Blog Hop On the Writing Process

Thanks so much to Jeri Walker-Bicket for inviting me to this Blog Hop on the Writing Process. She writes fantastic blog posts on all things writing, and has been a great source of inspiration for me as a blogger. Jeri Walker-Bickett (@JeriWB) writes short stories, creative nonfiction, and psychological suspense.The rough mining town she grew up in—with its mix of bars, churches, and whorehouses—populates her literary landscape. Food, travel, and photography also inspire her creativity.She lives in Idaho with her wonderful husband and their demanding pets. You can connect with her at JeriWB.com where she pursues good writing in all its forms. Please explore her titles via Amazon. She also works as a freelance editor.Blog: JeriWB Author & Editor http://jeriwb.com/  Amazon Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/Jeri-Walker-Bickett/e/B006UHV4CA

Now it's my turn:

1) What am I working on?

I am currently working on the final edit of my novel Under the Bed. It's set in 1969 NYC.  Two women, a generation apart, each burdened by guilt regarding the death of a sibling, find their own lives in danger during the Vietnam era, when the older woman’s brush with McCarthyism emerges during their collaboration on her autobiography.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Under the Bed  is different in that it deals with two distinct time periods as well as a two different voices. It's not that this hasn't been done before, but I think it manages to blend the two era's successfully by bringing the political issues of the day into a personal context.

3) Why do I write what I do?

I love to read about countries I've not visited, and/or time periods that I'm unfamiliar with. Although I knew some of the repercussions the anti-communist fervor of the Vietnam and McCarthy eras had for people, I was not fully aware of the true impact. As I said above, I think a novel really comes alive when you make the issues you want to talk about personal. No-one wants a history lesson. I touched on this in my post about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie writing about the Biafran war in  Half of the Yellow Sun.  I would love to accomplish what she did in that book, and while my novel is very different from hers,  I look to her for inspiration.

4) How does your writing process work?

I like to settle on a place first, and then a time period. Characters and plot come next, the latter based to some extent on my research. This was particularly true in my first novel, Radio Echo,  set in Italy during the 1940's. I had no knowledge of what life was like for Jews in Italy during that period when I started the project, and the story evolved based on true facts, though the novel is very much a work of fiction.

I find  characters in a novel talk to me as the writing progresses. This was particularly true in Under the Bed.  I had a rough draft for a plot, but the novel is character driven, so I had to wait for the characters to get to know each other before I could see their dynamic, and ultimately their story.

I like to have word count goals for writing a first draft, and to get it down as quickly as possible. The shitty first draft    is an exciting part of the process as at that point anything and everything is possible. Once I have the first draft down, the editing can begin which in truth is the real work. All writing is rewriting, and fortunately I enjoy the editing process as well as the initial buzz of the first draft. If you don't enjoy the process, then why bother? Life's too short, and novels are way too long to not love what you're doing.

My Blog Hoppers

I'm very happy to introduce you to 3 other blog hoppers, so hop on over to their sites and see what they are up to. Each one will be telling you next week on Monday March 17th,  about their writing practise.

Doreen Pendgracs

Doreen's intent is to educate, entertain and inspire writers and anyone interested in creative and cultural endeavours.If you're a chocolate lover and love to travel, you will enjoy Doreen's chocolate travel blog at http://diversionswithdoreen.com/. If you’re interested in her latest book, Chocolatour: A Quest for the World's Best Chocolate, visit  http://chocolatour.net/ for updates about the book, and chocolate tours, tastings and events. In addition to non-fiction books, Doreen also writes magazine, newspaper, and online articles and blog posts about travel, lifestyle, chocolate, volunteerism, and other topics for various publications. You can read some of her published articles on the “Samples” page of her static website at http://www.wizardofwords.net.

Doreen's previous title, Before You Say Yes ... A Guide to the Pleasures & Pitfalls of Volunteer Boards was released by Dundurn Press in 2010 and has been renowned as the “volunteer’s bible” as it was written to serve as the ultimate guide for anyone sitting on a board of directors in the non-profit sector. In addition to books and periodical assignments, Doreen has also done writing/editing projects for various corporate clients, and conducted writing and public speaking workshops for numerous writing and community groups. As a Distinguished Toastmaster, Doreen's speaking abilities have dazzled audiences on Celebrity Cruise Lines and in other forums.

Doreen loves making contact with readers and fellow writers and hopes you will enjoy perusing her wide variety of posts.

 Patricia Weber

As Your Personal Energy Source, Patricia Weber supports and inspires introverts and baby boomers who want more energy and vitality to live life at full throttle.She is an internationally recognized expert on radio and in print as a Business Coach for Introverts. Coachville graduate, a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Certification and two-time award winner of Peninsula Women's Networker of the Year (only the second member in its 30 years to receive this award twice.)Featured in numerous publications such as Entrepreneur, Training, etc. she knows what it takes to be successful and happy being authentic to a baby boomer introvert style. She is having a blast bringing her many passions into living.If you are fed up with the often uncomfortable extrovert rules, if you are tired of being tired, be ready to be inspired. Follow her blog at http://www.patricia-weber.co  Featured in numerous publications such as Entrepreneur, Training, etc. her current book, Communication Toolkit for Introverts: Essential Skills for Everyday Business Success. is in it’s final editing with Impackt Publishing.  If you are fed up with the often uncomfortable extrovert rules, if you are tired of being tired, be ready to be inspired. Follow her blog at http://www.patricia-weber.com

Larry Crane

Transplanted to Maine mid-westerner Larry Crane brings an Illinois sensibility to his writing. Larry graduated from West Point, served nearly seven years in the Army as an Infantryman in Germany and Vietnam. He commuted to Wall Street for nearly 20 years. His writing includes articles for outdoor magazines, plays, short and long fiction. His most recent thriller novel, A Bridge to Treachery, and Baghdad on the Wabash and Other Plays and Stories, a collection of short plays and stories, are listed for sale on Amazon. In his spare time, Crane is president and hobbyist videographer for his local Public Access Television Station and is a volunteer at his local historical society. Larry and wife Jan live on the coast of Maine.Larry's Links : Twitter     Webpage       Facebook      Goodreads      Google+      YouTube Trailer 

 If you're a writer, what is your process like? If a reader, what kinds of novels do you like?

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Author in Focus: How to #Write #War like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

English: Chimamanda Adichie

Chimamanda NgoziAdichieAuthor in Focus ChimamandaNgoziAdichie  (born 15 September 1977) is a writer from Nigeria. She has been called "the most prominent" of a "procession of critically acclaimed young anglophone authors is succeeding in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature".Her first novel, Purple Hibiscus (2003), was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction (2004) and awarded the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book (2005).ChimamandaNgozi Adichie's second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, named after the flag of the short-lived nation of Biafra, is set before and during the Biafran War. It was awarded the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction. Half of a Yellow Sun has been adapted into a film  and is set for release in 2014.Her third book, The Thing Around Your Neck (2009), is a collection of short stories. (Wikipedia)

How does ChimamandaNgoziAdichie Succeed in Writing about War?

Half of a Yellow Sun

Half of a Yellow Sun is set both before and during the Biafran War. Those of us of a certain age, may remember ‘Biafran babies’ being one of the first poster children for starvation. A nation of starving children when Biafra attempts to become an independent republic in South East Nigeria in the 1960'sIn a nutshell, the reason Adichie’s work is so powerful is because she makes us care about her characters, and in doing do she personalizes the experience of the war. The extended family involved is an ordinary family with their own familial ups and downs, and the core nuclear family, is middle class, like many people who would read the novel. They had leftist views, but many of us do. So when their life takes a turn for the worse , we can relate to having our lives gradually stripped away. We can imagine what we might do in the same situation.

“Power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person.”~Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The other reason is that clearly she did her research. The reasons behind the conflict, and how it plays out are shown in meticulous detail without bashing us over the head with a history lesson. Again, because she shows us through the characters. So we learn about what happened and why it happened. But it’s done in such a way, we don’t realize we are learning. We keep reading because we want to know what will happen next, will things get better or worse. Who will survive and who will not?

