Platt Stuff

A tale of three scanners

2011-11-30T16:55:00.000-05:00

I've been on a scanning kick lately, converting my thousands of film photos to digital files. It's definitely time to do it: even though I've taken extremely good care of my printed photos, some of them are starting to degrade, especially the really old Kodak Instamatic pics I took in my youth way back in the late 70s.

But getting all of these photos into digital form isn't the easiest task. I've tried it three ways, and all have their plusses and minuses.

My main scanning attempt has been just slapping my printed photos down on my scanner and digitizing them a few at a time. This works pretty well, but it's a slow, laborious process. Scanning at 600 dpi takes several minutes per photo. After that -- since I want the best picture possible -- I spend another 5-15 minutes per photo in Photoshop, removing dust, physical imperfections, etc.

This works, but it's not perfect. Scanning a printed photo is like scanning any piece of paper -- every little imperfection shows up, especially at such high resolution. And of course, it take a hell of a lot of time.

It also costs nothing, so there you go.

But time, as always, is an issue, and I wanted a way to speed things up a bit. A friend of mine recently talked about taking a pile of photos to Target and using the Kodak Rapid Scanner there. This cool device has a sheet feeder that accepts about 20 photos at a time. It scans them pretty darn quickly -- 150 photos took about 45 minutes, maybe less -- and the only cost was minimal: $9.99 to burn all of the photos onto a CD-ROM.

Fast and inexpensive. What could go wrong?

Oh yeah, the scans look like crap. The colors came out faded and distorted and each image is marred by streaks and other electronic noise. Beyond that, the resolution isn't all that great. So this ended up being a terrible, terrible option.

Here's an example of one of the Rapid Scan images:

My third option was, by far, the best, but also the priciest. I have always kept my negatives, so I wondered what it would like to have them scanned directly. I shipped about 200 negs to a company called ScanCafe, which charged (at a sale price) 22 cents per image plus shipping and a few other fees.

The results were astounding. ScanCafe color corrected each scan and the photos look absolutely fantastic. In many cases, they look significantly better than the original, printed photos sitting in my albums.

Here's that same image, as scanned from the negative by ScanCafe.

Granted, this is not the best photo I've ever taken, but it's only one that I scanned through both services, so it's a pretty good comparison.

Again, ScanCafe is not the perfect solution -- it's pricey and it takes a very, very long time. I think it took at least six weeks to get my images back. If I remember correctly, they ship everything overseas for scanning, which isn't ideal. But however they did it, they produced incredible results.

Right now, I'm back to scanning more of my photos by hand, but I'm concentrating on more of the old Kodak Instant images and any pics for which I do not have negatives. I'll definitely try ScanCafe again, as soon as I can scrape up the cash.

What about you? How are you getting your old images into the computer age?

7 creative updates

2011-11-09T11:26:00.001-05:00

1. My poem "Necropsy" appears in the new issue (#115) of the venerable Space and Time Magazine. It doesn't seem to be for sale on their site yet, but here's the cover:

2. Another new poem, "Manscaping," appears in the latest issue (#15) of the sf/fantasy poetry zine, Illumen.

(Both of those poems were sold years ago. Writing is definitely a game of delayed gratification.)

3. I'm posting semi-frequent new sketches and mini-paintings over at the Platt Arts blog. Here's one of my favorites:

4. If you're interested in my journalism (and you should be), I post weekly link compendiums over on the Platt Article Library blog.

(I should probably roll all of these blogs into one, but I think they'll stay the way they are for now. Follow them all!)

5. I'm kinda working on some fiction again. I got a very encouraging rewrite request from a very good editorial team, so I'm thinking about how I can take that story to the next level. It's going to require digging deep into the dark parts of my brain to really make this story sing, so wish me luck.

6. I'm almost done with my next mini-comic. The interiors are all done, so all I need to do now is come up with a title and a cover. And then find a place to print the darn thing (not an easy task in semi-rural Maine). No rush -- I plan to have it ready for the next MECAF in May 2012. I also have probably 75% to 90% of another mini-comic written, and hope to start drawing it soon, again with a six-month completion goal.

7. I'm trying to come up with my creative goals for 2012. So far, I only have one: be creative. I may or may not get more specific than that.

In memory of the 18 Bengal tigers killed in Ohio this week

2011-10-20T15:04:00.000-04:00

World Rhino Day

2011-09-22T09:10:00.001-04:00

Today is World Rhino Day, and you can read all of my recent Extinction Countdown articles about rhinos here.

Mushroom City

2011-09-11T19:37:00.002-04:00

Muchroom City, a photo by JohnPlatt on Flickr.

Our yard has sprouted. Photos ahead.

Website relaunch!

