How We Put Words Together

 

Writers put words together. Short version of what a writer does.

Writers put words together that mean someting. A little better version of what a writer does. 

Writers put words together that mean something and that people will enjoy reading. That gives us a pretty clear picture. 

The main idea is that writers do put words together. That's a given. How they do it can be an interesting topic. Let's look at a few, totally made-up, writers to see how they write.

A. Grammar Gertie:  She works so hard at being grammatically correct that she loses track of what she is actually writing. Doesn't give much thought to what appeals to the readers. She wants to make sure every verb fits with its noun, that every period, comma, and quote marks are perfect, that she gets the main idea across without frills some writers use. 

B. Susie Saccharine:  She read in a book that adjectives enhance nouns beautifully. She takes it to heart and uses at least three adjectives before a noun. Oh, she thinks, they are going to love this. Instead, she comes across as being too sweet, too much of a good thing. 

C. Robert Repeater:  He is Mister Redundancy in person. He repeats words and ideas over and over until a reader might give up reading. 

D. Sylvia Speller:  She is so caught up in the topic of her writing that she never does a spell check, actually couldn't care less about misspelled words. She never won the Spelling Bees in 4th grade either.

E. Peter Plain:  He sticks to the topic, never uses similes or metaphors, no adjectives, doesn't bother with a little alliteration here and there, hates long descriptions of any kind. He doesn't worry that his readers might get bored with his plain way of putting words together. He's a 'just the facts' kind of guy.

After meeting these five writers, you can probably see that writing is not only a matter of putting words together. It's the way in which a writer does this. Writers start with an idea, and then they must put words together to get the idea across to their readers. That's the basics. Next, comes the different ways to make a reader enjoy what has been written by using good mechanics and other tools of the craft. The aim is to make the words you write be the most appealing possible. 

Which of the following sentences is a better read? 

A. Jane ate the popsicle.

B. Jane licked the grape popsicle so slowly that the purple juice trickled down her chin and onto her blouse like a leaky faucet.

If a writer attempted to write a novel with the majority of the sentences sounding like A above, she/he would have a hard time getting an editor to read past the first page. Yes, he/she put words together but not very well. 

Put your words together with some thought

Finding Time To Write During Holidays

 

We're heading into the busiest time of the year. Preparations for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza eat into our normal everyday schedule. There's shopping, cooking and baking more than usual, gifts to buy, wrap, and deliver, extra church services, giving time to aid those who have less than we do. How could I forget the social part of holidays? That takes more time, even though we enjoy the activities.The list could go on and on, but you know all the things listed quite well. 

If you're a professional writer, you keep writing. It's your main job, it's what puts food on your table. You must work in the extra holiday activities around your working day. The same goes for those who work full-time and write on the side. Those who write as a hobby, or make it a part-time job, have a little more leeway but still feel rushed. 

What's a writer to do? For one thing, don't beat yourself up over losing writing time. It's only a few weeks of the year--from Thanksgiving through New Year's. It's perfectly alright to take a step (or six) back on your writing time. Don't feel gulty. You'll get back in the groove in January. 

What if you come up with a great idea for a story or essay or poem? You want to write, but there is no time. Snatch a few minutes and jot down notes to help you remember later when you do have time to write. If you feel you can't wait, stay up an hour later than usual or get up an hour earlier some morning and devote yourself to writing your first draft. Early morning before anyone else is awake is a perfect time. Better, I think, than late at night when you're tired. 

Maybe you plan to go to a Christmas luncheon, but nasty weather hits, and you don't want to drive on bad roads. Spend the time you would have taken to attend the luncheon and make it a special writing time. It's not a must, but the opportunity is there, so why not grab it? 

Do you commute to your job on public transportation? Sitting idly on a bus or train could be writing time, maybe not a full story but notes or a rough draft. Carry a notebook/journal with you and take advantage of the time you have on your commute. I once heard of a writer who drove to work and used the time to record her thoughts for her next chapter. She said people must have thought she was talking to herself as they drove by her. 

The main thing is to do what you can in the time you can eke out, but don't feel guilty. If you don't write a thing until January, it's fine. Enjoy the holiday season!

Leftovers in Your Writing Files

 

How do you feel about leftovers? Today's photo shows some lovely flowers. Put them in a vase, and they will last several days, then they look like the leftovers of a holiday dinner. Not as good as when first served. Eat leftovers for three or four days, and you end up sick of them. 

What about the leftovers you have in your writing files? Those stories, essays, and poems that you never left you feeling quite satisfied. The ones you slipped into a file with every intention of going back and working on them. 

Our good intentions get left in the ditch sometimes. Understandably so. We truly mean to pull up an old piece we've written and work at polishing it up enough to submit somewhere. Then, life gets in the way. We're busy with family, jobs, social life and more, and we forget our plan to work on that old story once again. 

One way to help with this situation is to make a list of the old pieces you'd like to work on. It requires some time to go through your saved files and select the ones you think are worthy of some extra effort. Keep the list somewhere visible. Check the list now and then, pull up the file, and start working on some revisions. When you feel it's ready to submit to a publication, check it off the list. 

You needn't do this on an everyday basis. Once a week, once every two weeks, or even once a month would still be helpful. The important thing is to keep that list where you see it as a reminder. That old 'out of sight, out of mind' works here. 

I have a lot of stories, essays, and poems in my files that have gone nowhere. You probably do, too. Maybe working on them coud be your first New Year's resolution. A good way to begin 2023. 

Sometimes, those leftovers in the fridge need a little perking up before you serve them again. Add a smidge of this or that, and they can be quite tasty. Doesn't work so well witht the leftover flowers. When they're done, they're done. Your writing, however, can be perked up quite easily. Give it a try.