Why Write about War?

War is difficult to write about. How do you show the horrors  of war without the violence being gratuitous? Why write about it at all? Don’t we have enough coverage with our 24/7 news coverage these days?  There have been some excellent war reporters who have shown us front lines, shelled cities, and injured people, with truth and heartfelt coverage that is as unbiased as reporting can be. But a novel takes us further. It takes us into the hearts of the characters, and what it was like to actually live day to day in a wartime setting. I believe it’s important to keep writing about wars, both past and present, not to grind the same old saw, but so we can review events with a fresh perspective, and so ultimately we will never forget.

“There are some things that are so unforgivable that they make other things easily forgivable.”Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Half of a Yellow Sun

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Cambridge April 2013, photo: Chris Boland

What are your favorite novels set during a war? Have you ever considered writing a short story or novel set during a war? If not, why not?

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Author in Focus: Ernest Hemingway and the Iceberg Effect

Author in Focus: Ernest Hemingway and the Iceberg Effect 

Hemingway Bio:

Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economical and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. WikipediaBorn: July 21, 1899, Oak Park, ILDied: July 2, 1961, Ketchum, IDMovies: For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, MoreSpouse: Mary Welsh Hemingway (m. 1946–1961), MoreChildren: Jack Hemingway, Gregory Hemingway, Patrick Hemingway

Why Hemingway?

Ernest Hemingway, was many things to many people and widely criticized for his machismo.  But for this purpose, let's focus on his style of prose known by a term coined by Hemingway himself: The Iceberg Effect.

The Iceberg Effect 

If a writer of prose knows enough of what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them. The dignity of movement of an ice-berg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water. A writer who omits things because he does not know them only makes hollow places in his writing. ~ Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway's prose bears out this philosophy which is in essence saying less is more. As a writer, I find nothing more liberating in my work than to edit out text, reducing it to what I consider to be the essential words.But this is very subjective and to reduce prose in the extreme way that Hemingway did, is difficult.It’s particularly difficult when you are dealing with events in the past, pertinent to the narrative. But the reader is there for a good story, not a history lesson.

“Hills Like White Elephants"

One of his most famous short stories is “Hills Like White Elephants". The couple in the story is drawn in such sparse prose, it leaves much to the reader's interpretation. The man is never given a name, and though it appears the couple are simply killing time while waiting for a train, they are in fact alluding to whether or not the girl should have an abortion and whether they will split up. All if this is done in basic exchanges of dialogue, and straightforward snatches of information. Here is an excerpt:‘They’re lovely hills,’ she said. ‘They don’t really look like white elephants. I just meant the colouring of their skin through the trees.’ ‘Should we have another drink?’ ‘All right.’ The warm wind blew the bead curtain against the table. ‘The beer’s nice and cool,’ the man said. ‘It’s lovely,’ the girl said. ‘It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig,’ the man said. ‘It’s not really an operation at all.’ The girl looked at the ground the table legs rested on. ‘I know you wouldn’t mind it, Jig. It’s really not anything. It’s just to let the air in.’ The girl did not say anything. The whole of the story is full of metaphor and innuendo, leaving the final interpretation up to the reader to make assumptions about the couples’ dynamic and what they are actually talking about.

Why The Iceberg Effect?

Supposedly Hemingway and others of his era, chose this style of writing as a backlash to the elaborate style of some 19th century writers e.g. Henry James.What is your response to this minimalist style of writing? Do you know any 21^st Century writers who write like this?

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Author in Focus is a blog series featuring vignettes on some of the greatest writers of the 20th & 21st century.

“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say."  ~ Italo Calvino

6 Resources for Writing Inspiration

 Waiting for Inspiration?

Do you ever feel you lack inspiration? Or are you someone who starts the New Year with amazing goals and manages to keep the creative juices flowing all year round? Most of us belong to the first category. Writing, whether it's fiction, non-fiction, a poem  a blog, or even a journal entry, requires a certain amount of inspiration to even get us started. And there we immediately hit the nail on the head: Get started!!! 

The First Shitty Draft

If every journey begins with a first step, so every piece of writing begins with one word. One word becomes a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph - you get the picture. The first shitty draft is important for all writers. Get the bare bones of the blog, article, essay or story down. It's particularly important for novelists who are working on a long haul proposition. But, whatever you're writing, it's important to get that first shitty draft written, otherwise you'll get bogged down in a bunch of second guessing, plot angst and a passel of procrastination.

 6 Resources For Inspiration

Okay, so you're finally in front of the computer after your third cup of coffee, and the dog has been walked till it's poor little legs have all but fallen off. And still your mind is a blank.First step - don't worry!!!  Inspiration is all around you, you just need to keep an open mind and be proactive. Here are 6 resources to use, when you're searching for inspiration.

1. Newspapers

Yes they're all full of bad news, and you might wonder how an article on yet another economic downturn be inspiring. Keep an open mind for a moment.  An economic downturn means unemployment, which means peoples lives change , and they struggle to find work, which can lead to domestic problems, and an argument that might mean the end of a marriage that was failing anyway, or one partner says to hell and has an affair... you see where I'm going with this. The heart of any fiction is conflict. That one article has provided a whole barrel of conflict.I find it's the small stories that peak my interest in newspapers. "91 year grandmother dies while boarding a bus." Horrible headline, but makes me wonder what happened to the women in her life span, and how did she manage to live long enough and remain fit enough to catch a bus at 91 years old.My favorite headline of all time was in a local borough paper in London, the Hackney Gazette. The headline was "Lucky Victim Stabbed 7 Times".  I mean really - you couldn't make that stuff up.But if you think this is all a load of baloney, then think 'In Cold Blood'  by Truman Capote. Not only a bestseller but a successful film. Real events give the inspiration for an amazing amount of imagination - or serious discussion.

 2. Photographs

  My personal favorite are old photographs, and the stories behind the people in them. With Flickr, Pinterest, Instagram and endless other internet resources, the availability of still images to ponder over and speculate about and travel to a different physical location in your minds eye, is endless.  

3. Books

Before we learned to become writers, the chances are we were all readers. And why not learn from the best. I  covered this issue in more detail in the post Authors An Infinite Resource, but when I'm struggling over how to write a particular scene or indeed what to write, I always find inspiration in reading a good book. It doesn't have to be anything to do with what I'm writing, but a good writer is always inspiring.If you're a blogger then read another blogger's work that you admire.    

4. Family Affairs

So you think your life isn't interesting enough to write about? Don't be so sure. You know what happened so there's no suspense for you, but your readers may be more interested in things you consider mundane than you think. It can be hard for us to write about personal experiences that have been traumatic, but that's an individual choice. The issue you had to deal with might be  something other readers can relate to. The beauty of using your own experiences for inspiration, means you can slack off for the most part on the research. But the most important part of using your own life as a resource, is you have the power to change your own past. Fictionalize it - and I'm not simply talking about changing names, change what happened.   

6. Music

 As we all know, music plays to one of our strongest of the senses -pun intended. You can hear the first few bars of a song and be immediately transported to a different period in your life, or have an emotion grab you by surprise. I like to feature music in my novels, as many other authors do. Murakami is one who comes to mind, featuring jazz quite prominently in many of his books (He owned a jazz club in Japan, which he gave up to become a writer.)Music does not have to be an actual feature in your work, but listening to music, and different kinds of music, will affect what you write as you are writing.

 How to Maintain Your Inspiration

This is the easy part - write. Then write some more. It's really as simple as it sounds. If you stop, your creative juices will dry up, and trying to get inspired will be that much harder. I'm a  big believer in little and often when it comes to writing. That will mean  different things for different people. Some writers have a very rigid everyday writing regime. I don't always write every day, but I'm often sorry when I haven't. If you like routines, then find one for your writing, even if it's only ten minutes a day. Even for the most time-challenged person, ten minutes a day is an achievable goal. But if you're like me and prefer to be more freeform, go with that, but be sure not to lose sight of what you're trying to achieve.What do you do when you are lacking inspiration? Do you have tricks you play with yourself to keep yourself inspired? Come join the discussion, and please share this post on your favorite social media. Many Thanks!

