The Braveheart of Robert the Bruce

The human heart can soar and be lifted or fall shattered and broken. It can be open or cold, trusting or wicked. Thanks to the film Braveheart we also know that a heart can be brave, but did you know that the historical reference never referred to Mel Gibson’s heroic character William Wallace? I’m no Milton, but if it’s poetry you seek, consider the tale of a heart taken from the chest of a fallen king only to journey for seven centuries before finally reaching its intended resting place. Legends are most amazing when they’re true, as this story is.

You see, today’s a big anniversary in my family; although none of us have ever really thought about it much. March 27th was a great day for my 27th great-grandfather. Yes, that’s a long time ago, over 700 years to be exact. On this date in 1306, Robert the Bruce was crowned King Robert I of Scotland.

This legendary figure came to international attention after the movie Braveheart was released in 1995. For as much as I love that film, the story is more fiction than fact. That’s good news for those upset at the thought of Robert the Bruce’s dastardly betrayal of William Wallace at Falkirk. In real history, no such treason ever took place. The Bruce was, however, a brutal warrior.

Like William Wallace, Robert’s rival was the powerful King Edward I “Longshanks” of England. Robert became king only a few months after Wallace was executed by Longshanks in 1305 (the movie actually watered that scene down. Seriously…). For the new Scottish king, the fight for Scottish independence would last years longer. Longshanks arrested and imprisoned Robert’s wife, daughter, and sisters. His brother Nigel was captured and executed in the same manner as Wallace.

You Can Do It!

Image by Bo47 via Flickr

Time to get your inspiration on gang.  But I’m not the one dishing this time. More on that in a minute.

Big week for me as my mid-July deadline approaches. I need to have my book proposal and sample chapters completed this weekend and don’t plan on missing the mark.

Something about our universe makes the midway point in a process challenging. People say that nothing worth anything is easy. You’ve experienced the grind before. My question for you today is how do you get through that midpoint and down the stretch?

We call Wednesday “Hump Day” because that’s the crest to get over before it’s all downhill. Life seems to climb slowly until suddenly we seem to be speeding towards the finish. Are you in the middle of  a project or book or process or even relationship? Raising kids gets pretty tough somewhere in the middle when little darlings become angst-ridden teens.

What motivates you to push through?

For the past couple weeks I fought through the grind of this book I’m writing. I went through a burst of creation before hitting a brick wall of writer’s blocks. I spun pens, flipped coins, stretched rubber bands and paper clips, and even did the ultimate in procrastination–cleaning. I drove to Starbucks and tried about 50 other tricks to spark my brain back into action. The hump loomed large until finally I reached the crest and could’ve peed on my keyboard from sheer joy. Um, maybe that’s what sheer joy means to me. Shut up! Ahem. Just kidding. Did I mention this process also makes me loopy?

Icon For Hire Makes Their Move

Happy Saturday yous. Here’s a quick weekend hitter to give you an idea of where I was at this time last week.

I ran around for the radio station so much during the festival that I didn’t get to do too many fun things like the following video. This quick interview was a spur of the moment thing, and we couldn’t really find the quietest spot for a minute.

Icon For Hire was a great time though, and I’m happy to promote what they do. Of all the bands I met, IFH might be the best bet to really do something in the near future.

I’ll be at festivals in August and September and hope to really get into some fun videos then, but time will tell. In the meantime, here’s a sampling.

I want to hear your stories about meeting musical artists or bands. Tell us in the comments.

Rock Star Party

Image via Wikipedia

Plenty of focus on music and rock stars around here lately, so let’s throw down a worthy FFF. Been a while since yours truly has offered the old Friday Flick Faceoff, but I wanna rock so I went to the Facebook well and received buckets of titles to swim through.

The FB faithful suggested fun movies like Detroit Rock City and classics like Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Iconic artists like Spinal Tap, Sid & Nancy, and Richie Valens also came up and you know the Beatles universe got some attention as well.

And although no one mentioned it, I have to give a shout to Empire Records if for no other reason than to keep Ms. Thoughtsie from coming after me. Just a great Gen X flick that one.

