Weeds and Flowers

There is Scottish Thistle growing along the roads beside our house. We’re in western Pennsylvania, which apparently has such deep Celtic roots and ancestry that thistle happened to spring up from the earth. Okay, I suppose someone brought some back from Scotland. It wasn’t us, although we were there last summer, and although I had a lot of  fun admiring the country’s national emblem growing wild in the highlands and along roads and being depicted on street signs and shop signs. I didn’t notice it here before. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention.

To be honest, it likely didn’t have the chance to grow as well as it has this year because … well, our state has yet to approve a budget so weeds alongside the roads aren’t being cut. At least that’s my theory as to why they’re taking over the sideline landscapes.

Yes, I’m enjoying the purple thistle. It reminds me of Scotland and I have a true, deep love for that country. It doesn’t quite match the love I have for my own, but it would be one of two places I would relocate if I every got kicked out of here (and with some of my political opinions, maybe I will be). The other would be Italy, but then I’d have to learn Italian. The Scots at least speak English: not quite American English but close enough to catch on quickly.

No, I don’t have plans to move, but when I mentioned to my husband that a local plant nursery had thistle growing in front of their building, which I thought was very cool, he said, “I can’t imagine why anyone would plant a sticker bush.”

Oh. I suppose he has a point. As I thought about it, I decided I wouldn’t actually want it in my yard, either. It’s a weed, you know. It will spread and take over if it’s allowed. And although I enjoy the bit of it I see, there is a line things need to maintain or else they cause havoc.

I also enjoy the goldenrod not being cut down. I’m allergic to the stuff and definitely don’t want THAT in my yard, but in my car as I’m driving past with the windows closed, it’s very pretty. [Now I’m hoping I’m naming that bright yellow weed correctly. TC, my professional gardening friend, may correct me, a gardening amateur.]

But that’s the way it often goes – something that looks like a very cool idea in its bright and shiny glory at a distance changes once you start looking closer.  I think we see that in politics a lot. I’ll leave that thought for the moment. I blog politically blatant at Myspace and sometimes at Facebook, but not here. Don’t worry. I won’t start.

I know we see it in everyday life. And I see it in writing. Adverbs are weeds, for instance. In their proper place and kept at a minimum, they  are pretty words that help a writer get an image across. Left to spread uncontrolled, however, they muddy the waters and we’re left with so many of them it’s hard to see the grass. I love grass. It’s the basic structure, the spreading earthy grounding soul of a yard, and of a book. I’ve become obsessed with grass after living in the south for 12 years and having such a time trying to keep my yard green and fresh. I planted some recently here and go look out at it every day. It’s thriving. I did nothing but prepare the soil, throw some straw over top to hold it and mulch it, and timed it just before a few days of rain moved in … and it’s thriving on its own. A beautiful site.

The patch that was nothing but packed dirt and weeds is now soul-soothing (green will do that for you) and makes me feel like my thumb is a touch more natural than I thought.

Of course I have flowers, also. The marigolds in the photo above are now planted here and there around my flower beds. Many don’t like marigolds because they smell bad. Yes, but they are natural pest deterrents. Critters don’t like their smell, either. I put marigolds in with my veggies this year and have had very little trouble with Japanese Beatles.

Flowers are the extra description of a novel. They highlight the story, bring color and beauty. Again, though, too much of it and it  overpowers everything until the story is too hard to find.

Nature is about balance. Grass should be central. The Japanese would disagree with me, but I’m an American and so my statement stands. We like pretty yards of rolling grass without weeds and highlighted by flowers. That’s how I like my fiction, also. Rolling grass [story] with maybe a dandelion accent [weeds] here and there and a flowery [descriptive] highlight. 

~~~
Tomorrow (September 4th)  I’ll be introducing myself during Classic Romance Revival’s “Author Intro” month, part of their grand opening celebration. Come by and see what you can win just by commenting!
http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog

--

CRR is HERE!

As a Classic Romance Revival affiliate author, I’ve been blogging at the CRR blog nearly once a month for some time now while awaiting the launch of the website … and now it’s LIVE!

What is the Classic Romance Revival? It’s genre romance in its classic form, meaning various heat levels but never pushing the line into erotica and always between two committed characters, one male and one female. While we respect whatever type of romance others like to write and read, we’ve recognized some have pulled away from reading any romance because they aren’t sure what they’re getting.