Memories of Chicago Novembers

 

I urge people to write family stories, and I always will, but you should also write your memories of a certain time in life. These memory pieces do not need to have a beginning, middle, and ending like a story must. 

Today, I'm going to share my November memories, written and revised some time ago. Perhaps my piece here will trigger memories for you of what November was like when you were growing up. Tell about the place, the weather, what your family did in that month, how you celebrated Thanksgiving, or if not, why not? As our poster today tells us, our memories gain in value as time goes on. 

November in Chicago

The crisp, sunny days of October somehow slid into damp, gray ones during November in the Chicago area where I grew up. The sun played hide-and-seek in the late autumn and winter months, mostly hiding. Wind swept across Lake Michigan, bringing a chill that seeped through warm, woolen jackets and into the bones. Fallen leaves swirled around our feet with each new gust and naked branches dipped and swayed like ballerinas. We walked faster on our way to and from school. Once home, Mother often commented that we had roses in our cheeks, nice way to describe chapped skin. We paid little mind to our rosy cheeks once inside our warm apartment. 

Each of the five rooms in our third-floor apartment had a large radiator with an on-off knob on the side, and a deep, narrow pan for water that hooked over the back to increase humidity. We had steam heat, fired by a huge coal furnace in a garden level basement. The coal man inserted a chute from his truck into a window. He sent the coal rumbling down the chute while several kids gathered around. The apartment janitor stood at the delivery end of the chute in the basement. Once this scary looking, coal-blackened man finished, the kids ran to the basement door to witness the next step in bringing heat to all our apartments. The janitor, grabbed a big shovel and fed the furnace from that huge heap. He let us watch for a few minutes, then snarled at us. “Get out of here now. No place for you kids.” His fierce look sent us scattering. Once, during a coal strike, we wore coats and hats inside, waiting in vain for the hissing sounds of heat coming through the radiators.

We celebrated Armistice Day every November 11th, commemorating the armistice signed to end WWI at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918. Even after WWII, Armistice Day remained as November 11th. Now, we call it Veterans Day. There are still parades and meals to mark the day.

At school, we studied the Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving—history and art class rolled into one. Some classes had replica feasts.

My Thanksgiving menu now remains the same as when my mother or aunts prepared the dinner—turkey roasted to a golden brown and stuffed with a moist dressing redolent with sage. Aunt Adeline made French dressing, a spicy sausage added to it. We savored mashed potatoes and rich gravy, sweet potato casserole, homemade yeast rolls, cranberry sauce, a salad called Seafoam made with lime jello, cream cheese, mashed pears and whipped cream. Our vegetables were usually green beans. Pumpkin pie with real whipped cream finished the feast. 

We alternated hosting the dinner with my dad’s two sisters who lived near us. My five cousins, three brothers and I had a wonderful time together, despite the wide range of ages. After dinner, we were shooed outside to play, even when it was very cold. I suspect the adults sat around and drank more coffee, nibbled on the leftovers and did all they could to put off the dish washing time.

No dishwashers, so all the women cleared the table, washed and dried the dishes with towels made from flour sacks. When my female cousins and I got older, we were drafted  to help. Chattering women and clattering dishes, that’s what was heard in the kitchen after dinner. The men plunked themselves in comfy chairs and listened to the radio or a small black and white tv, and often napped.

Once married, I thought about asking my extended family to our house for Thanksgiving. I hesitated for fear of upsetting my mother who had cooked countless Thanksgiving turkeys. My aunts had passed away, so Mom was always the hostess. One year, I worked up the courage to suggest it, and Mom threw her hands skyward and said, “Finally! I’ve been waiting for someone to invite me for Thanksgiving for years.” 

Now, my children sometimes make the trip to Kansas for Thanksgiving. We use a few shortcuts and we load the dishwasher instead of drying dishes with flour sack towels, but the grandchildren revel in being with cousins just as I did all those years ago. The faces around the table may be different, but the same warmth of a family gathering to give thanks and spend time together is there. May it ever be so.

NOTE: There will be no new posts until Monday, November 28th. Enjoy your holiday weekend.

 

Book Review: A Little Drama in Dunster

Book Three in Christina Hamlett's cozy mystery series is titled A Little Drama in Dunster. Each of the books is set somewhere in the UK and delivers a wonderful picture of the area as well as an entertaining tale. 

Dunster is a medieval village where Rochelle Reid and her boyfriend, Jon Tapping, go to see an original play in which a former neighbor will appear. To their dismay, Munsey has only one line in the amateur drama. Rochelle goes to Dunster first, and then Jon joins her a short time later. Before he arrives, a local woman is killed by a falling chandelier on the stage of the theater. Late at night when it is closed. Accident? Murder?

Will the play go on? The local police detective thinks not, but Rose, the director, sweet talks him into allowing Opening Night to happen. The lead in the play cannot remember his lines and gets booted, much to the chagrin of his wife. Rochelle's old neighbor, who has learned all the parts as an understudy, moves from a one-liner to the star. 

Add the murdered woman's single, timid daughter, a former soldeir with PTSD, and a variety of shop keepers whom Rochelle meets, and the search for a killer is on. Rochelle, Jon, and his friend, Ian, all get involved. Revenge becomes its own player as they try to figure out the how, why, and who of the crime.

Rochelle and Jon's relationship is a part of the story, as well. Does he want to marry her? Will he propose? Will he understand her involvement in the mystery that arouses interest from nearly everyone in Dunster? 

