V is for Vacillating

The definition, according to Webster, of vacillating: to sway to and fro: to waver, totter, stagger.

Such a strange word. Yet, I do this all the time.

I vacillate between writing a middle grade book, or literary fiction.

I vacillate between excercising, or sitting down to watch something on the TV.

I vacillate between a warm sour-cream laden burrito for lunch, or yogurt and fruit.

I vacillate between a lot of different things, and usually, it's because my wants are trying to overpower my true needs.

Though, I don't know how I account for the writing thing ... I vacillate on writing a lot of different styles, mostly because I like so many-- from young adult to fantasy -- and to see if I can write in a particular style that I'm not used to. Well, that's the reason I'm coming up with, anyway.

What about you? What do you "stagger" and "totter" over? Facebook or actual writing? Folding laundry or eating chocolate?

And really, have you ever used this word in your vocabulary? Or in any of your writing? If not, you should.

It's a great word to vacillate over using in your next story.

I is for Ink

When was the last time you wrote a letter?

I know. A letter.

When did you last take some actual paper, lined or frilly or otherwise, pick up a pen -- one of those tubular things that emits a liquid called ink -- and wrote out your thoughts to a friend?

With the use of e-mail, we are forgetting something quite remarkable: we are forgetting how to write with our hands ... and not just our brains. Like the keyboard, we can write out our thoughts in ink- giving life to our thoughts, words, deeds, images and feelings. Ink and paper are the beginnings of any writer.

But, ink is truly feeling your words. Ink lets you directly write out not just what you're saying, but how you feel about it through the way we write. Our words, though we can't write them out as fast as we can on a computer, are intentional when printed in ink; our words really mean something.

How about a journal entry? When was the last time you wrote out your thoughts in a notebook rather than a blog post? What about a little note to a friend at work or to a spouse at home, instead of a text? What about a postcard sent from a place you just went? We seem to want to update our facebook pages with our latest "wish you were here" picture, which ends up looking like a "look what I'm doing and you're not" picture instead. Not the same as a postcard. At all.

There is something about ink on paper that means more than any text, e-mail or blog.

There is also something great about writing out your story on paper too. Yes, you'll have to transcribe it to the PC, but so what. To write the way all the great writers of our past wrote is something you can't explain to a writer who only types. It's freeing; it's real ... it's the way all writing began.

Write a letter or a note to a friend or family member today. It will mean a lot to them, and hopefully, renew your creative world without the need for any electricity.

Oh, and just a heads up: you'll need one of those little square things called a "stamp" to put in the corner in order to mail it.

G is for Gatsby

There are a lot of books, essays and plays that talk about or discuss The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

There's a reason for that: it's a great book.

I think I studied this book in one of my lit classes, but that part is a bit fuzzy now. I've been out of college for well over a decade, so I don't know if it was an undergraduate or graduate class. Or both. Either way, the book stayed with me. I loved it. I read it almost every year. And I'm going to tell you why I love it so much.


1. There is a little bit of Jay Gatsby in all of us. Enough said. We can relate. We may not have his kind of money, but we all feel the need to be loved and appreciated.
2. There is a little bit Nick Carraway in all of us. We can really relate to Nick. He is us. The average joe. In awe of Jay, and his wealth.
3. There is a little bit of Daisy Buchanan in all of us. Again, we can relate. She is mixed up; loves her husband and is frustrated by him. Is drawn in by money and glamor, but is truly none of that. A fake.
4. America can relate to this little book BIG time right now. We are coming off our sugar high of money, and materialism and have crashed into bankruptcy and the re-evaluation of true priorities. Just like we did in the 1920s.
5. I love the way Fitzgerald writes. Simple, funny--perfect.

If you haven't read this little gem, you must. The description of the book says it's an "exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s." But, a mere one hundred years or so later, it sounds like today. Check it out here.

Read it in the perspective of the roaring twenties and read it from the eyes of someone from today. It's parallel-- it's a sad and realistic story. And I think we can learn lessons from it. Remember, we learn from our past. That's the only way to move forward.

Some people think this book is overrated. I don't. A new version of it in movie form will be out this year with Leonardo DiCaprio. I think that might not be the best idea. Hence, making it overated. But, oh well. I'll probably watch it anyway. And you should too, Oldsport!

-H

F is for Female Authors

I'm not going to get feminist on you. That's for somebody else to do. But did you realize that three of the best selling books --series -- of the last twenty years or so are written by women? The films didn't do that bad either. In fact, they were some of the highest grossing movies ever.

1. Harry Potter, written by JK Rowling.
Okay, no explanation needed here. Everyone knows who she is. She is a very talented writer. No wonder her books did beyond great. I love the stories, I love the friendships and familial ties that are promoted. Rowling is a true story teller, to me.

2.Twilight Series, written by Stephanie Meyer
Again, you'd have to be a castaway on an island not to know who she is. Her books sold in the millions, and though the subject matter isn't a new one, teens to forty-something moms loved them. I think (and this is just me) some of her books were way too long. As in, she could've told the same story and cut 25,000 words out of each book. Whatever. Still good stories. I'm team Jacob, by the way.

3.Hunger Games Trilogy, written by Suzanne Collins
I'll be honest. I haven't read any of her books. I know. I'm probably the only one out there. I'm not fond of dystopian fiction. Why? Because I feel like we're living in a dystopian book right now, or will be in one, very soon. And when I say I haven't read any of her books, that's partly a lie: I have read one chapter of the first book. Her writing is fantastic. She draws you in immediately and you care for the protagonist from page one. I understand why it's bestselling.

