Exercising Our Creativity Keeps Our Brains in Shape

Thought for the day: Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think if only you try! [Dr. Seuss]

Yipes. Did you see that blur? It was yet another month flying past. Holy moley!

Which mean... it's time for another IWSG post. This, the first Wednesday of the month, is when writers all over the world post about the ups and downs, the highs and lows, the ins and outs... of writing. We celebrate... we complain... we commiserate. Whatever we need, this is the place to find it. Humble thanks and a jolly tip of the hat go to Alex Cavanaugh, our fearless ninja leader and the originator of this fine group. If you'd like to join (It's FREE!) or would like to read some of the other posts, please go HERE

I've gotta say, October has been a pretty good month for me, writing-wise. I'd been semi-stalled on my WIP, kinda spinning my wheels, and only writing in short dribs and drabs, and then at the last minute, I decided to write something for the WEP challenge to make my "kid sister" pal Renee happy. The funny thing is, it made ME happy, too. I actually had fun with it, and much to my surprise, the judges selected it to receive the Encouragement Award... kinda like third place. (Like being Miss Congeniality! Cool. huh?)  It didn't do a darned thing to advance my WIP, but it was writing, and it was fun. Then, I decided to write and submit a story for the next IWSG anthology. Young adult romance isn't exactly the sort of thing I usually write, but doggone if I didn't have fun with THAT, too... a LOT of fun. THEN, to top it all off, after completing those two projects, my enthusiasm for my WIP returned...  and I'm now doing more writing than procrastinating and making lame excuses. (At this rate, I may actually finish this darned book!)

[source: unsplash]

Let's move right on to this month's question, shall we?

How has your creativity in life evolved since you began writing?

I don't have any statistics to back me up, but I suspect that most writers are creative people, and  by that, I'm not just stating the obvious. I'm not saying that writers write. (Duh!) I mean that I think writers tend to be creative in other ways, as well.

I think we're all born with an innate curiosity and imagination, which kinda go hand-in-hand with creativity. This spark of inspired creativity, combined with a propensity to ask what if is what propels many writers. Me? There aren't many creative endeavors I haven't explored.

Smarticus thinks I've crocheted enough afghans to just about cover the globe. Lots of sewing and doll-making, too. Used to do a lot of oil painting and song writing, too, to go along with my guitar-playing. I even got into macrame... and made all kinds of things out of egg cartons. Even built a small Morse code receiver and transmitter. You name it, and I probably tried it.

Was I good at all of it?

In a word, no. I wasn't horrible... but I certainly wasn't great. But I was creative.

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. [Scott Adams]

I made lots of mistakes. Most of my oil paintings belonged in the garbage, but there were a few... a few... worthy of a frame. Dabbling in water colors was a whole 'nother kinda painting that brought me a lot of joy, as did all of the other arts and crafts I embraced over the years. The most important thing to me was that I created something other than carbon dioxide.

But as for how my creativity has evolved since I put all of my eggs in the writing basket? It hasn't. Writing has come to rule supreme over all the rest. And ya know what? I think that's a mistake. Just as writing the entry for the WEP challenge and the Young Adult romance for the anthology stirred things up a bit and enabled me to summon up renewed energy for book two of my series, I think doing other creative activities... you know, something that doesn't have a darned thing to do with writing... would be a smart move. Not just for me, but for most writers.

Writing may be a passion, but if we allow it to become the be-all and end-all sum of our creativity, we shortchange our potential. Do you do puzzles? I do, and my two favorites are the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzles and killer Sudoku puzzles. The thing about doing these two very different kinds of puzzles... and I know this is gonna sound weird... but it feels like I'm using different parts of my brain to solve them. The whole thought process feels different... and I think that's a good thing. Kinda keeps my brain on its toes. So to speak.

Same with doing different kinds of creative activities. The different processes exercise different parts of our imagination and stimulate the ol' gray matter and our creative chops. Why limit ourselves? So what if you don't paint like Rembrandt? Paint like YOU.  Don't be afraid to try. Not the world's best dancer? So what? Dance, anyway! Enjoy the experience.

The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. [Sylvia Plath]

Like the commercial say... Just do it! Life is filled with creative possibilities. Why limit ourselves to one thing? Writing is our passion, but it isn't cheating when we have a fling with another kind of creativity once in a while. Keeps the imagination limber, and in the long run, I think we'll be better writers for it.