In this third book of the series, we are treated to a look at a typical English village along with a bit of history of the area. We meet a large cast of characters, not only those in the play but the ones who inhabit the village, Rochelle's co-workers and friends in London. 

The author, Christina Hamlett, is herself a former actress, theater director, and playwright. Who better to write about an amateur theater? Learn more about this talented woman by visiting her website at www.authorhamlett.com. I've heard via the grapevine that she is working on Book 4, with another alliterative title. Find her books at both Amazon and Barnes and Noble. They are reasonably priced, and the three books in the series would make a lovely gift for someone who enjoys cozy mysteries. Book One is titled A Little Larceny in Linmouth and Book Two is A Little Scandal in St. Andrews.

 

Writing Dialogue Can Be Fun

 

Friday, I promised to continue a discussion on writing dialogue.   So,....

Dialogue is a part of writing fiction, even creative nonfiction. It gives a break from pure narrative, and it helps make your characters more realistic, more alive. Dialogue also helps get important information to the reader. Writers should learn to use dialogue effectively, not merely toss it in every few paragraphs.

A few tips when writing dialogue:

A. Don't be too formal. Write what your characters say as though you were having a conversation with a friend. If you and she tried a new flavor of coffee, you would probably not say to her, "I do not like the flavor of this coffee." Your remark would more likely be, "I don't like this coffee." When we speak, we use contractions. Use them when writing dialogue, too. Unless you're trying to convey a certain type of character who speaks very formally all the time. 

B. Make the characters sound different. You can convey character traits through the use of dialogue along with an action preceding or following the spoken words. Mary brushed her bangs aside. "I don't know why you persist in embarrassing me." Her hand moved back to her forehead, and she pushed at her bangs again. "I've about had it with you, Tom." Her action is a nervous habit. Her words let you know she's not happy with Tom. Now you can add what Tom says. Tom rubbed his thumb along his chin. "Dis ain't gonna work, Mary. We gotta split."  You can see by their dialogue that they are two different people. 

C. Watch for Info Dump. Don't use dialogue to convey a large amount of information that is not really pertinent to the story or is something you feel is needed information, but you're giving too much at one time. 

D. Do use dialogue to break up the narrative. Just as we should vary the lengths of our sentences, we should vary narrative and dialogue. It gives the reader a break and it also makes the story more interesting when the reader 'hears' the characters conversing.

E. Learn the punctuation rules. One of the most common errors writers make is punctuating dialogue. Punctuation goes inside the quote marks. Susan raised both arms to the sky. "I am crazy about days like this."  The period goes at the end of what she said but before the final quotation marks. If the sentence calls for an exclamation point or a question mark, it's the same. Inside the quotations marks. If you're using a quote within a quote, you use both single and double quote marks. Jimmy grabbed Tony's shirt. "Tom's the one who said 'I'll beat him to a pulp.' Not me."

F. Paragraph breaks in dialogue. Start a new paragraph each time a different person speaks. Even if it is a simple answer like "No." Move on to a new paragraph when the next person speaks. 

G. Tags in dialogue. When you're writing a lengthy bit of dialogue, the 'he said' 'she said' tags become boring. Use them when needed, but you can leave them off sometimes if it is obvious as to who is speaking. Don't be tempted to add an adverb like 'angrily, happily, moodily' as they are telling, not showing. The reader should be able to 'see' what the character's mood is by the action prior to the dialogue and the words they speak. 

It's fun to write dialogue, but it's also important to make it worthwhile. Make your characters sound like real people, not some wooden stick figure. 

Two Topics: Writer Friendship and Dialogue

 

I have always loved silhouette pictures, so this one appealed to me. It made me think of a couple different topics for today's post. 

First, I thought about the friendship of writers, one writer visiting with another. They can discuss the everyday things about life, their families and friends, but most of all, they can talk over whatever is occurring in their writing world. No one understands a writer better than another writer. Others can sympathize when a big project never gets published, but another writer offers empathy. 

A writer can ask another writer for advice or to take a look at an essay just finished. She/he can't do that to a non-writer friend. Oh, he/she might ask but not get much help. Foster your friendships with other writers. It benefits both sides. 

The second topic the silhouette brought to mind is writing dialogue. There are writers who consider dialogue to be one of the most difficult things they write, while others enjoy the back and forth of two people talking. 

Dialogue is meant to do several things:

A. Good dialogue will move your story along.

B. It will aid in showing rather than narrative telling.

C. It's a way to get information to the reader.

D. It's part of character development.

E. It shows relationships between characters

F.  It breaks up long spates of pure narrattion

There are a lot of rules and a few no-no things to learn about writing dialogue, but I'll save that for a full post on Monday. Meanwhile, if you are reading a book or a short story this weekend, pay attention to the way the dialogue is written. Does it appeal to you, or does it seem stilted, or unnatural? Then check Monday's post for further discussion.

New Movie Adaptation of An Old Story

 

This morning's Kansas City Star newspaper had a review of a new movie coming to theaters tomorrow. It's titled "Sprited" and tells the story of Scrooge in the old, beloved tale " A Christmas Carol." written by Charles Dickens in 1843. There have been other adaptations of this beloved tale, but this one is as up to date as you can get. The Scrooge character is now named Clint Briggs, and he is a modern day media consultant and avid Twitter user. The transformation does not happen overnight as Dickens portrayed but over a full year. The movie is a musical, and the review says it is filled with irreverent humor. Sounds like a very different version of the original. This, of course, is not the first time the story of Scrooge and the ghosts of past, present, and future has been retold. 

I am one who does not like retold or new adaptations of already beloved, popular books, whether in story form or a movie. The message about morality in "A Christmas Carol" is important and as needed today as it was in the 1800s. As I read the reveiw this morning, I wondered what Mr. Dickens would think of this latest version of his story. Would he applaud it or mutter and grumble? We'll never know, of course. 

"Spirited" is not the first movie based on a popular story or book of long ago. Two days ago, I was driving somewhere and heard on the radio about the wonderful stage show, then movie, called "Showboat." The book, by Edna Ferber, came out in 1926, and one year later Flo Ziedfield, turned the story into a stage play musical that became immensely popular, which then spinned off into the movie version. The music for the play was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein and also used in the movie. With the short time between book and play, Ziegfield must have purchased the rights from the author. 

There have been many other book to stage play to movie versions of other novels. Some stay quite true to the original while others take great liberties, as it seems has been done with "Spirited." That does not appeal to me, but it may to many others who will flock to the theaters to watch the film. 

I prefer adaptations of the novel to stay true to the story. Please don't change the ending. Apparently, the ending in "Spirited" is quite dramatically changed. How, they don't say. Have to pay the price of the ticket to find out. 

What is your feeling? Do you like modern versions of an old, beloved story? Or do you prefer to keep the original as is when a movie is made or a play written? Part of me thinks that these 'adapters' should try to write something new instead of borrowing from a master writer. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments. 

Synopsis Snafus and How To Fix Them

 

Don't let this happen

You've written the book, and it's ready to submit. The publisher requires a synopsis. Easy enough, isn't it? Not necessarily. Christina Hamlett has some illuminating thoughts on synopses snafus. Yours needn't look like today's photo.

Christina says: 

   For as much time as you’ve spent writing your novel, why is it so hard to distill its essence to a

one-paragraph pitch for an agent or publisher? As recently as this morning, a prospective client

insisted her story was so complex I needed to read the entire 400+ pages of it in order to really

grasp the plot. I gently reminded her that if I wasn’t hooked by a snapshot summary of 100

words or less, why should I commit to over 100,000? A director colleague takes this a step

further with, “If you can’t explain your project in 25 words or less, you don’t know what it’s

about.”

   The trouble is that many writers know their projects too well and embrace a tendency to

“overstuff” a synopsis with extraneous detail. I’m reminded of the summers I used to take my

nephew Eugene on day-trips to San Francisco. He’d use the occasion of the long drive to tell me

about the latest movie he had seen. Oftentimes these summaries were longer than any of the

actual films. By the time we rolled back into the driveway, he had yet to reach the ending and

refused to get out of the car until he had properly finished. His recaps tended to flow like this:

So it starts out with these horses and they’re wild and running around in this canyon that’s

Wyoming or something and then there’s this girl who lives on a farm and this guy named Ned

likes her but then there’s another guy named Bob who likes her, too, and he and Ned don’t get

along and Ned thinks Bob let Julie’s horses loose – Julie was the name of the girl – but

meanwhile back in town everybody’s all mad because the Depression’s happening and nobody

has any money and Julie goes to buy food to fix dinner for her father since her mother died when

she was a little girl and…

   In contrast, Eugene saved succinctness for school book reports:

Peter Rabbit is about a rabbit named Peter who steals vegetables. If you want to see if he gets

caught, read this book!

   Do you ascribe to Eugene’s style of storytelling when it comes to your own synopses;

specifically, trying to tell too much or creating obscurity by telling too little? The following tips

will help you remedy both problems.

A. Brevity is paramount. A meandering synopsis is a red flag that a project lacks focus,

cohesion and merit. If you have only one paragraph within your cover letter to make your

pitch, your summary (written in present tense) should identify the protagonist, antagonist,

genre/circa/setting, and what’s at stake. If this blurbage were on the back cover, would it

comfortably fit without resorting to a really tiny font?

B. Eschew copious back-story. Whenever I read longer synopses (some of which have

actually extended over several pages), writers typically spend over half that verbiage on

characters and events which are irrelevant to the plot…and are then left with only a few

sentences to define the core conflict. If a reader isn’t going to be privy to all of the things

which occurred prior to Chapter One, your detailed set-up should not be part of your

pitch letter.

C. Synopses cliffhangers can backfire. Unless you already have a body of published work

which demonstrates you know how to finish a story as smartly as you know how to start

one, hinting to a decision-maker that the outcome will only be divulged if the whole

project is requested won’t score you any points. The difference between prospective

readers and prospective agents is that readers want to be surprised; agents only want to

know you have something which is marketable and which offers a satisfying resolution.

D. Avoid lofty comparisons. “In an epic certain to rival Outlander,” “Replete with all the

magic of Harry Potter,” “As compelling as any thriller by John Grisham,” “The next

Shopaholic.” Need I say more?

E. Practice reverse engineering. An exercise I use in my film workshops to help hone

synopsis-writing skills is to have students study the synopses of movies that have already

been produced. A great starting point is the Internet Movie Data Base

( http://www.imdb.com ). If, for instance, you look up The Shining, you’ll read:

“A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence

influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from

the past and of the future.”

   It’s a short, compelling hook but doesn’t reveal the outcome. Contrast this to a click on the

full synopsis which provides a sequential accounting of every single plot point which

transpires. As a challenge, edit that 1,689 word synopsis down to 300 (or less) without

compromising its essence. When you’re ready to move to the next challenge, visit The

Movie Spoiler ( http://www.themoviespoiler.com ) and The Book Spoiler

( http://www.thebookspoiler.com ) and practice the same technique.

   Lastly, always submit exactly what is requested. Nothing more. Nothing less. If an agent wants

to see a 100-word synopsis, you won’t endear yourself by sending one that’s 825. These rules

exist for a reason, not the least of which is to assess whether you are someone who can follow

directions and, thus, someone they’d like to work with.

Bio: Former actress and director Christina Hamlett is the author of 47 books, 266 stage plays

and squillions of articles and interviews. She is also a script consultant for stage and screen

well as a professional ghostwriter. http://www.authorhamlett.com.

Write From the Soul

 

The poster for today has a heavy thought, one that challenges the best of us. ' ....to share a part of your soul with the world.'

It's suggesting that we share our deepest feelings with those who read the words we write. To transfer our emotions to the reader. To share our, sometimes private, thoughts with others. 

Why should we do that? Because that is the kind of writing that sells, the kind that readers remember, the kind that wins awards or contest prizes. 

Once we make the decision to write for publication, we should be committed to 'sharing a part of our soul' with editors and readers. If a writer cannot commit to that, they will most likely find more minuses than pluses on their writing journey. 

Memoirs have been very popular. The ones that get published are the ones that give the reader more than a blow by blow description of a part of a person's life. Those that give us the true feelings of the author are going to fare best. Readers are looking for how the memoir writer was affected by whatever the situation is, and also what they learned. In that respect, memoirs are much like personal essays. 

The poster tells us that writing is '...more than putting pretty words on a page...' (I love the alliteration in that phrase!) When we write, we should put part of ourself on the page along with the pretty words. Nothing wrong with writing pretty words, but there should be more. The personal, the feelings, the beliefs of the writer. 

Is it easy to write from your soul? It seldom comes naturally to the newbie writer. The writer must become comfortable with the world of writing before he/she can pull deep from within to offer the reader a 'part of the soul.' Once a writer starts writing with emotion that comes across to the reader, it becomes easier to do, more natural. I truly believe that the more we write, the better we write. That the longer we write, the stronger our writing becomes. 

If a writer has the feeling that he/she wants to keep what is deep within private, they might not find a great deal of success in the writing world, unless they are writing technical articles that need no passion, just the facts. 

Let the depths of your soul come through in what you write. I don't think you will be unhappy with the results.

Work At A Writing Career

 

Writers might hear lots of things about the writing world from people who have never written professionally or to become published, They've 'heard' about the pitfalls of the writing world and are all too eager to share them. The keyword here is 'heard.' They are not giving advice from their own experience.

Movies and books about authors have contributed to the general knowledge of nonwriters. How many rags to riches stories have there been showing how a young man or young woman lives in a hovel, eating little, but pounding out one story after another with no success? Suddenly, they receive an acceptance from an editor, and they are on the way to stardom. It becomes the stereotype for the starving author.

We all know that not every writer lives that way or finds publication only after a long, hard struggle. Hard work, yes, but not months or years of starving. Not only do the movies or novels dwell on the difficult beginnings of an author but also the glamor and wealth of the ones who have 'made it big.' Not every writer who becomes published many times suddenly lives the life of a celebrity. Some do, of course, but certainly not all. 

If you dream of being a writer who gets published on a regular basis, go after your dream. Work at it a little at a time, think big, and don't listen to the naysayers. 

Some writers hope to make a full career, getting published enough to support themselves as a full-time writer. Others work at a day job and write on the side, also getting published often enough to keep them working at their 'second career.' Housewives and stay-at-home moms can also build a writing life for themselves. So can senior citizens who pursue writing later in life. 

All these different kinds of writers need to set their own goals, think big in journeying through their writing world, and stop listening to those who are quite willing to put a damper on your writing world. 

Be the writer who knows what he/she wants and is willing to go after it. 

Veterans--A Common Bond

 Today is Veterans Day, when we celebrate all our military veterans. It began when the Armistice was signed ending WWI. At the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day, of the eleventh month of 1918. I had an experience a number of years ago that prompted me to write the following essay. I share it today in honor of all veterans. 

A Common Bond

Leaves rustled softly as a light breeze drifted through the cemetery chapel, open to the air on two sides. This was the final stop on our tour of a WWII American Cemetery in southern France.

Our guide asked if there were any veterans of wars the USA had fought. “We would like you to participate in a wreath laying ceremony,” she said.

Three men stepped forward while the rest of our group of forty-two senior citizens gathered closer to the altar. Balwinder, our guide, offered the large bouquet of fresh flowers adorned with red, white and blue ribbons to one of the men. The trio walked slowly to the altar. Their shoulders were rounded, their hair thin and gray, their faces creased with the lines of time gone by. 

The earlier breeze suddenly became a wind that brought fallen leaves to swirl around our feet and intensified the sound of ones fluttering on the trees that rimmed the chapel. Clouds blocked the sun as the three men stood shoulder to shoulder, the ribbons on the wreath dancing in the wind. One man stepped forward and gently placed the flowers in the center of the altar between a Christian cross and a tablet depicting a Star of David. 

After the flower bearer stepped back in line with his fellow vets, all three snapped to attention and saluted the dead American soldier depicted in the large blue mosaic mural behind the altar. For one magical moment, they were three young military men, the years dropping away. Each had given part of himself to his country decades earlier. 

Now, they were touring France and making a visit to the Rhone American Military Cemetery where nearly 900 American soldiers were buried after the invasion of southern France in 1944. The boats landed in Normandy in the north and, weeks later, in the Mediterranean Sea in the south. The cemetery, in Draguignan, near the Rhone River, is close to where these soldiers fought and fell. For various reasons, their families in America chose to have them buried in France instead of requesting that they be shipped home for burial.

Balwinder, a native of India and citizen of France, asked if we would sing our national anthem. Silence. Then a few people began slowly, others joined in. As our voices blended and grew stronger with the familiar words, the wind died and the clouds parted allowing the March sun to warm us once again. 

