Inspiration from Neil Gaiman

Posted on October 15, 2012 by BuddahDesmond611

Image courtesy of the Loony Archivist Neverwhere site.

The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like. (That may be a rule for life as well as for writing. But it’s definitely true for writing.) So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best you can. I’m not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter. ~ Neil Gaiman, “8 Rules of Writing,” Brain Pickings

Only you can write the stories that lie within you. With trust, confidence, and belief in yourself (and your talent), you can pull back the veil and unleash them unabashedly, freely, and authentically. You have free reign to tell your stories as best as you see fit. But you have to tell them. Don’t shortchange them. Don’t hold back. Don’t let them linger too long. Let their life bleed onto the page with zest, vigor, and urgency. Just write. Let it out. You’ll be glad you did.

The featured quote (above) is one of Gaiman’s 8 rules for writing featured by Maria Popova on the Brain Pickings site. Be sure to check out the full list. It’s yet another excellent resource for writers.

Inspiration from Zadie Smith

Posted on October 13, 2012 by BuddahDesmond611

Image courtesy of the New York University site.

Protect the time and space in which you write. Keep everybody away from it, even the people who are most important to you. ~ Zadie Smith, “10 Rules of Writing,” Brain Pickings

Zadie Smith, one of my favorite authors, has provided a gem of wisdom regarding the time and space in which we write. The time and space in which you write is a precious commodity. This is where you delve deeply into yourself and allow the creativity to flow onto the page or the computer screen. You want to respect yourself and your craft enough to provide the solitude that’s necessary to do your best work. It’s essential that you find a time and carve out a space that’s free of distractions and that contains all the tools and resources you need to be productive. I believe this is an essential aid to being disciplined, honest, and fair to yourself and your craft. Remember that this is for you and the benefit of your writing (and your writing career, if you so chose to have one). Keep it to yourself. This is one time when you shouldn’t feel guilty about being selfish.

The featured quote (above) is one of Smith’s 10 rules of writing featured by the insightful Maria Popova on the Brain Pickings site. Take a moment to read the full list. I’m sure you’ll find the rules to be both eloquent and useful.

101 Days Project: Politics, Social Issues, Inspiration from Writers, & Other Passions

Posted on October 5, 2012 by BuddahDesmond611

You know those times when you’re on a website and you see a category that appears to be a dumping ground for all the content that couldn’t fit into any of the other more descriptive categories? It’s like the miscellaneous category (though they usually don’t call it that). Well this last commemorative post for the 101 Days Project may appear to be that way. Although, I’d like to call it the “Potpourri” category. It also sounds better (and serves as an ode to Jeopardy). “Potpourri” highlights a variety of posts on politics, social issues, writing advice, and some of my other passions (like cooking and tea). Since I did not write as many posts within each highlighted area (as I did for poetry, music tributes and reviews, anecdotes, and inspirational writing), I thought it made the most sense to combine these into a hybrid category of sorts. I probably delve into social and political issues more so when I’m not writing on my blog. But I’ll hopefully be able to share more of this writing in the future.

Please check out the following:

Politics & Social Issues:

Inspiration From Writers:

Other Passions:

101 Days Project: Prevail

Posted on September 24, 2012 by BuddahDesmond611

One of my biggest accomplishments this year has been the release of my first book Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics. Prevail was self-published through iUniverse and released the summer of 2012. Prevail is an eye-opening collection of poetry inspired by personal experiences, history, culture, and social issues of the last 10 or 12 years. Varying in subject matter, voice, and tone, this work touches on the ups and downs, highs and lows, trials and tribulations, and the many facets of life, love, and politics during this time period. With a style that is, at times, proselike, unconventional, raw, and in-your-face, Prevail seeks to offer an underlying message of strength, persistence, and triumph.

The feedback on Prevail has been quite positive, thus far. There’s nothing like sharing your work and seeing it have an impact and connect with others. Nothing can describe the feeling.

I’ve shared a number of poems from Prevail on my blog and some other posts related to promotional opportunities for the book. If you haven’t had the chance to check them out, please do.

Remember, no matter happens in this life–we must PREVAIL!

Other Prevail Poems:

Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics is available at iUniverse, Amazon (Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle), Barnes & Noble, Book-A-Million (Paperback | Hardcover), and other retailers.

