Tag: writing

I am old, but that’s okay

Posted in Inspiration, Views, Writer's Block4 Comments

Amaryllis in Bloom

Every once in a while I catch my reflection in a store window and am puzzled by the stranger looking back at me. Yes, I do look at my reflection every day when I’m putting on makeup, but that’s different, that’s a feature by feature application that doesn’t require looking at the whole picture, the big picture you might say.

It’s those unexpected sightings of myself when I stop and think, “Who is that old woman?” And then the rude awakening, “Oh, right, that’s me, the girl who used to weigh 97 pounds soaking wet (yeah, that’s been a while ago), and the one with – at varying times – dish-water blonde hair, black hair, blonde hair, red hair, and now nearly entirely white hair.

Being old doesn’t bother me, maySharon Vander Meerbe because I’m blessed with good health and don’t have to deal with the issues of a failing body and wandering mind, at least not right now. I’m happy to get up in the morning and look out into the patio to find an amaryllis in full bloom that’s been around for at least 50 years, its blossoms as brilliant and showy as if sprung new from the ground for the first time. It blooms twice a year without fail, with two to three spikes bearing three or four brilliant blossoms. Oh, that as I age I continue to blossom in my own way. I hope by the end of every day I have done something that made someone smile or laugh or think.

And then there are my friends. I don’t have many, by the way, only a few. Yes, I know many people, and I treasure those relationships, but a friend is someone who will listen to you blather on and pretend what you say matters. A friend is someone who will ask you the right questions without trying to give you her version of the right answers. A friend is someone who has known you for a long time and still likes you. A friend is someone who doesn’t judge you or the choices you make. A friend is someone who knows you want an honest answer to the question, “Do these pants make me look fat?” So, yeah, the only way you have old friends is if you are getting old too.

Life in general is as happy as we each want it to be. Make a conscious choice every day to be happy. If life has taught me anything it is to be forgiving, not only of others, but of oneself as well. Carrying around the baggage of discontent can plumb wear a person out. Taking on the stress dealt out by life is a time and energy waster. Guilting over past mistakes is to allow other people or circumstances to control your life, and why would you want to do that? Try to right the wrongs you can, and trust in the Lord for the rest. I learned the hard way that I can’t make other people happy no matter how hard I try, but I can make me happy, and by doing so hopefully have a positive impact. Life Lesson 101 – Count your blessings, they far outnumber your disappointments.

So, yes, I’m old, but that’s okay. I do count my blessings, and being able to write these words and share them is one of them. Aging is more than a physical process. It is to a degree mental. I agree with columnist Doug Larson who wrote, “The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball.” I can’t wait for the next snowfall. I’m ready to make my pitch.

Something Different

Posted in Writer's Block2 Comments

If  you’ve never been to my site before you won’t see anything different, other than the fact I haven’t done much since my marathon poetry writing self-challenge in which I wrote a poem a day from Dec. 1 – 25. I’ve written a couple of other blogs since January 1, but that’s it.

notebooks.jpgIf, however, you are a follower you will note a new look. The “new look” may be new again tomorrow, I can’t say for sure. I’m in flux right now, wanting to write but being frustrated by what to write and who my audience is, or who I think it is. Unfortunately I’m not sure I’ve figured that out yet.

And then I remembered. According to one of those cockamamie tests on the internet, my word for 2016 is Innovative.

With that it mind I decided to think outside the box. Unfortunately someone hid “the box” and I can’t find it anywhere. So here is what I’ve come up with, which applies to any blogger out there who wants to have readership:

  1. Write.

Okay, that’s it. Every day sit in the spot you feel most creative and write. Even when it’s bad writing you’re flexing your brain and developing ideas you can make something of down the road.

I have two almost finished novels. They’re just sitting there waiting. I’m the roadblock to these books being completed. Whether I’m blogging or writing poetry or short stories, or working on a novel, the first step is to write.

In an interview with Noah Charney, Jodi Picoult, whose last seven books have all hit number 1 on the New York Times bestseller list, talked about her approach to writing.

“I don’t believe in writer’s block. Think about it — when you were blocked in college and had to write a paper, didn’t it always manage to fix itself the night before the paper was due? Writer’s block is having too much time on your hands. If you have a limited amount of time to write, you just sit down and do it. You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”

Discipline leads to success, maybe not Jodi Picoult success, but success at some level. If nothing else there is satisfaction in knowing you tried and knowing you did your best. I’m preaching to me, now, because right at this moment I need a kick in the pants and nobody can give me that other than me or better than me.

