Month: November 2020

Director’s Cut

Fallton Havenstonne

What is it about director’s cut that makes it different from the original film? A director’s cut implies that the original cut was not the “actual” vision of the director. It implies that the director didn’t get “final cut” for their film. Hence, a director’s cut is the film as they wanted it to be–unaltered, unabridged.

During the editing of a film, compromises are made, and scenes are removed or added to make it more marketable or profitable. From this perspective, the intent of the film is to make it more accessible to audiences, hence, profitable.

But years later, we come across a director’s cut that is being released on Blu Ray or DVD. That implies that the director’s vision wasn’t fully represented in the theatrical release. The director’s cut might be the original version before it was edited for theaters, or it might be the version they edited after the release. Why not? It doesn’t need to be marketed for theatrical release anymore. It’s made it’s money back.

Is the director cut a marketing ploy for more sales, or is it an attempt by the director to show audiences what they were missing–what they didn’t see in theaters? Perhaps both. Maybe a director’s cut is just a longer version of the original film. Maybe it has a different tone, or maybe it has more storylines or scenes in it.

Regardless of what’s different about them, director’s cut are important in the sense that it represents the director’s true vision–the unabridged version they wanted you to see. It goes back to the premise of the director as auteur–the artist of the picture.

Is Writing Worthwhile?

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Sometimes, I feel like I’m writing in a vacuum. It’s as if my thoughts and ideas don’t exist anywhere but in my own mind–let alone matter to anyone else. It’s as if the writing is begging for an audience, yet there is no one to read it unless you’ve garnered an audience.

It’s as if I’m writing to myself, as if my voice is just a voice inside my head. Although I know my writing will be read by someone, it doesn’t feel that way when I’m writing. It’s as if the words will just float out there in digital space–waiting to be read.

One of the hardest things about writing is just that: writing. It can feel discouraging, like your voice won’t be heard. I write for myself, but at the same time, I want my writing to be read. But to be read is a choice for the reader. It is up to them to decide whether or not there is something worthwhile in my writing.

Is it just that my writing is worthwhile to me? That my ideas are exciting or intriguing because I think they are? All I can do is hope that my writing won’t feel like it exists in a vacuum, that I’m writing is worthwhile to other people.

Besides, writing takes loads of time and energy–especially writing that’s been edited and rewritten multiple times. The process can feel isolating, where the work only matters to you, and you only. It’s so much easier to quit–to try something else that’s easier, where you’re not wondering if you’re wasting your time.

But maybe–just maybe–someone will find your writing as important as you do. At least that is what we hope for in anything we believe is important.

What to Listen to in the Car

Fallton Havenstonne

Whenever I’m going out for a drive, the question of what to listen to largely depends on my mood. One option is music. The other is talk radio or a podcast. And then the last is not to listen to anything at all.

If I’m in a meditative state, I won’t listen to anything so that I can mull over my thoughts. If I’m wrestling with a dilemma in my mind that is weighing on me, I’ll think about it until I find a solution. It can be anything from a story that I’m trying to work out or an idea, topic, or question I want to understand.

When I’m listening to music in the car, my mind is in a completely different state. I’m not reflecting at all, but moreover, enjoying the music and immersing myself in the lyrics and rhythm of the song. In some cases, it helps me to visualize the scenes in my own stories, as well as figure out the plot as I’m imagining it like a storyboard.

I listen to talk radio or a podcast when I want to hear what’s going on in the world or to educate myself on a topic. When I’m not in the mood for music or if I don’t have anything to think about during the silence, I’ll let the speaker engage my mind.

This brings me back to beginning where I mentioned that the decision for music, talk radio, or silence, was contingent upon my mood. It’s one of those things where there is no one right answer, but a choice that reflects my state of mind.

Flip Phone And Smartphone

Fallton Havenstonne

In my short story What Do You Wish, which I published in The Beast Soldiers And Other Stories collection, a man finds a flip phone on a bus that asks him what he wishes for. When I wrote the story, I was reminiscing about the time that I had owned a flip phone–how simple and useful it was without the bells and whistles we have today

Of course, a smart phone can do so much more than a flip phone can. A smart phone can store hundreds of apps, record videos, and allow video conversations (i.e. FaceTime), etc. In contrast, the flip phone was designed to simply make phone calls and to send basic text messages (without all the fancy emojis), and maybe open some basic games (I used to play Othello on mine).

About 15 years ago, I was driving down a dirt road to work and thinking to myself, “What if I didn’t have the phone [flip phone] with me? What if I had left it at home?”

