I got so many good questions that I can’t focus on anything but answering them.
ro of FarOVale asks: “Do you read blogs written in other languages?”
I would love to read blogs in other languages. The problem is that, outside of some broken French and a few lines of Latin, I don’t speak anything but English. I’ve spent the better part of my adult life studying and trying to master my mother tongue, which didn’t leave me much mental space for the beauty and lilting grace of the myriad other languages out there. I know that I could use something like Google Translate, but then I’d lose all the nuance of the writing, which is just sad.
Melody of Melody and Words asks: “How do you use non-writing activities (such as photography) to jump-start the creative process?”
I think there are two ways, psychologically, to stir your brain into creative motion: sensory deprivation and sensory overload. It’s the difference between seeing the future in a crystal ball or seeing it in the colorful ornate drawings of Tarot cards. My brain likes overload; the more colors and textures and mental speed bumps for me to crawl over, the more stuff I have to hold onto and build from. I think that’s why I love Lego so much.
Using something like photography to jump-start the process is easy, because you’re forced to spend more time with whatever you’re taking pictures of, and as a result, building a mental relationship with that object. I’ll often get an idea for a beer short story just based on how I position a beer for a picture, or how the colors contrast between glass and background. I also then have this vivid reminder of all those ideas in the form of a picture, which almost always helps fuel the creative process down the line.
Josh of ShortOnBeer asks: “When was the first time you were proud of your writing?”
No one has ever asked me this before. I’m not sure I can find the GPS coordinates in my brain for that exact moment where I was first proud of my grammatical creations, but it was probably sometime around December 2011, when I got accepted into the Masters of Writing program at Johns Hopkins. I suddenly felt like real writers thought my writing was good enough to be compared to theirs. I’m proud of my words whenever someone says they’ve helped them or taught them something. That, to me, is the whole reason I type, to understand or help others understand.
Melanie of melanielynngriffin asks: “What is the best argument, in your mind, for each side of the question about bombing Syria in response to chemical weapons use?”
As a general rule, I remain as politically neutral as possible. I don’t like the conflict that comes with choosing a side, especially when neither side really reflects how I feel. That said, I see no best arguments for either side of this situation. It sucks, and will continue to suck, for pretty much everyone involved. While I appreciate the US trying to help out those countries who seem to desperately need it, I think the “chemical weapon” line is arbitrary, and if we really meant to help in a humanitarian way, we’d have intervened a long time ago when people were being beaten and shot to death. I’d be more inclined to support helping out the oppressed citizenry of another nation if our own country was a bliss-filled utopia, but obviously, we’ve got some serious problems of our own without sailing ships into the Mediterranean. If my vote mattered (which I’m more and more convinced it doesn’t) I’d suggest we stay home and put the money and energy towards fixing our own issues.
I’m going to lump two similar questions together here. Ryan of mouldsbeerblog, and Ginny ask: “Who is your favorite author/writer? -and- What is your favourite book/author’s work that you’ve ever read?”
This is like asking me to pick my favorite beer. There are so many options available, so many styles, so many writers who’ve written heartrendingly gorgeous prose, that it becomes nearly impossible to narrow it down to just one. So instead of picking a favorite, I’ll list some of those authors that have influenced me the most (in no particular order): Issac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, HP Lovecraft, Edgar Alan Poe, John Donne, Alexander Pope, Alice McDermott, Michael Pollan, Jennifer Egan, and, as much as I hate to admit it, Shakespeare. As far as the single piece that influenced me the most, I’ll have to go with “Walden” by Thoreau.
TheMadHopper of The Mad Hopper’s Blog asks: “When writing about beer and beer culture do you have a certain format you follow?”
Not really, but I may be a terrible person to ask, since I rarely follow any kind of format for anything. I think the most important thing, in general, is to do in-depth research on your topic (beyond a few Google searches, I mean) and make sure you’re respectful of the writers and people who came before you. Know what you’re talking about, and give credit where credit is due. Also, have fun. You’re writing about beer after all. As Scott at beerbecue said recently, “One can only read so many serious dissertations on beer.”