2011-07-26T13:29:00.000-04:00

After years and years at Homestead, I have finally moved my site to a new provider (FatCow), which promises to be slightly more with the times in terms of its services and offerings. I still have a lot of work to do to flesh it out, but for now, check out the newly redesigned and rehosted site here:

John R. Platt, Words & Stuff

Art & Book Auction to Support PTSD Awareness

2011-07-18T16:22:00.001-04:00

As some of you know, my partner Colleen Crary has founded a non-profit to help people with post-traumatic stress disorder. Now I'm helping her, by auctioning off some of my artwork and art and books by several other people who have been kind enough to donate their work. Click on the banner to see the auctions. Thanks!

NPG

2011-05-31T21:22:00.000-04:00

The world population is expected to hit 7 billion later this year. Quite frankly, that's just scary. That many people means far too few resources for the people of Earth, not to mention the Earth itself.

And so, I'm proposing a cull. It's time to shrink the human mass, and I think it's going to be pretty easy. All we need to do is get rid of the dead weight.

And so, in the interest of Negative Population Growth, I present for you now a list of the people I invite to find themselves another planet. This list isn't complete, but it's a start, so here we go:

Everyone who appears on, works on, or made money from 'Jersey Shore'
Come to think of it, everyone who lives at the Jersey shore
All wildlife poachers, smugglers, bushmeat eaters and rhino horn snorters
Rapists, pedophiles, and anyone who ever said “She was asking for it”
Linux users (sorry)
All failed U.S. presidential candidates
All failed 'American Idol' candidates
Birthers
All Tea Partiers who do not drink tea (iced tea and sweet tea don't count)
Anyone who believes that the moon landing was faked, the Earth is hollow, global warming is a fraud, or the Protocols of the Elders of Zion is real (look it up)
Counterfeiters, online pirates, Somali pirates, and pirate fetishists (I don't know for sure that that last group really exists, but I'm assuming they probably do)
All listeners of talk radio
(And let's include the talk show hosts while we're at it)
Fashionistas
Anyone who believes that alien shape-shifting reptile people live among us
Any alien shape-shifting reptile people living among us (just to be safe)
All kings, queens, dukes, viceroys and people named Earl (except James Earl Jones; he can stay)
Parents who teach their kids to be bullies
Bosses who teach their employees to be bullies
Bullies
Slave traders
Day traders
Critics
Haters
Litterers (slobs)
People who stick their used chewing gum under tables or on movie theater floors
Anti-abortion activists (we need less birthing, not more)
Randians (I mean, come on, is there a more ridiculous philosophy?)
Animal abusers
And finally...People who make lists about types of people who need to go

Me at MeCAF

2011-05-23T21:20:00.004-04:00

Me and my comics, a photo by JohnPlatt on Flickr.

So here you see my smiling face at the start of Sunday's Maine Comics Arts Festival, table set up, comics and books and art spread out around me, and gallons of caffeine flowing through my veins.

It was my first public event / book signing in a year -- since last MeCAF, in fact. And it was awesome.

Despite the fact that I've been too sick to finish drawing anything in the last few months (thanks, moldy house which will soon be in our rear view mirror), I had a full table of goods to sell: my old books (Die Laughing remains a perennial), four mini-comics, and hundreds of the little sketch cards that you've seen on this blog from time to time.

The other half of my table was taken up by a great new friend, cartoonist Jamie Smith, who recently made the move from Alaska to Maine and is quickly finding the humor of his adopted climate. Jamie's a great gag writer and one funny dude -- he had me laughing all day long.

Attendance at this year's show was fantastic. And they were buying. I sold at least twice as much stuff as last year. Probably fewer comics, to be honest, but more books, and selling the sketch cards (which I gave away last year) was a stroke of genius, if I do say so myself.

But the crowds -- even more then spending, they were giving -- wonderful, happy, and joyful to the core. It would be hard to have a bad time in an environment like that.

And of course, putting several dozen cartoonists in the same couple of rooms is a sure-fire way to have a good time. I'm deathly afraid to leave anyone off this list, but here's a shout out to Jen Vaughn, Cara Bean, Matt Smith, Mr. Tim, Robyn Chapman, Dennis Pacheco, Randall Drew, Jesse Durona, Carl Mefferd, Maris Wicks, Colleen Frakes, Jon Chad, Dave Naybor, Mort Todd, Jeff Pert, Mike Lynch, Bob Jinx, and many others.

I also have to thank Rick Lowell and his staff at Casablanca Comics, who put on a helluva show, and the fine folks at Shipyard Brewery, who plied the artists with free beer and pizza on Saturday night.

The only tragedies of the weekend were that I missed chances to chat with too many of the artists because I was always behind my table -- next time, I'm staying a second night -- and that I didn't take enough photos!

