishing story together in a handy PDF. Find out how she was discovered and what it was like working with National Geographic. It’s a warts and all look at the publishing world, told with her trademark honesty.
And I make a brief cameo at the end, as Janice’s new media coach. While I gave her checklists to follow and guides to blogging, my advice was really simple – use the tools that you’re most comfortable with to tell your fascinating story.
New Article: Tips from Local Photographers
On Monday night, I attended a panel discussion by local photographers at vitaminwater uncapped live, a popup arts/dance/music party in DC.
Inspired by the stories of how these photogs got started, I wrote an article for the Pink Line Project on the talk. The photographers on the panel, who work for sites such as Brightest Young Things, DCist, Washingtonian and the Washington Post, all transitioned from amateurs to professionals. They did this not through traditional education but by following their passions. What started out as a hobby for them – taking pictures of things they loved – eventually became careers.
Friday Photo: Let's Bike
Washington has done a wonderful job in adding bike lanes throughout the city. These bike-only thoroughfares, like this lane on 15th St NW, have made cycling easier and safer for riders. While I took this picture on Bike to Work Day, this could be any day in DC.
Overcoming Writer’s Block
Everyone writes. In this digital age, we’re creating more words than ever. Whether it’s an email to a client, a persuasive blog post or the Great American E-Book, the ability to explain yourself in writing is the critical skill of the Internet era.
Despite this profusion of words, people often encounter writer’s block when attempting large or significant projects. They can fire off tweets and snarky Facebook comments all day long but their fingers stall when it comes to crafting something that really matters.
After I wrote my novel Murder in Ocean Hall, the question I got most was, “How?”
How did I muster up the patience to devote so much time to a single idea? How did I keep at it? How did I overcome the inertia of writer’s block to get started?
Writer’s block happens to everyone. But it can be overcome. Continue reading “Overcoming Writer’s Block”
The Two-Step Plan to Write a Screenplay
I had a chance to speak at a DC Film Salon panel on screenwriting. It was a really interesting session, with lots of great questions from the audience. This is the advice I provided.
I won the Film DC Screenwriting Competition in 2006 for my feature-length screenplay, Mount Pleasant. Since then, people have asked me about screenwriting, what software I use, if I took classes, etc… How’d I do it?
It’s simple, really. Just two steps:
- Read
- Write
Continue reading “The Two-Step Plan to Write a Screenplay”