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Is the Beginning of a Novel more important than the Ending?

The beginning of a novel is crucial. Without  a good beginning, you won’t have a reader. But if the ending is unsatisfactory, it's unlikely your reader will recommend your novel or read any more of your work. So which is more important?What links the two is the beginning and end of a circle. Yes - I know there is no beginning and end to a circle , and that of course is the whole point. Hold that thought OK?

A Journey

On a personal level I’ve recently been experiencing both endings and beginnings: I’ve left the UK, my country of birth, to return to Northern California, my adopted home where I spent more than 20 years of my adult life. It’s been a long journey, hence my absence from all things social media. Apologies for the gap in my blog, but it really has been a long 6,000 mile trip. I’d undertaken the same process, in reverse, ten years ago, so I thought I knew what to expect. And in some ways, similar to the way in which we develop the plot of a novel, I did. But like all good stories, there were unexpected, but necessary twists and turns. And like writing a novel, it took longer than I'd like.We have our furniture unpacked, but not arranged. Most of my paintings seem to have made it in one piece, though are sitting facing a wall waiting for me to hang them. Again, like writing, it’s been a lesson in patience. Rush it and you end up with a really shitty first draft.This blog is where life and writing collide. Endings and beginnings are significant stages in both. I was sad to say goodbye to my friends and family in the UK, but thrilled to be back in the USA  and see old friends in California. New beginnings are always exciting - the promise of new experiences, new people to meet, new characters to write and plot arcs to develop.

Endings

Aside from friends and family, I will miss living so close to the sea, watching the quirky English weather.And  of course I shall miss the English countryside. From twee to wild, almost always green.

England, green England, by A.K.Andrew

Beginnings

But  sights I welcome back with open arms: Northern California is an area of incredible natural beauty: the Pacific ocean at the Golden Gate spanned by the eponymous bridge, acres of vineyards, olive groves and stunning state parks, and centuries old redwoods as tall as the eye can see. Yes, things really are bigger in America!

Coming Full Circle

Let's go back to my original comment on the beginning and ending of a novel, and the continuous circle they can present. Life and literature really are all about the journey, and that journey continues ad infinitum. The real challenge is to create a piece of work where the beginning and ending are so closely linked they form a circle. Every writer strives to achieve a scenario where the reader carries the characters with them, wondering what happens after the last page has been turned, and if appropriate, looks forward to the sequel. Beginnings are fun and the first essential step, but the real challenge is the ability to follow through and satisfy your readers once they've reached the end.What do you think is the most important part of a novel? As a writer, do you struggle with the beginning more than the ending? As a reader, how does it color your impression of the book as a whole if it has an unsatisfactory ending?Come join the discussion, and please share this post on your favorite social media. 

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5 Books made into Films - Which Version is a Modern Classic?

A book or film created in the 20th or 21st Century is considered a Modern Classic if it has a quality likely to have enduring significance or popularity. When a book is made into a film, which version is the modern classic or can it be both?The novel I'm currently working on, Under The Bed, is set in New York City in the late 60's. I'm very interested in how location effects the narrative, so I've chosen five modern classics where location is key.

Midnight Cowboy

Midnight Cowboy by James Leo Herlihy , is a novel set in New York made famous by the cult film of the same name. The novel and film, both set in the 1960's, show the plight of Texas greenhorn Joe Buck (John Voight), who comes to New York to find his fortune as a hustler. he finds that he is the one getting 'hustled', until he meets Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), a streetwise polio-crippled third rate con-man who initially cheats him. They team up and the unlikely pair progress from partners in shady business to comrades. Each has found his first real friend.One of the most memorable scenes from the movie is Dustin Hoffman walking across the road slamming his hand on the hood of a yellow New York cab yelling " I'm walking here! I'm walking here!”. The scene of the crowded streets, yellow taxi cabs at 58th and 6th, is quintessential New York City of the era it portrays. The book was a great read, but it's the film that's the modern classic.

The Shining

  The Shining is a psychological drama by Stephen King, who apparently became inspired during a stay at the Stanley Hotel in Ested Park Colorado. The story centers around a man and his wife who are left with their son to caretake an large isolated hotel during the winter season. The location is central to the narrative, and indeed the suspense of the novel would not exist without the isolation, which is only increased when the family are completely cut off after the heavy snows come. What follows is a slow downward spiral of suspense, which turns into a roller coaster of terror, interspersed with metaphors, repeated symbols and lots of blood . The hotel is literal awash with blood at certain intervals.Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film of the Shining is a classic in the horror movie genre. Jack Nicholson plays the deranged alcoholic, and Shelley Duvall , his wife. Through Jack Torrance , the failed writer, we see the heady days of the Overlook Hotel's past, and his son too is privy to hallucinations. The film was, in part , filmed near Mt. Hood in Oregon, though other scenes were shot in a purpose built set in Britain which was the largest set to be produced at the time. I first saw the film three years ago, and though I'm not a fan of horror, thought it was great. Then I read the book, which managed to maintain some of the suspense, but it was no match for Kubrick's masterpiece.There are some interesting social interpretations of the movie and it's metaphors on the film's Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(film)

Vertigo

 Vertigo is the Alfred Hitchick movie based on the 1954 novel “D'entre les morts” by Boileau-Narcejac. The novel was specifically written for Alfred Hitchcock. For me, the film's location of San Francisco was absolutely key to the film, though the original novel was set in Paris. San Francisco was an excellent choice to place a policeman who suffers from vertigo as the hills are exceptionally steep. I'm not wild about heights myself and the one time I've felt frozen by it, was when I was working as a house painter in San Francisco and I was up a ladder in Twin Peaks, one of the highest neighbourhoods of the city. Although I was only one flight up , when I looked down the hillside, the effect was as if I was hundreds of feet in the air. I was alone, and froze for about 5 minutes,feeling dizzy and sweaty. I finally crawled down the ladder.In the film, Scottie (James Stewart) investigates the strange activities of an old friend's much-younger wife, who he fears is going insane. During his investigation, Scottie becomes dangerously obsessed with his friend's wife.Vertigo is filled with as many plot twists as there are hairpin bends on Lombard street, and Hitchcock never lets up on the suspense right up until the final scene of the film. ( FYI, the book has a completely different ending.) For San Francisco lovers, it's a rare treat to have so much of the film shot on location and there are walking tours to the various spots in the film such as Mission Dolores, Palace of the Legion of Honor, Fort Point etc. In 2009, the hotel that one of the main characters stays in toward the end of the movie, changed it's name to Hotel Vertigo. I've not read the novel, but the movie is so iconic, I cannot imagine it comparing.

Brokeback Mountain

 Brokeback Mountain is a fantastic film/ fiction combination. Set in Wyoming, the film is based on a short story by Annie Proulx, one of my favorite authors. I'm still blown away that the movie comes from a short story of a scant 27 pages, but her prose is both rich and spare. All of Annie Proulx's works pack a hell of a punch in a short space of time. Brokeback Mountain originally appeared in the New Yorker in 1997, and is included in Annie Proulx's Close Range: Wyoming Stories, published in 1999. The location is made stunning by the cinematography in the film,(actually filmed in Alberta's Rocky mountains), and indeed Brokeback Mountain itself becomes synonymous with the relationship between the two men - literally the heart of the novel.As the subject deals with the experience of modern day gay 'cowboys', (Ennis and Jack were actually herding sheep on Brokeback Mountain), the location could have been a number of states, but set in the early 60's through to the 80's, Wyoming works well. ( The choice of location is poignant after the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay American student at the University of Wyoming who was tortured and murdered near Laramie, Wyoming in October 1998. In October 2009, the United States Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (Matthew Shepard Act for short), and on October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law.)I re-read the story again after watching the film, and still cried when Ennis (Heath ledger) takes out the denim shirt of Jack’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) that had been kept in secret for almost 20yrs. For me, I loved both the book and the film in different ways. I felt the book gave more character insight, particular inner dialogue of Ennis, that I'd missed in the film. I'd have to say they are both Modern Classics.