Anyway, I'm already looking forward to next year's show. I can hardly wait for the next 364 days to speed by.

This weekend: Maine Comics Arts Festival

2011-05-17T13:15:00.000-04:00

It's just a few days now until the third annual Maine Comics Arts Festival, and once again, I'll be there selling copies of my books, comics and sketch cards, including this mini-comic I drew last summer at the Center for Cartoon Studies:

I know, I know, that cover isn't the best example of my artwork. The interiors are much better.

I'll also have 10-year-old copies of Die Laughing, and a bunch of other stuff on hand.

The guest list for this year's show is pretty impressive, including "Big Nate" creator Lincoln Pierce and Any Runton, artist of the wonderful "Owly" graphic novels.

The main event is all-day Sunday in Portland. If you're in the area, stop by and say hi!

10 new names for 'Global Warming'

2011-04-28T12:19:00.000-04:00

One of the biggest reasons so many people don't believe the world is warming is because the terms "global warming" and "climate change" are too weak. If we're going to get more people on board, we need a better name for what's going on. Here are my top ten choices:

Catastrophic climate chaos.
Weather wackiness.
Global oh-crap.
Climate we're fucked.
Climate change change change change change.
Global microwaving.
Global baking.
The coming cannibalism crisis.
Global grand mal seizure.
Fuck yeah, climate change!

So, think any of those will do the trick?

It's my birthday, and I am blessed

2011-04-26T12:14:00.000-04:00

...by many, many wonderful friends around the world.
...by a freelance writing career that means I get to do good every single day.
...by sharing my life with an amazing woman.
...by living surrounded by the beauty of nature.
...by surviving long enough to understand that 42 really is the answer to life, the universe and everything.
...by relatives I love and admire.
...by words that set me free.
...by art.
...by music.
...and by life.

Have a slice of cake today in my honor!

Seeking...

2011-04-05T16:16:00.000-04:00

A new place to live (six major floods in four-plus years is six too many)
A new client or two (or the promised new jobs from current clients that haven't materialized yet)
A hug from an orangutan (any primate will do)
A nice shoulder massage (too many hours in front of the keyboard)
A Wi-Fi enabled Blu-Ray player (Netflix streaming, baby!)
Someone to take some of my comic books off of my hands (more go out with next week's recycling; they're too hard to sell these days)
A nice reading lamp (why are they so hard to find?)
My dressy coat (it's hiding in a box here somewhere...)
Any art by F.G. Cooper (I'm obsessed with this obscure 1930s cartoonist)
Time to listen to Robbie Robertson's new album (released today!)
Dinner plans for this weekend (you in?)
Time to draw my next mini-comic (the deadline for the Maine Comic Arts Festival approaches!)
More time to blog (I've got some stuff to get off of my chest!)

Other John Platts in History # 2

2011-03-07T10:51:00.000-05:00

England's John Edgar Platt (1886 - 1967) was a famed woodblock printmaker. An entire book about his techniques is available online here.

My 10 Least-Favorite Beer Brands

2011-03-03T21:28:00.000-05:00

10. Budgieweiser

9. Coors Chocolate

8. Sitting Rock

7. Zima Golden Wheat

6. Tres Equis

5. Corona Average

4. Guiness Clear

3. Sam Adams Summer Sweat Porter

2. Miller Life

1. Thunderbeer

Places I need to visit

2011-03-02T20:52:00.000-05:00

Borneo – I need to see orangutans in their native land...before they're all gone.

Yankton, SD – My dad actually went to college there. But his school went out of business years ago and is now a federal prison. It would be great to see and visit the town, although I'll skip trying to get over the fence onto the old campus.

Australia/New Zealand/Tasmania – More unique creature per inch than most other places on earth, and more politically stable than Madagascar. Win-win.

Acadia National Park – I have lived in Maine more than four years, which means I'm past due to get up there.

Santa Fe – During the annual American Indian Market, of course.

Anyplace my friend, musician Randy Granger, is playing – Randy's music means a lot to me. I want to see him in concert one of these days.

Oz – So what if it doesn't really exist?

Virunga National Park – The only politically unstable area I'd risk going to in order to see an endangered species (in this case, mountain gorillas).

India – I can't narrow down which part of the sub-continent I want to see, but one place on my list is the Gir National Forest, last home to the world's only remaining Asiatic lions. (Are you noticing a trend here?)

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico – I've already been there, but I'd like to go back.

Portland and Seattle – If just to check out their comics shops.

San Diego – Gotta visit that zoo.

Where else should I go? I've got cabin fever and need to plan some travel in my mind.

