Category Archives: Writing

FOIBLES

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FOIBLES

by Sharon Stevens

I was reading a young adult novel this week.

Let me rephrase that. I attempted to read a young adult novel until I reached chapter four, and I just couldn’t bear to read another word. I had to put the book down.

It wasn’t that it was evil or dirty. The cover was beautiful. The writing was bright, and the characters engaging. The author brought each person to life, gave them a past, and you just knew the story would share a future until the very last word amid the final period or exclamation point.

So why did I set aside a perfectly good book and weep? Only for the simple fact that the author wasn’t true to the characters stored within the soul of the memories.

It was so hard for me to lay down these pages. I wanted to know the ending and how the main character achieved her goals, but I just couldn’t bear witness as the heroine lost her way. I truly felt whoever wrote the book that she or he betrayed the heart just to write the story, not caring if their beliefs mattered or the time period matched.

My passion in life is to read, and I will read anything and everything within reason…cereal boxes, Reader’s Digest, marketing blurbs, I love it all. BUT I will not sacrifice or betray a book just to read a tale.

Our critique group, Wordsmith Six, works so hard to get it right. We try time and again to share our musings, but we are totally honest and true to our craft. Each speaks up when we hear an echo, or we lose our focus, or our characters stray off the beaten path. Every individual in our group helps us to get back on track before we stray too far afield.

Not only that, the speakers that present at our Panhandle Professional Writers meetings, and the presenters at our Frontiers in Writing Conferences, say in so many words time and again to remain true to the characters we believe in, that we write about.

As writers, we not only have the ability and the commitment to build a life and make it come alive, but we also have to honor the most basic concept of writing 101.

We can give our characters a twist or thicken the plot, but we must strive to always be dedicated to those we write into our stories. Instill in them a spirit and passion, trials and tribulations. Never forget that each person connects together at some point, and we have to stand steadfast for each and every one. And please note I would have had this same opinion as a reader way before I became a writer.

My Webster’s Dictionary gives the description of the word “foible” as a weakness. I have nothing against the author of this book, otherwise it was beautifully written. Someday I may return to its pages. To me this was a weakness that would have come across if there had been a strong critique group to catch the glaring errors. He or she has probably sold a million copies. I think it’s that good. And I can imagine that people of all ages have fallen in love with this book. I just can’t be one of them.

My loyalty lies with the characters. They deserve at least that much.

It’s as simple as this, and comes right down to this fact. Bees love flowers, bears treasure honey, and a leopard can never, ever change its spots.

End of story.

Caution

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Outtakes 59

Caution

Does the indemnity clause, “The characters in this book are fictitous. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.” really protect a writer from libel suits. The short answer is maybe. It really depends on the circumstances and how the author handles the writing.

I am not an attorney and I cannot offer any legal advice, but there are some scenarios that suggest an author proceed with caution.

1.  You answer the phone. “Hi. I’m Joe Smith. My friend Kathy Jones told me you are a writer and I have a story that should be told. Thing is, I have no idea how to write the book. Can you help me?”

“Tell me about the story.”

“Well, it goes back about three generations. Seems my great-grandmother met this farmer. They wanted to get married. He was a good man, but her daddy didn’t approve of his children marrying beneath their stations. He told her if she married the man, he’d cut her out of his will. The farmer wanted to give Granny time to think about the consequences of marrying, so he suggested they wait until after the harvest for the wedding. Granny’s cousin wrote saying Gramps changed his mind and the marriage was a go. They got married, Granny was disinherited and the cousin got all the money. It broke up the family. We haven’t spoken to the cousin’s family in years.”

“Okay, do you have any papers, letters, or journals to prove the story?”

“No. This is my Granny’s story. She told my grandmother, who passed the story to my mother.”

2.  A big scandal is reported in the local newspaper. Councilman A embezzled a couple of million from the city’s economic development budget. Great plot for a fictionalized account of the events.

3.  A historical event catches the author’s interest. However, it is recent news and key figures and their families are still living.

I wouldn’t touch the ghost writing request for a million bucks. Unsubstantiated stories are an invitation to a law suit. Without documentation to prove the events, an author would be unwise to write this book.