Tune in tomorrow for more on my innovative approach to writing and blogging.

 

Q&A With Marianne Eloise: A Woman of Taste

Posted in Arts, Inspiration, Writer's Block5 Comments

Marianne Eloise, a brief bmarianne-webio: I am a writer and MA Film Studies graduate living in Brighton, UK. I currently work in the media but I have been a poet for several years, and have been running www.februarystationery.com for three. I write across a few mediums; including academic, poetry, prose, and journalism. When I’m not working I can be found reading, watching films, or by the sea.

Q. In one sentence, who is Marianne Eloise?
A. A viewer and writer of stories prone to thinking about things a little bit too much.

Q. What do you wish people knew about you as a writer?
A. Nothing, I mostly just want people to think I’m good! No, but I want them to know I am serious and my work comes from a genuine place. I just want people to enjoy my work and start a dialogue about it.

Q. You wrote your MA dissertation on taste cultures. Why that topic, and what did your research reveal?
A. Taste cultures is such an important topic for me as I found throughout my life that the tastes I had in film, TV, and literature were perhaps not the “right” ones to have. I saw through personal experience that the media being admonished was often for younger people or women, and I saw an inherent bigotry in the way that we deem certain tastes “correct” rather than others. To say that opera is better than film or James Bond is better than Twilight carries certain classist or sexist connotations, and at the end of the day neither party is right. I eventually became disillusioned with academia due to its inherent class and taste systems, and it wasn’t a great fit for me. In the end my research revealed that we make snap judgments on the quality of media based on our bias and prejudices, and that many consumers who genuinely “enjoy” the “wrong” media will lie about it to seem better or smarter. I essentially learned that nobody is right, we should all be nicer, and if film entertains you, that’s all it needs to do. It’s okay to criticise media on its genuine downfalls, but you should look at your own prejudices when you make a snap decision – if you think something is bad because you aren’t its key demographic, or because it’s “for girls” you’re probably a little bigoted.

Q. Why are your blogs named February Stationery and February Film and TV?
A. I wanted to start a blog, I didn’t have a title, and I pulled a lyric from the song Deer by Manchester Orchestra. When I came to making my film blog, I applied similar logic as a temporary measure but it stuck.

Q. In what ways do art and media affect society, or does society influence how art and media evolve?
A. This is such a poignant question. I believe that art and media have the power to educate society. Art can show us the world from so many different perspectives and corners of the earth, and can be persuasive enough to educate the most closed-off of minds. Society influences art in that we are always inherently influenced by our environment. I think Science Fiction is the most potent example – the Science Fiction film and literature of an era will always directly reflect the fears or hopes of the masses. The Cold War, new technology, new frontiers, apocalypse…

Q. Talk about your poetry. Cactus appealed to me because it seemed personal and revealing. Does personal experience drive your poetry?
A. Thank you! Cactus is about how much I suffer with winter and thrive in sunlight, essentially. I find myself best functioning in a dry, California heat – like a cactus – so a Brighton December is always tough. As such, I named my first poetry collection – which is about places – Cactus. Personal experience and longing are often the only factors in my poetry, selfishly enough. I am primarily motivated to write poetry when I am angry or desperate or looking to the future – it’s my way of exploring myself and often the only way I can be sincere or honest is by dressing up the truth in rhymes! I also write to capture a place or time before I forget it. I would say that personal experience is 90% of what I write.

Q. What challenges you about writing poetry?
A. I love poetry because it isn’t too challenging for me! It can be hard work, but mostly poetry is enjoyable and comes naturally to me. I write because I need to, and that’s what makes it easy.

Q. What do you hope people get from reading your work?
A. I mostly want people to be entertained for five minutes. I want them to see a bit of themselves, and maybe gain some insight into myself and my work. I sometimes write in the hope that someone I know will read it and understand what I really want to say. But mostly I want people to get the same thing I get from literature – inspiration, enjoyment, solidarity.

Q. In your writing are you an influencer, an observer, or a reporter and why?
A. I am probably a cross between the last two – as much as any one person wants to think of themselves as an influencer, there is no way to really quantify it! I write based on things that have happened to me, things I feel, things I miss. I observe everything around me and report back on it, I suppose.

Q. Please include links about what’s current or next for you, or write a blurb about your current work.
A. I have just released a collection of poetry entitled Cactus, centered around themes of place and home. You can find it here. (This is the currently updated link.)

