Outtakes 259

It’s in the Rocks

by Cait Collins

My current novel’s hero is a gemologist and jewelry designer. Like most of us, he has favorite stones. While many people are attracted to high quality gem stones, Sean enjoys what used to be called semi-precious gems. He is drawn to garnets, the quartz colors, topaz, carnelian, and agates. Question is does he believe stones have magic properties?

Throughout the ages, powers and properties have been assigned to gem stones and rocks. A simple example is the wearing of green gems to aid in the search for wealth. So if I were headed to a job interview or a casino, I’d be sure to wear an emerald, green tourmaline, chrome diopside, Helenite, or green jade. I own all but the chrome diopside, and am still a working girl. So should I believe the believers in magic? I don’t know, but I will be wearing a tourmaline ring and bracelet next time I go to the casino. I also keep a bowl of multi-colored tumble stones in an antique jadeite bowl, not because I believe they have ritual powers. I keep them because their varied colors are beautiful and peaceful.

Here are some other examples of gems’ magical properties.

Alexandrite      Love and Luck

Amber             Luck, Healing, Strength, Protection, Beauty, Love

Amethyst        Dreams, Healing, Psychism, Peace, Love, Protection against thieves; Courage, Happiness

Aquamarine     Peace, Courage, Purification

Azurite                        Dreams, Divinations, Healing

Beryl               Love, Healing, Energy, Anti-Gossip

Carnelian         Peace, Protection, Eloquence, Healing, Courage, Sexual Energy

Chalcedony     Peace, Anti-Nightmare, Travel

Citrine             Anti-nightmare, Protection

Coral               Wisdom

Quartz             Protection, Healing, Power

Diamond         Spirituality, Protection, Courage, Peace, Reconciliation, Strength

Emerald           Love, Money, Mental powers, Exorcism, Eyesight

Garnet             Healing, Strength

Jade                 Longevity, Wisdom, Prosperity

Lapis Lazuli    Joy, Fidelity

Moonstone     Sleep, Youth, Dieting

Onyx               Protection, Defensive Magic

Opal                Beauty, Money, Luck

Ruby               Wealth, Power, Joy

Sapphire          Meditation, Peace, Power, Money

Tiger’s-Eye     Energy, Luck

Topaz             Weight-loss, Money

Tourmaline      Friendship, Health, Courage

These are a few of the stones suggested to have magical powers. Powers and properties can be enhanced or changed depending on the color of the stone.

So let’s say your character is fixated on health and longevity. Which gems would he carry on his person? What about wealth and power? Or wisdom? Do believers carry their talismans openly or are they hidden beneath layers of clothing?

Are there stones that have negative energies? The Hope Diamond comes to mind. The beautiful blue diamond is reported to be bad luck as some of its owners have died while the gem was in their possession. And opals are said to be bad luck for those who dare to wear opals if it is not their birthstone. A treasure of Columbian emeralds brought wealth to the Atocha divers, but treasure came with a price.

Based on this limited information, imagine the possibilities of having a gem as a character in one of your stories. You can even give the jewel a name. It might make the stone more powerful and energized.

Outtakes 256

A Glimpse of the Past

by Cait Collins

I’ve come to realize how pampered I am. The boiler system for my apartment complex broke down and we’ve been without hot water for several days. Frustrating, absolutely. I’m so used to turning on the tap and out comes an unlimited amount of hot water. But for the past few days, I’ve had to get up half an hour early to heat water for a bath and to wash my hair. The inconvenience caused me to think about times when hot, running water was not available.

Think about early settlers who had to dig a well, draw the water, and build a fire to heat the water. Imagine a 100 degree Texas Panhandle afternoon, stoking the fireplace just to have hot water. It gives new meaning to Saturday night baths.

Our forefathers were made of sterner stuff. No grocery stores to provide fresh produce and butchered meat. Of course not. They tilled the soil, planted seeds, and nurtured the growing plants. The harvest was canned or preserved to provide food during the moths between the harvests. As a child, I helped weed our garden. We’d buy vegetables from roadside stands, and mom would rope all of us into shelling peas and snapping beans. She’d can or freeze the prepared veggies. She made pickles, jams, and jelly. I think of the hours my mother spent making sure her family had good food to eat.

I wish I’d listened to the stories of hog butchering and wringing a chicken’s neck. Or grinding meat into sausage and stuffing the ground meat into casings. Maybe if I had listened, I would better appreciate what I have now.

And maybe, I could use that knowledge to spice up some characters. Think about the hermit who has chosen to live in an area where there is no indoor plumbing, no electricity, and no running water. The closest water is the creek that’s a couple of hundred yards away. In the winter, snow is melted for drinking water. How would I describe him? How would I structure his day? What made him decide to live without modern conveniences? There are so many possibilities for this scenario.

