October 2007 Blogs

The October Photo of the Month is from the Raleigh Television Network studio. Michael Graziano took this picture after our interview with Chris Irving. The show title is The Artist's Craft, and it will air this fall in Raleigh on Sundays at 8:30 PM.

Tuesday October 30, 2007
We've got a new author interview this week for StaceyCochran.com from our TV show "The Artist's Craft." Directed by Michael Graziano and Marnie Cooper-Priest this episode features authors Tim Dillinger, Christine Moughamian, and Christy Judah discussing the subject of "How to Write a Book: From Idea to Finished Manuscript."

Additionally, I'm experimenting with a new hosting platform, Google video. The plus is that through Google video the whole 30-minute interview can be embedded in one TV screen. Let me know which one you prefer (or if you can even see the Google TV screen below).

Sunday October 21, 2007
We have a new interview for StaceyCochran.com from this week's episode of "The Artist's Craft." Directed by Michael Graziano and Marnie Cooper-Priest, this interview with newspaper columnist Barry Saunders will air on Raleigh Television Network and Time/Warner cable later this fall.

Its online version is available through YouTube in three high-resolution parts. Enjoy...

Sunday October 14, 2007
This weekend, I travelled over to the Charlotte and led a workshop on Saturday for the Charlotte Write to Publish Group. Drove back today (Sunday) and met with my critique group this evening to workshop a group member's story. This evening, I've been putting together the online version of last week's interview for The Artist's Craft.

I think you'll enjoy this; it's with the theater troupe "Redrum: A Murder Mystery."

Monday October 8, 2007
This weekend I participated as a writer in my first street fair, and I sold about 20 DVDs and books. The Cape Fear Authors Guild invited me to come down to Wilmington, North Carolina for Riverfest. The Guild set up a tent on Water Street...

Guild members include Christy Judah, Richard Triebe, Edith Edwards, and Ken Campbell. I met all of the authors through the Wilmington Write to Publish Group, which meets the last Sunday of every month at Pomegranate Books in Wilmington. Here's a photo of me talking with a customer [photo by Richard Triebe]...

Here is Guild member Edith Edwards, author of The Ghosts of Turtle Nest....

Here are Guild members Richard Triebe and Ken Campbell. Rich's book is titled On a Rising Tide and Ken's novel is The Fifth Category...

Here is a photo with Edith in the foreground signing a copy of her book. In the background, I'm speaking with a customer who has a copy of The Colorado Sequence... [photo by Richard Triebe]

Wednesday October 3, 2007

On the Value of My Blog

The past few months I’ve questioned the self-centered nature of this website. I’ve asked myself why I have photos of myself, the purpose if you will, and if is it driven by vanity. Tonight, I reached a minor breakthrough in that I realized that that was not the major reason for the site, for blogging, or for posting photos. The primary purpose is marketing driven. That is, my primary purpose is to market my books, films, TV shows, DVDs, etc., and to have a place on the web to do so.

But here’s where the breakthrough came in. I realized tonight that all of this is probably driven by an even deeper need, self-actualization. By constantly being confronted with my own thoughts, photos, purposes, and experiences, I’ve come to a better understanding of myself. I can see myself somewhat more objectively, and as such, I can understand what my strengths, weaknesses, and reality is more clearly.

And here’s what’s really cool. Now that I’ve begun to more clearly understand myself, I can move myself into positions that help others. I know who I am and am learning what I can do help the greatest number of people possible.

The blog helps to revise methods. I can look back and see what I’ve done, see what works well, and see what needs adjustment…. whether it’s drawing a crowd of 50 people to an event at a library, or reaching 5,000 people in a single television address.

By objectifying myself in an environment (blog, YouTube, etc.) that can be reviewed and revised, I can move towards self improvement and hopefully even help others.

All of this is to say that I think I’ve found value in my blog that I might not have consciously been aware of before today!

Stacey