When I set out to write my teen novel, Desperado Moon, I hired a writing coach. I recognized early on that I needed someone to help me with this humongous undertaking. Although I was the captain of my ship, so to speak, I needed a navigator to stay on course and steer me clear of rocks and shallows so my book would make it to port at publishing harbor. Nora Profit was my navigator. She gave me excellent advice and guidance, asked all the right questions, and gave me the confidence I needed to finish what I thought was a monumental task.
You see, there are two camps of writers: The folks who talk a lot about writing a book, and the few who finish. I wanted to be in the second group. I wanted to finish it and get it to market, which, I might add, proved to be a very fulfilling and satisfying process.
The ‘talk-a-lot’ writers never get around to finishing a book because they know how hard it is. It’s a little like having a baby: Starts out by having a lot of fun, then continues with months of preparation, care, and hard labor (especially toward the end when there seems no end to the editing!).
I learned a lot. Some stuff I learned from books and attending beaucoup writing classes, but no amount of book-learning can replace a writing coach. Nora helped me a LOT with plot and theme and other things. But what I learned most was that the process of writing is different for everyone.
Every fiction writer has to discover his/her own writing process. How a writer approaches a story is as individual as there are people. There are no ‘set’ procedures for writing a book. (I’m talking about fiction here, as non-fiction—the setting forth of facts in order to inform or teach—is different).
Not all rules are rules; and not all rules apply. I have issues with a few—okay, a lot of—“How-To” books, especially the ones that espouse—ugh!—outlining. Many books and well-meaning people out there told me I had to outline before I could write.
Hogwash.
As you might be able to tell, outlines do not go over well with me.
Outlining is for the “left brain” thinkers (the logical people: Bean counters, list makers, and detail oriented folks). I’m a “right brain” person. I don’t want to outline every scene before I write. That’s too much work!
I prefer the “big picture” approach to writing. That is, I like to sit down and write—plunk the keys on my keyboard and have wondrous and amazingly coherent sentences form on my computer screen. I don’t use a guide, other than some loose notes and the ideas in my head. I leave my creative consciousness open to new directions and possibilities as I write. The last thing I need is a road map.
You see, by the time I actually commit to a project (and put my hands to the keyboard), I already have my characters and story formed in mind. I do it all in my head. While driving, mostly (I drive a lot). The rest of the time, I work out my story via my morning shower and/or in the wee hours of the morning, while I’m still in bed.
Basically, I know how I want the last scene to unfold and I write to it. No rigid outline is going to tell me to cruise down the highway when my characters are telling me to shift into four-wheel-drive. Yes, I can always edit the outline as I write, but why bother with one at all? In the end, I know where I want to go, and I want to stay open and receptive to my characters and the inevitable epiphanies that follow (and they do!)
Do outlines have a purpose? Yes, you betcha. One of my acquaintances, author James Rollins, uses outlines. Yes, I can say I knew him before he hit “the big time.” (A good friend of mine knows him pretty well and is in his critique group in Sacramento). He also came to speak at our writers club meeting and even taught in our 2005 writers conference—a great, funny, and creative guy! Oh, he has some great books out there—Doomsday Key, Map of Bones, Sigma Force, Ice Hunt, and others. But then he suddenly exploded as a best selling author and started getting the seven figure advances and big book deals. Well, when pressed, he said he doesn’t always use outlines, only when he’s writing his more complex thrillers. That makes sense. But I don’t write big, complex thrillers.
Outlines are good for keeping track of timing and important details—things that must be interwoven into the plot at certain times. That’s why Jim uses them, and I don’t blame him, not when writing the heavy duty stuff he writes.
I’m not saying that outlining is bad. All I’m saying is that I prefer to write with less restriction. Outlines do have their place, and if it works for one author, it doesn’t always work for another.
Outlines stifle creativity—at least for me.
I don’t get bogged down in details. I write with my gut, my intuition, my creativity, and, yup, I let those pesky characters boss me around. And it’s fun when that happens. Ask any writer who writes like I do and they’ll tell you: When a writer knows—really knows—her characters inside and out, they speak to you, their voices literally tell you, “I wouldn’t do that, I’d do this …”
The last thing I want to do is jerk them around to fit the mechanics of a preconceived plot outline.
The other thing I like to do is get the first draft completed, then work out the kinks afterwards. I build my stories like one peels an onion: One layer at a time. After I've completed the first draft, I then mop up the overdone scenes, delete the wordiness and the unneeded passages (anything that doesn’t add to the story), and then make sure the dialog is consistent and distinct from character to character.
When the basic story is done, I add the spices—local color, nature, animals, little details, and so on.
That’s another thing. Write the first draft unencumbered, without a coach, if you can. Why? Because it’s important to get the story out first, even if you don’t entirely know what it’s about.