Other John Platts in History # 1

2011-02-27T10:42:00.001-05:00

The Hungerford Virtual Museum -- a museum that only exists online but still serves its community of Hungerford, England -- provides the 19th Century history of the area's Platt family, including several generations of brewers named John Platt.

What I'm up to...

2011-02-02T15:48:00.001-05:00

A month? A month???? Four weeks since my last blog post here? Bad Platt! Bad!

Oh well, I'll forgive myself. It was a crazy-busy January, made all the more crazy by this really wacky winter we're having. Today pretty much caps it. We have so much snow piled up in front of our front door that there's almost no way to get outside, let alone start shoveling. Oh well, I guess I'll just wait for the snow guys to come in a few hours and let them do most of the work...

So as to the crazy-busy part... work is awesome. Yes, one of my major clients had to cut me loose (tough times), but I did so much writing in January that I didn't even notice it. I turned in at least six major feature articles, including three that will actually be in printed publications -- yes, paper hasn't quite gone out of style yet!

The Extinction Countdown blog had a great month. My story on Tasmanian devils was quoted by dozens of other news outlets. Jeff Corwin named me his "global citizen of the day" for my writing about Borneo's clouded leopards. And several other stories got major linkage on the social networking sites. Not too bad for a topic that is so overwhelmingly depressing.

I also started writing regular news stories for Mother Nature Network, which fits quite nicely into my goal of doing a lot more environmental writing this year. They're a cool outfit to work with, too.

February (all two days of it so far) has involved sending out lots of new pitches to magazines and other publishers. So far this week, I have sent out 11 pitches -- and I have already received one yes and one maybe. I guess I'm doing something right here.

Meanwhile, I'm reading a lot in my free time -- if just so I can get some books out of my "to be read" pile and out of the house if I decide not to keep them. I'm a lot less sentimental about keeping books after three moves in seven years, so I don't feel too bad about letting them go.

(Here's a tip: If you have anything you're not sure you want to part with, take a few photos of it. You'll remember the item, such as a well-loved book, without needing to own it any longer.)

Most of the books I'm parting with are being donated to the local library. A few get listed for sale as used books on Amazon. Sales there aren't great, but they did pay for my new printer a few weeks ago. Every little bit helps, right?

Hmm... you know, that's really about it in terms of what I've been up to. It probably doesn't sound like much, but I've really been heads-down for most of January. February should be a lot more varied and interesting. It has 26 more days to prove me wrong.

Well, I think that's about all of the writing I can do for today. I just might do do some shoveling. Either that or take a nap. Yeah, a nap sounds pretty inviting right about now...

In 2011, I will...

2011-01-04T09:59:00.000-05:00

Post my resolutions later than most other people (done!)
Do good work that I care about (and less that's just about the almighty dollar)
Make a difference, in as many ways as possible
Write at least 100 articles about endangered species (and if I'm lucky, help contribute to saving a few of them)
Draw at least 50 gag cartoons, move my webcomic to a better host, and figure out a way to make a few dollars from my cartooning (or at least the first two)
Have an unexpected adventure (but by saying this, am I expecting it?)
Turn 42 (eek!)
Finally move out of this mold-ridden nightmare townhouse (achoo!)
Lose 5 pounds. Or ten. (Or less.)
Take 1,000 photographs (which means finding 1,000 new things in the world to photograph)
Seek peace, calm, happiness and enjoyment in all things (except those things I'll stay angry about)
Probably not write any fiction (except this list?)
Try to end the constant pain in my hands (not typing stuff like this would have been a good beginning)
Blog more (or not)
Take control in all things (because I deserve it)

Our wreath came out of the blizzard looking even merrier

2010-12-28T15:23:00.001-05:00

Our wreath came out of the blizzard looking even merrier
Originally uploaded by JohnPlatt

Merry three days after Christmas!

My 5 favorite Christmas albums

2010-12-20T12:38:00.003-05:00

Have you ever noticed how a lot of Christmas music -- if not most of it -- totally sucks?

Admit it, out of the five thousand, one hundred and twenty thee Christmas albums recorded every year, maybe six will make the cut to be worthy of immortality. And even then, only half the songs are any good.

But knowing this doesn't stop me from listening to non-stop Xmas music at this time of year. It's fun, it gets me into the spirit, and it just makes the whole house feel Christmasy.

So in the spirit of the season, here are my top five Christmas albums, full of songs that give me that good old Yuletide spirit:

This is the newest -- and least awesome -- album on my list, but hey, it's 99 pretty darn good classical music Christmas songs, and Amazon sells it for just $1.99. What's not to love?

Yule Be Struttin gets some playtime throughout the year. There are some fantastic jazzy compositions on this disk, and I never tire of it. Plus that's one sexy cover photo.