My heart swelled, and a lump rose to my throat. I had to wipe a stray tear from my cheek, and in the silence that followed our singing, I studied the towering mosaic mural. The central figure was an angel, robed in blue, seated on a chair. In her arms, she cradled the body of a dead American soldier with a tenderness that is easily felt by the viewer. There were other, smaller figures on either side, but my gaze riveted on the angel and the soldier—he who represented so many who had given their lives. Young men who had everything to live for died fighting to free the people of France, then occupied by Nazi Germany. My mind told me that the angel was a piece of art, but my heart knew otherwise. As I gazed at her, I felt a presence and a warmth that could not have come from art. I didn’t want to leave the chapel but followed the others as they silently returned to our bus. 

 As we ate dinner on our river cruise ship that evening, I spoke with one of the men who had participated in the wreath laying ceremony. “What went through your mind today as you laid the flowers on the altar at the cemetery?”

He replied with no hesitation, needed no time to ponder and search for an answer. “Veterans have a bond that is never broken, no matter how many years have passed. There’s nothing else like it.”  He smiled and added one more comment. “Only another vet fully understands.” 

That veteran sat across the table from me, a retired railroad man who laughed a lot and still enjoyed life, but when he spoke about the common bond of vets, his face turned serious, and only he knew the rest of the wartime memories that lay quietly within. 

By Nancy Julien Kopp (c)

If It Sounds Too Good To Be True...

 

I've been seeing lots of ads on Facebook for postage stamps sold at much less than cost, sometimes half-off. Something told me this couldn't be true. So, I googled and checked to see if it was legitimate or not. Sure enough, most of these cut-rate stamps are fake. Does the post office check every piece of mail to see if the stamp is fake or not? I have no idea, but if you want your mail to arrive at its destination, then you'd better pay the price at the post office or one of their branches in your grocery store. 

All that made me think about Vanity Publishers who have duped so many writers, especially those new to the craft. Why the name? Because they play on your vanity. You've written a book, and you want to get it published. They will praise your book, whether it deserves to be priased or not. All they want is your money. They know how to talk a good plan for you. There's more.

Yes, they ask you to pay for production costs, including editing and designing fees. Then, you are responsible for selling your books. Of course, they might offer you a marketing package--for a fee. They might even keep a portion of the sales you make. 

Remember this--the quality of your book does not count. It's your money they're after. I'm sure many talk a good story about why you should sign with them. 

Be wary of this type of publishing. It's not a gift in a pretty box tied with a  shiny ribbon and bow. It's a business to make money at your expense. 

One article I read about vanity publishing mentioned that a book published this way has never made the bestseller list. 

Years ago, there was a scam in the writing world regarding poets. It may still be going on. Poets were invited to send their poems for possible inclusion in a book. They accepted every submission, made up a book, then sold them to those who had submitted. New poets were thrilled to be published, so they bought the book. Maybe they bought several to give to family members and friends. Once again, the publisher's only interest was making money for themselves, not to help you. 

That old cliche that says "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" should be your guide. Don't ever sign with a publishing company until you have done some investigation and determined that they are for real. 

Computer Problems and Cousins

 

My laptop is having problems today. So, I am writing on my phone. Not an easy task, so this may be a short post. 

Were you fortunate to have cousins as a part of your growing-up years? Ones close enough that you saw them fairly regularly? Or were they scattered around the country, and you saw them only occasionally? At weddings or funerals or family reunions. 

I had eight first cousins, five of whom lived in our area. I saw them regularly as our families got together on a regular basis. The other three lived in Arizona, pretty far from the rest of our family in the Chicago area. 

I could write many stories about those cousins. One was an only child, close in age to me. We grew up more like sisters than cousins. That was great as I had three brothers but no sisters. My two oldest cousins were boys. By the time I was ten, one was in the Army and one in high school. They treated me like a rare porcelain doll. They were my protectors in all ways. 

One section of your family stories project could be devoted to cousins. Ones you were close to. The ones you didn’t much care for. The jealousies, the love, the tricks played, how you stood up for each other and more. 

Think about your cousins and the stories connected with them. Write the stories, short or long. Or write a character sketch of each cousin. 

Book Review: The Garden of Evening Mists

 

Today, I have a book review for you written by Kate Reynolds, author of Ernestine, a fine historical fiction novel. The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng sounds like a great read. Let's see what Ms Reynolds has to say about the book

The Garden of Evening Mists, by Tan Twan Eng, is one of those books that likely will haunt a reader in the wee, small hours of the morning. For one thing, it’s beautifully written, featuring clear-eyed, understated prose and an engrossing story that casts light on a time and place few westerners really know. (Well, this westerner didn’t know much about either the time or the place.) For another, the theme – memory – with all its wistful sweetness and thorns, reminds us that time flees too quickly for all of us. This is a story of looking back, of understanding and coming to terms with the past.

The place is Malaya in 1951. Yun Ling Teoh is a judge retiring from her years on the bench in Kuala Lumpur. She has served on the War Crimes Tribunal, exacting justice for atrocities committed in the years when the Japanese occupied Malaya. But the judge is hardly a disinterested party. She, along with her beloved sister, had been prisoners in one of those same cruel Japanese prison camps. Judge Teoh is deeply scarred, physically and emotionally. She survived the camps. Her sister did not.

The reader learns that Judge Teoh has been diagnosed with aphasia, which will soon bring about a loss of ability to express herself or understand words. She will lose her memories as well. 

