Wanted by the I.C.C. on charges of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, Bashir has been flouting international law for years. With his continued travel – particularly the trip to South Africa – he has boldly told the world he does not recognize the authority of the Court, nor the laws it is tasked with upholding. Read more…
For those of you not on The Mantle’s mailing list (why aren’t you on our mailing list?), a big announcement was made today. I am moving on from my role as International Affairs Editor and officially taking over as Managing Editor. Click here to read more about this exciting news, and don’t forget to check out the great content we’ve been publishing over on our website!
Happy Saturday, friends!
Thought I’d take a moment and give you a little glimpse into what a day in the life looks like when you’re attempting to write your first book. Spoiler: it’s not exactly what you’d think!
Here is what I’ve learned thus far: the beginning stages of book writing involve far less writing and far more planning and organizing than I originally expected.
When I embarked on this journey in January, I had this idea that I would just jump in and write the first chapter no problem. Since I already had a strong base of knowledge on the Responsibility to Protect, it should have been easy to just bust out a few thousand words, right? This has definitely not been the case.
While admittedly I initially felt a bit defeated about this, I’ve come to realize it’s all part of the process. So, I’ve slowed down and am now working on putting together a list of people I would like to interview about R2P and related matters. These will be good background for the book, as well as a refresher and learning opportunity for me.
That means today has been spent creating interview questions, making a list of people I’d like to interview, and thinking of creative ways to share these interviews with you in the process. I will keep you posted on what comes of this plan.
In the meantime, here’s today’s working soundtrack. Enjoy! (oh, and feel free to check out my good ol’ donate button on the side of the page. 😀 )
A lucky few writers, who get so much publicity that they can take it or leave it, have made second careers of trashing the medium and any writer who uses it. This speech is for the rest of us.
This pretty much sums up the premise of PEN American Center’s DIY eventwith author Jennifer Weiner, which took place at the Ace Hotel in New York on April 6. Part entertaining monologue, and part social media how-to session, Weiner spent the night highlighting the many reasons Jonathan Franzen is so wrong about social media, and underscoring the necessity of the medium for today’s writers – particularly female writers. Read more…
Last week, I announced the launch of this fancy new website, as well as my big new book project. This week, I’m plugging away reading articles, making lists, rethinking how I’ve laid out my writing schedule, and pondering how I am going to create just the right voice for this book. This, by the way, is more difficult than I thought it would be. The multiple different drafts of my first section, none of which are quite right, are a testament to that. How does one find the balance between their academic voice and their casual voice? I will be sure to let you know when/if I figure this out…
What I have learned thus far is that book writing includes infinite hours of simply thinking without much tangible progress to report. Did I work on the book all weekend? Yes. Do I have 20 pages written to show you? Nope. Do I feel like I have a new or better understanding of my next steps? Yup! So…success? Perhaps.
Recently, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the travel portion of this project. As my life seems to be getting more and more scheduled, I’m keenly aware of the need to start getting serious about planning my trips. It’s time to figure out where I’m headed, who I’m going with, and more dauntingly…how am I paying for this?
You might find yourself wondering why I feel the need to travel in order to write this book. Couldn’t I just interview people, or read about the conflicts from the safety of my apartment? Well, I could…but there are a few reasons why that’s simply not enough.
First, I see traveling as an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the conflict situations I’m writing about, as well as the people involved. Second, I can’t very well publish a book that speaks a great deal about Africa without having set foot on the continent. There’s just something inauthentic about that. And finally, I genuinely feel that without seeing these regions firsthand I won’t be able to do this book justice. I won’t feel comfortable putting it out there as some sort of authority on the topic.
So in the meantime, I’m working on fundraising ideas. I’ve pondered all the regulars (Kickstarter, GoFundMe, etc), but none of them felt right. For now, I have simply added a donate button to my site. You may notice that nice little PayPal donate button on the right side of the page. Do feel free to take a moment and click on it. 🙂
A Day in the Life – Anecdote #1
So, what does a day in the life of an “author” look like? Well, this weekend it included a pretty serious game of chicken with my printer. I’ve been trying to be environmentally friendly – as any self-respecting northwesterner is – but I finally decided that as much as I want to conserve paper, I just needed to print out the articles I’m reading as I research for the book. People mock me quite regularly about my disdain for e-readers, but there is just something about having the actual paper in your hand.
Punk-ass printer scoffing at my request for a few more pages before I replace the cartridge. Note the single “e” at the bottom.
Things got serious on Sunday when the printer decided it would acknowledge my print request, but would only print a single letter on each page (note the lone “e” at the bottom). Bold move, printer. Bold move. I, of course, have circumvented this problem by now printing everything in blue. I will give in at some point, but currently it’s Printer – 1, Corrie – 1. So, let’s just see where this goes in the next round.
Hello Friends ~
I have two big announcements to share with you today. I’m just going to throw them at you right up front here before I get nervous and change my mind…
First, I’m writing a book!
Phew! I said it. I’m writing a book. It’s a funny thing, letting people in on your projects before they’re finished. As a perfectionist and introvert, it’s a bit unnatural to announce anything unless I’ve determined it is complete and ready for other people’s eyes. There’s just something so intimidating about letting others in on your process, letting them see the ups and downs and length of time a project like this takes.
I’m taking the advice of a few trusted friends, however, and inviting you all to join me on this journey. Apparently it’s good to let people know what you’re up to or something like that. So there it is – I’m writing a book. I’m intimidated as hell by the enormity of this project, but now that I’ve told you about it I can’t back out! Also, as you’ll read later, you have a role to play in this book writing process as well.
I’ve already received some great suggestions for the book, including this awesome title and potential book cover. What do you think?
To learn more about the book I’m working on and how you can help me reach my goal, check out my Current Project page. If you still have questions, send them along! I’m happy to chat about details of the book, how writing is going, how many cups of coffee it’s going to take to complete chapter one, etc. Hit me up here, on Twitter or Facebook anytime.
Second announcement – I’ve got a new website!
The good news in all of this is that whilst I’m nervous about letting everyone in on this book I’ve just started, I have a great new website that I’m not nervous at all about sharing with you! A big shout out to my friend Jedd who brought my website back into the proper decade. He and his wife have a great consulting business, and you should definitely contact them for all your website/social media/project management needs.
So, take some time and wander around the new site. Let me know what you think!
Thanks again for all your support throughout the years. Looking forward to what this year brings and how this project will evolve as I get deeper into it. I’ll try to keep you updated on my progress and what this whole book writing process looks like.
Cheers!
Corrie
Nestled along the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea, the picturesque views of Libya’s shores stand in stark contrast to the ongoing violence in its cities. Four years after the ousting of violent dictator Muammar Gaddafi, the country continues to battle for stability. Far from the democracy many hoped it would become, the country is in the beginnings of a civil war, teetering on the brink of yet another disaster. Read more…
Before we take off on our respective holiday ventures, I wanted to take a moment to send out this brief post. It has been my great honor to be a part of The Mantle team over the past four years. It was the first publication to publish my work on the Responsibility to Protect, and as of this past year the first publication to take a chance on me as an editor. I am forever grateful and indebted to Editor in Chief Shaun Randol and the rest of The Mantle team for the opportunity and experience.
In recent months The Mantle has officially gained its 501c3 status, which is incredibly exciting for us all. Everyone, from writers to editors, puts a great deal of effort into The Mantle and all on a volunteer basis. With our new status, our readers will be able to make tax-deductible donations, allowing us not simply to continue publishing but to branch out to new ventures. (We’ve got some exciting things planned for 2015, just you wait!!)
I so appreciate the support you have all given me over the years as friends, readers and late-night editors. I do hope you will take a moment to make even a small donation to The Mantle, helping us to keep publishing critical voices from around the world.
Thanks again for all your support, and happy holidays!!
– Corrie
As a reward for reading this post and hopefully donating to The Mantle, here is my favorite holiday song. You’re welcome.
And one last thing!! If you’re in the market for a new book this Christmas season, check out The Mantle’s first publication –> Gambit: Newer African Writing! It can be found on Kindle, Nook, iTunes, and of course good ol’ fashioned paperback!
In stepping away from this convention and refusing to pass its ratification through the Senate, the US is essentially telling the international community that global disability rights are not of concern to us. Read more…
Welcome to The Mantle’s fifth virtual roundtable and the first one to feature all women. This forum provides an opportunity for emerging critics, activists, and writers to think deeply about and debate a very narrow topic. In the past we’ve asked writers, artists, and musicians to reflect on their roles in conflict zones, and we have also had young policy wonks interrogate the United Nations’ doctrine on the Responsibility to Protect. For this round, we continue with the activist theme and ask practitioners to deliberate the utility of protesting not with signs or banners in the streets, but with hashtags in the digital ether.
Our International Affairs Editor Corrie Hulse moderates the discussion. She’s joined by three women from around the world with varying experiences in policy and activist fields. Read more…
