Sunday, January 18, 2015

Writer interview (Part 3)/ Dynacor Media



Dec. 15 Writer interview (Part 3): Here is another interview with an imaginary host interviewing me.  This was written over a period of a few weeks in Nov. 2014 before I typed it up today.

It’s kind of therapeutic like I’m talking to a counselor. 

Host: So it’s been awhile since you went to the Counselor #3.  It was in your blog post “counseling/ should I continue into TV production?”  Since then you put up 3 emails/ blog posts a week.  It used to be 1 post a week about writing and now it’s 2 posts a week about writing.  Why is that?

Tracy: If you look at my “Anita Shreve/ Northwest Angle/ digital version” post, you can see I’m battling writer’s block.  I put up book reviews to know the stories and author interviews to know the creative process.  I have expanded to paid writing articles:

“Writing off magazines/ bad writing”:


I also put up a post about self- publishing “Melissa Leong’s self-publishing (Part 1)”:


Host: So what about paid writing?

Tracy: The articles were kind of sad because the reality is that it’s very hard to be a writer that gets paid.

Host: Do you plan on self-publishing?

Tracy: I don’t have a book to self-publish.  I have a completed screenplay The Vertex Fighter and 2 blogs.

I know when to narrow and widen my focus.  For 3 yrs, 2008-2010 of constantly pitching my script.  Then I got laid off from the Soup place and I was busy looking for a job and then working.  In 2014, I widened my focus with putting up book reviews, author interviews, paid writing articles, and self-publishing articles in my blog.

You don’t know this, but after I put up the articles on my blogs, I then put the newspapers into a big envelope and give it to my co-worker Je.  At first I cut out a few comics and articles in the news about superheroes and zombies like The Walking Dead.  But now, I decided to throw in those book articles too.

Usually my inspiration comes from watching good TV shows like Once Upon a Time and The Mentalist.  Or checking out new shows during the fall and mid-season.  I also read TV shows and movie reviews in the newspaper.

Host: So what’s the feedback on the “writing” posts?

Tracy: None of my friends or blog readers have made any comments about why I post 2 blog posts a week about writing.  It’s rare that my friends email me back and people comment on my blog.  I can see people read my posts by my page views.  I can only imagine their feedback like:

“Put up more non-fiction book reviews, because I prefer to read non-fiction.”

“Put up more fiction book reviews, because I prefer fiction.”

“Write about something else like the news more often.”

I don’t know, it’s my speculation.  I also speculate friends and blog readers are like: “Wow, Tracy sure cuts out a lot of news articles about writing.”

Host: Are you still cutting out news articles about writing?

Tracy: Yeah, but I’m more selective.  I have written about this before around 2013, I got laid off in 2010, and I start reading the newspaper more often because I had more free time.  I look for a job a lot, but it doesn’t fill out the whole day.  I found good articles and I cut it out.  In 2010-2012, I cut out a lot.  By 2013, I really need to not cut out so much.  Now it’s 2014, and I am creating the digital version by putting all these articles up.  In a way, it’s like people putting up pictures up on the cloud.

I’m going to mainly put up all these old articles from 2010-2012 because they’re old.

Host: So you put up all these articles about writing.  So have you beaten writer’s block?

Tracy: I haven’t written any scripts.  I did expose myself to all these books and authors, paid writing, and self-publishing, but I haven’t written a script.  I put these articles up and write my opinions on it.

Host: So what happens when you finish putting up all these writing articles up on your blog?

Tracy: I don’t know if I can finish putting up all these articles.  I did cut out some writing articles in 2013 and 2014.  Not as much.  At the very least I tried and expanded my mind by rereading all these articles.  And I decluttered and got my friends and blog readers reading these articles.

After all this, I haven’t found my life direction.  Career wise.  I didn’t beat writer’s block.

Host: Did you really think that you would get your groove back, life direction, beat writer’s block, find your inspiration and motivation back in all these news articles about writing?

Tracy: Yeah.  Well is there anyone here who thought it was so out there that I was reading writer’s articles to get inspiration and motivation to write?  I was inspired, but not enough to write a script, continue pitching my script, or get my writing career going.

It’s one of those things where you have to try and act on it, to see how it goes.  It’s like going to a job interview.  You can prepare by researching the company, anticipating questions, rehearsing answers, and then go to it.  After the interview, they may decide to hire someone else.  At least you went to the interview and acted on it.

At least I tried to be inspired to get my writing career going by putting up all these writing articles up.

Dec. 16 Dynacor Media: Yesterday I was sick.  I remember this time way back in 2012: The Year of New Directions where I started applying to TV production companies.  I talked to my friend A on the phone and she asked why I didn’t do this sooner.  I did way back in 2008.  It was around Apr.- Jun. 2008. 

Yesterday I went on my blog and started looking for it.  I thought I wrote about it.  I edited some spelling mistakes on posts, and put titles to my posts that were missing titles.  I read through Apr.- Jun. 2008 posts and then some posts before and after that time. 

I can’t find the job interview.  I might as well say it now.  I did an interview at Dynacor Media.  I took a taxi to the interview.


Jan. 4 Publishing companies: I am now looking for a job at publishing companies.  I thought: “Did I look for a job at publishing companies before?”  I looked it up on my blog and I did in 2012.  I remember the name of one company Lone Pine Publishing, but I don’t remember applying.  That’s why I encourage all of you to keep a blog or a journal. 

It’s to keep track of the passage of time.  You never know what you forget.  What if you have amnesia or Alzheimer’s?  


Lone Pine Publishing is really far away from where I live.

No comments: