Jan Morrill's Thoughts Over Coffee

#FlashFriday #FridayFictioneers: That Girl

2012-01-27T07:23:00.001-06:00

Welcome back, Madison Woods! Though she says it's a long road back to reality after her memorable vacation, it's good to have her back! We missed you, Madison!

I thought this week's photo prompt was different from most, but as always, I enjoyed the challenge.

You can read how it inspired other Fictioneers on Madison's blog at: http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/flash-fiction/first-contact/

As always, feel free to leave a link with your comments!

That Girl

I lit a cigarette and thought about how I hated to see her go. Again. Thank God for dark glasses.

"Wow, Mister."

The kid snapped me out of thoughts of our bedroom farewell. “Wow, what?" I asked.

"That's some pretty girl you got."

I took a long drag. Yeah, tell me about it.

I heard a whistle . . . and it wasn't the train's. It was the steward, gawking up at my girl.

Hell. I'd sure miss her.

Another drag and I headed back to my empty bed, wondering if I'd ever quit smoking.

Telling Tuesdays 01/17/12

2012-01-24T08:15:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Telling Tuesday, a day reminiscent of those in school when I looked forward to seeing what everyone brought for show and tell. This weekly feature was inspired by an article on WriteToDone.com, called "How to Show (Not Tell): A Writing Lesson from John LeCarre."

It is one of the best articles I've seen on the rule all writers know--show, don't tell--because it doesn't just tell us how not to tell, it shows us some of LeCarre's very own examples.

" . . . descriptions can set the scene, convey the inexpressible, and turn the reader into a witness, instead of remaining a mere bystander." -- Mary Jaksch, author of the article

Each week, I'll give a "telling" prompt, and invite you to show us, to make us a witness, not a mere bystander.

THIS WEEK'S PROMPT:
We had a bit of a mishap at the bonfire on Saturday. One of the lanterns we released into the air caught a down draft and the lantern came crashing down into the grass. At first it looked like it would burn itself out, but then we could tell the grass caught fire. With the wind blowing, it wouldn't be long before the tiny fire got out of control. This gave me my prompt for the week:

Smoke got in her eyes.

Only moments before, the group of friends had circled around a bonfire. Into the flames, they had each tossed notes jotted with things they wanted to be rid of in the New Year.
Hers was fear.
Now, they watched lanterns they had released into the air, filled with aspirations and blessings for the New Year. Up the bright red lanterns drifted. Up, up, up, carrying each into the Universe.
But the wind whipped and blew one to the ground, bringing a chorus of "oh no" from the group.
Whose lantern had crashed? She watched it begin to burn out, until another gust of wind blew.
The embers turned the flames! The grass was ablaze!
She ran. Ran hard, her mind filled with images of an out-of-control blaze. Breathless, she arrived at the circle of flames that danced like devils in the wind. She stomped the orange heat, but it continued to grow around her, so she stomped harder. Faster.
Water. A shovel. She needed something. Anything. The flames spread. Smoke burned her eyes. Fire scorched her shoes.
It was out of control.
Then, someone came beside her and began slamming the ground with a coat. She stomped, the person next to her slammed. She didn't know, didn't care who it was. She was only glad not to be alone.
"Don't worry, Jan," the person said, "I got your back."
Ruth!
"Oh, please, God," Ruth whispered. "Please help us put out this fire."
Slowly, slowly, the flames died. Jan kept stomping. Ruth kept slamming. Until at last, every ember had burned out.
Relieved, they hugged each other, each reliving the experience through breathless phrases.
"Can't believe . . ."
"Brave . . ."
"Got your back . . ."
"Thank God . . ."
As they walked away from the blackened circle in the grass, Jan smiled, remembering that piece of paper she'd tossed into the bonfire.
Fear.
And the blessing she had released into the Universe.
Friendship.

Okay. That was my slightly creative non-fiction of an actual event. Show me yours!

As always, feel free to offer critique (ie, was it suspenseful? Did you "feel" it? How can it be improved?) And I always invite you to include a link to your blog in your comments.

Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - 1/23/12

2012-01-23T09:41:00.000-06:00

MASH-UP

A creative combination

or mixing of content

from different sources.

It's another Happy Monday. I had a weekend filled with ambivalence about editing challenges. Fortunately, I was also lucky to spend an evening in front of a bonfire with good friends. As we circled around, warmed by firelight and friendship, we cast into the flames things we hoped to be rid of in 2012. For me, it was fear. Fear of making changes. Fear of disappointing . . . or disappointment. Fear of saying "no."

The best part was, as we held hands and shared our energy and support for each other's aspirations and goals, suddenly I felt less afraid.

So now, back to the mashup. I hope some of these links will be helpful in achieving your aspirations.

****

Jane Friedman has one of the best blogs I've seen for writers. Every post I've read provides useful information. "When Do You Need to Secure Permissions" is a perfect example. In this post, Jane gives us concise and useful information, with links to more detailed information about the ins and outs of fair use, public domain, copyrights, etc. If you would like to follow her on Facebook or Twitter, here are the links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jane.friedman

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JaneFriedman

http://janefriedman.com/2012/01/23/permissions/

****

I am still trying to learn the most effective use of Twitter. Though I'll admit it's still a challenge, every day I learn a little more about learning to "tweet", or speak the language of Twitterdom. This article, "Nine Things You Didn't Know About Twitter," which appeared in the New York Times discusses several features I did not yet know. My favorites were: "Save Your Favorite Tweets" and "Do Power Searches." Both are invaluable time savers as we all try to balance social media with writing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/technology/personaltech/nine-things-you-didnt-know-about-twitter.html?_r=3&emc=eta1

****

Write It Sideways is another blog that consistently posts excellent information for writers. Its creator, Suzannah Windsor Freeman, posts--and invites guest bloggers to post--"writing advice from a fresh perspective." This week's mashup link is by guest blogger, David Lazar: "Five Tips for Writing an Effective Plot Twist." Not only did I find a few ideas I haven't tried, I thought all of the suggestions made great writing prompts, too. If you'd like to follow Write It Sideways, here are the links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/writeitsideways

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Writeitsideways

http://writeitsideways.com/5-tips-for-writing-an-effective-plot-twist/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+writeitsideways+%28writeitsideways.com%29&doing_wp_cron=1327332160

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

I say yes when
I mean no and
a wrinkle grows.

-- Naomi Shihab Nye

#FlashFriday #FridayFictioneers: Red, White and Blue No More

2012-01-20T07:20:00.001-06:00

Every week I think Madison Woods has posted the most challenging photo yet. This week, while Madison is on vacation, the Fictioneer guest host, Susie Lindau, has posted a photo, and I said the same thing. What a nice workout our imagination gets every Friday! You can read other stories based on this week's photo at her blog, http://susielindau.com/.

Red, White and Blue No More

Wide-eyed, Sam pointed. "I've never seen so many flags!"

"Neither have I," his mother replied.

He noticed she looked sad. "What's wrong, Mommy? Don't you think they're pretty?"

She patted his hand. "Sure they are."

"My teacher told us flags used to be red, white and blue. What happened to the red and blue?"

"Once, our country had a red party and a blue party. Have you studied the Second Civil War yet?"

"No."

"It almost destroyed the country, until finally, a white flag was raised. From that day, it was decided there would be no more red or blue. Only white."

Interview with Author, Beth Carter

2012-01-18T06:54:00.000-06:00

Hillbilly Formal, 2011

I first met Beth Carter online (during my social networking time) and liked her so much I wanted to meet her in "real life." Our first meeting took place at the Ozarks Creative Writers Conference in October 2011, and we hit it off. It was at this conference I bought a copy of Beth's book, What Do You Want To Be for my future grandchildren.

Here's Beth, holding my autographed copy. I texted this picture to my son and his wife as a bit of a hint that I'm ready to be a grandma.

I hope you'll enjoy getting to know Beth Carter as much as I have! (And I even learned some new things!)

1) What Do You Want To Be is a beautifully-illustrated children’s book that encourages kids to dream about the hopes and possibilities of their futures. What was your inspiration for writing this it?

Thank you for the compliment, Jan, and thanks for having me!

Actually, my inspiration might surprise you. It was our country’s economic downturn, especially the huge unemployment numbers. I knew many people (including my sister) who were unemployed for over a year. As a child I was a worrier, and I knew other children in America had to be worrying about either their parents’ jobs or their own future. I imagined kids wondering whether there would be a job for them when they grew up, so the high unemployment rates and inspiring kids were my impetus for WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE?

The other reason for writing in this genre is that I can’t think of anything more important than children’s literature. I loved to read as a kid and have fond memories of going to the library and carrying home stacks of books. I also loved reading to my daughter and can still hear her giggle and instructing me to reread the book or calling me out if I skipped a page.

2) Was there a person in your life who inspired Mrs. McGee, the teacher? Who is your favorite character in the book, and who was the inspiration for that character? How did you chose which professions to highlight in your book?

I chose Mrs. McGee for a very specific reason—it was easy to find words that rhymed with her name! I’ve had several people tell me that she looks like their first, third or fifth grade teacher. I think the illustrator did a phenomenal job with her and the only guidelines I gave him (Leo Silva) were to draw her with black hair in a bun, wearing glasses and a pearl necklace since those were all mentioned in the story. He first sent me a skinny version and a plump version of Mrs. McGee wearing a fabulous hot pink dress! I sent an email with the two images to 15 friends and family members. All but two preferred the plump version. I guess we can all forego Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers now!

My favorite character would be my daughter, Amy, who is portrayed as a dancer and truly is a professional dancer. I love all the characters, though, and named most of them after our children, nieces, five grandsons and granddaughter!

As far as professions, I wanted a wide range that children could identify with including both white collar and blue collar jobs. For example one is a baker and another wants to be a fireman. One wants to be in the Navy and some are professionals like an architect and an astronaut. I want kids to dream big! I chose careers that both girls and boys could identify with.

3) Have you always wanted to write? When would you say you became a “serious” writer?

My first writing gig was at the age of 13 when I was a reporter for Pipkin Junior High. Even then, I loved seeing my byline. I wrote several articles and also served as the roving reporter.

Even though I took several writing classes at Drury alongside accounting and algebra (trying to develop both sides of my brain) I didn’t try fiction writing until four years ago—except for my writing classes where I had a professor encourage me to submit my essays to magazines. I never did, but she instilled confidence nonetheless.

I’ve been in marketing for over 20 years so all of my writing was corporate writing—press releases, print ads, brochures, annual reports, television and radio scripts, billboards and web copy. I had a few non-fiction articles published in Today’s Woman Journal and Senior Living. I won a second place, state-wide award for my television script highlighting substance abuse. It was fascinating to interview the counselors and tour the treatment center.

Prior to writing full-time, I worked as director of public relations for Doctors Hospital for nine years. Then, I was director of marketing (and later promoted to vice president) at Citizens National Bank for six years. I did plenty of writing in those two industries. Whether I was interviewing a doctor, promoting a new physician or service, I tried to make it interesting and wrote about substance abuse, depression, obstetrics, general surgery, and other services.

It was more of a struggle in banking. That’s a pretty dry industry! I promoted new lenders, came up with branding campaigns, wrote about CD rates, mortgage loans, construction loans, and tried to get creative with the bank signs and the bottom of the teller receipts!

After leaving the bank and marrying my husband, we started Ozark Hardwood Products where we promote green collar jobs and green heat. I wrote all of the original marketing material, came up with the logo, designed the pellet bags, wrote the web copy, letterhead, sales material, proposals for grants and more. But now that I sleep with the boss (my husband!), I’m finally able to do what I want to do—write fiction.

Ever since I was in high school, I wanted to write a novel. In June of 2009 (yes, we authors know the stats as if we had birthed a baby, right?) I completed my first novel, THURSDAYS AT COCONUTS, a work of women’s fiction. I set it aside to savor the accomplishment, and then tragedy struck our family. The horrific stuff you see on Dateline, which I won’t discuss here. I was unable to go back and edit my novel because I had written a tragic scene with several chapters on grief. I just couldn’t read anything sad after our horrifying year, so I switched gears and learned all I could about writing children’s picture books. It has been therapeutic. Going to classrooms and seeing the kids’ faces light up, receiving fan letters from children, emails from parents and teachers, and pictures of the kids holding my book have all done wonders toward healing my heart.

In 2010 I was published in a collection of six-word memoirs entitled IT ALL CHANGED IN AN INSTANT alongside famous writers like Amy Tan, Dave Barry and the late Frank McCourt. Celebrities’ memoirs were also in the book including Marlee Matlin, Neil Patrick Harris, Bob Barker, and even the Fonz, to name a few. I was thrilled because the editors, SMITH, received 200,000 entries worldwide and chose just 1,000. I was invited to go on the tour in New York City and about fainted when I saw that my memoir was on page one! I am also the only memoirist with two memoirs in this book. (Click here to purchase from Amazon.com)

Here are my two that were published in IT ALL CHANGED IN AN INSTANT:

Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nothing published. Yet.

and

He left. Sparked my personal D-Day.

I’ve also just learned that I’m going to be published in another of SMITH’S collections: SIX-WORDS ABOUT WORK. This was a project they did in conjunction with Mercer Consulting. My copy should arrive any day. I’m a little nervous about which memoir they chose because I wouldn’t want some of them in print! Sometimes I get carried away… (Click here to purchase from Blurb.com)

Six-word memoirs are a big part of my writing life. I love them. They're great for writer's prompts. Watch for a six-word memoir contest on my blog in the next few weeks!

I’ve also had a poem and a YA short story published in the last two ECHOES OF THE OZARKS anthologies. It’s exciting to be among all of you talented writers.

4) One of a published author’s challenges is how to devote time to the craft of writing new material when time must also be given to marketing her published works. What percentage of your day would you say you give to the following:

* Marketing your book – ie, book signings, distribution, etc.
* Social networking – ie, your blog, Facebook, Twitter, speaking
engagements, etc.
* Writing
* Your non-writing life

This is how it's supposed to go: Have coffee, watch the morning news, check email, Facebook, a couple of blogs, eat, exercise and start writing from noon until 5 p.m.

This is how it really goes: Have coffee, watch the morning news, check email, check Facebook, a couple of blogs, recheck Facebook, refresh FB, maybe check Twitter while I’m at it, then realize it’s noon (or later) and I haven’t eaten nor gotten out of my pj’s.

Seriously, my life is so different now from when I was a single mom for 16 years and worked from 8-5 in corporate America. I have gotten so laid back the past few years—almost too laid back.

BUT prior to the release of WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE? I kicked it into gear. I decided I would spend September-December solely marketing and promoting my book (no writing except for my blog) and I stuck to that plan. I had ten book signings and visited five classrooms in two months! The publisher takes care of the distribution and my book is found online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million:

Click here to find WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE at Amazon.com

and

Click here to find WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE at Barnes & Noble

5) What is your greatest challenge as an author?

Managing my time. Social media is the best of things and the worst of things (to butcher a well-known saying). It makes promoting our work much easier but the distractions are enormous. I like to think I’m a great multi-tasker but I need to rein myself in and focus. To make matters worse, I’m a perfectionist which means it’s never good enough. My 300-page novel edits drive me crazy. I really need someone to crack the whip. When I was in marketing, I had weekly deadlines. It was stressful, but I thrive on deadlines. Sadly, the self-imposed deadlines don’t work as well. Want to pretend you’re my boss and breathe down my neck?!

6) Will you write other children’s books? Do you write in other genres? What is next for Beth Carter?

I plan to write several more children’s books. A few are already in draft form. Picture books look deceptively easy to write but it isn’t a cake walk to write a story (with conflict) in 500-550 words, often in verse. It’s also important to think visually while writing so the illustrator will have something to work with.

My next picture book is entitled THE MISSING KEY. I plan to submit it to the publisher soon. I also plan to write a series with the teacher, Mrs. McGee, because she’s so darn cute. Also, my daughter and I are co-authoring yet another picture book series that I’m very excited about but we have a lot of research to do first.

This spring or summer, I plan to finish tweaking my women’s fiction and query agents. Yes, I will! I must! This isn’t crazy talk. And…I would love to finish my romantic suspense novel in 2012 or 2013. I also enjoy writing short stories, haiku, six-word memoirs and non-fiction. I like to write a little bit of everything as you can tell.

Thanks for having me, Jan. I greatly appreciate your promoting my new picture book, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE?

Stay in touch with Beth Carter:

Her blog:
www.banterwithbeth.blogspot.com

Facebook:
Author Beth Carter

Twitter:
@bethsbanter

Coming soon!
www.bethcarter.com

Thank you, Beth, for sharing a virtual cup of coffee with us! I look forward to sitting down with you again soon over a "real' cup of coffee!

Leave a comment by
Wednesday, February 1
to be entered in a drawing

for an autographed copy of

What Do You Want to Be!

Telling Tuesdays 01/17/12

2012-01-17T15:37:00.000-06:00

" . . . descriptions can set the scene, convey the inexpressible, and turn the reader into a witness, instead of remaining a mere bystander." -- Mary Jaksch, author of the article

Each week, I'll give a "telling" prompt, and invite you to show us, to make us a witness, not a mere bystander.

THIS WEEK'S PROMPT:

I'm out of town today, so have not yet written my "showing" for my prompt. But, I'm looking forward to reading the variety of senses you use to "show" me stress. Not that I need it. :)

I'll have my tale posted by tomorrow.

She felt stressed when she noticed the time.

Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - 1/16/12

2012-01-16T11:22:00.000-06:00

MASH-UP

A creative combination

or mixing of content

from different sources.

In recognition of Martin Luther King Day, I reread the text of his famous August 28, 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech that he gave in Washington D.C.:

Perhaps the most publicized line from his speech, and the one I remember best, is:

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Beautiful, yes, but when I read the entire text, I was awed by the breadth of Dr. King's wisdom, and particularly, how much of it still applies today:

"We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone."

# # #

Thank goodness for our dreams. As a writer, I'll admit, I sometimes daydream about my book, Broken Dolls, being made into a movie one day. (Click here to read a post on that daydream.)

So, though I had planned to post BookRiot's blog article on "Why Books Make the Best Movies" before the broadcast of The Golden Globe Awards, it is all the more appropriate now, because The Descendants, a movie based on a book by Kaui Hart Hemmings, won Best Picture.

Ms. Hemming's story (as told in the Garrett on the Road blog) is the stuff of dreams. But, I have to say, I was disappointed as I listened to the producers and directors accepting their awards last night, because Ms. Hemming's recognition as the author was only an afterthought, and barely captured before the award winners were cut off.

Where would all of them be had it not been for the story Kaui Hart Hemmings created?

# # #

Every Tuesday, I have a feature called "Telling Tuesday," where I give a "telling" prompt, and ask my blog readers to "show" the scene, to use all five senses to "put us in the scene."

The article "Showing vs. Telling - When Telling is Okay," (J.A. Bennett's blog) suggests that "showing isn't perfect 100% of the time," and gives several examples. The article (and its comments) is a good reminder not to go overboard with "showing."

http://www.j-a-bennett.blogspot.com/2012/01/showing-vs-telling-when-telling-is-okay.html

# # #

And on the same subject of "overdoing it," this brief post, "Something Should Remain Unsaid," on the Advice to Writers blog, reminded me of a critique I once received, when a wise-beyond-his-years young man told me, "Trust your reader. You don't need to tell him everything." As a hands-on-Type-A-control-freak writer, I understand that my natural inclination is to guide my reader through each line of my story, to tell him what he should be thinking and feeling. After that comment, I realized I need to "let go and trust" in my writing.

It's something I could probably stand to do in my real life, too.

Flooded With Moonlight

2012-01-14T11:50:00.000-06:00

Unmoored in midnight water,

No waves, no wind--

The empty boat is

Flooded with moonlight.

---Dogen

Though this quote by Dogen brings a note of peace, it arrived during a perfect storm.

I came across the quote a few days ago. I wasn't surprised I liked it--after all, it projects a beautiful image. But I was surprised at how it has drifted in and out of my mind several times since reading it. "Why?" I ask myself.

Recently, perhaps due to the New Year, the winds of previous discussions with my writerly friends have whipped up--discussions on the challenges of balancing the highly-preached importance of social networking with the actual act of writing. Balance? What's balance? For me, I must admit that in the last several weeks, my social networking time has devoured my writing time.

One friend suggested he was addicted to the Internet. Addicted? Could I be addicted, too? Perhaps the very nature of an addiction is denial. Has my "excuse" of needing to build a social presence been a ruse in my own denial?

Let's consider:

1) I sometimes lose track of the amount of time I've spent online.

2) I sometimes feel guilty about the amount of time I spend online.

3) I have trouble focusing on other tasks.

An addiction? Sounds a little too close for comfort. One thing I will admit is that being online is hardly being "unmoored." And there's no doubt that the Internet is rife with high waves and too much wind. The perfect storm. No wonder moonlight has evaded me.

The New York Times posted an article, "The Rise of the New Groupthink," which discusses the new philosophy of "groupthink"--that creativity comes from sharing ideas, brainstorming, etc. (Social networking?) However, research suggests that people are more creative in a private environment, free from interruption. I agree completely. I need privacy and interruption-free time to fully get into my story and my characters. One little interruption, whether it is the tiniest glance at Facebook or Twitter, a nudge by my dogs or a question from my husband, snaps me out of my story's world and back to reality. And, the trip back to Storyland is a far, far distance. Sometimes too far.

So, my -- our dilemma -- as writers is, how do we balance our need for solitary space and time to create, with the (unfortunate?) necessity to maintain an online presence? Obviously, I have not been successful at both -- at least not lately.

So, here is my solution. I'm going to check myself into a detox facility. Well, kind of. I've created an Internet Dead Zone in my house. Is it really Internet Dead? No, it's not. But I'm a writer, and I have an imagination. I've added a sign to the door to my home office:

Every day, I'll check myself into my Internet Dead Zone for at least two hours, where I'll write or edit, and where I pledge not to turn my wireless on.

If I don't suffer too badly from withdrawal symptoms, I'll graduate to an Internet free day, but, as they say, one step at a time. I feel my hands sweating even as I consider it.

Still, I must admit, I'm looking forward to this little experiment. I'll let you know how it goes -- outside of my Internet Dead Zone, of course.

I look forward to being flooded with moonlight. Ah, just the thought of it . . .

#FlashFriday #FridayFictioneers: A Brief History of The Pernicious Pod

2012-01-13T05:57:00.000-06:00

This week, I am honored to be the guest "host" on Madison Woods' blog for the Friday Fictioneers. Madison posted another challenging photo prompt, which moved me to write something completely outside of my usual genre. I don't know how successful I was, but I enjoyed it! And, I'm looking forward to reading the variety of stories this photo prompted.

Please feel free to leave a link to your blog with your comments.

A Brief History of the Pernicious Pod

The Pod arrived on Earth from the planet Iniquitous, more than four hundred years ago. Documents left by the aliens were transcribed by cryptologic linguists centuries later and indicated the creatures were sent to Earth with the objective of mating with various life forms in an effort to inconspicuously occupy and take over the planet.

Unfortunately, the scientific community of Iniquitous did not anticipate the Pods’ primary source of attraction would be rocks, which they apparently mistook for Earth Pods.

Hypothesis: The Pods failed in their attempt to take over the planet, but they went out smiling.

Telling Tuesdays 1/10/12

2012-01-10T07:17:00.000-06:00

" . . . descriptions can set the scene, convey the inexpressible, and turn the reader into a witness, instead of remaining a mere bystander." -- Mary Jaksch, author of the article

Each week, I'll give a "telling" prompt, and invite you to show us, to make us a witness, not a mere bystander.

THIS WEEK'S PROMPT:

Hmmm . . . let's see. I must admit, I had a tough time coming up with a prompt this week. Imagine. I, as a writer, had a hard time coming up with one, measly sentence. That should tell you how lazy my muse has been lately. No, this morning she didn't want to get out of bed. Hey! There it is . . . my telling prompt! Now, wake your muse up and show me.

She didn't want to get out of bed.

Brave New World

She opened one eye and tried to focus on the clock. No luck. She'd have to open the other eye, too. The numbers across the room still a blob of red, she blinked until they became clear. 6:09. How could three little numbers be the harbinger of such dread? The day had begun.

"Oh, just five more minutes," she mumbled, as if anyone would hear her plea. In denial, she pulled the covers over her head. The warmth was a magnet that held her tightly from the cold world outside her cocoon.
But like the call of the wild, she forced herself--drew on every ounce of willpower--and peeked her head from under the covers to check the clock again.
6:17. Ugh.
The scent of coffee drifted in the air. She'd barely inhaled the aroma when her monster-lab, Bear, poked her exposed face with his ice-cold nose. His wagging tail pounded on the bed, like a demanding visitor knocking on the door.
The day had begun. There'd be no ignoring it now. She threw off her covers and took in a deep breath. What adventures would the new day bring?

Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - 1/9/12

2012-01-09T09:46:00.000-06:00

MASH-UP

A creative combination

or mixing of content

from different sources.

We are into the second week of 2012. How's it going with the goals you set for 2012? Or, are you like me -- still in holiday mode, with an elusive cloud of possible goals floating around in your head?

This post on Bob Mayer's blog, Write It Forward gives a broad overview of goal-setting, though it's primarily an introduction to his book:

https://writeitforward.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/goal-setting-for-writers-for-2012/

A detailed "how-to" on setting goals appears on the blog, Writing-World.com:

http://www.writing-world.com/basics/goals.shtml

So, here is my strategic goal:
I would like to have Broken Dolls published by a major, traditional press by 2013.

Here is a long-term goal:
I will have edits completed by June 30, 2012.

Here are a couple of short-term goals to work toward my long-term goal:
1) I will work at least two hours per day, five days per week, in my Internet-free zone.
2) I will send 15-25 edited pages to my editor each week.

What are your goals for 2012? Did they change after reading these posts?

This New York Times post, "Why Authors Tweet," discusses why many authors tweet and why some don't. It's a subject many of my writer friends and I have debated. Author Jennifer Gilmore states: "On Twitter, I have a sense that people -- those you know and those you don't -- read your work in a way I have not always felt in the world."

However, Jeffrey Eugenides says that tweeting and other social media is "toxic to the kind of concentration fiction writing requires."

And therein lies our dilemma, fellow writers. Do you tweet? If so, leave your tweet handle in a comment and I'll follow you. I can always use a new challenge in balancing my social media time with my writing time. (Refer back to my short-term goal #1.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/books/review/why-authors-tweet.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&emc=eta1

There are certain words which by their nature, arise often in my writing. A few that I can think of off the top of my head are talk, walk, smile and look. DailyWritingTips.com posted 75 synonyms for "talk." That's right, 75!

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/75-synonyms-for-talk/

And of course, thesaurus.com is always an excellent source of finding alternatives for oft-used words. Here's the link for "look":

http://thesaurus.com/browse/look

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

When I'm writing, I'm listening. -- Madeleine L'Engle

Now that I've completed my Mashup, I'm off to "listen" in my Internet-free zone. See you next week!

#FlashFriday #Fictioneers: Home

2012-01-06T05:49:00.001-06:00

T.G.I. Flash Friday! Here's this week's photo prompt by Madison Woods. It made me shiver, but it also made me warm. :) Thanks, Madison!

Home

My bones are weary from being on the road again. My shoulders tense, my eyes weary.

When at last, I turn onto my road, there's Skipper—waiting patiently, as she always does. Our eyes meet. Her ears perk up, and when I see she is certain it is me, her tail wags. She skips to greet me.

Ah, home.

We rush up the drive together. Inside, Our Miss will greet us with a bowl of food. One for Skipper. One for me. Once sated, we shall curl up by the warm fire.

Skipper. Me. Our Miss.
Home.