To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird is such an excellent novel on so many levels. It's one of the best books written in first person I've read, handled so expertly, you don't even notice. Scout is a fantastic character and it's amazing Harper Lee could convey such adult themes through the voice of a ten year old girl. But then I could not think about Atticus Finch as anyone but Gregory Peck when I last read the novel.Written in 1960, it's set in depression-era Alabama, and again the location is integral to the work. Atticus Finch is a lawyer in the racially divided small town who agrees to defend a young black man who is accused of raping a white woman. Despite its themes, To Kill a Mockingbird has been subject to campaigns for removal from public classrooms, often challenged for its use of racial epithets. It's excellence as a modern classic in both print and film, is well deserved.So which do you think is the modern classic - the film or the book? Do you prefer to read the book first or vice versa? What are your favorite book/film combinations? Come join the discussion, and please share this post on your favorite social media.

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7 Blogging Essentials for the Beautiful Blog Award

Yeah! I’ve  recently been awarded two blog awards! Today I'm celebrating the Beautiful Blogger Award by talking about Blogging Basics. Thanks SO much to Bridget Whelan  for nominating me. Bridget's creative writing class (my first), was a real catalyst for my writing career. She currently teaches Creative Writing Classes in Brighton and London. A Good Confession, her first novel, is a cracking good read and check out  her website http://bridgetwhelan.com/ Muse, News and Views - it's packed with writing tips exercises, updates on  competitions, all peppered with a good dose of Irish anecdote and humor. The Beautiful Blogger Award allows you to write either 7 things about yourself or 7 things you know. Bridget wrote about 7 books that influenced her.  http://bridgetwhelan.com/2012/11/20/beautiful-blogger-thats-me-seven-things-you-didnt-know-you-wanted-to-know/I've decided to write 7 blogging basics I've learned of the past year. A big thanks to everyone from the Bloggers Helping Bloggers Group on LinkedIn who have been so supportive, particularly Sherryl Perry who manages the blog sharing section.

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7 Blogging Basics for the Beautiful Blogger Award

1. Quality Content.  Content is King. Kick-ass content. You’ve heard them both a million times. Whatever your style of writing, you need to grab the readers attention in the first couple of sentences. Once you have it, whatever your style, be creative rather than formulaic. Add some heart, and make it personal. Your readers want to now a little bit about who you are and what makes you tick. Most of all they need a reason to return. Rich content will  bring your readers back to your blog time and again, whatever the subject. Make every word count. Check out Leora Wenger's resource filled post on creativity.2. Relevance. Your blog is a reflection of who you are, your brand, company or platform. Keep your content relevant for your readers.  If someone’s coming to your blog for writing tips, they don’t want to read how to change a spark plug unless it’s part of a yarn. Some bloggers have a variety of blogs under one heading. But they need to be relevant. e.g. Jeri Walker-Bickett has a great blog mix: Indie Interviews, book reviews and writing tips. They're distinctly different posts, but all relevant to her subject matter. Treat your taste buds at Susan Cooper's blog - different subjects with a common thread. If you’re all over the map, people won’t have a clue who you are or what you’re about.3. Reply to Comments. Always reply to comments. If a reader's taken the time to read your blog and make a comment,  reply to that person. Its simply good manners.4. Write, then write again. Do you always feel inspired? No, neither do I.  Freewriting is the best way to limber up your writing muscles, whatever the purpose. Pick up a pencil or a keyboard and write non-stop for 5-10 minutes without thinking. Your subconscious will take over. At the very least you’ll end up knowing what subject you want to write about.Unless you sit down and write, nothing will ever come up on that screen.5. Look Under the Hood.  Learn about SEO, keywords and plug-ins. Unless you have a webmaster, you need at least a basic understanding of tools that help your blog to run smoothly and increase it's ranking. I've learned so much from Leora , Sherryl and Patricia in this area over the past year. There’s lots of resources out there. Learn from the best. A great website design is an important way to catch people's eye, so make sure it's the image you want to project. Will it make up for not having quality content? You know the answer to that one.6. Choose your Social Media. Using social media is essential to get your work out there, but keep it simple. Choose one or two. Unless you do nothing in life but market your blog and sleep a few hours a night,  you’ll be spread yourself too thin, and your efforts will be ineffective.7. Share the Wealth, Share the Love. The internet is all about sharing information right? So think collaboration not competition. Think Guest Posts. Bloggers need support from other bloggers as well as readers. Make connections. Share information and goodwill with your online friends and you’ll find it comes back tenfold. Mention them in your posts (be sure to give back links), reciprocate comments, share their posts on social media sites. Thanks to  Sherryl Perry I use CommentLuv for my comments which gives a link to the commentors last post. That gives them exposure on my site, and I can click on their blog to reciprocate the comment. Win-win.

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Now it's my turn to nominate the next Beautiful Bloggers. Hop on over to check out these great sites and congratulate the new nominees.Jenny Hansen  Writer of memoir and women's fiction and contributor to Writers In The StormDoreen Pendgracs Doreen's two blogs are a delicious blend of chocolate, writing and travel.Rolando Garcia Writer of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, romance and horror.Patricia Weber  A Courage coach for the reluctant marketer. For introverts and extroverts alike.Adrienne Smith  Internet, affiliate and network marketer, and resource for blogging and social media.Tasha Turner Social Media coach and writer of Jewish Vampires!Billy Rat Chitwood Blogger and Novelist.

 What would you add to a list of basics for blogging? Come join the discussion, and please share this post on your favorite social media.

Many Thanks!

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Does Every Picture Tell a Story?

Pictures are a very emotive media, in whatever form, and everyone responds to them differently. Children love story books with pictures. It's often our first way of learning, but do pictures always tell a story?Look at this photograph for example. What does it suggest to you? What emotions does it evoke?

Who sprayed the graffiti? What's the story behind the image? Is the person throwing a the molotov cocktail or just a beer bottle? Who came later and painted the red? (It was added a week after the original image had been sprayed.)

Does the mural below evoke the same emotions as the graffiti of  the bottle thrower?

They're both wall paintings, but entirely different in content and execution.The effect they have will reflect that difference, no matter what you think of them as individual images.

I was a painter before I was a writer so I respond to images very well. Leora Wenger makes an interesting comparison between the two in her recent post What Artists and Writers Share in Common. But irregardless of our artistic or scientific inclinations, we all have some response or other to visual imagery guided by our personalities and life experience. A drawing of a favorite cartoon character might fill you with nostalgia, or it could simply make you laugh.You might think everyone would smile at golden sunsets right? Wrong. It could evoke a sad memory or be perceived as too schmaltzy - a fuzzy Hallmark moment.

Artists of all types use images to get inspired and marketers use them to sell products. But they're not always what they appear. Take a look at this image below. A jellyfish?

It's actually an intricate antique glass model of a Portuguese Man-of-War (Physalia arethusa)  The 'float' is about 55mm wide by 90mm long. Total height: 240mm. There are about two hundred tentacles made of thin coloured glass, supported and attached by fine copper wires. So things are not always as they seem.

Whatever reason you’re writing, the chances are you want to evoke a particular emotion in your readers, whether it’s appreciation of  a new product,  to create empathy for the issue you're sharing, or stirring a call to action behind a social or political problem. Maybe you’re writing a love story, or trying to create a dystopia in which there’s a shortage food or oil. Perhaps the landscape has been changed by time or natural disaster. Looking at the imagery in a particular photograph, drawing or painting, can trigger an emotion we want to pass on to our readers, and helps us choose the right words to convey what we want to say.

