I haven’t posted in forever, so here’s something cheesy.

I’ve never known such beauty in life until there was you. Thanks for the best day ever.

(Photos by Jeannie Mutrais)

Writing Process Blog Tour

I have been tagged by the amazing traciakemi for the Writing Process Blog Tour, which means answering a few questions about, well, the writing process.

Here it goes!

1) What are you working on?

I’ve recently gotten my first TV writing gig on a new comedy.  I have a writing partner, and we’re both babies taking our first steps into this world. It takes up a lot of mental energy and time, but in the back of my head and when I do get a chance, I’m collecting ideas and prose for another work of fiction.  Maybe a chapbook, maybe a novella.  We’ll see what comes of it.

2) How does your work differ from others of its genre?

I guess if we’re looking at writing for television, comedy, as I’m learning, differs from drama.  It’s a very collaborative process where, in order to polish up the script, lots of jokes are pitched.  Often times, one writer will start something and others will riff on it and a great joke will come out of that.  Everyone has a different point of view, different experiences,  different sense of humor.  So, it’s really about finding that balance and finding your voice in order to, I guess, tell a good goddamn joke.

3) Why do you write what you do?

I like making people laugh and I like storytelling.  I also think there’s definitely not enough queer people of color working within the industry.  I don’t blame anyone.  It’s a tough industry to break.  What appeals to white middle America always seems to win, and what appeals to white middle America is white middle Americans.  So, I guess I’m writing to try and make a difference?  Hopefully that doesn’t sound too cheesy.  

4) How does your writing process work?

The actual physical practice of me writing is usually staring at a screen for hours, listening to music and mumbling to myself.  Super, not crazy looking at all.

But to ramp up to that point mentally, I listen to a lot radio programs like This American Life or Radiolab and watch a lot of YouTube videos.  Lots of interesting stories and adorable cat videos.  I have a writing partner these days and she is hi-la-ri-ous.  It’s great to bounce jokes off her and we work well together.  Most of the time, we just start bantering back and forth and that becomes dialogue for characters.  We also keep each other in check, in case the cat videos get out of hand, pushing each other to finish a scene or flush out a joke.  

Also, reading works out loud, in public. It’s a practice in developing storytelling skills and becoming a better judge of your work.  Reading something to yourself, you can often think it’s either really great or really shitty.  It’s good to hear the actual laughter from strangers, or the deafening silence.  Either reaction is important for growth.

And then, of course, I watch a lot of TV.  Even shows I wouldn’t normally be interested in.  Comedies, dramas, sci-fi.  I try to cover as many genres as possible and catch as many shows as possible.  It’s more challenging than it sounds.  There’s just so many shows out there and a lot of them are terrible.  But it’s homework.

Also, observing people, talking to people, making fun of people.  Making fun of myself.  I’ve transitioned from writing a lot about heartache to writing about laughing at heartache.  It’s funny because it’s sad! 

Mix all those things together with alcohol and some weird cocktail that is my writing usually comes out.

That’s it from me! I am tagging the following people: 

Narinda Heng is a Khmer American. Queer. Female. She writes things. She makes chapbooks. Sometimes She reads them in public. Sometimes she goes away for three months.

Edren T. Sumagaysay lives in a small, two bedroom, one bathroom apartment in a quiet neighborhood in Glendale, California, one block away from In N Out. He feels heroic about spending $40 total on curtains and a curtain rod and that he installed himself. He is currently saving money for the Padma's Plantation Loft Sectional because he believes it would fit perfectly in his living room. He's allergic to cats.

R. Scott Okamoto (bio to come)

Will be linking to their responses when they post.