John Denver and the Muppets... ah, this takes me back to my childhood every time I listen to it. How sad that we've lost both Mr. Denver and Mr. Henson. Bittersweet but beautiful.

More than just a slice of childhood, more than just good Christmas music, most of this is just plain old good music, period. I dance like Shermy every time I listen to it.

My all-time favorite. Ray Charles is at his absolute best here. His vocals are perfection and the arrangements are genius. Every song is a gem, and some are worth keeping on the rotation long after the season is complete.

So do any of these make your cut? What are your favorites? Feel free to share!

Word map of Extinction Countdown

2010-12-17T11:04:00.000-05:00

This isn't perfect, but it's a pretty good snapshot of what I write about.

Click through to see it larger.

Big batch of new sketch cards

2010-12-05T09:56:00.001-05:00

Big batch of new sketch cards
Originally uploaded by JohnPlatt

Click through to:

a) see them bigger
b) see the little notes I have embedded in the photo
and
c) see the other two new photos full of new sketch cards

Talking Tigers on the Brian Lehrer Show

2010-11-24T14:09:00.000-05:00

My interview about tiger conservation aired this morning on New York's WNYC. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, you can now listen to it here.

I had a great time, and I hope you enjoy listening to it!

Talking Tigers on the Radio

2010-11-23T14:55:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow morning, I'll be talking with WNYC's Brian Lehrer about tiger conservation, based on my coverage of this week's big Tiger Forum in Russia. I should be coming on about 11:25 am (EST), with the interview lasting around 15 minutes, and you can listen online here. The show will also be archived online, so I'll post a link to that when it's available.

41 new sketch cards

2010-11-19T12:38:00.001-05:00

41 new sketch cards
Originally uploaded by JohnPlatt

This is what I do in the evenings while I watch TV these days.

Sketchy sketchy

2010-11-13T14:29:00.001-05:00

More new sketch cards
Originally uploaded by JohnPlatt

I'm trying draw every day, both to stretch my artistic abilities and just to have fun. These cards are the latest result. Drawn on the backs of business cards, because (1) I like the paper and the size, and (2) I never go anywhere where I need to hand out business cards these days.

Sometimes you have to change the world to make art.

2010-10-27T11:52:00.001-04:00

Ripples in the reflection
Originally uploaded by JohnPlatt

Funny story about this photo.

Yesterday, while taking a quick lunch-hour walk, I came across some amazing fall foliage down at the nearby lake. The lake, meanwhile, was as still as glass. Not the slightest ripple as far as the eye could see. Looking out across the water, the trees on the other shore melded into their reflections so perfectly you could barely make out the water line.

I took about 50 photos of what I dubbed Lake Reflecto (click through to see some of the best), but then I got bored.

I wanted some variety. Something more artistic.

So I stood on the edge of the dock and gently flexed my knees a couple of times.

Just me. Just one 10x10 dock. The barest exertion of my muscles. And within 60 seconds, the entire lake was covered in ripples.

Did I feel guilty about disturbing the peaceful serenity? Heck no. I just took more photographs. And then I came home and posted them online.

We make our own art. Sometimes art makes ripples. Sometimes our lives make ripples. And sometimes the ripples make the art.

Red white yellow - FALL!

2010-10-24T15:12:00.003-04:00

Red white yellow - FALL!
Originally uploaded by JohnPlatt

That's the meanest electricity I've ever seen

2010-10-24T15:12:00.001-04:00

That's the meanest electricity I've ever seen
Originally uploaded by JohnPlatt

Life on the lake is sometimes like staring into the breach between universes

2010-10-22T14:47:00.001-04:00

Life on the lake is sometimes like staring into the breach between universes
Originally uploaded by JohnPlatt

Click through for lots more fall foliage fotos on Flickr.

(And more weird titles.)

Water, water everywhere

2010-10-15T09:00:00.009-04:00

In honor of Blog Action Day, here are links to several of my articles about water:

Three Simple Ways to Save Water

The Race to Save Mexico's Water Monster

21 percent of Africa's freshwater species threatened with extinction

Mediterranean dragonflies and damselflies disappearing with region's freshwater

Coral reefs: Vital to the oceans, vital to humans

Royalties are good (aka, the Great Die Laughing Experiment, Part II)

2010-10-04T09:46:00.005-04:00

Amazon.com sent along the first royalties for the e-book version of Die Laughing the other day. Not bad. I won't get rich off this book, but then again, I never expected to. I will, however, be able to get a nice burger and a beer, which is pretty good for an eight-year-old book.

(Truth in terminology: "royalties" isn't quite the word here, since I'm getting the lion's share of the "cover price," but I can live with it.)

To continue the Die Laughing experiment, I have now lowered the price of the e-book by a buck, to $2.99. This seems to be a popular price point for Kindle books. Maybe it will increase sales a bit. We'll see.

