Dec 06

Story Starters Part 2

I quoted an unknown author last month who stated “Bad decisions make good stories.” To this I will add, good decisions also make compelling stories.

A suddenly wealthy African American woman buys a town she discovered for sale on the internet. Henry Adams, Kansas, is one of the last surviving townships founded by freed slaves after the Civil War. She promises to fix up the rundown town but asked for one thing in return: the townspeople must take in orphaned and/or abandoned children. Of course, many townspeople fight the deal. Good decision, life altering story. “Bring on the Blessings” by Beverly Jenkins.

Two angels work together to help a dying man who refuses to cross over because he didn’t want to leave his only grandson alone. The angels bring in a memory taker, who happens to be the grandson’s lost love. The grandfather was responsible for getting rid of her years ago, but she accepts the assignment anyway. Good decision, heartwarming story. “The Touch” by Karen White Owens.

A woman barely survives the slaughter of her family and other Tutsis by the Hutus. Her faith in God gives her enough strength to tell her story and to forgive the Hutus. Heart wrenching decision, riveting memoir. “Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust” by Immaculee Ilibagiza.

A pharmaceutical sales representative files a sexual harassment suit against her boss. The company’s attorney is reluctant to take her case. The boss accuses the sales rep of stealing the company’s HIV cure to take the focus off him in the harassment suit. The attorney decides to take her case in spite of his attraction to her. Good decision, thrilling love story. “Acquisitions” by Kimberley White.

Katie Wilkinson is in love with the perfect man when he suddenly disappears leaving only a woman’s diary for her to read. Katie reluctantly begins reading the stranger’s diary which reveals a love story that changes her life forever. Good decision, touching story. “Suzanne’s Diary” by James Patterson.

A reporter receives a flyer in the mail that asks “Have You Seen This Child?” The child pictured in the flyer looks like her legally adopted son. Her reporter’s instincts win the fight with her protective instincts to discover the truth about her son’s birth parents. The search could cost the lives of herself and her son. Moral decision, great thriller. “Look Again” by Lisa Scottoline.

Take a second look at your stories. Have your characters made good, as well as bad, decisions that make your story riveting? Mysteries, romances, and memoirs all need compelling decisions that pull your readers into the story.

Dec 03

Giving…Thanks…

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On Thanksgiving morning, I rose early on a rainy and cold day for a 5k race. My daughter arranges the volunteering that she and I do for several years. We’ve run in road races, but during warmer seasons.

Each year, we’re assigned a spot on the running route to give our water or point runners towards a turn. It’s two hours of standing in the cold, yet the time flies. As runners pass, we shout encouragement:

“Good job!”

“Great running!”

“You’re doing great!”

“Way to go!”

“You can do it!”

Many runners pass by, without seeming to hear. But I know that they do, having been in their running shoes. When running in these events, it means a lot to me to hear people calling out encouragement. Strangers who I don’t know, and who may very well not be shouting to me—it does not matter. I am energized and appreciative. So I call out encouragement even when it seems that I’m talking to myself. I believe that the runners hunger for it. Some runners grunt acknowledgement, something that I do, and others do express gratitude.

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The last third of the participants walk the course. We cheer them with just as much enthusiasm as for the frontrunners. There is no judgment or value placed on pacing. They are all outside on a cold and rainy day—participating.

This event reminds me of the value of giving thanks, not just at a race or when we gather later with our families to celebrate Thanksgiving. Showing appreciation is a simple act that represents the act of giving of ourselves to others.

December is a time of giving. Cynics would say that it’s a time of spending money and shopping for stuff. They might go further to say that December is the opposite of giving. These cynics are right. Unless…

We can choose to act with recognition of the opportunities to show appreciation through our interactions. For example, thanking a sales clerk when they complete a sale for us shows appreciation of their efforts. If you are working with a customer, saying thanks or have a great day—matters. Even knowing that such responses are most likely the result of store training, it’s still nice to hear. So lets all do our part.

Saying “thank you” is a gift of giving, as are other expressions of appreciation and encouragement. Let’s embrace this season to give thanks everyday to someone. Such practice for 31 days could engrain such actions into our normal practice that it extends into the new year. That’s a gift worth giving.

 

Nov 24

Can I Use My Bathroom? Yes!

IMG_7226Hurrah! The work on my bathroom is complete. Is it worth all the trouble I went through? Totally. I couldn’t be more pleased with how it looks. Calder the cat seems to like it, too.  Whenever I allow him in the room, he explores the space like it is new territory.

Now that the contractors have finished their job, I have work to do that I didn’t anticipate. Starting with shelf liner and drawer organizers, I have to try to fill all the great storage space. After that, the soap dispenser and other accessories must be replaced. Hmmm. Now shouldn’t I also get new towels? A new vanity chair is a must-have, too. How about some rugs? The economy of my community is about to get a huge boost.

