OMG Moments

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?

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

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

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

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!