I do not long for the good old days. I like my creature comforts. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate my forefathers and their “can do” attitudes. It makes me wonder what they’d think of their children. I’ll also admit I’ve been pretty grump these past few mornings. But there is a silver lining to the inconvenience. At least I didn’t have to haul the water from the nearest playa lake. Man, I don’t even want to think about that.

Outtakes 255

In the Zone

by Cait Collins

Have you ever had one of those really productive writing sessions? You know that time when the words almost type themselves on to the document or the pen moves itself across the page. I’m having one of those in the zone moments tonight. It started right after I got off the phone with my insurance company and has continued for a little over two hours. I’ve glanced over the pages and think I’m on the right track. It needs some polishing, but it’s insightful.

So please forgive me if this is short and sweet tonight. You see my protagonist is about to reveal a picture he drew while in a fugue state. I wonder how he’s going to explain how he drew a vehicle he doesn’t remember. The details are sharp and accurate right down to the license plate on the rear bumper. There’s a flat tire and …

Happy writing.

Outtakes 254

Starting Over

by Cait Collins

What do you do when you discover the original premise of your story no longer works?

Simple. You start over. That doesn’t mean you scrap everything . Instead you junk what is no longer applicable. For example the nasty brothers no longer have a purpose in the story. Their one scene is trashed.

But what about the PI? He stays, because I know exactly how he fits. And he will play a major part. And the prologue stays. I have to set the basis for the action. There’s the television scene that stays, for now. I’ll also keep the meeting with the mother Sean does not remember. I like that part.

The basic scenes I’ve written are the snippets of the story. Having mentally edited some scenes, I’m in a better position to move forward. You see, this story is a challenge. My previous novels have been about four hundred pages each. I’m attempting to write shorter novels of about three hundred pages. That’s about 25,000 fewer words. My fear is that I will sacrifice plot for fewer pages. But I will keep on because I like my characters and my plot. I just have to get rid of the dead weight.

Outtakes 253

Just Right

by Cait Collins

I believe in doing my research when writing a story. In fact, I drop a bundle in Barnes and Noble with nearly every manuscript. In my current work 3×3, my hero is a gemologist and jewelry designer. So naturally I can’t have him facet a gemstone that is normally cut and set as cabochons. Nor can he purchase a green colored gem that is not found in green. Of course, I enhance my knowledge by studying cutting, settings, wax carvings, gems and their localities. But do we reach a point in research where too much knowledge detracts from the story?

For example, would the reader be more satisfied with the description of the finished product or does he want the step-by step process from the design to the showroom? Let’s face it, if I began describing the time spent either at a drawing board or computer painfully creating the drawing, then the wax carving, cutting, faceting, and polishing the stones, a reader would put the book down and wonder if he could get his money back. In fact, too much knowledge leaves little to the imagination. I would rather visualize the design than plough through its creation.

At times too much knowledge can lead to over-thinking which can lead to characters without emotions or with exaggerated emotions. They are no longer real. And the reader cannot relate to them. Without a relationship between the reader and the characters, there is no story.

Using our knowledge of a subject and applying our research is akin to Goldilocks and the three bears. Papa bear’s soup was too hot and his bed was too hard. Mama bear’s soup was too cold and her bed was too soft. Baby bear’s soup and bed were just right. Yes, knowledge adds to a work, but we must be careful to keep these details “just right”. Not too much or too little, but that fine mix that keeps the story on track and adds flavor to the work.

Outtakes 251

Setting the Scene

by Cait Collins

My publications are in broadcasting. When writing a news or sports report, a commercial, or even a documentary, facts can be more important than description. Footage provides the setting. So, sometimes setting the scene is difficult for me. I often have to research styles, locales, and history in order to describe the scene. These are questions I ask myself when describing the setting.

Home style     Ranch, Contemporary, Victorian, Edwardian, cabin, middle class, mansion

Locale              City, town, village, mountains, plains, beach, west region, eastern seaboard, Deep South

Flora                aspen or birch, oak, walnut, maple, elm, cedar, roses, types of wild flowers, magnolia, lily of the valley, sunflowers, grass

Fauna              predators, domesticated animals, elk, deer, birds, water life

Colors             black or ebony, gray or mist, yellow or daffodil, orange or peach, red or terra cotta, blue or aquamarine, green or meadow, brown or mahogany, purple or lavender

Time period    Victorian, Old west, Civil War, Depression era, WWI, WWII, 50’s

Once I answer these and other questions, I have I have a clear picture of where I am, and I write a “character sketch” of the setting. Information in hand, I can create the scene.