Blood Child and Other Stories by Octavia Butler:The Character of Octavia Butler and her Characters

This is an overview of the writer Octavia Butler. If the mood serves, I will add further links and discussions to the stories themselves.

There are a number of glowing recommendations elsewhere (Tananarive Due discusses her meeting with Butler at Essence), but few tackle what about Butler makes her worth reading.

I, more or less, agree with the New York Public Library on which books to start with. Allow me to add a few, small explanations:

1. If you're more of the character- or literary-type, start with Kindred. It deals with an African American in an interracial relationship. She time-travels between the antebellum South and the twentieth century.
2. If you want speculative wows, go with Wild Seed. It's been awhile since I read it, but it was a strange kind of love story between two god-like immortals.
3. If you're a writer or you want to get a sense of the author, your best bet is Blood Child and Other Stories.

I met Butler at and was drawn to the Clarion Writer's Workshop, in part, to study with her. One of my favorite photos of the time was a picture of her and me walking back from the workshop through Seattle. The sky, usually overcast and rainy, was a bright blue. She stood tall with her short-cropped head tilted back in a laugh, I was absorbed by the sidewalk, head down in concentration. I may have told a joke and forgotten about it as quickly as I'd told it--as I tend to do, especially then--and moved on to the next thing.

We got along well, and I recorded an interview with her which I still hope to someday locate (I had moved around frequently after the interview). She had a soft, back-of-the-throat voice. As I told her then, her characters have much to be admired.

She had won a MacArthur Genius Grant and smiled that she thought she knew who gave her [nominated her for?] that.

Her finest ability as a mentor was to inspire. Much of what she told us that first day, she covered in the essay "Positive Obsession"--a goad for writers to keep trying. Not included in that essay, she talked about how she'd watched The Devil Girl from Mars, and she started writing because she knew she could write something better than that. She would have been seven or eight at the time. I always wanted to watch that movie to see what the young Butler saw as a child.

The essay is worth reading whenever a writer needs a pick-me-up.

ETA: To get an additional sense of Octavia Butler that builds what I've written here, here is an article at Open Culture [coincidentally published today as well], which includes motivational notes to herself:

"Tell stories Filled with Facts. Make People Touch and Taste and KNOW. Make People FEEL! FEEL! FeeL!"

They say she was twelve when she watched Devil Girl, so she must have watched it in some rerun form in the late 50s, not during its original release. I'm not sure how common that was then. Possibly she saw it on TV. 

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Photo By Nikolas Coukouma
CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=602976

Some writers spend a great deal of time developing and describing their worlds. Butler, instead, focuses on her characters and allows the world's strangeness to be viewed through them.

Here's her opening line from "Blood Child":

"My last night of childhood began"

We are clued immediately into a coming-of-age tale. In the next paragraph, the family relationships (three characters)--over whether one sips an egg--are laid bare:

I lay against T'Gatoi's long, velvet underside, sipping from my egg now and then, wondering why my mother denied herself such a harmless pleasure. Less of her hair would be gray if she indulged now and then. The eggs prolonged life, prolonged vigor. My father, who had never refused one in his life, had lived more than twice as long as he should have. And toward the end of his life, when he should have been slowing down, he had married my mother and fathered four children.

We aren't told why the world is what it is, but we gain glimmerings and sense a tension between the different characters over whether they would sip from an egg.

In "The Evening and the Morning and the Night" she again simultaneously shapes two characters in one tiny paragraph:

I won't describe the ward. It's enough to say that when they brought me home, I cut my wrists. I did a thorough job of it, old Roman style in a bathtub of warm water. Almost made it. My father dislocated his shoulder breaking down the bathroom door. He and I never forgave each other for that day.

We have two characters responding differently to the same things. Note that she doesn't describe the ward. Description isn't Butler's thing. Besides, we've seen wards before. Readers should supply their own. Instead, the world is experienced through the bodies of her characters.

A similar but different scene occurs in "Speech Sounds" where in an apocalyptic world a cop and a bus passenger meet and exchange communication through a series of hand signals since they cannot communicate otherwise. They each have a slightly different approach to the other--at first. Gradually, we learn why they are wary.

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When Octavia Butler gave a reading after our workshop, a young African American man stood to ask a question. Deferential, he clearly respected her. I forget his exact question, but it was political, Usually so sweet, Butler became aggravated, not quite angry. Perhaps she was tired of having to represent in a certain manner. Instead, her answer turned what was an overly simple perspective into a complex one.

