This Writer is Making Some Changes

 

I've been thinking about something since the beginning of the year and trying to make a decision. I've been writing this blog for 14 1/2 years, and I've pondered on taking a new slant instead of the daily Monday to Friday blog post. I've also thought about quitting 100%, but that's not who I am.

Blogger, my server, is not as friendly as it once was. They stopped sending the posts to subscribers, so that meant finding a service to do so. I did find one, and now it is increasing the fee. I thought about using a different server, but all that I looked at had some kind of drawback. Many of the so-called 'free' ones are not actually free. Free to set up, but then charge a monthly or annual fee. Some add up to quite a bit in a year's time. The mail service costs have also gone up. 

Another reason I've decided to take a different route is that I find myself addressing the same topics over and over, even though I try to take a different slant. The stats on Blogger show that I have written 3, 371 posts over the years. Each one has several hundred words. That's a whole lot of words! I have been concerned that readers are finding repetition too often, and I don't like that situation at all. 

I started Writer Granny's World Blog because I wanted to give tips and encouragement to other writers. I was a former teacher, and the teacher part of me wanted to be of some service to those interested in the writing craft. I wanted to be of assistance to the newbie writers, as well.

Writing and managing the blog also cuts into my personal writing time. I would like to increase my output in that department. 

I've come to a compromise with myself that will hopefully be of some interest to my readers, as well. Instead of posting on Blogger and Facebook pages five days a week, I will write an occasional post and put it on three Facebook pages. My personal page where I have Friends and Writing Friends, Kansas Authors page, and my writer Facebook page. Some weeks it might be once, and others twice. Some weeks none at all. As time and mood allow.

My blog posts will not be coming to your inbox after today. If any of my subscribers would like to continue reading my posts, go to Facebook and put NancyJulienKopp,Writer in the Search box. Sign on as a Follower or as Add Friend, whichever pops up. 

I have so enjoyed being a blogger these many years, but I feel it is time for a change for me, and for my readers. Thank you for the many nice comments received through the years. I wish you all Good Writing!

The Eyes and Ears of a Writer

Our lives are busy, and the places we go are filled with people. School, church, restaurants, parties, meetings--all of these and more. We see and hear things everywhere. As writers, what we see and hear should be an inspiration to write.

It is, IF we pay attention, IF we use our writer's eyes and ears. What we see and hear in our everyday activities can give us an idea for a story, poem, or essay. 

For example, one day I was driving down a street that had trees on both sides, leaning over and forming a canopy of sorts. The phrase 'a tunnel of trees' came to my mind, and I reached far back into my childhood memory bank to see another street that was a tunnel of trees, one that my dad drove us down many times. Later in the day, when I got home, I wrote the first draft of a poem about the tunnel of trees I'd seen that day and the one from my memory. It was such a small thing--driving down that street, seeing the trees, and remembering, but it was the basis of the poem I wrote. It was in the quiet of the moment that the inspiration came.

Sometimes, a conversation we have overheard can give us something to write about. It's not a matter of eavesdropping. There are times when you can't help but hear what others are discussing. Watching the interaction of a mother and child on a bus or train could be the inspiration for a story. Seeing fans go nutso at a football game could be another story possibility. 

Today's quote says 'The quieter you become, the more you can hear.' It's in those quiet moments that your writer's eyes and ears can serve you well. 

Even going to a place where there are no other people, where quiet reigns, can bring ideas to a writer. The surroundings and the quiet itself can be inspiration. 

A writer trains him/herself to have eyes and ears that help them find topics to write about. Of course, we can't write about every little thing we see or hear, but certain people, places, or events speak more to us than others. When that happens, we had better listen. 

It doesn't matter whether you are in a crowded place or one of perfect serenity, your writer's eyes and ears can serve you well. All you need to do is look and listen. 

Write About Pets

 

Dogs and Cats

Dogs and cats, or pets in general, seem to be a very popular topic for writers. Nonwriters who are pet lovers also pen their stories and feelings about a pet. These stories are sometimes included in Family Stories collections. After all, pets are part of the family, aren't they? 

Chicken Soup for the Soul has several books with the theme of either cats or dogs. The stories about these animals are so popular that the anthology editors put out calls for stories every now and then. They have a call for stories about cats or dogs with the deadline of December 15, 2023. That gives you a great deal of time to write and submit your story. One book is on cats, another on dogs. Go to the website, (www.chickensoup.com) and scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click on Submit Your Stories. That will bring you to the page of Possible Book Topics where you can find all the necessary information for the kinds of stories they are looking for and guidelines for same. Don't hesitate to send stories now, even with the far-away deadline date. 

