Z is for Zilch

Z is for Zilch. I generally post to my blog about once a month. I have given this challenge my all. Even though I got a late start, I was able to come up with 25 entries. (More or less; some are more – some are less) Now I have nothing, nada, zilch. I’m done with daily blogging for bit. All my attention must be on Marabella’s next adventure. Z is for Zilch. #atozchallenge #amwriting 

               

                

Y is for Youth

Y is for Youth; and where did it go? “Youth is wasted on the young.” This quote is attributed to George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde. (Or so says the internet) No matter who said it; it is true. The trouble is that you have to be no longer young to truly appreciate youth.

My fascination with books started early.

There are those who will say that age is just a number or youth is a state of mind. To a certain extent, these statements are also true. But let’s face it, we all have to come to terms with aging and mortality at some point. There are things I did in days past that I just can’t do anymore.

I used to love to go camping. I enjoyed it so much that I often camped alone. During my high school and college years, I would take off with little more than a thin sleeping pad, a sleeping bag, and a tarp. 

Lugar

My Rottweiler, Lugar accompanied me on these lone excursions. I didn’t need a tent or any fancy camping gear. A hatchet and bic lighter made sure I would have a fire. The tarp kept the dew or rain off me and I could still sleep under the stars. If I tried to sleep on the ground today, my body would protest. The aches and pains would be severe. I would be lucky to be able to get up.

Of course, many of these aches and pains come from the way I spent my youth. I worked very hard. I played very hard as well. The bad knees come from years of standing on my feet at work, years of playing softball, and over doing it in the weight room at the gym. I’m sure night after night spent dancing in high heels did them no favors either, but it was fun.

 The bad back is attributed to lifting things I should have left to others. Hiking with a heavy pack may have done a little damage there as well. The tendonitis and arthritis in my shoulders is due to repetitive motion at work and lifting things I shouldn’t have. . Also some of that damage might be from paddling a canoe, chopping wood, or over-doing it at the gym. I earned my scars and often it was worth it.

Mt. Hood

The Bard wrote. “Age, I do abhor thee. Youth, I do adore thee.” Perhaps because we gain wisdom with age, we wish to turn back the clock and spend our youth doing more, accomplishing more. Or maybe we merely want to do it all again. Youth truly is fleeting. When youth has fled, do not look back and say, “I wish I had…” but rather, “I’m glad I did…” Y is for Youth. #atozchallenge

X is for Xerxes

X is for Xerxes. He was a bad guy. When you write villains, how do you identify them as such? First and foremost, bad guys do bad things. Xerxes is a good example of a classic antagonist. The historic figure of Xerxes is a despot intent on world domination. (Classic baddie) In the movie 300, his villainous traits are amplified. He becomes a (literally) larger than life, morally corrupt, arrogant malefactor.

                From time to time I read or watch villains who just don’t make the cut. In an effort to humanize them or give them at least one redeeming quality, the writers make them “bad guy lite”. But how bad is bad enough? I suppose that depends upon your genre and audience.

                The best villains are those who are able to pull off a bit of humanity but remain unredeemable. Heath Ledger’s depiction of the Joker is a perfect example. He made us smile, even giggle a little when he walked away from the hospital in the nurses uniform, pressed the remote and nothing happened. His reaction was comical. 

Then the hospital exploded and you knew that he’d just murdered countless innocents. He also arranged for a guy to have a bomb implanted in his body so he could explode at the police station. He was a truly bad guy.  And yet in his last moment on screen, he was human again. I give the actor more credit for this accomplishment than the writers. It was an inspired performance.

                Xerxes as we see him in 300 was much less nuanced. He wanted to rule the known world. He amassed an army to accomplish his plan. He cared for nothing and no one, including his own men, which might stand in the way of his goal. He believed that it was his right because he saw himself as a god.

True believers are scary bad guys. These are the ones who believe that the evil they do is for the greater good. They believe that no sacrifice is too great to achieve their goals. That is where they lose their humanity.