If you’re a blogger  or producing a catalog, you can break up a long section of text or literally illustrate what you’re talking about. Susan Cooper does this beautifully in her blog Findingourwaynow.com. Either way, give the reader a break. Give people an alternative way to look at the subject. Communication can often be more effective when more than one media is a play at the same time. I've explored this a little in my Musemedium posts.Whatever your reason for using images, my question still stands. Does every picture tell a story?  Generally speaking I think people  like stories. No matter if bedtime stories are happy, scary or sad, they play an important part in our early lives. Many cultures use story-telling to pass down traditions and myths from one generation to another. In modern media that same tradition is being repeated, only in a different way. Now, for the most part, we look to moving images to spell things out for us.Over to you. What do you think? Does every picture tell a story? Is the need to tell a story inherent in our makeup,  as well as a source of inspiration? Or is a picture sometimes just a picture? Come join the discussion. Please leave your comments or share on your favorite social media.

Many Thanks!

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7 Secrets of One Lovely Blogger

I have the wonderful Jeri Walker-Bickett to thank for  receiving the One Lovely Blogger Award. If you haven’t already checked out her blog, please do so. JeriWB:What Do I Know?. It’s a fabulous combination of all things reading and writing, from interviews , book reviews and writing tips.Some bloggers complain about these awards, but  I enjoy them -  it’s a way for people to share a little about themselves and as a blog reader I like to know who I’m reading.So here are the rules:1.Thank the person who gave you the honor - Mille Grazie Jeri!!2. Add the Lovely Blogger Award image to the post - Voila!

 3. Share seven things about yourself - OK I've called them secrets...4. Pass the award onto seven nominees.5. Include this set of rules.6. Inform your nominees maybe by posting a comment on their blogs.So here we go:-

7  Secrets of One Lovely Blogger

#1. I don’t write Every Day

This is a real confession, though it’s a habit I am trying to change. Writing even a few words is better than doing nothing at all. Particularly when I’m working on a novel, I find if I do as little as editing one line, then it keeps me in touch with the project, the characters and the plot.

#2. Age doesn’t bring Wisdom.

I’m turning 60 this year!!! How did that happen? In my mind I’m 28. Then I look in the mirror. So wisdom? No. If you’re lucky, age brings a lovely set of mistakes to learn from - that is if you’ve not become too stubborn or think you have nothing left to learn. Age also brings wrinkles and aches and pains, but usually means you don't draw the attention of unwelcome single men when you’re traveling. When I was in my 20’s,  I was hitchhiking in France with a girlfriend. On our way out of a small town, the car that picked us up had fake fur on the dashboard - our first clue that we shouldn't have taken the ride. A few miles  later, the driver started groping us both while he was driving! Then he pulled over in the middle of nowhere  and stopped the car. I immediately snatched the keys out of the ignition, which I’d seen someone do in a film. We’d stupidly put our back-packs in the trunk, but he was so floored by my action, he opened the trunk so we could grab our stuff, then after much cursing and gesticulating, he drove off. Phew. All very scary at the time, but I laugh about it now.

#3. Shakespeare Eludes Me

If I’m honest Shakespeare still eludes me. As a writer, how embarrassing is that? I studied him in school of course, and saw several of his plays, but none of it grabbed me. Perhaps if I did a course now, I would appreciate his work more. That said, when I saw a modern interpretation of Macbeth a couple of years ago I really enjoyed it.#4. I’m a BoxerOr you could say I’m a bag lady. I love to put things in boxes, bags, tins... I’ve been told it’s my desire to organize or compartmentalize, but I think it’s just a fetish.

#5.  Tap dancer Extraordinaire

In my mid twenties I was in the Hackney Hot Taps, a tap troupe taught by the lovely Trudy Howson, who I had the pleasure of running into recently after 30+ years! We wore either dresses from the 40’s - you could still buy them from Charity shops then - or top hats and tails. I usually preferred the latter. I absolutely loved the whole thing. So much fun to dance with a group of people, learn the choreography etc. And performing really was a great buzz. If it wasn’t for my auto-immune condition which affects my joints, I would tap now. My sister joined a class recently and she’s 67!

#6. Pilates Rules

I started a pilates class last year and I’m totally hooked. It’s very much a beginner class, for people with back problems. But it’s so relaxing and has improved my flexibility no end. Of course like all exercise, it’s use it or lose it. But at least it’s something I can easily do at home.

#7. Be Who You Are

I only have one breast, so watch out Boudica - you’re not the only Amazon. I had a mastectomy in 2005, but I was SO lucky - no spread, no chemo or radiotherapy. And I’m still cancer free. I used to hate wearing tight clothes as I looked so lopsided, but now it doesn’t bother me. Be who you are, even if it isn’t always easy.Now it's my turn for nominations, and I've spread the love by nominating those who I haven't done before for an award. Hop on over to check out these great sites and congratulate the new nominees.Khara House  Poet and creative writerAdele Symonds  Book Reviews and more.Phyllis Zimbler  Author of CIA Fall Guy: A Spy Thriller  amongst others.Krystyna Lagowski Great blog for all you car lovers.Larry Crane  Author of A Bridge to Treachery. Blogs about writing, pop culture, military service, and life in Maine.Jennie Orbell. Author of Starfish and other contemporary fiction.Amy Riley Brighton Writer Come join the discussion. Please leave your comments or share on your favorite social media.

Many Thanks!

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Reading Fever

I'm thrilled to welcome writer Jeri-Walker-Bickett to Writer's Notebook today - my first guest blogger! Jeri has a fantastic a blog JeriWB: What Do I know? which is a wonderful combination of author interviews, writing tips and book reviews. You can read my post, The Blind Assassin: A Lesson in Thinking Beyond the Expected,  on her blog today. 