Cup Half Full

2012-01-04T07:26:00.001-06:00

Well, last night was a real disappointment. The headline to the article that inspired me--to set my alarm for 1:30 a.m. this morning, wake from a sweet-dream-deep-sleep, drag myself out of my warm bed and go out into the frigid night--had read "Strong Quadrantid Meteor Shower, One of 2012's Best." Two words in the headline flashed like a neon sign: STRONG and BEST.

Wrong.

At 1:30 a.m., I pounded the alarm off and threw back my covers, then put on my bathrobe and wrapped myself in two blankets and headed outside. I was filled with anticipation, remembering a "strong" meteor shower I'd seen in my teens. I'd been awed by the majesty and beauty of one star after another streaking across the sky and over the horizon and remember feeling like an insignificant being in the universe. (Something I think it's good for all of us to feel at times.)

Okay, I'll admit it. I always make a wish on a shooting star, too. How could I not, when one of my favorite songs as a child was Jiminy Cricket's When You Wish Upon A Star?

When you wish upon a star

Makes no difference who you are

Anything your heart desires

Will come to you.

I figured if this Quadrantid meteor shower was going to be strong, well, heck, I'd get to make dozens of wishes. What a way to start the New Year, right?

So, I looked. And looked. And searched. And searched. And froze. Nothing. For a half an hour.

I started to go back inside, cursing the astronomers who made such a disappointing promise. Yet I still looked up at the sky, lest I miss even a single star.

And there it was. Streaking across the western sky. A single bright light followed by an impossibly long tail, appearing on its heavenly stage just long enough for me to make a wish.

Author intrusion note: Sorry, I can't tell you what my wish was. Mom always told me if I disclosed that little secret, it wouldn't come true.

Well, feeling wish-greedy, I stayed out for fifteen more minutes, looking and searching. Nothing.

But, I did enjoy the sound of the wind in the trees, the tinkling of wind chimes, the clicking of leaves blowing across the yard, even Michel, our rooster, revving up with a cock-a-doodle here and there, preparing for morning. I marveled at all the twinkling stars against the dark sky and wondered what was going on way up there in the very big universe.

Then, I gave up and snuggled back into my warm bed and quickly fell back to sleep. I dreamed of the most spectacular meteor shower, with enough shooting stars to fulfill the wish of every person who had a wish to wish upon a star.

I woke again at 6:00 this morning, grateful for the continued darkness. Again, I donned my bathrobe and two blankets and went outside to see if any shooting stars from my dream had spilled over into morning. Within a minute I saw a flash across the sky. Another wish.

I listened to early morning sounds as I walked to the other side of the deck to see the sunrise. Michel-the-Rooster waking the world, a crow cawing, Spookie and Spade meowing that it's time for breakfast.

And as I watched the sunrise, there was another shooting star, just above the horizon, in the darkness that the sunlight had not yet touched. My third wish.

That's when it struck me. Though the "strong" Quandrantid shower may have been a disappointment, the experience certainly was not. To sit with enough quiet to enjoy the night sounds, the morning sounds, to watch stars twinkle in the heavens and to see enough shooting stars to make three wishes . . . how could I ask for more?

Telling Tuesdays 1/3/12

2012-01-03T07:32:00.001-06:00

" . . . descriptions can set the scene, convey the inexpressible, and turn the reader into a witness, instead of remaining a mere bystander." -- Mary Jaksch, author of the article

Each week, I'll give a "telling" prompt, and invite you to show us, to make us a witness, not a mere bystander.

THIS WEEK'S "TELLING" PROMPT:

The dark road was scary.

This week's prompt was inspired by my drive home from Tulsa last night. There's something about driving along on a dark and windy road. Here's my "showing:"

How dark the night had become since turning onto County Road 256, as if all color had been sucked from the world. The blackness surrounding her was like a monster, devouring all but the small patch of gray left by her headlights.

Nothing felt lonelier than being on that road. Seemed like hours since she'd seen another car. Maybe the blackness had swallowed them all.

Then, headlights in the distance. Thank goodness. She wasn't alone after all. She smiled. Funny how two lights in the distance--stranger's lights--could bring a little comfort.

But even welcome light can become too bright. She flashed her high beams, but the stranger didn't heed her request.

Closer. Brighter. Closer.

She turned away from the blinding beam as the stranger passed.

Jerk.

Then again, at least for a moment, she'd had a little company. And the return of a void felt even emptier.

Returning to darkness left spots in front of her eyes. She watched them dance on the center line that zipped past her car as she tried to focus on the road ahead of her. Anything for a little entertainment.

But one spot quit dancing. It grew larger and larger as she approached.

She blinked.

It wasn't a spot. A deer?

A man!

His eyes widened.

She slammed on the brakes.

Someone screamed.

I know you have some dark road stories to tell. Show me?

As always, feel free to leave a link to your blog with your comments.

Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - 01/2/12

2012-01-02T06:38:00.000-06:00

MASH-UP

A creative combination

or mixing of content

from different sources.

Happy New Year! Something feels good to me about writing 2012 instead of 2011. I don't remember feeling that way about writing the new year before. Usually it takes me a month to transition, but I must have been ready for the change this year.

Hope your holidays were happy! Ready to get back into the mashup? I am, and in my holiday internet perusing, I found lots of good information.

Linda C. Apple posted an excellent blog on the difference between resolutions and goals. Too often, we set resolutions, which, in Linda's words, are "determined thoughts that weaken over the months. They lose their freshness. Then life takes over and chokes our good intentions for the remainder of the year and our gasping resolutions hold on to enough life to make us feel guilty because we have failed--again." Wow. Now, don't you want to read more?
http://lindacapple.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/get-a-goal/

DailyWritingTips is an excellent resource for writers with a variety of useful pages including Word of the Day, Competitions, and Book Reviews. But the link I'm sharing this week is "The Best of DailyWritingTips in 2011," which includes the most visited posts for 2011 and includes such interesting tidbits as "7 Grammatical Errors That Aren't," and "50 Redundant Phrases to Avoid."

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-best-of-daily-writing-tips-in-2011/

Chuck Sambuchino (remember, Chuck is a speaker at the 2012 Oklahoma Writers' Federation Story Weavers Conference in May!) has an excellent blog, Guide to Literary Agents. A feature of that blog is "7 Things I've Learned So Far." This week's post is by author, Miranda Kenneally, and I found myself reading each one say, "Yeah! I like that one!" My favorite, however, was #4: My truth isn't everybody else's truth.
In the editing process, when someone questions something I've written, often my first thought is, "But that's really what happened." Seeing Miranda's #4 was like putting glasses on. It made me see more clearly, perhaps because it was through another author's eyes, that it doesn't matter if "it really happened," if I haven't made it convincing with my story.

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/7-things-ive-learned-so-far-by-miranda-kenneally

There's something about the new year that refreshes and inspires. I hope the links in this week's mashup help you get off to a good start in 2012!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

If you wait,

the only thing that happens

is you get older.

-- Mario Andretti

Bring It On, 2012!

2011-12-31T12:27:00.002-06:00

I've enjoyed reading end-of-the-year blogs that summarize 2011 and talk about hopes, resolutions and goals for 2012. In fact, I've been inspired to keep a resolution/goal journal to track (and focus on) my progress--or lack thereof.

I know that in all my successes and failures in 2012, I will be inspired by others. So, to kick off 2012, I thought I'd list some of my favorite quotes I've been reading in the last few days on Facebook, in books, even iPhone apps. Thanks to my friends who have shared this inspiration. I know I'll refer back to this list many times throughout 2012.

May you be defined by your passions
and not your fears.

Facebook, via Kim Corneau Dombrowsky

Never compromise your true, authentic self
to please someone else.

Facebook, via Debbie Fox.

I prefer to describe myself as “delightfully difficult.”

Facebook, via Necia Parker-Gibson

You've got to get up every morning with a smile in your face, and show the world all the love in your heart.

Facebook, via Sharon Guthrie

Do not wait until all the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.
Zen Wisdom iPhone app

No mud, no lotus.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Fall down seven times, get up eight.
Japanese Proverb

A frog leaps forward

His mind focused only on

Landing where he's aimed

My New Year haiku from my haiku blog

Here are some links to end-of-year blogs that I enjoyed reading:

Madison Woods - 2011 The Year in Writerly Review
Linda C. Apple - Get a Goal
Beth Carter - Making New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year, everyone. If you have pieces of inspiration to carry us into 2012, please share in a comment. I look forward to spending 2012 with you!

#FlashFriday #Fictioneers "Fly on the Wall"

2011-12-30T07:27:00.000-06:00

I love the holidays, except for a few things. One of those things is that Madison Woods took a break and didn't post her photo prompt. Imagine leaving all of us Fictioneers to suffer withdrawals! But, this week,

We're back!!

And wow, did Madison post a different kind of picture! I love it, because I've always wanted to be a fly on the wall. Now, I can buy one! Thanks, Madison!!

Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall? Listen in on those conversations you aren’t supposed to hear? Catch someone in the act of doing something they shouldn’t be doing?

Super Fly Spy!

Yes, now you too, can own the futuristic spy device that allows you to eavesdrop in secret agent style.

Got a cheating spouse?

Super Fly Spy!

Want to know what someone’s been doing on the computer?

Super Fly Spy!

Afraid someone’s talking behind your back? That’s right!

Super Fly Spy to the rescue!

Hurry! Hurry! Don’t miss out. Supplies are limited!

Telling Tuesdays 12/20/11

2011-12-20T07:03:00.000-06:00

Telling Tuesday. Reminiscent of the days in school when I used to look forward to seeing what everyone brought for Show and Tell and inspired by an article on WriteToDone.com, called "How to Show (Not Tell): A Writing Lesson from John LeCarre."

It's one of the best articles I've seen on the rule all writers know--show, don't tell--because it doesn't just tell us how not to tell, it shows us some of LeCarre's very own examples.

" . . . descriptions can set the scene, convey the inexpressible, and turn the reader into a witness, instead of remaining a mere bystander." -- Mary Jaksch, author of the article

Each week, I give a "telling" prompt, then invite you to show us, to make us a witness, not a mere bystander.

12/20/11
Last week I drove by my old house in Tulsa. My old home. I lived in that house for 25 years - raised my two children in it. Because it is around the corner from my parents' house, I see it each week when I go back to Tulsa to visit them. That house became a part of me, and when I left it for the last time . . . well, here's this week's telling prompt:

Her mind filled with memories as she shut the door.

Following is an excerpt from Broken Dolls. In this scene, Sachi and her family prepare to leave for the internment camp, taking with them only what they could carry. I began the scene with a haiku I wrote, based on how I felt when I left my house in Tulsa:

My house is empty

But memories will remain

Echoes in my heart.

It was almost time to go. Sachi listened to Mama’s heels tapping on the floor as she rushed around the house for a final check before they’d leave for good.

Tap, tap, tap, tap. Silence.

What did Mama think about as she walked into the kitchen? The living room? The bedrooms?

Tap, tap, tap, tap. Silence.

Sachi did her own wandering, drifting from empty room to empty room, trying to gather memories to hold. Each footstep echoed on the hardwood floor, and she too stopped walking to remember: Getting mad at Taro because he kept winning at jacks. Watching Papa build a fire in the fireplace. Even practicing her dreaded dance lessons in front of the mirror was a good memory now.

The government might be able to limit the number of suitcases they could carry, but they couldn’t make her leave her memories behind.

The hollow echoes swallowed her. She paced around her bedroom, running her hands along the pink walls. Step, step, step, step – like the heartbeat of her home. When they left, the heartbeat would stop.

Mama called from the hallway. “It is time to go.”

Time to go? Time to go? Her heart ached. She didn’t want to leave her room. Her house.

Mama called again. “Did you hear me? It’s time to go.”

Nobu peeked into her bedroom. “Come on, Sach. It’ll be okay,” he said, leading her out.

When Mama closed the door behind them, Sachi squeezed her eyes and thought of all the times she’d heard that door shut before. The fall mornings when she left for school. The evenings when Papa arrived home from work. The afternoons she returned from playing and Mama told her not to slam the door.

Mama wouldn’t have to worry anymore. She’d never slam it again.

Your turn! I can't wait to experience your character's memories of a home.

Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - 12/19/11

2011-12-19T07:39:00.001-06:00

MASH-UP

A creative combination

or mixing of content

from different sources.

I hope this week's mashup will take your mind off the fact that there are only five shopping days. Oh. Sorry for reminding you of that.

Grub Street Daily posted an excellent blog called "Reaching Readers via Social Media: Hot Tips for Authors." This post is contains a good mix of things to blog about, as well as resources to help you not be a social media wallflower.

http://grubdaily.org/?p=3141&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GrubStreetDaily+%28Grub+Street+Daily%29

Anne R. Allen's blog post, "How to Blog: Beginner's Guide for Authors" is also on social media. Though she gives a lot of good "how-to" advice, I thought the most eye-opening piece of information she gave came from Oak Tree Press acquisitions editor, Sunny Frazier:

“I don't read the query (sorry aspiring writers!) I look for two things: genre and word count. I then Google the author. I'm looking for the number of times the writer's name appears on the Internet. I'm searching for a website or any attempt to build a platform.”

http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-to-blog-beginners-guide-for-authors.html

ProBlogger.net is a blog solely dedicated to helping you improve your blog. I especially liked "How to Run Two Blogs in the Midst of a Busy Life." Does that not apply to all of us? Once I started using Tip #1, "Keep a clean list of post ideas and update it frequently," I rarely run out of things to blog about.

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2011/03/15/how-to-run-two-blogs-in-the-midst-of-a-busy-life/

And finally, I'm adding a new feature to my weekly mashup. Often, simply reading a quote will inspire me to write. Each week, I'll post a quote that inspired me, or at least made me reflect.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Do not wait until all the conditions are perfect for you to begin.

Beginning makes the conditions perfect."