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

A Writer's Convoluted Path

Thought for the day:  You need a certain amount of nerve to be a writer. [Margaret Atwood]

If by nerve, Ms. Atwood means an undercurrent of masochistic tendencies, then I'd have to agree. Oops! Did I grumble-write that out loud? (ahem) Just kidding.

Hi-ya. As you can probably discern by that telltale badge, it's once again time for our monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group postings. This, the first Wednesday of the month, gives writers all over the world the opportunity to celebrate, complain, and commiserate about the joyful and not-so-joyful aspects of writing. Humble thanks and a jolly tip of the hat go to Alex Cavanaugh, our fearless ninja leader and the originator of this fine group. If you'd like to join (It's FREE!) or would like to read some of the other posts, please go HERE

[source: morguefile]

Okay, so maybe it's a slight exaggeration to suggest that writers have a masochistic bent, but I suspect very few writing careers resemble an idyllic ride in a snazzy red convertible through a picturesque countryside on a straightaway road devoid of traffic and stop signs. Just picture it: our imaginary sun-drenched writer, whistling a happy tune while zipping full speed ahead toward fame and fortune.

Yeah... no. That's not likely to happen, and for most writers, a tank might be more practical than a convertible, because a lot of stuff will be thrown at 'em as they struggle to reach the Promised Land of being... of feeling like... a Real Writer, and who wants to be stuck in a vehicle with the stench of rotten tomatoes and a bunch of icky gunk in their hair? Rejections, bad reviews, lack of sales, blah, blah, blah. Self-doubts can grow and spread like a cancer, making it difficult to see the road ahead clearly. (And the icky gunk dripping into their eyes doesn't help much, either...)

Nah. I don't think it's like a ride in either a convertible or a tank; it's more like a roller coaster. Sure, there are downs, and they can be pretty scary, but there are high points, too. Kinda like this:

Without meaning to, Charles Dickens described the writing life well: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. 

And Ernest Hemingway said There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it with charges. 

[It's rather comforting to know a master like Hemingway said writing isn't always a Sunday ride in a convertible, isn't it?]

No doubt, writers experience lots of ups and downs, but if you think about it, maybe that's a good thing. Consider an EKG: if there aren't any ups and downs, you're d-e-a-d, people, so maybe... just maybe... all of those ups and downs we experience are a natural part of living. Know what that means? During those desperate down times... those days when there are no sales at all and the words refuse to come... we must remember that there WILL be better days ahead. More ups to come. And ya know what? Those ups more than make up for the downs, even if we sometimes forget.

[source: clipart]

Now then, how about a quick peek at this month's question:

How do major life events affect your writing? Has writing ever helped you through something?

Hmmm, good questions. First one: My very smart daughter tells me I'm an empath. I don't know if that's true or not, but I am very much affected by world events and the people around me. Negative emotions brought on by world events can make it very difficult for me to write or be creative in any way. Forcing myself to write during those times can result in some verrrrrrry dark writing, as those who read the early draft of my latest book could tell you. When my more positive nature takes the helm, the words flow much more freely, and there tends to be more humor in them.

As for the second question, a resounding yes. Recording my private thoughts during a sometimes difficult childhood helped me survive with a modicum of sanity... and I still have some of it left.

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

The Artistry of War

Thought for the day: All warfare is based on deception. [Sun Tze, 545 BC-470 BC]

[image source: wikipedia]

The thought for the day comes from an ancient book, The Art of War, which was written many centuries ago by Sun Tze, a Chinese general, military strategist, philosopher and writer. That particular passage continues: Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

Deception. It can win wars, and the more clever the deception, the more effectively it works. I reckon everybody's familiar with the classic tale of the Trojan Horse, but have you ever heard of World War II's Ghost Army?

Nope, they weren't literally a group of deceased spirits looking after the soldiers, but their behind-the-scenes top secret missions sure did save a lot of lives. I guess you could say they were... weapons of mass deception. (Sorry.) Their mission: to deceive the enemy, and their work was done in complete anonymity and without acknowledgement. In fact, their fellow soldiers didn't even know their unit existed, let alone what they did... until 1996, when the U.S. government declassified the existence of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. AKA the Ghost Army. Some of their missions remain classified today.

[source: National Archives]

Looking at this photo, you might think these guys possessed some kind of super strength. But nope, they weren't super-strong. In fact, the 1100 men of this unit were recruited from places like art schools and ad agencies. What the government wanted... what they needed... were artists, illustrators, actors, sound specialists, and radio experts. People with good minds and an active sense of creativity. The ability to create illusions and to think outside the box. Because they used inflatable tanks, sound trucks, fake radio transmissions, and scripts that were worthy of a Cecil B. DeMille production.