Use a search engine like google and use keywords like 'places to submit pet stories,' and you'll find a good number. Be sure to read the guidelines to see if your story will fit a particular publication. 

You needn't keep to true stories. Fiction is also a place to feature dogs, cats, and other pets. I've used dogs in a few of my stories for middle grade children. In one, the dog was the one who saved the day when danger lurked for a young boy. In another, a dog gave a young boy courage to conquer his fear of crossing bridges. 

Non-fiction articles about pets are also sought by magazines, both adult and kids' publications. Just be sure your facts are true. Non-fiction articles can be presented in an interesting way, not merely a list of facts. 

Personal essays that include your pets are also possibilities for publication. Again, use a search engine to discover what publications use this kind of essay. 

Writing about your own pets gives you ample space to let others know how you feel about your pet and also allows you to use your descriptive powers. 

"Top Dog" is a story I wrote about my daughter and her husband having to get her cat and his two dogs to live together peacefully. It was published in Not Your Mother's Book on Cats several years ago. 

 

Top Dog 

My daughter, Karen, and her fiancé spent lots of time making wedding plans and deciding how to blend their two homes into one. Furniture and cooking pans were the least of their concerns. More important, they needed to figure out how to get three pets to live harmoniously in one house.

Ming, a male cat, and Karen shared a townhouse, and the big white cat liked life just as it was. When Steve became a regular visitor, Ming accepted this other man in his mistress’s life a little at a time, but he kept a wary on Steve, nevertheless.

There was still one more critical step to their nuptial bliss--the pet introductions. Karen described the meeting to me in a lengthy phone conversation. She said that Steve arrived at the townhouse with his two brindle boxers in tow. I listened to her tale, fearing what the end of the story might be. 

Max and Riley were big and muscular and a bit fierce looking, even though they were usually pretty calm canines. Sides heaving, the dogs confronted Ming while the humans held their breath. Barking and snarling, Max and Riley advanced. Steve shouted to no avail. Karen kept her eye on Ming while Steve tended to the dogs.

Ming fled to the kitchen and leaped onto the countertop, dogs and Karen racing behind. The cat paced, eyeing those two devil dogs who’d followed him. The attack cat was ready to rumble. In no time at all, he flew at them, claws out and a fierce expression on his usually tranquil face. Ming’s screeches and the dogs’ barking filled the small kitchen. Add in Steve and Karen’s voices trying to calm their individual pets, and chaos reigned. When Max and Riley charged, Ming retreated to a place on the counter where he knew the dogs could not reach him but could still see him. Back arched and hissing, he waited just out of the intruders’ reach. The night of terror didn’t last long. Steve gathered his two big dogs and headed home leaving a worried Karen and a still angry cat alone.

Karen had a talk with Ming after Steve and the dogs left, and no doubt, Steve reasoned with Max and Riley on the ride home. The five of them were going to live together and they would have to learn to get along. This engaged couple didn’t know it then, but they were in training for being parents. Handling kids would be a piece of cake if they managed to get the three pets to live peacefully together.

Weeks later, I spent a weekend with the newlyweds and their menagerie. I’d always been more partial to dogs, but Ming had worked his way into my heart long before. He often curled up next to me when I visited. That afternoon, Max and Riley stationed themselves in front of the sofa, one on either side of my legs, chins on the cushions, slobber included. Ming Kitty snuggled closer to me, not making a sound, but if looks could kill, we’d have been digging two big holes in the back yard for those sweet dogs.

That evening, the dogs were standing in the kitchen hoping for a scrap or two from dinner when I noticed Ming saunter by them. Without missing a beat, he whacked one of the dogs on the snout with his paw, then he kept right on walking. Max and Riley both looked a bit bewildered but left the cat alone. Ming had established his spot on the family tree. And it was several branches higher than the dogs. It may have been the first time a large white cat claimed the title of Top Dog.

Another year passed and the first baby joined the family. Jordan was born in the afternoon, and after I’d had my turn doing all the silly things a new grandmother is wont to do when meeting a grandchild. I left the new parents at the hospital and went to their house to feed the animals and spend the night with them, as we’d prearranged weeks earlier. These three pets had learned to tolerate one another, even though Ming Kitty  occasionally used the swat-on-the-nose method to keep the dogs in line. I wondered how they were going to accept this new family pet that would be coming home the next day. 

