Why Fix it if it Ain't Broke?

Thought for the day:  My grandma always said God made libraries so people didn't have an excuse to be stupid. [Joan Bauer]

Yep. It's that time again. Yet another month has slipped through our fingers, and it is once again time for our IWSG monthly posts. For me, today isn't just about the IWSG, though. It also happens to be Smarticus' birthday, so I won't be spending much time on the computer. Maybe before he gets up, and during his nap, but other than that, the day will be all about him. I've got some fun plans up my sleeve if he's game... if he is, I'll tell you about it later.

Anyhow, back to today's post. As always, thanks to our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh, for founding this fine group, and thanks to all the other nurturing guys and gals who've helped turn it into the thriving community it is today. I'm telling ya, this group offers better support and lift than the world's most expensive bra. (No pesky underwires, either!) To join this super supportive group of writers and to see links to other participating blogs, please go HERE

Per the thought for the day, I dunno if Ms. Bauer's grandma was right about libraries, but I have a sneaky feeling all of you are long-time library lovers, like me. I wasn't a fan because I was trying to avoid stupidity, but simply because... I love the very idea of them. Their smells, the sounds, all those BOOKS, just free for the borrowing. As a young girl, I had library cards for a multitude of libraries. Where we grew up in Maryland, there were soooo many wonderful libraries, so... why limit myself to only one? My favorite was the Enoch Pratt Library, on the outskirts of Baltimore city. That place is HUGE! Multiple -storied, it had broad sweeping wooden staircases befitting a southern mansion, and a whole bank of card catalogs. I imagine the place has long-since been modernized, so I doubt if they have any of the old card catalogs any more. Too bad. I loved the simplicity of looking through those cards to find a book by title, author, or subject. Then again, I miss the simple way of stamping a due date on the card and book, too. I reckon I'm just a dinosaur when it comes to libraries. (And, yeah, a bunch of other things, too.) Another cool thing about Enoch Pratt is they had a small room filled with Edgar Allen Poe's desk and other stuff. Reeeeally neat!

Then in 1971, we moved to our sweet little town of Norcross here in Georgia. One of the first things I did after settling in was to visit the local library.

ARRRRRGH!!!!

Okay, so maybe it wasn't quite as small as the little lending library in the picture, but it wasn't much bigger. Really. It was ensconced in a tiny home, and the books were on the shelves all helter-skelter, and... they didn't even use the Dewey decimal system!!! Books were more or less alphabetized, but the librarians weren't exactly anal-retentive about it. Some were... some weren't.

ARRRRRGH!!!

I kid you not. I cried. Then I joined two by-mail book-of-the-month clubs.

I'm not sure why the library was in such a disorganized unprofessional state when we moved here, but it wasn't always the case. This adorable little brick building was our city's first library. The Norcross Women's Club was founded in 1905 with the express purpose of supporting the National Library movement and to establish a library here. Norcross had the FIRST library in the region, and it was located in a local school in 1907. Then this sweet little building was built in 1921, and it housed our library until 1966. I'm not sure why they vacated this building to move to the tiny house with maybe six parking places, as I found it in in 1971, but at least the old library still houses something. The Norcross Women's Club. It kinda came full circle.

I'm not sure what year our current library was built, but it's a huge improvement. Even won a Library of the Year award once. They've made a lot of changes since it opened, some I like, some not so much. Checking out is like space age magic. Just pile your books any which way on this high-tech  scanner thingie, enter your card number, and it gives you a print-out of all your books and when they're due.

NOW, a newer, bigger, even better library is being built to replace this one. There's gonna be a big multi-tiered parking deck next to it. I'm looking forward to seeing what the new library will bring, but here's the thing...

Our library was closed for a few days in January. You'll never guess why...

They're eliminating the Dewey decimal system!

ARRRRRRGH!!!

Instead, they're going to sort books by subject matter.

I hate it.

The fiction section was already shelved by subject matter... or genre... and I hate that, too. I mean, some books simply don't fit neatly into their limited assortment of categories, so if I'm looking for a book by a particular author, it could be shelved in any one of several places.

Where's a good ol' card catalog when ya need it?

So I'm curious.

About YOUR libraries.

Have they kicked the Dewy decimal system to the curb, too? If so, how do you like it?

I don't mean to be an old fuddy-duddy, so I'd love it if you could explain to me why the new system will be better.

End of rant.

Okay, let's move on to this month's question, shall we?

Has a single photo or work of art ever inspired a story? What was it and did you finish it?

Well, I'm sure a photo or work of art has served as the inspiration for many stories. Just none by ME. (How do ya like THAT? Short and sweet. It really IS possible for me to answer in less than 500 words....)

                          Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Why Write?

Thought for the day: Cheers to the new year and another chance to get it right. [Oprah Winfrey]

Holy moly! It's 2020!!! Hard to believe, isn't it? Crumb, I still think of our thirty-some-year old kitchen floor as being new. I mean, the hoopla over Y2K seems like it was only a few years ago... doesn't it?

Yep. Time definitely flies. It's very fortunate for us that we're essentially the pilots of our own lives, which means we have the power to prioritize and decide how to spend that time.