For a variety of reasons, those movies and many others aren’t going in the current batch. I’m even leaving out The Rocker starring Rainn Wilson which absolutely cracks me up, but I appreciate all the great suggestions.

Here’s your rockin’ movie lineup.

Almost Famous–The Cameron Crowe cult classic is fitting in this week of discussing life as a music journalist.

That Thing You Do–Even though I couldn’t stand the title song after watching this film the first time, I’ll say the movie grew on me in the past few years.

Life as a Freelance Music Journalist

Frank Zappa once said that “Most rock journalism is people who can’t write, interviewing people who can’t talk, for people who can’t read.” Not sure if that was the drugs or bitterness talking, but I had a great time during my official debut as a freelance music journalist at the Creation festival in the middle of somewhere Pennsylvania.

I prepared as well as I could after learning that I had press access for the week to dozens of musicians playing for over 100K attendees. As with any new venture I hoped to climb over the learning curve as quickly as possible.

Within a few minutes of arriving and checking in at the press trailer I realized that my week hadn’t been set up as I hoped and that I basically had no access to anyone.

Oops. So I gave up and went to sulk in my tent.

Not a bad spot eh?

Ha! You know how I roll. Like I say, most good things in life happen between plans B-Z, so after a couple hours I found the press managers who got me plugged in for the first full day. I also met up with a great guy and radio pro named Jim who had his own press trailer right in the main compound area. We were meant to meet and had a great time chatting with just about every performer of the week.

After one interview I discovered that Mark Johnson (of one of my fave bands The Letter Black) and I are fellow alum of the same college. Pretty cool. Those short conversations were fun all week, especially given the diverse talent roaming around. I talked to everyone from pop and rap artists to worship singers and metal bands.

The photo pit was another fun discovery. Getting to take pics a few feet from the performers rocked! After all the live music I’ve seen in my lifetime that perspective made the experience even better. I’m totally interested in a nice camera now too and have until Black Friday to do my homework.

Smoke Snakes & The Noose Dance

There’s a scene in the movie Tombstone where Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) reflects on his charge into sure death against Curly Bill and some other killer cowboys. He’s now been challenged by Johnny Ringo, the deadliest of all cowboys and shares uncertainty with his best friend “Doc” Holiday (Val Kilmer).

“It all happened so fast with Curly Bill… I didn’t really have time to think about it, but I’ve had plenty of time to think about this. I can’t beat him can I?”

Watching someone rush into what appears to be certain death shocks and humbles me. Someone who takes time to think about the sacrifice they are making amazes me even more.

I think Ben Franklin came up with this logo after lighting black smoke snakes.

The men who signed the Declaration of Independence were in the latter category. Putting ink to paper on that document was the equivalent of signing a death warrant. Those guys knew what there were doing and had plenty of time to think about what the British would do to them when the opposition showed up.

At the time of the American Revolution the English law codes considered the founders traitors, and treason was punishable by a death worse than the watered down version shown in Braveheart. Ben Franklin exuded optimism when he told the Second Continental Congress:

“We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”

Benjamin Harrison of Virginia managed to quip about impending death as he made his way to the front of the hall where he penned his name on the declaration written by Thomas Jefferson. Harrison turned to Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts and said:

“From the size and weight of my body I shall die in a few minutes, but from the lightness of your body you will dance in the air for an hour or two before you are dead.”

Like I say, rushing into death is already unbelievable. Doing so with so much time to calculate the cost is nearly unimaginable.

From the Middle of Nowhere

I am at a Mac in a tent in the middle of the Pennsylvania mountains. Not too many opportunities to snag wi-fi around here, so I’m grateful for this one as I sit in front a fan. The temperature reached about ninety degrees today and I have the sweetest farmers tan you’ve ever seen.

Maybe I’ll get some pictures to ya later this week after I get home Sunday. Of course, I’ve walked about 30 miles in the past day from all the appointments with musicians, trips to the photo pit for live shows, and the trek back to camp where my wonderful lunch meats and cheeses chill in a sun-hot cooler.

Jealous?

Many people would consider this torture. Camping isn’t for everyone including me, but I can deal with anything when music’s involved. At least they have hot showers for us. Bathing in a tractor trailer is a brilliant invention and I commend the inventor of that fine innovation.

