Love for Whitney

Check out the best tribute to Whitney Houston I've read... from Keka's Blog.  I found it in a tweet by Roger Ebert (thanks, Ebert!).

Whitney Houston and I share a hometown.  I also feel a strangely profound connection to her as the daughter of an alcoholic (although I'm proud to report my Mommy is sober twenty years now!).  To put it simply, I'm sad that Whitney's life ended this way, and I cherish the artistic legacy she leaves the world.  We love you, Whitney.

my fav pic of young, bright WH pre-stardom

Stop Editing While You Write

"Publication Coach" Daphne Gray-Grant recently posted an article in her blog "Power Writing" containing tips on how to stop criticizing your writing as you are writing.  As a budding writer and perfectionist in recovery, I have found some of these tips very useful in helping me to stop some of the habits that slow down and limit my writing.  I've been using the Pomodoro system she mentions for a while, and I love it.  Check out the article below!

PW #301 - 7 ways to stop editing while you write
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When I started writing back in high school, I developed the nervous practice of producing a sentence and then going back to edit it, immediately. Perhaps you do the same thing? I advise you to take a hard look at your own writing and, break the instant-editing habit as quickly as possible.

It took me 20 years to understand why editing-while-writing is so destructive (and another three years to stop it) but the reason we do it relates to the way we're built. We all have creative brains AND critical brains. Think of them like siblings -- ones that don't get along very well. The creative brain is the shyer and less assertive of the two -- prone to hiding under the bed whenever the critical brain looks as though it's about to issue a punch to the nose. The critical brain is diligent and well organized but not so great at writing.

Here are seven ways to keep your critical brain temporarily at bay:

1) Turn off your monitor (or at least turn the light off it). If your screen is blank then your critical brain will have nothing to do! Note that you must be a touch typist for this to work -- otherwise you might get a sentence like: mpr r% jyur yo,r gpt s;; hppf ,rny yp vp,r yp yjr sof pg -- and no one wants that to happen! Alternatively, you can simply hang a dishtowel over your screen.

2) If you are writing something long, such as a book or lengthy report, copy your LAST sentence at the end of every writing day into an entirely new document. Then spend a minute writing out some directions for yourself about what you want to accomplish the next day. The next day, work only from this fresh document.  This way you can't be lured into editing your work before you finish writing it.

3) Monitor your self-talk and tell yourself you'll deal with it later. If you're not conscious of your own self-talk then please go looking for it over the next few days. If you're like everyone else in the world (including me) you're probably saying things like: "My boss is going to hate this" or "This is just too boring." Or "I'm a really bad writer." We ALL talk to ourselves -- mostly negatively -- ALL the time. The trick is to be conscious of it. Then, say back to yourself --"I'm writing right now; I don't have time to talk. I'll deal with these concerns when I'm editing." And do exactly that.

4) Write with a noisy timer. I write using pomodoros -- 25 minutes of intensely directed activity. When I started on the pomo trail, I first used a silent digital timer, figuring that the sound of a noisy one would interrupt my writing. Eventually, however, I switched to a tick-tock (yes, it sounds as if a bomb is about to explode in my office), and weirdly enough I found it didn't distract my creative brain at all. If anything, it kept me better focused. Now I ALWAYS write with a noisy timer clicking in the background. It makes my family less likely to interrupt me, too. Bonus!

5) Use Dr. Wicked to prod your productivity. I've written about Dr.Wicked before  but want to mention him again because his (fr.ee) tool will help train you to turn off your critical brain by punishing you for writing slowly. My advice? Use his "normal" mode. Then you'll be punished by sound. If you switch to "kamikaze" he'll start erasing text on you!

6) Write yourself notes for anything you want to fix. When I drafted this column, for example, I repeated the word "habit" too many times in paragraphs one and two. Instead of stopping to fix it, I put XXs beside the word every time I used it so I could change it later. This sort of "promissory note" puts our critical brains at ease because they are TERRIFIED that our "sloppy" selves are going to let mistakes slide by.  Short circuit this problem by promising that you'll address these problems later.

7) Reward yourself for not editing while you write. In time, the reward of writing quickly will be prize enough. For now, however, be sure to lavish yourself with other incentives: magazines, books, music, tea, coffee even time on YouTube.
Remember, you should always write as quickly as you can. Just be sure to edit (later), as slowly as you can bear.

Daphne Gray-Grant is a writing and editing coach and the author of the popular book 8½ Steps to Writing Faster, Better. She offers a brief and free weekly newsletter on her website. Subscribe by going to the Publication Coach.

Chocolate Me!

First Grade Class at Bertrand Elementary

I've come across a new children's book that I really love.  The book is called Chocolate Me!, and it's the story of a dark-skinned black boy whose friends are all white.  The boy is questioned by his friends about his features, and they unwittingly hurt the boy's feelings.  With the help of his "moms," the boy successfully navigates that feeling of alienation, and learns to love himself and the way he looks.  The book was written by actor Taye Diggs, who I worked with on the set of Private Practice last week.  He is a warm, and amazingly talented actor, and I love to hear about actors expressing themselves through other mediums.  I chatted with Taye about his reasons for writing the book.  Taye had an experience similar to the protagonist's growing up, and he wrote the book for his son and all children who can identify with the experience of being different than their friends in some way.  And who can't?  I think the book contains a great lesson about the beauty of diversity for all kids, no matter what color they are.  And it's beautifully illustrated by Taye's friend, Shane W. Evans, who originally approached him with the idea for the project.  Taye was kind enough to give me a copy of Chocolate Me! to read to my students during our weekly BookPALS session. 