I listened to a writer speak about the scandal story. Of course the names would be changed, the location disguised, and some changes would be made to the actual events. But anyone who was around at the time would recognize the story. There was a gleeful gleam in the author’s eyes as the details were revealed. The conference speaker was not amused. “Be careful,” he warned, “you could be sued. You might win, but your reputation will be damaged, and you might have problems getting an agent or publisher. Let’s face it,” he continued, “your agent and publisher will not appreciate being drawn into a legal battle.”

The third situation is a non-fiction publication that hits the book shelves every week with great success. The caution here is verifying the facts. Research. Research. Research. Adhere to the oath a witness takes to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. In other words, present the facts; all of the fact; and leave out the spin.

While a writer should feel free to write his story, he should also exercise common sense in selecting assignments. The writing community is not that large. News travels and people will remember. Don’t risk your reputation and financial security for a burst of fame.

Cait Collins

Make a fortune by doing nothing!

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Make a fortune by doing nothing! 

If you’ve been around the block once, you’ve heard them, the get rich quick schemes. “Work part time for thousands of dollars a week!” “Get rich with minimal or no effort!”

Get Rich

Let’s get real. Most people run from this kind of hyped up claims—or do we?

Somehow the idea that a new writer can write a book, publish it and sit back to rake in the money without any work is alive and well today.

You may have an agent and a publishing house contract, and yes, you may have a good book, but the world doesn’t know it. You must promote it.

Promote 

By every means possible you must promote your work: word of mouth, business cards and fliers, libraries, writing conferences and book signings. Use electronic promotions such as a website or a blog. Social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and Pinterest also create large platforms for your writing.

Sell

The truth is if you are going to be successful, you not only have to write a good book, but you must work hard and sell it too.

Rory C. Keel

Libraries and Librarians

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Libraries and Librarians

By Natalie Bright

The local library in my small hometown will always be a special place for me. Located on the same block, and just around the corner from the laundry mat, I spent most Saturdays there. While my mother did our weekly wash, I hung out with crazy characters and visited places I’ll never forget.

Just inside the door and to the left were several comfy chairs and a low coffee table. It was in this spot I studied the cover of the newest Highlights for Children magazine, always the first order of business. I loved the detailed, busy covers of the colorful artwork. Then I read a new story each week until the next month.

The librarian usually had a stack of books ready and waiting for me. Even though I was very young, our hometown librarian never limited me to a certain section. I could check out anything I wanted. With a simple smile and a cheerful “Good morning. I think you’ll enjoy this.” she handed me something new. The feel, the smell of the pages, filled me with anticipation, and I couldn’t wait until I could hide into the new story.

One of the happiest days for my mother, when she got a new washer and dryer, was one of the saddest for me. I realized we wouldn’t be going to laundry mat on Saturday.

www.nataliebright.com

Natalie Bright

A Writer’s Vacation

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

A Writer’s Vacation

We took a trip out of town just to get away for a couple of days. Now two days is not very long and there’s no reason to drive far, so we ended up in a small town four hours north of our house. The town doesn’t have very many activities, but I’ve always told people that a creative person is never bored. And I think we proved this again.

Forty miles from our hotel was a museum dedicated to a well-known outlaw gang. This was a small museum, but full of character.  The tour started in a barn that had been renovated and made into a gift shop. The loft had been converted to a museum full of items depicting life in the days of the outlaws and history of the county. Back down on the first floor of the barn, one wall opened up to an underground tunnel leading to the main house on the property. The property had been owned by the sister of the brothers in the marauding gang and they were known to visit her when they needed to “cool their heels.”

As I stepped into the tunnel, a sense of adventure in a different time crept up my spine. Tunnels and secret passages have always fascinated me, and this one delivered that scrumptious snack for my imagination. I could almost hear the voices of the bad guys as they flew through the underground space to the house up the hill from the barn. I pretended to hear them shush each other and climb the stairs into the kitchen of the little house.

The next attraction on our itinerary was the Wizard of Oz museum. As a child, my life revolved around this movie, and even now as an adult who recognizes and loves good writing and good plots, this was my holy grail.