Otherwise you can find me here:
Poetry: www.februarystationery.com
Film: www.februaryfilmandtv.com
And I publish my 2005 diaries at: http://www.newhive.com/marianneeloise

 

Q&A with Windy Lynn Harris: Getting Past “No”

Posted in Inspiration, Writer's Block5 Comments

Windy Lynn HarrisQ. In one sentence describe who you are as a writer.
A. I’m that woman peeking out from behind the pole over there, studying human behavior, sorting through the data.

Q. What is a market coach for creative writers?
A. A Market Coach is a mentor who reads your short prose and helps you figure out who’d like to publish it. I discuss long-term and short-term publishing goals with writers and point them toward the shortest route to both. I teach writers the industry standards of query letters and manuscript formatting, contract negotiation and professional etiquette.

Q. You have been a speaker at writing events. What is the most common question people ask and what is your answer?
A. Writers who come to my presentations want to know where to send their stories and essays and poems. Luckily, there are several hundred literary magazines out there looking for writers. My favorite resource is The Review Review, an online magazine dedicated to helping writers navigate the world of lit mags. I’m the Tips editor there now, but I’ve been reading TRR since long before I joined the staff. You’ll find a searchable database under the Magazines tab and there’s also a monthly Classifieds section with calls for submissions. You’ll never run out of places to submit your prose!

Q. Where you are in your novel writing?
A. My virtual computer drawer contains one terrible novel, two sort-of-okay novels, a pretty good novel (that came close to selling), and the second draft of a project that I think has a real shot at filling shelf space someday. The current project is a war-of-the sexes story set during a time when men and women have been separated for their own health. And it goes horribly wrong, of course.

Q. You have more than 70 bylines in a variety of magazines. What is the secret to getting a “yes” from a magazine?
A. When you send a polished piece of writing to the right editor for your prose, you’ve got a potential match. Up your chances of publication by behaving professionally. Query a specific person, for a specific reason. Format your manuscript. Follow the submission guidelines. Write your best stuff and then send it to magazines you like.

Q. How is writing for print different from writing for online magazines?
A. The lines have really blurred between these two mediums in the world of short literary writing. Online and print both offer writers a chance to be read by a wide audience.

Q. What do you wish people knew about you as a writer?
A. I get more rejection letters than almost every other writer I know. Yes, I get published a lot, but the “no thank you” bin outweighs the “yes” bin every darn month. There isn’t some magical number of bylines you need before it gets easy to publish your work. You gotta keep at it.

Q. Are you more invigorated by writing or by helping other writers?
A. I just love being in the world of writers. Many of my clients come as referrals from editors and writing instructors, but a lot of writers find me on Twitter too. Some have been writing short stories, essays and poems for years, and some are just starting their journey. Some are novelists and memoir writers who’ve been told that publishing short writing can establish a platform before approaching agents and publishers. And others are creating shorts as their primary art form. I am eternally inspired by all of the different paths available and all of the writers I get to meet.

Q. You wrote in a guest blog about taking risks (as a writer), what does that mean for you at this point in your career?
A. I’m six months into a personal challenge: write shamelessly. To me, writing shamelessly means to tell the stories that come out of me without letting that annoying internal editor stomp through my page. Some days I think I’ve mastered this skill, but then I have an attack of self-doubt. I, and my process, are still evolving.

Q. What are you working on you want people to know about?
A. Breaking news: there’s a Market Coaching for Creative Writers book in the works! I’m finalizing the proposal for that this month, and I’m gearing up for a January Market Coaching session. There are a few spots still available. Details here: www.windylynnharris.com

I’ve also got a story out in Pithead Chapel this month, and another forthcoming in Literary Mama. Just signed a contract for an anthology project with Crack the Spine that will publish this summer, and I’m gathering stories for my first short story collection. More about all that at www.windylynnharris.com.

Why NaNoWriMo?

Posted in Inspiration, Writer's Block4 Comments

Version 2

I’ve been writing since I was able to hold a pencil. My brain sizzles with ideas and bubbles with story lines. And then I sit down at the computer. It’s like turning off a faucet. The pencil was so much more productive, a direct connect to my brain. This lapse in creativity at the computer isn’t permanent, and the ideas will begin to flow again, but will the flow end up in one bucket or flood all over  the place? I think at this point I don’t care, I’m just happy with the flow wherever it goes. For me writing is fun. At one time it was important that I be paid, and that’s nice when it happens, but the reason I write has little to do with a burgeoning bank account, which is fortunate. I’ve never made much with this gift God have me, but I continue to be enriched by it in other ways.