[source: National Archives]

Staging more than twenty battlefield deceptions... that we know of... including the largest deception in military history, which they carried out on D-day, it's estimated that their ability to fool the Germans saved more than twenty thousand lives. With their hard work and ingenuity, their tactics made their small unit appear to be 30,000 strong.

[source: National Archives]

Here's one of their pieces of rubber artillery. Standard procedure was to inflate tanks, cannons, jeeps, trucks and airplanes and then camouflage them in such a way that German reconnaissance planes flying overhead could detect them. They created fake airfields, soldier bivouacs, (right down to laundry hanging on the clotheslines) motor pools, artillery batteries, and tank formations... all with a few hours notice.

On D-Day, their deception convinced the Germans that the attack was coming from Calais, which is about two hundred miles north of the actual attack site at Normandy.

[source: National Archives]

One of their fake planes.

[source: National Archives]

Even fake landing craft.

[source: National Archives]

Five hundred-pound speakers played an important part in their ruses, too. Prior to deploying to Europe, some Bell Labs engineers worked with a team from this unit to create state-of-the-art recordings of armored and infantry units at Fort Knox. Various mixtures of these sound effects would be blasted from these speakers to give the sonic deceptions they needed to create their auditory illusions.

They even transmitted what they called spoof radio. They conducted fake traffic nets, impersonating real operators from other units. Although Morse Code involves sending dots and dashes, each operator has a distinctive way of doing it, called his fist. These guys even knew how to impersonate an individual operators' fist, so the enemy wouldn't know the real operator... and his entire unit... were no longer in the area.



Lest you think I'm trying to romanticize war, I'm not. But what these guys did is remarkable, and now that part of their story has been told, I wanted to share it with you. What can I say? I'm a history nerd, and I thought this was a fascinating story. PBS did a documentary about them a few years, but I missed it. (Doggone it!) But here's a trailer for that show:

             Amazing story, isn't it? I wonder what else we don't know about World War II...?

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

War is wretched beyond description, and only a fool or a fraud could sentimentalize its cruel reality. [John McCain]

Wars are poor chisels for carving out a peaceful tomorrow. [Martin Luther King, Jr.]

If we don't end war, war will end us. [H.G. Wells]

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. [Dwight D. Eisenhower]

Hate war... but love and appreciate those who fight and sacrifice in them for our benefit. [me]

Putting Pants on a Cat

Thought for the day:  Writing is like giving yourself homework, really hard homework, every day for the rest of your life. You want glamorous? Throw glitter at the computer screen. [Ketrina Monroe]

Yep, you guessed it. It's that time again. Welcome to this month's edition of the Insecure Writer's Support Group meeting... er, virtual meeting, that is. This, the first Wednesday of the month, is the time when writers all over the world post about the ups and downs, the highs and lows, the ins and outs... of writing. We celebrate... we complain... we commiserate. Whatever we need, this is the place to find it. Humble thanks and a jolly tip of the hat go to Alex Cavanaugh, our fearless ninja leader and the originator of this fine group, and thanks to all of the other folks who've pitched in to make this group such a rousing success. If you'd like to join (It's FREE!) or would like to read some of the other posts, please go HERE

[image courtesy of morguefile]

I think the love of storytelling is an intrinsic part of human nature, don't you? Long before the written word, ancient people recorded their stories with pictures drawn on cave walls. In many, if not all cultures, those individuals blessed with a talent for spinning imaginative verbal tales were highly esteemed, and the stories they told were passed down for generations. (However, alas, I betcha they rarely earned enough to put food on their humble rock table...) Various kinds of art, including interpretive dance, music, art, photos and films, as well as the written word, serve as outlets that continue to tell our stories today. It's how we communicate. How we relate. How we learn to understand each other, the world, and ourselves.

We can't help ourselves. Especially writers. Almost everything we see is subject to being interpreted through our writers' eyes as a possible story, as an avenue for pursuing another what if. In 1944, psychologists Fritz Heider and Marianne Simmel conducted an experiment designed to explore this phenomenon. Check out their video and see if your mind automatically creates a story from it.

        Pretty cool, huh? (Way cooler than a Rorschach inkblot.)

Time for this month's question:

What publishing path did you take, and why?