So, want to help me buy another burger? You can read this e-book on a Kindle, your PC or a smart phone. (Or if you'd like, I still have copies of the old-fashioned paperback edition of the book. Drop me a line.)

M***s Davis

2010-09-13T09:11:00.001-04:00

What a weird world we live in. One the one hand, iTunes is advertising the great Miles Davis album Bitches Brew (in an edition packed with bonus material) like so:

A trumpeter, composer, jazz genius, and American icon, the late Miles Davis created several seminal albums. Bitches Brew, from 1970, is a pioneering fusion album, merging jazz, funk, and rock elements. The iTunes LP @ http://facebook.itunes.com/cmj includes rare live performance footage, a flipbook and more. The Legacy Edition features the original six tracks, two alternate takes, and four previously promotional-only single versions/edits.

But when you go actually go to iTunes, you get this:

It's awesome to have all of this great material available, but dudes, why the censor hate?

Hand pain and the working writer

2010-09-09T12:12:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that my hands are often in a lot of pain. Writing may look all glamorous, but it's a physically demanding job. If you're not careful, you can actually cripple yourself by spending too much time at the computer.

I came pretty close to reaching that point. Sitting and typing all day, every day, did a lot of damage to my hands, wrists and shoulders, and it took several months with a physical therapist to all but save my life.

I still experience hand pain on an almost daily basis, but I do what I can to minimize it and ensure that I can keep working as a freelance writer.

(A quick aside: Although I often use the words "carpal tunnel" to describe my pain, that's a bit of a shortcut. What I suffer from are repetitive stress injuries, but people understand "carpal tunnel" better than "RSI," so I go with that.)

Constant experimentation has helped me to come up with a few good tips to help keep my hand pain as low as possible. Hopefully these ideas can help some of you as well.

1. Posture. I found out that most of the pain in my wrists and hands actually started in my shoulders. By rounding my shoulders, I was pinching nerves that caused problems all the way down my arms. You mother was right, sit up straight. It will save you a lot of pain in the long run.

2. The right equipment. I use a split keyboard, that allows me to put my hands at a more natural angle than a regular keyboard. My desk has a keyboard tray, so I can keep my elbows at 90 degree angles. I also use a vertical mouse, which I hold as if I were about to shake someone's hand. Normal mice require you to twist the bones in your arm, which is not healthy.

(I actually have two mice hooked up to my computer so I can switch hands once in a while. I'm not quite ambidextrous, so it's not a perfect solution, but it helps.)

(I've also used non-mouse input devices like trackballs and Wacom tablets. Your mileage may vary, and I think it's worth trying them all until you find the one that works best for you.)

3. Stretch. Just like exercise, it's best if you can loosen your muscles up before beginning a long period of time at the computer. A "warm down" set of exercises also helps. These exercises and stretches have been invaluable to me.

Working your core back muscles is also important. A tired back is a sagging back, which will hurt your hands.

4. Take breaks. If the writing isn't flowing, get the hell away from the computer. Don't surf the web. Get those hands off the keyboard and mouse and do something else for a while.

5. Speak. Although it doesn't always fit into my work-flow, I sometimes use voice recognition software like Dragon Naturally Speaking. It's a lifesaver.

6. Let others do the work for you. Transcribing audio interviews can be a pain (literally). Sometimes I upload the files to a company in India that will transcribe them for me for a very modest fee.

7. Work smart. I often have a story halfway written in my head before I start typing. This saves on edit time, and gives my hands a rest. I am also fairly confident in my skills, so I don't do a lot of second-guessing. My first drafts are frequently my final drafts, minus a few minor corrections.

I carry this over to my style of writing, which is fairly lean and mean. I could go more complex and flowery, but that would require more editing, so I keep it simple in the name of efficiency.

I also pick my assignments carefully. Too little pay for too much typing? Sorry, can't do it for you. Big paycheck with minimal computer time? I'm your guy.

8. Know when to quit. Right now, my fingers are beginning to ache, so I know it's time to step away from the computer and this blog entry. I could go on, but my body is telling me to stop, and I'm listening.

I hope his helps. If you have other tips, feel free to share them in the comments section!

Know your process

2010-09-02T08:49:00.000-04:00

The other day, a friend of mine complained that he was only able to write 200 words of fiction at a time. After that, he was hitting a block he could not pass.

Here's my response:

Celebrate those 200 words! If that's the burst you write in, so be it. Make it part of your process. Write 200 words, then get up and give your family hugs or do 20 sit-ups. Then come back to the keyboard and write 200 more. Repeat.

I don't know if that helped him, but it's how I work (not that I write much fiction anymore, but it still applies).