Talking about time, it's also time for our monthly IWSG posts. (Um, in case seeing that badge didn't give it away...) As always, thanks to our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh, for founding this fine group, and thanks to all the other nurturing guys and gals who've helped turn it into the thriving community it is today. I'm telling ya, this group offers better support and lift than the world's most expensive bra. (No pesky underwires, either!) To join this super supportive group of writers and to see links to other participating blogs, please go HERE

JANUS: Roman god of beginnings, transitions, and endings

This is the time of year I usually get a little two-faced, and maybe you do, too. Like Janus, I find myself looking both backward and forward each time a new year begins. You, too?

It's only natural. There's a certain sadness in closing the book on another year. A sense of loss for the people who've passed from our lives, nostalgia for joyous events now over and done with, and perhaps even a touch of regret for decisions made and opportunities missed. But, you know what? It's a NEW YEAR, people! It's okay to think about the past year, or even about all our past years, but let's not forget to look forward, too. If we spend too much time staring at the rear view mirror, how can we possibly appreciate the wide open road in front of us and make the most of all the beautiful sights along the way?  Sure, we're all getting older, but doggone it, we're still here. So carpe the hell out of each diem.

[image courtesy of unsplash]

I reckon the start of a new year is also a good time to take stock of our lives, so to speak. To maybe question the things we've been doing, and ask ourselves if we should continue on the same path. Otherwise, we run the risk of sleepwalking through life, doing things because of habit or tradition, rather than purposeful intention.

It reminds me of a story, a story about a young bride and one of the first meals she prepared for her new husband...

It was a beautiful ham, but before roasting it, this lovely young bride whacked off a large chunk of the meat and chucked it straight into the garbage can. This immediately prompted her astonished (and financially responsible) husband to ask his dearly beloved why-oh-why-dear-heart was she trashing what looked like a perfectly good piece of meat. The sweet young thing batted her eyelashes and said she did it because that's what her mother always did. So, the next time they saw her parents, the young man asked his mother-in-law about her unusual ham-cooking method. She said she did it that way because that's how HER mother always did it. By this time, the young bride was as curious as her husband, and they could hardly wait to hear Grandma's response to the riddle about the wasted hunk of ham. When they asked her, she laughed, and said, "Back then, I didn't have a pan big enough to hold the whole thing."

Isn't it funny how we sometimes get caught in traditions without questioning the purpose or logic behind them? Perhaps, in writing, we may meticulously follow the "old rules" without questioning whether they still apply, or if they're particularly well-suited for our particular style of writing. For example, I'm a real stickler for grammar, but (gasp!) I don't always write in full sentences. Some writers say that in the pursuit of creativity, anything goes. Wanta end a sentence with a preposition? Go for it! Split an infinitive? Have at it! Lift your head to the heavens and say, "I am writer! Hear me roar!" Then write what you want to write the way you want to write it.

Or not. What do you think?

Okay, let's move on to this month's question, shall we? What started you on your writing journey? Was it a particular book, movie, story, or series? Was it a teacher/coach/spouse/friend/parent? Did you just "know" suddenly you wanted to write?

Gee, if that quote is correct, maybe the reason I wanted to write is because I'm an... exhibitionist??? I mean, if we share part of our souls in our writing, we're stripping away our comfortable veneer of pretense and baring our inner feelings to the world. That's a scary thought, isn't it?

Unless... unless...

someone.... even one single someone in the whole entire world... reads what we've written and says, "Hey! That's how I feel, too!"

It's about making connections, and THAT is why I write. To tentatively touch someone's heart, to make them laugh or cry... to feel... to relate. And when I take stock of my life, THAT is why I will most likely continue to write.

Lots of teachers and professors offered me great encouragement, and possibly, without them, I may have never bothered. Maybe. Reading has always been important to me. I like to say that when I was born, I popped out of the uterus with a book in one hand and a flashlight in the other. (It's dark in there, ya know!) So it's possible that, even without encouragement, I wouldn't have been able to resist the magical power of words, both reading them and writing them. There's nothing sudden about it. I think I've always been enchanted by the power of words... so why wouldn't I want to try to wield some of that power myself?

Even so, I greatly appreciate those people who believed in me. Like Abe Lincoln said, I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down.

I sincerely  hope someone is encouraging YOU. And by the same token, I hope YOU are just as quick to encourage others. Your words, especially words of kindness and encouragement, can have a huge effect on someone else's life. You have the power to make a difference.

                           Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

My Crystal Ball's a Little Cloudy

Thought for the day: Wise old ladies don't plan too far into the future. [me]

Yep. It's that time again.Time for our monthly IWSG posts. As always, thanks to our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh, for founding this fine group, and thanks to all the other nurturing guys and gals who've helped turn it into the thriving community it is today. I'm telling ya, this group offers better support and lift than the world's most expensive bra. (No pesky underwires, either!) To join this super supportive group of writers and to see links to other participating blogs, please go HERE

Writing is still taking a back seat right now, but with the end of scheduled chemo and radiation now in sight, if all goes well, maybe I can invite my muse back into my life after the first of the year. We shall see.

