Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Hitting Reset
Hitting reset is not something that I want to do, but not having written in about a week I think I should. This is my one get out of jail free card. So with that thought in mind, I cannot reset this project again. I'm starting my 100 Days of Writing from today, March 28, 2018 and will end on July 6, 2018. Also I will not be moving my blog over to Patreon until Tuesday April 3, 2018. As I said before my Wednesday and Sunday posts will remain public and part of the money raised from this blog will go to charity.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Now I Know
I over extended myself the last week taking on a little too much. Things just got a little out of control between the Colorado Anime Convention and with the looming move at work. I really should have gotten a hotel room at the convention instead of going back and fourth from the house to the convention hotel. Just because it's in your town doesn't mean the travel time isn't going to eat up a lot of time. That and the kid had to get ready etc. I would've also been able to work a lot more had we had a room, but now I know. I will hopefully be adding 5 posts tonight, I'm just editing etc. and then they will be ready to go. One of them is about the late great Barry Crimmins.
Saturday, March 24, 2018
Why the Pause
I have 4 posts ready to go, but I am escorting my daughter around Denver’s Anime Convention this weekend but I will post tonight. I may reset my end date for the 100 Days of Writing. My day job is moving offices and things are crazy both personally and work wise for the next few weeks, but I am really into getting back into a writing schedule.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
American Loneliness
This morning I was listening to NPR while in the shower and one of the segments really caught my attention. It was from NPR's podcast Hidden Brain. They were discussing loneliness, particularly loneliness of men. It struck me as odd because I had been thinking about loneliness in general and how we tend to start isolating ourselves as we get older, we tend to stay in our own little comfort zones and do what we do where we are at, but I had never really thought that men would be lonelier than other groups.
In a way it makes sense if you really think about it, society in general teaches men that having feelings or discussing feelings and being vulnerable is a huge sign of weakness and as they say in the podcast, unmanliness. Is society isolating men by teaching them to rely only on themselves? In a big way I really think that we are, by not just being there for someone of the opposite sex I think that we have closed off a big part of friendship. How can we expect our society to move forward when this is the message that we are putting out there to our male population? Also, how can we expect these men to be communicative in not only friendships, but in romantic relationships?
Really we can't. Men are taught that actually sharing feelings and saying what you want and need is not what men do, as a man you're supposed to suck it up, pull it together yourself, move past it and be a real man. Women on the other hand are taught to be open, vulnerable and figure out what happened and communicate it, to fix it. I think that might be because women have to nurture. But why does society frown on men nurturing? That should be the bigger question, men should be taught to nurture each other and others because the lack of nurturing brings up another issue: lack of affection.
Our bodies have a sense of needing affection. Not getting physical contact can lead to loneliness, depression, stress and health problems. Seriously, if all we have to do to stave off heart issues is hug, we as a society better get on it, and honestly, I can think of nothing better than how a good old fashioned hug feels. You know the ones that feel really good from someone that you like or who just knows how to hug, the ones that you can just fall into. Those are great, yeah we need more of those in the world. Really, it's scary that there is something out there called skin hunger that can be solved by just a little contact.
I also think that women suffer from more loneliness than before too, and I think a lot of that has to with the way that we communicate with each other: texting. Before texting I would call my best friend at least once a week if not more and I would see her at least three times a month if not more. I know that a lot of it has to do with our lives changing, kids etc., but I also know that a lot of it has to do with the texting. I know that I can call my friends,but sometimes it's just easier to text and in a way that's good, at least we're keeping up with each other, but at the same time, it isn't the same as having a conversation, we dig deeper and understand each other better when we have conversations and can convey feelings, which gets lost in texting, plus really do you want to have a good laugh in text or share it with someone? I prefer to share it with someone.
Hopefully by being aware of loneliness and lack of affection, we can start to do something about it. Start a conversation with a neighbor or call an old friend and get together, get into something together. We can't make it in the world if we're only thinking in terms of oneness, we need each other.
*You can find the link to the Hidden Brain podcast here and a few other articles about loneliness and lack of affection. If you have any ideas for a future blog or just want to comment,leave it below and follow me at ChristineLarran@Twitter.com
In a way it makes sense if you really think about it, society in general teaches men that having feelings or discussing feelings and being vulnerable is a huge sign of weakness and as they say in the podcast, unmanliness. Is society isolating men by teaching them to rely only on themselves? In a big way I really think that we are, by not just being there for someone of the opposite sex I think that we have closed off a big part of friendship. How can we expect our society to move forward when this is the message that we are putting out there to our male population? Also, how can we expect these men to be communicative in not only friendships, but in romantic relationships?
