My friend, Cindy remarked that daily blogging is not a sustainable hobby, and I must agree with her. While I have the legit excuse of having been down with the flu, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't have been blogging anyway. Just didn't have anything to say.
I did finish the Zane Grey memoir about five days ago. I have to be perfectly honest about it. He spent two thirds of the book laying background, and, sad to say, much of his prose needed some serious de-purpling, especially as he built up the romance between the heroine and her future husband. To be totally honest, I wouldn't have kept reading but for two things, my interest in writing a historical memoir because of my own book, and the fact that the foreword promised Betty Zane would perform an act of heroism that would contribute to the winning of the last battle of the American Revolution. The last nine chapters were exciting, full of action, and very well written. Betty Zane did indeed live up to her advance publicity.
I'm now slogging through Bluefeather Fellini. If it doesn't get better soon, I won't finish it.
Right now I have a more important writing problem. I'm twelve chapters into the sequel to my first novel, and not at all in control of the situation. I've accused my characters of not liking the plot I constructed. A very good critique from a friend whose writing I respect brought me up short and made me face the fact that I'm the one who doesn't like the plot. So now I've got to decide, introduce the action of the original plot about six chapters earlier than planned, or write a new plot. Decisions, decisions, decisions!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Just Realized It's Friday the 13th.
I don't have triskaidekaphobia, and one of the things I supposedly learned when I became a scientist was to not be superstitious. But aren't we all superstitious to some degree? Haven't you ever "knocked on wood" without thinking about the superstition behind it, or crossed your fingers at a crucial moment? When the chips are down, when humanity fails us, in a crisis, aren't we likely to haul out anything that might ameliorate the situation. I remember seeing people carry rabbit's feet in my childhood, and many barn doors had a horseshoe on them.
In this age of technology, have you never kicked or thumped a mechanical object that is on the fritz, as a last, desperate measure? And been surprised when it works. I once had a highly trained computer tech tell me, "When all else fails, turn the damn thing off and let all the electricity drain off for at least a minute." Well, I don't believe for a minute that electricity is going anywhere, but 9 times out of 10, it works!
When people name their children, whether after a rich uncle in hopes of being remembered in the will, or because the baby name book says a name means something special, isn't superstition at work? Superstition takes many forms in many cultures. The old Germans used to say never throw your hair out the window when you clean your hairbrush, because if a bird found it and used it to build a nest you would get headaches. When a traditional Navajo walks over the track of a rattlesnake, they shuffle their feet to avoid offending the snake. Many modern athletes are addicted to lucky hats or lucky shirts or repetitive behaviors they believe gave them luck in the past.
In past decades, there were only a few choice spots one could go to gamble in the U.S., notably Las Vegas and Atlantic City. In recent years Native American casinos have burgeoned in every state. Gamblers are indeed a superstitious lot, so there must be a concomitant rise in superstitious behavior.
If I had a point when I started this ramble, I don't remember what it is now. I suppose what I meant to say was, so we're all a little superstitious, and some of us are very superstitious. Where's the harm? If it makes life flow more smoothly, practice whatever little trick works for you. Happy Friday the 13th!
In this age of technology, have you never kicked or thumped a mechanical object that is on the fritz, as a last, desperate measure? And been surprised when it works. I once had a highly trained computer tech tell me, "When all else fails, turn the damn thing off and let all the electricity drain off for at least a minute." Well, I don't believe for a minute that electricity is going anywhere, but 9 times out of 10, it works!
When people name their children, whether after a rich uncle in hopes of being remembered in the will, or because the baby name book says a name means something special, isn't superstition at work? Superstition takes many forms in many cultures. The old Germans used to say never throw your hair out the window when you clean your hairbrush, because if a bird found it and used it to build a nest you would get headaches. When a traditional Navajo walks over the track of a rattlesnake, they shuffle their feet to avoid offending the snake. Many modern athletes are addicted to lucky hats or lucky shirts or repetitive behaviors they believe gave them luck in the past.
In past decades, there were only a few choice spots one could go to gamble in the U.S., notably Las Vegas and Atlantic City. In recent years Native American casinos have burgeoned in every state. Gamblers are indeed a superstitious lot, so there must be a concomitant rise in superstitious behavior.