In a future post, I’ll share some useful tips for surviving a bathroom remodel. For now, in homage to every home improvement show I’ve ever watched, here are some before and after pictures.IMG_7228 IMG_7230

 

Nov 23

November can be Tough

Things always seem to go to hell in November. But first, an update on Alice. The 150th Anniversary Edition of Alice’s Adventures Under Ground is due to be released in book format on 11/22 (yesterday), but I received my e-book version of the story last week and was delighted. The quality is excellent. They kept to the original, hand-written format with the drawing around the text, which cannot be enlarged on an e-reader, like a normal typeset document can. It worked perfectly on my “iBooks” app and was easy to read in portrait mode. Charles Dodgson’s original tale differs greatly from the commercial version of Alice in Wonderland. For one thing, there is no Mad Hatter in the Under Ground version, and the ending is… well, I won’t spoil the plot — for fear the Queen of Hearts will point at me and shout off with his head!

Broken String is back from my two editors and all of their comments and corrections are in. The final edit trims to 111,200 words. That, from 122,800 in first draft, or about nine percent. I don’t know what that means, but I’m a nut for statistics.

Artist Jeanna Jinks of Wake Forest, North Carolina, is doing a cover art example for Broken String. If you are not familiar with her works, drop by her online studio, JinksStudio.com. Jeanna’s paintings are captivating and I’m anxious to see what she comes up with.

In other news, I can now add Manservant to my resume. I have Mo home recovering from foot surgery she had on Veteran’s Day. One of the hazards of being a nurse is that you are on your feet all day. Her employer gave her eight weeks to recover, which is great for her and not so much for me. I am writing this the day after her surgery. For the first five days of recovery, Mo will spend 55 minutes of every hour with her foot “up” and five minutes walking. Early mornings and late nights, I’m up and down the stairs refilling the ice bag that keeps the swelling down. She tells me I’m a dear. I’m trying to get my lap time under two minutes.

Starting day-six, Mo will only need to spend 40 minutes an hour with her foot up. It’s her left foot, so she can drive on her own after that. She has a temporary handicap parking sticker but you can bet dear will be driving Miss Mo around more than she’ll be taking herself places. Thanksgiving and Christmas fall during her recovery period.

This should be fun, and I say that with tongue fully extended from cheek.

Normally, it’s just me and the dogs during the day, and they’re usually asleep. Mo and Ben are off working and I don’t turn on the radio or television while working online or writing. I like quiet, find it more soothing than any music. The perfect background for thought. But right now, I can hear the living room television playing some TV serial Mo’s recorded in advance, in anticipation of binge watching away the tough months of November and December… Note to self; get Mo headphones for Christmas, give them to her way early.

I say this in jest, of course. Mo knows my sour sense of humor, she even encourages me when it’s aimed at others. I’ve no doubt she’ll run to grab a stick when she sees the piñata that looks like her ice bag.

Nov 18

Four Tips about Writing and Everything Else

It’s the middle of November; how are your resolutions or yearly goals progressing?

I am incredible. My NaNo word count is a work in progress.

I am incredible. My NaNo word count is a work in progress.

This is the heart of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), the month where every writer and would-be writer suddenly finds the time to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Accomplishing this feat results in nothing more than bragging rights and the messy first draft of the novel you’ve been meaning to write. How do we make time now when we didn’t have one spare moment in the past 11 months?

The holiday season kicks off, too. If you’re a crafter, the stress of making Christmas cards is here because only 37 days remain until Christmas. To you chefs, the Thanksgiving meal is 8 days away. Other celebrations and holidays are a few weeks from now. What happened to your New Year’s Resolutions?

Oh, right. Those.

Why do you let everything and everyone else get in the way of your plans? How can you change that?

Schedule writing time, and I mean put it in your calendar. Would you miss a doctor or dentist appointment? What about your child’s football championship? Are you planning to miss your child’s trumpet solo at the musical recital? Writing time–or anything else–is a meeting with yourself. It is important, so block that time off in your calendar.

Set a timer for every activity you do, then switch to something new when the alarm sounds. I’ve heard that tip before, and I blew it off as corny…until I tried it. In increments of 23 minutes, I can wash a load of laundry, take a short walk or exercise, empty the dishwasher, catch up on one social media outlet, reply to some emails, or write a few dozen words.

Set deadlines. If you have a project due at work, do you blow it off and say, “I’ll get to it when I can.” There are unpleasant consequences for doing that. If you’re moving, you have boxes packed and mail forwarded by your departure date. I bet you don’t ignore such timeframes, so set a goal for yourself and stick to it. No excuses.

Reward yourself for completed tasks. If you have something good waiting for you at the end of a journey, you’re more likely to finish. Rewards don’t have to be big and expensive. Buy yourself something goofy from the dollar store. Get yourself a bouquet of flowers, one piece of Godiva chocolate, your favorite craft beer, or a coloring book. Tuck individual rewards you’ve listed in sealed envelopes, and choose one at each milestone you set. Surprises are extra-fun. Whatever you choose, be kind to yourself. If this is the first time you scheduled time for yourself and you didn’t accomplish everything, still reward your effort.

Small, simple changes: that’s how resolutions become accomplishments. “Losing weight” can only be accomplished by first “eating more veggies” followed by “climbing stairs at work for exercise.” That’s why NaNoWriMo is successful: 50,000 words at 1667 words per day. You can make small changes now, even if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the holiday season. Take time and test yourself by doing something you love. Write. There’s always enough blank space on the calendar to fit that in, even if it’s only five minutes.

Living by example, come back next month to see how this writer has handled life, the universe and everything else.