Where and how I write.

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:08:13 -0500

So this is my office at the ARTS INCUBATOR OF KANSAS CITY. It’s on the second floor of an old warehouse that’s been chopped into 50 working artist studios. Painters, sculptures, jewelers, furniture makers, photographers, printers and writers all creating awesome stuff. It’s hot ass hell in the summer and cold as a well-digger’s upper-crack in winter but it’s always inspirational.

If the space reminds you of a high school In-School-Suspension (ISS) room… it should! All I’m missing is bitchy lady sitting in there threatening me with violence or detention from time to time. “Mr. Crawford! Are you on the internet?”
“I am doing research!”
“I’ve read your books! Just type and spell check!”

My senior year at Shawnee Mission North, I was in I.S.S, a lot. Mostly because of an unjust tardiness policy that favored kids without Attention Deficit Disorder. I was a C+ to D- student, doing just enough to get by and little more. But with the revelation of I.S.S. I found myself on the honor-role for the first time since kindergarten (all “S’s,” baby!). I realized that I was not (that) stupid. I actually understood the material if I was isolated and allowed to focus on it for a few minutes without somebody making a fart noise, wise crack, or a hot bootied girl sharpening her pencil or a bird flying past the window and landing on a tree and flapping it’s wings before tweeting, “Hey Space Cadet!? Should you really have been looking at me for the last three minutes?” Those plywood cubicles quarantined my imagination and channeled my imagination onto the page.

I was invited to take a class called A.R.T. (Advanced Repertory Theatre) at the end of my junior year. The most creative kids in my school were in this group. We basically wrote produced and performed in an S.N.L. type variety/skit show a few times a year. The shows always had (and still have) a huge following and I wanted the class of ‘93 to be great. I had so many ideas for skits, but I never wrote them down. The fist time I had I.S.S. I finally did. I did not do any homework (shocker) but I wrote eight complete skits in eight hours. That day flew by and I had sooo much fun. I couldn’t wait until “Saturday School” so I could do some rewrites! I presented the skits to the class and they were blown away. Seven of the eight sketches made it into the fall show. The members of A.R.T. were not surprised that I’d come up with these ideas… they were shocked that I’d actually written them down… and made copies (thanks after-school-detention!).

Those classes changed my life… both A.R.T. and I.S.S. I found that I loved to write and perform, but I needed to block out all distractions in order to produce good work. It’s not easy to block the world out, and people are often offended by my way of working, but I can’t do it any other way. I love that people can do to five things at once, but I can do only one thing at a time, well. I can try to do a few things, but the result is pure crap.

The ARTS INCUBATOR is dripping with inspiration and creativity, but my studio is designed for focused work. There is no talking allowed in the space...accept on First Friday Art Walks. If you’re in KC on the First Friday of the month, stop by and see me and my adult I.S.S. at 115 W. 18th street KCMO 64112 (5-9pm). I’ll sell you a book or sign your other books (who ever wrote them), talk writing or just hang out.

Carter’s Big Break coming out April 2010!!!

Fri, 2 Oct 2009 11:20:47 -0500

The galley copies of my new book, Carter’s Big Break have been printed and sent out to literary journals and reviewers. Very exciting, but slightly nerve racking.

In this book I wanted to stretch the form a bit. We still have Carter and his dumb-ass crew. Abby is still on the scene and Lynn is still barking orders, but a couple new characters are thrown into the Merrian mix.

An indie film has come to Merrian to shoot their story. The writer/director wants his film to be painfully “real” but his investors (The Kidz Channel) want to make money. They want to cast their most bankable starlet Hilary Idaho and Zac-Michael Winus (lead singer and youngest member for the Winus Brothers). The director agrees to cast Hilary but won’t budge on his male lead. He wants Carter to play the part!

Carter is thrown into the crazy world of Hollywood, but never leaves home. He’s star struck by Hilary and her entourage, but quickly learns how difficult it is to live in a fish bowl. While Carter has been able to make his mistakes (lots of mistakes) sort of privately; Hilary’s every move is scrutinized by the paparazzi and her fans. Carter learns it’s a lot harder than it looks and starts to appreciate his “boring” life.

Please check it out when you can. I’ll try to keep you updated.

first post!

Mon, 18 May 2009 16:22:31 -0500

At the Apple store on the plaza, getting set up with, Joshua!

My Blog

Where and how I write.

Carter’s Big Break coming out April 2010!!!

first post!