Nigia Stephens's Blog: Correction

I'm feeling strange this week, in between happy and pretty damn sad. It's super hot in New York City and a ton of both great and awful things have happened. I find it's getting pretty hard to speak my mind without someone close to me getting upset at how I really feel about issues in the world. More and more I'm seeing its best to say nothing, just get work done. Actions speak louder than words, getting trapped in debates, talking very real about stuff I don't give a damn about, tends to advertise those issues and keep us polarized. I'm thinking more action and less talking is needed from everyone. Do the things we enjoy doing and support the causes we want to support and that's it. Become a verb, write that book, finish that poem art work or what have you. Anyhow, no one came to earth in "Zen" mode but Christ and reincarnated Lamas. Finding your center is a practice, its called that in every meditative discipline. Sometimes we can hit the nail and be compassionate and mindful and sometimes we don't and that's got to be fine.
Just thinking out loud about things.

It's the end of the world on Friday!

I posted an excerpt of my new steampunk novel I'm now calling "Arms of Angels."
http://nigia.blogspot.com/2012/12/exc...

I'd love some feed back.

I may sit in a poorly lit room hidden deep in the Earth next week and finish writing my book.

What's your plan?

For writing help, here are two of the best talks I've seen. Very awesome. They have helped buoyed my writing. I hope this helps any of you that are eager to create worlds. A good male friend posted one and I've seen the other years ago. Chimamanda Adichie is the first and soon after is Isabel Allende. TED talks are a great source for learning a great many things. Search the site. It is an education form writers, scientist and thinkers that we may never be able to meet otherwise.
Enjoy.

http://www.ted.com/playlists/62/how_t...

http://www.ted.com/playlists/62/how_t...

I posted an excerpt of my new steampunk novel "Gold Veil Angel" on my website at http://goldveilangel.com/writing.html
I'd love some feed back. It's a good saturday to write and take long walks. The writing part comes first.

I sometimes find that I must be partially distracted to do art or write. A movie that's a bit quiet that I've seen eight hundred times dose the trick. "I Am Legend" is working for me today. "The Professional" will be next. I sooo hope they NEVER remake that one. It is perfect.
Anyhow, I think the distractions help shut down my inner critic. I can keep the flow going then, I'll give what I have after three or so chapters to copy editors and friends to flush for typos I didn't catch and to see if it works. It was something I learned from my first novel, go it alone for a while, then, ask for help to make sure there is continuity and order to a point. "Angel" feels so good to me now. I can't wait to finish it!

Story ideas come easy to me. Its the birth of the things, writing them down, that's pretty hard. Yet, this new Steampunk idea is moving nicely. It's an older story I'd written that I am breathing new life into. It's starting to flow. Maybe the cheap sake I'm drinking is helping? I think it's more to do with the charecters themselves. When they start to move in my brain its like watching a costume drama. It's all good.

‎'Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as writer.'

Ray Bradbury

For Christmas, I was given a gift card from Barnes and Noble. I brought the book Savage Beauty the collection of radical fashion designs by Alexander McQueen. This book is directly from the exhibit by The Metropolitan Museum of Art here in New York.

I’d forgotten how important it is to not just feed my muse for writing and art but to feed it the right stuff. Gothic and harsh clothing peppered with images from animals to sea life to actual horns and shells tell amazing tales. I’m no fashion slave but the book is like paging through thousands of magical stimuli, the wild images triggers both the storyteller and the artist in me. Life last years was challenging for me and will be so as I get older I’m afraid.
So, two of my three New Years Resolution is that I swear to feed my muse not just new and exciting things but to give her what she likes and to have way more fun.

http://store.metmuseum.org/exhibition...

I'm listening to Dead Can Dance via Pandora.com. It's playing The Kiss from The Last of The Mohicans. I think the best test of a great score is when you saw the film once but the score instantly stirs some form of inspiration or deep passion inside you the moment you hear it again. The last track from the soundtrack to the movie Gladiator just ruins me. I have to hold back the sobs. I'm a sap, I know.