In the meantime, I'm gonna vent a little. As I write this, it is Saturday afternoon, and maybe the issue will be resolved prior to the publication of this post on Wednesday, but I'm gonna spit it out anyway.

I firmly believe in writing and posting a review after reading a book, because I KNOW how important that feedback is to writers...  especially the insecure ones. (Which pretty much means ALL of us.) Typically, I post on both Goodreads and Amazon, and to date, I've posted a bazillion of 'em with no problems.

Until now.

For some reason, Amazon has rejected my last four reviews. I tried resolving the problem via email messaging with someone in customer service this past week, but that didn't go well. I ended up getting an email the next day from someone with Amazon in INDIA... saying I needed to have a password-protected account in INDIA... and spend such-and-such amount of money per year on INDIA Amazon before I could post a review.

HUH???

Last time I looked, I've never even BEEN in India. (Musta been some other Susan Swiderski...)

My attempt to respond to that email proved worthless, so I hope to resolve the issue via telephone next week. I mean... what the heck? I'm curious: have any of you encountered the same issue? 'Tis annoying...

At any rate, I'm gonna tell you guys about one of those rejected book reviews, because I think You Beneath Your Skin is well worth promoting. It's the brilliant debut from one of our very own IWSG members, the talented Damyanti Biswas. Not only is her book an eye-opener about the horrors of  acid attacks on women and the dismal living conditions and difficulties for the poverty-stricken children of India, but it's also a thought-provoking story of self-identity and inner strength... and it's beautifully well-written. But wait! That's not all...  All proceeds from book sales are being donated to organizations that help these women and children. We can't all be Mother Teresa, but we can all benefit by becoming aware of the issues that so touched her heart. If you treat yourself to a book this Christmas, I humbly suggest this one.

Now, for this month's question:

Let's play a game. Imagine. Role-play. How would you describe your future writer self, your life and what it looks and feels like if you were living the dream? Or if you are already there, what does it look and feel like? Tell the rest of us. What would you change or improve?

I think Snoopy's got the right idea.

To tell the truth, I don't look too far into the future, especially since Smarticus got diagnosed. I'm taking each day as it comes and making the best of it. Besides, I'm getting old enough that I have to seriously consider whether or not it's a waste of money to buy green bananas from the grocery store... (HA! Just kidding on that one. It's perfectly safe to buy green bananas, no matter how old you are. More likely than not, they'll be overripe by the time you get them home, anyway...)

Seriously, if I'm gonna imagine the future me living the writer's dream... it'd be great if a kind-hearted publisher read my books and knocked on my door like The Millionaire used to do on the old TV show. He can keep his money, though. I just want him to fall so in love with my books that he wants to publish and promote the second two books in my trilogy. Heck, if you're gonna dream, might as well dream big, eh? (If he wants to toss some moolah into the deal, I guess that'd be okeydoke, too...)

                               Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

The Fun of Research

Thought for the day: Escaping into a world of our making is one of the best things about writing.

Yep. It's that time again.Time for our monthly IWSG posts. As always, thanks to our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh, for founding this fine group, and thanks to all the other nurturing guys and gals who've helped turn it into the thriving community it is today. I'm telling ya, this group offers better support and lift than the world's most expensive bra. (No underwires, either!) To join this super supportive group of writers and to see links to other participating blogs, please go HERE

As to be expected, no writing this past month, either. For the foreseeable future, getting my husband healthy again is my top priority. Today is his 16th day of radiation and chemo, and so far, so good.

Not much time to spare these days, so I'll get right to this month's question: What's the strangest thing you've ever googled in researching a story?

[image courtesy of shutterstock]

The strangest, huh? I can't say that narrows it down a heckuva lot, because I've done some mighty interesting searches, and to me, it's all fun. But if I had to pick just one topic... it'd probably be the research I did on explosives. Homemade explosives. To tell the truth, it was a little scary just how much information I was able to find. Anarchist kinda stuff. (Who knew?) Smarticus teased me about it a little bit, and said NSA or some other alphabet soup government agency was probably watching, but he offered plenty of assurances, too. He said if someone from the government came to the front door looking for me, he'd handle it for me. Yes sirree, he'd direct them right down the hallway to my office...

Not that I reeeeeally thought anyone was following my interesting online searches, but I ended up finishing the rest of my explosive research via some U.S. Army handbooks. (Who knew?) I read about more kinds of explosives, booby traps, delayed time detonations, etc. than you can imagine. Funny thing is, I used very little of it in my book Explosive Beginnings. But for me, the research... no matter what the topic... is always a fascinating pursuit. I figure, it's best to gather much more info than I need and then use a minimum of it, as needed, to properly tell the story. (I mean, you guys didn't reeeeally want to know how to use a light bulb as a booby trap, did ya...?)

                                     Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Respirational Therapy

Thought for the day: Write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow. [Lawrence Clark Powell]

Yep. It's that time again.Time for our monthly IWSG posts. As always, thanks to our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh, for founding this fine group, and thanks to all the other nurturing guys and gals who've helped turn it into the thriving community it is today. I'm telling ya, this group offers better support and lift than the world's most expensive bra. (No underwires, either!) To join this super supportive group of writers and to see links to other participating blogs, please go HERE

Nothing much to report on the writing front this month. The editing work has slowed down a bit, too, because real life has gotten in the way. (Dontcha hate it when that happens?)