If I had a point when I started this ramble, I don't remember what it is now. I suppose what I meant to say was, so we're all a little superstitious, and some of us are very superstitious. Where's the harm? If it makes life flow more smoothly, practice whatever little trick works for you. Happy Friday the 13th!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Spring Is Here ?
To quote the Cowardly Lion (the movie version, not Baum's) "Unusual weather we're havin', ain't it?" After a number of record high days in the 80s in March and early April, the Midwest was plunged into a cold snap last night. I rarely watch the weather, but I'm glad I did this time. I had 11 tomato plants, 2 cucumber vines and a wisteria bush I had planned to get into the ground. Today I'd be looking at their black, withered little corpses, because we hit 33 last night, what used to be called a "killing frost." Hmmm, I think I just found the title of my next book!
Interesting how weather can be benign one moment and very malign in the next. Today was not only benign, it was downright beneficent. Clear sunny skies, birds hopping about flirting, flitting, and nest building. And flowers - everywhere, flowering shrubs and trees like azalea, forsythia, pear and quince. And those other harbingers of spring nodding in the breeze, tulips, grape hyacinths, and daffodils. Roses and Iris budding and blooming in many colors. It was a great day to be out and about. And tomorrow my plants will go in the ground in hopes of a free watering from the promised weekend rains.
Interesting how weather can be benign one moment and very malign in the next. Today was not only benign, it was downright beneficent. Clear sunny skies, birds hopping about flirting, flitting, and nest building. And flowers - everywhere, flowering shrubs and trees like azalea, forsythia, pear and quince. And those other harbingers of spring nodding in the breeze, tulips, grape hyacinths, and daffodils. Roses and Iris budding and blooming in many colors. It was a great day to be out and about. And tomorrow my plants will go in the ground in hopes of a free watering from the promised weekend rains.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Day Three - what shall I write about!?!
I can see why blogging is the perfect exercise for a writer. You must write, even if you have nothing to say! April 11 is sort of a nemesis day for me. Fifty-one years ago it was one of the worst days of my life. I've never celebrated it, tried hard to forget it. Today I had brief hopes something good would happen to turn it into a day I would remember with happiness. My house was shown for the second time since I put it on the market.
Last time the house was shown, back in January I think, I was so excited I almost started packing for Oklahoma. The let down when no offer came was heart wrenching. I know it's a lousy market, but my hopes were sky high. This time I refuse to have any expectations. It was discombobulating enough when the call came at noon, "Can we show your house at three?" Daughter and I cleaned house like a couple of whirlwinds, no small feat since I'm recovering from back surgery and she had a crick in her neck! We barely got out the door before they showed up. Now the waiting begins.
I have a like situation in my writing. Nothing is going right. With my first novel, I simply wrote it. I did the synopsis and outline afterward, because I had to have them to submit to a publisher. This time, I decided to do it right. At least outline the plot first. Apparently the drawback to having created good, strong characters is that if they don't like your damn plot they're not going to go along with it! I'm mired down in three chapters that are going absolutely nowhere. These characters are dragging their feet, lollygagging about the house, refusing to jump in and get down to the business of putting themselves in harm's way.
So, what to do? Do I jump ahead and write the chapter that forces the action to begin? Do I dump those three chapters and try a new tack? Do I rewrite the plot and hope it will make my stubborn characters happy? Or do I do what every writer eventually does? Procrastinate! Procrastinate until the jello in my head turns to concrete? Procrastinate until something happens, good or bad? Of course, all this insanity is taking place in my head, so sooner or later (probably later, knowing me) I will have to face the situation and wrestle it into something manageable.
Happy writing, out there!
Last time the house was shown, back in January I think, I was so excited I almost started packing for Oklahoma. The let down when no offer came was heart wrenching. I know it's a lousy market, but my hopes were sky high. This time I refuse to have any expectations. It was discombobulating enough when the call came at noon, "Can we show your house at three?" Daughter and I cleaned house like a couple of whirlwinds, no small feat since I'm recovering from back surgery and she had a crick in her neck! We barely got out the door before they showed up. Now the waiting begins.
I have a like situation in my writing. Nothing is going right. With my first novel, I simply wrote it. I did the synopsis and outline afterward, because I had to have them to submit to a publisher. This time, I decided to do it right. At least outline the plot first. Apparently the drawback to having created good, strong characters is that if they don't like your damn plot they're not going to go along with it! I'm mired down in three chapters that are going absolutely nowhere. These characters are dragging their feet, lollygagging about the house, refusing to jump in and get down to the business of putting themselves in harm's way.