I'm tired of the anonymity of being an unpublished author. I crave the anonymity of being self-published. [Tristan Durie]

To be perfectly honest, I'm not familiar with Tristan Durie (Probably because he's still enjoying his anonymity...HA!) but I like that quote. 

Not that any concern about being anonymous played a part in my decision to self-publish. I went the normal route for a while... querying agents and jumping through their hoops... sending them synopses of their specifically designated length and the number of pages they wanted me to submit, blah, blah, blah. I even started a blog because so many of them told me to do so to establish a platform. (Now, that I don't regret! Not that I think of you guys as a platform... you've simply become friends.)

In between the querying, synopses and setting up a blog, I submitted a short story to a magazine, and it was accepted. Woo-HOO! Getting that check for eight hundred dollars gave me validation, and made me feel like I really was a writer, but as much as I appreciated getting that money, I hated the way the magazine edited my story.

Then it was back to waiting. Waiting for an agent to give me a green light, and then there would've probably been another interminable wait until said imaginary agent found a publisher willing to take a chance on me. With no advance, of course, because they've kinda gone the way of the dodo bird for unknown writers. Skimpy royalties, too. And if the book didn't do well within the first six months, it'd be pretty much relegated to obscurity. Publishing companies have no stomach for wasting time publicizing a new writer who isn't making money for them. It's sink or swim.

And I thought... Ya know what? I'm too old for this crap.I can relegate my books to obscurity all by myself.

(So far, so good.) 

Publishing can be tough. It can kill dreams. [Michael Stackpole]

Yep, constant rejections can cause those dreams to wilt a bit. The sheer number of years it can take before a book makes it into print, assuming one ever gets an agent or publisher willing to invest in your career, can be daunting for a young person, but for someone my age? Nope. For me, it was far better to take control of things myself. 

And BONUS: I never have to write a query or synopsis again!

The only rejection I stand to face is from readers, but even though the reviews have been scantier than I would've liked, there has only been one bad review. That, and a one-star rating from some dude in Morocco. (If he read Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade, I'll eat my hat... and yours, too.)

Self-editing a novel is like trying to put pants on a cat; yes, it's painful and time-consuming, but in the end, satisfying. [Robert Jack]

Hmmm, I doubt if the cat would agree.

At any rate, there ya have it. At this stage in my life, self-publishing is definitely the best choice for me. I have complete control over content, cover, and all the rest. And no high-pressure deadlines! 

Life is good.

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

Send Out the Clowns

Thought for the day:  Life is a ticket to the greatest show on earth. [Martin H. Fischer]

[image: morguefiles]

The world is full of more beauty and wonders than any circus tent could ever dream of holding, but some days it sure feels like the clowns have escaped and are trying to run the world, doesn't it? Tell ya what, let's not worry about the clowns today. Instead, let's consider some other attractions worthy of attention and capable of making us go ooooh and ahhhh. (Sorry... no lion tamers or tightrope walkers.)

[image: wikipedia]

The first attraction we're gonna visit on our virtual tour is located in Bermuda. See that bridge? It's the Somerset Bridge, and that's what we're here to see. In a world that seems to be becoming more divided by walls, both real and virtual, I thought a remarkable bridge was a good place to start. This bridge, built in 1620, is the smallest drawbridge in the world.

[image: wikimedia commons]

The two sides don't raise like in a traditional drawbridge, but a loose wooden plank covers a 56 cm gap, just wide enough to allow the mast of a sailboat to pass through. An overseer removes the plank, helps guide the sailor through, and then replaces the board. Still treasured by local residents today, this unique bridge, in spite of its diminutive size, is one of the island's biggest tourist attractions and was designated as a historical monument in 2015.

See? Bridges do make a difference... even small ones.


Our next stop is Canada... not to see a place, but to see a person. Why? Because watching octogenarian and champion kite-flyer Ray Bethel simply makes me feel good. I hope he puts a smile on your face, too.

[image: wikipedia]

Let's zip over to Lancashire, England now, shall we? This unusual-looking sculpture, three meters tall and made of galvanized steel pipes, is called the Singing Ringing Tree. Meant to resemble the shape of a tree bent in the wind, the near-constant wind that blows around it atop its perch on Crown Points produces an eerie melodious hum.

Wanta hear it?

Cool, huh? Okay, while we're over in this part of the world, let's head on over to Dublin to see an amazing house that was built in 1798 by a Welsh immigrant with a very keen imagination.

How'd you like to live in a house with a dragon gate?