Really we can't. Men are taught that actually sharing feelings and saying what you want and need is not what men do, as a man you're supposed to suck it up, pull it together yourself, move past it and be a real man. Women on the other hand are taught to be open, vulnerable and figure out what happened and communicate it, to fix it. I think that might be because women have to nurture. But why does society frown on men nurturing? That should be the bigger question, men should be taught to nurture each other and others because the lack of nurturing brings up another issue: lack of affection.
Our bodies have a sense of needing affection. Not getting physical contact can lead to loneliness, depression, stress and health problems. Seriously, if all we have to do to stave off heart issues is hug, we as a society better get on it, and honestly, I can think of nothing better than how a good old fashioned hug feels. You know the ones that feel really good from someone that you like or who just knows how to hug, the ones that you can just fall into. Those are great, yeah we need more of those in the world. Really, it's scary that there is something out there called skin hunger that can be solved by just a little contact.
I also think that women suffer from more loneliness than before too, and I think a lot of that has to with the way that we communicate with each other: texting. Before texting I would call my best friend at least once a week if not more and I would see her at least three times a month if not more. I know that a lot of it has to do with our lives changing, kids etc., but I also know that a lot of it has to do with the texting. I know that I can call my friends,but sometimes it's just easier to text and in a way that's good, at least we're keeping up with each other, but at the same time, it isn't the same as having a conversation, we dig deeper and understand each other better when we have conversations and can convey feelings, which gets lost in texting, plus really do you want to have a good laugh in text or share it with someone? I prefer to share it with someone.
Hopefully by being aware of loneliness and lack of affection, we can start to do something about it. Start a conversation with a neighbor or call an old friend and get together, get into something together. We can't make it in the world if we're only thinking in terms of oneness, we need each other.
*You can find the link to the Hidden Brain podcast here and a few other articles about loneliness and lack of affection. If you have any ideas for a future blog or just want to comment,leave it below and follow me at ChristineLarran@Twitter.com
Finding Time
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| Yes, I know that this isn't a clock per se but I like that it says Time -O-Lite. If you know what this is leave it in the comment section and I'll let you know if you're correct! |
I think I've ran into a slight wall, but I'm sure that I can over come it. Getting here and writing is hard, especially without a proper production schedule, so now that I've got it in place this should be easier, although I'm still finding it hard to fit writing time in. I know that I have to adjust my scheduling a bit and get up earlier or stay up later, what I'm really finding hard is giving up time with my kid.
Although I think that's par for the course with any career, you have to give up a little time to get something out of whatever you're trying to accomplish. I guess more my problem is giving up the relaxation time, like plopping down in front of the t.v. or reading some bad magazine articles or texting with a friend. I'll have to give up my slack off time, which really in the long run I'm getting more things to do, keeping me busy keeps the depression and complaining about not being busy at bay.
I will start posting earlier now that I'm getting my footing and getting a routine down, every once in awhile there maybe some late posts or super early posts, but I think once I get my production schedule in order etc. things will flow on a better schedule.
Monday, March 19, 2018
What To Catch On TCM This Week - March 19-March 24, 2018
To say that I love movies would be an understatement. Movies are my favorite past time which is why I've decided that on Sunday's I'm going to post movies that I think are worth watching that can be watched on TCM. I'll give a summary and why I think it's worth watching. Some might be predictable, but I might bring a new insight into why it's worth watching and why it's considered a great film. I'll list the date and time of when you can catch a film on TCM and if it's available on other streaming services. I'll try to keep my list to about 15 films, sometimes I might go over or I might be under, just depends on what is on, I'm trying to make sure that it's worth your time and money to read it.
Bonnie and Clyde -Heavily influenced by the French Nuveau film style, writers David Newman and Robert Benton bring realism to the American cinema in this graphic biopic of Bonnie and Clyde. The cinematography mastery of Burnett Guffey is on full display in this film, from the fast shots of the bank robbing to the languidity of the Texas backdrop, he brings a realism that adds another character to the film. One of the best performances in this film comes from Gene Hackman as Clyde Barrow's older brother Buck. Hackman brings an understanding to why Beatty's Clyde is the way that he is. You can catch Bonnie and Clyde on Monday, March 19th at 6 PM, MST on TCM and you can rent it for rent on Amazon for $2.99.