Reading Fever by Jeri Walker-Bickett

Can you recall the last time reading fever struck? The symptoms and level of severity vary widely, but it’s probably safe to say the predominant sign of this disease entails its victim being possessed by a seemingly unexplainable desire to read. At its worst, this plague can cause the afflicted to lose sleep, lose track of time, and even lose their sense of self.I came down with reading fever at a young age. My first foray into literature’s powerful grip caused me to imagine myself a horse. I vacillated back and forth between assuming the identity of the Black Stallion and Black Beauty as naturally one changes a pair of shoes. By high school, I succumbed to the throes of Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat. Countless nights rendered me afraid to fall asleep out of fear the fanged-creature lingered just outside the window.My last, and beyond a doubt, most severe case of reading fever struck back in November 2008. The first Twilight movie would soon be coming out, following the novel’s 2005 release. This was a reality I could not escape because at the time my days involved teaching English to high school freshmen. Practically every girl suffered from some degree of vampire-mania thanks to Stephanie Meyer’s wildly popular teen vampire series.I don’t tend to read much young adult literature, but something in me wanted to know what awaited the reader who dipped into Meyer’s thick books and their beautifully understated covers. How could entire groups of teenage girls forgo gossip to keep their noses buried in those books? Then later, those same girls would argue the merits of siding with Team Edward or Team Jacob, and whether or not it was better to lust after a vampire or a werewolf. One day, a few minutes of class time remained, and a student asked if I would show the YouTube movie trailer for the upcoming movie.Always eager to promote a love of literature, I acquiesced and queued the video. The boys belly-ached a bit, but watched in fascination as the female contingent of the class scrambled to pull blinds shut and gather around the screen. At first, squeals erupted, but the more domineering girls quickly shushed the others. At the end of the short clip, I witnessed the lot of them swoon. Then someone asked, “Can you play it again?”httpv://youtu.be/S2T7d8j6I5II vowed to get my hands on that book.As a former vampire-junkie, I felt compelled to pick up a paperback copy of the book from the local Fred Meyer store. The book’s story of a clumsy teenage girl who falls in love with a statuesque vampire cast its spell on me. For the first time since reading Cormac McCarthy’s The Road I simply let myself be carried away by the power of the story. A sappy love story, but one that nonetheless harkened back to the days I too fell madly in love with a boy.After the weekend, I returned to school for the two and a half days that remained before Thanksgiving break. With the rush before the long weekend, I only had time to offer students a teaser by pointing to the map of America where I had placed a sticker on Forks, Washington. Practically every student could guess that I had read Twilight over the weekend based on the literary locale.What to do? Five glorious days away from teaching awaited. I had to get my hands on the rest of the books in the series. On my way home, I stopped at the nearest Wal-Mart. No luck. The shelves were bare. I ventured back to the Fred Meyer, but the second book was out of stock. I drove further down the road to descend upon the tiny Walden Books. Inside, I tried to act nonchalant as I competed with a teenage girl to peruse the shelves. My hesitance meant she beat me to the last boxed set. By that point, it was getting dark and tiny flakes of snow filled the sky. I hot-rodded my Mustang further down the road to another Wal-Mart, only to once again find shelves sans vampire books. Famished, I called my husband to let him know I was going to try one more store before finally coming home for dinner.At the third and final Wal-Mart located within reasonable driving distance, victory was mine! I piled the three massive tomes into my hand basket: New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn. In the book aisle, a woman stopped me to tell me how much she loved the books. Then cashier gushed about how she couldn’t wait to see the movie, and before I got out the store’s automatic doors, another mother and daughter sitting on a bench stopped me to tell me what a treat I was in for.Was it a treat? In hindsight, my critical side can say no. The books contain serious flaws. But at the time, I spent nearly five days straight perched on my sofa barely stopping to eat or bathe as I inhaled over 2,000 pages and succumbed to a reading-induced fever.When I closed the cover of the last book, the fervor lingered. Only later would I revel in reading feminist criticism directed toward the books. For a short moment in time, I simply became a silly girl who fell in love with an impossible boy. And that was more than enough.Sadly, I will probably never again experience such a full-blown reading fever as now practically any book can be downloaded to my Kindle within seconds. There is a lot to be said for how really coveting a book can make the reading of it all the better.In what ways have you suffered reading fever? Please share your story by leaving a comment.Jeri Walker-Bickett was born and raised in Wallace, Idaho, a rough and tumble mining town with a checkered past. The storytelling urge struck at a young age, but an undergraduate degree in writing led to a graduate degree in English education. Between living the scholarship-laden life of an academic bum, she did seasonal work in national parks. Jeri met the love of her life in Yellowstone and later married him in Las Vegas. This phase in their lives sparked an obsession with food and travel. They currently live in North Carolina with their pets. She recently published a collection of literary short stories titled Such is Life. Her forthcoming novel, Lost Girl Road, is a ghost story that takes place in the woods of northwest Montana.You can connect with Jeri’s social networks via her blog, JeriWB: What do I know? She also invites you to browse the selections on her Amazon Author Central page.  

#Toni Morrison on Hope in #Beloved: #Muse media

This Musemedia post concerns a Toni Morrison quote from Beloved  regarding hope. The video is an interview excerpt of Toni Morrison talking about the process of writing Beloved and the language she used.  Musemedia helps us look for our muse by  mixing media.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP6umkgMRq4

"Making them think the next sunrise would be worth it; that another stroke of time would do it at last." - Toni Morrison, Beloved

Toni Morrison's Beloved is my favorite novel of the 20th Century. It's subject matter  is so powerful and so painful that her prose hardly dares to speak it. She uses her unique poetic style to skirt, to dangle emotions so close we can touch them, and yet she refrains from spelling things out. As she notes in the recording above, a climactic event in the novel is almost buried in the rest of the text. The prose has an unsurpassed richness that cries out  for more than one reading. In this particular quote she references hope, but with a fatalistic edge; a reluctance to believe it will be worth the effort.

Hope is what keeps us going in life. It gets us out of bed in the morning, to see another sunrise. And it's what helps us through times of difficulty.

Where does your hope come from? Is it from wanting to see an aspect of physical beauty in the world, such as an amazing sunrise? Does it center around people? Or does it come from broader issues for us as a society? 

Come join the discussion, and please share this post on your favorite social media.

Many Thanks!

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3 Memorable Reads of 2012

Happy New Year Everyone!

Over the past year, I've read more than thirty five books, but as you've doubtless read a plethora of  year end book lists, I'll keep mine simple.  Here are three of my Memorable Reads of 2012

 The Long Song   

by  Andrea Levy

                                                             

It was hard to know if Levy could match 'Small Island', winner of the 2004  Orange Award,  but The Long Song  is an incredible tour de force  and was short listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2010.Here is an excerpt from the beginning: You do not know me yet. My son Thomas, who is publishing this book, tells me, it is customary at this place in a novel to give the reader a little taste of the story that is held within these pages. As your storyteller, I am to convey that this tale is set in Jamaica during the last turbulent years of slavery and the early years of freedom that followed.I was relieved to know right from the beginning that July, the main character, survives. The novel centers around July's own story on a Jamaican sugar cane plantation, as a house slave. She is there during the Baptist war of 1831 and she is still there when slavery is eventually declared illegal. So her journey through slavery's last turbulent years, as well as the upheaval that followed, as you can imagine, is fraught with difficulties.But Levy's rich prose is the heart of the book, and shows how much she's grown as a writer. While she manages to covey the horrors of slavery, she uses particularly awful occurrences sparingly, concentrating more on the characters and their relationships. We see the division of the house slaves and the plantation workers, as well as the derision in which the owners themselves are held by July and her fellow house slaves. They take what freedoms they can within their limited abilities. In showing this, Andrea Levy gives her readers a picture that  muddies the waters of  the preconception that slaves are all good, owners are all bad. They are individuals, and Levy's beautiful prose carries us through the story with such a range of emotion, including joy and humor, that we feel left with a balanced account of a truly terrible part of British Colonial history, despite the fact July is in truth an unreliable narrator.

Revolutionary Road  

by  Richard Yates

I saw the film of Revolutionary Road before I read the book, and as usual I preferred the book. Not only is the characterization more developed, but the events and sentiment that lead up to the ending are a little different.The novel encapsulates the hope of the 1950's in a young couple, Frank and April Wheeler, who move from Manhattan, with two young children, to a starter home in the suburbs. Suburban bliss is not something either expected, and very quickly it's not what either want; particularly April, who is artistic, and feels her husband has the potential to be anything he wants. The fact that Frank is unsure of what that is does not deter April. But claustophobia and boredom soon set in and the certainty of what they thought their life was going to be, starts to fall apart.Here's an excerpt : Intelligent, thinking people could take things like this in their stride, just as they took the larger absurdities of deadly dull jobs in the city and deadly dull homes in the suburbs. Economic circumstance might force you live in this environment, but the important thing was to keep from being contaminated. The important thing,always, was to remember who you were.Richard Yates style is very much of the era - straight forward, no flowery prose needed to convey the basics of the situation. But in being forthright, he subtly displays with compassion and no mistake, that  April and Frank have sacrificed their own potential in being seduced by the promise of the American Dream of the 1950's.

 Snake Ropes 

by  Jess Richards

Jess Richards Snake Ropes was short listed for the 2012 Costa First Novel Award and is also on the long list for the Green Carnation Prize.  Here is a short extract:

"No-one here goes to the main land, and no-one wants to. Our boats aren't strong enough, we dun know the way, them can't understand us, we're fine as we are. We have so many reasons; them stretch as wide as the distance to cross to take us there."

Snake Ropes takes place on an island that is "just off the edge of the map". The people who  live there trade with the Tall Men who come from the mainland in their boats and exchange supplies. After such a visit, Mary's young brother goes missing and she needs  to find him. The fact that it ostensibly starts as a relatively "simple tale of simple folk", and  then turns out to be anything but, makes the reveal of its brutal events have a particularly strong impact.

It's an exceptional novel, both in its stylistic uniqueness, but also in managing to successfully combine narrative and myth - real or imagined - while at the same time dealing with intense issues. I was impressed how the author managed to subtly, but consistently, maintain the tension throughout. It intensifies in the second half  of the novel which also gives the reader  lots of fantastic plot twists towards the end. Truly a stunning debut novel.