Okay, without any more blah-blah-blah, I'll jump right to this month's question:

It's been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing if you don't enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?

[image courtesy of unsplash]

What are my thoughts?

Why in the world would someone who doesn't enjoy reading books have any interest whatsoever in writing one??? That makes about as much sense as someone who prepares delicious meals and then throws them into the trash because he doesn't like to eat. Or someone who's afraid to fly deciding to become a pilot. To me, reading and writing are the opposite sides of the same wonderful coin, and I can't imagine one without the other.

May I never be so blind that all I see is my own small world, nor so self-satisfied that all I am is all I ever hope to be. 

To the best of my recollection, those are the words a guest speaker wrote on the blackboard before teaching an adult Sunday school class many years ago. They resonated with me then, and they continue to resonate, which is why I still remember them.

How can anyone be so self-satisfied with their own world view that they don't want to expand their understanding of the world by reading what other writers have written? How can anyone think his ideas are new and original if he has no idea what other ideas exist? What point of comparison does he have?

Like most of you, I'm an unapologetic book hound. As a child, one of my favorite things to do was climb an apple tree at my grandmother's house... with a book. Sheltered in the tree's branches, I was nurtured by both words and apples, and I was transported to other times and places, and my imagination was sparked by the tales I read, both fiction and non-fiction.

It's hard to fathom how someone who doesn't feel that same spark about books can truly care about writing one.

[image courtesy of unsplash]

Are you familiar with the song I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face? One line in there says ♫♪like breathing out and breathing in.♪♫

That's a great way to describe my concept of reading and writing, too. Like breathing. When we read, we inhale knowledge, new ideas, different ways of thinking and living, and thus inflate our understanding of the world and the people we share it with. When we write, we exhale the stories we create, and we share a bit of our hearts and souls with our readers in the process.

How can someone exhale without inhaling? There's gotta be something in there before you can let it out, right?

So, in case it's unclear, I strongly support the point of view that says reading and writing go hand-in-hand. To write effectively, I believe a person must also read voraciously.

Oh... and have cats.




Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.


Read! When your baby's finally down for the night, pick up a juicy book like "Eat, Pray, Love" or ''Pride and Prejudice,'' or my personal favorite, ''Understanding Sleep Disorders: Narcolepsy and Apnea, a Clinical Study.'' Taking some time to read each night really taught me how to feign narcolepsy when my husband asked me what my plan was for taking down the Christmas tree. [Tina Fey]

Annoying Words and Idyllic Writing Spots

Thought for the day: Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.  [Lily Tomlin]

As you can probably tell by that nifty badge on the left, it's that time again.Time for our monthly IWSG posts. As always, thanks to our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh, for founding this fine group, and
 thanks to all the other nurturing guys and gals who've helped turn it into the thriving community it is today. To join this super supportive group of writers and to see links to other participating blogs, please go HERE

I don't know if Lily's right about language filling some kind of deep-seated need to complain, but I do want to complain about the way some people use language. Aren't there some overused words and phrases you'd like to see blown to smithereens? Like the inexplicable trend these days of taking perfectly good nouns, slapping an -ize or -ate on their behinds, and then using them as verbs: We need to strategize fast, because we're about to destinate. 

I mean, reeeeally? That's like putting a saddle on my cat and trying to enter her in the Kentucky Derby.

Teenagers, in particular, have always liked to adopt certain words and phrases as their own. I know my friends and I did. Heck, I still use a lot of those words today. Like neat and cool. But, to be fair, teenagers aren't the only ones who adopt pet words and then kill them through overuse. Remember the phase a couple decades ago when it seemed like everybody called absolutely everything awesome? We knew a gal who used to say the word absurd so much, it was completely... absurd. My fifth year French teacher salted her lessons with the phrase c'est a dire, but I'm telling ya, she didn't sprinkle; she pulled the top off the shaker and dumped the whole thing. I have it on (ahem) good authority that  she once said it a whopping 138 times in the course of a 50-minute session. It got so we were more interested in how many times she'd utter that phrase than we were in whatever lesson she was trying to teach.

Well, here's the thing... did you know there's such a thing as an annual Banished Word List?

 Ooooh, I'm telling you, it's enough to give an English teacher goosebumps.











Yep, in his efforts to promote Lake Superior University, fun-loving PR Director Bill Rabe came up with some scathingly brilliant ideas, including a tongue-in-cheek list of banished words. Every year since he released the first list to the media on January 1, 1976, hundreds of nominations have poured in from all over the world, helping to keep this tradition alive.

So. Wanta hear what made the list this year?

Wheelhouse, as in area of expertise – Chris, Battle Creek, Mich., “It’s not in my wheelhouse to explain why dreadful words should be banished!”; Currie, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada), “Irritating, has become a cliché, annoys me, offence to the English language, etc.”; Kevin, Portland, Ore., “It’s an awkward word to use in the 21st century. Most people have never seen a wheelhouse.”

