For those of you who have yet to hear, and there will be plenty of announcements, phone calls and emails going out over the next few days and weeks, I am now engaged to be married to Jenelle Tosaya. We're both happy and excited and already laying the groundwork for the wedding ceremony. Neither of us want to spread out the engagement period all that long, so it may just be a matter of months before it happens. It'll be a small, outdoor occasion, hopefully, and we're going to be in a whirlwind until then, no doubt.

www.jrvogt.com

It's always a challenge when one particular line in a story or poem just evades you. You grab for it, dig for it, beg for it. But no good. It sits up on the high rocks like the egg from an eagle's nest and mocks you. Wait. Eagle eggs don't mock people. Crap. Going to have to work on my analogies.

Anyways, been niggling at this poem all day like a loose tooth. Maybe if I print out the draft I have so far and stick it under my pillow, the poem fairy (didn't know there was one of those, didja?) will leave me a bright, shiny, new poem in the morning. Either that or I'll wake up covered with paper cuts and with a crumpled printout. Hmm. An experiment.

On further news, I'm getting a full blown website in the works. I have a great friend, Becca, who is going to apply her amazing website guru know-how to help me find a web presence that doesn't deserve a paper bag over its face. The link for it is on the right here (jrvogt.com), so keep an eye on it for updates and face-lifts to come soon. Once we get the basic structure going, I can start getting actual content in there, maybe post a few stories and suchlike.

I see that smile.

            I write fiction.  Especially the fantasy type.  I try to make it as real and logical as possible, even for systems of magic and other worlds.  There are many then that claim Christianity is no less fantasy.  So considering the effort that I put into creating these stories, what convinces me that those things in the Bible I believe in are not just stories as well?  Why dont they rank up there with Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, dragons and elves?

            Also, how do I portray this to others so that they are steered towards the faith I hold dear, rather than being distracted by all the magic and fantastic creatures within a story?  Obviously, I cannot ultimately force a persons interpretation or final extraction from a story.  That is their choice, and on that I can only pray that the Holy Spirit will do its work as it always has, independent of human failings.

            Ayn Rand has successfully portrayed her beliefs and worldview through the vehicle of prose.  If you have ever read any of her work, youve seen how powerful and compelling her stories are.  Her characters represent the ultimate human achievement, strength, intelligence, self-reliance.  She has affected millions by creating the Objectivist worldview, and she is hailed by many as a proponent of modern thinking and philosophy. 

So in creating my stories, I need to focus on the fact  that what I do is a manifestation of gifts God has given me, rather than a substitute or true alternative to the faith I have lived with so far.  It is an extension, rather than a replacement.

What themes then, might I strive for in the fiction?  What do I want people to be able to come away with after reading a story, more than just the plot twists and clever (or not so much) descriptions?

Hope is a big one for me.   I see so much hopelessness in the world today, that if people can be imbued with a desire to continue fighting, to believe that there is something beyond the evils we struggle against in whatever form, then despair will never win.

Freedom in truth is huge.  I have, by virtue of being a rather bad and habitual liar as a child, come to recognize the value of trust, integrity and so on.  Trust and honesty are foundational aspects of relationships, love, courage and freedom.  Truth truly sets us free, not only from the shackles of deception, but also free from self-constraint, from the lies we make ourselves believe about ourselves, such as our worth, our faults, our inadequacy and so on. 

In pursuit of that one theme, which I see time and again in the stories Ive written so far, I have villains who tell truth up to the 99 percentile, and then imbue it with 1% of poisonous deceit, which destroys the value of what they do and what they inflict on others entirely.  Lies are never worth telling, because they only further the trouble when they are uncovered. 

So, hope, truth.  Love.  Not only in what others consider the smarmy, chick-lit or those romance novels where youve got impossibly muscled men who somehow look good in pink satin on the front covers.  Love between friends, love and sacrifice, even for ones enemies.  Love that uplifts and anchors one in life.  Love gives us purpose and joy.  It makes us weep and hurt because if we love those who are suffering, we want to do all we can to remove the pain and cause of it. 