-- Alan Cohen

Christmas Gifts #fridayflash #fridayfictioneers #100words

2011-12-16T07:07:00.001-06:00

I love the sweet simplicity of this week's photo prompt by Madison Woods. Here's the story it inspired:

Christmas Gifts

Joey poked his head through the door. “Close your eyes.”

“Oh, honey. Not now. I’m cooking.” I turned so he wouldn’t see I’d been crying.

“Come on, Mom. I’ve got a surprise for you,” he pleaded.

I shut my eyes. They burned beneath my lids.

“Don’t open them until I say so.”

“I won’t.”

I heard him groan a bit, some rustling, the creak of the shutting door.

“Almost done,” he said. “Okay, open your eyes.”

A tiny tree. A smile beaming on Joey’s face.

“Before Dad left, he said to be sure you had a Christmas tree.”

Christmas Treasures

2011-12-15T12:58:00.001-06:00

It seems this year more than others, I hear a flurry of "bah-humbugs" from friends and family. And, I am no different. I'm not sure why--whether it's the economy, politics and the constant bickering we hear about on a day-to-day basis, the over-commercialization of Christmas that began the day after Halloween--whatever it is, it seems to have gotten to many of us this year.

In fact, I seriously considered passing on the Christmas decorations. If it weren't for the fact my children would be coming home, I might not have put a tree up. Thank goodness I did.

Every year, when I bring out my Christmas ornaments, I am filled with memories that make me smile. When my children were young, I gave them a Christmas ornament that symbolized something that occurred over the previous year. When they moved away, I packed up their ornaments in a big box and gave it to them.

I'll admit, the first couple of Christmases following, my tree felt a little empty. But Stephen and I have carried on that tradition, and now we have our own tree full of memories. And besides, I have to admit, I kept a couple of ornaments of my kids' childhoods. Not sure if they've noticed.

Here are some of my favorites:

I've had this Mr. and Mrs. Claus for almost thirty years. When I unwrap it each year, it always makes me smile as I recall Andrea and Adam gawking inside the cozy little house lit by a single twinkle light. I like to peek inside myself.

I've had this handmade ornament for even longer. A friend who I used to work with made it. There's something about miniature "little worlds" like the one captured in this ornament. Santa laughing in the snow. How could I not smile?

This is one of my very favorites, because Andrea made it for me and gave it to me when I learned to sail "Haiku." Handmade gifts are always the best, but I've always loved the thoughtfulness and creativity of this one.

And though this is a simple little ornament, "Baby Jesus" always goes at the top of the tree, right under the star. I keeps the real meaning in perspective for me, no matter how many bah-humbugs I say throughout the season.

When I stand back and look at our tree, I see that it represents the blessings in our life. How could I ever consider not putting it up each year?

What are your favorite ornaments, and what do they mean to you? I would love to see pictures. If you'll email them to me with a description of why they're your favorites, I'll add them to my blog. Send them to me at:

jymorrill(at)gmail.com ---use @ for (at).

I hope your Christmas will be filled with lots of good memories and memories in the making, too!

Telling Tuesdays 12/13/11

2011-12-13T10:40:00.003-06:00

Telling Tuesday. Reminiscent of those days in school when I looked forward to seeing what everyone brought to show and inspired by an article on WriteToDone.com, called "How to Show (Not Tell): A Writing Lesson from John LeCarre."

It is one of the best articles I've seen on the rule all writers know--show, don't tell--because it doesn't just tell us how not to tell, it shows us some of LeCarre's very own examples.

" . . . descriptions can set the scene, convey the inexpressible, and turn the reader into a witness, instead of remaining a mere bystander." -- Mary Jaksch, author of the article

Each week, I'll give a "telling" prompt, and invite you to show us, to make us a witness, not a mere bystander.

This week's prompt was inspired by a passage in a book I'm reading, Life of Pi. Here's the excerpt:

Richard Parker has stayed with me. I've never forgotten him. Dare I say I miss him? I do. I miss him. I still see him in my dreams. They are nightmares, mostly, but nightmares tinged with love. Such is the strangeness of the human heart. I still cannot understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously, without any sort of goodbye, without looking back even once. That pain is like an axe that chops at my heart.

So, here's this week's "telling" prompt. What can you "show" us?

She was sad when he left.

Here's an excerpt from a story I wrote several years ago (Voices, Volume I, High Hill Press, 2008) about a couple and their sailboat called "Haiku":

He pulled away from her driveway with Haiku in-tow, leaving her feeling as empty as her now vacant garage. Sadness hovered like a gray cloud when a realization fixed itself in her heart - a realization as clear as the 800 pound gorilla that stood in the corner, its arms crossed in mock satisfaction.

Their dance was nearing an end. Like the sailboats she'd watched on San Francisco Bay, their souls had moved toward each other, but never touched.

And sailing Haiku wouldn't change anything.

Her bed is empty
Train whistle cries far away
She hugs her pillow.

I'm looking forward to reading your "show" part of show and tell!

Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - 12/12/11

2011-12-12T08:02:00.003-06:00

MASH-UP

A creative combination

or mixing of content

from different sources.

Now that many of you have finished your Nanowrimo novels, (or for any other novel that needs some rework,) this is an excellent article on how to work through what Anne Lamott, author of Bird by Bird, calls the "shitty first draft." I like to think of first drafts as the seeds to a flower, eggs to a chicken, a trickling stream to the Grand Canyon. Oh, forget it. You get the picture. Three Ways to Work Through a Difficult First Draft was written by guest blogger, Christi Craig, on Suzannah Windsor Freeman's Write It Sideways.

http://writeitsideways.com/3-ways-to-work-through-a-difficult-first-draft/

Kristen Lamb's blog post, Is Your Novel a Spineless Weakling, was another good follow-up for Nanowrimo, and one of the best articles I've read on the necessity of an antagonist in your novel. In Broken Dolls, there are two antagonists -- Society, and Mama. Who is your antagonist? (Big newsleak: Watch for news of a guest appearance by Kristen Lamb at a future Ozarks Writers League meeting!)

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/is-your-novel-a-spineless-weakling/

And, if you are having a tough time even coming up with a "shitty first draft," here are a couple of links with writing prompts:

http://www.writersdigest.com/prompts

http://creativewritingprompts.com/

http://www.creative-writing-now.com/fiction-writing-prompts.html

I'll close this week's mashup with a quote by Elmore Leonard, who defined the difficulty of editing in a deceptively simple way:

"I try to leave out the parts that people skip."

#FlashFriday #Fictioneers "Who Needs It?"

2011-12-09T06:31:00.001-06:00

I have to admit, this week's photo prompt by Madison Woods was a challenge! But, here goes:

Who Needs It?

Don't know what I said to tick Marylou off. Maybe I pinched her love handles too hard. Maybe it's that time of month. These days, seems like it's "that time" more than it's not.
Alls I know is, just as I was thinking, "Women!" she started in on me like she could read my mind.
"Yeah, I'm a woman," she cried. "W-O-M-A-N. And I'm dang tired of doing it all. Tired of bringing home the bacon and frying it up in a pan." Then, she left, slamming the door behind her.
Heck. I can cook bacon too. And who needs a pan, anyways?

Thanks for jump starting my brain this morning, Madison. Now, I'm hungry. I think I'll go fry myself some bacon. Think I'll use a pan, however.

Feel free to post a link to your blog with your comments!

An Interview with Author, M.G. Miller

2011-12-07T07:06:00.002-06:00

Unsettled bliss. That's how I would describe the return of Mike Miller to the Northwest Arkansas Writers Workshop. Bliss, because listening to Mike read is like listening to an accomplished musician. Unsettled, because his skillful writing takes the reader to dark places--you know, the ones you want to turn away from, but can't?

I've enjoyed getting to know Mike over the last several months, and recently read his book, Bayou Jesus. Here's the review I posted on Amazon:

Since the release of the book and movie, The Help, there has been much discussion of whether or not a writer can capture the voice of a character outside of his race or gender. M.G. Miller answers that question in his book Bayou Jesus. His portrayal of Miss Zassy, Frank, Jolene and Alice -- each outside of his gender and/or race -- is gripping, not only in the dialect he writes, but also in the internalization of thoughts and feelings. But then, aren't so many of our thoughts and feelings universal, regardless of gender or race?

Bayou Jesus is a provocative and insightful read. I highly recommend it.

I think you'll enjoy getting to know Mike, too:

1) Your book, Bayou Jesus, is full of wonderful prose that brings your characters and settings to life. Excerpt:

Gleaming faces filled the hall, all smiles, brows damp, the women with paper fans to cut the air: hot, moist, sliced through with excitement. Wooden benches lined the walls, children dodged between the colorful billows of skirts, around long trouser legs. Food lay heaped on three tables at the far end: red beans and rice, shrimp, fried chicken and pork, rolls of fresh-baked bread, desserts. Nearby, a band had set up: two banjos, scrub-board, a fiddle and a drum. Music was a spirituality in itself; it pulled out one’s soul so that it might dance free of the bonds of earth, it brought one closer to God. And this night seemed made for rejoicing.

This is a skill that develops over time. What first influenced you to write, and how have you developed your writing skills?

Thank you, Jan. It was the love of books to begin with that influenced me to start writing. I’ve always been rather a loner, and even as a child I preferred the solitude of my own room. We didn’t have the internet or video games in those days, all I had were books and records...and puppets. Strange phase, but ultimately the seed of utilizing creativity to entertain myself, because I’d tell stories through the puppets, and eventually I wrote them down.

In Junior High, I read my first adult novel, Harold Robbins’ A Stone for Danny Fisher, and knew I wanted to write like that too. It’s still one of my favorites. So at the age of twelve, I wrote my first novel. Of course it was horrible, so I wrote another one, and yet another. At this writing, I’ve now begun novel number 21.

But it was only through joining a writer’s group in the 90s that I really began to hone my skills. I took what I wanted from the suggestions offered (constructive criticism that didn’t interfere with the voice of the story) and that’s when I really got a grasp on editing and tightening. For instance, when I completed Bayou Jesus, it was a meandering 1,000 page manuscript. I cut it in half, then cut that in half, and continued to edit until it was a virtual machine, with no sentence wasted.

Edit. Period. It’s the only way.

2) Would you share something brand new with us? Write the opening paragraph to a book that begins:

It must have had something to do with Daisy.

I don’t usually write on the fly, but here goes nothing:

It must have had something to do with Daisy. Everyone in Danfield knew she’d been carrying on with Oscar Highsmith for at least a year. And Oscar a married man. Even his wife, Della, had to have known. Although Della traveled a lot for her realtor’s job, which gave Oscar and Daisy ample opportunity for their trysts, she simply had to have known what was going on between them. A woman can’t be married to a man for twenty-five years and just not know. But on the day Daisy packed her bags and bought a bus ticket to Memphis, no one in Danfield had yet to lay eyes on Oscar. His tobacco shop never opened, he didn’t stop in Gloria’s diner for his usual toast and fried eggs; in fact, he’d apparently never even left the house, for the morning paper still lay on the front stoop of the Highsmith’s modest brick home. Yes, it had to have something to do with Daisy, because a mere hour after the Memphis-bound Greyhound rumbled from the Danfield depot, Della returned home from three days at a realtor’s convention in Little Rock and noticed the morning paper, too. She thought it odd. That’s when she unlocked the door of their modest brick home and discovered all the lights were still turned on too, which was odder still. When she noticed an overturned chair. A broken glass. A pair of rusty scissors. And something staining the stairwell carpet. Something that resembled a human ear.

3) Recently, you said you’d found your home in the Southern Gothic genre. Wikipedia defines the genre as:

The southern Gothic style is one that employs the use of macabre, ironic events to examine the values of the American south.

Indeed, some of your most powerful writing is dark, macabre. Would you mind if I ask about the seeds of such passages?

I’ve always been at home in the Southern Gothic genre, whether I realized it or not. Before, I’d always dilineated my works into Literary Fiction, Horror, True Crime, and Experimental. It was only recently, however, when I discovered the importance of branding oneself that I realized all of my work could, indeed, be considered Southern Gothic because of the settings, the grotesque characters and the macabre events that take place. But why Southern people and places? That falls under “write what you know”.

As for the dark side, I’ve always been an avid horror reader because I love how the genre gets your blood pumping. I guess you could say that in terms of books, I’m rather an adrenaline junkie. However, I’ve always preferred more realistic, “quiet horror”; i.e., the horror of everyday occurrences with ordinary people, and not particularly of a supernatural nature. In my opinion, Flannery O’Connor, Shirley Jackson and Joyce Carol Oates are the best of examples of “everyday horrors”.

4) If you were to teach a creative writing class, what would you try to communicate to your students?

Write.

Find your voice.

Edit.

Never fall in love with your words.

Grow a thick skin.

Leave your ego at the door.

Persist.

Never believe anything until the check has cleared the bank.

Don’t quit your day job.

5) Recently, you commented on my blog, “What Is Your Life Sentence”:

He took a licking, but kept on ticking . . .then wrote about it.

That was one of my favorite comments. But it made me wonder. When I consider writing about events where I “took a licking,” fear often prevents me from finishing the story, sometimes prevents me from even beginning. Sometimes the fear is of what others may think of me. Sometimes the fear is of offending someone still living. Sometimes the fear is that it simply won’t matter to anyone else. Do you have those kinds of fears, and how have you overcome them?

You can’t worry about what others will think of you or you’ll never get anything written. And if you do write with your internal editor turned on, you’ll compromise the integrity of the work. Let the work speak for itself. I guess I’m fortunate in that I’ve never worried what people will think of me as a person as reflected by my written work. If people get offended, it’s their problem, not mine. I just point them to the front matter of the book where it says, “This is a work of fiction.” Over the course of the years, I’ve put a lot of unsavory characters and events on the page, but does that mean that I’m: a racist? a murderer? a junkie? a practitioner of the black arts? Hardly. All it means is that I’m fascinated by the human condition and that I’ve attempted to try and convey ordinary people coping with extraordinary circumstances.