In the books . . ., as in finished or concluded – Sandy, White Lake Township, Mich., “It seems everyone’s holiday party is in the books this year, and it’s all there for friends to view on social media, along with the photos of the happy party attendees.”

Wrap my head around – Linda, Bloomington, Minn., “Impossible to do and makes no sense.”

Platform – Michael, Alameda, Calif., “People use it as an excuse to rant. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter have become platforms. Even athletes call a post-game interview a ‘platform.’ Step down from the platform, already.”

Collusion, as in two or more parties limiting competition by deception – John, Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., “We all need to collude on getting rid of this word.”

OTUS family of acronyms such as POTUS, FLOTUS, SCOTUS – David, Kinross, Mich., “Overused useless word for the President, Supreme Court, First Lady.”

Ghosting – Carrie, Caledonia, Mich., “Somebody doesn’t want to talk with you. Get over it. No need to bring the paranormal into the equation.”

Yeet, as in to vigorously throw or toss – Emily, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., “If I hear one more freshman say “yeet,” I might just yeet myself out a window.”

Litigate – Ronald, Fredericton, New Brunswick (Canada), “Originally meant to take a claim or dispute to a law court . . . appropriated by politicians and journalists for any matter of controversy in the public sphere.”

Grapple – David, Traverse City, Mich., “People who struggle with ideas and issues now grapple with them. I prefer to grapple with a wrestler or an overgrown tree. ”

Eschew – Mary, Toronto, Ont. (Canada), “Nobody ever actually says this word out loud, they just write it for filler.”

Crusty – Hannah, Campbellsville, Ky., “This has become a popular insult. It’s disgusting and sounds weird. Make the madness stop.”

Optics – Bob Tempe, Ariz., “The trendy way to say ‘appearance’.”

Legally drunk – Philip, Auburn, Ind., “You’re a little tipsy, that’s all. That’s legally drunk. People who are ticketed for drunk driving are actually ‘illegally drunk,’ and we should say so.”

Thought Leader – Matt, Superior, Colo., “Thoughts aren’t ranked or scored. How can someone hold a thought-lead, much less even lead by thought?”; Paul, Ann Arbor, Mich., “If you follow a thought leader, you’re not much of a thinker.”

Importantly – Constance, Pace, Tex., “Totally unnecessary when ‘important’ is sufficient. ‘More importantly’ (banned in 1992) apparently sounds more important but is also senseless.”

Accoutrements – Leslie, Scottsdale, Ariz., “Hard to spell, not specific, and anachronistic when ‘accessories’ will do.”

Most important election of our time . . . – José, Ozark, Ark., “Not that we haven’t had six or seven back-to-back most important elections of our time.”

So tell me, what words or phrases would YOU like to see drop kicked to the moon? For me, it's any way, shape, or form. How about you?

Go ahead... I'm all ears.

To give you an idea of some past picks:

• at this point in time (1976)
• by and large (1987)
• close proximity (1990)
• in my humble opinion (1992)
• orientate (1988)
• peacekeeping force (1996)
• phone tag (1997)
• refudiate (2011)
• same difference (1987)
• truthiness (2007)

 And from 2013, when I last visited this topic in a blog post:

• fiscal cliff
• kick the can down the road
• double down
• job creators/creation
• passion/passionate
• YOLO  (You only live once)
• spoiler alert
• bucket list
• trending
• superfood
• boneless wings
• guru

  Writers have to be especially careful about falling into the trap of overusing words and phrases, because it is oh-so-easy to do. It's uncanny, for example, how frequently the simple words that and very can pop up in a manuscript if we aren't on the look-out for it. In fact, there's a loooong list of  words ... and actions (like nose-scratching, cheek-biting, shrugging, etc.) which, I have on good authority, have nefarious intentions of taking over your otherwise scintillating prose. So... heads up!

Okay, on to this month's question: 

If you could pick one place in the world to sit and write your next story, where would it be, and why?                                   

[image courtesy of morguefile]

In Ireland, you go to someone's house, and she asks you if you want a cup of tea. You say no, thank you, you're really just fine. She asks if you're sure. You say of course you're sure, really you don't need a thing. Except they pronounce it ting.'You don't need a ting. Well, she says then, I was going to get myself some anyway, so it would be no trouble. Ah, you say, well, if you were going to get yourself some, I wouldn't mind a spot of tea, at that, so long as it's no trouble and I can give you a hand in the kitchen. Then you go through the whole thing all over again until you both end up in the kitchen drinking tea and chatting.

In America, someone asks you if you want a cup of tea, you say no, and then you don't get any damned tea.

I liked the Irish way better. [C.E. Murphy]

[image courtesy of morguefile]

So... maybe Ireland?

I  mean, just think of all the lush green fields.. the old castles... the rugged shore and crashing waves. Ooooh, and the Irish dances! The jigs, the lovely music and Riverdancing... the quaint pubs!

It all sounds fantastic, doesn't it?