So, what to do? Do I jump ahead and write the chapter that forces the action to begin? Do I dump those three chapters and try a new tack? Do I rewrite the plot and hope it will make my stubborn characters happy? Or do I do what every writer eventually does? Procrastinate! Procrastinate until the jello in my head turns to concrete? Procrastinate until something happens, good or bad? Of course, all this insanity is taking place in my head, so sooner or later (probably later, knowing me) I will have to face the situation and wrestle it into something manageable.
Happy writing, out there!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Sleepless in De Soto
Here I am at past 3 a.m., finding myself unable to sleep due to a bad back. Sometimes that's the writer's curse, sometimes their friend. So I've returned to ramble - er, blog! I had intended a long discourse on two books I'm reading, but lo and behold, I've had two visitors! One, a friend and fellow writer from two groups, not only commented, she threw me a techno-challenge. She says if I can find the little widget that allows people to follow me, she will do so. The other, a nice person from India named Joomla, said the same thing. I've always thought of myself as a leader, therefore I must have followers, right? I must rise to the occasion for Kareen & Joomla. So, you will only get a short blab, uh blob, uh blog ( ! ) about the books and I shall go on a techno-hunt!
The books, picked up at my fave second hand store, have lain around gathering dust for some time. Funny this should be the month I'd pick them both up to read. The first is "Betty Zane" by Zane Grey. For the young and uninitiated, Zane Grey was a famous writer of westerns which often found their way to the silver screen. He was probably best known for "Riders of the Purple Sage" and was denigrated by the critics of his day for his purple prose.
Well, guess what folks? My grandad was a real cowboy who knew the likes of Geronimo, Quanah Parker, Bat Masterson, and Wyatt Earp. He made several comments on those good folk that proved to be quite true when the historical facts were allowed to override the myth. He was friends with Geronimo until the old man died and had business dealings with Quanah in his capacity as ranch foreman. He said both were good and noble men who did what they did to protect their people. This at a time when both men were still being portrayed by the popular media as bloody savages.
He had no use for the myths about Earp, having watched at the age of 10, while Earp beat one of his fellow cowboys to a bloody pulp on Front Street in Dodge City. The kindest thing he would say about Masterson was that he was a "whoremaster."
Despite having left school at age 8, Grandaddy loved to read. His favorite author? Zane Grey. He said the man told it like it really was. When at long last introduced to that 20th Century marvel, television, in the 1950s, the only western Grandaddy would watch was "Rawhide." He said it was realistic, the others so much horse manure.
So, what's the point - at least for me? I'm writing an historical memoir of Grandmother & Grandaddy's pioneering days in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. I started subbing first to a fiction writing group, then to a non-fiction writing group. Both groups clamored for more action, more plot & made-up dialogue. In disgust, I pulled it from both groups.
And how does Zane Grey's book bear on this? In several ways. When I picked the book up, I assumed it was a biography of Grey by his wife or daughter. Upon closer examination, I discovered it was an historical memoir of his ancestress from the American Revolution, Betty Zane. Like most people (not just writers) of his day, Grey had a big vocabulary and wasn't afraid to use it. The book has no real plot, other than Betty was born, she lived, and she died, with lots of adventures along the way. And last, but not least, there is a LOT of conversation going on in that book. I know Grey wasn't privy to any of it, and I know his ancestors didn't hand it down verbatim. He did have one old, moldy, partially burned journal to work from. So, yeah, the man invented dialogue!
I'm not going to let it bother me that my book doesn't have any more of a plot than Grey's does, but the light has come on in two important areas. I've "dumbed" myself down to fit in today's society. It's time to whip out my excellent vocabulary and use it to the benefit of my characters. And, I can and will invent dialogue, so long as it's necessary to the story, and appropriate to the time period.