Easy Rider-With Dennis Hooper helming this movie how could it not be great? This film ushered in a new generation of film making, American New Wave. It has a grittier feel that Martin Scorsese would pick up and use in Mean Streets. Easy Rider embodies the free wheeling of the counter culture and gives us an idea that America can and could be so much more than what it is. Easy Rider is on TCM on Monday, March 19th at 11:45 PM, MST. Free for streaming on the Sundance Now app and for rent on Amazon for $3.99.
The Big Sleep-This is was one of my dad's favorite movies, I can remember watching it with him out in our garage while he was working on his bike or one of his wood working projects. My dad loved Humphrey Bogart I can easily remember falling asleep to The African Queen on more than one occasion, but The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon were his favorites. He adored Bogart's Philip Marlowe that just wants to find the killer and get a young girl help. As a side note, Bacall and Bogart were still having a very heated affair which I think adds to the drama and sexuality of the film. The Big Sleep will be on Tuesday, March 20th at 9:15 AM MST on TCM and can be streamed on the TCM app and rented on Amazon for $3.99.
The Way We Were- I feel in love with this movie because of Robert Redford, but I came to adore it because of Streisand. Streisand's Katie is head strong with big ideals and she expects a lot out of people, especially the person that she loves.Unfortunately, Hubbel just doesn't want to work that hard, he just wants the affluency. But I think Gilda Radnor's character Lisa Loopner summed this movie up the best, "It's about a Jewish woman with a big nose and her blond boyfriend who move to Hollywood, and it's during the blacklist and it put's a strain on their relationship." Either way you can catch it on Wednesday, March 21st at 8:15 PM, MST on TCM and stream it on YouTube, Amazon, Vudu and Google Play for $2.99 and on iTunes for $3.99.
Annie Hall- Alvy Singer and Annie have just broken up and he's trying to figure out how it all went wrong. In the end he boils it down to that love is essential in life and you learn and things do get better. It's on TCM Thursday, March 22nd at 12:45 AM, MST and can be streamed on Amazon for $2.99.
An American in Paris-Gene Kelly is an American expatriate living in Paris that falls in love with a friend's girlfriend. It has some of the best musical numbers of any move and Gene Kelly is superb and it's just a very wistful movie. It's on Thursday, March 22nd at 12:00 PM, MST on TCM.
Casablanca- This movie is a classic for a reason and if you've never checked it out it's worth it. It's about lost loves and doing the right things when it matters. Ingrid Bergman is beautiful in this movie a stark contrast to Bogart's dark and brooding Rick. It's worth the watch and it's on March 23rd at midnight on TCM and also available on the TCM app and on Amazon for $2.99.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf- To say that George and Martha are having marital issues is an understatement. They drink to excess in front of guests and have extremely personal fights in front of them, pushing each other to the limits. This is one of Richard Burton's best performances and Taylor matches him for every punch. Thursday, March 23rd at 10 PM, MST on TCM. Available on Amazon for $2.00 and iTunes for $3.99.
The Odd Couple- There couldn't be two people worst suited to even be friends, let alone live together than Oscar and Felix. It's one of my favorite Jack Lemon performance's as the neurotic and controlling Felix Unger to Walter Matthau's wild and messy Oscar Madison. It's a fun watch and it's on Friday night, March 24th at 6 PM, MST on TCM and can be streamed on Amazon for $2.99 and on iTunes for $3.99.
Time After Time- Jack the Ripper steals a time machine from author H.G.Wells' home and escapes to 1979 to continue his bloody killing spree. I know that the premise sounds off the wall and cheesy, but for whatever reason it works and it's a good movie with Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen falling sweetly in love. Catch it on Saturday morning March 25 at 2:00 AM, MST on TCM and can be streamed on Amazon and iTunes for $1.99.
*I will be posting earlier, taking a minute to get back into the swing of things. You can follow me on Twitter @ChristineLarra and check out my Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/RecklessPress
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| Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker |
Easy Rider-With Dennis Hooper helming this movie how could it not be great? This film ushered in a new generation of film making, American New Wave. It has a grittier feel that Martin Scorsese would pick up and use in Mean Streets. Easy Rider embodies the free wheeling of the counter culture and gives us an idea that America can and could be so much more than what it is. Easy Rider is on TCM on Monday, March 19th at 11:45 PM, MST. Free for streaming on the Sundance Now app and for rent on Amazon for $3.99.