But... truth? I wouldn't want to go there to write. (I only chose Ireland because I love that C.E. Murphy quote.) The truth is, when I write... or even when I read... I have tunnel vision. My surroundings disappear, because I become totally immersed in the world I'm creating or visiting. So, bottom line, I can write anywhere with a modicum of quiet, so why waste a trip to anywhere exotic if I'm not cognizant enough to enjoy it? I'd much rather visit those places for the sheer enjoyment of it... and leave the writing for later.  

                 

If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur.  [Gary Larson]

Political language ... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.  [George Orwell]

I think it would be cool if you were writing a ransom note on your computer, if the paper clip popped up and said, 'Looks like you're writing a ransom note. Need help? You should use more forceful language, you'll get more money.'   [Demetri Martin]

Slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands, and goes to work. [Carl Sandburg]

Language is wine upon the lips.  [Virginia Woolf]


                                      Hmmm, I believe I'll have a glass of red ... language.

                                      Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

When Characters Revolt

Thought for the day: You can't blame a writer for what the characters say. [Truman Capote]

As you can probably tell by that nifty badge on the left, it's that time again.Time for our monthly IWSG posts. As always, thanks to our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh, for founding this fine group, and
 thanks to all the other nurturing guys and gals who've helped turn it into the thriving community it is today. To join this super supportive group of writers and to see links to other participating blogs, please go HERE

Okay, so it'd be terrific if I could say I've churned out twenty thousand or so fantabulous heart-wrenching words on my WIP since last we met, but that'd be a big fat lie. I haven't. On the plus side, I'm still hard at work editing an excellent book for another writer, so at least my brain hasn't completely turned to mush. Yet.

Sure, editing does put some cash in the ol' account, but it really DOES make me happy, too. It's a thrill to help other writers improve their work. Is it also a sneaky way to procrastinate about finishing my own work? Maybe, but I don't care. (So THERE!)

The author whose work I'm currently abetting has a ton of sometimes chilling imagination, so her books are always entertaining. Being able to help make her diamond shine as brightly as possible is very satisfying... for both of us.

Edit... or regret it! That would be my advise for any writer. Shine your baby up as much as possible before sending it out into the world.

[NO... I'm not soliciting for more clients. I WILL return to my own book as soon as possible.]

Okay, enough of that. Let's check out this month's question:

Has your writing ever taken you by surprise? For example, a positive and belated response to a submission response to a submission you'd forgotten or an ending you never saw coming?

Oh heck, yeah.

Sometimes, I think writers are only kidding themselves when they think they're completely in charge of the stories they're creating. Changes from what we think is going to happen to what actually ends up happening are inevitable.

For me, anyway.

The changes were more subtle in my first book Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade. The bones remained pretty much the same, but I certainly never intended for Matt, a conservative young  Republican, to be gay. And I never meant for a lifelong friendship between a white lab tech and a black doctor to turn into something more, either. Those things just... happened. And they felt right.

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I ended up where I needed to be. [Douglas Adams]
                                                                                   WHAT JUST HAPPENED???

 [image courtesy of unsplash]

The changes that evolved in Explosive Beginnings were more... shall we say...explosive? At one point, I laughingly lamented that my ungrateful characters had staged an insurrection and were running away with the plot. I  mean, the ingrates wouldn't even have existed without me, so how dare they...??? But (sigh) I think they were right to insist on their plot twists and surprise ending. (Maybe one of them deserves the byline...)

Okay, that's about it for now. Time to get back to the editing... but one more thing. I think I may know why I've been dragging my feet a little bit with my current WIP.

I believe I may need to lose a couple pounds and tone up my gluteus maximus a bit before going through that again...












                               Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Reflections of the Writer

Thought for the day: One fun thing about being an author: if someone does you dirty in real life, you can turn him into a character in your book and do with him what you will. [Me... not that I'd ever do such a cruel and heartless thing...]

As you can probably tell by that nifty badge on the left, it's that time again.Time for our monthly IWSG posts. As always, thanks to our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh, for founding this fine group, and
 thanks to all the other nurturing guys and gals who've helped turn it into the thriving community it is today. To join this super supportive group of writers and to see links to other participating blogs, please go HERE

Okay, so I'd love to say I've churned out twenty thousand or so fantabulous heart-wrenching words on my WIP since last we met, but that'd be a big fat lie. I haven't. I'm pretty sure my mind is still in vacation mode, but on the plus side, I've been editing an excellent book for another writer, so at least I'm doing something writerly. (ish)

Without further chatter, let's move on to this month's question, shall we?

What personal traits have you written into your characters? 

Moi? Insert myself into a story?

Would I do such a thing?

Of course I would! And I think most other writers would have to admit to doing the same thing to a certain extent. After all, those characters are our babies, so doesn't it stand to reason that they'd share a bit of our DNA?

I'm most guilty of doing this in my first novel, Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade, where bits of my personality are scattered as liberally as salt in a bowl of popcorn. (Goes well with lemonade, dontcha think?)

Okay, you want details. The main character Pearl has more of me in her than any of the other characters. She's a bend-over-backwards people-pleaser who's a tad naive and gullible to a fault. But she loves fiercely, laughs easily, and always looks for the silver lining. Her mother Ida has my somewhat irreverent sense of humor and firmly believes that no matter what the situation, there's always something funny to be found in it. Alas, she's much more independent and assertive than I am.  A lot more stubborn, too. The only other character with a teensy bit of me in her is Rose. She and I both tend to be exuberant cooks with an inordinate knack for turning the kitchen into a veritable disaster area.