This 9700 square foot home contains seven bedrooms, and its interior is filled with religious and fairy tale motifs throughout. For me, nothing is more captivating than the gates.

Can't see the dragon very well?

Is this better? Here's a closer shot of his face.

If you'd like to see some more pictures of this house (which is currently for sale, by the way...) please go HERE







Okay, back to the Caribbean. This time, to the Bahamas. Actually, take a deep breath, because we're going underwater...

to see a... statue.

Ocean Atlas is the world's largest underwater sculpture. What? You said you didn't know there were any underwater sculptures? (Me, neither!) But there are, and they're all marvelous! British sculptor Jason Taylor created the world's first underwater sculpture park off the west coast of Grenada in 2006, but his sculptures aren't just works of art. This artist is also a conservationist and scuba instructor, so the talented Mr. Taylor designs his sculptures to serve as artificial reefs to promote coral growth.  His 18-foot Ocean Atlas was set in place in 2014. Ready to see it? (A quick Internet search will reveal images of some of his other undersea sculptures.)

Our last stop will be in Australia, where we're going to meet a very optimistic little fella. A spider, actually. A very beautiful Peacock Spider. He's only about as big as a pencil eraser, but that doesn't stop him from doing his thing. And his thing... is dancing. Dancing for his life, you might say. See, these male spiders, which come in a range of vivid colors, perform a very animated mating dance to attract a lady spider. She watches, too, verrrry closely. Like from a few millimeters away.  Not only does the male dance his little heart out, but he does Ringo Starr-like drum solos, too. On the ground... and on the lady spider's head. If she's adequately impressed with his skills, all is good. If not? She, um, has him for dinner. Want to see one of these Ed Sullivan-worthy performances?

So while we're dancing as fast as we can to forget about the craziness in the world, take heart! At least no one is drumming on your head, and if someone invites you to dinner, chances are pretty good you aren't going to be the main course.

Keep smiling, don't let the clowns get to you, and keep looking for the amazing things in life. There's plenty of them out there. What is this life, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare? [W.H. Davies]

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

Finding Joy in Success

Thought for the day: That some achieve great success is proof to all that others can achieve it, as well. [Abraham Lincoln]

[image courtesy of Morguefile]

Achieving a goal and reaching some level of success is worth celebrating, but not just when it's a personal achievement. I think we should cheer for everybody's successes. If, as John Donne said, No man is an island, and any man's death diminishes me, shouldn't it also be true that appreciation for the achievements of others can elevate us, as well?

That explains why so many of us get such a thrill out of watching athletes accomplish feats far beyond our own abilities, and why so many of us swell with joy when in the presence of great art. We marvel and maybe even feel a teensy bit of pride at these wondrous achievements of mind and body. There's even a word for it. Buddhists call it Mudita, which essentially means finding joy in the happiness and success of others.

Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible. [Albert Einstein]

Today, we're going to look at the impossible achievements of some amazing men. There's an old Swedish proverb that says, The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm. But... what if there is no arm...?

What some may consider a catastrophe, others consider a challenge.

[photo from Army Medical Museum]

Consider Civil War veteran Samuel Decker. While reloading his gun in 1862, it misfired and took off the lower part of both of his arms.

So what did he do?

By 1865, he'd designed and overseen the building of his own state-of-the-art prosthetic arms. With the help of his invention, he could dress himself, feed himself, write, and even pick up objects as small as a pin.

[photo from Army Medical Museum]

In 1867, he was invited to the Army Medical Museum, where these photographs were taken to document him and his ahead-of-his-time invention.

Think his story is amazing? Wait until you hear about a young man who currently lives in Andorra...

[photo from Mirror Online]

For as long as he can remember, David Aguilar, like many other children around the world, has loved playing with LEGO® blocks. But David is a little different from most of the other children... he was born with a profoundly deformed arm.

So what did he do?

At the age of nine, he made his first LEGO® prosthetic arm.

It wasn't as successful as he would've liked. Not strong enough.

But he didn't give up.

In recent months, this enterprising 19-year old young man, who dubs himself Hand Solo, built another much more sophisticated... and stronger... arm from LEGO® building blocks.

What the mind can conceive and  believe, and the heart desire, you can achieve. [Norman Vincent Peale]

                                                                          Wanta see?

                                                    Doesn't that make you feel... good?

Wait! That's not all! A gentleman named Carlos Arturo Torres invented a LEGO® kit for children to build their own totally cool prosthetic arms! He said the idea was to take away the stigma of being different and make the prosthetic fun for children to wear, and the kits he donated to some children in need of them were resoundingly successful. In 2016, his IKO Creative Prosthetic System won the Grand Prix at Netexpo, an innovation summit held in Paris, and the hope was to release this kit commercially sometime in 2017. Unfortunately, I haven't found any indication that this has happened as of yet. But maybe soon...?

So does this give you a whole new perspective on those annoying little blocks that hurt like Hades when you step on them in the middle of the night in your bare feet? Yep, there's a whole inspirational world of possibilities and millions of things I will never build with LEGO®, but let's rejoice at the things other people have accomplished with them and applaud every other wondrous human accomplishment. Why? Because life isn't a competition. We're all on the same team. It's mudita, baby.

There is strength in numbers. When the bricks stick together, great things can be accomplished. [Steve Klusmeyer]

                    And that's true, whether talking about building blocks... or people.

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

The Yin and Yang of Story-Telling

Thought for the day:  It ain't whatcha write. It's the way atcha write it. [Jack Kerouac]

First off, Happy New Year!!! Now that the ball has dropped, the champagne's gone flat, and the resolutions have been broken, it's time to face a new year of endless possibilities. Let's try to carpe the heck out of every new diem, shall we?

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

So what do you think of Jack Kerouac's thought for the day quote? Do you agree? When it comes to subject matter, do writers truly have free rein? No matter what they write... as long as it's well-written? Is their only limitation defined by their imagination and creativity, or are they in some ways restricted by the expectations of their readers?

If an author writes a book you like in a certain tone and genre, do you want him locked into always writing in that same tone and genre... or is it okay if he reveals another side of himself? Can a writer who makes you laugh in one book get away with showing a darker side of life in the next?

Can I?

My first novel is a light-hearted slice-of-life tale that embraces both humorous and poignant moments. From what readers have told me, it makes them laugh. Sometimes, it makes them cry, too, but mostly it makes them laugh. On the other hand, the trilogy I'm working on now is much more serious. Darker. Sure, there's some humor, but this slice-of-life story revolves around a rather tragic character.

So what's more important to you... the content of a book or the way it's written? When you read multiple books by the same author, do you do so with certain expectations? If your favorite sci-fi writer wrote a thriller or your favorite fantasy writer wrote a cozy mystery... would you read it?

I'm really curious about what you guys think. Books have always been an important part of my life, broadening my horizons and enabling me to view the human condition from different perspectives, and I'm generally willing to read just about anything in just about any genre. How about you? What do you expect from the books you read? Are good writing and a captivating story... no matter the content... enough, or do you seek a specific kind of story?

A fella named Leonard Chapel sent me the following poem, which he wrote in 1994, and he kindly gave me permission to share it with you. I think he really nails the way most of us feel about reading.

[image courtesy of Morguefile]

NIGHTLY SOJOURNS

Every night I love to read while lying in my bed

Though staying home I take a trip to where my mind is led

On many journeys I have gone to places far away

Cairo, Kiev, Bogota, Peking and Bombay

I’ve also met some famous people on my nightly treks

From Thomas J. to J.F.K. and even Malcolm X

One night I sailed the ocean blue while searching for a whale

Another night I studied birds while serving life in jail

One night I drove a Sherman tank across the river Rhine

And then there was Miss Havisham who was not so divine

I crossed the Alps with elephants to wage a mighty war

I sat and pondered as the raven quoted ‘Nevermore’

While with a man called Yellow-Hair I watched the arrows fly

And at a place called Devil’s Den I watched a good friend die

Down a river I did float upon a wooden raft

And when I corrupted Hadleyburg, oh, how I did laugh

I flew a jet off a carrier deck to bomb a Korean bridge

I chased a Soviet submarine into the Atlantic Ridge

I’ve traveled around this great big earth and still there’s much to see

But thanks to books I read at night, the world now comes to me

**********************

QUESTION OF THE MONTH: What steps have you taken or plan to take to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing?

Um, none. Mine is more of a free and breezy approach. I simply plod along at my own pace, and when I'm done with a project... I'm done. No muss, no fuss. With that, I'll bid adieu. 

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

In Support of Rules

Thought for the day:  Forget all the rules. Forget about being published. Write for yourself, and celebrate writing. [Melinda Haynes]

HAPPY NEW YEAR, y'all!!!

It's hard to believe, but here we are, dipping our toes into yet another brand new year. YOWZA! As we embark on this journey of new beginnings, let's hope we're all wise enough and fortunate enough to make the best of the year ahead of us. Cheers!