I shouldn’t have worried as they all loved Jordan, and as she grew, she fit right in with the three of them. Once she started to crawl, she chased Ming daily with her eye on his long white tail. Luckily, he was faster than she but I think he enjoyed the game as much as she did. Max and Riley lay on the floor watching, tongues hanging out. I knew they were cheering her on from the sidelines. If they could speak, they’d have been hollering, “Go Jordan, Get that tail!” 

They lived in harmony, Ming reminding Max and Riley that he ruled with the occasional nose swipe. It wasn’t a hard whack, more like he just wanted to bring up the fact that they were guests in his house and they’d better not start any trouble. He’d never admit that he’d come to like those two guys. 

Max was the first of the trio to pass on. But Riley still had Ming, and the cat seemed to sense his canine brother’s grief. They kept one another company and became good buddies. When Karen and Steve were at work, and Jordan at daycare, those two probably had a few good laughs together about the time they’d first met. That night of terror resulted in a long friendship even though Ming Kitty still wore the crown. Yep, he’d always be Top Dog of the feline world.

 

(c)

Writers, Take One Step at a Time

One step at a time

If you're a writer, you know that one of the first lessons learned is 'one step at a time.' At least, I hope you have gained that bit of knowledge and remind yourself of it now and then. 

Our photo today shows stepping stones to help you cross a body of water. You're not going to run across those stones. What if you plopped right into the water? You'd probably be cold, and definitely be sopping wet. Instead, you'd move from one stone to the other carefully to reach the other side, which is your goal. 

When you first started writing, you didn't leap forward straight into publication. If only it worked that way! We do have to move on our writing journey one step at a time. 

Writers whose dream is to write a novel and have it published should not dive right into writing a 400 page book. Write shorter pieces until you feel they show strong writing. Submit to publications to see if what you have written is worthy of publication. Publish a few short things before delving into the deep waters of novel writing. 

Take another step by reading as much as you can about the craft of writing. Read magazines like Writer's Digest, Writers and Poets, and The Writer. If you don't want to pay for a subscription, check to see if your library carries any of them. Mine does, and that's where I read The Writer off and on. The articles in this type of magazine can be inspiring as well as informative. Check your library for books on writing. If you find one you especially like, go ahead and buy it so you'll have a copy to refer to off and on. If you're so inclined, purchase books on writing and build your own library. Don't let them just sit on the shelf. Go through each one now and then to refresh what you learned from them.

One more step is to surround yourself with other writers now and then. Have coffee with one or two. No one understands a writer better than another writer. Go to workshops or conventions and mingle with many writers. Doing so can inspire you to write. 

The point here is that becoming a published writer takes a series of steps. It's a long process. I've been writing for almost thirty years, but I am still learning, and I'm still trying to become a better writer. Don't expect miracles to happen in a short time. Keep moving across those stepping stones, one at a time, and do it carefully.

 

Writers Must Learn to Cut Words

Today's post is a repeat regarding  cutting words. Such a necessary but difficult thing for writers to do. 

Two posters suggest cutting words. ...cut it to the bone Stephen King tells us. The anonymous author of the second quote tells us we are going to have to delete much of our first draft. He/she says that is when we know we are a writer but it might take us a long time to learn that.

Or maybe you don't agree with what these two quotes tell us. Maybe you are averse to cutting words or deleting entire sections of something to which you gave time and effort. You love some of the phrases or you are extremely proud of the way a certain section turned out. Cut? No way! 

I think this is when our ego and our talent as a writer get tangled. Those words we write are precious. We wouldn't take one of our children and toss them out, would we? That's how some writers feel about cutting parts of the story or deleting unnecessary words. They end up with wordy, dreary writing.

The cutting process will leave you with a much stronger piece of writing. If you edit with an objective eye--keyword here being objective--you can find areas that may be lovely prose but add nothing to the story itself. Or the essay or poem--whatever you are writing. 

In my first online writers' group, our moderator was a fine writer and a tough taskmaster. She was hard on all the members over one bad practice or another but she broke many of us of bad habits. One of those was being too wordy. She would cut huge chunks of a submission. That often hurt the writer but she always added a valid reason for what she suggested. Some people only needed unnecessary words cut but with others, it was entire paragraphs or even sections. I always read the critiques that this woman gave to other writers because I learned a great deal by doing so. As time went by, I could see that her suggestions on cutting were very beneficial. 

