Carl L. Williams: The Interview

Carl L. Williams was a fantastic way to round out the first quarter of the year. Ed Vela, Fernando Dovalina and Carl Williams are all well acquainted with each other's individual bodies of work, all having been members of Scriptwriters/Houston, competing playwrights and friends for many years.

Carl is a native Houstonian and graduate of the University of Houston. He started his career in technical writing before making a transition to social work with the Salvation Army, where he spent 28 years. Carl told me that the writing bug has always been him, however, and he started writing short stories under Sylvan Karchmer (1911-1991) at UH. It was fellow writer Chris Woods who encouraged him to start writing plays.

We spoke of the many play writing competitions that Houston (and other cities) have to offer and of the progression of writing a ten minute play to a one act play to a full length play. Carl told me a bit about the many unpublished novels he excelled at before finally finding his niche. He did manage to get one Western published, Fool's Play, but insists there will be no follow up novel despite favorable reviews.

Writer Carl L. Williams
Courtesy Carl L. Williams

Don't miss his play, Author's Anonymous, premiering at Theatre Suburbia this Summer! Auditions are coming soon, so check their website for more information.

Writers Laura Romero and Carl L. Williams
Photo Property of Laura Romero

Without further ado, please enjoy interview with Carl L. Williams (click the link to hear the interview).

To see a full collection of Carl's plays: www.doollee.com
To read more about Fool's Play: Fool's Play
To contact Carl L. Williams: carlw49@msn.com

Fernando Dovalina: The Interview

Fernando and I met and had a traditional Mexican breakfast at a little Taqueria not too far from the home he shares with his husband, Barry. What was comfort food to Fernando was just downright delicious to me. After we were sufficiently full and caffeinated, we headed over to his home where I was made to feel more than welcome, and I continued to pick his brain about life as a journalist and playwright.

Fernando and I could have spent hours talking about the two years he spent in Beaumont in the 1960's (I have family out that way). But as it was, we had to move on and talk about his work in Fort Worth before eventually settling down in Houston. Fernando has had a varied and wonderfully fascinating career in journalism alone, but now he has ventured into play-writing.

In play-writing, Fernando has studied under Edward Albee and Stuart Ostrow. He has collaborated with J T Buck to write the book for the musical, Gospel According to Tammy Faye, had several of his plays produced in the Houston area and is active in Scriptwriters/Houston. As if all these accomplishments weren't enough, Fernando is now working on his first novel(s).

Fernando was more than gracious to open his home to me and subject himself the multitude of questions I had printed out for him. He was full of funny and very touching stories, He was humble and patient. He never rushed me even though I probably kept him longer then he expected.

Fernando Dovalina and Laura Romero
Property of Laura Romero

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing Fernando Dovalina. (click on link to listen to the interview)

Please visit Scriptwriters/Houston for more information on upcoming events (including the Home Plays you heard about in Fernando's interview)

Look up Fernando's plays at Doollee.com

Ed Vela: The Interview

I recently sat down with my dear friend Ed Vela. Ed is a Houston-based playwright, screenwriter and the creator of the popular YouTube series, Dad vs Lad. I met Ed nearly 20 years ago, if you can believe that, when I was trying to pursue a career as a stage actress. We had a great time reconnecting over coffee and talking about the events of the last few years. 

For me, it was all about the kids, my heart procedures and my recent pursuits as a fledgling writer. For him it was all about his times in L.A., his new web series and his achievements with his screenplays. (Congrats again!) We could have talked forever about how to create the perfect  onstage conversation or how dreadful the editing process is or even how much we both hate stage parents, but I figured a marathon long interview wouldn't go over for my first podcast.

What you won't hear in the interview is what Ed is best known for; his teasing. I brought my (nearly) 14 year old son with me to meet the illustrious Ed Vela and he didn't disappoint. After they got to know each other, they got along famously, just as I knew they would. 

Writer Ed Vela with my son, goofing off

And he couldn't have been a more gracious host. We were together for more than three hours just talking about each other's lives and the art of writing. What could be more glorious than that?