How To Get A Press Pass

Seeing as how most of you only know me through this here site you might not realize what a music freak I am. Love me some tunes, especially various forms of rock. Before MP3s I was the guy that made crazy mix tapes and totally understood what John Cusack was talking about in High Fidelity. And I love live shows, so I’m especially pumped about another opportunity I’ve worked myself into this week.

I grew up as a typical Gen Xer who watched hair metal rise then fall to grunge, but I also experienced adolescence before a lot of the faith-based scene merged with the mainstream about a decade and a half ago. Some of you might remember Christian artists like Amy Grant or DC Talk and how they “crossed over” to secular music. Sounds funny but that was such a big deal at the time.

Since I liked heavier stuff I had to go and find it myself. The artists on the radio were simple to track down, but what about the bands I really loved (who you’ve most likely never heard of)? Well, one way to see my faves was through summer festivals where thousands of people would camp in the middle of nowhere for days to see dozens of performers do their thang. I discovered a marvelous place called the fringe stage where my unknown heroes shredded and then hung out with eager kids like me after the show.

Turnin' tribal at a festival last year.

Dakoda Motor Co. became one of my fixations in the mid-90s. Meeting folks like bassist, professional surfer, and future MTV DJ Peter King kept me excited for a year straight. Many others took a few minutes with me and made my year.

I still have those guitar picks.

I’ve been to hundreds of shows in my life at just about any type of venue you can imagine. The scene described above occurred at a festival called Creation where tens of thousands of people show up annually. It’s been over 15 years since I was last there, so imagine my excitement when some friends told me they were going!

But times have changed. I’m savvier these days and all about creating opportunities as most of you know. That’s why I came up with the idea to get a press pass to this year’s festival. Why not, right? I’m a successful blogger and freelance writer with some media experience.

I contacted the organizers who politely informed me that they couldn’t give out press credentials to everyone who asked. I needed a legitimate media outlet backing me. So I said thanks and gave up because that’s how things get accomplished.

Yeah right! Most success happens during Plans B-Z, so I started brainstorming.

The Greatest Cereal Mascots of All-Time!

Image by Rob Sheridan via Flickr

Keeping busy today with two new classes and will be presenting at an academic conference tomorrow before leaving town for a few days on Wednesday (more on that trip in a couple days :-)). So today will be short and sweet, and I mean that last part literally if you were one of the kids who got to have the good cereals (not healthy) when you were a kid.

Last Monday I recounted childhood adventures of eating from, digging through, and hiding behind cereal boxes. You all gave such great feedback that I’ve decided to go a step further. Walk with me. Right this way please.

Lets continue this stroll down memory lane about our cereal nostalgia. Yes, I know that some of you (Christy H) are still eating those delicious cereals just like when you were a kid. Oh, who am I kidding? I am too.

Anywho, here are the three categories into which you should add at least one of your faves. Ready?

Summer 2011 Repost Yourself!

Time for one of the biggest days of the year here at eduClaytion, and it’s all about you! I’ve been excited for this day for months now. Today kicks off the Summer 2011 Repost Yourself!

Every year since today I host a chance at midyear to bring back a favorite post of yours that maybe went under the radar or just something you want more people to see. We did this at the end of last year with great results, and I hope to triple the responses from then.

What post from the past 6 months would you like more people to see?  Here’s your chance to meet some new folks while introducing them to one of your favorite creations.

Here are the simple rules:

1. In the comments section put the link to a post that you especially liked and want more people to see.
2. The post must be from January-June 2011.
3. You can only pick one!
4. If you don’t have a site of your own please leave a link to a post that you especially liked from the past year.
5. Share the love.  Read other posts in the comments section and let them know.

I hope to meet some new people through this so tweet this baby up and tell your blogging buds to stop by and show off their best work! Humans only. Spammers will be sacrificed to the Akismet gods, and bots will get a magnet to their face.

Okay friends, give me what you got!

3 Keys to Managing Your Life

Last night I was deciding if I should skip a post today as I have much to do for my three careers that are all moving ahead at once, and I’d rather they not leave me behind.