What does this have to do with NaNoWriMo? November is National Novel Writing Month. The website sets the stage for writing a novel in 30 days, yes, 30 days. I’ve made a smattering of attempts to do this over the years, with little success. I was easily distracted or felt intimidated by sitting down in front of the computer and knocking out 1500 to 2000 words a day to reach the 50,000 word goal. The expectation is that at the end of the month you will have the bones of a good story, which you can turn into a finished novel.

This year I am all in. I’ve already written more than 30,000 words and expect to finish ahead of schedule. Maybe. Or maybe I’ll be working on it until the last day. Regardless, I will complete the challenge, and then complete the book.

So, why NaNoWriMo? This isn’t something that happens in November and then goes away. Like a cyber muse it enters your life throughout the year reminding you to let go of your inner editor and just write. It has programs for young writers. It provides stimulus when everything else seems destined to divert you from the discipline of sitting your butt in the chair and just getting with it.

I’m half-way through the challenge, but I’m going to give a little advice on why it’s important to sign up and participate. It’s more than what you do right now, it’s how you embrace the concept and apply its strategies day after day.

Why NaNoWriMo?

  • NaNoWriMo flat out tells you to write. Period. Don’t self-edit, don’t second think, don’t curb the creative flow. Write.
  • Set goals. If you say, “I’m going to write today,” with no goal in mind, it’s easy to get distracted by just about anything you can think of, including, “I just don’t feel like writing.” Make yourself do it or you will never get anywhere.
  • During November you will get pep talks and support. It does help, believe me. There is other inspiring encouragement throughout the year.
  • The forum offers all kind of help, some you didn’t even know you needed. World building, character building, writing helps and more.
  • It is a free site. Really, absolutely free. A wealth of help and inspiration for free. I can tell you that maintaining NaNoWriMo isn’t free to the people who are doing it. Buy their stuff and donate. Help keep this fabulous thing going.

NaNoWriMo has gotten me off my procrastination pedestal and it can help you too. Sign up, even at this late date. It’s possible you can get well into your next writing project and have the satisfaction of supporting an awesome writing site.

A disclaimer here, other than participating in NaNoWriMo, I have no connection with the site builders and promoters. I just like it and want to let fellow writers know it’s there, available, and a great help.

Q&A With Lisa Ellison: Paying it Forward

Posted in Inspiration, Writer's Block1 Comment

Lisa Ellison headshot-1Q. In one sentence who is Lisa Cooper Ellison?
A. I’m a person who believes in the power of stories and the importance of helping others.

Q. Your bio says you come from a family where everything is communicated through a narrative arc. Talk about what that has meant to you as you make career choices.
A. I come from a family with a strong oral story telling tradition. We spent a lot of time telling tales during Sunday dinners at my grandmother’s house.  I was particularly fascinated by her ability to bring stories to life through voices, pauses, and unusual vivid descriptions.

I don’t know when I fell in love with writing, but I have many memories of sitting on my bed as a teenager composing poems or short stories. I studied creative writing while getting my bachelor’s in English, but chose to pursue jobs in the helping professions because it seemed more secure. I continued to write and read in my spare time. When I contracted Lyme disease and had to slow down, I reflected on how quickly life changes and the importance of following your passions. Deep down, I knew that writing would heal me. And, it did.

Q. I was drawn to your work by the article you wrote about your brother. It was moving, painful, and real. Talk about where you had to go inside yourself to write that article.
A. I felt led to write the article “My brother had mental health issues and committed an awful crime. But I love him,” for The Guardian, because the number of families experiencing similar losses was increasing. I wanted to join the conversation regarding mental health crises in order to help those who grieve difficult losses and to challenge some of the misguided viewpoints regarding the complexities of addressing mental health problems.

Writing the article required me to tap into the intense grief I felt regarding my brother’s death, courage to speak publicly about such a personal event, and compassion for my brother, his victim, my family, and everyone this incident touched.

Q. Your writing and blogs convey a desire to provide hope and help. Talk about why this is important to you as a writer and as one who has had to cope with illness and loss.
A. Throughout my life I’ve experienced some significant struggles, including leaving home at age 17, my brother’s suicide, and contracting chronic Lyme disease. Many people provided assistance and hope at crucial moments. Now,  I try to pay forward the gifts I’ve been given. Writing is an effective tool for transmitting hope.