Penney of My Journey to Live an Authentic Life asks (slightly paraphrased): “How do you write about someone who has created conflict and drama (like a divorce or a bad breakup), without sounding whiny, when the experience made you become a better person?”
There is a fine line between bitter resentment and teary-eyed sentimentality, and it’s the writer’s job to walk it, carefully. I think it’s hard to approach something so raw and close to you directly. I almost always try to find some other vehicle to get into the story; something tangentially related or coming from a different perspective. By not having to just flat out tell the story and details of what happened, you can get the best ideas and insights into the piece without any of the personal baggage. The essay I wrote about my father’s passing is a good example of this “redirection.” I know I couldn’t have written that just about him and his death, so I used the star and his energy as the vehicle for something that would otherwise be far too emotional for me.
One half of Tammy and CJ of The Great Jollyhoombah asks: “What are the greatest craft beer US cities you’ve been to or know of?”
I’ve really just started my Homeric journey into the travel side of craft beer, but I’ve certainly been to enough cities to answer this question. I’m going to go with Boulder, Colorado (or really, just anywhere in Colorado) because of Boulevard Brewing, Great Divide Brewing, New Belgium, Oskar Blues, and Avery Brewing. I mean, that’s an incredible line up, and you can’t go wrong when choosing from any of these guys. Colorado is a veritable Mecca for craft beer people, so make sure you all face towards the Rockies when lifting your next pint.
Phillip McCollum asks: “If fear had a flavor, what would it taste like?”
Have you ever put a 9-volt battery on your tongue? Ever tasted that mix of metal and acid and energy that can only come from completing a circuit, using your body as the ground? Fear tastes like that.
theclocktowersunset asks: “If you ruled the world, what would you change and how would that playout?”
I would refuse to let anyone take life too seriously. It would be punishable by tickles. I’d like to think that a bit of enforced, widespread levity would make the planet much easier to live with, and on.
JHMae of byjhmae asks: “Who is your favorite Game of Thrones character?”
Beric Dondarrion closely followed by Sandor Clegane.
Thanks to everyone who asked a question. I hope I answered them to your satisfaction 🙂
Maybe ask me why I used a picture of a “No Surfing” flag in this post?
Tagged: ama, answers, ask me anything, beer, colorado, craft beer, game of thrones, language, politics, QA, questions, questions and answers, reading, syria, writing
I half expected someone to simply write: “WHYYYYYYYY?”
But I assume everyone is much more mature than I am, especially in my head.
Fun project to work on.
I actually had an answer all planned out for the simple, “why?”
My gut says “why not” quickly amended with “42” then followed up with “not why? but when?”
My gosh, Oliver! This was a delightful read and so much fun to get to know you a little better. First, I have to comment on the Thoreau as we’re reading Walden right now and underlining like crazy. He makes sense and makes me laugh, two qualities I love most in a person.
And I do think that punishment by tickles is a grand idea and especially for people who take life too seriously. I am afraid I would be tickled sometimes because I do find my brows furrowed far too often for my taste. I hate being tickled, so this would cure me.
Thank you for posting your answers, and now I’m off to Colorado for a pint. A Silverback Pale Ale at the Wynkoop would be very refreshing.
I’m not even sure why Walden glued itself to my soul so firmly, but it did. I first read it in high school, and will still take it off the shelf and randomly pick chapters to read. I almost don’t want to analyze why it means so much to me, mainly because I fear I’d lose the magic of that initial, visceral connection.
“I fear I’d lose the magic of that initial, visceral connection” indeed. I creep into bed with a smile on my face knowing that in a few short minutes I will be Mmm Hmmming and shaking my head in agreement. It’s like chatting with a fine friend. Even though I’m reading much of it for the second time, I am connecting with different parts and thinking about how I shall revisit old Henry David many, many times through the years. Happy weekend to you, Oliver.