At CRR, you may get a fair amount of heat in our sophisticated line. You may get sweet romance with no more than a lovely kiss. Or you may get something in between. You’ll get contemporaries, historicals, fantasy, and paranormal. You’ll find musicians and soldiers and cowboys and bikers and time travelers and artists and pirates. You won’t find a lot of graphic detail. And you won’t find bed-hopping only for the sake of … well, for the sake of bed-hopping.

CRR does romance. Real romance. The girl-meets-boy. The struggles of forming and holding relationships. The happy endings.

You’ll even find a few of my books in the bookstore.

It’s a bit funny to advertise this here and now at this point when I’m not sure my next book fits the CRR category well, being more literary and less romance. However, I do have those that fit better and I have plans for stories that will fit even more. In fact, I may be starting one in November for Nanowrimo, a shorter work, more genre romance, historical.  It’s in formation stage in my head.

Anyway, go check out CRR! I’ve been reading some of the authors’ books and I can tell you there’s a lot worth reading there. ;-)

Love Your Libraries

One of my favorite childhood memories is walking the half mile through town with my older sister and perusing our little local library. It was, and is, little. So is my hometown. There’s not even a stoplight. The one room library was well-stocked for its size, however. It was a magical place, full of stories about everything and set everywhere. I rarely went farther than 25 miles outside my town other than family road trips on summer vacation. I don’t remember many of them.

My days at the library are firmly ingrained in my being.

I love stories. That’s a silly statement to make, I suppose, since I write them, but it’s not only the act of writing I like, it’s the true love for Story. With some books I read, I’m not so sure the author has enough of a love affair with Story. I think some like to hear themselves talk, as they say. I think some simply like the act of writing and struggle to find something to write about. I’ve often heard writers moping about being blocked and wanting to write but not having any good ideas.

I don’t get it. Anything can be a story. If you love Story, sitting on your front porch watching the leaves turn orange before it’s even September can become a story. A ladybug crawling along a picnic table can be the start of a story, especially if there are two ladybugs, one red and one orange, and you know the orange ones aren’t native to your area and shouldn’t be there while the red ones are highly beneficial and well-loved. There: a story idea. Where it goes from there would be different for each writer and that’s the magic of Story.

They are who we are.

I won’t go into the whole narrative therapy concept here, but stories help create who we are. We can change them, if we wish, and if we’re willing to accept we can.

Our libraries are full of stories that show how they shape us. They can let us be anyone. They can take us anywhere. Where would you like to be right now? Ask your librarian to help you find a book to take you there.

Where did I go on my story adventures in my childhood library? More places than I can remember. My favorite was solving mysteries with the Hardy Boys. I could be a detective, too. I loved being able to be anything even if only for the length of the book. Now, I love giving that back to others. I have lots of stories in my head waiting to come out to share. I hope that never changes.

Do you have a favorite library or a favorite librarian? Tell me about your library, either from your childhood or recent, and tell ALA about your favorite librarian--

The Carnegie Corporation is sponsoring the “I Love My Librarian” award. You can go here to nominate someone you think should win:
http://www.ilovelibraries.org/lovemylibrarian/home.cfm

Libraries all over the country are losing funding right now with the current economic issues. Consider doing what you can to help promote the good they do for us and to encourage maintaining their funding. Ours is expanding with a lot of help from the community. It’s beautiful to see. And it’s very much needed.
--

Author Interview: David McClain

 

       An Interview with David McClain

   Find David's blog at

                Writing.com

    Find Keeper of the Word at

                Lulu.com

 

 

 

 

Keeper of the Word is David McClain’s debut book of short stories, independently published in 2008, and one of the best indie books I’ve had the privilege to read. His stories speak of who he is: spirited, spunky, earthy, and truly original. His writing blog is highly popular and his followers become quickly loyal. It’s easy to see why once you dig into the stories he’s collected in his first book.

I’m honored to be counted among David’s friends and am happy to offer this interview that, as far as I know, is his first.

So, Hello David! Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions!

DM: Hi Loraine, and thanks for giving me this opportunity. You are correct, this is the first time getting interviewed for me and I don't mind telling you, I am just a bit nervous. If I stick my foot in my mouth just edit the heck out of me! So go ahead and fire the questions at me lady....I will try my best to make some sense of my answers.