101 Days Project: Poetry & Prose

Posted on September 24, 2012 by BuddahDesmond611

I think we’re truly blessed to have so many creative ways to express ourselves. The catharsis that each creative method provides us is invaluable. Writing has always been a reliable method (one of several) for me to address various situations in my life and the lives of others. While the subject matter isn’t always pleasant, I try to find something positive about it. And if I can laugh or joke about a situation or event long after it’s happened–I call that progress. During my 101 Days Project, topics for my poetry and prose hav run the gamut–love, sex, heartbreak, freedom, and family (to name a few). Check out some of my favorites:

Day 100: Aaliyah—Tribute to a Princess

Posted on September 12, 2012 by BuddahDesmond611

Image courtesy of the African Limelight site.

Missing you so…

Haven’t been right since The Creator called you home.

The fact that your presence will never grace us again is still so unreal.

The exalted one—yes, you were.

One in a million—yes, you were.

Your spirit and the legacy you left behind—yes, it will go on and on.

You came on the scene at the age of 15 and immediately captured everyone’s hearts.

Something about your soul, your style, and your sound that struck a cord.

It also set you apart and made you seem so much older than what you actually were.

You went on to become one of the most sought after entertainers of the day.

You created musical magic with R. Kelly and again with Timbaland and Missy Elliott.

You didn’t need to follow the trends—you set them.

You left us spellbound with your beautiful, angelic voice, intricate dance moves, and extraordinary, inspired music videos.

You had us in a trance while watching you on the big screen in your first major film role.

Undeniably, it was your talent and your magnetism that made you one of the brightest

stars and had industry insiders saying you were the one to watch.

And just as you were getting ready for what was being called the next big phase of

your career, you were called home.

We were grief-stricken, in denial.

We couldn’t believe you were gone.

We thank God for you.

We thank God you were blessed to wake up each day to do what you loved.

And we were happy and blessed just the same.

How could we forget an entertainer who was so influential in such a short period of time,

And one who will forever be regarded as one of the best of her generation?

The exalted one—yes, Aaliyah was.

One in a million—yes, Aaliyah was.

Everything Aaliyah gave—yes, forever, it will go on and on.

Day 97: Making Dreams Happen

Posted on September 6, 2012 by BuddahDesmond611

Image from OutWrite 2012 in DC, taken by Author Donald Peebles

When everything else falls short, our dreams are sometimes the only things that can pull us through. When you wake up each morning and go to bed every night yearning to break out and bring your passions to life, you’re eventually going to have to make a decision. Either you’re going to continue living a life unfulfilled or you’re going to commit yourself to working towards a fulfilled life where you achieve your dreams. I’m glad that I finally made the decision on November 27, 2011 to make a serious push towards achieving one of my lifelong dreams.

On November 27, 2011 I submitted the initial draft of my manuscript to be self-published through iUniverse. For at least three years, I’d been toying with the idea of publishing my first volume of poetry. For whatever reason, I was conflicted. I take that back. For several reasons, I was conflicted. I’d given so much of myself away to my job and school and other entities outside of myself, that there didn’t seem to be much time or energy left to focus on what truly mattered to me. I doubted my talent and wondered if I really had what takes to make it. And I got caught up in others’ and society’s expectations of what I should be doing with my life. I found myself trying to adhere to standards and live a life that I didn’t want and that didn’t fit me personally. I suffered because of it and had to work to rebuild and get myself back on track.

So in the months leading up to submitting my manuscript, I eventually said, “Fuck it!” I was tired of being depressed. I was tired of doing things I wasn’t passionate about and could really give two shits and a side of fuck about. I realized that there was no better time than right now to go after what I wanted. I couldn’t blame anyone else but myself if I got to a point in my life where I was completely frustrated, disappointed, and angry about what I did and did not accomplish. The blame would definitely fall within no realm but my own if I committed to the quest of living the life dictated by others. So I went to work. I did research on how I should go about getting my work published, talked with friends and others about their experiences publishing and what advice they had for me moving forward, and continued nurturing my craft. And in roughly six months time, my book Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics was available for public consumption.