Q. I am intrigued by your description of the book-length memoir you are working on. Tell briefly the premise of the book and why you were inspired to write it.
A. I contracted a debilitating case of Lyme disease, which was complicated by an MTHFR gene mutation, at age 38, the same age my mother was when she became disabled by a fall at work. She struggles with a variety of complex health conditions including lupus, gastro paresis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Her mother retired at 58 and also struggled with unexplained symptoms and diseases, as did her mother before her. After leaving home I was compulsive about my health and determined not to get sick like them. But then I did. When I found out that part of the problem was in my DNA, I knew it was time to write a book.

This memoir takes place in Elmira, New York, a town devastated by massive flooding during Hurricane Agnes in 1972.  The place never recovered, which makes it an apt setting for a memoir about seeking higher ground. On a microcosmic level, the story is a coming-of-age tale about my life in two households—one with my grandmother who never let me leave the house and one with my mother who had a more free-range approach. On a macrocosmic level, it’s a story about the jobs and opportunities that receded with the floodwaters, leaving behind a murky world where unemployed fathers looked to the local prison for opportunity, mothers joined the workforce, and everyone had their desperate and beautiful ways trying to find hope.

Q. What is mindfulness-based writing, a writing discipline you teach?
A. Mindfulness-based writing is a practice that helps writers silence their internal editors, generate more work, and tap into their authenticity. It combines mindfulness meditation, free association writing, and the sharing of unedited work, which often contains kernels of the writer’s deepest truths.

Q. Other than financial, in what ways is being an editor rewarding and satisfying.
A. There’s something magical about helping writers find their voices and develop their ideas into something that adds to the larger conversation about our world.

Q. You are in remission from a mini-bomb of illnesses that led you to create the Body Inflamed website. What has this meant to your healing, and what reactions have you had from readers?
A. During the throws of my illness misery, I made a promise to myself that I would help others if I got well. Body Inflamed is my way of fulfilling that promise. I’m amazed by the courage I’ve seen from writers who contribute to the Messages of Hope section, and the words of encouragement and gratitude I’ve received from those who also struggle with chronic illness. People struggling with chronic illnesses have incredible perseverance, though they are often underestimated. It’s part of why I want to celebrate their voices.

Q. In what ways has writing changed who you are, or has it?
A. Writing helps me make sense of the world and myself.  If anything, writing allows me to be my authentic self.

Q. As a freelance writer, what is the best advice you can give other writers about getting published?
A. • Read and write a lot
• Understand your intentions for writing a story or article. Once they’re submitted, they belong to the world.
• Treat your subjects with love and kindness
• Expect to get rejected A LOT
• Don’t take rejections personally—they may not be a reflection of your work
• Stay humble and be willing to revise one more time
• Always meet your deadlines
• Treat editors with the utmost respect.

Q.  What are you currently working on and how can readers reach you online?
A. I’m working on second draft revisions for my book and a few short essays. I also provide editorial feedback on essays, short stories, and book-length projects  and co-facilitate a mindful writing group.

There are three  ways to contact me:
·      Check out my website: www.lisacooperellison.com
·      Send me a message through the contact page on my website.
·      Join me on twitter @LisaEllisonspen

Q&A With S.L. Shelton: Influence by Creativity

Posted in Writer's Block3 Comments

S.L. Shelton, AuthorQ. In one sentence, who is S.L. Shelton as a writer?
A. S.L. Shelton is a soldier, wrapped in a tech, inside a writer; there is no fiction, only exaggerations.

Q. You are a prolific writer and active blogger. How do you schedule time for both?
A. It’s difficult when both need to be done. But for the most part I only blog between writing on the novels. Blogging is a good way to network and to satisfy my need to write when I‘m not pounding out a first draft or crawling through the carnage of a developmental rewrite.

Q. At what point did you think, “Enough of being a techie I think I’ll go for a more risky way to earn a living and become a writer?”
A. I sold my tech company a few years ago. My intent was to farm and build heirloom furniture going into my early retirement. But an unfortunate incident with a Frisbee and weak ankles left me sitting in the house for an extended period of time. I have always been a writer, but the freedom of unlimited time and enslavement to a damaged foot conspired to give me this opportunity. I’m grateful for it every day.

Q. In what ways has writing satisfied or fulfilled you as a person?
A. Well if it weren’t for writing, all these voices in my head might start getting violent… I’d rather not have to deal with that in the pharmaceutical realm. Honestly though, creativity and influence go hand in hand. It’s an odd combination to simultaneously be introverted enough to create universes in your mind, but want to move the minds of the masses. There are few other mediums that do that as well as writing and it satisfies both those desires very well if one is attentive and reflective at the same time.