The characters are not demi-gods, nor are they perfect in any way.  They each have weaknesses, just as any of us have weaknesses.  They are flawed as we are, and they stumble and struggle with one another despite their best intentions.  There are many more I could address, but these three themes are broad enough that they can be found and imbued within any story, however fantasaical or unrealistic it might be. 

Not only atheistic writers such as Ayn Rand used this method, but realize even Jesus himself used fiction to present truths in a more approachable and applicable manner.  In the way of parables and stories from his own time and culture, Jesus appealed to peoples love of a good, compelling story.  He used all the methods any good storyteller should.  Protagonists, antagonists, conflict, tension, suspense, climax and resolution. 

I recognize and believe that all truth ultimately comes from God, and no amount of twisting or distortion will change the foundation of that.  Keeping the perspective of what is real and eternal allows us to approach the fictional entertainment without getting sucked into the half-truths, or entire fallacies it is laced with.  We become more secure and shrewd in picking out what should affect our lives and what we should cast aside.

My faith then, comes in believing that moral values, portrayed through fiction, can make a difference in a reader.  Perhaps it might plant a seed that is watered through life and flowers later on.  Or perhaps it provides an alternate view of life that a reader never considered or accepted until they go through the story and come out wishing they could experience that manner of hope, freedom or love in their lives. 

I can pray, and I can write.

So, some definite things have been happening here lately.  First and foremost, Jenelle Tosaya (who you can spot lurking around under the profile name "You Know, What's Her Face," and I have decided that we've got some major love issues with each other and have started working on this long-distance relationship thing.  Be praying for us if you would, that we make wise decisions in all this and are able to stay connected despite me being in New York and her being in Colorado.  Though she is coming to visit near the end of August.  Woohoo!

Also, I've managed to land a job, which is a real answer to prayer.  Thanks to everyone who has been such encouragement and support during the past couple of months.  I am going to start my new job on August 7th, with Simon and Schuster (www.simonsays.com).  My title is Copy Assistant, and I will be working in the Advertising and Promotional department with the seven book catalogs they produce.  It'll be quite the workload, but I'm looking forward to it.  A lot of writing, editing, and also managing all the freelance writers who work for them.  It is good knowing I'll be able to pay my bills, and won't be hopping around from temp and part time jobs.

I'll be subletting through August, and then looking at finding a more permanent apartment situation come September, depending on how the job/payment situation is going.  Lots to do, but this summer has been full of so many blessings and answers to prayer, I am overwhelmed.

God bless.

Tree roots dig deep.  And as much as it is touted on commercials, banners and sports memorabilia, diet coke just won't keep the branches strong.  Water is what refreshes, and no substitute, no matter how many electrolytes it has, is going to work in the long run.

In the same way, it is easy to drink from the wrong fountains in life.  It is easy to grab what is quick and a sugar-spike rush for the morning bustle onto the subway.  It is easy, it is convenient to hit the vending machine for flavor, instead of kneeling by the river and cupping the water up to our mouths. 

It is easy to bow our backs against the work, to bull ourselves against the business of each day, until we are just swimming the flow and are numb to the cold.  There lies the danger of losing focus on where we're even trying to get to.  This life can suffocate if we don't come up for air every so often and remember there is a deeper reality to what we push ourselves through.  A thread of eternity we can cling to, even when everything is trying to push and pull us away from the truth of who we are and what we believe.

It is simple faith.  Childish, in fact.  I find many people equate childish things to immature.  But children hold a perception of the world I think many ache to recover once they've drunk bitter dregs and have scrunched up their eyes against hope.  My little sister Christa...sure, she doesn't understand calculus and she isn't able to discourse on ancient greek philosophy.  But she is the most joyful bundle of life I've ever seen.  So never be afraid of being called childish.  Take it as a compliment.  Laugh and love, and drink deep.