Timing is everything

2010-08-30T11:52:00.000-04:00

I typically complete about 10-12 articles a week, plus various other projects. That amazes some folks, who ask me, "John, how the heck do you get so much done?"

The truth is that there isn't an easy answer for that question, but there are several related answers.

1. I don't have much of a choice. If I'm going to make a living as a freelance writer, I need to get a certain amount of work done every month, every week, every day. I don't get the work done, I don't get paid, and then I don't get to be a freelance writer any more. I like being a freelance writer, so I work very hard at it.

2. I do make the right choices. I know that if a job pays me a certain amount, I can translate that into the amount of hours I should spend working on it. For example, if I'm just doing a quickie blog post for a few bucks, it needs to be completely finished in under half an hour. If I have a big assignment, and it's going to take me days if not weeks to complete, I start right away and put time in every day until it's done. I don't have time to get stressed out over late work, or to spend too long working on something that isn't going to pay.

3. I plan ahead. Changing gears is very difficult. If your head is deep in one project, it's almost impossible to quickly switch gears to work on a different project. Getting interrupted is worse; it totally breaks down the mental system that I need to work. In order to place limits on the distractions in my life, I like to know what they are ahead of time. Even going to the post office every day can be a pain if I'm in the middle of something, so I use those tasks as my "changing gears" moments. I finish a project, then I run an errand or take care of something in the house. When that task is complete, my mind is clear and I'm ready to start the next job.

4. I plan further ahead. I don't want to waste time worrying about what assignments I'm going to have to scramble together next week. I find them and then I have them on the books. I like to have ongoing assignments and relationships with editors and clients so I know I have work from them next month as well as this month. Meanwhile, I am constantly looking for new work. Maybe one in ten pitches works out, but I take the time to fill my pipeline.

5. I never miss a deadline. When I act like a professional, clients want to keep doing business with me. And that helps me keep the words flowing.

I could probably go on a lot more about all of this, but that next project is calling my name...

Today

2010-08-25T13:30:00.000-04:00

Today I shall write, draw, think, feel, experience, and not die.

Sounds like a good plan.

World's least-used handicapped parking spot

2010-08-20T12:23:00.001-04:00

World's least-used handicapped parking spot
Originally uploaded by JohnPlatt

Click through for several new photos of one of my favorite subjects: urban decay.

Winnah!

2010-08-18T09:10:00.001-04:00

Wow! It's my second win (actually a four-way tie) in Eli Stein's caption cartoon contest!

Winner of Eli’s Cartoon Caption Contest No. 10

Comics Workshop photos!

2010-08-13T15:45:00.001-04:00

I've posted a few dozen photos from this month's comics workshop at the Center for Cartoon Studies. This should hold you over until I get a chance to write more about this great event!

Center for Cartoon Studies 2010 - a set on Flickr

Cartoon Campers

2010-08-10T21:12:00.001-04:00

colodny
Originally uploaded by Center for Cartoon Studies

Here's a great shot of the talented crew at this summer's Cartoon Workshop.

Cartoon Camp Day 5

2010-08-06T19:48:00.000-04:00

Sad good-byes this evening as three-quarters of the class heads for home. Only 9 of us are staying for the "extended studio" portion, which officially begins on Monday. But my god, what an amazing amount of creativity on display from these 37 wonderful artists. But lifetime friendships have been forged and at least 250 pages of comics have been drawn. What a week!

Huge thanks to the Center for Cartoon Studies and its amazing teachers!

Tomorrow I start thinking about what I'll write and draw this weekend and next week. Tonight will be a satisfying sleep.

Center for Cartoon Studies, Day 2

2010-08-03T22:31:00.001-04:00

Center for Cartoon Studies, Day 2
Originally uploaded by JohnPlatt

I'm two days into the Summer Workshop. Here's a sampling of what I've created so far.

(This just scratches the surface, to be honest. More photos and maybe actual scans soon.)

Cartoon Camp Day Zero - Off to the races

2010-08-01T21:35:00.000-04:00

I'm back in White River Junction, Vermont, for another summer workshop at the Center for Cartoon Studies, and things are already off to a great start.

For one thing, the drive here was almost too easy. I didn't hit any traffic the entire trip. It made me worry a bit -- did the Armageddon start while I wasn't looking? -- but now that I'm here, nobody else seems worried, so I guess the world remains unexploded.

For another, CCS held a nice little reception for this year's workshop participants. Actually, CCS didn't do too much -- just put out some cheese and punch and told us where to be -- but that was enough to get us started. I met several cool people tonight, and I'm already feeling creatively charged for classes tomorrow.

And finally, my hotel room is air conditioned and the bed is comfortable. Not only that, it is calling my name. So I'm going to call it a night and wake up bright and early tomorrow, ready to start a whole week of cartooning.