Q. You’ve had a variety of experience. How has that shaped the development of the protagonist in your novels?Waking Wolfe
A. I have done a lot of different things in my life and my bio only touches on a few of them. I owe that to my short attention span. Having such varied experiences allows me to tap into firsthand knowledge in a lot of areas of expertise. I keep those traits separated into various characters throughout all my stories, but I imbue Scott Wolfe with many of the imperfections that sort of scattered existence brings about.

Q. In your bio you say you are at odds with a need to kick the legs out from under those who abuse their power (political, economic or super). Talk about what that means in the context of story structure.
A. Wanting to change the world…ah. Wouldn’t that be nice. Fiction readers wish to be entertained first and foremost. That creates a dilemma for the fiction author; no one wants to be preached at, especially when trying to enjoy a story. I lean towards placing my message in a broad context, encompassing the story as a whole and then use it as the framework for the fiction. That way, you never have to go back and apologize for being too political, judgmental or coercive (except for food—people definitely need to eat better. JK)

Q. How does your protagonist in the Scott Wolfe series mirror your own life?
A. The series doesn’t really mirror my life except in eclectic bits and pieces. I spent a lot of time in the military and a lot of time in the tech industry, so certain funny or impactful anecdotes will migrate into the pages from my life, but for the most part, the Scott Wolfe Universe is all about me writing a story I’d like to read (or see as a movie).

Q. In what ways have you been changed by writing about this character, or have you?
A. I’m more aware of my own duality now than I was—or perhaps, going into such depth with my characters has made that duality more pronounced. We all have at least two faces; who we are to ourselves, and who we are to the world. Having an awareness of that helps bring a character to life but it sharpens your understanding of it in yourself.

Q. What do you wish people knew about you as a writer?
A. We read the reviews. Every author does, even the big ones like Brown, King, etc. We read them and take them to heart, even when we shouldn’t. Each one feels like a personal message written to us as an individual but posted for the world to see—and we crave them. Reviews are a sort of fuel to continue writing. The only thing better on the reader side is when someone posts a message to their friends, tagging us as someone worth reading. When that happens, I feel ten feet tall.

Q. The book cover for this series contains a repeat image overlaid or filled with different images and backed with different background color. Talk about how that developed and the ways you were involved in the design.
A. The early covers were just compilation photos. Constructs using pieces of my own photography and bits & pieces of other items. I’ve always pushed to improve the look of the covers, and enjoy doing the design.

Q. As an indie author, what do you think is most important to spend money on, editing or book design?
A. I design my own covers. I do it because I would rather spend my money on editors and proofing. As the series has become more successful, I’ve gone back and added additional rounds of proofing. The goal is to have a perfect product on release day, but when resources are limited and you can only afford two or three proofing passes, it’s nice to be able to go back later and update with more.

Q. Tell us what you are working on now and how people can connect with you online.
A. I’m in mid stroke of releasing Predator’s Game; the 6th novel in the Scott Wolfe Series. There’s only one left in the initial series. Aside from Scott Wolfe, I have six or seven other novels that I’ve been working on, but always set to the back burner when It’s time for a Scott story. As for connecting online. Twitter, Blog and Facebook are the best way to connect. I work hard connecting online and pride myself in being responsive to readers.

https://twitter.com/SLSheltonAuthor
https://www.facebook.com/SLShelton.Author/
https://wolfeauthor.wordpress.com/

Q&A With Rebecca Lee: Object Lessons

Posted in Writer's Block7 Comments

Writer Rebecca Lee lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. She has published with The Noctua Review, Cleaver Magazine, Rebecca LeeExistere Journal, The Rusty Nail.  Her blog is at www.AWordOfSubstance.com

Q. Tell readers about yourself and your writing goals.
A. Writing is my #1 passion in life. I’ve been writing since I could pick up a pen.  My main writing goal for the future is to publish a collection of short stories and vignettes.

Q. Your blog is an eclectic collection on a variety of topics. Comments from some readers refer to it as being quirky and original. Talk about the premise of the blog and why you started it.
A. My blog is mostly about objects personified. When I first started the blog I wanted to be able to write about anything and make it interesting. I hope that’s what I’ve been able to accomplish.

Q. Why write about what some would consider irrelevant, I mean power outlets? How can this be relevant?
A. Lately I’ve been writing about any kind of object that I think relates to a news article. The power outlet seemed like a perfect fit for the news surrounding college rape. Words have a way of seeping through the subconscious mind and piecing themselves into a way that makes sense. Even if those words are describing objects, one can still grasp the deeper meaning.