Our tour guide was a young actress dressed as Dorothy and she led us through the little white house that the museum society had erected to represent Dorothy’s House, which was full of period items to illustrate what life was like at the turn of the century. After going through every room of the house we headed to “the Land of Oz” where movie scenes had been built to re-enact the movie.  My heart beat a million beats a minute and I had to fight tears of excitement, just as if I was a little girl again. And, just like in the outlaw hideout tunnel, my imagination took over. A story concept popped into my head and heightened my experience even more.

When you feel writer’s block coming on, try taking a sight-seeing road trip. Even a small, unknown place will have a story hiding behind a door or in a barn, under a rock or just out in a field. It’s up to you to find them.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Nandy Ekle

Journaling

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Journaling
 by Sharon Stevens
There are so many simple memories within our life and those of our families and friends…moments that are fleeting, but not gone forever. A single word, phrase or a picture helps to bring these memories back into focus and into our thoughts.
Take a second to restore these precious treasures to your heart and soul.
You don’t need a fancy journal. Any writing surface will do whether it is a diary, notebook, scrap of paper, school spiral or “Big Chief Tablet”. And don’t be afraid to record any insignificant thought. You never know when this just might be the memory that will touch you not just for today but in the years to come as well.
Below are just a few triggers to help you get started.
“Writing Other Days and Nights and Times of Your Life”
By Maria Altevers-excerpted from Personal Journaling June 2001
Birthdays-Keep the memories-good or bad- of how you celebrated all the birthdays of your life by storing them in this journal.
Sunday afternoons-Record the lazy Sundays that you lived through. Looking back you might find ways to make those afternoons more productive…or not.
Friendship-Keeping a journal with your friends or about your friendships will strengthen the bond that is already present. Plus by communicating in this journal when trouble strike, you may curb the turmoil at the start and avoid major damage to the relationships.
Baby/Child-Forge an even deeper bond between yourself and your children by keeping a journal for them while they are young. It will make a great gift once they are old enough to appreciate such a wonderful and love filled book. Pregnant? Write a journal as your baby grows in the womb.
Sister/brother-Try to avoid the pitfalls of sibling rivalry and strengthen your relationships by channeling your feelings into a journal. One day, the pages might serve up a good laugh.
Women’s (PMS, pregnancy, childbirth menopause)-Keep track of the positives and negatives of womanhood in a journal. It might help preserve the joyous memories of giving birth or help funnel and deal with more emotional times-when hormones are raging.
Work-Schedule those important meetings and luncheons or use this journal to help dissolve job stress. It will enable you to keep your work life separate from your personal life.
School-Not only can you write about all the wonderful-and not so wonderful- times at school, you will have a place to store all those mementos that you’re not quite ready to leave behind.
Pet-If a dog is man’s best friend, treat him that way. Dedicate a journal to your pet. Capture funny moments, paste in pictures and track appointments to the vet.
Exercise-Most people agree that exercise is hard work. Monitoring your fitness progress in a journal can help motivate you to keep it up.
Interactive-Communication is hard to achieve in any relationship. Create a nonverbal dialogue in this diary you share and take turns writing in with another person.
Meditation-Where does your mind wander during meditation? Keep a grasp on peaceful feelings by channeling those thoughts into a journal. It may be a source of comfort during times when meditation just isn’t enough.
Cooking/Food-Journaling about cooking or food and your eating habits just might lead to a healthier lifestyle. You may get tired of writing about the same old foods and, in turn, become inspired to prepare more interesting and healthier meals.
Vacation-Keep all your vacation memories in one place by herding them into this journal, or keep a separate book for each vacation. Both will become an easy reference when reminiscing with family and friends.
Restaurant-Don’t let the restaurants of your traveling experience be forgotten. After visiting new sites, dining can be that relaxing moment when you learn about cultural food and tastes and when you discuss the places you’ve seen. Not a big traveler? That doesn’t mean you can’t still record the fun dining experiences of your life.
Holiday–This will make a nice conversation starter during future holidays when you want to retell the unforgettable stories of celebrations past.
Devotional-This can be a journal of quotes from religious texts or personal thoughts on religious matters. It will allow you to focus on your spiritual side, even if you don’t necessarily practice a particular religion.
Inspirational-This can be classified as a wisdom-for-living journal. Keeping quotes from your favorite authors, philosophers, teachers, family members and more will help to motivate you when you’re dealing with life’s obstacles.
Poetry-Use this journal to store your own poetry, as well as favorites you hold in high esteem. You can also include snippets of thoughts, passing ideas or images…
Gardening-Writing about something you care about can add a whole new perspective on your hobby. This journal can keep track of the seasons of growing for you and your garden.
Photography-Keep a journal of your favorite photos-from your life or from magazines, newspapers, or the Internet. Pictures are still frames of life; they can trigger a memory or spark an idea that’ll keep you writing for days.
Music-Whether you play or just listen, keeping a music journal can help you categorize your favorites. Make lists of your own “Best Albums Ever” and “Best Love Songs” or just write down the words to moving songs. Who knows maybe someday you’ll write your own music.
Hiking/Biking-Have you ever hiked to the top of a hill to find beautiful scenery, then forgotten the path that you took? Record all your hiking experiences and use it as your own personal, self-made guide when you get the next itch to go hiking.
Good laughs-Recall those times when you just couldn’t stop laughing. Write down what made you laugh good and long-before you forget.
Grief-Channel your grief in a positive way by journaling about it. This can be an aid and a comfort to you in your time of need.
Golf-Not a golfer? Keep a similar journal for any sport. Learn to improve by indexing games. Keep track of clubs used when you did right and high and low scores.
Sharon Stevens