The worst of the worst are the villains who enjoy the suffering of others.(See Ramsey Bolton in the Game of Thrones novels) If you are writing horror, this is your guy. I find a villain of this caliber horrifying and no fun to write. There are no layers past his insanity and bloodlust. But he does make excellent gore, if that’s your thing.

A good antagonist is not always easy to write. Xerxes gives us something of a template from which to begin. X is for Xerxes. #atozchallenge

W is for World Building

W is for World Building. This may be my favorite part of writing fantasy. I enjoy developing a world of my own. I love to draw maps. Though I am not much of an artist, I draw maps of the entire region, the villages, and sometimes house plans.

With my first book, MARABELLA, DISCOVERING MAGICS, I began with the characters and built their world around them. Now I am working on the second book in the series. I am having fun expanding the existing world and developing new characters to inhabit it. 

                World building is not just locations and maps. It also involves climate and weather, new character races, and different cultures. 

Writing fantasy gives me the freedom to build whatever I can dream up. The laws of physics as we know them need not apply.

 What does your fantasy world look like? Are there castles in the clouds? Do mythological creatures inhabit your world? Are the denizens of your world something completely new? W is for World Building. #atozchallenge

                              

V is for Vices

V is for Vices. What are your vices? Come on. You know you have at least a few. Everyone does. Do you enjoy a drink? Wine, beer, or something with a bit more kick? 

Are you a smoker? Do you vape? 

Are you someone who enjoys gambling? Do you like to smoke a little herb from time to time?

 Go on. You can tell me. I can keep a secret.

                The truth is that we all have our vices. Some people consider their excessive coffee consumption a vice. Others curse. My point is (and yes, I have one) that when you are writing characters, be sure to give them vices, flaws, and imperfections. 

It is our flaws that make us unique and therefore interesting. There is a reason we girls like a bad boy. V is for Vices. #atozchallenge

U is for Under the Cherry Moon

U is for Under the Cherry Moon. A few days ago we lost Prince. He was a music and cultural icon. Prince was an innovator and mentor. He was a genius and closet philanthropist. He was a part of my youth. Few can hear his music without moving. He inspired us to dance. He will be missed.

Everyone is familiar with Purple Rain. It won him an Oscar. The song is widely known even by those who aren’t Prince fans. But he made another movie. 

Under the Cherry Moon showcases the fun side of this serious musician. It is funny and sweet with great costumes. Prince always had an eye for fashion.

"Put a pllow up under her ass. She like that."

 If you haven’t seen it, find a copy and watch it now. If you haven’t seen it in a long time; find a copy and watch it now.  U is for Under the Cherry Moon. #atozchallenge

T is for Time

T is for Time. There is never enough. Have you ever sat down at the computer or writing desk and later looked up to find that hours had flown by without notice? My mother used to tell me that as you grow older time passes more quickly. I fancied myself as something of an academic, therefore I found that concept to be ridiculous. There are 60 seconds in each minute no matter what your age. Right? WRONG! Once again, Mom was right. (Wasn’t she always?) Just yesterday (it seems) I was fretting about turning 40. Now 50 is in the rearview. Time certainly does fly. When I was a child, I wished to be older. Mother, in her wisdom, always said the same thing about that. “You’re wishing your life away.” Now I understand.

Shakespeare wrote, in Sonnet 60. “Like as the waves make toward the pebbled shore, so do our minutes hasten to their end.” People speak of turning back the clock. But time is the one thing, once spent, you can never retrieve.

Shakespeare writes of time again and again in his sonnets and plays. He understood how precious are our fleeting moments.

Another genius, cultural icon, and man ahead of his time, Steve Jobs, said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” He understood the value of using time wisely. Look at all he accomplished in his abbreviated time on the planet.