The Big Sleep-This is was one of my dad's favorite movies, I can remember watching it with him out in our garage while he was working on his bike or one of his wood working projects. My dad loved Humphrey Bogart I can easily remember falling asleep to The African Queen on more than one occasion, but The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon were his favorites. He adored Bogart's Philip Marlowe that just wants to find the killer and get a young girl help. As a side note, Bacall and Bogart were still having a very heated affair which I think adds to the drama and sexuality of the film. The Big Sleep will be on Tuesday, March 20th at 9:15 AM MST on TCM and can be streamed on the TCM app and rented on Amazon for $3.99.
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| Robert Redford and Barbara Streisand |
Annie Hall- Alvy Singer and Annie have just broken up and he's trying to figure out how it all went wrong. In the end he boils it down to that love is essential in life and you learn and things do get better. It's on TCM Thursday, March 22nd at 12:45 AM, MST and can be streamed on Amazon for $2.99.
An American in Paris-Gene Kelly is an American expatriate living in Paris that falls in love with a friend's girlfriend. It has some of the best musical numbers of any move and Gene Kelly is superb and it's just a very wistful movie. It's on Thursday, March 22nd at 12:00 PM, MST on TCM.
Casablanca- This movie is a classic for a reason and if you've never checked it out it's worth it. It's about lost loves and doing the right things when it matters. Ingrid Bergman is beautiful in this movie a stark contrast to Bogart's dark and brooding Rick. It's worth the watch and it's on March 23rd at midnight on TCM and also available on the TCM app and on Amazon for $2.99.
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| A night at the fights Taylor and Burton |
The Odd Couple- There couldn't be two people worst suited to even be friends, let alone live together than Oscar and Felix. It's one of my favorite Jack Lemon performance's as the neurotic and controlling Felix Unger to Walter Matthau's wild and messy Oscar Madison. It's a fun watch and it's on Friday night, March 24th at 6 PM, MST on TCM and can be streamed on Amazon for $2.99 and on iTunes for $3.99.
Time After Time- Jack the Ripper steals a time machine from author H.G.Wells' home and escapes to 1979 to continue his bloody killing spree. I know that the premise sounds off the wall and cheesy, but for whatever reason it works and it's a good movie with Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen falling sweetly in love. Catch it on Saturday morning March 25 at 2:00 AM, MST on TCM and can be streamed on Amazon and iTunes for $1.99.
*I will be posting earlier, taking a minute to get back into the swing of things. You can follow me on Twitter @ChristineLarra and check out my Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/RecklessPress
Sunday, March 18, 2018
pro-cras-ti-na-tion
With me procrastination can be an art form. Take today for instance, I knew that I had to get up and write, I got up late which means I got started on my hike late. Then instead of coming back and starting to write I watched the Hank Williams biopic I Saw the Light, (great if you like Tom Hiddleston, but just a little fuzzy on the Hank of it all) and then I decided that the couch covers needed to be washed and the living room swept and dusted. This is a typical routine that I employ to get out of doing the work. I come up with tasks to get out of working.
Even tonight I had months to download pictures and upload them to Flickr, but for some reason I decided that I had to get them uploaded tonight just to get out of working. I'm also one of those people that enjoys a hard deadline and yes, makes the deadline but sometimes doesn't start working on a project till that morning or the night before. It's a habit that I am working to break which is another reason for taking on 100 days of writing. I need to get into a daily practice of just doing the work. I enjoy doing the work when it comes right down to it and can get it done, it's just the getting there that's the issue.
It's like Steven Pressfield say's in his book The War of Art, "Resistance is the most toxic force on the planet. It is the root of more unhappiness than poverty, disease, and erectile dysfunction. To yield to Resistance deforms our spirit. It stunts us and make us less than we are and were born to be." Pressfield's right the only personthat you are hurting with your procrastination/resistance is yourself, by not even trying to do the work you let down the person that you could be.
Feel free to leave comments here and at https://www.patreon.com/RecklessPress and follow me @ChrisitneLarra on Twitter.
Even tonight I had months to download pictures and upload them to Flickr, but for some reason I decided that I had to get them uploaded tonight just to get out of working. I'm also one of those people that enjoys a hard deadline and yes, makes the deadline but sometimes doesn't start working on a project till that morning or the night before. It's a habit that I am working to break which is another reason for taking on 100 days of writing. I need to get into a daily practice of just doing the work. I enjoy doing the work when it comes right down to it and can get it done, it's just the getting there that's the issue.