I poked around some of the closets and back rooms here at eduClaytion to see if I had left any partially written drafts lying around. Then I spied my site stats and saw this hilarious search bomb.

“dear clay morgan: stop checking your stats and go work on your proposal”

Love that and knew instantly who delivered those necessary words. Lately, my writing accountability machine has been Leanne Shirtliffe a.k.a. Ironic Mom.

A good accountability partner will scare you a bit. Like this.

Accountability isn’t just about keeping us from screwing up or motivating someone who is lazy. Accountability is about focus.

We first have to be honest and realistic about our responsibilities. Life is full! Here’s some of my current career obligations off the top of my head.

• Teach classes year round for 3 colleges on 4-5 different campuses.
• Manage growing number of speaking obligations which sometimes require major preparation and/or travel.
• Keep PopTeacher (educational consultant hat) going and growing as opportunities continue to develop.
• Finish book proposal and sample chapters (ASAP) and then write the rest of the thing.
• Keep blog going which includes interacting with awesome community. *waves hi to awesome community!*
• Maintain social media presence as networking is critical to creating opportunities for myself and others.

That’s a good smattering. All these things are in addition to the critical elements of family needs and personal sanity time (workout, sleep, read, etc…). Now let’s follow my own advice from above.

1. Be honest–Sure, delusion is the ultimate weapon, but you won’t benefit from pretending you aren’t busy or your life isn’t full. Don’t deceive yourself when you list the things you are required to do.
2. Be realistic–Is this schedule sustainable? If I catch myself complaining about how busy I am all the time I have to reevaluate. Note that telling people you are busy is realism; complaining about it all the time means you are off center.  That’s not healthy. Make like a rocket and shuttle the excess to propel yourself forward.
3. Focus–I struggle with bouncing from one thing to the next and losing full effectiveness in each area. So rather than tell you I’m a time management wizard and here’s how to make your life work, I’m asking a question. Who keeps you accountable?

Get with someone who will both push and understand you, a big-hearted person with a pom-pom in one hand and metal ruler in the other. Look at your lives honestly and realistically. Then determine to help each other stay focused. Strive and celebrate together. Then do it all over again.

There is no one-size-fits-all template here, so don’t bother looking for a guru’s book to solve your life. Some of those books contain great advice, but only you and those close to you will know what works best across your entire life.

Are you being honest and realistic about your obligations?

Who keeps you accountable?

Read This Post: Prize Inside!

Image via Wikipedia

Remember when breakfast used to be an adventure? As far as I’m concerned no company ever did more with cardboard than Kelloggs, Post, and whatever other cereal conglomerates there are out there. The makers of Cocoa Pebbles should be enshrined somewhere with Andrew Carnegie and Bill Gates. While we’re at it go ahead and put my man Cap’n Crunch on some flippin’ currency.

You know what I’m talking about. Few things take us back to childhood like a colorful box of sugary puffed things.

No wonder we had so much energy as kids. Most of those cereals were like crack. People call pot a gateway drug, but we were addicts long before we ever hopped on a school bus. The first time someone served me Cookie Crisp they might as well have handed me a crack pipe and poured milk over it. I spent the rest of my childhood free-basing Froot Loops sugar on my Corn Pops.

Am I still a junkie for colorful puffs of corn? Send me 3 UPCs along with $2.99 for shipping and I’ll tell you.

You’ve Won My Acceptance!

The other day I wrote 9 Ways Pitching an Agent is Like Hitting on Someone and asked for stories of your experiences with nerves and rejection. Let me just say how terrific you all are. I love reading every comment, and your responses that day were phenomenal!

Trish Loye emerged from all those tales of woe to win my personal acceptance letter. She’s “a wannabe astronaut disguised as a stay-at-home mom who drinks too much tea and tries to stay sane by writing down the crazy stories in her head.” Nice.

We’ve all faced rejection in anxiety-packed situations. Not fun in the moment, but you’ve gotta be able to laugh at the past and move on. Here’s how Trish described the dreaded and common deer in headlights moment at a writer’s conference.

“Ahhh, the memories it brings up, or should I say nightmares. I was at a conference and had a pitch session. I had memorized my two minute hook/spiel. Unfortunately, right in the middle of my pitch to my dream agent, I looked into her eyes and went blank. Completely blank.