What were your memorable reads over the past year?

Do  share your comments below and if you've enjoyed this post, please share it on your favorite social media.

Many Thanks!

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#Muse Media: The Past and #John Steinbeck

 Muse Media

Muse Media looks for our muse by mixing prose with other media, in this case by looking at the past with John Steinbeck.  The Woody Guthrie video 'Talking Dust Bowl Blues' is quintessential Guthrie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOpsGkC5-tE&list=AL94UKMTqg-9CJ1YQ5c7kHpvFbX-8QATJw&index=5

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“How can we live without our lives? How will we know it's us without our past?”

 John Steinbeck from "Grapes of Wrath"

Woody Guthrie's song gives us an idea of one family's hard times during the same era of Grapes of Wrath. I like the line at the end which speaks of how his wife had made some potato stew so thin you could read a magazine through it. "If it a been a little thinner some of those politicians could have seen through it." John Steinbeck's seminal work brings up a number of social issues.  This particular quotes asks the question of us as individuals.

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In what way does the past affect your present life? 

How do you include events from the past in your work, or do you deliberately avoid them?

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John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. (February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and East of Eden (1952) and the novella Of Mice and Men (1937). As the author of twenty-seven books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books and five collections of short stories, Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.

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#Muse Media: Change and #Junot Diaz

 Muse Media

#Muse Media is a series of  simple posts, looking for our muse by mixing prose with other media.  If this was in the form of a Haiku with an image, it might be called a Haiga. For the moment  let's enjoy the prose of some wonderful authors.

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“She would be a new person, she vowed. They said no matter how far a mule travels it can never come back a horse, but she would show them all.” Junot Díaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

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I love this gutsy quote. The "in your face " style epitomizes Diaz work.

Change is often hard. How is the woman in the quote going to succeed? 

In what ways do you manage change?

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Junot Díaz (born December 31, 1968) is a Dominican-American writer, creative writing professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and fiction editor at Boston Review. Central to Díaz's work is the immigrant experience. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, in 2008. He is a 2012 MacArthur Fellow.

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Muse Media: Books and David Mitchell

 #Muse Media:Books and David Mitchell

#Muse Media is a series of  short posts, looking for our muse by mixing prose with other media.  If this was in the form of a Haiku with an image, it might be called a Haiga. For the moment  let's enjoy the prose of some wonderful authors.

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“Books don't offer real escape, but they can stop a mind scratching itself raw.” David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

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Lots of people read books to escape, and depending on the novel it can be more and less successful. But the authors prose is what will determine how engrossed or not you become.

Why do you read books?

What do you read?

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David Stephen Mitchell (born 12 January 1969) is an English novelist. He has written five novels, two of which, number9dream (2001) and Cloud Atlas (2004), were shortlisted for the Booker Prize. He has lived in Italy, Japan and Ireland. Cloud Atlas has been recently adapted as a film. See the video below.

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Muse Media: Time and Louise Erdrich

 #Muse Media

#Muse Media is a series of short posts, looking for our muse by mixing prose with other media.  If this was in the form of a Haiku with an image, it might be called a Haiga. For the moment  let's enjoy the prose of some wonderful authors.

 

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"Time is the water in which we live, and we breath it like fish"

                                                                   Louise Erdrich  from "Four  Souls"

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Karen Louise Erdrich, known as Louise Erdrich, (Little Falls, Minnesota June 7, 1954) is an American author of novels, poetry, and children's books featuring Native American heritage.Erdrich is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant writers of the second wave of what critic Kenneth Lincoln has called the Native American Renaissance. In April 2009, her novel The Plague of Doves was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. In November 2012, she received the National Book Award for Fiction for her novel The Round House

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The quote exemplifies the incredibly rich prose of Louise Erdrich. I have to wonder whether she labors for hours to come up with such a phrase, or if her muse guides her into a flow of  beautiful language. This quote is what prompted me to start this series.

Despite it's quantifiable nature, the notion of time often feels very subjective.

In what ways are you effected by time in your life?

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Developing a #Plot without Flat Lining

Developing the plot for a novel should be like replicating a heart monitor. You want to see ups and downs on the screen, but you don’t want to see it flat lining. There’s nothing more likely to bore the pants off your readers than creating a story without any variation. Think of it in terms of real life’s ups and downs, except in fiction things need to be larger than life, however small they might be.Huh?Your story doesn’t need to be an action packed thrill ride; even small events can be brought to life by great prose.I came across this news item, that frankly made me laugh, but I could see its potential in relation to the ups and downs of a plot. (FYI for US readers, crisp packet  = potato chip bag. In England they ‘re usually in a single serving size, not a US jumbo pack.)‘Hedgehog Trapped in Crisp Packet in Weston-Super-Mare’“A baby hedgehog which found itself stuck in a crisp packet has been released after a three-and-a-half hour rescue involving six people.The animal became trapped after it crawled into the empty wrapper in a railed off area near steps in Weston-super-Mare.A shopkeeper heard rustling and saw the hedgehog - now named Crispian - stick his nose out.Workers had to cut through the railings and help rescuers reach the hedgehog.”http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-20151566What struck me was that they cut through railings to rescue it, and six people had been involved! Clearly this tiny animal had created an event, which produced substantial effort on the rescuers part. It went from being a simple rustle in the wind to a conflict that needed resolution.If you were writing this scene how might you develop it?The conflict begins when the shopkeeper hears the rustling, which poses a question i.e. what to do? Imagine the thoughts of the shopkeeper (inner dialogue) or perhaps she discusses it with a passerby (spoken dialogue), and they both go and look at the hedgehog. (Action) As a reader, I’d want to have some description of the railings, the railed off area and the hedgehog poking his nose out. Where do the steps lead? Was this the scene of a kidnapping a couple of years earlier, or had there been a fire, and the house subsequently torn down?The middle of the scene then develops after the authorities are contacted. (Action) No doubt there are now two or three people waiting and watching until help arrives. Don’t forget there are six people involved in this incident! What was their interchange? (Dialogue or reported speech) Were there concerns about their ability to get through the railings? (Tension) Did they encounter any snags, like the saw blade breaking? (Building suspense) Would the hedgehog survive, even if they managed to cut through the railing? (More tension)The climax of the scene is the hedgehog being rescued. (More description, dialogue/ reported speech) Is the animal going to live or does it stop moving? Is this the complete end of the story, or do two of the people find a connection and become involved in each other’s lives? Perhaps this is where a murderer first meets his next victim?On its own, this is obviously a very simple scene. It could be made engaging in a myriad of ways from comedy to fable, the beginnings of a thriller to rich descriptive prose. Regardless of stylistic approach, there’s dramatic action, however small, which sends a character in a new direction. In this prickly tale (!), the shopkeeper was going about her business until she was on a mission to save a helpless little creature. To be successful, it needs to have ups and downs. The pitfalls encountered are dependent on the writer’s interpretation.Simple story does not mean boring plot. Complicated plot does not mean interesting story. Getting the right balance is something an author needs to look at for each scene. And not all scenes have the same cadence or intensity. Some might give you some respite after one with high tension. Or perhaps towards the end of the novel, you might ratchet things up by piling on one crisis after another.Balancing the tempo of each scene is a good start. Putting them together is like cooking a favorite dish: you combine the ingredients to suit your particular taste. But one shake too many of the saltcellar and the whole dish is ruined.How does the plot progress in the novel you are reading or writing? Is it a slow build, or does it pack a punch from the beginning. Which to you prefer? Run, Crispin, run!.......................

PEN - Do You Have the Freedom to Write?