Today, it’s unfathomable to leave the house with our cellphone. It would be like leaving our wallet or keys behind at home. We’ve become so dependent on our phone that we constantly check it for emails and the news, even relying upon it for directions (using the GPS) instead of using our intuition/memory.

As cellphones become more advance, they’ll be faster and have a lot more features added on, as well as improved functionality. But when I think about the time when flip phones were prominent, I’m reminded of a time when I hardly ever used the phone, when things were a lot quieter, when I could focus on reading and writing without all the alerts and notifications.

Reading and Writing Mode

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When I try and split my time between reading or writing, I cannot do both for very long. Whenever I’m reading a book, the story makes everything else fade away. If I’m writing, the story is what I’m pouring my energy into. In the latter case, reading a book becomes secondary or even put off to the side until I finish writing. I can only focus on one or the other.

Even when I try to do both, such as read part of the day and write the latter half of the day, this won’t last long. One of the two will win over me, depending on where my interest lies. I might stick to the half and half schedule for a week, but the following week, either I’ll be entirely focused on reading or writing.

I’m sure there are authors that have found a balance, where they’ve disciplined themselves to give each their due. So perhaps I’m speaking more for myself–this “all in” approach to reading or writing. I do find that the “all in” approach works for me to finish something quickly. If I’m “all in” in reading, I can finish a book in a day or two, which might’ve taken me two or more weeks if I took my time.

Conversely, a story that might’ve taken months or over a year to write, I’ll finish it in half the time. Because I’m giving it full my attention, thinking about it day and night, I can work on it uninterrupted.

For authors that like to write at a slower pace, reading and writing works for them because they’re not trying to finish their story at a face paced. Rather, they’re taking their time with each, allowing the story they’re reading to unfold chapter by chapter, and letting the ideas for their story to build overtime.

But for me, when an idea takes ahold of me, I like to run with it–even sprint with it. I write feverishly until I finish.

Staring at a Blank Page

Fallton Havenstonne

Staring at a blank page is like having a brain freeze. Your brain doesn’t know what to say, what to write, or what to think. It’s stuck. It can be frustrating, even discouraging.

It’s like you’re waiting for your mind to tell your fingers what to type. But once you get started, it feels liberating. Writing can be like a conversation you’re having with yourself, or it can be an out of body experience–a phenomenon where an idea takes ahold of you and you’re writing without knowing in advance what the words will be or what the end goal is.

You can write a lot if you don’t stop to think about what you’re writing. I find that once I stop to correct something or to find the right words, the flow dwindles down, and it’s hard to pick up the pace. It’s kind of like jogging and then stopping to check a message on your phone. It hinders the pace, the mental conversation stops, and you have to pick up where you left off.

For me, writing is about momentum, about getting the thoughts down before the hold of the idea let’s go. I don’t stop to fact check or refine the piece for clarity or remove errors during the first draft. Just like with jogging, you build up stamina by writing more and more each time. Whenever you’re interrupted, it’s hard to build that stamina up because there was a pause in the workout.

Whenever I stare at a blank page, I think of what I want to say, what’s on my mind. If I struggle to write anything, I make a list of ideas of things I’d like to write about. After I decide which one to focus on, I start with my initial thoughts on it. Then I add a sentence to it, and then another . . .

Wristwatch And Smartwatch

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For years, I’ve been wearing wristwatches on and off. I would go through periods that lasted months or years where I’ve worn one and not worn one. Besides, with smartphones, they’ve become the new pocket watches. It not only tells the time, but can perform a host of other functions that a wristwatch can’t.

But ever since smartwatches came out, they’ve made us consider whether we should wear one or a regular wristwatch. On a smartwatch, it can check our heart rate, track our footsteps, the display screen can be changed from analog to digital, and it can answer calls and send text messages. Lastly, they can even display our email and play music.

For some, however, it’s something to wear around their wrist all day. It might get in the way of one’s work or even be an annoyance because it is uncomfortable. And what is the purpose of a watch anyway? To tell time, right? So does a watch even matter? Why does somebody need to wear a watch if a cellphone (operating as a pocket watch) can do the same thing and more?

I’ll start with the reasons I like to wear a wristwatch. For one, I don’t want to draw out my cellphone every time to see what time it is. The more time I spend on my cellphone, the less time I’m spending reading, writing, enjoying the outdoors, or the people I’m conversing with. It pulls me away from my surroundings, from my own imagination and thoughts. I see the phone as more of a tool rather than something I should be spending a huge chunk of my day on.