The second book is "Bluefeather Fellini" by Max Evans. I confess I was simply attracted by the artwork on the cover when I picked it up. I'd heard the name Max Evans in connection with Westerns, but wasn't sure where or how. Well, to begin with, Bluefeather Fellini is half northern Tiwa Indian/half Italian. Having made friends at the Taos Pueblo and been taken to see places no whites had been allowed to go before during my archaeological field school, I was immediately entranced. Then I discovered Max wrote "The Rounders," which, when made into a movie with Henry Fonda and Glen Ford, I can assure you is both funny and authentic, having spent a lot of time around beat up old bronc busters in my youth. Finally, this book was highly recommended by my former acquaintance and mentor, the late Tony Hillerman. 'Nuff said! I'll let you know if it lives up to the hype. I'm only 7 pages in, being highly focused on the Zane Grey thing right now.
So off I go to see if I can find that widget thingamajig!
The books, picked up at my fave second hand store, have lain around gathering dust for some time. Funny this should be the month I'd pick them both up to read. The first is "Betty Zane" by Zane Grey. For the young and uninitiated, Zane Grey was a famous writer of westerns which often found their way to the silver screen. He was probably best known for "Riders of the Purple Sage" and was denigrated by the critics of his day for his purple prose.
Well, guess what folks? My grandad was a real cowboy who knew the likes of Geronimo, Quanah Parker, Bat Masterson, and Wyatt Earp. He made several comments on those good folk that proved to be quite true when the historical facts were allowed to override the myth. He was friends with Geronimo until the old man died and had business dealings with Quanah in his capacity as ranch foreman. He said both were good and noble men who did what they did to protect their people. This at a time when both men were still being portrayed by the popular media as bloody savages.
He had no use for the myths about Earp, having watched at the age of 10, while Earp beat one of his fellow cowboys to a bloody pulp on Front Street in Dodge City. The kindest thing he would say about Masterson was that he was a "whoremaster."
Despite having left school at age 8, Grandaddy loved to read. His favorite author? Zane Grey. He said the man told it like it really was. When at long last introduced to that 20th Century marvel, television, in the 1950s, the only western Grandaddy would watch was "Rawhide." He said it was realistic, the others so much horse manure.
So, what's the point - at least for me? I'm writing an historical memoir of Grandmother & Grandaddy's pioneering days in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. I started subbing first to a fiction writing group, then to a non-fiction writing group. Both groups clamored for more action, more plot & made-up dialogue. In disgust, I pulled it from both groups.
And how does Zane Grey's book bear on this? In several ways. When I picked the book up, I assumed it was a biography of Grey by his wife or daughter. Upon closer examination, I discovered it was an historical memoir of his ancestress from the American Revolution, Betty Zane. Like most people (not just writers) of his day, Grey had a big vocabulary and wasn't afraid to use it. The book has no real plot, other than Betty was born, she lived, and she died, with lots of adventures along the way. And last, but not least, there is a LOT of conversation going on in that book. I know Grey wasn't privy to any of it, and I know his ancestors didn't hand it down verbatim. He did have one old, moldy, partially burned journal to work from. So, yeah, the man invented dialogue!
I'm not going to let it bother me that my book doesn't have any more of a plot than Grey's does, but the light has come on in two important areas. I've "dumbed" myself down to fit in today's society. It's time to whip out my excellent vocabulary and use it to the benefit of my characters. And, I can and will invent dialogue, so long as it's necessary to the story, and appropriate to the time period.
The second book is "Bluefeather Fellini" by Max Evans. I confess I was simply attracted by the artwork on the cover when I picked it up. I'd heard the name Max Evans in connection with Westerns, but wasn't sure where or how. Well, to begin with, Bluefeather Fellini is half northern Tiwa Indian/half Italian. Having made friends at the Taos Pueblo and been taken to see places no whites had been allowed to go before during my archaeological field school, I was immediately entranced. Then I discovered Max wrote "The Rounders," which, when made into a movie with Henry Fonda and Glen Ford, I can assure you is both funny and authentic, having spent a lot of time around beat up old bronc busters in my youth. Finally, this book was highly recommended by my former acquaintance and mentor, the late Tony Hillerman. 'Nuff said! I'll let you know if it lives up to the hype. I'm only 7 pages in, being highly focused on the Zane Grey thing right now.
So off I go to see if I can find that widget thingamajig!
Monday, April 9, 2012
Welcome to my World!
I have nothing erudite to say. I cannot pontificate on how to write. I just do it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. A number of my writer friends are doing the A to Z Blog Challenge. Perhaps I'll try to catch up to them tomorrow, perhaps not. I'm nothing if not a procrastinator!
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