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The Author's Corner |
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The Author's Corner |
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Composing Magic
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Composing Magic: TWPT: Spiritually speaking when was it that you first
looked at Paganism as the path that you would like to adopt as your own
spiritual practice? EB: I've always followed an essentially Pagan path. I discovered the contemporary Pagan community about 20 years ago. TWPT: What is there about following a Pagan oriented
spirituality that appeals to its followers beyond what is offered in
the mainstream spiritual paths that are available these days? EB: Advantages include: * closer connection with the Earth. TWPT: Paganism is a broad term, how would you describe
the path that you find yourself on these days? EB: My main traditions include Celtic, Native American, and African. I tend to practice those one at a time, rather than mixing them together in the same spell or ritual. I like being able to choose which system is best for my current project. Overall I have a deep reverence for the Earth and a strong sense of community. TWPT: Did you ever encounter any resistance from
friends and family in regards to the choice that you had made about your
spiritual path? EB: No. TWPT: When was it that words became an important part
of your life, writing, journals etc and what was it that drew you
to writing as a discipline? EB: I've always loved words. The earliest poem we have of mine dates from when I was six, and it's in my parents' handwriting because I was just learning to write then. I learned to read so early that I don't remember doing it. My first deliberate effort to develop my writing skills started in junior high, when I wrote one poem every weekday. That continued for several years and made a big jump in my poetic skills. It wasn't so much anything that drew me to writing; it's just part of who I am. TWPT: Did you pursue writing oriented classes in your
studies at the University of Illinois? EB: A few. Good writing classes are hard to find, though. I took a couple of poetry classes, a general writing class, and an honors tutorial that included writing. EB: Not much, frankly. The honors tutorial was *tremendously* useful; it gave me lots of experience in analyzing what works and what doesn't, and how to improve. The other classes ranged from adequate to lousy. EB: Kind of. It was more a matter of finding a bunch of interesting people to meet. I've been equally attracted to science fiction fandom and historical recreation. I do enjoy the support of a close-knit spiritual community, though. EB: Early on it was more diffuse and harder to find, but the quality of available materials was pretty high. As time passed, the population grew denser and easier to find, but attracted a lot more flakes. There has always been a tendency towards politicking, which I hate; I find the "witch wars" very tedious. But there are groups that stick together and make an effort to find ways of supporting each other even through disagreements; that's good. TWPT: When was it that you first started writing about
alternative spirituality? EB: Some time in the early 1990s at the latest; I'm not sure exactly when. EB: Yes. I started aiming for publication in the late 1980s. EB: Nothing much more specific than "There is no One True Way." EB: That was one of the first Pagan magazines I discovered, and I found it in a little New Age shop. I just sent in the early stuff based on the guidelines. Getting published was a nice perk ...... but I've been submitting to Asimov's SF since the late 1980s, they have yet to buy anything from me, and I have no intention of stopping. My writing isn't powered primarily by reinforcement, although I enjoy it when I get it. TWPT: I've read in your bio that your other main
thrust in writing is speculative fiction. Could you offer an explanation
of what speculative fiction is and why it appeals to you as
a writer? EB: Speculative fiction includes science fiction (imaginative stories about the future and possible technology), fantasy (imaginative stories about other worlds and magic), and horror (creepy stories about scary events and monsters). I like all those things, and I especially enjoy exploring other worlds. I also have a fascination with invented languages, like Klingon and Sindarin; those fit in there too, and you'll see such things in my stories. Writing speculative fiction is a thrill for me. Other stuff is fun, but rarely as exhilirating as fiction. TWPT: In the practice of your spirituality are you primarily a solitary person or do you prefer a group to practice with? TWPT: Personally what do you see as the advantages of one over the other if
any? EB: Group practice adds more power from collective work and the enjoyment of other people's company. It also allows you to draw on other people's skills and resources in addition to your own. There are things a group can do better, like music and dancing. But you have to get everyone together, and you have to devote energy to planning and group dynamics and problem-solving. EB: I write a lot in the Pagan field, including the book _Composing Magic: How to Create Magical Spells, Rituals, Blessings, Chants, and Prayers_. Since much of my time is spent wordsmithing, that's a lot of Pagan activity. I belong to a coven and we have regular activities that include Year-and-a-Day Classes, sabbats, and esbats. I do my best to landscape my yard so it's suitable for wildlife and human use. Spending time outdoors helps me connect with nature. TWPT: I have also seen that you characterize yourself
as a hobby-linguist. Exactly what is that and how does it
fit in with your other activities as a writer? EB: A linguist is a scientist who studies languages and how they work. I have a keen interest in linguistics; I read books about languages, hang out with linguists, and also invent languages. I don't have a degree in linguistics -- though I'd love to get one someday -- so for now my study of linguistics is a hobby rather than a profession. TWPT: How has formal education in other languages i.e. Spanish, Russian and Japanese helped you in your writing? TWPT: What is the benefit of your work as a
xenolinguist to your writing and for those who may not know exactly what is a