LK: Ah, no need to be nervous. We're all friendly here. ;-)  First off, let me post the cover blurb for Keeper of the Word here. I generally review a book before asking the author for an interview and allow him or her to respond, but this time, I’m using the blurb and asking if you have comments about it:


"Reminiscent of cowboy storytelling around the campfire, Keeper of the Word is an eclectic mix of short stories with a wide range of genres. In his first published collection, David McClain uses a charming conversational style that keeps us pulled in to every word, waiting for what we soon learn will come at the end of each story: the “a ha” moment, humorous or thoughtful or eyebrow-raising. Running the gamut from romance to fantasy, from thriller to mainstream, each story has a constant theme – a pondering of life and love well-blended to touch the reader’s hearts."

DM: Well every time I read that blurb, the first thing that goes through my mind is: “They can't be talking about me can they?” Maybe it is because the blurb appears on the first book I ever published, but it always just seems unreal when I see my name in print....on a book....that strangers will buy and read. I always think there must be another David McClain out there doing this stuff.

LK:  I know what you mean!  David, you consider yourself a Storyteller, as it states in your introduction. What do you think is the biggest difference between a “writer” and a “storyteller”?

DM: This is just my opinion, but to me a writer is someone who is in love with their words. They want to create a word masterpiece that will be admired like the Mona Lisa hanging in the Louvre. Now don't get me wrong, that's not a bad thing....it just isn't me. As a storyteller, I am not so much in love with the words as I am concerned with connecting with the reader. When I write a short story or a novel I tell the tale as if I were telling it to a friend sitting on my front porch, sharing a cold drink on a hot day.

I know you have seen writers out there, some very famous, who use three paragraphs to describe a tree to the readers. Wordy. They use a ton of words to describe the tree. Sometimes this detracts from the story they are trying to tell. As a storyteller, I want you to SEE the tree but not get too caught up in admiring the tree and forget the world of the story I am trying to draw you into. A storyteller wants you, the reader, to be able to slip comfortably into their make believe world and become immersed in the story.

LK:  Excellent point. There is a line between showing and showing too much. And as I've read your stories, I know they have a very comfortable feel, as though you're reading it to me. Now, what shall we drink?  ;-)

From reading your blog, I know you use bits and pieces of your own life to create stories, such as your growing up years, your current job, and your military background. Do you ever pause and wonder if you’re revealing too much? Do you find it hard at times to write so personally?

DM: Someone once said that writing a book was easy, all you had to do was sit at a typewriter and open a vein. I believe that, and part of “opening a vein” is to pour a large portion of yourself into some of your characters. I have never wondered if I was revealing too much but only that I was being honest with the feelings. For that reason, in some of my stories I have drawn from my own feelings and experiences to flesh out a bad guy in the story. I have always believed that every person has both good and evil within them and both can be used to create characters.

LK:  I'm sure that's true, although some of us would have a hard time admitting our villains come from within! If we're honest, where else would they truly come from? I love the "open a vein" line.


Your stories and style remind me quite a bit of Frank Delaney’s Ireland where a storyteller is traveling around the country sharing passed-along stories of Ireland. Both books include touches of humor along with some kind of explanation or moral or come-uppance at the end of each story. It’s a rare style among today’s books. Why do you think that is?

DM:  Well first of all I have not read Mr. Delaney's work but it sounds good. I was affected at an early age by the works of a man who in my opinion was the greatest storyteller of all time: O'Henry. I have the complete works of O'Henry on my shelves today and from time to time I will pick up one of the books and read some of his great short stories again. From "The Ransom of Red Chief" to "The Gift of the Magi," all his stories had some sort of moral or twist at the end which would mete out cosmic justice to those who needed it.

Why do we not see more of it in this day and age? Maybe it is because in today's society nobody is to blame for anything. People are no longer interested in taking responsibility for anything they do so they really aren't interested in seeing a character pay for whatever they did wrong in a story.

LK:  Good point. So do you have a favorite story in “Keepers of the Word”?

DM:  Oh Loraine, that's a tough one. Do you have a favorite child....one you love more than the others? That is the way I feel about my short stories. But, if you insist on making me make a choice....it's a tie. There are two stories that are my favorites of that collection.