It's like Steven Pressfield say's in his book The War of Art, "Resistance is the most toxic force on the planet. It is the root of more unhappiness than poverty, disease, and erectile dysfunction. To yield to Resistance deforms our spirit. It stunts us and make us less than we are and were born to be." Pressfield's right the only personthat you are hurting with your procrastination/resistance is yourself, by not even trying to do the work you let down the person that you could be.
Feel free to leave comments here and at https://www.patreon.com/RecklessPress and follow me @ChrisitneLarra on Twitter.
Friday, March 16, 2018
100 Days of Writing
It's been over a year since I've written here, mostly because I had to wrap my head around a few things, I started a new job and had to start putting my business together. Although really I haven't gotten to do much, mostly because I have been in somewhat of a writer's coma. I've had ideas about scripts, short stories, essays, etc. but haven't been able to get past the idea stage. I've decided to do a writing exercise to see if I can get things going again. I'm going to write everyday for 100 days starting today, March 16, 2018, until June 24, 2018. This is also a way to introduce my multimedia publishing company, Reckless Press, LTD.
This will also coincide with this blog moving permanently over to Patreon in the next couple of weeks. This wasn't an easy decision for me to make, but one that has to be done. I'm going to be using funds from this blog to help start my business.
In the next two weeks all blogs will be published here and on Patreon and then starting March 30, 2018 all blogs will be posted on Patreon. The only blogs that will be published publicly will be my Sunday and Wednesday blogs. Sunday will be my movie blog, This Week On TCM and Wednesday will vary.
Before you decide if you want to see how my 100 days of writing plays out, let me tell you about my publishing company and what I hope to achieve and why I think people will be interested in helping me to get this business going.
Reckless Press is first and foremost a publishing company. But this publishing company helps people. How does Reckless Press help people? First, I want to be able to pay authors for their works, a dream I know, but one I think I can make a reality. It may be a small advance for the author at first, but they will also receive part of the sales from the book. This is where things get interesting. With the sales of the book I would like for the authors to donate a portion of their profits to the charity of their choosing. I would also match their donation with my portion of the profits from the sales of the book. In this way the writer is helping a community that they care about and it is also a way for readers to give to a charity and better their communities. Reckless Press believes that the world can be a better place and that this is a big way to help make it better.
What makes Reckless Press a multimedia company is it will also be involved in podcasting and might branch out into producing how to and travel videos in the near future. A percentage of the proceeds from this part of the company will also go to charity as well.
The way that I will start generating money for charities is here on Patreon, a small percentage of what you donate will go to the PTSD Foundation of America. I've chosen this charity because it is an issue that hits very close to home for me. My younger brother is a military vet with PTSD. He did 18 months in Iraq and 2 tours in Afghanistan. He has lost many of his Army brothers to PTSD. He was just discharged from the Army after 12 years and only given 13 days to clear post. Perhaps I should give what I would donate to charity to him to help with moving costs? The only reason that I say a small percentage is that I will only be able to give 5% of what I raise here to charity, the real purpose for starting this page is for my business so that I can get it going so that I will be able to make bigger donations to charities in the future. If you want to read an article that I wrote about my brother, you can read it here A Soldier's Story
I'm hoping that you'll find what I write or what I'm doing interesting enough to donate so that I can take things to the next level and support more charities as Reckless Press opens up more. My first goal, after my 100 Days of Writing exercise/challenge (because it really is a challenge, 100 days.....) is to start podcasting. I love listening to podcasts and I'm hoping that people will want to listen to me. The podcasts aren't just me. The first one I want to start is with my friend Rebecca, it's going to be us talking about everything, from just what we talk to on any given day, fashion, politics, movies, celebrities etc. it just depends. I think we're funny, but you never know we could just be funny to each other, either way wouldn't it be fun to watch some people try something and see if they can make it work? If nothing else the podcast will have an interesting name: Gas Station Latte. Another podcast that I would like to do is called The Thing About My Art, where I'll talk with artists, actors, painters, DJ's, musicians, photographers etc. about their art, how they make it and what influences them to make their art. I'd like to also do two more podcasts, one that I might do with my daughter and my brother is called a Legit Moment in History, where we give a short dramatization of the moment in history and then talk about the effects it had on history, what our thoughts are on the moment in history, and what impact it still has on the world, and Cannabesties with my friend Michelle where we talk about all things Cannabis (products, laws etc.) talk to people in the industry and go on cannabis adventures (like the time that we looked for Michelle's car in Boulder for 20 minutes....). These are just some of the ideas that I, and a few others, have been thinking up. All of these can change and become something else, these are just ideas, a starting point.