Here's a little problem with slashing our words. We're writers. We're word people. We love words and phrases and sentences. We don't want to get rid of any of it. Still, one of today's quotessuggest we are not real writers if we cannot make peace within as we slash, dice and slice some of what we've written. I know that, when I do this, I end up with a stronger piece of writing. 

Some of us tend to be redundant. We repeat the same idea with different words within the same paragraph. Part of the reason we tend to do that is to make sure the reader 'gets it.' Give your reader a little more credit for being able to 'get it' with only one try. When you edit your work, look for those areas where you have repeated yourself in some way and cut until you have made the point with one sentence. 

A fine poet in my online group frequently suggests cutting a lot out of a poem that has been subbed. That old less is more comes into play here. When she tells me to cut something, I pay close attention because I know she is a gifted poet and sees more than the average person. 

Don't be concerned with those many words you end up cutting. Put them away in your mental file box to use again some day. Those precious words aren't gone forever. 

Shrove Tuesday Celebrations

 

Today is the day before the Lenten season begins for Christians. Known as Shrove Tuesday, and sometimes Fat Tuesday, the day is full of merriment and festive happenings, as well as lots of eating. When we have special days like this, writers need to focus on how they can use the events of the day in their writing. 

Perhaps an article on the history of the Mardi Gras festivites in New Orleans and other southern cities. Or why women in Liberal Kansas run down the street flipping a pancake in a frying pan. Articles like this can work in a children's magazine or one for adults. Any such article would need to be submitted several months earlier. Write it now while these events are happening and save it to submit a few months down the line. 

Mardi Gras is a well known event. A huge, gala celebration with parades, costumes, food, drinks, more food and music. And huge crowds. This Fat Tuesday party began as a way to enjoy all the foods and drinks we love before the fasting period of Lent. Not a full blown fast, of course, but people gave up eating and drinking things they loved. So, on the day before Ash Wednesday (tomorrow), they feasted royally. 

A lesser known event takes place in two cities in the world. One is Liberal, Kansas and the other is Olney, England. Several women in each town compete in a Pancake Race. The competitors run 415 yards down a main street of each town while flipping a pancake in a frying pan. This race has gone on for 70 years with Liberal winning 40 times and Olney 30. The race has grown over the years as other events have been added to the day. Pancake Feeds, for sure and other things the townspeople can enjoy. Who will win this year? We won't know until later in the day. Newspapers and magazines have published stories on this annual race. Did you ever try running while flipping a pancake in a pan? I'm not sure I could do it standing still! 

When special days like this one come along, take advantage of them and write something--a poem, a story, a personal essay, a factual article. 

Book Review: A Little Poison in Paisley

I have been reviewing the cozy mystery series by Christina Hamlett on this blog, one by one. I've just finished reading Book #4, titled A Little Poison on Paisley. The other books were titled A Little Larceny in Lynmouth,  A Little Scandal in St. Andrews, and A Little Drama in Dunster. The titles and book covers in the four books are nicely related. All the books take place in the UK, either in England or Scotland. 

For those who are not aware of the meanng of a 'cozy mystery,' the term denotes a book that is a mystery without violence and a romance without explicit sexual scenes. There is a death, but we don't see it happening. They are not deep and dark but appealing to those who enjoy figuring out mysteries with a bit of romance on the side. 

In Book 4, we see Rochelle Reid and Jon Tapping once again finding themselves embroiled in a mysterious death. This time, they are in Scotland attending a wedding weekend at Granndach Manor, the palatial residence of the groom and his spinster older sister. The bride is a young woman who was Jon's first crush in his early teen years, but he hasn't seen her since. Even so, Rochelle is not feeling comfortable about the weekend. Still, a wedding on a snowy weekend in Scotland pleases her. She is hopeful that wedding thoughts might enter Jon's mind, too. 

The night before the wedding, a member of the bridal party leaves the table quite suddenly and soon after is found dead in a restroom. Jon is the one who has found the body, so the DI Inspector from the police department asks that Jon and Rochelle stay on while the investigation is taking place. 

Dilys, the groom's sister, invites the couple to stay at the Manor instead of the hotel in town. The hunt for a killer is on, the method and reason for the death unveiled one clue at a time. All this going on while Rochelle's jealousy over Jon's first crush continues, her love for Jon deepens, and her hope of wedding talk between them never wanes. 

This book, like the others in the series, offers mystery, romance, humor, and food descriptions that will leave you wanting to eat very soon. A side benefit is that the books will please the armchair traveler, as there is a great sense of place in each book. The book can be purchased though Barnes & Noble or Amazon as an ebook or a paperback.