1. Mulligan--- As you know, Mulligan is a golf term meaning a “Do-over.” If a golfer hits a bad shot and lands in the rough, he can take a “Mulligan” and take the shot over. In this story all the stars align just right and one dark, snowy night, a man actually gets the opportunity to use a “Mulligan” to make things right in his life.

2. The Last Battle of Arwin Hawken--- This story showcases the fact that a man is never too old to stand up for Justice and take a stand for Honor and the woman he loves.

LK:  What genre(s) of books do you normally read and why did you choose to include a variety of genres within this collection?

DM:  This one is simple. I chose a variety of genres because I READ a variety of genres. I guess it also helps that I never know what genre one of my stories will fit into until I finish it. The story always has a life of its own and I am sometimes surprised at how one turns out.

LK:  Just for fun, if you could choose three songs to take with you to a year-long writing retreat and be limited to only those songs, what would they be and why?

DM:  Dang girl, that is another tough one...just three? Well okay, I will give it a try.

1. Music of the Night---From the musical Phantom of the Opera. You sure I can't take this whole CD? This music always helps to sooth my mind and allows the words to flow.

2. The Breaking of the Fellowship---Instrumental done by a Celtic group and from the movie Lord of the Rings.

3. And finally, Like Two Sparrows in a Hurricane by Tanya Tucker. I love bthis song because it reminds me of my wife and how much I love her.

LK:  Oh! Music of the Night is one of my all-time faves, also! Very inspirational!  I love all your choices, actually.  :-)

I have to ask this one: What is your favorite part of writing?

DM: I call it “The Birthing,” that magic moment when the first seed of the story starts to take root in my head. It grows and grows until I am literally forced to sit down at the computer and transfer the words from my head to the screen. I never know, when I start writing a story, how that story will end. Heck, many times a character will die in the story and I am shocked. I had not intended them to die....the story had its own path....I am just there to put it down in words.

LK:  Great description of it!  That is an incredible feeling. Of course we want to know what you’re working on now. How’s it coming?

DM:  I am currently putting the finishing touches on a novel: The Time of the Troubles, that I first wrote back in 1992. After it was finished, I promptly put it in a box under my bed and forgot the thing. I have about four more chapters to edit and then I have to add two or three chapters at the end because I just didn't like the way the original ended. When I wrote this novel I set it in the early 21^st century and it deals with an Islamic terrorist attack upon America which ends up causing a breakdown in law and order in the country. Looking back now, this premise seems almost prophetic. I plan on publishing that work within the next four or five months.

As soon as I have that project ready to go, I am going to start a sequel to it. I had not planned on doing a sequel, but after I let my oldest son read the novel, he insisted it was needed.

I am also working on a second book of short stories. I plan on using a number of new stories and a group of stories that I didn't have room for in the first book.

LK: Prophetic indeed. Strange when that happens, isn't it? I look forward to its publication and hope it has a good ending. ;-) 

One more quick question: if you could choose one book title to describe your life (title, not contents) what would it be?

DM: Dreams Come True, If You Live Long Enough!

LK:  David, thanks again for taking the time to talk with us. Is there anything you would like to add?

DM:  I would just like to say “Thank You” again for this opportunity to talk about what I love...writing. I would also like to say to all of your readers: If you are a writer, I don't care what kind of writer you are, or what you like to write, please never lose sight of the prize. No matter how hard it is, no matter what kind of roadblocks you have to overcome, all the effort, all the work is worth it in the end. The first time you hold a book in your hands with YOUR name on it you will know a rush, and a high that nothing else in the world can give you. Whatever money you make is just icing on the cake.

Stay true to that little voice in your head that whispers the story to you and keep pounding those keys...it is well worth it in the end.

Thank you.
--

Setting: The Watery Breath of a Story

 

"Water is the driving force of all nature."
Leonardo da Vinci

 

As water is the underlying basis for everything that lives, so setting is to every story that breathes.

 

Everything has to happen somewhere.

 

How do authors choose where their stories will happen? ~shrug~ I can't speak for others, as we all have our different reasons for sticking our characters wherever we stick them. Generally, it's love: the love of history or love of a certain place we visited or love of the unknown. With me, it tends to be a mix of all three.