6) Thank you for helping us get to know you and your writing, Mike. What’s next for M.G. Miller?

December 25th will see the reissue of Bayou Jesus from Southern Exposures Press. It will be available exclusively as a Kindle ebook through Amazon.com. Sometime after the first of the year, SEP, in association with Grand Bayou Entertainment, will also release the audio version, although an exact date has not yet been announced.

2012 will also see the reissue of Her Grave Embrace, an historical horror novel, as well as Murderous, a novelization of a true crime. Seven Devils is in the pipeline, too, a literary sequel to Bayou Jesus. My current work in progress, The Serpent, is also based on a true crime; I hope to have it finished by the end of next year. As of this writing, the likelihood of releasing audio versions of all my titles seems imminent as well.

Thank you for inviting me over to chat, Jan. Now if you’ll give me another cup of coffee, I might tell you why Daisy cut off Oscar Highsmith’s ear.

Thanks, Mike! I'll definitely accept your invitation to another cup of coffee and can hardly wait to learn more about the mystery of Daisy and Oscar!

Leave a comment by noon Wednesday, December 21, to be included in a drawing for an autographed copy of Bayou Jesus!

Visit M.G. Miller at his website:
http://www.mgmillerbooks.com/
Or his blog:
http://mgmillerbooks.wordpress.com/
On Twitter:
@m_g_miller
On Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/MG-Miller/165654790177878

Telling Tuesdays 12/6/11

2011-12-06T06:41:00.001-06:00

" . . . descriptions can set the scene, convey the inexpressible, and turn the reader into a witness, instead of remaining a mere bystander." -- Mary Jaksch, author of the article

Each week, I'll give a "telling" prompt, and invite you to show us, to make us a witness, not a mere bystander.

This week's prompt came to mind when I watched the first snowflakes of the season fall yesterday morning:

It was snowing.

I'll go first. This is an excerpt from my manuscript, Broken Dolls. In this scene, on the anniversary of her father's death, 10-year old Sachi has been running from something all day, trying to keep a thought from coming to consciousness. Here's part of that scene:

She started to run, as if she could escape the thought. But it was too strong this time. There was nothing to drive it away. It burst into her mind, full force. She stopped. Breathless.

If you hadn’t begged Papa to take you to the park that day, he might still be alive.

Tears burned her eyes. It was her fault. She covered her face with her hands, hoping darkness would hide her from the bitter realization. It didn’t. There was no escape from the flood of emotion. The dam had burst.

Mama had warned them—told them it wasn’t a good idea to go to the park that day. Papa had probably agreed, but he took Sachi anyway.

It was her fault.

If she hadn’t dragged Papa there, those boys wouldn’t have found him. And if Mama and Nobu blamed those boys, surely they blamed her, too. It all happened because of her. Her fault.

I’m sorry, Papa.

Something cold tingled on her hands, trickled down her collar. She took her hands from her face and opened her eyes.

White flakes drifted all around her. Landed on her eyelashes. Her nose. Her tongue.

Falling, falling.

Softly.

Gracefully.

Unbelievably quiet.

Snow! Her first snow.

Your turn! I'm watching and waiting to experience your snow scene.

Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - 12/5/11

2011-12-05T07:22:00.002-06:00

Welcome to Monday morning! This week's mashup will test your resolve. I started and ended with positive blogs, but the meat (gamey as it may be) is in the two posts on slush piles. I dare you to chew through them. Then, be sure to follow Chuck Sambuchino's blog. Better yet, come meet him at this year's Story Weavers Conference!

Ready? Here we go . . .

I like lists. They are easy and quick to scan over, and as I tick off items on the list, I feel like I’ve accomplished something. Here’s a list of books of interest to writers. When I reviewed this list, I felt a sense of accomplishment that I’ve already read a few—Bird by Bird, Writing Down the Bones. I’m looking forward to reading several of the others.

http://www.changetheworldwithwords.com/ten-great-books-for-writers/

Many writers are in the querying process and have received the kick-in-the-gut rejection letter. Admittedly, this post will not do much to make you feel better about a rejection, but it will clarify the many reasons for rejection. Yes, the list makes the odds of being accepted by an agent sound insurmountable, but at least after reading this post, you'll know just how “wowerful” we have to be. http://agentcarlywatters.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/why-agents-take-on-less-than-1-of-all-queries/

I’m afraid this is another distressing, but necessary blog post. Though cynical in tone, guest editor and former slush reader, Ruth Harris, provides us with a bird’s eye view of what it feels like to go through a slush pile, and therefore teaches us what NOT to do. Still, she reminds us that great writers have risen, even from the bottom of stack and stacks and stacks of manuscripts. http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2011/11/confessions-of-big-six-editor-triumph.html

This blog by Chuck Sambuchino is one of my favorites. He regularly posts information on new agents, which is an invaluable resource to writers who are trying to obtain representation. As Sambuchino says, “Newer agents are golden opportunities for new writers, because they’re likely building their client lists.” And here's some big and exciting news: Chuck Sambuchino will be presenting at the Oklahoma Writers Federation (OWFI) 2012 Story Weavers Conference May 3-5 in Oklahoma City!

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents

I end this mashup with Chuck Sambuchino's blog so that you won't be discouraged. When I was querying agents, upon receiving a rejection--once I regained my composure--the first place I visited was Chuck's blog or his book, Guide to Literary Agents. From one of those sources, I'd pick two more agents and send out two queries for every rejection I received. But, I found my agent, Kathleen Anderson, when I shepherded and pitched to her at the 2011 OWFI conference. You see from the posts above how difficult it can be to get out of the slush pile--another great reason to attend the OWFI 2012 Story Weavers conference!

New York Times Best Selling author, Jodi Thomas, taught me that triumph comes through perseverance. As you can see by the above posts, without perseverance, you are likely to remain squashed at the bottom of stacks and stacks and stacks and stacks of manuscripts.

So persevere!!

#FlashFriday #Fictioneers "Leaving Little World"

2011-12-02T05:56:00.000-06:00

I especially liked the photo prompt by Madison Woods this week, because it reminded me of a dream I had once. It came at a time when I was so afraid to make a decision, I compared it to jumping from a cliff. In my dream, I finally decided to jump, believing it was my only choice. At first, I fell, but only for a moment. Then, I grew wings. And flew.

The next day, I made the decision, and I've never regretted it.

Leaving Little World

Mama didn’t tell her to stay put this time. How long had she been gone, anyway? And her sister? Her brother?

She was hungry. Alone.

She stared into Big World. Bright sunshine. Big.

All she’d ever known was Little World. Cozy. Warm. But . . .

She was hungry. Alone.

She stood on the perch, her heart pounding as loud as the clap of thunder from The Storm that almost destroyed Little World in the spring. There was only one thing to do, because . . .

She was hungry. Alone.

She jumped.

Flapping!

Falling!

Flapping!

Until . . . she flew.

Trek Nation

2011-11-30T15:37:00.000-06:00

I loved--still love--Star Trek. So today, when I learned that in celebration of Star Trek's 45th Anniversary, the Science Channel will broadcast Trek Nation, a tribute to Gene Roddenberry by his son, Rod, you could have beamed me to Trekkie heaven.

The two-hour documentary explores the impact of Roddenberry's unique vision for the future and will be broadcast at 7:00 p.m. CST.

As a child, I looked forward to it every week, ready to leave my house on Coolidge Street for space, the final frontier; excited to see what strange creatures might enter my living room. I'll even admit to some sort of subliminal attraction to Captain James T. Kirk, though as a little girl, I didn't really understand why. And perhaps because I was often discouraged from showing too much emotion, I also liked Spock, figuring if the always logical Spock could show emotion, certainly so could I.

As an adult, I looked forward to nightly reruns of Star Trek, and came to understand that my attraction to Kirk was based in large part on his "other side," his human, imperfect, "non-captain" side. Oh, okay, he also exuded sexuality, whether implied or not. I realize my fondness for Star Trek is quite different from other Trekkies, but for me, beyond the sci-fi magic of the series, the multi-faceted characters were the appeal.

Now that I write, I look back and can see several techniques that made Star Trek a success. Each episode revolved around the conflict of one or more characters. The protagonists and antagonists were three-dimensional -- not all good and not all bad. The settings were unique and interesting.

My favorite eposides? It's a toss-up between The Trouble with Tribbles and The Menagerie. How could anyone resist the cute, fuzzy, purring creatures called Tribbles? As a child, I slipped on my fuzzy slippers and pretended I had Tribbles following me around.

Though I haven't seen The Menagerie for many years, I remember being saddened by the image of the burned Christopher Pike, touched by Spock's loyalty, and teary-eyed at the conclusion, when Pike is finally beamed to Talos.

Who was your favorite character? Favorite episode? Will you be watching the Science Channel at 7:00 tonight?

Telling Tuesdays 11/29/11

2011-11-29T07:12:00.007-06:00

Tuesday was show-and-tell-day at school, and though I remember the excitement of trying to decide what to bring, what I liked best was seeing what everyone else brought to show.

Yesterday, I found a great article on a website called WriteToDone.com, called "How to Show (Not Tell): A Writing Lesson from John LeCarre." It is one of the best articles I've seen on the rule all writers know--show, don't tell--because it doesn't just tell us how not to tell, it shows us some of LeCarre's very own examples.

" . . . descriptions can set the scene, convey the inexpressible, and turn the reader into a witness, instead of remaining a mere bystander." -- Mary Jaksch, author of the article

This inspired me to start a new feature on my blog, Telling Tuesdays. Each week, I'll give a "telling" prompt, and invite you to show us, to make us a witness, not a mere bystander.

This week's prompt:

The coffee was good.

I'll show you mine, if you'll show me yours:

The scent grew stronger, richer, with every step she took down the stairway. Rubbing her eyes, she shuffled into the kitchen and heard the rhythmic gurgle of percolating coffee.
She flipped on the light, then stifled a yawn as she stared at the mugs hanging over the counter. Picking one at random, she smiled at her choice. "Happy Boss's Day," it said.
As she poured, steam rose from the dark brew and she took a deep breath. To her mouth she drew it, closer, closer, blowing to cool it, anticipating.
Then, a sip.
Ah. A morning to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee. The first time in years. For now, she didn't care that she'd been fired the day before.

Okay. I'm sitting at my desk now, hands folded in front of me, and I'm almost as excited to see what you'll "show" as I was back in elementary school. Only difference is, Johnny Winklebuns is not sitting behind me, pulling my hair.

Addendum: 11/30/11

I had to add this picture of coffee in my grandmother's rosebud cup, after reading Keli's comment. Thanks for the memories, Keli!

Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - 11/28/11

2011-11-28T06:49:00.000-06:00

mash-up

A creative combination

or mixing of content

from different sources.

Since this is Cyber Monday, I'll start my mashup with a link for all you Christmas shopaholics. This site pulls together lots of bargain shopping so you don't have to go surfing for sales!

www.cybermonday.com

And now, on to my writerly mashup:

Do you have Klout? No, not clout, but Klout. Have you heard of it yet? Klout measures a user's influence across the social network. I'm not sure if I should admit my score any more than I should tell you my age, weight or bra size, especially since none are anything to brag about. But I will say that since tracking it in October, and reading Kristen Lamb's book, We Are Not Alone: The Writer's Guide to Social Media, it has gone up almost ten points! Here's a link to Social Media Today, which gives a good overview of Klout scores, and why many consider it important today:

The Klout Score: 3 Easy Ways To Become More Influential

However! My next mashup link is posted on Jane Friedman's website. Guest blogger, Christina Katz, cautions us not to spend so much time on branding that we lose the "expressive, evolving pleasure of our natural dynamic."

Platform and Social Media Must Not Be Your Center

So, the challenge is to balance our creative branding with our creative writing. As writers, we need to remember where our emphasis should be and write. In the last two weeks, my Klout score has gone up, but don't ask me how many new pages I've written.

Therefore, my last mashup for the week is full of prompts to get your creative juices flowing, posted on a blog by Marelisa Fabrega. It's a mashup within a mashup, with eighteen links to stimulate you to write:

A Plethora of Writing Prompts

I hope these links are helpful. Now all you need to do is decide whether to shop, brand yourself, or create a written masterpiece.

Awesome!

2011-11-27T10:43:00.001-06:00

I get many of my blogging ideas on my morning commute from the farm into town: forty solitary, quiet minutes when I think about my writing, tasks of the day, the quandaries of life. Sometimes, like yesterday, an idea comes while listening to the radio.

Once again, I was listening to the Gayle King Show. Gayle's guest was Neil Pasricha, creator of the Webby Award-winning blog, 1000 Awesome Things and author of the New York Times Bestseller, The Book of Awesome. Pasricha spoke of beginning the website at a dark and sad time in his life, right after his wife told him she didn't love him anymore, right after his best friend committed suicide. And in his words, "If you flipped open a newspaper, it was filled with the same stuff every day. The polar ice caps were melting, there were pirates storming the seas, the economy was on the verge of collapse, and there were wars going on all over the world." So, he created the blog to bring its readers a little of the awesomeness of life: "Sunny without being saccharine." (The Vancouver Sun)

After winning the Webby Award, Pasricha signed with William Morris Agency, which represents other blog-to-books, such as StuffWhitePeopleLike.com. In 2010, The Book of Awesome was published.

Here are a few "awesomes" from the book:

* Popping bubble wrap
* Wearing warm underwear, fresh out of the dryer
* Taking your bra off after wearing it for hours

Of course, the interview prompted me to think of my own "awesomes." Here are a few:

* The smell of a shoe repair shop
* Waking to the sound of a tail wagging next to me
* The whisper of wind and water when you turn off the engine of a sailboat

Of course, after all of this, I'd have to say my drive into town is pretty awesome, too.

What about you? Come on . . . share a little of your awesomeness with us.

Here's a great video on Neil Pasricha's TED dicussion: "The 3 As of Awesome:"

A Creative Non-Fiction Murder Mystery

2011-11-25T09:54:00.002-06:00

What is a creative non-fiction murder mystery, you ask? It's a true story with pieces of (very) stretched truth. And that's exactly what I'd call "Murder on Starr Mountain" --stretched truth.