The major goal that I want to work on at Patreon is getting Reckless Press's first publication rolling. I want to print a literary anthology by the end of the year. My goal besides finding authors to publish, is to publish a yearly anthology made up of different authors short stories and poetry based on a central theme. This year's theme is Science Fiction. Why Science Fiction? I really enjoy good Science Fiction, and good Science Fiction is usually written during times of social and political strife, I want to see what people are thinking about and how they express it in their writing. I would like to start taking submissions when I have 100 patrons donating.
My overall goal with my media company is to give readers good literature. There is good literature out there, but I believe there are more writers out there that might not want to go the mainstream route and that will want to do something a little different to get published. I think this will bring more diverse writers into the world and give voices to people who never thought that they would be published. I really want to cultivate writers that are diverse and that want their writing to have an impact on their communities and society. The Reckless Press website, (which should be up and running by April) will have information on what types of manuscripts that will be accepted and information for submitting to the literature anthology.
Another main goal that I have is to establish a brick and mortar location.This is a goal that might not happen for quite a few years, but it's still a goal that is worth mentioning. It would be a place the front is a coffee shop/book store to help fund our charitable donations and in the back are the offices, recording stations, art spaces and a photography studio. Maybe we'll offer a few writing and photography classes. I really want to make it into a place for artists and budding businesses to come alive. I know that it might sound like a utopia of sorts, but I think that if I can help artists and other businesses, I can help communities that might not get the help that they need other wise. I've always wanted to help the world around me and this is my way of doing that. I just hope that this project is interesting enough to get people to help fund it.
Onto the 100 Days of writing! The rules are pretty simple, I have to post something everyday on my Patreon blog for 100 days, it can be one sentence or one word, but I have to post everyday for 100 days. It can be a photo essay but I still have to writing of some type to go with it. I can write about movies, politics, script ideas, short stories and poems, I just have to write for 100 days. I can't have a guest blogger or use anything from anyone else, this has to be all my own writing. I can post interviews but mostly I will probably do a lot of essays, political op ed pieces, etc. This is a starting point to get me back into the habit of writing as I've been blocked (actually stunned is more like it and we all know what I'm talking about) for quite awhile. I'm not looking to publish my own writing with my publishing company but I'm hoping that my writing will get other writers interested in Reckless Press. This is more to get people interested in a writing community that gives back.
So in a nutshell that's everything that I'm trying to make happen. Here's the link to my Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/RecklessPress and you can find me on Twitter @ ChristineLarra
This will also coincide with this blog moving permanently over to Patreon in the next couple of weeks. This wasn't an easy decision for me to make, but one that has to be done. I'm going to be using funds from this blog to help start my business.
In the next two weeks all blogs will be published here and on Patreon and then starting March 30, 2018 all blogs will be posted on Patreon. The only blogs that will be published publicly will be my Sunday and Wednesday blogs. Sunday will be my movie blog, This Week On TCM and Wednesday will vary.
Before you decide if you want to see how my 100 days of writing plays out, let me tell you about my publishing company and what I hope to achieve and why I think people will be interested in helping me to get this business going.
Reckless Press is first and foremost a publishing company. But this publishing company helps people. How does Reckless Press help people? First, I want to be able to pay authors for their works, a dream I know, but one I think I can make a reality. It may be a small advance for the author at first, but they will also receive part of the sales from the book. This is where things get interesting. With the sales of the book I would like for the authors to donate a portion of their profits to the charity of their choosing. I would also match their donation with my portion of the profits from the sales of the book. In this way the writer is helping a community that they care about and it is also a way for readers to give to a charity and better their communities. Reckless Press believes that the world can be a better place and that this is a big way to help make it better.
What makes Reckless Press a multimedia company is it will also be involved in podcasting and might branch out into producing how to and travel videos in the near future. A percentage of the proceeds from this part of the company will also go to charity as well.