Even reading a book on my cellphone is difficult. It strains my eyes, and I feel less able to focus or concentrate afterward. Instead, I use my cellphone sporadically–only when I need to. For example, if I need to make a phone call, send a text, use the GPS, etc., but these are instantaneous uses, not long drawn periods where I’m staring at my phone.

This is the reason I like wearing a wristwatch, and occasionally, my smartwatch. The wristwatch is simply something I can glance at to check the time. I’m not constantly looking at it, nor can I access any apps or make calls with it (which would be counterproductive if I’m working). I don’t have to ask people for the time or know if I’m late getting to somewhere. It serves a practical purpose which takes barely a moment of my time.

I find that a smartwatch is just useful as a wristwatch, though it has the added feature of receiving text messages and phone calls. But I think the decision to wear a smartwatch or a wristwatch depends on two things: style, and whether or not someone wants to receive alerts/notifications.

Let me start with the first: style. Style means just that: the style, or the design and the look of the watch. For some people, a smartwatch doesn’t have the aesthetics that they are looking for. Perhaps they like to wear a watch where they don’t have to activate it (i.e. turn it on or turn the wrist a certain way) to see what time it is. Another thing is that a smartwatch has to be charged regularly. For my smartwatch (Apple Watch), I find that I have to charge it almost everyday if I’m using it consistently. A regular wristwatch, however, has a battery that last months or years.

The preference for notifications is another major thing. If one is expecting a phone call or text messages, then it makes sense to wear a smartwatch. Without drawing out one’s phone, the smartwatch alerts them that they are receiving a call or a text. And without appearing conspicuous, they can just glance at their watch to see it. With a wristwatch, however, it’s obviously not meant for any type of electronic communication. It’s simply designed to tell time at a glance.

Despite the pros and cons of wristwatches and smartwatches, one might not need to know what time is or even want to know. Maybe a watch is unnecessary to them if they’re at the computer a lot or if there are wall clocks everywhere in their environment.

At the end of the day, just don’t be caught in the situation where you’re asking someone what time it is. I’ve been there before. Because you know what the response is: “It’s time to get a watch.”

Winter

Fallton Havenstonne

Winter is that season that brings memories of snow, frigid weather, Christmas lights/decorations, and home cooked meals.

It’s that time when you pull out the sweaters and jackets from your wardrobe, that time of year when you stay in-doors all day and crank up the heat.

That time of year to catch up on all the shows and movies you missed. That time of year to visit family and friends on the holidays, or when you might get stuck in traffic from the long lines to the shopping mall.

It’s that time of year when you have to heat up the car in the morning before work, scrape off the frost or shovel the driveway.

It’s that time of year when a cup of hot chocolate tastes better than coffee. When the cold weather makes you appreciate the warm weather that came before it. But once the season has past, you miss it and wish it were longer.

Fall

Fallton Havenstonne

Fall is that time of year when the leaves change color, when the trees rain leaves, and when the forests are dotted with an array of earth-colored hues.

That time of year when we wrap up summer vacation for the months of hunkering down ahead.

That time of year when cafés finally serve pumpkin spice lattes; that time of year to sit around a campfire in the autumn breeze and watch the flickering flame of the fire while enjoying some marshmallows.

That time of year when we welcome the falling leaves and cooling temperatures after a scorching summer that wore us down. 

That time of year when the daylight hours lessen, and we prepare for the colder months ahead. 

Finding Things to Fix

Fallton Havenstonne

Finding things to fix in our writing feels like a never ending experience. Even when we’ve edited it numerous times, there’s something that can always be added to the story to make it better and more solid.

After a draft, the story continues to linger in our minds. We think about the characters and the structure of the story. We contemplate if everything works and if there’s something that’s missing. If we conclude that everything is airtight, we feel that the story is done.

That is until we find a mistake. It could be a tiny mistake, such as a spelling error or the wrong use of “their” vs. “they’re”, or a big mistake such as a character trait inconsistency or a choice that they made that makes no sense. It’s as if we’re blind to these mistakes because the story already make sense in our minds.

Another pair of eyes can be crucial when editing a story (and to catch these mistakes). When we have someone else read it, they point out the things that we were blind to. They see the glaring errors that we skipped over, and can suggestions on the pacing and the word usage (i.e. if a paragraph/sentence is too wordy or if the wrong word is used).

What I do toward the last edit is compare the last version to the second to last version in Microsoft Word. I can see what edits I made, and if I should keep them or revise them. This way, I’m not exhausting myself by rereading the story (after the 10 time) and focus on the changes instead.