Today, like the first Wednesday of every month, is IWSG Day, when writers all over the world share their problems, air concerns, and celebrate successes. As always, thanks go to ninja writer Alex Cavanaugh for coming up with this nifty idea. To join the group and see links to other IWSG posts, please go here

Woo HOO! I don't have a single thing to complain about this month. Slowly but surely, we're crawling back from the flu, and my brain is starting to hum like a well-oiled rusty machine again. That means the words are finally starting to flow again, and I hope to get back into the groove again very soon. Every word I scribble in my notebook and type on the computer may not be keepers, but like Jodi Picault said, You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page. 

I do have a couple of other things to share, though. This first thing is painfully obvious to me now, so I'm probably the last writer on earth to figure it out, but just in case I'm not, here goes. When you sit down to write each day, don't complete the scene. That's right. Stop writing when you've still got a good head of steam and know exactly where you want to go next. That way, when you pick it up again the next day, you're revved up and ready to go. I've discovered that if I complete a scene, it's much more difficult to get going again. It's not quite as bad as coming up with the perfect opening sentence and paragraph for chapter one, but it's certainly in the same ballpark.

The other thing? It's a book by Don McNair: Editor-Proof Your Writing. Good stuff! (And I'm not just saying that because I already ascribed to most of his guidelines about writing clear prose, either.) Seriously. No matter where you are in your writing journey, there's a lot of helpful stuff in this book.

One last thing before going on to this month's question. Next month, I'll be (gulp) attending a book club for the first time... to talk about my book! That's kinda exciting, and kinda scary. It's being held in a private residence, and I have no idea how many members will be there. I've given speeches in front of hundreds of people before with no problems, but I must confess, I'm a tad nervous about how to proceed with this intimate gathering. Any suggestions???

Okay, now on to the question of the month: What writing rule do you wish you'd never heard?

Um... rules? There are... rules?

Seriously, it's not like the writing police are gonna swoop down out of the sky and slap a fine on us or throw us in the pokey if we break any of the traditional rules of writing, but I don't regret knowing the rules... even if I don't always choose to follow them.

In some cases, a strict adherence to rules results in prose that may be technically correct, but also stilted and unnatural-sounding. For example, we all learned it's improper to end a sentence with a preposition, but contorting a sentence with the explicit purpose of avoiding that dangling preposition can result in proper, but barely readable prose.

I think we should all know the rules, because grammar does matter. But I also think we should allow ourselves the freedom to create, and to bend the rules as we see fit. Or as Picasso put it, Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist. 

How about you? Has your creativity ever been stifled by adherence to the rules... or have you always been an artistic rebel?



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

In Praise of Creativity

Thought for the day: Appreciation is the highest form of prayer, for it acknowledges the presence of good wherever you shine the light of your thankful thoughts.  [Alan Cohen]

YAY! I won, I won! It's awesome to be appreciated, isn't it...?

Okay, so technically I didn't win anything. Technically, the talented Chris Fries passed a bloghop kinda virtual tour thingie to me. (Thanks, Chris!) Knowing how talented he is, and how talented the other participants are, I feel pretty doggone honored they even let me into their show. I feel a little like a flea-bitten mutt who's been entered into an AKC dog show. The truth is, I'd do lousy at a dog show competition. With these hips and knees of mine, I don't even roll over very well. But on the plus side, at least I'm housebroken.

(By the way, that dog show picture came from morguefile. Anybody know what in the world a best of opposite sex award means? Does that mean that cute little beagle is a... floozy?)

Anyhow, back to the tour. Its official name is Creative Artist Virtual Tour. Initially, participants were mostly authors of children's books, but over the past couple years, it has grown to include all kinds of creative people. For example, Chris is not only a talented writer, but he's also a kick-ass musician. And now... me. (Tsk-tsk. It's a shame the tour has fallen on such hard times.)

Even so, I'm more than happy to join this illustrious parade. (Especially if I can ride in a red convertible.)

Creativity is a drug I cannot live without. [Cecil B. DeMille]

Okay, here we go... the questions, and my responses:




1. What am I currently working on?

Let's see; there's a load of laundry doing its thing in the washer, and another's flopping around in the dryer. I'm desperately trying to write this post, but our resident felines are determined to thwart my efforts; evidently, they harbor a different opinion as to how I should be spending my time today.