Many thanks for the answer. I could do the same with our readers. It seems very funny! … And it’s a pity that you won’t read our blog because I’d love to know that you could be on the other side of the screen. Ciao from Italy! 😉
I could certainly try to read your blog, but I’m worried that a translator won’t let me appreciate your writing!
It’s ok, I understand 😉
Oliver! Thank you for your reply!! Boulder it is. We were impressed with Denver too. Oh, and Austin. Enjoyed all of your replies to all of the questions, really…. Have a fun one!!!
I can imagine Austin is great, too. I’ve heard tasty things about Chicago, and pretty much anywhere in Maine is going to be great, too.
Thanks for answering my question! I’ve done a few posts where I try to hide the details about my divorce but really struggle with wanting to share my story but not wanting to turn this into an all night bitch session. If you get a moment, take a look at this post I wrote: http://authenticlifejourneys.com/2012/07/20/once-upon-a-time/
And thanks for sharing the link to your story about your father. I believe that he’s that up there in the sky as that new light you saw, looking down at you and your wife. He’ll always be there for you and when you need him, you just have to look up and see him.
I think using the fantasy trope without a fairy-tale ending was pretty clever 🙂 I share your concerns about coming off bitchy though. It all comes down to your voice and how you choose to execute the piece. Redirection (like using a fairy tale) is a great way to do it, but you can also just really try to reflect on what it taught you, rather than the events themselves or how they made you feel.
When we write, we’re trying to uncover truths. Truths that by definition are more than just what’s on the surface. Try to find meaning in the mess, I guess. 🙂
Thanks for getting back to me about this. It’s been a bit of struggle to figure out how to write about these experiences. These things have changed me is such a way that I can’t help but want to write about it. And yes we do uncover the truth but in the end, it’s also our truths and what I found, may not be the same truths as the others.
thanks for writing back and giving me your feedback about my post 🙂
I’d like to answer your answers with another question…
If you want to be a successful writer (say, novelist), what are the main reasons for and against doing a creative writing course?
Jean – I think I could (and might!) write a whole post on this, but here goes:
For: Ultimately, you could learn everything you’d get out of a class on your own, but a class accelerates the process and may help you see your own mistakes in a cleaner light. If you choose the right classes/teachers, you’ll get guided, specific feedback that will immediately improve your writing. You’ll also have a focused, safe environment where you can work on your craft, outside of the worries of the rest of the world. A class is the perfect place to try out new techniques without fear of an editor shooting it down, or worrying if anyone will judge you for your experimentation.
Against: Classes tend to be expensive, and the quality is so subjective to each student that it may be difficult to measure. You may get a teacher who doesn’t appreciate your voice or approach, or tries to pigeonhole you into a style that doesn’t work for you. You may get feedback that actually hurts your confidence because of a misunderstanding or a teacher’s arrogance. You also only get as much as you put into the class; it will never be a magical pill that will definitely improve your writing. Like the rest of the craft, a class tends to be a lot of work.
If you want to take a class, go for it. Just don’t expect a class to fix all of your problems or transform you. You still have to practice, which means writing. A lot. The successful writer is the one who reads, writes, weaves, the best, not the one who has sat through the most workshops 🙂
Thanks Oliver. This is just what I had hoped (and feared) to hear.
I’m also sure that if I had the time to read your blog from start to finish I could gain a lot of useful information that would have otherwise taken me years and years to learn myself… but something is telling me that I need that real, focused, safe, and face to face environment to help me get things going. Perhaps I’m like those people who need a gym to get fit…if I spend the time and money then I sure don’t want to waste it – sitting passively through workshops just won’t be an option!
But until that chance comes along, I’ll keep up with the other stuff; as you said, reading and writing as much as possible. Weaving sounds tricky though…but it’s definitely something to aspire to!