 

By now, I've lived in six states and two countries and have traveled* a lot in between. [side note below] I've also taken an incredible cultural psychology class that further emphasized how we are affected by where we live. In the words of Anais Nin, "We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are." Setting is not only a place; it's character. It's part of who our characters are and novelists who ignore that are missing a huge chance to fill in the depths of the story.

 

Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love, was born of the sea.
from pureinsideout.com

 

In my first-to-publish novel, Finishing Touches, Jenna is a small town Midwest girl raised nearly on the banks of the Illinois River. The river and trees surrounding it play a large part of her story, the trees being symbolic of her inner strength and deep roots and the river of her unbound soul that flows along where life takes her. There's also the little bridge mentioned that she crosses over, pausing to look down into the shallow creek. A bridge is a metaphor for crossing a boundary, for change, or for pulling the two different parts of her life together. In addition to the structural "place" of the story, being from the Midwest helps make Jenna who she is. As each country has its unique qualities that help define its people, so do different sections of countries. As a small town girl raised in the Midwest myself, I fully understand Jenna and have a special love for the people who tend to be very earthy and natural, and rather conservative in actions and speech. Although the story is not autobiographical, other than the searching issue, the setting is. My first novel has the most involved setting; it's the most interwoven with the main character.

 

When I first started writing the Rehearsal series in notes and scattered scenes and character development, I was still in that small Illinois town, but my thoughts were always wandering elsewhere. I wanted to go out and see new things, explore new places. I couldn't do it often at that time, but my characters did. As a result, they are more worldly than Jenna, all transplanted from the beginning of the story which makes the setting less woven into their characters. Two are from Pennsylvania, three from New Hampshire, one from the UK. The story is set in Massachusetts, roughly thirty miles from Boston. However, it takes them out of their adopted town often, into other places, a metaphor for my own wanderlust.

Each of us "belongs" in a certain place. It may not be where we were raised. There may be some other place that calls out to us and helps us feel more settled once we're there. For me, that place was temporarily the Northeast and permanently the Mid-Atlantic. We lived in Massachusetts for some time and I adored the area, was sad to have to leave. At the same time, when we passed through Pennsylvania to go back to visit family in Illinois, it called to me, as it had during family vacations when I was young. And so, my two main characters from Rehearsal, Evan and Susie, had to be from Pennsylvania. I set them in the eastern part of the state so it would work better with the story, but put Evan's alma mater on the western edge. When putting him there, I never in the world expected to end up living so close to it.

 

My New Hampshire characters are supporting cast. I wanted them transplanted instead of being Massachusetts locals in order to give them that extra edge. Their personalities aren't MA personalities. It wouldn't have worked. I have yet to visit New Hampshire, so if anyone from the state wants to comment on whether they fit, I'd love to hear it! Of course, you'd have to read the book to find out. ;-)

 

"It is a curious sensation: the sort of pain that goes mercifully beyond our powers of feeling. When your heart is broken, your boats are burned: nothing matters any more. It is the end of happiness and the beginning of peace."
George Bernard Shaw

 

My next-to-come book, Off The Moon (fall 2009), has two main settings: New York City and Bennington, Vermont. The main character is heavily in the music industry and so it worked well to have him in the midst of one of the music centers of the nation. His family is in Vermont, which worked in different ways: it's a short enough drive from NYC so he's able to run back and forth easily, it's another place I've yet to visit (love of the unknown), and it has a wonderful lake setting that's important to the story since he adores boats and owns a pontoon he uses to escape his busy city life. With any luck, I'll be visiting the area before putting the final touches on the book. However, he grew up a military brat, so for him, place is very fluid and the lack of deep roots shows through his personality and his actions.

 

If you haven't figured it out yet, water plays a big role in all of my stories. I'm drawn to lakes, rivers, oceans, and even small trickling streams. I love to swim. I love to watch and photograph waterfalls. I love to be on boats of any kind. I think it's unlikely I'll write a book without this feature, as it's too embedded into who I am.

 

"My books are like water; those of the great geniuses are wine.
(Fortunately) everybody drinks water."
Mark Twain

 

I'm currently in process of adding photos of some of the settings in my books to albums on my website. So far, I have the Finishing Touches album done and most of those photos were taken by family members. More setting albums will come soon.