I wrote the story after hearing Stephen talk about a murder that occurred on our property, around the time he purchased it, approximately three decades ago. That's the truth part. The stretched truth (that's the creative part) starts when we flash forward about twenty-five years. That's when Stephen's German shepherd, Duke, always barked at this one particular tree. We never could figure out what he was barking at. Of course, as a writer, I asked myself why, then wrote a story.

Duke's Memorial, at the tree where he used to bark.

Here's an excerpt:

I was just passing by the shack of old Billy Starr – homesteader they named the mountain after – when something moving in the rearview mirror caught my eye. It was Billy, hobbling after me, waving me down.

Sitting next to me, Duke panted.

“Hold on, boy.” I pulled over and rolled down the window.

“Howdy,” Billy said, wiping dust from his eyes with his hanky.

“Howdy, Billy. Everything okay?”

The scent of a hard day’s work drifted into my truck on a hot breeze. When he spoke, the cigarette smell on his breath blasted in, too. “Yeah, everything’s okay. Right now, anyhows. So, how do you like that place you bought up there?”

“Just fine, for all the time I get to spend there. Seems like I’m on the road more than I’m home. Folks aren’t too interested in buying encyclopedias no more.” I shifted in my seat, not sure what hurt more, my butt or my back. All I knew was I wanted to get home and get out of that truck. Yep. It was time to end the small talk. “You take care, now. Good seeing you.”

Old Billy grabbed my arm with tanned, leathery hands. “Wait a minute!”

His grip startled me. “What is it? Something wrong?”

“Well, it’s just that there’s a secret’s been weighing on my mind. Big secret. Figured it was time to let you in on it.”

All I wanted was to feel a hot shower running down my aching back and an ice cold beer cooling my parched throat. I wasn’t in the mood to sit and banter with Old Billy. But the obligation to be neighborly — and a slight curiosity about the big secret — kept my foot on the brake pedal a while longer. “What secret, Billy?”

“Anyone ever tell you about what happened on your property before you moved there?”

“No, what?” All kinds of images filled my head. Fire? Poachers?

“Well, you see . . .” He blew his nose, then wiped the back of his neck. “There was a murder up there.”

If you'd like to know more about that murder, and just what it was that kept Duke barking up that tree, you can purchase Mysteries of the Ozarks, Volume IV (High Hill Press, 10/11) one of three ways:

Contact me: jymorrill(at)gmail.com --use @ for "at"-- to purchase an autographed copy for $15.00 (Plus shipping)

Click here to purchase for $15.00 from Ozark Writers, Inc.

Click here to purchase from Amazon for $16.95

This anthology is full of dozens of mysteries set in the Ozarks, written by award-winning authors. It's perfect reading for sitting in front of a warm fire on a cold, wintry day.

ALSO!!

Contact me at jymorrill(at)gmail.com--use @ for "at"-- to purchase an autographed copy Echoes of the Ozarks, Volume VII (High Hill Press, 11/11) for $15.00, plus shipping.

My story, "Crossing Crystal Bridges" is about one wife's attempt to "sophisticate" her husband by introducing him to the finer side of life at the opening of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. Was she successful?

Here's an excerpt:

“Fred, get off that tractor and come inside this minute. You promised you’d take me to Bentonville for the Crystal Bridges opening this afternoon.”

He rolled his eyes and pretended not to hear his wife over the rumble of Old Bessie’s engine.

Winnie ran toward him, waving a fresh-pressed shirt. “Did you hear me? You need to come in and shower. We’re supposed to pick up Henry and Ella Sue in an hour.”

He shifted into neutral and, feeling a panic attack coming on, took a deep breath of brisk air. “Oh, for god sakes, Winnie May Caldwell.” He always called her that when he got excited—kind of like counting to ten. Huffing, he continued. “I got to get this field tilled before the first frost.”

An Interview with Author, Claire Croxton

2011-11-22T18:58:00.002-06:00

Nobody is better at mixing batches of snarky humor with dashes of poignancy than Claire Croxton, aka Patty Stith. Her stories and novels are full of three-dimensional characters who are funny, even snarky, on the outside. Yet, she teases the reader by subtly exposing the characters' internal pain. Claire's perfect blend of highs and lows captures every spectrum of emotion, drawing the reader in, page by page.

As she prepares for the release of two books in early 2012 by The Wild Rose Press, I am happy to introduce you to this talented author.

1) You are an artist in a variety of ways--in your writing, quilt-making and cooking. Many people have enjoyed both your writing and your cooking. Both are superb! I'm curious. How would you say writing is like cooking?

How is writing like cooking? That’s a good question. I approach both with the same methodology—total abandon. I’ll glance at a recipe to see what it suggests and then do it my way. Most of the time, the results are edible. I’ve learned to curtail that free-spirited approach with writing. There are guidelines for every genre and if you don’t pay attention to those you end up with a book that isn’t marketable. Of course, I keep telling myself that I’ve created the newest, hottest, bestselling genre,(soul-searching snark) but most likely authors need to get established before they can start breaking rules.

For me, cooking is a mindless outlet for creative energy. I love the challenge of cooking a meal for 10 on short notice—investigating the contents of my pantry and freezer in order to whip up a delectable meal. Writing offers a similar challenge. For example, a scene that needs to convey a certain emotion. I sit before a blank computer screen and let my fingers fly. No real thought to it. Unlike cooking though, the results aren’t always readable.

2) Was becoming a writer an inevitability for you? What was your path to becoming a writer?

Yep. It was destined. My brother taught me how to read when I was four. Both of my grandmothers lived within 2 blocks of the public library and I spent most of my childhood there. I still have my first library card. I got it when I was 6. By the time I was 8, I was writing stories in notebooks and I always kept a journal.

It never occurred to me that I could be a “writer.” I always thought I had to have a real job. So, I taught high school, English and History. When I moved to Alaska, I worked as a grant writer/administrator for years. I loved the job because it combined my two favorite things, writing and project management (I get a perverse pleasure from getting things done ahead of schedule.) It was a very stressful job though and the writing was strictly technical.

One day at lunch with a friend in Anchorage, I was bemoaning the fact that I never got to write fun stuff anymore. He encouraged me to write a book. The thought had been running around in my mostly empty brain for years. He was the right person at the right time to encourage me and boom! Three years later my first books are being released.

3) Your book, The Redneck Ex, will be released by Wild Rose Press on January 20, 2012. Is it true you wrote your first draft during NaNoWriMo? Give us the pitch that hooked The Wild Rose Press editor, Rhonda Penders.

I did write the first draft of Redneck Ex during the 2009 NaNoWriMo. I have the chiropractor bills to prove it. I was writing so much that I lost feeling in my right arm. I was having too much fun to stop. The final version of the story is vastly different from the frenzied first draft, but I loved process.

I started my current WIP, Ex-Ray, during the 2010 NaNoWriMo. I was busy editing this year, so I wasn’t able to participate, but I really appreciate the idea behind NaNoWriMo—setting aside time to give yourself permission to write garbage. Don’t stop. Don’t edit as you go. Get it out there. Then go back and perfect it.

I described Redneck Ex to Rhonda Penders as: Northern Exposure meets Sweet Home Alabama. I’m not sure if that sold the book or if it was going to dinner with her. It didn’t take her long to realize that the voice in Redneck was authentic. It was either the story of my cousin the rodeo queen or my tale of cooking up a snapping turtle that convinced her I was writing from the redneck experience.

4) Many of your stories take place in Alaska and Arkansas. You've lived in or visited many other places in the world. Santorini Sunset, which will also be released by The Wild Rose Press early next year, takes place in Greece. Any other plans for stories with worldly setting?

Oh, do I ever have worldly plans! The hero in Santorini Sunset, Raul Sobrevilla, is from Peru. I want to do a sequel to Santorini set on Raul’s family’s ranch in Peru. I’m also working on a story, Loch Lonnie, that takes place in Scotland and Arkansas.

And I’m working on two short stories—one set in Japan, the other set in Dubai. The bulk of my stories are set in Arkansas and Alaska simply because I know those places so well. There’s still a lot of research involved to get facts correct, but I can close my eyes and see the settings. That helps speed things along when I’m writing scenes.

5) What's the best piece of advice on writing you've ever received?

I can’t narrow it down to one piece of advice. There have been so many people involved in my writing career who have taught me valuable lessons.

My parents: You can do anything you set your mind to, sugar dumpling. Just do it.

Dusty Richards: If you edit while you write, you’ll never get the damn book finished.

Velda Brotherton: Sense of place…make the reader feel, see, smell, touch everything the character is.

Jodi Thomas: Triumph Comes Through Perseverance

The best writing tip came from my mother. We both make quilts. When you’re working on a sewing project, you stop mid seam so that when you return you know where you are and you can start right back up again with no problem. One time when I was fussing because I could remember where I was in a story that I’d set aside for a few weeks, she recommended I stop writing mid-sentence. That little tip has helped me tremendously. No matter how long I’m away from a story, I’m able to resume writing quickly and relatively pain-free.

6) You recently created Trailer Trash Productions, a resource for writers who would like to create a book trailer. You've produced several beautiful trailers, some of which are shown in this blog. Please tell us about Trailer Trash Productions and the services you provide for authors.

Trailer Trash Productions works with authors to create book trailers that reflect the voice, setting and tone of their books. There are several different ways to approach a book trailer and many different elements that can be incorporated. You can go with a simple slide show with text set to music or you can be as elaborate as making video, composing your own music and narrating the trailer.

Anyone can do her own book trailer. It’s fairly simple, but the problem lies with copyright issues. Going online and downloading pictures from Google Images just won’t work. It’s impossible to know if the pictures you select are copyrighted or not. Same goes for music. Lots of people download the karaoke version of their favorite song, but even that is copyrighted. Most people don’t think it’s that big of a deal, but if you’re using your book trailer to promote your book you’ll be making money from the end product. That’s going to get those folks whose copyright might be infringed upset. That’s one reason why hiring a book trailer professional is a good idea. The other reason is producing a trailer takes a lot of time. Wouldn’t you rather be spending that time writing?

Here's an example of a Trailer Trash Productions:

7) What's next for Claire Croxton?

New York Times Bestseller, novels to screenplays to Hollywood-A-list blockbuster movies, vacation home in Tuscany. Or…I’m getting another batch of feeder pigs whose care will cut into my writing time. Either way, I’m happy.

Thank you, Claire, for some great insight into you and your writing. It's cold outside and I have a cozy fire and a glass of wine. Now all I need is the release of your books!

Have a peek at Claire's book trailers by Trailer Trash Productions:

Visit Claire Croxton's blog, Claire Croxton, Romance Author

Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - 11/21/11

2011-11-21T08:31:00.002-06:00

Welcome to my Monday morning mashup, where I post links to information I found interesting or useful in the previous week. Below, I've listed a few appetizers to whet your writerly appetite for the coming Thanksgiving week:

KRISTEN LAMB'S BLOG

Kristen Lamb posts some of the most useful advice and information I've seen yet on social media. I recently purchased her book, We Are Not Alone - The Writer's Guide to Social Media. I am still in the process of reading it. (watch for a review!) but so far, it's full of practical, easy-to-follow information about how to establish an online presence.

The link below is on PLATFORM. According to Kristen, it's not just for non-fiction writers anymore.

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/why-writers-need-a-platform/

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WRITEITSIDEWAYS.COM

This is a blog by author and teacher, Suzannah Windsor Freeman. I subscribe and I look forward to its emails that are always full of helpful information for writers. Here's a mashup within a mashup -- a list of 23 websites that will make your writing stronger:

http://writeitsideways.com/23-websites-that-make-your-writing-stronger/

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MYSTERY WRITING IS MURDER

This award-winning blog by Elizabeth Spann Craig regularly posts information that is useful to all writers - not only those who write in the mystery genre. I especially liked this post about what NOT to listen to in a critique. The guest blogger, Anne R. Allen, states:

"A critiquer should tell you what's right with a work as well as what's wrong."

This is something we as critiquers too often don't remember. Here's the link to the post:

http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/2011/11/9-pieces-of-bad-writing-advice-its-best.html

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Happy Thanksgiving! Unfortunately, browsing the Internet for interesting tidbits probably won't burn any calories, but I'll see you next week anyway, with a new mashup!

Mashed What?

2011-11-17T11:41:00.000-06:00

Have you ever heard the term "mash-up?" Well, I've been hearing it a lot lately, and in the context it's been used, I've deduced it has nothing to do with potatoes.

Here's a definition provided by Small Business Mavericks:

A mashup, simply put, is the aggregation of content from two or more sources. It usually exists on a single web page, but it can also exist within an application such as a widget or through an RSS feed.

To put it in simpler terms, a mashup is a collection of useful--or at least interesting--links. It gives blog readers quick and localized access to information. And the more often we post content, the stronger our internet presence becomes.

So watch for my new feature, coming this Monday:

MORRILL'S MONDAY MORNING MASHUP

My Guest Appearance on M.G. Miller's Blog

2011-11-16T21:29:00.000-06:00

After reading M.G. Miller's book, Bayou Jesus, I was honored to be a guest on his blog. Throughout the book, Mike's skillful writing draws the reader deep into the psyche of his characters. I read and re-read many of his passages, first for the pure enjoyment, and second, in hopes of learning ways to improve my own writing.

Please stop by and visit Mike's blog. And watch for his of new releases!

Also, stay tuned for my interview with Mike in December!

Fall #fridayflash #fridayfictioneers #100words

2011-11-11T09:25:00.000-06:00

Once again, Madison Woods has given us a beautiful and challenging photograph for this week's Friday Fictioneers prompt. I love how she exercises our creative muscles. Thanks again, Madison!

FALL

Her mind was ablaze with what she’d just seen—another woman in his arms. Slamming the door, she stood outside in icy silence, huge as her emptiness, until she erupted and ran from the house—their house. Leaves crunched in a staccato beat beneath her feet.

Gray skies. Colorless as life without him. Cold mist stung her face like a slap.

Running anywhere, nowhere, she fell. Dead leaves swirled, falling, falling, until they came to a final rest beside her.

Fallen. Life was over.

Then she saw it. A tiny, pink bud. Struggling, yes. But new life, nonetheless.

OMG Moments

2011-11-09T09:56:00.000-06:00

This morning I was listening to the Gayle King Show. Her guest was Philip Galanes, author of the book, Social Q's: How to Survive the Quirks, Quandaries and Quagmires of Today.

Their discussion centered around the question, "Did you ever have an embarrassing moment when you wished you had a social expert on speed dial?"

Of course, that sent my mind whirling to the past, remembering my embarrassing moments. The first one that always comes to mind?

Had I still been a child, it might have been funny. But, as a teenager, it was the most horrible thing that could have happened. There I was, sitting across the table from the man (okay, boy) of my dreams. Though I'd been suffering with a cold, I certainly wasn't going to turn down his invitation to have ice cream. After all, he was my soul mate. I stared into his hazel eyes as he licked his Rocky Road ice cream cone. Life was good.

Then, he told a funny joke and I laughed -- snorted, really. And with that snort came snot. Yes, snot. Gobs of it, too. And though I tried to recover with a quick inhale--tried to hide behind my strawberry cone--I knew he'd seen it.

Even today, I wonder how that snort changed history.

And what about the lesser quandaries? We've all experienced those awkward moments when we notice someone's zipper was down. To tell, or not to tell?

What about when you accidentally sent a text or email?

Ever walk into the wrong sex bathroom?

Enough of my explicit and implicit true confessions. Are YOU brave enough to share an embarrassing moment or a quandary?

What is Your Life Sentence?

2011-11-07T14:51:00.001-06:00

Several days ago, I was listening to Daniel H. Pink, on the radio. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. I'm lucky enough to have an autographed copy, given to me by my husband after he attended a convention where Pink spoke. It was signed:

Good luck on your book!

I was thrilled to see his good wishes for Broken Dolls. Heaven knows, I'm always looking for new sources of motivation!

The part of his discussion that most grabbed my attention was his question, "What's your sentence?" He told the story of a conversation Clare Boothe Luce once had with John F. Kennedy:

"A great man is one sentence. Abraham Lincoln's was 'He preserved the Union and freed the slaves.' Franklin D. Roosevelt's was, 'He lifted us out of a great depression and helped us win a world war.' What's yours?"

In Drive, Mr. Pink states that Luce feared Kennedy's attention was so splintered among different priorities that his sentence risked becoming a muddled paragraph. How many of us are living "muddled paragraph" lives?

I was so intrigued with the concept of a "life" sentence that I hardly heard the rest of Pink's discussion as I began to ponder my own life sentence. It was tough, but here's the sentence I came up with:

I seek understanding--of others, between others and by others.

Once I came up with my sentence, I found it interesting that much of my writing reflects my sentence. I've found it very interesting how the simple act of defining my "life" sentence sentence has added focus to my life and to my writing.

What is your "life" sentence?

Obsession #fridayflash #fridayfictioneers #100words

2011-11-04T07:37:00.000-05:00

Here's the photo prompt provided by Madison Woods for this week's Friday Flash Fiction. Boy, does it bring back some less-than-pleasant memories of last year!

It inspired me to write "Obsession."

Obsession

Again, I have strayed too far from my Sun. My hair, once flaming red, is brittle and broken. The whisper of my leaves has turned to a cold, howling wind; crying for what, I know not.

Animals used to revel in my warmth. But even they have been chased away by my windy wail.

What is it that pulls me away from my Sun like clockwork? If it is some obsession that draws me, why does it leave me cold and lonely?

I have no answers.

But it is time to sleep. And I will dream again of Spring.

Unhyphenated Patriots

2011-11-03T10:02:00.000-05:00

While in Los Angeles last week, I visited the Japanese American National Museum, something I've wanted to do since beginning to write Broken Dolls.

Japanese American National Museum

Before going inside, we walked around taking pictures. Thankfully, we noticed a sign that said "Go For Broke," with an arrow pointing away from the museum. Knowing my Uncle Yoshio served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, (Uncle Yoshio's Honor) I wanted to see the memorial. So we turned in the direction of the arrow and headed about a block away, toward a large, black semi-circle monument.

Uncle Yoshio

On the front of that monument, the first thing I read was what President Truman said to the Japanese-American veterans upon their return from war:

"You not only fought the enemy--you fought prejudice and won."

The curved back of the monument is covered with over 16,000 Japanese-Americans who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the 100th Infantry Battalion and the lesser-known Military Intelligence Service.

As I searched through the names for my uncle's, a Japanese man approached me and asked if he could help. He gave us a brief history of the monument and pointed me in the direction of a computer that would help me locate Uncle Yoshio's name.

Then, I found it.

I stared at his name, Yoshio Sasaki, thinking about what it must have been like to fight for a country that had "relocated" his family (my mother included) to internment camps surrounded by barbed wire.

Following is an excerpt from an article in the November 2, 2011 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle:

While undergoing training, Susumu Ito would visit his parents and two sisters 200 miles away at the Rohwer Internment Camp in Arkansas. Despite the injustice of being forced to relocate from Stockton, Calif., Ito said, his parents took great pride in their son fighting for the U.S. military. However, he ignored his mother's request in her weekly letters to avoid hazardous duty. He said he wanted to be on the front lines, as did his peers. The motto of the 442nd was "go for broke."

After reflecting at the site of the monument, we went into the Japanese American National Museum. There, I came upon a barrack that had been relocated to the museum. I stared through gaps and knotholes in the boards that left little privacy for the families that had lived in the tiny, primitive spaces. I imagined my mother as an eight-year old, peeking through those spaces as she searched for any source of entertainment. Then, I imagined her mother scolding her, trying to explain that each family deserved privacy.

As we walked around looking at fascinating memorabilia, an elderly Japanese man approached us. He introduced himself as Frank Omatsu, and asked if we'd be interested in hearing more about the displays.

Mr. Omatsu told us he had been in the Military Intelligence Service and had served in Burma, translating and interrogating. His family had been interned in Arkansas, where my character, Sachi, and her family were interned. (Click here for a blog on Rohwer, Arkansas.) I had not heard of the Military Intelligence Service before then, and was fascinated by his story. I imagined what it must have been like to interrogate "the enemy" while his family at home was considered "the enemy."

Mr. Omatsu told me other things I had not known before: that the 442nd rescued the Lost Battalion, suffering over 1,000 casualties (200+ dead, 800+ injured) to rescue 216 men trapped behind German lines; that attachments to the 442nd liberated several of the concentration camps near Dachau; that over 300 Nisei (second generation) women served in the Women's Army Corp.

How lucky we were to be approached by this proud and humble man who so generously shared the history of this time with us. I have done much research in writing Broken Dolls, but reading words does not compare to hearing stories in the voices of those who experienced history.

Mr. Frank Omatsu

Yesterday, November 2, 2011, Congress held a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony to honor the Japanese American veterans of World War II. At last, the men who fought not only the enemy, but prejudice, have been honored.

C-SPAN video of the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony

An Interview with Author, K.D. McCrite

2011-11-02T06:22:00.002-05:00

I first met K.D. McCrite when she offered to critique the manuscripts of five lucky Ozarks Writers League members. I submitted the first chapter of Broken Dolls, and met with her one-on-one for a detailed critique. I remember being impressed, not only with the comprehensive and thoughtful review she gave me, but also that she volunteered her time to help new writers to become the best they can be.

In the year and a half since then, I've seen many instances where she has offered her advice and support to writers, all while being prolific at both writing and marketing.

After enough wondering "How does she do it?" I decided to interview her to see if I could discover her secret. I hope you discover it too!

Q. With all of the time authors must spend promoting themselves and their books via social media, how do you balance your promotion time with your writing time? Do you have a structured schedule? What forms of promotion do you find most useful?

These are tough questions. I don't have a balance right now, but I'm trying to figure one out.The first few weeks after a book comes out can be hectic, with invitations to speak, to sign books, to attend parties.

In spite of all the hype and chatter I hear, I'm still not completely convinced social media actually is the great "be-all" marketing tool we're told it is. Does Twitter really help you sell more books? Do people actually follow the multitude of hash tags and links, looking for good books? Does blogging entice readers to want to read your books, or is it vice versa? Would time spent promoting yourself be better served at your desk, writing the best story you possibly can?

Maybe I'm just old school, but I continue to believe word of mouth is superior to all marketing tools. It creates best sellers. If you like my book, for goodness sake, tell someone about it! And in that case, Twitter and Facebook, et al is an invaluable resource.

Q. K.D., in your book, In Front of God and Everybody, you created a series of funny, “relatable” characters. But my favorite, of course, is April Grace, your teenage main character. Who was the inspiration for April Grace? How is she different and how is she the same from that person?

Much of April Grace is based on my younger daughter, Joy, who as a child had a big heart, but often spoke before she thought. And my older daughter, Holly, could come up with some of the funniest observations about people and events.

April Grace is also a little bit based on my own inner sassy self and what I've thought, felt and seen through the years. I would hope all three of us can keep our feet out of our mouths better than April Grace does!

Click here to read an excerpt.

Q. Can you describe what your writing path has been? For instance, did you start with short stories? Contests?

As a young girl, I wrote stories. Lots of stories. But, as an adult, when I started writing with serious, professional intent, I jumped right in with writing novels, because I wanted to write books not stories. That's a hard way to go, and it's the slow way to see your work in print. When I finally began doing articles and short stories and seeing them published, it helped to build my confidence. Plus, when I wrote queries or pitched ideas to book editors, I had some credits behind me.

Q. What three things have you learned in your writing career that you wish you would have known from the start?

1) I wish I'd known my early works were not golden and that I needed a LOT of practice and learning.

2) I wish I'd known it's better to start small and work my way forward. I'd have written and submitted more articles and short stories sooner to get my feet wet, rather than starting out by novel writing.

3) I wish I'd known you can't write your true voice if you're worried about offending someone.

Q. Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha, says his greatest “writer-sin” is debilitating perfection. What would you say is your greatest “writer-sin” and what do you do for redemption?

Seeing a story in absolutely everything, no matter where I am or who I'm with can be a great transgression. (It was murderously tough in school to pay attention when my head was spinning stories.)

Today, I had lunch with a lovely friend, and was completely distracted by an unrelated event going on outside in the parking lot. I immediately began to build a story around what I saw. It was rather hard to pull myself back into the real world and listen to my friend's comment.

I drive my long-suffering husband crazy with my excess imagination. To redeem myself, I apologize, apologize, apologize. Those who know and love me, understand and forgive.

Q. What's next?

Cliques, Hicks and Ugly Sticks, the sequel to In Front of God and Everybody, will be out December 6. However, it can be pre-ordered on Amazon now! (Click here to pre-order.)

Also, I'm excited about two new books that will be coming out under the name Sidney Archer. (That's a combo of my grandfather's first name and my grandmother's last name.) These are both dark, serious novels for adults, nothing like the funny, light reads of Confessions of April Grace. The first book, Redemption, will be out in December of 2012, and Whited Sepulchres will be out February 2013. (To read more about these books, click here.)

See what I mean? K.D. is downright prolific! After interviewing her, I see there is no magic solution to it -- though I expect her "writer-sin" of seeing a story in everything is actually a gift. But, there's no doubt that her greatest gift is her ability to just SIT DOWN AND WRITE!

Thank you for your insights, K.D., and best wishes for continued writing success!

K.D. has a great book trailer for In Front of God and Everybody. Have a look:

You TOO can be Facebook friends with April Grace:
http://www.facebook.com/AprilGraceReilly

And you can "like" the real K.D. McCrite, too! Here's her Author Page on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/K.D.McCrite

If you don't find K.D. sitting on her porch writing in front of a fan, you can find her in these places:
http://kdmccrite.com/
http://sweettea.kdmccrite.com/

Leave a comment by Wednesday, November 16 to be entered in a drawing for an autographed copy of

In Front of God and Everybody!

Relic

2011-10-28T12:22:00.000-05:00

I have to admit, this week's flash fiction prompt photo was a challenge!

An old stick of dynamite!

Visit Madison Woods' blog to read some great flash fiction based on her photo prompt!

Relic

I found it in the damp, smelly darkness, as I crawled on my belly searching for the stench of something that died under the porch. Had I known what it was, I might not have dragged it into the light.

What surprised me more—that it was an old stick of dynamite, or that it was wrapped by a letter?

"If I cannot have Sarah and the child she carries, no one shall."

Sarah. My mother.

I stared at the letter. Was the relic of failed destruction it had wrapped all that I had of a father I never knew?

Sunrise and Sunset in Phuket

2011-10-28T09:49:00.000-05:00

We arrived in Phuket, greeted by a spectacular sunset. The next morning, as if a jealous sister, the sunrise challenged the beauty of the night before by donning her colors of pink and orange.

We’d risen early, excited for our excursion to Phang Nga Island, better known as James Bond Island, named for the movie, Man with the Golden Gun.

I’d seen photographs of pristine beaches, pearl-white sands washed by azure waves, and its signature towering pillar-rock in the bay. I couldn’t wait to experience the area.

My first hint that the area might not be what we see in magazines and movies came at the dock where we boarded a large boat with approximately 50 other people. It was only one of about ten other boats departing from the dock. As we left the bay, we were joined by various other watercraft—from Thai long boats to huge speed boats, all racing to Phang Nga Island.

I wondered just how pristine those beaches would be.

The trip to the island took approximately an hour, and during that time I enjoyed meeting fellow passengers from all over the world – United Arab Emirates, England, France, Spain, Italy and Australia. In fact, our little group of four was the only group from the United States.

At last, the jutting rock formations began to appear ahead of us. Breathtaking does not adequately describe the beautiful, almost prehistoric landscape.