She smiled at me and waited. I looked at my crib notes in my hand and said, ‘Uhhhh.’ I couldn’t seem to read my notes (had I purposely written them in chinese?). Panic bloomed.

After a few tortuous seconds, I confessed, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t remember what my book is about.’ She tried to prod my memory but nothing came up. My brain had completely left the building. I was red faced and clammy and in the full throes of an anxiety attack. Finally she took pity on me and asked for pages. I thankfully could hand them over. My palms still sweat when I think of that one.”

Many of us can relate to that! Thanks for sharing. Here’s your response.

James Rollins Parties with Taco Sea Nags!

I’ve been invited (Hey, Kristen!) to help promote an international party, and I want you to join me!

The celebration marks the official launch of the newest book from New York Times Best-Selling author James Rollins.

Join THE social media event of the season ~ June 21

Blockbuster maker Jim will be there as well as any other high fallutin’ friends of his who might just pop in. [George Costanza voice] Luminaries will be there. Luminaries I tell you!

The adventurous author’s new book The Devil Colony is part of his ongoing Sigma Series. You know the history professor in me loves anything about America’s Founding Fathers, and that’s exactly what this new book features, a conspiracy theorists delight that promises loads of intrigue.

Many of you know that Indiana Jones was a key role model for me as a kid. Well, Rollins novelized (converted the movie script into a book) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull! Major coolness points. He gets the power of Indy too.

“I would’ve written this book in my own blood if they asked me too,” he said.

Now he’s back with a new novel. So in honor of this special occasion I am going to pay tribute in anagrams. Some of you know just how dangerous I can be with a word jumble, but I’ve never unleashed the full potential of my wordsmithing prowess on the world.

Until now.

See, when you read a James Rollins novel you have to be able to decipher the clues, and I’ve done all the heavy lifting for you.

Amazing what mysteries I found in these key phrases. All you have to do is rearrange the letters and a name like…

9 Ways Pitching an Agent is Like Hitting on Someone

I spent last week at a writer’s conference. Or should I say I invested last week. Here’s hoping for a sweet ROI*.

Many conferees emotions ranged as high and low as the Illinois temperatures. One day things heated up and we were gasping for air. Other times featured chilly sidewalk sprints through the rain. Either way you’d be dripping wet. Wait, where was I going with that metaphor?

If I understood science better I would also make an analogy between barometers and pressure here. I’ll pause while you smart folks make that connection.

Agent's view. Note the stalking writer in her habitat, how she readies to pounce.

Oh, the pressure.

If you’ve never attended a writer’s conference you’re missing out. Especially if you’re a fan of neurotic behavior by hundreds of writers whose minds are overloaded with ideas, their hearts with dreams, and their baskets with eggs. Fortunately, most of my aspiring comrades kept their cool. Some folks cracked. Or at least their eggs did.

Networking opportunities abound at these affairs, none more anticipated than those short meetings with literary agents. Some encounters take place in a structured 15 minute format, others happen anywhere you happen to bump into someone with the right color name badge. Stalkers delight really. That reminds me, don’t slide your manuscript under a bathroom stall just because you’ve managed to pin down an agent or editor in that tiny sanctuary. Especially if you’re a guy in the women’s room. Urg. Does a restraining order count as a form rejection?

You might get 30 minutes or only 30 seconds when pitching your idea. Be prepared and professional, and as agent Amanda Luedeke put it, “Keep your weird in check.” Anyone who’s seen me on video knows how I struggle with that last one.

I’m happy to report positive encounters all around for yours truly, but I couldn’t stop one particular thought from goosing my brain all week: Walking up to an agent to sell your ideas and self kind of feels like hitting on someone.

The main difference is that instead of wanting the agent to dance you’d rather they praise your brilliance and request your manuscript. Of course, if they start dancing with you just go with it because that’s gotta be positive. Also, you spill ideas rather than drinks. Uhh, there goes another metaphor through my fingers. Dang these suckers are slippery today!

So in the spirit of all that stuff I just said, look deep into my eyes as I explain…