Sinking In?

Posted on 4 August 2010 by Erik Hare | 15 Comments

Is the Depression becoming internalized? It may just be a feeling or it may be the people I know, but I’ve been seeing a lot more symptoms of depression in the world around me. Friends and acquaintances have detached themselves gradually from the hyper-connected world and pushed back on anything not right in front of them. Some are clearly having trouble coping with even simple things that they used to enjoy. Calls and e-mails are rarely answered with any kind of consistency or speed.

I wanted to discuss this because if this is true the only way out is old fashioned talking about it. If it’s not true, I may need a new circle of friends.

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Improv

Posted on 2 August 2010 by Erik Hare | 5 Comments

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.”
– William Shakespeare (As You Like It)

It’s a trite phrase, a fairly obvious cliché more than 400 years old. Yet like so many of these little sayings it has only stuck around this long because it holds a certain truth. We each have defined roles we play out, hoping that they both fit into the bigger production even as we standout as the star in our own monologues. Where the saying fails, however, is the lack of a written script implied by the credit given to the Bard. A play has to seem true and make sense – but life is rarely just as we like it. Life is more of an improv act.

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Mythnology

Posted on 28 July 2010 by Erik Hare | 8 Comments

Truth, like fire, takes many forms. There is a harsh truth that burns everything it touches and a softer truth that has the mysterious spark of life at the core of it. And then there is the basic truth of the universe that is as irrefutable as the waves of cosmic radiation that constantly washes over us, unfelt and unseen.

Many kinds of truth are best explored through fiction. That’s what is at the heart of my new project, Mythnology. I’d like to take some time to explain this new novel, the interaction I hope will guide it, and an a way that writers can connect directly to their readers. If you like what you see, please subscribe – and tell your friends!

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Cat Pride

Posted on 26 July 2010 by Erik Hare | 6 Comments

Munchie wasn’t a bad cat, but he had a reputation. His name probably came from his habit of jumping up on counters and tables, eating anything that was left out. Bread, crackers, you name it – all for Munchie. When his second or third family were moving, Munchie was handed off yet again. He found himself in his fourth home in about as many years, suddenly living with cats who didn’t know him at all. They weren’t exactly thrilled. Neither was Munchie, who had a tendency to be crazy all night long, running and yowling.

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Character Development

Posted on 23 July 2010 by Erik Hare | 7 Comments

Stories that stay with us are often built around strong characters. Consider for a moment any story that you have enjoyed, either in book form or on film or from an exchange among friends – what is it that you remember the most? Odds are it will be the Harry Potter or Gatsby or someone’s strange uncle as much as the meanderings of the plot itself. They are the star of the show, the person we either relate to or want to be like or at least would like to know. Set them up, and the situation of the plot often moves forward through the force of their will.

Less obvious is fact that this also guides the non-fiction world. Entertainers carefully craft their public persona, as do politicians and even nooze commentators. Understanding how to do this can make a blog much more compelling.

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