For writers especially, time is a commodity. We trade time we should be doing things like sleeping or cleaning or relaxing with friends for time getting our thoughts down or our stories told. But it is a fair bargain. We must write to build our worlds, tell our stories and hopefully to inspire generations to come as we have been inspired. T is for Time. #atozchallenge

                

S is for Serious

S is for Serious. I find that more and more, books, movies, and television shows are so serious. What happened to fun? Too many people take themselves way too seriously. Some who should be serious are buffoons. We have “reality stars” who seem to think that the world is watching their petty little dramas unfold and milk it for every tear and tantrum they can muster. We have “political candidates” who mock and bluster but have no substance.

We live in a weird world. This should provide excellent material for writers. All too often, we tend to focus on the dark and the drama. When you are writing, don’t be afraid to have some fun. It’s okay to write edgy, face paced drama. But, once in a while lighten up.  Every story needs at least some plucky comedy relief. S is for (not so)Serious. #atozchallenge

R is for Road Trip

R is for Road-trip. Today’s blog entry has nothing to do with writing; unless you are a travel writer. Who doesn’t love a good road trip? There was a time when I would pack a lunch, load up my dog and hit the road for a day trip every month or so. When I was in college, back in the last century, I loved to take off on a solitary excursion with Toot.

Toot was a cocker/lab mix. He had short tan fur, floppy ears, and big, soulful, brown eyes. We would hop in my little economy car ($5 filled the tank) and hit the road. Toot liked to hang his head out the window and let his ears flap in the breeze. We traveled as far as that $5 would take us, exploring Petit Jean Mountain, near Little Rock, Arkansas several times. We also took a few trips up to the Missouri state line and Table Rock Lake and state park. Those were great days.

My most memorable road trip was one I took with Mom. (I think it was 1990 or 91.) We left the dogs at home. We traveled from Conway, Arkansas to Table Rock Lake for a camping trip. We stopped at every flea market, antique shop and yard sale along the way but finally made it to the campground. The clear waters of Table Rock called to us, so the first thing we did was take a swim. The long summer days were sure to provide plenty of daylight for us to set up camp. Unfortunately, by the time we had a shower and dry clothes it began to rain. (This was the olden times before cell phones with weather apps.) We decided to just wait it out in the S10 Blazer. A mighty storm raged as we huddled in the car. It was hot but we couldn’t roll down the windows. The wind, thunder, and lightening pounded us all night. We slept, but not much. Undaunted, we carried on with our plans.

The next day was spent in Branson, Missouri. (This was when it was still a quiet little town.) After checking out a winery and several flea markets and antique shops (naturally), we decided to get a motel for the night. Since we were planning to camp, our budget was limited. The motel was a bit of a dump but the sheets were clean. The next morning I was awakened by Mom’s off key rendition of Happy Birthday. When I covered my head, she put a quarter in the “magic fingers” and the bed began to vibrate and shake. I’m still laughing. (Many of you have no idea about “magic fingers”. It was supposed to be a coin operated massaging bed, but it just vibrated and shook awkwardly. This particular bed was probably left over from the 70’s.)

We took scenic Highway 7 for the trip home. It is a winding road with beautiful vistas and views through the rolling Ozark Mountains. We stopped at a place called Booger Hollow; tourist-y but cute, and then found a little café for pie and iced tea. The place didn’t look like much from the road but seemed bigger on the inside. This lovely country restaurant was built on the side of a deep gorge with a magnificent view from the back porch. That porch was the best part. All around the open porch hung dozens of hummingbird feeders. When I stepped out the door, I was surrounded by thousands of humming birds. The waitress commented that they were attracted to my red shirt. The tiny iridescent avian buzzed close around me. It was enchanting.

I have taken many road trips since that one. Though I can’t remember exactly what year it was or which birthday. I will never forget the storm, the magic fingers, the thousands of humming birds, and Mom singing, badly.  R is for Road trip. #atozchallenge

               

                

Q is for Queen

Q is for Queen. When I started working on my second book, I had a story outline and little else. I knew that my protagonist, Marabella was to encounter pirates at some point. This is the story of how I created one of my most interesting characters, Dorinda, the Pirate Queen.