Much as I felt for the young man, I loved her answer. You can sense this aspect of complexity in her two later narratives--"Amnesty" and "Book of Martha." When people try to pin down her characters, they shift perspectives into complex positions, so that over-simplification is difficult. I recommend these stories for those more interested in Butler as a person than as the stories being exemplars of the field.

These two factors--characterizing deftly and not surrendering to simplicity--are two key strengths that contribute to her being well esteemed. It's nice to read writers who field a few strengths well, so writers realize that they don't have to be perfect at everything.

Two more factors pushed her good works into being her best: First, her characters were poised in a barrel about to tumble over a great waterfall. And second, by the end, we'd feel like she'd examined an issue with every possible lens, from every possible angle. Could there be anything simpler or harder to emulate?

Review: Live To Write Another Day by Dean Orion

Live To Write Another Day
A Survival Guide for Screenwriters and Creative StorytellersDean Orion
Sky Father Media
Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Members' Titles

Dean Orion has written an atypical yet nonetheless useful volume for writers with plenty of encouragement and new ways to look at the lifestyle. The title contains more information than it appears:

• "Survival" indicates not plot/character/setting advice but advice to keep your writing lifestyle going.
• "Screenwriters and Creative Storytellers" indicates a broad range of writers who use story, but most people will automatically think "novelist" when they think of writers. Orion has made his career writing scripts for movies (bought but not produced) and for video games. This alone should help open writers' eyes to the broad possibilities out there if you want to be a writer.

The book is divided into the following sections:

1. "The Writer Gene" -- the "gene" is the desire to write stories (although if you don't write for extended periods, you may not be a writer).
2. "The Art of Procrastination" -- just because you're not writing does not mean you're not writing. He sees writer's block differently. It's part of the creative process that will help you get through the problem you've encountered. The key: Don't get anxious about not writing but use it to inform you.
3. "The Write Environment" -- Find different places where you only write. He used a business office after hours so it was a place he had to go to write. (Great idea.) You need to get rid of distractions and temptations. The writer only needs a desk, chair and an outlet. But sometimes you need to change that location to reinvigorate creativity.
4. "Writer's Block" is a myth. You just need a creative solution. The solution exists. Your brain may naturally go through these processes in seeking the answer. Simply relax and trust that it's there in the big picture, and find the process to get there. Use similar situations you've come across in your or other people's writing. Your problem may have occurred earlier in the story.
5. "Tuning in the Radio" -- Story's have a perfect form. Research so you don't panic later. Take a broad range of notes without limiting yourself. Write down notes, then concepts, then create your story outline. The story doesn't have to be perfect. You'll fill in the blanks as you go along. Use index cards or a whiteboard so you can view and rearrange things as necessary. Dig deeper into characters. Interview similar people around you. Write one line for each scene and see if the story flows.
6. "This Draft's for You" -- Don't share your work until you have a first draft (I recall Larry Niven did, though). Use this story to exorcise problems or feelings. When you give the story out to be critiqued, make sure it's ready for outside influence.
7. "The Art of Giving Notes" -- Notes mean "critiques." Be ready to give good notes and you'll be ready to take them. Accept other people's feeling. Let them feel like they're a part of your team. Don't just offer problems but concrete ideas (some writers get positively irate when they receive concrete ideas, but I'm with him on this--not that a writer has to do "X" but seeing what a critiquer means is useful). Be empathetic and humble because it's hard to see our own flaws. Ask what's the big picture, how clear is it. Look at setups and payoffs, as well as character wants and motivations in each scene.
8. "The Art of Receiving Notes" -- Orion is a script writer so he has to be open to changes. Allow stories to be in a constant flux, state of change. Anything can go. Value the critic's opinion and pass over ones you don't find useful. Which notes can build on your story's core theme?
9. "The Art of Executing Notes" -- Forget the notes on the rewrite. Use your index cards or whiteboard to rewrite major changes. Let go of any scene. How does each change add to your story core? Consider giving the note giver your outline before executing.
10. "Writing Partners" -- Use trust, respect and commitment. Set ground rules. Be together for brainstorming. Be willing to sacrifice and compromise.
11. "Pitching Stories" --  Be able to express yourself verbally and on paper. Pitches are performances of character, with hooks. Be open and flexible to whatever happens.
12. "Writing for Hire" -- Gather your writing samples together. This is a group project, not yours. The critic or note-giver is always right. He's the employer. Shape the notes according to your vision. Same with writing classes. The teacher's always right. Keep your passion projects going to feed your soul.
13. "Art vs. Commerce" -- financial success does not = writing success. Luck is important. Be ready for luck. Success = writer gene + process. It's a long haul. You define your writing success. Is your story the best you can make it?
14. "The Write Community" -- Surround yourself with writers to exchange energy, ideas, and moral support.
15. "Live to Write Another Day" -- He ends with motivational advice about your career. Don't play it safe. Be your own hero. Record your culture's history.