 

***  This entry is part of Classic Romance Revival's Blog Carnival. Go to CRR to find more authors writing on the subject of setting!   www.ClassicRomanceRevival.com/blog ***

“The Truth is you are a part and parcel of the great being. You are one of the cells of the Great Being, you can call it. And once a drop falls into a ocean, it becomes an ocean. And once you become the ocean, you see the whole world in a different way, and understand the whole world as a beautiful place of enjoyment.”

Carl Gustav Jung

[side note: For those who have read the Rehearsal books, yes, I spell traveled as "travelled" in the series intentionally. There are two reasons for this: back when I was in grade school studying spelling lessons, many of the consonants were still doubled as they tend to be in British English, including travelled. I well remember when that started to change and balked at the idea. I don't always do change well. And I like the way the world looks better with two "L"s instead of one. As this series started to come to life way back during my school days in the 70s, I left it "travelled" as it was still spelled then. Also, much of the series is set in the 70s and so it's appropriate to use the spelling of the time. There's also the third main character who is from the UK and so would also spell it in that manner. Other than in the series, I sigh and conform and drop the extra letter.]

 

-

 

Free Stories!

FREE READ TO EVERY SUBSCRIBER!

Classic Romance Revival is celebrating spring fever with a whole bunch of free reads!  For your  short story, simply subscribe to our blog during the month of May, and we'll email your free read to you.  No questions, no time-consuming entries, no waiting....

Just click on the link below, look in the right hand sidebar for "Subscribe2" link and you're done!

http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog/

See you on the blog!

If you'd like more information on the group and what we have to offer, email us at:
admin@classicromancerevival.com

The Revival has just begun!

----------
As a member and moderator of CRR, I have a couple of stories included in this. After you subscribe to the blog, if you email info@lkhunsaker.com and tell me the title of the story you received, I'll add to it by sending the beginning of my current WIP so you can see what I have in the works. [note: it is rated 18+ so I'll substitute if you prefer]

All CRR romances are non-erotic with different heat levels. You can find the ratings on our blog in the "About Us" section.
-

Joyous Easter Blessings

It has been a nice week around here, full of sunshine and baseball and red-budding trees. The daffodils are wide open and flaunting their bright yellow. The tulips and lilacs and forsythias are showing hints of the colors to come.

 

I think that has to be much of why I love spring as I do. Of course, it also signifies winter's end and the hope of warm shirt-sleeve weather. But the colors of spring are amazing and filter joy into my soul.

 

This week has also been a time of more interaction with young people: the boys on the field, the children buzzing around the bleachers, children again on their bicycles and on shank's mare (a Scottish term for on foot). On top of that, I received a lovely letter from an eighth grader wanting to know more about what it's like to be an author. It was flattering and joy-inspiring. Touching the minds of young people is an honor. It should always be respected as such.

 

Speaking of, my children are waiting on me to finish Easter dinner and go watch a fun movie with them -- our Easter tradition. Afterwards, we'll work it off romping with the dogs.

 

I leave you today with a link to a free story I wrote some time ago, Jacob's Cross. "Alicia goes fishing in the dark of night to wrestle with her grief and to try to understand the nature of loss and sacrifice." It's religion centered but also has general life connotations. If you check it out, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

Wishing you a beautiful, spirit-filled, peaceful Easter and a beautiful spring full of joyous events, large and small.

New is in the Air

How do you like my updated blog look?

I think I've been looking for changes everywhere because I finally looked at my blog and couldn't stand the way it seemed dreary and messy. So, I jumped in and redecorated. If only we could do that with other parts of our life as easily.

I have painting I want to do in the house.

I have organization/clearing out projects calling to me.

And mainly, I'm thinking about which online projects I can cut.

It must be spring's sliding in that's making me want to clean house, so to speak.

I've really had a very nice writing week. I've averaged about 5,000 words a day since Sunday. I've planted flower bulbs. I've enjoyed the chickadees and gold finches and cardinals and blue jays fluttering around my office window giving me quick nature breaks between scenes. And a friend and writing instructor helped me realize the problem with a YA novel I started 2-3 years ago that has been sitting waiting on me to decide what I don't like about it.

I was invited to be part of a new group blog specifically for mainstream romance writers and have posted my first entry over there: http://lindsaysromantics.blogspot.com

I'm also in the midst of a new group project that has me excited. Details will come later on this. And there's the possibility of a new writing position that could become a good thing.