                Dorinda was my sister in law. She married my brother when I was just 7 years old. I am the only girl in the family.  She was the only sister I had while growing up. She taught me to use make up. She helped me with the girly things my Mom just wasn’t into. Dorinda was fancy. She was a natural red head complete with sharp blue eyes and freckles everywhere. She was elegant and one of the only people I’ve ever seen who could truly rock an animal print. She loved autumn colors, owls, and sunflowers.

                The last time I saw her I asked if I could use her name for a character in my book. “What kind of character?” She asked suspiciously.

                “What kind of character would you like? You could be a magic user or a healer or a fighter or a pirate.” I told her.

                “I want to be a pirate.” Her blue eyes lit up. “And I want to kick ass.”

                I laughed. “With a whip or a sword?” I urged her on.

                “With a whip.” She smiled. “And a sword.”

                “Done.” I promised. We talked about a few other particulars for the character and I wrote it down in my notebook.

That was one of the last lucid conversations she was to have. The cancer that wracked her body pulled a veil over her mind and took her less than two days later. I’ve replayed that conversation over in my mind many times since. “Come and talk to me. Nothing morbid. Make me laugh.” She had commanded in her gentle voice. I complied.

I sat there as if there was no oxygen generator humming at the foot of the bed. I fed her water from a spoon when she was too weak to suck from a straw. Though her body was emaciated and frail I could still see the steel backbone and elegant beauty that not even cancer could take. Dorinda, Queen of the Pirates was born. Q is for Queen. #atozchallenge

                

P is for Procrastination

P is for Procrastination. This entry was to be about procrastination but I kept putting it off so…

     P is for procrastination. #atozchallenge

O is for Owning It

O is for Owning it. Owning what? You may ask. You must own whatever it is that makes you unique. Are you a freak? Let your flag fly. Are you a geek? Geek is the new sexy. Are you a nerd? Nerds drive technological progress. (Just ask Bill Gates. Remember Steve Jobs?) If it’s your “thing”, do it. Life is too short and fraught with hardships. Do the thing that thrills you. Allow yourself to excel at the thing that gives your heart wings.

I have always been a writer. As a young child I made up stories and journaled. In school, I loved essay questions and book reports. I said I always wanted to be a writer, when in fact, I was a writer. Life and work and making a living all got in the way. For many years I was a writer who didn’t write. Then there was the devastating loss of a career and subsequent period of unemployment. My wonderful husband said, “You need to write.” I had several stops and starts along the way but I was writing. Now I am an author. I have published one novel and am currently working on the second book in a series. I am owning it.

Whatever makes you happy, do. If your passion is cataloging insects or baking bread, do it.  Do not deny who God made you to be for the sake of a job or the status quo. Dye your hair, get that tat, or not. Do not waste decades doing what you think you should or being what others think you should be. Realize your potential and own it. O is for Owning it. #atozchallenge

               

N is for Names

N is for Names. Character names are a very important part of any story. A name can give insight into the character’s personality or occupation. It can indicate social standing or familial ties. When writing fantasy, as I do, world building is important. Cities and villages must also be named.

                I would love to know how other writers come up with the names for characters and places. I can only share my own methods. I have named characters after friends and family members, usually altering spelling or changing the name somewhat. If I meet someone with a unique name, I might ask them if I may use their name in a book. (I don’t always ask.) I also have a running list of names. The list is broken into sections; pirates, first names, last names, towns, islands and such. You get the idea.

                Shakespeare wrote. “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called.”

                But would he? The play could have been called Ted and Francis. That doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue like Romeo and Juliette. Arnold and Sybil do not sound like tragic young lovers. “Arnold, Arnold, wherefore art thou?” That just doesn’t work.

                Perhaps the rose would smell as sweet and the boy be as fair. Then again, maybe not. I think names are important. What do you think? N is for Names. #atozchallenge

M is for Maps

M is for Maps. I love maps. I have framed maps of Skyrim and the Northern Realms on my office wall. As I expand Marabella’s world I draw the maps. I don’t draw particularly well but it helps me to know where she is in relation to where she is going. I want to be accurate in my descriptions. My maps help me with continuity and clarity. I love it when I’m reading a fantasy novel and there is a map. I refer to it as I read.