xenolinguist? EB: A xenolinguist is someone who studies and/or creates alien and/or invented languages. Xenolinguistics is the really creative side of linguistics -- making up new languages, telling stories about aliens or fantasy races who speak different languages, imagining the linguistic challenges of first contact, and so forth. TWPT: What was your motivation behind writing
Composing Magic? EB: None of the writing books previously published said anything about how to write spells, rituals, and other magical material. The Pagan books just said, "You should write your own spells!" ... without explaining how to do that. So I wrote a book to fill that gap. TWPT: What are the differences between writing an
article or a ritual and tackling a book length project? EB: A book requires a bigger topic and more detailed organization. It takes longer to build up enough material. But the basic principles remain the same. EB: In some ways, I enjoyed the depth because there was more room to explain things in detail and give examples. But I ran out of room and had to cut some things out, like the glossary, and that shows. TWPT: Words have much inherent power. How important
are the words you choose to use when you are writing rituals or
composing magick spells? EB: It's possible to conduct a ritual without any words, but that takes a different kind of very careful planning. Almost all rituals use words, and for those, the words are VITAL. They are the bones and the heart of the ritual, giving it shape and directing its power. EB: Oh yes. Poorly chosen words can make a ritual boring or uncomfortable -- and they can also lead to unpleasant side effects. Most obviously, what you say in ritual tends to become true: if you invoke "the rains of the West," don't be surprised if you get wet! TWPT: What approach do you take with Composing Magic
to show and to teach a more effective way of using words in your
rituals so that you achieve the results you set out to achieve when you
wrote the ritual? EB: The opening of Chapter One discusses the importance of words and their influence. Then I explain the basic techniques and process of writing. Then I focus on each of the main types of writing -- poetry, spells, and so forth -- and guide the reader through the steps for writing them. I give examples and exercises for readers to practice. There are several pieces of analysis that talk about word choice and other things, and how to make improvements. TWPT: Is there a particular way a person should work
their way through Composing Magic or should they just sit down and
plow through it in one reading? EB: I recommend working through it one chapter at a time. If you read it all at once you'll be skipping the exercises, and those are important for learning the skills. Another option is to read the first three chapters, which present the general writing information, and then skip ahead to the chapter(s) explaining the thing you want to write. So you could skip to Chapter Seven for chants, etc. TWPT: Are you still a Managing editor over at PanGaia
magazine? How did that come about and what is it that you do in
regards to the magazine and getting it published each month? EB: No, that ended with December 2007. I got involved with editing PanGaia after being a columnist at SageWoman, and my job included finding and polishing articles for PanGaia. TWPT: What kind of future do you see for print
magazines? Will they ever disappear completely or will they hang around for
many years to come? What makes you think that? EB: Print magazines will stick around as long as people value them enough to pay for them. They've lost a lot of ground in the last ten years as paper and postage prices have risen -- and people's incomes have stagnated or dropped. Many magazines, including some very large ones, have closed. That's cause for concern, because while it's possible to find similar information online for free, the quality control is much patchier online. In order to develop their skills to the maximum, writers need a good supply of markets that pay decent rates. If they can't make fair money writing, they can afford to spend less time at it and will have less-developed skills, leading to an overall lower quality of material available. So if you value a magazine, subscribe to it. TWPT: Tell me about your work with the Grey School of
Wizardry. What do you do for them and how does this fit into your life
as a writer, author and editor? EB: As Dean of Studies, I'm in charge of the whole curriculum. I manage class parameters, determine what topics fit which Departments, help the Department Deans design Major and Minor programs, and so forth. I edit all the new classes as they are submitted. I track proposals for new class topics and which teachers want to write them. I provide academic resources for students, like the "Study Skills & Test-Taking Tips" handout for students. I've written a Literature Class Template that allows teachers to quickly make a class for a novel or anthology. I also write classes to teach myself -- I have over 50 so far. TWPT: As a final question to this interview are you
happy with the way your life has turned out so far? Anything you'd
change or anything you might do a little differently if you were given a
second chance? And where do you see yourself headed in terms of writing
and editing over the next few years? EB: Right now the
economy is wrecked and subsiding further; that makes everything difficult. Wordsmithing is what I do best; I have years
of experience; and I'm not making enough to support a family, because most of
the people who want to hire me can't afford to pay more than a fraction of what
my skills are worth. (Last time I
checked, the average salary for a magazine editor was around 50,000; I've never
come close.) A year or
two ago, my situation was *much* better.
I hope the economy picks up enough for me to find more efficient
jobs. The things that need changing ...
aren't things one person can change. But
I do what I can. I have plenty more ideas for books to write, and I'm actively looking for more regular paying gigs. I'm exploring cyberfunded creativity with monthly poetry fishbowls on my blog, "The Wordsmith's Forge." We'll see what turns up. TWPT: I'd like to thank you for taking the time out to talk to us here at TWPT and I hope that more of our readers will discover your writings via this interview. |