It fills me up with so much pride and joy seeing my book in print. It’s a major accomplishment, and I’m glad I finally pursued it. Now that my book is out, work hasn’t stopped. I’m still writing, networking, and planning for signings, readings, and other appearances to promote my work and myself. I’ve also begun work on my next project (more on that in another post, I promise). The focus for me is becoming a full-time writer. Outside of my writings about music, entertainment, pop culture, I’m most interested in writing about the human condition and the many things that we experience in our day-to-day lives. My writing—be it poetry, song lyrics, short stories, or prose—can, at times, be raw, confrontational, and confessional. As people who’ve read my writing have said, it’s engaging and it’s real. I’ve long since realized my style is not for everybody. However, if my writing resonates and touches just a few people, then I’m on the right path.

While writing is one of my passions, the dreaming doesn’t stop there. I’m in the process of achieving two other dreams. The first is finishing my MBA (which will be completed December 2012) and the second is becoming a voice over actor/artist (which I’m training for as we speak). And I have others, that, in time, I will continue to nurture and work to achieve.

It’s great to have dreams. We should all be encouraged to dream. But nothing is sadder than when we don’t go after or put in the work to make our dreams come to life. It’s critical that we do not let anything or anyone (and that includes ourselves) stand in the way. And you can’t give up if success doesn’t happen immediately or happen in the way you think it should. Always be open and flexible to what the universe may bring you. It may be better than anything you ever dreamed or anticipated.

Whatever you do—keep dreaming and keep achieving. Live your destiny.

Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics is available at iUniverse, Amazon (Paperback | Hardcover & Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Book-A-Million (Paperback | Hardcover), and other retailers.

Day 95: Inspiration from Chinua Achebe

Posted on September 4, 2012 by BuddahDesmond611

Image courtesy of the Chinua Achebe FB page.

I believe myself that a good writer doesn’t really need to be told anything except to keep at it. Just think of the work you’ve set yourself to do, and do it as well as you can. Once you have really done all you can, then you can show it to people. But I find this is increasingly not the case with the younger people. They do a first draft and want somebody to finish it off for them with good advice. So I just maneuver myself out of this. I say, Keep at it. I grew up recognizing that there was nobody to give me any advice and that you do your best and if it’s not good enough, someday you will come to terms with that. ~ Chinua Achebe, 99U & The Paris Review

When it comes to writing, if you want to get better at it—write. Just write. And keep writing! Believe in yourself and what you’re writing and do the very best that you can when writing. There simply is no other way. You must continue to work at your craft. Write, rewrite, edit, revise, finalize, and repeat as many times as it’s necessary. Don’t be scared to do the work. It will pay off.

You have everything you need within you already. You must trust what lies within. It will very rarely steer you wrong. And write about what you feel. Write about what moves you. Write about what you’re most passionate about it. Let that be your guide. Write from your heart first. Be critical about it later. Use the feedback you get from others to help fine-tune and guide your work. But please, don’t take it personally. If you can do this, everything should fall in place.

Don’t be scared to take risks either. You never know how it may help you grow not only as a writer, but also as a person. If it proves to be a bust, so be it. It’s still a learning lesson that will help guide you as a writer and as creative being as you move forward.

Day 94: The Ultimate

Posted on September 2, 2012 by BuddahDesmond611

Your tongue dances all over my body.

Your kisses walk upon my face.

Your hands swim into my skin.

Your valley is my playground,

once I enter I never want to leave.

Your love saved the stomach of my heart from being

love-starved.

Your mind nourishes my mind.

Your body is the sculpture of my passion.

Your are the essence of perfect love,

And I am your reciprocal makeup.

We are two rivers,

Connected by a stream of love.

We flow into each other–

Sharing, giving, transporting, and providing nutrients,

nurture, and nourishment.

The ultimate is this existence of love.

Day 85: You’ve Got It Now (No Excuses)

Posted on August 21, 2012 by BuddahDesmond611

No excuses now.

The room to spread—space to grow is there now.

You didn’t have to ask for it this time;

Fell into your hands—

Like a blessing.

You’ve been ripe for a while.

It’s time to bear the fruit of the burning desire

And willingness that lies within you.

Be your best self.

Do your best work.

The opportunities will be endless.

You’ve got it now.

Buddah Desmond

Author of Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics

Category Archives: Writing