The judge decides to compose her memoirs in her former home in the Cameron Highlands near the Majuba Tea Estate. It is in this account of Judge Teo’s life that a reader is introduced to her former mentor, Aritomo, a Japanese master gardener and artist. Some years back, Judge Teoh had asked this man to create a garden in honor of her dead sister, despite memories of the cruelty she suffered in prison. The judge writes of how she had to swallow her hatred of the Japanese to ask her former enemy for help. But Aritomo is, after all, an accomplished gardener, and what better way to remember Judge Teoh’s sister than to create a lovely garden that will live forever? After all, “Gardens were created to approximate the idea of a paradise in the afterlife.”

In creating a Japanese garden, Judge Teoh must face her hatred of all things Japanese and her own dark memories. Her relationship with Aritomo, the master gardener, takes unexpected turns throughout the novel.

The story weaves back and forth in time between the years she spent with Aritomo in his garden and the present when she knows her own life is ending. In unlocking the past, Judge Teoh faces her own frailties and the terrible failures in her past. 

I found the time switches confusing at times, and my own unfamiliarity with Malaya made it hard to connect with the geography. But when The Garden of Evening Mists wanders back and forth in time, slowing peeling back the layers to Judge Teoh’s life and secrets, I am spellbound. Read it for the elegant language or read it for the history or read it for insight into Eastern culture. But do read it.

Assessing Your Writing World

 Today's poster quote gives some good advice. I applied it to my writing life, and you can, too.

Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what can be. 

What have I learned to accept as a writer? 

A. I have accepted the fact that I'm never going to have a novel on the Best Seller list. 

B. I've learned to look at rejections in as positive light as I can. (after I get over the original disappointment) 

C. I've learned where my strengths lie in the writing world. I originally wanted to write books for middle g rade children, but I gave up that idea when I found out that there were other places in the writing world that fit my talent better.

What have I let go?

A. I don't worry about being publishd. When it happens, it is a nice surprise.

B. I gave up the thought of writing fiction for adults.

C. I cut back on being a leader in my state writing organization for the sake of my health.

I have faith in future writing endeavors.

A. I know that I can write more stories for middle grade kids.

B. I feel confident that my blog is worhtwhile for many readers.

C. I will keep writing as long as I am mentally fit. 

How about you? Can you make three short lists about your own writing world that speak to today's quote? Give it some thought, then write your own lists. I used three for each part of the quote, but you can use as many, or as few, as you like. 

I think it is important that we take assessment of our writing life now and then. It's good to look at where you've been, where you are, and where you're going as a writer. It's not a abad idea to do this on an annual basis. 

Write About a Rainy Fall Day

 

A Rainy Fall Day

Another weekend is nearly here. In many areas, clocks will be set back an hour, so it will get dark earlier. In Manhattan, KS, our day is dark and gloomy. Off and on thunder booms, and lightning flashes, then heavy rain pours from the sky for a short time. A lull, then the threesome begins again. The weather people tell us this will be the pattern all day and through the night until around 5 a.m. Our state needs the rain desperately, so no one will complain. 

Still, it puts a damper on a lot of plans people have. High School football playoffs are in full swing. Our unbeaten Manhattan High team is scheduled to play tonight. Unless the lightning creates a delay or cancellation. 

Rainy days are ones many like to curl up with a book and a cup of tea, maybe a cookie to go with it. Listen to the rain against the window pane, read by the light of a lamp. Othrs must brave the elements to go to work, arriving a sodden mess or just cold and damp.

For a writing exercise this weekend, write a few paragraphs describing a rainy, fall day. Use the outdoors if you like, or write about being inside on a day when the rain keeps coming. Or about having to brave the elements to go to an appointment or to work. Maybe there is a chance of flooding, or a tornado. Write about your feelings on a day like this. Use sensory details. 

This exercise can be merely descriptive, or you can turn it into a story using description. What does the rain sound like? What does it look like when you gaze our a window? Can you smell the rain when you are outdoors walking on a rainy day? What does it feel like on your exposed skin? 

This rainy day exercise could become a full story or essay, one you can submit to a contest or for publication. Don't ignore writing exercises. They can become very useful in advancing your writing journey.

Problems Pop Up When Writing

 

No doubt many of you have seen the poster photo for today. Anyone who has written a book, or attempted to write one, looks at it and laughs. They laugh so they don't cry. At least, some of them.

Our plan of writing a book, or even a short story, essay, or article, doesn't always work out like we planned. Ah yes, the Plan. Books that center on writing a novel usually suggest that you have a plan. Get a story idea, make an outline, do character sketches and more. It's a good suggestion, but we all know what can happen to the best laid plans.

We are familiar with the quote from Robert Burn's poem, To A Mouse, that says: The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray.' The quote came into common use after the publication of the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck in 1937. That quote can be applied to the plan of a writer. 

The reality is one of ups and downs from start to finish. Things like the writing feeling flat, characters not appearing real, characters not interacting with one another very well, impossible happenings popping up, time frames not working, and on and on. We run into problems whether writing a full-length book or a shorter piece. Do you throw up your hands and walk away? 

That might be helpful for a short time. Let the piece of writing sit while you do something else, whether for an hour, a day, or a week. When you come back to the story, you might see it with different eyes and find a way to fix whatever was wrong. 

Fix one problem, and another arises. What to do? Fix each problem as it comes up. That's probably easier than to wait until you've written a full draft of your book. Going back at that point might seem overwhelming. Of course, there will be little things you want to change once the first draft is finished. Every writer approaches the writing of a novel in a different way. If waiting until the draft is completed works for you, then do it. If working out solutions to problems a little at a time feels better to you, then do that. 