                Perhaps I love maps because I have such a poor sense of direction. It is easy for me to get lost when traveling. Now that I have finally learned to use GPS and the digital maps on my phone, that doesn’t happen as often. Because of the digital versions which actually have a little dot that plots your progress and tells you (literally) when to exit and where to turn, paper maps have become obsolete. I find that kind of sad.

                It is true that paper maps are not as useful as they once were. In our ever changing, fast paced world, changes to towns and roadways happen seemingly overnight. Several years ago, I went on a road trip with my Mom. We traveled through Dallas, Texas. It is always under construction, growing and changing. The good old paper map she had was about 10 years old; so WAY out of date. Let it suffice to say that it was a nightmare.

                But, I write fantasy. In the world I have created, there is no GPS, no cell phones, no digital anything. It is simpler. So, I draw maps.  I map out regions and villages. What do you think? Do you find maps in novels helpful? M is for Maps. #atozchallenge

L is for Living

L is for Living. Sometimes we have to get away from the keyboard and go out to live our lives. This makes greater fodder for the stories we tell. Today is such a day. L is for Living. #atozchallenge

K is for Kissing

K is for Kissing. When I began my first book, I wanted to produce a story that my (then) young nieces could read. I ended up with a mid-grade to adult story. It is heavier on violence than sex as it begins when my protagonist is a young child and follows her through her teens. I struggled with how hot to make the relationships. I must have rewritten the one real love scene a dozen times. It went from graphic to benign and back several times. The final edit produced a scene appropriate for a fourth grader to read but that an adult would see as a love scene. At least that’s the way I see it. To a child, a shirt crumpled on the floor is laundry. To adults, it reads as sex. So how much is too much kissing?

                I was reminded by my (now) teen-aged niece that teens are all hormones. She indicated that for the teen market, there can never be too much kissing, as long as it serves the story.  There was a time when I thought that writing a trashy novel (with lots of kissing and sex) would be fun. The world I have created for Marabella is not that kind of world.

Romance novels and adult content books most certainly have their place. A glass of wine and a steamy novel combine very well for a relaxing night at home. Fifty Shades taught us that the market for such books is tremendous. But when writing fantasy, science fiction, steam punk or adventure, do you need to bring the heat? Is sex a necessary component of writing for the masses? Do writers feel pressured to include a love story or some sort of physical relationship in modern fiction?

I leave these questions unanswered because I believe the answers are in the hands of the individual writers. I will continue to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell their own story. Though it would be interesting to know what other writers think of this topic. Can there ever be too much kissing? K is for Kissing. #atozchallenge

J is for Journey

J is for Journey. Writing is a journey. It may take you to places you never dreamed of going. Better still, it gives you the opportunity to take your readers to a world of your making. Will you make the journey dark and frightening? Will your world be happy and hopeful?  Will the reader be transported and become invested in your characters? This is every writer’s hope.

                I am currently working on the second installment of my fantasy series about Marabella. The first book was about her growing up. This book is about her journey or quest which takes her out of the world she knows. Writing an actual journey is both exciting and daunting. As an author I want to take my readers to places they’ve never been. I also want to be believable and fantastical.

                In order to be believable, I must adhere to the constructs of time and distance for travel. To convey the fantastical, I must show my readers something they’ve never seen. Herein dwells the difficulty. Real world, movies, television, and even modern books often lack originality. Have all the stories truly been told? Is every plot simply a rehash of something Shakespeare already wrote? This is the writer’s journey and struggle.

       A journey does not always involve travel. It may be a journey of self-discovery or perhaps a journey into the mind of a character. Whatever the journey, it is the task of the writer to take the readers along. It is both a burden and privilege to do all we can to ensure that the ride is enjoyable. J is for Journey. #atozchallenge

Announcement/Apology

I apologize for not posting this past week. I’ve had a summer cold. I shall endeavor to play catch up over the next few days. Hang with me. Thanks.