I've heard once, by another writer, that she thought female writers were discriminated against. Are you kidding me? That couldn't be further from the truth. A well-written story is a well-written story, regardless of their sex. Apparently, female writers have a hand on the pulse of children and young adults -- they get how kids feel and how they think! But then, these women are mothers, or could be. This empathy and sympathy --their understanding -- is practically innate.

There are plenty of male authors who are fantastic too. I'm just pointing out the recent blockbuster best-sellers, and how three of the top are female.

Anyway, go read them -- all of these books are great.

D is for Distractions

If you're a writer, you know what distractions are. It's the facebook check, or the e-mail check, the laundry, or the sink of dishes. It's every single chore that's left to do in your house, but the actual act of writing. These distractions are sometimes intentionally put out by ourselves, and at other times, it's the normal routine tapping us on the shoulder trying to get our attention.

Distractions come to other folks too. But, their distractions seem different, maybe not as cruel. A writer sits by themself, everyday, alone to battle the demons of inferiority, writer's block or procrastination with no one else but themself to bat them away.

This isn't to say writers have it worse than other professions. We don't. The problem is we have to talk to our diversions all the time to be productive. We have to ignore the phone, the texts, and the books we want to read. Because, if writers don't do a simple two things -- sit down and type -- we don't accomplish anything. Some diversions are a part of life, but we battle them constantly.

Some days, the diversions stay at bay. Maybe because we had an extra cup of coffee, or we got the chores done first. But, sometimes I don't think this is so. There are times when I've had a zillion other things to do, but got gobs of words written. Other days, I've done everything there is to do first -- before writing -- and can't find a way to start the next chapter.

Distractions are what we make them. While it's the proverbial  "monkey on our back," it's one we can tame into submission by talking to it, telling it to go away, and by putting both hands on the keyboard (or pen on paper) and begin typing anything; just something to get the writing spirit going. This spirit appears when we have faith it will come and keep persisting! It's quite remarkable.

D may be for Distractions ... but don't let it!

***Psst... hey ... need a good distraction? One that lasts about 130 pages? Check out my middle grade/ YA book The Puzzle Master for only $.99!***

E-books Galore

If you don't know about Ereader News Today or Pixel of Ink, then you're missing out on free books. Sure, some are newbie self-published authors (like myself) but there are plenty of very established authors that offer up their book free everyday. Check out these two sites, like them on FB, or sign up to recieve their newsletter, and you'll never be in want for books ... for free.
I've already FAR too many books on my ipad ... but they're free!

Just a happy reminder, that I'm offering my new book The Puzzle Master for free again this saturday, the 24th of March. Know anyone who would like to read this? Have a middle-grade/YA reader? Friend or family member? Be sure to send them the book. You can do that! Just go to  the page, and send it as a gift.

And hey, if you don't want to wait, then buy it today. It's only $.99!

The Puzzle Master

Also, remember: you don't need a Kindle to read any of these books. You can download it to your ipad, iphone, e-reader of all kinds and even to your computer. Get your Kindle app here.

Enjoy!

Five Reasons to Write a Short Story

I had this cool essay that I thought about writing. So, what did I do? I didn’t write it. Instead, I sat on the idea for about three days. I would go back to the idea, while I was cooking, while I was doing laundry, while I was exercising and watching Murder She Wrote reruns, and by the time I sat down to write it –something I really didn’t want to do, because I wasn’t even sure how to write it—the whole thing came tumbling out in about fifteen minutes.

Mind you, it was definitely not pretty. It was mashed-up, ugly and not readable. However, after I edited it about two times, things improved. And after a few more edits, it might even be printable. Why am I telling you this?

1. Because I realized I wrote for 15 minutes and came up with seven hundred words. That’s so cool and very hard to do. If I did that every day for an hour I could have a “book” written in a month or less. In the real world, words rarely come that fast and furious. 90,000 words is usually a three-month thing at the earliest.

2. Because I realized that stewing over something for a few days can release a flood when the time is right to open the dam! Awesome.

3. Because I realized short stories can be a great reason to write. Period. Not books, not long short stories, or because I switched genres, or myriad of other things. No. Short stories teach one a lot of great things. (see below)

Some writers are horrified with small amounts of writing. I understand. It means perfect writing with as few words as possible. However, I look at it differently.

Here are five reasons to write a short story:

1. Short stories teach you to be succinct. I know. Just getting your backside in a chair and writing a few sentences before Facebook pulls you away is a Jedi skill alone! But truly, honing, crafting, and making perfect that short, little essay will teach one wonders in streamlining, extricating profuse verbosity, and really, just saying what you need to say.

2. Shorts stories are a great way to have an entire product within a reasonable amount of time. As I said, three months for a book, or maybe three hours for a story. Talk about (almost) instant gratification!

3. Short stories teach you the essentials of a story – in one page (or two). The beginning, the middle and the end, all within a matter of hundreds of words. That’s like seeing the big picture within the little picture. All three of those parts make a whole, and when you can see it in the work, because it’s a matter of two pages, it’s like scales falling from your eyes … it’s, dare I say it, like being an agent that can see if there’s a story in your work or not.

4. Short stories are diverse. They can be an essay, a memoir, a story (as the name implies), or even a children’s book, devotional or love letter. Short stories are the starter homes to the mansions, if you will. I can stay in the starter home or be just as happy in the mansion. While the starter house has a few less rooms or square footage to live in, it also means fewer rooms to clean, if you get the analogy. Not a bad thing!

5. Short stories can be the start of something big. As previously mention, short stories might just be the starter house, which is supposed to be a grand mansion instead.

If you’ve got a great story, like about a dog walker who is really a kung-fu master, but aren’t positive you can write 90,000 words about it, try the short story. If you really need more than 700 words to tell the story, then perhaps you have a book. If not, well, you’ve got a nice story about a man and his dog(s). And who doesn’t like stories about man’s best friend?