Sure enough, my students LOVED it! Halfway through the book, they were chanting along after each verse.  Our favorite books are the ones that allow the kids to read along with me and participate, and they really got into it!  If you know a child age 4 or above, check out Chocolate Me this holiday season.

Happy Customer!

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

I used Epicurious.com to help put together my menu for this year!  Check it out:

HORS D’OEUVRES
Assorted Cheeses and Accompaniments
Grape Leaves Stuffed with Turkey and Quinoa (My friend Andreas is bringing these!  They're usually stuffed with rice, but we're trying a better carb alternative.)

SOUP
Butternut Squash Soup with Star Anise and Ginger Shrimp (Love this recipe!  Have made it many times before... skip the water in the recipe if you try it, and the texture of the soup is a lot better)

SALAD
Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad

MAIN
Cornish Hens with Figs and Bacon (called "Figgy Piggy Cornish Hens" on Epicurious, but I'm not in a silly enough mood to say that.  And I don't want to eat a Piggy.)
Sourdough, Wild Mushroom and Bacon Dressing (yes, I really like bacon)
Gravy
Fresh Cranberry Sauce

DESSERT
Lattice Apple Pie with Mexican Brown Sugar (Fresh pie?!  mmmm... the picture says it all!)
French Vanilla Ice Cream

Now on to wine pairings!

Unwinding in Beautiful Ojai, California

My friend's family just built a house in Ojai, and we drove up this weekend to check it out.  I believe in taking a regular break from the hustle of the city and just unwinding.  I'm perfectly content with life with good wine and an outdoor soak in the hot tub.  You don't need much for a relaxing mini-getaway with friends -- excellent food and drink, board games, and a comfy house with a spectacular view.  We all pitched in and cooked together and had a great time.

How to Do Your Own Makeup

I love Gwyneth Paltrow's newsletter blog GOOP, and found today's issue particularly helpful.  I never know quite what to do when I'm doing my own makeup.  Read a step-by-step guide from Gwyneth's makeup artist here.

Press Release: Booked Co-Star on ABC's SCANDAL

I wrote a press release about some of my recent career wins, and I'm going to try to get an article written about me in one of my hometown newspapers. Yup, mostly for my grandmother. :) Check it out:

ORANGE NATIVE ADVANCES ACTING CAREER IN HOLLYWOOD
Ajarae Coleman Books Primetime TV Role and Stars in Web Series

Los Angeles, August 18, 2011 - Orange, New Jersey-born actress Ajarae Coleman caps off a series of successes in Hollywood with a co-star role on the new ABC primetime television series SCANDAL, and a starring role in the comedic web series I HATE LA. These roles are the latest addition to several film, television, theater, internet and voice over credits.

SCANDAL is a new dramatic television series from the creator of GRAY’S ANATOMY, starring Kerry Washington. The series is set to premiere in late 2011 as a mid-season replacement on ABC. Coleman appears in a co-star role in the third episode of the series.

The web series I HATE LA will premiere on August 29, 2011, on www.comediva.com, a comedy site that features original video and editorial content by women and for women. Coleman plays the role of Rain in eight episodes of the first season of the series. Rain is a hilariously irreverent, overbearing vegan, who also happens to be a rather sexually aggressive lesbian. Her crazy shenanigans make for great comedy in the series. “It was a blast to play a character whose personality is so different from my own,” Coleman says. “Of course there are elements of every character that I can identify with. I use our similarities as the basis for developing the character, and then I just have a lot of fun playing with the characteristics of Rain that don’t resemble me at all.”

Coleman has eight films to her credit, and she landed her first principal television role last summer on the NBC daytime drama DAYS OF OUR LIVES. She earned critical acclaim in a starring role in the play THE GIFT HORSE last year. Coleman has successfully advanced her career by creating a presence and personality online. She actively blogs and uses social networks in her marketing. She has appeared in three web-based projects shot in the past six months alone. Coleman is currently developing her own original web projects as well.

The Orange native currently resides in Los Angeles, where she continues her acting training at the world-renowned Beverly Hills Playhouse. Coleman was the valedictorian at Park Avenue Elementary School in Orange, and starred as Dorothy in the school’s annual production of THE WIZ. She went on to graduate from Harvard University with an honors degree in Biological Anthropology. Coleman moved west to Los Angeles to work for the non-profit organization Teach For America, and there re-discovered her true passion for the performing arts.

Ajarae Coleman is currently represented by Jane Schulman of Vesta Talent Agency. For more information, visit www.ajarae.com.

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If you need some guidance on how to write and format a press release, my coach's book (The Tao of Show Business by Dallas Travers) guides you step by step, and there are lots of other resources on the web. My advice: don't be a perfectionist about it. Just write it and be done with it. I don't think mine is written anywhere near very well, but the reporter will probably re-write a bit anyway. I procrastinated for quite a while, and I just needed to get it done.

It's really easy to find media outlets to submit your press release to. I got this resource from Dallas: www.easymedialist.com. Four easy steps:

1. Go to easymedialist.com and click on "USA city and state local media lists."
2. Select your state.
3. Uncheck all boxes and then click on the media outlets that are most local to your hometown.
4. Click the "Preview Your List" button, and voila! You can pay via Paypal.

I spent $11.30 for a list of 10 New Jersey media outlets. The list includes the website for the media outlet, the primary editorial contact's name and email address, a general phone number, fax number for submitting press releases, and physical address. So simple. I'm about to fax my press release to the 10 places now, and then call to follow up and confirm receipt. We'll see what happens!

Um, why are you still sitting there? Go get some ink yourself!