It's the waiting and indecisiveness, not from other people, but myself, that gnaws me down in the end.  Oh, I am excited...thrilled to be precise.  At this point, a literary agent is wanting to discuss sending one of my fantasy manuscripts around to some publishing editors.  This could be the turning point where my hours of typing on the keyboard actually turns into something with page numbers, cover art and can be bought in Barnes and Noble, or on Amazon, whichever you prefer. 

What is a literary agent, I hear some asking.  In essence, they represent the author and play lawyer for them when presented with a publishing house's book contract.  They also have all the contacts in the publishing world, and so know what editors to send the manuscript to so it has a likelier chance of being accepted.  So, if some editor did want to buy and publish my story, this agent would read the whole freakin' contract, make sure I wasn't selling my soul and first-born child in the process...and likely find a way to insert some clauses that will make the whole venture more profitable for me via royalties and the advance.  Of course, agents do take...what is it...a 15-20% cut on the deal.  But that is good motivation for them to get a better deal for the author.  (By the by...never ever ever work with an agent who tries to get you to pay them!  Bad, nasty, scamming agents!)  Ahem.  Sorry. 

Anyhoo, the details of networking and a week's worth of emails aside, I've got this agent who has deemed the writing and story as "very good."  After reading my whole manuscript and series synopsis, she then sent me some edits and suggestions and told me she'd be out on a business trip until next Tuesday, at which point she will get back in touch and discuss our arrangement.  Exciting?  Yes.  Oh, yes.  When The Six Bard Sing has life being breathed into it, and not through just my mouth. 

Stay tuned is now the theme of the day.  The writing business is so much Hurry up and Wait syndrome.  Edit and revise and send stuff out as quick as can be...but then wait a couple weeks before something comes back, whether a yay or nay.  Not that I'm complaining now.  Oh, no.  Just wondering how I am going to keep my sanity until the middle of next week.  Being in New York City will help a bit, but there's only so much heart two-buck slices of pizza can soothe.  Patience is a rat nibbling on a live wire. 

What's it like here, in NYC?  Busy.  Loud.  Fun.  Way too many food options.  This program, being about a week into itself, has been wonderful.  Our speakers aren't professors from NYU, but actual professionals brought in from big publishing houses such as Random, Penguin, HarperCollin, etc.  They've been bombarding us with all the most up-to-date info on the publishing industry and showing us what it is really like to be a part of the book-making world. 

There are about 90 of us in the program, and for the first three weeks we are divided into ten teams that act as independent publishing houses to produce a book line.  It has been fun, but lots of work so far.  Out of the 90 people, 78 are women, and so I am the lone guy on my team.  But it has been great.  I like my team, and everyone is involved in such creative brainstorming. 

Tonight, yes, was my b-day.  23 years old.  Thanks to everyone who has been messaging, emailing, calling.  Trying to stay in touch with folks, even with the hectic schedule.  About seven of us from my group decided to hang out tonight and celebrate my b-day with dinner.  We found this cool little Thai place a couple blocks from the NYU dorms.  Good food, we each tried a little wine as well. 

So, it is dark outside, the busses are running everywhere and not too many people out on the streets.  Got a light drizzle going, and all the buildings are lit up around us.  I like the atmosphere, and maybe some of you all can visit and experience it with me sometime in the future.

Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement.

I always find it interesting when the literary crosses over into the visual.  Books are often made into movies (though never quite as good, it seems).  So what are short stories made into?  Short films. 

Being the geek I am, I stumbled across this short film entitled "They are made out of meat" based on a short story of the same name, by Terry Bisson.  Yes, it is a science fiction bit.  Yes, it is a little weird.  But we all need a little weirdness to stave off boredom from time to time, right?

Enjoy, my friends.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=V-NAvPzdjj0&search=they%20are%20made%20out%20of%20meat

And just for kicks, here is the short story in its original form. 

http://www.terrybisson.com/meat.html

Is the literary version better than the video?  You decide.  Be the judge.  Do whatever you freakin' want.