With my new blog design, I'm ready to again tackle a new website design.

I have a new blog, as well -- a photo blog of my area and its neighbors: http://mercercountypa.blogspot.com

New is in the air, indeed. Maybe I'll go add new short stories to Smashwords.com since my other two shorts are getting an incredible amount of views. I wonder if they still will if I charge a small amount for them.

Speaking of short stories, it's funny: another writer recommended a publisher looking for romantic shorts and I thought I'd jump all over that since it's a paying market. My problem? None of my short stories are romances. I have a short story series started that is romantic but not technically a romance, and I don't think a story series is what they want.

I suppose I find it odd that all of my novels and novel ideas are romances of some kind (except the YA) and yet none of the shorts are. Maybe I'll attempt one.

** The above photo is Shenango Lake in Western Pennsylvania
©LK Hunsaker March 2009

A small matter of quality

"I think all of us like to do things to the best of our ability and it has nothing to do with the competition factor, it has to do with quality."
Jerry Bruckheimer

 

I think too many of us have forgotten the definition of quality, or we've stopped caring.

In the quest for more and more and faster and faster, we've lost this important attribute. We all know we have. We all complain about the lack of quality in items we purchase. We fuss if our 'fast food' meals takes more than 15 seconds to receive and then fuss when the quality isn't there. How much quality should we expect to get in food prepared in 15 seconds?

As much as I would like to believe Jerry Bruckheimer's quote, I have a hard time doing so. I believe most of us just want more and faster, and cheaper. The cheaper things are, the more things we can buy. Never mind if they fall apart quickly or are less than truly satisfying; we have more of it.

*sigh*

I see it in my own profession, as well. I've read excerpt after excerpt of new books coming out. I browse bookstores and read the first two paragraphs from new authors, or at least new to me. It becomes rather disparaging as I continually find weak openings, incomplete sentences not used purposely or for effect, repetition to the point where I want to scream, "Enough already! I get that's she's busty and he's well built! Okay!"

I see a flux of adverbs used instead of strong verbs. I see sentence structures and paragraphs that fourth graders could write (no offense to fourth graders).

I've read the first 25 pages of a book where nearly nothing happens and what does happen is cliche and ... repetitive.

I see authors bragging about having four or more books published in a year and I have to wonder how they have time to rewrite and edit and rewrite again when they're producing so quickly.  And ... when do they find time to study the craft in between selling it? I see them say they don't have time to read. Then, how are they learning and improving?

Maybe I don't have room to talk about producing since my most recent book was supposed to be out last fall and still isn't, and since I have only two books out since 2003. One of them is 3-4 times as long as most of the 4-book-a-year novels and I have been working other jobs in between, so I'm sure those are both factors in the difference. I'm sure some writers see my producing stats and roll their eyes. Still, much of the time in between, I've been continuing to study the craft: reading, reviewing, perusing how-to articles and books, and going back to rewrite and edit several times.

I do believe it should be about the quality, not the competition. How many matters less to me than actual content. I prefer a nice sit down dinner even if I have to do it less often than numerous 15 second meals.

Although I've been trying to stretch into the many contemporary writers, I find myself falling back into my beloved classics when quality still mattered. They tend to take longer to read, but oh, how much more I get out of them!

"You can't fake quality any more than you can fake a good meal."
William S. Burroughs

Who Are You?

"Attaining inner simplicity is learning to live happily in the present moment. Keep in mind that life is a continuous succession of present moments."
Elaine St. James

As I watch the views for my blog grow, I find myself wondering who is reading my words. This entry isn't about me or my thoughts or my work. It's about you. We all have stories. Share a piece of yours, if you will.

I used to get a newspaper that had short clips of life moments featured for local readers. I loved that more than anything else in the paper. They contained the most truth. I would love to do a version of it here. Write one or two sentences that reflects something about who you are. Many of us are parents, grandparents, writers, managers, laborers, etc. but that doesn't give us a clue about "who" is behind the roles we play.

Who are you?

Post anonymously if you prefer (please keep it PG rated), but give me some idea about the inner soul of those reading these words. I am fascinated by people. You never know if something I read will wind up in a story in some way.