That's about it. For me, that is. Smarticus identified so much with Pearl's husband George, while he was reading the book, he said, "Hey! I never did that!" [George may or may not have a lot in common with my hubby.]

My second novel doesn't contain much, if any, of me at all. Initially, Samantha was going to be a conduit for telling about some bad stuff from my childhood, but I chickened out. Nobody wants to read that kinda stuff... and it was tearing me up to write about it. So I kinda let the characters take over and tell the story THEY wanted to tell. (Which ended up surprising me as much as it surprised my readers.)

It's hard to believe, but tomorrow is the 4th of July. Independence Day. (Where HAS this year gone?) Smarticus and I will be going to our small town festival (kinda like a big block part) and fireworks tonight. Pearl and I may not care for the noise and smoke, but he loves it, so we'll be grabbing our bug repellent (or in my case, finishing sauce... mosquitoes seem to love the way it enhances the taste of my blood!) and lawn chairs and heading that-a-way when the heat of the day loses some of its sizzle.

To all of you folks in the U.S.,  I hope you have a bang-up day tomorrow. The rest of you guys? You have a great one, too, okay?

                         Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Putting Thoughts into Words

Thought for the day:    It takes an awful lot of time to not write a book. [Douglas Adams]

As you can probably tell by that nifty badge on the left, it's that time again.Time for our monthly IWSG posts. As always, thanks to our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh, for founding this fine group, and
 thanks to all the other nurturing guys and gals who've helped turn it into the thriving community it is today. To join this super supportive group of writers and to see links to other participating blogs, please go HERE

Okay, I'm back home and it looks like I'm gonna be sticking around for a while, so theoretically, I should be settling down to do some writing... any second now...

Maybe.

Maybe not.

I'm not experiencing a writer's block.

Nope. I just don't particularly feel like writing.

So sue me. I'll get back to it... any day now.

Yes sirree...

Lately, I've just been having too darned much fun. No apologies for that. We only go around once.

Since I don't have much to report on the progress of my WIP, let's just move along and consider this month's question, shall we?

Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?

Good question. Although I know the term turns some people off, the pigeonhole that takes the least amount of hammering to fit my writing into is Literary Fiction. Yeah, I know, that sounds pretentious as all get-out, doesn't it? Like I'm insinuating the stuff I write is somehow more meaningful or has more merit than Genre Fiction. Far from it! It's simply the closest fit, as described by the industry.

[image courtesy of unsplash]

In a nutshell, literary fiction places a higher priority on characters over plot. Kinda like the TV show Seinfeld. (Which, ironically, I never much liked...)

People, and what makes them tick, is absolutely fascinating to me.To begin with shadowy images of characters, and then slowly develop them until they are clearly defined in my mind... and in readers' minds... gives me great pleasure.

Unlike Charles Schultz' Linus in this old 1959 Peanuts cartoon, I genuinely like people and honestly believe that even those who aren't particularly admirable deserve to be fleshed out and presented in such a way that instills some level of empathy. Readers may hate Archie, the main character in Explosive Beginnings, but at least, they (hopefully) come to understand why he is the way he is.

Stories not only give us a much needed practice on figuring out what makes people tick, they give us insight into how we tick. [Lisa Cron]

Which, of course, doesn't mean that writers of Genre Fiction don't create awesome characters. It just isn't their main focus.

Being classified as Literary Fiction doesn't necessarily mean a book is snooty, high-brow and full of la-di-dah words and phrases... like some of the books forced upon us when we were in school... but some admittedly are. Not MY stuff, mind you, but some. However, I think it's fair to say that most literary writers have an inordinate love for the sound and rhythm of words. Not just what they say... but how they sound.

The best thing about writing literary fiction? No template. There are no expectations of a certain kind of story arc, character type, resolution, or a guaranteed happily-ever-after ending. Anything goes. There are no road maps, which suits me perfectly. (Those things are a real pain in the patootie to fold...)

The best explanation I've seen regarding the difference between Genre Fiction and Literary Fiction came from freelance writer Steven Petite in a 2014 Huffpost article: In essence, the best Genre Fiction contains great writing, with the goal of telling a 'captivating story' to escape from reality. Literary Fiction is comprised of the heart and soul of a writer's being, and is experienced as an 'emotional journey' thru the symphony of words, leading to a stronger grasp of the universe and of ourselves.

Yeah... well, that still sounds a little lofty, and I doubt if I've ever risen to those levels.  Bottom line?  I write stories that I'd like to read. Period. Not my fault the industry gurus categorize my hybrid stuff as literary. After all, in the end, what we all write is... words.