You may not have heard of Dean Orion before, but he's made this his career and has useful advice worth paying attention to. Grab a copy, study and apply to your own writing habits. I've read it twice, skimmed it and plan to read it again.

Need another ten years of life? Play games?

Game designer Jane McGonigal claims to give you an extra 7.5 minutes of life, but her speech lasts 19 min. (Joke.) Actually, she claims an ten years of life.

The speech is interesting although you could probably do other things than gaming to get similar effects.

Here's a summary to save you more time and life:

Post-traumatic growth (some people grow stronger after tragedy--they have this attitude):

1. My priorities have changed. I'm not afraid to do what makes me happy.
2. I feel closer to my friends and family.
3. I understand myself better and I know who I really am now
4. I have a new sense of meaning and purpose.
5. I am better able to focus on my goals and dreams.

I would add that some people are jerks and let it go. They're probably confused thinking they're saving their job, their kid, or the world. Let it go. As soon as you can. This doesn't mean you should allow evil, but if they let you, give them the benefit of the doubt. (Must remind myself of this.)

Tackle tiny goals to boost will power.
Improve/test these 4 areas everyday:

1. Physical Resilience
2. Mental Resilience (tackling mental challenges boosts will power)
3. Emotional Resilience (baby animals -- 3:1 positive emotions)
4. Social Resilience (touch/gratitude) -- like and want to help others.

Links: World News & Science

World Current Events

9 questions about Syria you were too embarrassed to ask

9 questions about Egypt you were too embarrassed to ask

Science

Thank asymmetry, you're alive! (among other quirks of physics)

Studying other languages puts hair on your chest--as well as a major source of 12 vitamins and minerals.  Actually, it is good for the brain's re-wiring.

Now you can play your friend's video games, too--through your friend's brain

Softly Killing Science Fiction through Science

Sunshine Technopolis: Southern California’s Utopian Futures by Gregory Benford

Motivation

5 Things Mentally Tough People Don’t Do

Emerson on motivation

"[Writers] must do the work with the faculty that he has now.  But that faculty is the accumulation of past days. No rival can rival backwards.  What you have learned and done is safe and fruitful.  Work and learn in evil days, in insulted days, in days of debt and depression and calamity.  Fight best in the shade of the cloud of arrows."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson 

from First We Read, Then We Write 
Emerson on the Creative Process 
Robert D. Richardson 
University Of Iowa Press

8 to Great: The Foundation

These are notes and reflections on the book by MK Mueller that may 1) inspire you to purchase it for yourself or 2) tell you that it's not for you, or 3) if you already own and read it, engage you in a conversation that you can continue in your head or in the comments below.

Like most first nonfiction books, the first chapter has flab--trying to sell you on the book, saying how wonderful it is. But it also has some food for thought: that your power is dependent on your attitude or your mental state. If feeling 95% good, you're working at 95% efficiency. There's some truth to this, but at the same time, teachers (or students) will have bad days. The main thing to focus on is that not everyone has the same opinion. Try not to let one poor encounter infect other encounters. Keep smiling. If you pretend like it's not there, the feeling will go away faster.

In summary, Mueller advises we imagine the future we want, take risks to get it (overcome fears), own past mistakes, don't bottle up feelings, and communicate honestly.

FGH: Mueller says to Forget the past, be Grateful for something in your present circumstances, and maintain Hope for the future. Great idea, but can you access this info while preoccupied with teaching? That's the key.

I'm supposed to write down three things I'm grateful for, everyday:

1. I'm not dead (yet)
2. Yeti have not clobbered me (yet)
3. My parents love me (Aw. Isn't that sweet? I had to say something nice).