I’m doing that with my next story, too. This one is going to be rich with detail, history, and conflict. It’s about a teenage boy who comes face-to-face with his fears and lives to overcome them—barely. It has a bit of mystery, a bit of the paranormal, and a bit of romance. And it’s a bit more complex than Desperado Moon.
But I’m still not going to use an outline—too logical, too “left brain” for me. I like the surprises that come as a result, and it usually means a better story in the long run.
And that goes for theme, too. Nora wanted to know right off what my theme was. Geez. I didn’t know—exactly.
And that is my advice for writers: If you don’t know—just write. Theme will come later. However, if a writer has his/her theme nailed down before writing, it will be more focused, making subsequent drafts fewer and easier.
Basically, all a writer has to do is ask him/herself “What is this story about?” and the theme will often appear.
Is it about love, revenge, betrayal, justice? Is it a crime-doesn’t-pay story?
Trust me. It will come. Either before or after the writing.
Desperado Moon is about a young girl and an outlaw horse finding a place where they truly belong. That’s the theme: Belonging. Oh, there are other, lesser themes going on in the book—taking responsibility, redemption, trust, etc.—but this was the primary theme. It is equally about how being misplaced creates conflict. The fear of not belonging is a common thread for teens. That’s why Desperado Moon speaks to young, insecure, and troubled girls.
I’m taking some time off. I’m going to spend a week at a writing retreat. No other writers, just me. Me and my laptop and my story, The Last Conquistador, holed up in a timeshare in Palm Springs. I want to move forward and work out the conflict between my characters. Basically, I want to get to know them better. I know them now, but I want to know more about what drives them, why Neil is such a bully, why Parker is so afraid of being a disappointment to his mother, why Dr. Santiago is so secretive, and so on. And I want to flesh out the conflict between Neil and Parker. There’s something going on there, and I’m thinking it has to do with a girl.
Ah, it’s a romance, you say.
Well, no, it’s a lot of things. It’s a western, a mystery, and a paranormal thriller. And it has a horse in it. It should appeal to just about everyone. To me—the die-hard horse lover—it’s just not a story unless there’s a horse in it.
Theme? Yes. Outline? Maybe. (We’ll see.) Since this one is a bit more complex, I may have to use one, but my gut tells me “No.” And you know what they say—“Go with your gut.”
Good advice. But, then again, I might wait and see what Parker and Dr. Santiago have to say about that.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Saving the animals
If you've been to my Facebook page, then you know how I feel about animals. It is littered throughout with posts and videos from the Humane Society (a great organization).
It has been said that older women tend to be the softhearted souls who to take in the strays, the unwanted, and the injured animals and give them comfort. As a former copywriter, I know that animal rescue groups tend to target these 'older women' in their fundraising campaigns because 1) they generally have extra $$$ lying around, and 2) they are the softhearted ones--read: 'easy touch.'
Well, that's me.
There is one caveat, of course. Money is definitely NOT lying around my house. The recent recession took care of that. Not only did hubby lose his contracting business of 33 years (and better than half of our income), he lost about 40 percent of his retirement, too--money that was set aside for when when we really, really needed it. We haven't touched it yet, but we've had to tighten our belts, just like everyone else.
That brings me to the animals. I've always supported the ASPCA and Defenders of Wildlife. These are both terrific organizations and do a lot for animals, wild and domestic. I also give to horse rescue organizations, largely because I love horses (I like TB Friends and Lifesavers, but there are many others). In these hard economic times, there have been so many people who have had to give up their beloved horse companions. They just didn't fit into their bottom line. So where do unwanted horses go? Unfortunately, too many end up being starved, abused, and neglected.
Not Beauty. No siree. I'm hanging on to her--not giving up my 'baby.' It's hard, but I know things will get better.
But it is bad for so many other horses, ponies, and donkeys, not to mention the mustangs that still struggle to run free in the high plains states like Nevada.
In April, I wrote a letter to our local newspaper to highlight what goes on in our community (Solano County) that few people know about--horse tripping. Oh, I know there is so much other stuff going on: Puppy mills, dog fighting, abused farm animals, oiled birds and wildlife, feral cats running and breeding amok, drowning polar bears, whaling, entire wolf families being mowed down just to leave the cubs parentless orphans, and just plain cruelty (Google "Buddy" the dog who was dragged to death or 'crush videos'). Sometimes it is just more than I can bear, and I mean that literally. Sometimes I cry at the fundraising letters I get. If I could, I would open my arms and hasten each and every animal inside, but I cannot. I want to protect them all, but I can't.
So what do I do? Well, I try to send $10 or $20 now and then. It's not always easy. But then I tell myself, if everyone only sent in $5, it would add up, and it would help--a lot. And I don't mean to send it to just ANY charity. Check them out. Send only to those charities that put their money where their mouth is. When in doubt, go to http://www.charitynavigator.com/.