More updates as the week progresses!

Looking backward/forward

2010-07-30T12:40:00.001-04:00

As I have been preparing myself for this year's Summer Workshop at the Center for Cartoon Studies, a certain dread began to crawl inside of me. I started beating myself up for not accomplishing more since last summer's workshop. In fact, for a few moments there, I convinced myself that I haven't done a single cartooning-related thing in the past year.

But dread and fear often hide the truth. As I slowed down to think about it, I realized just how much cartooning-related work I have actually accomplished over the last 12 months:

I came up with at least 100 ideas for gag cartoons (single-panel cartoons like you see in The New Yorker), and drew at least 20 of them.
I scripted and thumbnailed at least 30 one-page comic stories.
I attended the Maine Comic Arts Festival, my first show behind the table as an artist.
I produced a new mini-comic.
I participated in this year's International Drawing Day.
I had two of my single-page comics stories appear in a book. (An amateur collection, but it's got covers and a spine, so it counts.)
I drew hundreds of illustrations in my sketchbooks.
I posted at least 20 or 30 cartoons to my webcomic.
I started scripting a graphic novel. (Well, really a work of journalism in comics form, so the term "graphic novel" isn't quite right, but you get the idea.)
I tried a whole bunch of different types of pens and papers as I experimented with different line and drawing styles.
I focused my creative goals (a very key piece of the puzzle).
and I had fun while doing all of the above.

Remembering / realizing / reflecting on all of that has totally pushed the dread aside and left me creatively charged for this workshop. I wish I could hit the road right now, but that wouldn't really do me any good, would it?

Anyway, I anticipate this being a life-changing experience, and I plan on making the most of it. Don't worry, I won't leave you behind -- expect some updates from the road next week.

See you in the funny pages.

The Great Die Laughing Experiment

2010-07-29T14:32:00.000-04:00

My short story collection DIE LAUGHING came out from Medium Rare Books back in 2002. It was a pretty darned good book, and people seemed to like it, but business issues plagued it from day one. Ultimately, having my own book wasn't the world's best experience if just because so many things went wrong with its publication.

Some day I'll expand upon what happened, but for now, let me just way, if you want something done right, leave yourself enough room to control your own destiny.

Which brings me to DIE LAUGHING 2.0.

That's right, what was once dead is now returned. I made the ebook version of DIE LAUGHING available a few weeks ago, thanks to Amazon's super-easy Kindle publishing platform.

My dreams for this ebook version are modest. I hope it will sell 100 copies. That's not much, but hey, I'm taking baby steps back into the fiction world, so I'm not shooting for the moon.

So how's it doing? Die Laughing sold 6 copies in its first few weeks of resurrected life. I'm happy with that.

I'll keep filling you in on sales as the experiment continues. In the mean time, if you want to give the book a try yourself, here's the link:

How I'll spend my summer vacation

2010-07-27T16:19:00.000-04:00

A few days from now, I'll be packing up the car and heading south, west, left, right, and a few other directions until I get to the delightful little town of White River Junction, Vermont. There, I'll be participating in my second Summer Workshop at the Center for Cartoon Studies, as cool a place as you can possibly imagine.

Last summer's workshop was incredible, but it came at a really terrible time in my life (just a few weeks after the untimely death of my father). This year I hope to go in with a clearer head and heart so I can learn and draw and draw and learn.

I have a few pretty clear goals for this year's workshop, including drawing and producing at least one brand-new mini-comic. I also want to experiment with a few new inking techniques and tools, learn more about pacing scripts, prep a graphic novel idea for possible submission, and meet a bunch of cool people.

But the most important goal is to relax, have fun, and recharge. I need this creative break, and I'm going to work like hell to make it the best break it can be.

Of course, before I can leave, I need to tie up a few dozen writing assignments and line up the work I'm going to tackle as soon as I get back. Taking a vacation isn't easy for a freelancer, but I haven't taken any real time off for myself in more than a year, so it's worth the effort.

Expect updates from CCS starting early next week.

So, what do you do to recharge and relax? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Welcome to the new blog!

2010-07-26T12:00:00.001-04:00

After what feels like 87 years over at LiveJournal, it's time for this blog to make a clean break and start fresh.

I resisted this for a long time -- half out of laziness, half out of sticking with the tried and true.

But all of my other blogs are here on Blogger, which offers greater flexibility, better RSS feeds, more features, and more chances to have fun with it.

Plus, my old LJ blog was started to promote my fiction. I almost never write fiction anymore, so why not start something fresh?

My old blog will remain archived here, and I'll probably still post on it from time to time, but basically, this is where I'll be from now on.

Hope you'll stick around for the ride!