But as we turned into the first bay, I was disappointed to see the area flooded with boats, humanity oozing off of each. Dozens and dozens of inflatable canoes battled (though I must say, it was quite a polite “battle”) to get through the tiny opening to a cave that led to a secluded—though not solitary—lagoon.

At times, my thoughts alternated between enjoying the magnificence and thinking about how to balance leaving nature alone versus allowing humanity to enjoy it. After all, while I cursed the invasion of what was once untouched and unspoiled, I was one of the invaders.

I don’t mean to complain and don’t wish to imply that I didn’t enjoy the excursion. But I do have to say that when we finally arrived at the actual beach where the Bond movie was filmed, I was disheartened that the beach was flooded with vendors selling their wares, desperately trying to gain the attention of passengers disembarking the exhaust-surrounded longboats. Once I escaped the diesel fumes, I was accosted by the smell of toilets from an overwhelmed public bathroom.

Like a beehive surrounded by a swarm of bees, the pillar-rock was swarmed by tourists, though with enough patience, we were able to get a couple of photographs that made it look like we were the only people on the island.

The next day, I looked forward to our excursion to Phi Phi Island. From what I’d heard from people who had visited it, the area was cleaner and more secluded than Phang Nga Island, due to its distance from the main island of Phuket. But again, as we boarded a huge speed board with twenty-five other passengers, and as many other speed boats raced out of the harbor with us, I wondered just how clean and secluded it could be.

For an hour, we bounced over waves at a speed fast enough I had to hold onto everything around me. The engine was so loud I could hardly hear what the guide attempted to tell us about the island where The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed.

I remembered how beautiful the landscapes in the movie had been, and imagined myself walking along soft, white beaches, listening to the sound of waves rushing to the shore as wind whispered through the palms.

But it was not to be.

We turned around a peninsula and the guide sighed. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he said. “Look. Too many boats and people. I suggest we skip this beach and spend more time snorkeling later.”

Though disappointed, I had to agree. With speed boats parked side-by-side and people swarming the beach like ants, it was far from the idyllic fantasy I’d had in my mind.

Once again, I wondered about the balance of nature versus tourism. How long can paradise remain paradise, once too many people have overrun it?

Still, I was awed by the color of the water all around us, with hues that ranged from deep blue to blue-green to light turquoise, so clear I could see the colorful fish swimming below the surface. I couldn’t wait to jump in to experience the world below.

Finally, the captain stopped the boat. We put on our snorkel gear and jumped in. The water was cool against my sunburned skin and I tasted the salt of the ocean. When at last, I dipped below the surface, I was greeted by a school of yellow and black striped fish and a soft clicking sound all around me. Every time I make the transition from the dry world to the ocean world, I am awed by the sudden peace and softness enfolding me.

But I couldn't ignore the occasional plastic bag I found wrapped around the coral, or the destruction of the reef. It was clear that this was yet another area that had been overcome by humanity ravenous to experience unspoiled nature. Yet, in experiencing it, we are spoiling it.

At the end of the excursion, the speed boats raced each other--as well as the receding tide--back to the harbor. In fact, the boat that followed us ran aground in the shallow water and had to wait for almost an hour for the tide to rise enough to return.

At the end of an incredible, yet ambivalent day, I watched another spectacular sunset.

I couldn’t help comparing the sunrise and sunset to the life of Phuket itself. If tourism is like its sunrise, bringing much needed money to its economy, is it also on a path of exploiting itself to its detriment, drawing toward a sunset that will not be nearly as beautiful as those I enjoyed?

Train Sounds

2011-10-12T13:07:00.000-05:00

Last night, I fell asleep to the sound of a train in the distance. With the rumble of the engine and the mournful song of the horn came a flood of memories. For much of my life, I lived in the proximity of train tracks and I was surprised by how its sounds returned memories to me.

When I was a child living in California, my house was only a block away from a track. Several times during the day, the windows and doors in our house rattled as the trains passed. I remember walking along the tracks, imagining where they would lead me if I kept walking. When I felt the ground rumble with an approaching train, my heart quickened with anticipation for the frightening energy of what approached.

And for more than 25 years, I lived within hearing range of a train that passed by our neighborhood several times a day. Often, as I lay in bed at night, I would listen for the train. Sometimes it came as a lullaby, soothing me to sleep with its deep rumble. Sometimes it was a soundtrack to my dreams, taking me to far away places. Sometimes it serenaded my loneliness.

Last weekend, my poem , "Sayonara," won second place at Ozark Creative Writers Conference. It is in the Tanka form, (Five lines, not to exceed 31 syllables) which is a form of Japanese poetry similar to Haiku (Three lines, 5-7-5 syllables):

Comes a sudden storm,

Words crash like thunder

But silence rings louder.

A train whistles far away,

I hug my pillow closer.

Does the sound of a train return memories to you? Are there other sounds that bring forth recollections of the past?

How Rambo Helped Me Find My Groove

2011-10-10T10:44:00.000-05:00

Though my annual trek to Eureka Springs is always filled with learning and laughter, I wondered if I should skip this year's Ozark Writers Conference. We are leaving for Thailand tomorrow and items on my Things-To-Do-Before-I-Leave list keep popping up like dandelions in springtime.

But the keynote speaker was David Morrell, creator of Rambo, as well as dozens of other bestsellers, and I am always drawn to successful authors who are willing to share their experiences and knowledge with fledgling writers. Still, after attending countless conferences and listening to many authors—and with my Things-To-Do-Before-I-Leave list looking like a field of yellow weeds—I wondered if I'd learn anything new.

Fortunately, I decided to attend and keep an open mind. You see, Mr. Morrell and Rambo gave me an "aha moment."

He told us about his history--about his abusive stepfather and his resulting troubled youth. He described his fascination with the 1960's television series, Route 66 and how it led to his interest in writing, which ultimately inspired him to contact co-creator and screenwriter for the series, Stirling Sillliphant. Mr. Silliphant replied, establishing a path that would lead David Morrell to become the writer and man he is today.

So what was my "aha moment?" The theme of Mr. Morrell's discussion was to pay attention to our daydreams. He told us that in those daydreams, we would see the theme that would open up our writing. Mr. Morrell talked about his fear, even despising, of his stepfather, and described some of his daydreams and fantasies that reflected those emotions. As he spoke, I stared out the window and began to daydream about my daydreams, wondering what about their central theme.

Then, it hit me. The "aha moment."

Of course, because of its very nature, I hesitate to say, worried that one will think it silly or dumb, or simply too plain. But it's the truth, and that is a part of what hit me. My daydreams, as well as almost everything I write, has the theme of wanting to be understood, and once understood, accepted. We all need to break out of the cocoon--what others expect us to be--to free ourselves to become who we truly are.

I wrote a haiku as the opening to my short story, "The Butterfly's Song," which won 2nd Place for the Showcase Award at this year's conference.

A caterpillar

Crept along her timid path

Until she grew wings

"The Butterfly's Song" is a short story taken from my novel, Broken Dolls, in which each of my three characters, Sachi, Nobu and Terrence, deal with the back and forth struggle of being understood and accepted. Two will find success in that truth, and one will not.

Sometimes, the shell of my cocoon is so thick and stringy, it chokes my writing. But upon hearing the courage in David Morrell's presentation, I realized if I withhold my truth, whether in my life or my writing, then any misundertanding of who I am is only my fault.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of thanking David Morrell. Funny, before this weekend, I would never have dreamed I'd have any reason to thank Rambo. But I do.

I would love to hear from any other conference attendees who may have had an "aha moment." Or, if you didn't attend the conference, what is the single thread that weaves through your daydreams?

Departure #fridayflash #fridayfictioneers #100words

2011-10-07T08:27:00.000-05:00

It's always been my favorite day of week, and now I have another reason I look forward to Fridays.

FRIDAY FLASH FICTION WITH THE FRIDAY FICTIONEERS!

Madison Woods is the founder of this fun group. Here's the picture she posted for our flash fiction prompt this week:

Departure

At dawn each morning

He comes to me with the mist.

Why must they leave me?

The World Beyond a Dirty Windshield

2011-10-06T10:05:00.000-05:00

It's a beautiful autumn morning. As I drove into town, I decided to record the segment of my drive that takes me to the only stop sign along the way, hoping to share the first whispers of reds and golds in the trees, the blue sky above.

I found myself thinking, "Dang, I wish I didn't have such a dirty windshield. It's ruining everything."

I told myself the world was still beautiful, beyond that dirty windshield. Of course, as a writer, I saw this as a metaphor for life. How often do we get so caught up in focusing on the dirty windshield--the bugs, the day-to-day problems in our lives--instead of focusing on the good and beautiful things?

There's a big, beautiful world out there, if only we can see beyond our dirty windshields.

Hog Jowls and Caviar: An Interview with Author, Pamela Foster

2011-10-04T11:03:00.001-05:00

I still remember first listening to Pamela Foster read Redneck Goddess at the Northwest Arkansas Writers Workshop. Let's see. How can I best phrase how I felt, listening to her story? Have you ever felt tension and longing as you watched a performer, artist or athlete struggle through a performance? And then comes another performer, so completely competent that you are able to let down, relax and enjoy the show? Well, Pamela is that second performer, and that's how I feel every time I hear or read something that she has written. She is a master of combining humor with elegant prose - thus the title of this interview, Hog Jowls and Caviar, taken straight from her book, Redneck Goddess, released earlier this year and now available on Amazon.

I hope you enjoy getting to know Pamela as much as I have. I know you'll see some of the magic of her writing in her words below.

Q. What first influenced you to write?

As a kid, I lived mostly in my head. I used to stay up half the night, lying in bed, living life as a pioneer woman or as a cowgirl or--and this scenario crossed over into erotica as the estrogen kicked in--as the slave of a gladiator. When I was eleven I was diagnosed with scoliosis. What followed was three years of body casts, surgeries and about eight months in bed. This is when I began to write. The ability to create a world that I could drop into and disappear was honed during that time.

Q. In Redneck Goddess, you've created characters (Goo Goo, Julio, Aunt Ruth,) that readers will be completely drawn into, and places, (Noisy Creek) that live in our imaginations. What do you think is most important in a story: characters, sense of place or something else?

Well, first of all, thank you. Nothing makes an author happier than knowing a reader has fallen into the world she created. I think being your character, each character, as you write is critical. I've never acted, but I imagine it's very similiar to what an actor does to get into a part.

Generally, I know what scene I want to write, what information I'm trying to convey to the reader. But, once the words start to flow from my fingertips to the screen, the characters themselves know what to do, how to react. Many times I'll begin a chapter with one thing in mind, only to have a character balk at the words or actions I envisioned. I always listen to my characters. The process is similar to what preachers call 'getting out of the way and letting the spirit flow through you.' If the people in the story are not real, no matter what else you get right, no one is going to be inspired to keep reading. I see sense of place as part of the development of the characters, because the reader, and the writer, is seeing, smelling, touching, hearing, tasting the world through these characters. A grumpy, negative character is going to experience a day in the woods much differently than a joyful person. Every word has to match the mood and personality of the character living it.

I use the weather as a character in my books. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest in the fog and rain and wind, this is easy to see and to feel. I'll fess up to the truth here. I did this automatically, with no thought whatsoever. But, once it was pointed out to me, I have honed the skill, employed the art more and, I think, better. The use of weather as a living-thing is in Redneck Goddess, but in Bigfoot Blues, it's much more intense, much more an integral part of the book.

Having said all this, to me, voice is the most important quality of a book. It's hard to define, but like they say about pornography, we all know it when we see it. Voice is the difference between the authentic and the fake. It's partly a product of the writer being comfortable in their own words and partly about being honest.

Q.You have created such beautiful, "ah"-inspiring prose in much of your writing. How do you write? do you create a "shitty" first draft (in the words of Anne Lamott) or do you perfect as you go?

Actually, my first drafts are often longer, with more description, more detail and more mood setting than the final edited version of the book. This happens especially in the first few chapters, because I'm still dropping into the bodies of the characters. Still getting inside their heads and finding the experiences that make them who they are. Once I've gotten that solid, then there are really very few changes in the writing. Line editing. Misspelled words or, my nemesis - the incorrect use of dashes or hyphens.

Q. Any writing quirks you'd like to share? What's the best piece of writing advice you've gotten?

Quirks, huh? Well, let's see. I know Jan, that you've talked and written about interviewing your characters and I've heard the beautiful results of those interviews. Ruth Burkett Weeks says the characters speak through her. I may be misquoting Ruth, but I think that's the general idea and certainly the process works for Ruth. Her characters could not be more real.

For me, the characters live in a world and I simply step into that world. I don't mean to get all supernatural here and I don't necessarily mean other dimensions or parallel universes. Though I'm not ruling that out either.

The best piece of advice I've received. That's tough. Velda Brotherton and Dusty Richards and everyone at the Northwest Arkansas Writers Workshop have helped me improve my writing. That's a given. But I think the most beneficial thing ever said to me about my writing came from my husband. When I was lamenting, pissing and moaning about yet another rejection letter, he said simply, "If you don't believe in yourself, nobody else is gonna believe in you either." For me, the writing is as easy as breathing and darn near as important for my survival. It's the self-promotion and marketing and walking past fifty rejections to get to the one glorious acceptance -- that's the difficult part of being an author.

Q. If you could only write one more thing in your life, what would you write about?

Ah. A trick question.

The Buddha taught that we can never enter the same river twice. To me that means that everything changes. No two moments are the same. The creative river in my head holds thousands of possibilities. The choice of which one to focus on and spend months clarifiying, changes from day to day.

At the moment I'm concentrating on the sequel to Bigfoot Blues, tentatively titled Loony Ticks. Once that's completed, I'll dip back into the creative river and see what hits me in the head and gets my attention.

Visit Pamela at:

Author Pamela Foster Website

Pamela Foster Secrets and Vices

Contact Pamela at:

pamelafoster2011@gmail.com