I is for Interruptions

I is for Interruptions. Each and every writer knows exactly what it feels like to finally get your thoughts in order and start to write. You push through the veil of this world and enter your own or you settle enough to be able to hear the voices in your head. Your fingers are poised over the keyboard. Just as your brilliance starts to flow, the phone rings or perhaps it’s the doorbell; maybe someone walks in from another room and begins to tell you about the fantastic Hail Mary pass Doug Flutie made in college 20 years ago. That noise you hear could be Chaucer, the cat, hanging from the window screen, trying to get your attention because you haven’t looked at him in 3 or 4 minutes. These interruptions vex me as well.

My cross-eyed feline, Miss Luna Kitty Longtail, can be particularly annoying when she feels slighted. To appease her, I give her treats or a handful of food. Now look at her.

 

Writing is my dream job. To others, it seems that what I do all day is sit around in my jammies, or sweats if I feel like getting dressed up, and play around on my computer. Yes, I spend time on FaceBook every day. (And Twitter and Instagram and 2 e-mail accounts.) Yes, I surf the internet for information on pirates and hamsters and medieval sword-making techniques. Crazy as it may seem, it’s all part of the job. (Just like staring at the keyboard, trying to remember the brilliance that was flowing just a moment ago is part of the job.)

*This blog entry was to be more complete but I was interrupted.

*All the aforementioned interruptions did, in fact, happen in a 30 minute period yesterday.

I is for Interruptions. #atozchallenge

H is for Humor

H is for Humor. Humor is a very important element in life. Today’s world can be so dark and full of terrors. Movies, television, and books are often drama filled, edgy reflections of the fear, unrest, and angst of our times. It makes me want to scream. “Lighten up already!”

                When writing fiction, even dark, serious fiction, never miss an opportunity to have some fun. All great stories have at least some comic relief. We’ve all heard that it takes more facial muscles to frown than to smile. Save the workout for the gym. I enjoy being lazy sometimes. (As evidence, see yesterday’s blog entry on grammar.) Our language is full of reminders that we need more smiles and laughter in our lives.

I’d much rather “grin and bear it” than just bear it with no grinning whatsoever. “Turn that frown upside down” and “let a smile be your umbrella”. You’ll still get wet, but you can be happy about it.  Remember; “laugh and the world laughs WITH you”. Cry and the world laughs AT you because your face gets all puffy and you look like crap. H is for Humor. #atozchallenge

G is for Grammar

G is for Grammar. I know that there are a lot of grammar police out there. I used to be one. Perfect grammar has its place. But as a true Southern girl, I can tell you. It ain’t all that necessary when you write dialog.

Perfect grammar is boring. That just ain’t the way folks talk. When I write, my grammar is better than when I speak. When I write dialog, I read it out loud. We don’t need no perfect grammar to get a point across. So write how you feel and fight with the editor about it later. G is for Grammar. #atozchallenge

F is for Failure

F is for Failure. Failure is such an ugly word. Who of us hasn’t felt the sting of a foot in the mouth, fall on your face, complete and total failure. If you have not suffered the soul sucking effects of a personal failure, you are either a child (in which case, your time is coming) or you are living in a fantasy world. Failure can crush you if you allow it. But failure can also be a good thing.

                How can failure be positive? Failure teaches us. We learn that we aren’t infallible or perfect. We learn to pick ourselves up and try again. Failure teaches us that there is often more than one way to accomplish our goals. Many times a failure can cause us to change the direction we are going. That change may result in finding a more satisfying outcome; one we didn’t know we were searching for in the first place. Most highly accomplished individuals, if they are honest, will admit that they failed as much as they succeeded.

                It is up to each individual to decide how to react to failures in life. Will you wallow in your ineptitude? Will you allow a failure to beat you? Will you get right up and try again? Will you shift your focus and try something else? It is up to you. F is for Failure. #atozchallenge