The main thing is to know that writing a book, or a short piece, is not without problems. Rare is the writer who writes a first draft and calls it finished, ready to submit to a publisher. Meet those problems with a positive attitude. You can usually find a solution to whatever is wrong if you don't let anger or frustration get to you. If those emotions rise up, walk away for a while. Come back when you're calmer. 

What about the writer who has little self-confidence? Those hills and valleys of problems might feel even higher or deeper to them. They might have a little more trouble working out the problems, but they can do it.

Meet the problems you encounter when writing with a positive attitude and some self-confidence. It helps.

Mechanics of Writing--Boring But Necessary

 

This is a repeat post from 2016. Still pertinent to today's writer. 

Proper mechanics of writing--people notice when it's poor

I have seen many writers, especially those relatively new to the field, who have great story-telling abilities, but they seem to have either forgotten or never learned the basics of writing. Remember those--the boring stuff? Oh yeah, lots of you thought English grammar, punctuation and word usage was the most boring subject in the world. Well, perhaps it is for a good many people but it's also very important. Doing it right makes you a polished writer.

I must admit that I sometimes cringe when I read posts on facebook that are filled with bad grammar, abuse of tenses, miserable punctuation and more. I know what you're thinking--What does it matter? It's just someone making a comment on a post or posting their own news. Well, people--I happen to think it does matter. If a child reads a book filled with poor mechanics of writing, and yes they are out there, they sometimes do get published--they will take it for granted that everything is just as it should be. 

How often did your parents or teachers urge you to set an example for others with your behavior? It's the same with the mechanics of writing. Set an example for others. 

Notice that the books pictured here are for grammar school kids. Yep, that's where we all first learned these building blocks of writing but a lot of people seem to forget all that once they grow up. 

So, what do you do if you need to brush up on your mechanics? You can't slip into a sixth grade classroom and soak up what the classroom teacher says. This time, you're on your own. There are books and online sites that can help. Use your favorite search engine to find. Purchase a book that you can refer to when you're not sure about a grammar question. Most of these books and online sites have exercises to re-enforce the lesson. Do them! Do them every time. We learn as children through repetition. Guess what? We learn through repetition as adults, too. 

Don't overlook the helps you have whenever you write a story, article or poem on your computer. They're sitting at the top waiting for you to make use of them. They aren't going to jump out and grab you. It's up to you to learn how to use them and then do it on a regular basis. On every post I write, I use spellcheck. I find typos more often than actual misspelled words but I sure am glad I find and correct before publishing the post. 

I've heard people claim that they never really learned all that 'stuff' in school. If not, that's too bad, but you can still learn now or brush up on what you absorbed all those years ago. 

Review the mechanics of writing. Pay attention to spelling, punctuation, tenses, and word usage. Work on being a polished writer if you want your work to shine when you send it to an editor.

By Nancy Julien Kopp  - January 05, 2016 2 (original publication date) 

The Timid Writer

 

Recently, I played a Marathon Bridge match with my partner against two other women. For those who don't play Bridge, a marathon is a group of teams, two people on a team. Each team plays someone different every month in fall, winter, and spring. The women we played yesterday are what I call 'timid bidders,' They could have had a much bigger score if they had been a bit more aggressive. Some, of course, want to play it on the safe side, so they won't get a penalty. But taking a chance can often reap benefits. It'a personal choice.

Some writers are timid about trying to get published or to share their work with others in any way. It's understandable in the early days of writing, although there are newbie writers who are so excited that they want to share everything they write with everyone and submit to myriad publications. Their balloon is often deflated when they don't become an overnight sensation. Hopefully, they figure out that writing is hard work, and that writers become better at the craft as time goes on. 

But back to the shy writer. She/he lacks self-confidence, just like some bridge players. She/he fears she/he isn't  very good. She/he cringes at the thought of criticism, constructive or not. We need to have an attitude about criticism of our work that allows us to see the help being given, and to know that it is not a personal slap in the face. Sadly, some writers consider it exactly that. Learning not to fear a critique is a big step in the life of a writer. 

Putting your work up for critique is one way of improving as a writer. It's necessary to convince yourself that those who critique your work are trying to help you. Hopefully, they point out the parts they like as well as those that need revision. We all enjoy some compliments now and then. Even little things we change can make a big difference in the overall piece of writing. We need to heed what those other writers tell us.

Being afraid to submit what you've written is another problem, especially for newbie writers. Not only do they wonder if what they've written is good enough to be published, but don't want to put themselves in a spot to be rejected. "Hey, if I don't submit my work, no one can reject it." Probably true, but it won't get you very far in this writing game--if your aim is publication. 

Not all writers have the goal of publication. Some write for the sheer pleasure of putting words on paper, or on a screen. Maybe they keep a handwritten journal that no one ever sees. It's personal and private. Like those diaries that young girls kept in my growing up years. They usually had a lock on the cover, and the girls kept the key hidden. Those locks were so flimsy, it would not have taken much to break them. Still, the thoughts the girls wrote were private. 

Emily Dickinson published only a very few poems while alive. It was after her death that a family member found dozens and dozens of her poems in a drawer and worked to get them published. Rather sad that the poet did not realize how well her poetry would be received. Was she a timid writer? Perhaps. 

Do not be concerned that others will find problem spots in what you write. If you put your work out for critique, that is exactly why you are doing so. You're asking for help to make your story, or whatever it is, as good as it can be. Do not be afraid to submit your writing for publication. All writers get rejections, over and over. It's those acceptances that make us smile and are to be remembered. 

My aim here is not to criticize any writer (or bridge player!). I always hope to be of some help, to allow writers to see where they might improve.