English PEN is the founding centre of PEN International. This association of writers, campaigns for the promotion of free speech and literature around the world. It's slogan is "The freedom to write, the freedom to read." In the recent newsletter, the following caught my eye.Burmese poets perform in unique UK tourThis month English PEN supports the promotion of Bones Will Crow, the first anthology of contemporary Burmese poets published in the West. Edited and translated by ko ko thett and James Byrne. Published by Arc Publications.Bones Will Crow features the work of Burmese poets who have been in exile and in prison. The poems include global references from a culture in which foreign books and the Internet are regarded with suspicion and where censorship is an industry. The poets have been ingenious in their use of metaphor to escape surveillance and censorship, writing post-modern, avant-garde, performance and online poetries.I'm glad I don't have to rely on my brilliant use of metaphor to evade censorship! All joking aside, the fact is, many of us reading this blog take for granted the freedom we have in terms of what we write. Can you imagine what life would be like if you were afraid your writing posed a threat to your safety?  I don't always remember to value the freedom of being able to write whatever I want.Do You Have The Freedom To Write?That said, within the freedoms of western society, there are pitfalls. On a much lesser scale than fears of imprisonment or torture, individuals do not always feel free to express themselves. Homophobia, sexism, racial and religious intolerance all plays a part in people feeling threatened, unable to be who they are.Political oppression works on the same principles as bullying -  intimidation, fear, punishment and isolation. Bullying on on a grand scale you like.  But at a simpler level, bullying in the playground, while in a completely different league from national oppression,  is a horrible phenomenon, often with awful consequences. Most children don’t want to be seen as ‘other’. To avoid being associated with someone who is being picked on, some kids lower their tolerance levels and cave in to peer pressure. Which only increases the number of bullies, and makes the problem worse. This issue has been well highlighted in the TV musical comedy drama series  ‘Glee’.Being constantly pushed around  by a playground bully is a long way from being put in a Burmese prison. But it can have a devastating effect on the life of an individual. Victims of bullying often feel too scared to speak out, let alone put down their concerns in print.The Burmese poets whose work is in ‘Bones Will Crow', did what they could to avoid censorship.  I wonder if I'd have their courage to write, if I found myself living in a society actively preventing freedom of speech. Would I write about my oppression? Or would I want to write a simple story that might be an escape from the harshness of the situation.The issues in this post are separate, but related. What would you write if you found yourself living in an oppressive society? How important is it that people continue to write, no matter what? Do you know of any children who’ve been bullied and the effect it had on them? How well have they been able to write about what’s important to them? Connect with me on: -Twitter: @artyyahPinterest: http://pinterest.com/artyyah/Like my Facebook page : http://facebook.com/akandrewwriterFor regular updates of my blog: Subscribe Here  Related Information:http://www.englishpen.org/http://www.pen-international.org/http://www.englishpen.org/about-free-speech/PEN has published a free PEN Atlas e-book for PEN members and friends to enjoy! The e-book features ten literary dispatches from around the world, taken from their online series. Contributing authors include Yan Lianke, Diego Marani, Samar Yazbek & Dubravka Ugresic. You can download your free copy here.http://www.englishpen.org/poems-for-pussy-riot-ebook/ On October 10th one of the members of Pussy Riot had their sentence suspended. Leading up to the court case, PEN organized  Catechism: Poems for Pussy Riot, an ebook international anthology. Click the link to download. 

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The Next Big Thing week 15: Interview with an Author

The Next Big Thing is an author's Work In Progress project  from SheWrites. When I read Jeri Walker-Bickett’s  blog last week,  I immediately thought what fantastic questions for any author to ask themselves. So I was thrilled that afternoon, when Jeri emailed, and invited me to participate. A Big Thank You to Jeri.What is the working title of your book?‘Under The Bed’. It comes from the phrase ‘Red’s Under the Bed’, used in 1950’s America.Where did the idea come from for the book?I was set to write the sequel to my first book Radio Echo, catching up with the characters a few years after the end of WWII, but I decided to spread my wings as a writer, switched countries and found a completely different voice. The 50’s anti-Communist era in America struck a chord with me as part of the backdrop. In doing my research and seeing how widespread the effect of McCarthyism was, I didn’t want to focus on the more publicized Hollywood Blacklist, so decided to move cross country and settle my characters in New York.  What genre does your book fall under?Literary fiction. Specifically mid-Century historical literary fiction. Set in both the early 50's and late 60's, makes it a tricky time frame, as some camps argue historical fiction has to be 50 years in the past. Other’s say it can be considered historical fiction if the time period - and its depiction - is at the core of the story. I think if the work involves major political or social events of the time and the character’s role in those events are interlinked, it’s historical.Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?I'll let the two main characters in the novel comment on this.Midge: “I know Izzie said I was a pissy mess the other week, but I'm trying darling, I really am. Putting on a few pounds wasn't a crime the last time I looked, but pudgy is such an ugly word. And these Chanel suits don’t buy themselves. I was a very successful business woman before the shit hit the fan. Life Magazine was always doing some article on Boswell Designs. Seems a lifetime ago now... like someone else’s life.... Er,... where was I?  Oh yes... The actress would  have to play a younger me as well wouldn't she?  To do both roles justice,  I think Sharon Stone  would be marvelous. She’s got the same coloring too, don’t you think?”Izzie: “Do you think I give a shit who plays me in the film? How hard can it be to write some crap poetry, and take a few lousy photo’s in the East Village?  [Takes a hit on a joint]. OK, fine. So I do care. I bet that skinny-assed  Girl With a Dragon Tattoo actress would could make a stab at being me. Yeah, Rooney Mara. She’d be good.”What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?Two women, a generation apart, each burdened by guilt regarding the death of a sibling, find their own lives in danger during the Vietnam era, when the older woman’s brush with McCarthyism emerges during their collaboration on her autobiography.   Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?I will definitely look for an agent to represent me.How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? 11 months. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?I obviously wouldn't dream of comparing myself to these authors, but I have certainly been inspired by them. These came to mind, each for different aspects of their content.Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. This is one of my favorite novels and spans the narrators lifetime, who is in her 80's as she is writing.The novel pays particular attention to the pre & post WWII years, but goes far beyond that in  encapsulating a number of different story lines as well as time lines.Toby's Room by Pat Barker. Well know for her incredible "Regeneration Trilogy" ,  this is a sequence to Life Class,  though it's also a stand alone novel. Set during WWI, the novel is as much about the interpersonal relationships as it is about the era. However, the two are interchangeable and it is the societal times of the era on the life of the individual that, for me is the real correlation between this and Under the Bed.The Night Watch by Sarah Waters. This is mid 20th century fiction, set during WWII. But Waters deals with the time frame in a very interesting way as she goes from finish to start.  Who or What inspired you to write this book?After a friend told me about growing up with parents who were in the Communist Party in the UK, and what it was like as a teenager in the sixties to have your phone bugged, it made me think about the invasion of people’s privacy and what effect it has on them. Since 9/11 the invasion of privacy has became almost an accepted ‘right’ by Western governments in the quest to protect our freedom. CCTV tracks us constantly and emails are tagged continuously in the fight against terrorism. I questioned the end justifying the means. Eventually I decided to follow how anti-communist fervour has moulded certain key elements of American history, and chose to juxtapose the eras of the Vietnam War and McCarthyism, with 1969 being 'present day'.What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?The novel blends the struggle of the individual with that of the bigger picture of the political events of the time. Can we as both individuals or as nations, learn from our past? I believe we can, and yet, as we know, history repeats itself. ‘Under the Bed’ explores how an individual’s lack of control over their fate can be in the hands of the government, even a generation apart. But ultimately the fight for survival and coming to terms with past mistakes is up to the individual. Here are the authors I’ve tagged for the project. Check out their websites and you'll be able see their interviews posted there next week.Claire CappettaDoreen PendgracsHemmie MartinSusan CooperBridget WhelanSally O’Reilly I’d love  your feedback on the interview, so do leave a comment below. Or post this blog to your favourite social media.Connect with me on: -Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/artyyah/Twitter: @artyyahLike my Facebook page : http://facebook.com/akandrewwriterFor regular updates of my blog: Subscribe Here