The way that I will start generating money for charities is here on Patreon, a small percentage of what you donate will go to the PTSD Foundation of America. I've chosen this charity because it is an issue that hits very close to home for me. My younger brother is a military vet with PTSD. He did 18 months in Iraq and 2 tours in Afghanistan. He has lost many of his Army brothers to PTSD. He was just discharged from the Army after 12 years and only given 13 days to clear post. Perhaps I should give what I would donate to charity to him to help with moving costs? The only reason that I say a small percentage is that I will only be able to give 5% of what I raise here to charity, the real purpose for starting this page is for my business so that I can get it going so that I will be able to make bigger donations to charities in the future. If you want to read an article that I wrote about my brother, you can read it here A Soldier's Story
I'm hoping that you'll find what I write or what I'm doing interesting enough to donate so that I can take things to the next level and support more charities as Reckless Press opens up more. My first goal, after my 100 Days of Writing exercise/challenge (because it really is a challenge, 100 days.....) is to start podcasting. I love listening to podcasts and I'm hoping that people will want to listen to me. The podcasts aren't just me. The first one I want to start is with my friend Rebecca, it's going to be us talking about everything, from just what we talk to on any given day, fashion, politics, movies, celebrities etc. it just depends. I think we're funny, but you never know we could just be funny to each other, either way wouldn't it be fun to watch some people try something and see if they can make it work? If nothing else the podcast will have an interesting name: Gas Station Latte. Another podcast that I would like to do is called The Thing About My Art, where I'll talk with artists, actors, painters, DJ's, musicians, photographers etc. about their art, how they make it and what influences them to make their art. I'd like to also do two more podcasts, one that I might do with my daughter and my brother is called a Legit Moment in History, where we give a short dramatization of the moment in history and then talk about the effects it had on history, what our thoughts are on the moment in history, and what impact it still has on the world, and Cannabesties with my friend Michelle where we talk about all things Cannabis (products, laws etc.) talk to people in the industry and go on cannabis adventures (like the time that we looked for Michelle's car in Boulder for 20 minutes....). These are just some of the ideas that I, and a few others, have been thinking up. All of these can change and become something else, these are just ideas, a starting point.
The major goal that I want to work on at Patreon is getting Reckless Press's first publication rolling. I want to print a literary anthology by the end of the year. My goal besides finding authors to publish, is to publish a yearly anthology made up of different authors short stories and poetry based on a central theme. This year's theme is Science Fiction. Why Science Fiction? I really enjoy good Science Fiction, and good Science Fiction is usually written during times of social and political strife, I want to see what people are thinking about and how they express it in their writing. I would like to start taking submissions when I have 100 patrons donating.
My overall goal with my media company is to give readers good literature. There is good literature out there, but I believe there are more writers out there that might not want to go the mainstream route and that will want to do something a little different to get published. I think this will bring more diverse writers into the world and give voices to people who never thought that they would be published. I really want to cultivate writers that are diverse and that want their writing to have an impact on their communities and society. The Reckless Press website, (which should be up and running by April) will have information on what types of manuscripts that will be accepted and information for submitting to the literature anthology.
Another main goal that I have is to establish a brick and mortar location.This is a goal that might not happen for quite a few years, but it's still a goal that is worth mentioning. It would be a place the front is a coffee shop/book store to help fund our charitable donations and in the back are the offices, recording stations, art spaces and a photography studio. Maybe we'll offer a few writing and photography classes. I really want to make it into a place for artists and budding businesses to come alive. I know that it might sound like a utopia of sorts, but I think that if I can help artists and other businesses, I can help communities that might not get the help that they need other wise. I've always wanted to help the world around me and this is my way of doing that. I just hope that this project is interesting enough to get people to help fund it.
Onto the 100 Days of writing! The rules are pretty simple, I have to post something everyday on my Patreon blog for 100 days, it can be one sentence or one word, but I have to post everyday for 100 days. It can be a photo essay but I still have to writing of some type to go with it. I can write about movies, politics, script ideas, short stories and poems, I just have to write for 100 days. I can't have a guest blogger or use anything from anyone else, this has to be all my own writing. I can post interviews but mostly I will probably do a lot of essays, political op ed pieces, etc. This is a starting point to get me back into the habit of writing as I've been blocked (actually stunned is more like it and we all know what I'm talking about) for quite awhile. I'm not looking to publish my own writing with my publishing company but I'm hoping that my writing will get other writers interested in Reckless Press. This is more to get people interested in a writing community that gives back.
So in a nutshell that's everything that I'm trying to make happen. Here's the link to my Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/RecklessPress and you can find me on Twitter @ ChristineLarra
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