Ask Chris
This is an experiment. I’m feeling a bit dry on the creativity side, so I’m turning to you, my readers.
What would you like to hear me talk about? Write about? I’m asking you to ask me questions. Give me topics. I’m dyin’ up here. Post them in the comments, and I promise I will answer all of them that I can in upcoming posts1.
You know I run a podcast about geek life with Kris Johnson. You know I loved Campbellian Hero Myth from The Round Table. You know I write code for Mahalo and Podiobooks.com, and you know I talk about alternative spirituality with Michelle Belanger on occasion.
I’m hoping you can help me kickstart my muse and get writing again. Help a fellow geek out, wouldja?
So…hit me. What do you want to know?
Update: Great advice from Jared Axelrod on misplacing your muse.
You need to take off those little petticoats you’re wearing right now, strap on your man-pants, and suck it up.
He was kidding, but it’s still exactly the right thing to say. You don’t get creative by waiting around for it.
- Unless they are too silly or offensive. I mean, really.[back]
April 16th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
What isn’t inspiring you right now?
What do you want to write? Why?
When you don’t write, does it bug you?
You seem to enjoy traveling out west for work. Do you feel more or less creative when you return home?
Have you used the messaging in Bitstrips? It’s perhaps my single favorite feature, and I just can’t get over how awesome it is. I’m going to send you a message right now, so you can see what I mean.
Have you ever had a line from a non-existent song stuck in your head? Happens to me all the time. Currently it’s “maniacle maniacs stop to say hello”. What’s that about?
April 16th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Are you reading now? What? I find when I read, the ideas come – I’m inspired.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Something I’m considering right now with my own stuff, though it might be a bit self-absorbed: Have you taken a look back through stuff you’ve done so far? Like, start from as far back as comfortable, and move forward.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Brainstorm your upcoming panel at Penguicon.
Talk about your approach to weight loss.
Ramble on about Cleveland.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Ever think of writing about mahalo? How do you go about achieving a job like that in Cleveland Ohio, and what is the remote development environment like? Plus I’m sure Calacanis wouldn’t mind
April 16th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
why don’t you write about not feeling inspired? That helps me sometimes! Another thing that works is reeding all the stuff you’ve written in the past, it gives the feeling of “this is cool, i wanna writte more things like this one”.
Good Luck Master Chris!
Greetings from Mexico!
April 17th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
I’ll second hutch’s suggestion.
I’m a new reader of yours, but am intrigued that you live (here) in Cleveland and work for Mahalo. I was digging through some of your entries, trying to tie strings together…
April 18th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Why not track the hero’s journey through modern movies? Or if you’re doing geek life, what is geek food?
April 18th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
I always have story ideas and never follow through with them. Mad Max-type stuff, time travel stories, whatever.
After having been crushed by the cancellation of the amazing TV show The 4400, I started thinking about how I could write something in that vein. Not fan-fic, but an original story with some of the same themes, and a powers-oriented sci-fi plot that’s less comic booky than heroes.
Who am I kidding? I’ll never do it. So take it or leave it, there’s an idea.
April 19th, 2008 at 12:41 am
I’d like to hear about your man-pants.
….
…some jokes should not be attempted.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
[...] week ago, I asked for people to submit some topics that they’d like to hear me write about. Some of my comrades in the Cleveland Programming [...]