Writer Ed Vela and blogger Laura Romero (me!)

Ladies and gentlemen, Writing 12 in 12 presents its first interview: Ed Vela! 

(click on the link to listen to our interview)

Ed Vela Interview

To contact Ed Vela:

edvelawriter@gmail.com
www.bigdogplays.com
www.normanmaineplays.com
Dad vs. Lad
www.doollee.comThe Quill that will Thrill

Je Sui Charlie - For the Writers of Charlie Hebdo

Unfortunately we find that tragedy can sometimes bring out the best in us. When gunmen burst into the offices of a satirical magazine yesterday in France and killed 12 of their employees, they probably had no idea that the world would rally together and cry out, "Je Sui Charlie (I am Charlie)" in support of Charlie Hebdo.

Among the twelve French citizens murdered was an officer who was there to protect the editors and cartoonists from just such an attack. Eleven others were wounded. All of this from a difference of opinion.

It is one thing to have a piece of paper say that we are protected. That we can say and print whatever we want. That freedom of speech is a right that is granted to all citizens. And yes, France grants that right to all its citizens in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen just as the First Amendment of the Constitution protects our right to freedom of the press. But nowhere does it say that someone can take that right away from us. Not the government, not the people and certainly not masked gunmen.

I admit that I am not well versed on satire. But here is what I do understand.

Satire is using humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule to expose someone or criticize their weaknesses. Especially political or contemporary figures. Right? (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/satire)

Ok, well irony is the expression of one's meaning to signify the opposite for an emphatic effect. (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/irony#irony)

Granted, I'm not a language scholar, or even a master of the written word. But the terrorists (and that's what they are, I don't care how you slice it) may have been prompted to kill the people of Charlie Hebdo for drawing a picture of the prophet Mohamed as the editor-in-chief of their magazine. So, in a way, they killed their own prophet by killing the editors and the cartoonists who created him.

Therefore, Je Sui Charlie for all the cartoonists and writers of Charlie Hebdo. The whole world is standing with you.

http://www

.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/je-suis-charlie-trends-people-4935086

End of Year Review - 2014

And so, as all good things tend to do, we come to the end. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. Writing 12 in 12 has been an experience I am so very grateful I put myself through. In the first six months I learned a lot about myself and about my limitations. What I liked, what I didn't like, what I thought I was good at, what I realized I was terrible at... And so forth.

I got my very first rejection letter this year. That was both the most exciting and horrifying moment in my career thus far. I have cried at each and every subsequent letter I have gotten. I have also printed each one out and placed them very carefully in a bright yellow folder labeled "One Step Closer". One day I will get one that says, "Congratulations, Laura!" and I will cry and have to create a brand new folder to start filling up. I haven't decided what to label that folder or what color it will be.

The last six months were more difficult than the first, though they only proved to strengthen my decision to be a full time writer. I ended up not getting very much done this summer. I had two heart catheter procedures. One was exploratory and the other was to fix an abnormality that was causing severe chest pain. So between the doctor's visits, hospital stays, bed rest, pain, side effects, and kids' summer vacation I never got around to finishing anything I started. 

In September I took some time off to do research for an idea I couldn't get out of my head. I did try my hand one more time at sci-fi/fantasy writing but still couldn't wrap my head around it. I envy you sci-fi and fantasy writers. I guess I just don't have the chops for it. I always end up writing a horror story. 

Which is exactly what I did in October. The short story I created for this particular contest earned me the last rejection letter of 2014. I'm not sad about it. It has strengthened my resolve to be a better writer. And also to recognize that just because I like something, doesn't mean the entire world is going to. There will be a place for me one day. Seriously though, my short story just wasn't ready for the world. 

But it soon will be, thanks to the fantastic writing group I joined. 

NaNoWriMo was almost a success in November. My husband told me to look at it this way; I was closer this year than I was last year. If it hadn't been for a killer migraine and really nasty chest cold (which I don't suggest if you've had previous open heart surgery, I don't care how long it has been) than I honestly think I could have made it to 50,000 words. 

I'm still working on my December challenge. The due date isn't until January, so I hope you won't think that makes me a cheater. Writing is still writing, right? And I'll let you know if I add to my collection of rejection slips or start 2015 off with a brand new folder.

What are your New Year's resolutions about writing?  Share them in the comments below. 

I am going to finish the first draft of my first novel. 

I am going to write something a minimum of five days a week. It is my (low paying) job, after all.

Happy New Year from Writing 12 in 12.

December Writing

November has come and gone and what a month it was. It was a whirlwind of activity in our household! From birthday highs to illness lows, I feel like we were run through an obstacle course but we came out of it (somewhat) healthy, (not at all) wealthy, and a little more wise.

We began the month celebrating my birthday with a Monster Movie Marathon with our closest friends. Then I tried my hand a second time at NaNoWriMo. I had the worst migraine I have had in years somewhere in the middle of the month. Then we had a quiet family celebration for my husband's birthday. My son and I caught a ruthless head cold just before Thanksgiving, but that didn't stop us from enjoying some quality family time and turkey (but we kept our germs to ourselves). And now I have a lovely Christmas tree to look at for the rest of the season.

So, how did I fare in NaNoWriMo? Well, thanks to the migraine and the head cold, I never truly got caught up after I fell behind. I started off strong, reaching 25,000 words by the middle of the month; right on target. But by the end of NaNoWriMo, I had written only about 30,000. Am I disappointed? Of course I am. But 30,000 is still about 20,000 more than I wrote last year. And I still plan on finishing my book and (hopefully) going on to the publishing phase . Now, whether that will be going the traditional route or self publishing remains to be seen. Perhaps that will be a topic one month for next year's Writing 12 in 12...

Speaking of next year, just because this is the last month of my challenge, doesn't mean that Writing 12 in 12 is going away. I have plenty of surprises in store for next year, so stay tuned!

For December I have narrowed my choices down to three things:

Great Old Ones Publishing is accepting submissions for stories about cryptids. They are looking for original stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words to include in an anthology. Be creative and be unique are their top requirements. Visit their site for information on how to submit.

Highlights Magazine is looking for mystery stories up to 750 words. This is a children's magazine so the stories can't include crime, violence or derogatory humor. Visit their site for more information.

Litro Magazine's February issue will be centered around 'Diaries'. What do diaries mean to you? They accept short fiction, flash fiction and nonfiction. Visit their site if you are interested in writing about 'Diaries'.

I'm not sure what will inspire me this month, or any month, so I have learned to keep my options open. December is always  busy, what with the holidays and all. At least I still have a few weeks until the kids get out of school to get to work.

How do you plan on balancing your writing and your holiday celebrations this year?

For me? I'm hoping to get rid of this nagging cough. And also to get as much done as possible before the kids are out for their winter break.

Writing Hurdles

Sometimes situations arise that prevent you from being able to write. Be it family, illness, other obligations or even something that is just plain more fun than writer's block, we can't always commit to our daily dose of screen time.

What do you do to get caught up?

Recently I found myself bed bound with what was quite possibly the worst migraine I have had in recent years. I literally stayed on the couch for day one, in bed for days two and three and made it back to the couch for day four. And nothing was making a dent in the pain. So you can forget about even thinking about the story I was writing for NaNoWriMo.

I had started the month off two days behind because we celebrated my birthday with a Monster Movie Marathon during Halloween weekend. The rest of the month of November, I had managed to get caught up on my words. The goal is to average about 1,667 words a day in order to meet the 50,000 word goal at the end of November. The ultimate goal, of course, is to have the first draft of a novel done at the end of the month and the 50,000 word count is the average length of the average novel.

You can imagine my added frustration when I lost so many days to a freakin' headache!

How do you get caught up when you fall behind on your writing goals? I am having to start my days earlier and end them later until I get caught up. And I find that I am adding a lot more trivial details to my novel that will probably get cut in the editing process, but that's okay. This is just the first draft and a little stream-of-consciousness writing never hurt anybody. Leave me your comments below. I would love to hear from you.