Q. “Object enthusiast. Fiction writer. Six word stories on twitter.” That’s you’re Twitter profile. What does it all mean?
A. I’m a big fan of inanimate objects. If something isn’t alive, you can create and attach any sort of feeling to it. Who’s to say a silver spoon doesn’t feel a certain way? We’ll never know.

As for the six word stories – I came across Hemingway’s story and was inspired. He wrote: For sale: baby shoes, never worn. In just those six words, he said it all.

Q. In one sentence, describe yourself as a writer.
A. For sale: words with hopeful promise.

Q. What do you find most challenging, concept development or writing?
A. Depends on the writing and the concept. In general I find poetry to be the most natural form of writing and essays to be more challenging. Depending on the topic, my feelings can change.

Q. What do you wish people knew about you as a writer?
A. I write about everything. My blog focuses mostly on stories surrounding objects, however I write non-fiction and poetry as well.

Q. You have been published in a number of literary journals for your short fiction and nonfiction. How do you decide where you will submit your work and how do you handle rejection?
A. I read a lot of literary magazines. I spend a lot of time on Duotrope. I take writing classes with other students who also submit their work to various places. I always have an eye out for publications.

In terms of rejection, I think I might be a rejection addict. When I was eleven, I asked a boy to dance with me at a school social and he turned me down. It was love at first sight. Rejection gives me an energy that encourages me to try harder.

Q. What encouragement would you offer writers about getting published?
A. Read a lot of literary magazines. Find the best one that fits your style and keep trying.

Q. What are you working on now or what would you like people to know about your work and where they can find it?
A. I am working on a collection of short stories and vignettes as well as a memoir. My published online writing is available at Linden Ave Literary Journal, Haggard and Halloo Publications,  Chicago Record, *82 Review, and in the next issue of Cleaver Magazine. For print publications, I have been featured in The Rusty Nail, The Noctua Review, and Existere Journal. For regularly updated writing, please visit  www.AWordOfSubstance.com

Q&A With a Truth Seeker: Kathleen M. Rodgers

Posted in Book Reviews, Writer's Block4 Comments

Q. In one sentence, who is Kathleen Rodgers?
A. I am a seeker of truth, and I use storytelling to try and find it.Kathleen M. Rodgers

Q. What do you wish people knew about you?
A. I am empathetic to those who struggle. Because I’ve overcome many obstacles in life, I try and encourage others not to give up. I joke that “HOPE” is my middle name. I try and offer hope in my stories.

Q. In writing Johnnie Come Lately you use grim themes about bulimia, addiction, and betrayal. Talk about how the complex story line developed?
A. My protagonist, Johnnie Kitchen, came to me many years ago while I was working on my first novel. At the time, I knew she was a woman who had overcome eating issues that developed from neglect she suffered as a child. Raised by loving grandparents who lost a son in a tragedy that stunned them to silence, Johnnie must find her way in the world while also dealing with an absentee mother. As a young wife, she carried these issues of abandonment and neglect into her early marriage, and years later her loyal and hardworking husband learns about an old betrayal. I also address the issue of military service during a time when our nation is at war. My challenge was to write about how the trauma of war can affect generation after generation. I’m continuing this theme in the sequel, Seven Wings to Glory.

Johnnie Come LatelyQ. Your characters are down-to-earth. You don’t take the easy way and make some inherently good and others identifiably bad. Where did you get the inspiration for these very relatable people?
A. Nobody is all bad or all good. Every human being is flawed, and I work hard to remember that when I create characters. In all of my fiction, my characters are sometimes composites of real people and other times they come fully formed in my imagination. For instance, Aunt Beryl in Johnnie Come Lately might be considered an antagonist. She’s a bossy busybody, and yet, she is also the truthsayer and the person in Johnnie’s life who finally tells the truth about who her father was. I also think about Johnnie’s husband, Dale. Dale is tasked with the job of trying to figure out how to forgive his wife. The fact that Dale initially withholds forgiveness from Johnnie makes him human. This character flaw intrigued me and helped propel the story forward. Even Granny Opal and Grandpa Grubb, as good as they were, had their own flaws and secrets, and Johnnie suffered because of it.