                          Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

A Genuine Super Power

Thought for the day:  Time's fun when you're having flies.  [Kermit the frog]

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: some kinda dastardly plot must be afoot that's making time go faster these days. Have you noticed? If you haven't, I bet you will some day. (It's only a matter of time... HA!) Since the hands on my office clock sometimes spin around fast enough to provide service as a fan, I reckon I shouldn't be surprised that a month-long blogging break would zip by faster than a Corvette on nitrous oxide. (Oh...and if you didn't happen to notice my absence, um, no need to mention it... ya know, no need to hurt my tender widdle feelings...)

So, anyhow, I'm back. I hope those of you who participated in the A-Z Challenge had a lot of fun with it, and I hope those of you who didn't participate had a fantabulous month doing whatever wonderful things you may have done, too.

Me? As planned, I did some writing ... but not nearly as much as I would've liked. Ditto for the editing job. But I did a lot of reading... that's gotta count for something, right? As for the spring cleaning I hoped to do? PBBBBT! As it turns out, I guess I didn't really give a good diddle about doing it, after all. It's possible... nay, probable... that I'm getting too darned old to be scrubbing walls and ceilings, anyway. Besides, it was a lot easier to simply switch to lower wattage light bulbs. And nerts to shampooing the carpets, too. I figure, our cats are prolific barfers, so I'm already washing portions of the rugs every day, anyway, so why should I bother hauling out the noisy machine and turning it into a big production? (Lower wattage bulbs helped with this task, as well...) But I did get the windows washed. Not much choice there. They were covered in pollen. (Have I told you about the kinda pollen we get here? Unbelievable!) And I got some other stuff done, too, but bottom line? Smarticus didn't see a need for me to go overly nuts with the cleaning products, so... I didn't. But we DID shoot a lot of pool. MUCH more fun than cleaning any day of the week.

As you can probably tell by that nifty badge on the right, I returned just in time for our monthly IWSG posts. As always, thanks to our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh, for founding this fine group, and
 thanks to all the other nurturing guys and gals who've helped turn it into the thriving community it is today. To join this super supportive (Better than a high-dollar bra... and no underwires!) group of writers and to see links to other participating blogs, please go HERE

Most writers just want to... write. (I know. Profound, right?) Unfortunately, even those who've signed with big publishing houses are expected to be involved in the promotions and sales of their books. (UGH!) And I think it's pretty safe to say most of us HATE that side of things.

[image courtesy of Wikipedia]

I mean, is there anything more uncomfortable than... blowing our own horns?

Heck, if I could play like Louis Armstrong, you probably wouldn't be able to shut me up, but given the heady responsibility of handling a horn properly, I'm afraid I'd be just as likely to stick it into my ear as into my mouth.

Metaphorically speaking, of course. (I KNOW you aren't supposed to stick anything smaller than your elbow into your ear...)

In other words, I HATE the idea of promoting myself or my books. So what's a writer to do... especially an indie writer... when sales are slumping? Well, I have a suggestion for you. Check out Bargainbooksy, a program offered by Written Word Media. For a reasonable fee, which is determined by your book's genre, your book will be listed in a single day's email promotion, which is sent to thousands of people who have already signed up with an interest in your genre. To be included as a bargain, you have to offer your e-book for a reduced price, and you can do this very easily in conjunction with an Amazon countdown offer. I offered both of my novels for ninety-nine cents apiece, and I sold a lot of them. Not enough to cover the cost of the promotion, BUT... and here's the cool part... the number of page views has skyrocketed, and the ripple effect is still in effect a couple of weeks after the promotion ended. If your book is in the KU programs, those page views mean money. So... I've more than made up for the amount of money I spent to set up the two promotions. Whether or not the additional sales will translate into new reviews remains to be seen, but I'm pleased enough with the results at this point to share my experience with you. There's also another program offered by WWM, which is called Freebooksy. Oddly, it costs more to register for that one, and you make NO money from sales. What you do get is a quick boost in your Amazon ratings, and possibly more book reviews, because lots more people receive those daily emails about free books than the reduced-price ones. (I get both!)

Okay, let's take a gander at this month's question, shall we?

What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

A smart-ass response would be that I've always known... seeing's as how I like to say I was born with a book in one hand and a flashlight in the other. (It's dark in there!) But in reality, some of my earliest memories are of how terribly destructive words can be.

Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate, and to humble. [Yehuda Berg]

Unfortunately, my father was an evil genius when it came to using words in a negative way. My brother would probably disagree and say the belt hurt a lot more than the words... but to my mother and me, his words were devastating.

Fortunately, there were many other people... relatives, friends, teachers... who made up for his toxic use of language, and who consequently, also taught me the immeasurable value of positive words and encouragement.

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. [Mother Teresa]

Words- so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them. [Nathaniel Hawthorne]

A life-long love affair with reading and writing has amplified my appreciation for the power of language. Books can help us escape from something and transport us to another place or better understanding. Hmmm, I could pontificate on that, but why bother? I'm preaching to the choir here, right? You guys are prolific readers, too, so you already know of the magical, transformational powers of a good book.

My task, which I am trying to achieve is, by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel... it is, before all, to make you see. [Joseph Conrad]

                                                Isn't that what all writers hope to do?

We just have to know... and appreciate... our audience.












                                   Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Sometimes I wish my first word was 'quote', so that on my death bed, my last words could be 'end quote.' [Steven Wright]