You Might Wind Up In My Novel

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Outtakes 58 Release

You Might Wind Up In My Novel

“Good morning.  I have just written you into my novel. Your character will die a horrible death.  Have a nice day.” My number six sister has a great sense of humor. Every year, she searches a website that carries unusual tee-shirts, looking for the perfect shirts for her sons, her husband, and others on her Christmas list. Sister number three gave me a similar shirt that stated, “Be careful or you might wind up in my novel.” One might ask if my characters are created from people I know. The short answer is “yes”.

As a beginning author, I was concerned that friends and family might assume I based characters on them. I feared they would be hurt if they thought an evil or less than admirable character was written about them. I was in line to have Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize winning author of THE HOURS sign my book. He heard the discussion a couple of us were having regarding this fear. Cunningham told me there would always be people who saw themselves as characters in a novel. The author must let go of the fear and write the story. His advice freed me to develop my characters. I am grateful for his insight and encouragement.

In a recent presentation in Amarillo, Texas, LONGMIRE author Craig Johnson, made reference to the indemnity clause in every book:   “the persons in this book are a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.”  “It’s a lie,” he stated. “Some of my characters are based on people I know well.” Yes, I use traits from people I know, from folks I work with, from people I observe to populate my stories. Mr. Throckmorton, the minister in HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW, possesses the love, concern and kindness of preachers I know and admire. I have watched women like Kate Walker go through hell and still retain their dignity and remain good, noble women.

Some traits are derived from people watching. I love the adoring expression on a father’s face when a tiny hand pats his chin. Dad’s eyes light up and he brings those little fingers to his lips for a kiss. How about the child who hears music and without inhibition, dances to the beat? Then there’s the girl who meets up with a boy from her class. She twists a lock of hair around her finger as they talk. Is she shy, or nervous, or frightened?

I have written some of my best scenes in an effort to keep out of HR. Let’s face it some co-workers can be quite annoying. The temptation to mouth off must be stifled as I don’t want to be accused of creating a hostile work environment. In order to remain out of trouble, I pull out my Netbook and write a scene that releases my frustration. The final confrontation between Kate Walker and Mary Cooper was written as I was biting my tongue. Not only do I remain in good standing with my boss, I have a scene to incorporate into a current or future story.

Memorable characters make the story. You can have an intriguing plot, fabulous description, and an unusual setting, but if the characters lack the pizzazz of the author’s people watching skills and wealth of friends, family, co-works, and acquaintances, the story falls flat. No reader likes cardboard characters.