But that's not what you want to know, is it? You want something creative. Well, how about another  (ta DA!) book? A really terrific book, as a matter of fact, and I don't mind saying it's terrific, because it isn't all about me... it's been a collaborative effort. Eight women from the U.S. and Canada, a brilliant Italian photographer, and a former male model turned terrific cover designer have joined forces to create a delightful book of poetry. A really fun book of poetry. Sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes lump-in-your-throat emotional, and sometimes evocative of a simple smile of recognition, but all good to the last syllable. And every cent from its sales will be going to CARE International. Can you tell? I'm pretty psyched about it. And it should be ready for release in a matter of weeks. Ready to hear its title? Ya sure? Okay, it's Old Broads Waxing Poetic. Classy, huh?

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I guess we all want to think of ourselves as unique. Different. Special. Heck, I don't even know what my genre is, so it'd be kinda hard to compare it to other similar works.  My first novel is probably best classified as women's lit, I guess, but men are reading it, too. Some of 'em are even enjoying it, so go figure. My next book might be considered women's lit, too, but I'm not sure. There are some rooting-tooting explosions in it, so maybe it's an action book? Then again, the main character is a young girl, so maybe it's YA. Ooh, but it deals with adult topics. Oh, fuhgeddabout it. I dunno how it's going to be classified, to tell the truth. Guess I'd better finish writing it first, and worry about genre later.

One way my work may be different is I don't take it or myself too seriously. I know. Blasphemy. Why bother to write at all if I don't have secret dreams of winning a Pulitzer prize? Any creative endeavor I pursue, including writing, is for sheer enjoyment, and on my own schedule. Don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade has been published and is doing fairly well. I'd like to see Blast Rites get published, too, but when Smarticus asks me to go somewhere with him... I drop everything and go, because that's where my priorities lie. I started writing seriously (or about as serious as I get) late in the game, so I have no illusions of having a long and prolific career.  I'm no spring chicken, but that's okay. I'm happy with whatever I do. No naked ambition here. Just sheer delight to be doing what I'm doing. (Whatever that is...)

Creativity is contagious; pass it on. [Albert Einstein]

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

Life's too short not to create something besides carbon dioxide. Whether it's writing, singing, playing the guitar, painting, crocheting, building something with a soldering iron and schematic, or whatever, it's a way to make the most of the moment. It's self-expression; it's ME; and essentially, it's the difference between living and merely existing. And it sure beats the heck out of cleaning the toilet. As for why I create the things I choose to create... why not?

Think left and think right
And think low and think high.
Oh, the thinks you can think
If only you try.  {Dr. Seuss]

4. How does your writing/creating process work?

Not very well, I'm afraid. I'm not disciplined enough to generate an impressive output, because I get easily distracted, and like Alice, I happily plunge into every rabbit hole that spurs my curiosity. For me, a successful day isn't measured by how many pages I write or how much progress I make on any of my other projects, but by how enjoyable it is, no matter how it's spent. But when I do write, I prefer to do the first draft  (with much much scratching out and corrections along the way) with pen and paper. Then, one chapter at a time gets typed into the computer and corrected as I go. Many many rounds of tedious editing follow in pursuit of the illusive ideal of... perfection.

Have no fear of perfection; you'll never reach it.  [Salvadore Dali]

You can't wait for inspiration; you have to go after it with a club.  [Jack London]

From the moment I picked up your book up until the I laid it down, I convulsed with laughter. Someday, I intend on reading it. [Groucho Marx]

Now, Groucho, that wasn't very nice...

Okay, now that I've dutifully answered those questions, I'm supposed to pass this honor on to someone else. I haven't seen any requirements as to how many, but some participants have selected as many as three, while others have chosen one. Or none. I could wimp out and simply throw it out there for grabs like a bouquet at a wedding reception, but I've decided to pick one very wonderful person.

This wonderful person is Tracy Jo. No matter what challenges life may hand her, she always manages to create inspirational blog posts, made even more special by her excellent photography and writing skills. Even if she chooses to pass on joining this virtual parade of talent, I do hope you'll stop by her blog and say hello.

                                         Tracy? Your mission, should you choose to accept it...

isn't the slightest bit impossible. Just answer those four simple questions up there in a post on your blog, and then invite one or more others to join the tour. But, um, better decide quickly. You know, before this post self-destructs...

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


P.S. To celebrate the imminent release of Old Broads Waxing Poetic, the e-version of Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade will be available on Amazon for the next week for the paltry chump change price of ninety-nine cents.