Q. This family has some obstacles to overcome. Without giving away the plot, talk about your journey to get from the telling moment of betrayal to resolution.
A. As I stated in the last question, Dale is such a good man. But even good men can hold grudges. The challenge for both Johnnie and Dale is how to move forward in their marriage and heal a hurt that cuts deep and affects every member of the family, even Brother Dog. And Dale, despite being a hard worker, has been holding Johnnie back from wanting to return to college. He uses money or lack of money as an excuse for his wife to pursue her dreams. There’s a scene in a restaurant when Johnnie discovers the truth about why Dale resists the idea of her going back to college. I cried when I wrote this scene because I hurt for Dale and the pain that followed him through life, no matter how successful he became. That’s a theme I write about a lot, how our past still affects our present and our future.

Q. Who do you identify most with in the story?
A. Johnnie’s two sons, D.J. and Cade. One is an artist and pacifist and the other is hell-bent on joining the military and going to war. (I continue this theme in the sequel.) Brother Dog, the family pet, is the glue that keeps this family together, and I relied on him to guide me through the story. And then there’s Mr. Marvel, the portly airline pilot who is Johnnie’s mysterious neighbor. I identify with Mr. Marvel because no matter how successful he became professionally, he still suffers from a childhood tragedy and the guilt that follows him. Mr. Marvel is every misunderstood person that gets marginalized or profiled or labeled. I have a deep abiding love and respect for this character. He taught Johnnie many lessons, and he lives on in both of our hearts. (And yes, I think of Johnnie as a real person.)

Q. You use journaling and writing letters to people you want to “speak to” but, for various reasons can’t. How does this method advance your story?
A. I have always loved the letter form. I used a series of letters in my first novel, The Final Salute, to cover a period when some of my characters went off to war and others stayed home. Letters and journal entries in fiction have the opportunity to pull readers deep into the story because they feel a personal and emotional investment with the characters. Because I received so much positive feedback from readers who loved that section of the novel, I decided to make Johnnie Kitchen a “closet writer” in Johnnie Come Lately. When she can’t share her deepest thoughts with the living and the dead, she turns to her journal and pours her heart out on paper. The reader discovers many secrets about beloved family members, old lovers, and Johnnie’s deepest fears and dreams for her future and that of her family. By parceling out tidbits of information here and there in the journal entries and in class papers Johnnie writes when she returns to college, we are able to piece together the missing pieces of the puzzle that makes up Johnnie’s life and the lives of the other story people (both the living and the dead).

Q. You’ve done quite a lot of writing and been published in various magazines. What challenges you about writing fiction?
A. I reached a point as a freelance writer when the subject matter stopped feeding my soul. Plus, I was limited by the confines of nonfiction and I wanted to explore so many more themes and subjects. And the only way to do that was to turn to fiction.

Q. How is writing fiction different from writing nonfiction?
A. With fiction, I can “write outside the lines.” I can use real life experiences and give them to my characters without letting actual events dictate how the story is told. My stories are full of emotional truths and themes that are dear to my heart, and my characters take on the issues and themes that I might not feel comfortable writing about in a nonfiction book or magazine article. Plus, I love to incorporate a touch of magical realism into my stories, and I’m not brave enough to deal with that in nonfiction. Writing fiction teaches me to be brave. I find courage by exploring deep and serious issues through my story people.

Q. What do you hope people get from reading Johnnie Come Lately, which by the way I thought was a wonderful story from beginning to end?
A. Thank you, Sharon. I hope my readers are able to apply some of the story lessons from the novel and apply them to their own lives. Most of all, I hope they are entertained and finish the book feeling hopeful for their own lives and the lives of their families.

In any of my novels, I want my readers to laugh and cry with my characters. I want fiction and reality to blend into a seamless dimension where my characters know they are real people and my readers think they are my characters.

Current news about Kathleen

Kathleen is working on Seven Wings to Glory, the sequel to Johnnie Come Lately.

Sequel concept: After sending her youngest son to war in Afghanistan in 2009, Johnnie Kitchen finds herself battling a war of racial injustice in her small hometown of Portion, Texas. Will she back down after being threatened for speaking out? Or will she do the right thing and pursue justice? And will her Army son, who took an oath to protect ALL Americans, return home safely to Portion?

Click here to read Kathleen’s blog. 

___________________________

More about Kathleen from her website: Texas based author Kathleen M. Rodgers is a former frequent contributor to Family Circle Magazine and Military Times. Her work has also appeared in anthologies published by McGraw-Hill, University of Nebraska Press/Potomac Books, Health Communications, Inc., AMG Publishers, and Press 53. In 2014, Kathleen was named a Distinguished Alumna from Tarrant County College/NE Campus. Three of her aviation poems were featured in a new exhibit at the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island, NY. More…