Cait Collins

 

 

Never forget

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   Never forget

 The Mid-America Air Museum in Liberal, Kansas is one of the country’s largest air museums. The museum’s collection was started by the late Colonel Tom Thomas, Jr., who donated his personal collection of over 50 planes to the museum.

Walking by the timeline display demonstrating the history of flight, I realized the great advancements in aviation that have been made in the last one hundred years. It’s amazing to think that my grandparents lived through most of the changes we now take for granted when we step into an airliner to take a trip in the air.

With more than one hundred aircraft in the museum, it is easy to see the technical advancements in personal aircraft like the gliders, Cessnas and Beechcraft. Multiple hands-on exhibits help one to appreciate the science behind piloting these aerodynamic machines by actually sitting in a cockpit and maneuvering rudders, ailerons and elevators.  The experience will give this writer sufficient material to use in a flight scene.

Military planes ranging from both World Wars and the Korean war, although primitive by today’s standards, demand respect. As workhorses of the sky, they demanded both skill and stamina by the pilot to endure the punishments of these older planes.

Further into the museum tour, the Vietnam era jets brought back memories of sonic booms that I heard as a child growing up near Perrin Air Force base in north central Texas. These were my superstars. These were the toy models that hung from my ceiling by string as though they were in real dogfights. To live in a country protected by the finest, fastest and the most feared jets in the world created in me security and a sense of national pride that has lasted through the most modern fighter jets of today.

Why do we need these?

At the end of the Mid-America Air museum tour stands a small exhibit, but one you can’t miss. Featured is a section of a rusted steel I-beam from the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center as a reminder.

God bless America!

Rory C. Keel

Why, Oh Why?

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Why, Oh Why?

Don’t Be Afraid of the Journey

By Natalie Bright

A feisty eleven-year-old by the name of Silver Belle consumes my thoughts. She lives in 1887 Texas in the fictitious frontier town of Justice, Texas.

She’s the main character in my western middle grade novel, and she’s so demanding. Thoughts of her adventures interrupt me without notice, day and night. Several weeks ago, for example, I realized her grandmother does not like her.

WHY is there conflict between Silver Belle and her grandmother? WHY must Silver Belle explore her Mexican heritage by visiting a sheepherders plazita in the Texas Panhandle? WHY can’t their issues be resolved and does this story end well?

I have no idea as to the answers to any of those questions, but I do know for a fact, just as true and real as this blog I’m writing, that Silver Belle’s grandmother refuses to acknowledge her own granddaughter’s existence.

The journey as a writer is in finding out the WHY.

At this point, I have total sympathy and a better understanding as to WHY Hemingway began drinking every day at noon.

www.nataliebright.com

Natalie Bright

An Inspirational Book

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

An Inspirational Book

It might as well be midnight for me. I get up very early in the morning, work an eight-hour job, cook dinner when I get home (and other domestic activities), work a couple of craft projects for friends , and then settle with the computer in my lap. And then it hits me. I have not written my blog and my brain has already counted down, said its prayers and gone to bed.

I reach for the little green book that stays near my writing space: The Pocket Muse, by Monica Wood.

This book is a life saver. I cannot tell you how many times I have gone to Ms. Wood for help, and been sent on my way with a pocket full of inspirational ideas from the pages of her book. Just one tiny little nugget catches my attention tonight: “Write a piece – fiction or nonfiction, poetry, or script – in which three objects exist at the beginning and only one at the end.” I read it several times and begin to feel something inside my head split and unwind like an orange peel.

First, I’ll find three random homemade objects with absolutely no connection, then I’ll make up a connection for them. A couple of characters line up and their dialogue escalates the story into, um, a misunderstanding which leads to a couple of the children disliking each other. Two objects disappear and the kids must find them before the bell rings at 3:00 sending them home.

Now it’s your turn to write something from one of Monica’s amazing jam-packed idea book. Ready? Here it is:  “Write about a person whose reputation rests on the appearance of an inanimate object.”

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Nandy Ekle