In the meantime, here's the letter on horse tripping I published in the local paper. I hope it did some good, but it was published when the local political campaigns were running hot and heavy... and, hey, who cares when teachers and police officers and fire personnel are being laid off? Who cares about horses when the state is bankrupt...? Sometimes I think my letter was a mere squeak given all that was going on. Maybe a dozen people read it and paid attention, maybe more. I'm hoping the latter.
"Greed, frustration, anger, sexual thrills, whatever the ‘reason,’ defenseless animals are being tortured, starved, injured, and maimed in our community. Looking the other way when you know what is happening is not only inhumane, it adds to the violence in our society.
"Even now, men of a certain ethnicity are practicing for their upcoming ‘rodeos’ (these are not the sanctioned PRCC American rodeos, but non-sanctioned rodeos that abuse horses). One of the things they do is called ‘horse tripping.’ This is a barbaric ‘sport’ where people pay to watch as these cowboys chase an innocent, unsuspecting horse and when it reaches approximately 25 mph, they abruptly lasso the legs and yank viciously, causing the horse to fall head over heels. This usually results in broken teeth, broken legs, and all too frequently, broken necks. Unfortunately, pregnant mares are particularly singled out for this cruel practice. And this is supposed to be a show of bravery?
"There is a strong documented connection linking animal abuse and domestic violence. Studies have shown that 88 percent of families where there had been physical abuse of children, there were also records of animal abuse. In four out of five cases, battered women reported that their abusive partners had also been violent toward pets or livestock (Wisconsin). Other studies show that The Chicago Police Department’s Domestic Violence Program took a look at the criminal histories of animal abusers. Of these, 30 percent had domestic violence charges on their records. See the ASPCA website for more information.
"Please help by not attending these rodeos. If you see a horse that has been abused in any way, please call the authorities. This ‘sport’ is fueled by greed and perpetuated by blood-thirsty spectators. Horse tripping condones violence that all too often ends up on the domestic front. Watching horses crash head first into to the ground just to watch it break it’s neck is abhorrent and grotesquely inhumane. For those of you who subscribe to this brutal, sadistic practice, I sincerely hope that you truly get what’s coming to you on Judgment Day."
That's it. That's the best I could do given the word count they allowed.
But, come to think of it, if everyone wrote a letter and sent $5 to the ASPCA or Defenders of Wildlife or Humane Society, wouldn't that make a difference? To what cause, you ask. I don't care. Pick one. Horse rescue (there are hundreds), oiled birds (Audubon Society and others), Polar Bears (Defenders of Wildlife and many others), dogs and cats (ASPCA or HSUS), circus animal sanctuaries/rescues (again, there are so many to choose from).
That's it; just $5 to charity and a letter to the editor of the local paper. (I suggest doing it monthly). That adds up to maybe a half hour of your time and $5 + 44 cents for the stamp. It is still 44 cents, isn't it? (That's $65.28 per year--tax deductible, too!)
What is this world coming to? Where will the earth be when all its diversity is gone? When the whales are gone, when the mustangs are gone, when the wolves are gone, when people turn away from starving, abused, and neglected animals. Are we becoming less humane? Sometimes that's exactly what I think, and it upsets me--a lot.
I'm an 'older' woman--upside of 60, not yet succumbing to the 'old' tag just yet! But if it wasn't for us 'old' and 'older' women, who would look out for the animals? For sure there are a lot of us, but we can't do it all ourselves, ya know. I also know that there are many, many other people out there who do care, but who simply feel too overwhelmed to do anything about it; like whistling in the wind or crying in the rain. Who'll notice? What difference will it make?
Are you one of those people? If so, maybe you can help change the world with $5, a stamp, and a letter. Don't just sit on the sidelines. Don't turn away. Get involved. A $5, a stamp, and a letter to the editor. That's all. A pittance? Yes, but every journey begins with one step. Step up. Every little bit helps.
It has been said that older women tend to be the softhearted souls who to take in the strays, the unwanted, and the injured animals and give them comfort. As a former copywriter, I know that animal rescue groups tend to target these 'older women' in their fundraising campaigns because 1) they generally have extra $$$ lying around, and 2) they are the softhearted ones--read: 'easy touch.'
Well, that's me.
There is one caveat, of course. Money is definitely NOT lying around my house. The recent recession took care of that. Not only did hubby lose his contracting business of 33 years (and better than half of our income), he lost about 40 percent of his retirement, too--money that was set aside for when when we really, really needed it. We haven't touched it yet, but we've had to tighten our belts, just like everyone else.
That brings me to the animals. I've always supported the ASPCA and Defenders of Wildlife. These are both terrific organizations and do a lot for animals, wild and domestic. I also give to horse rescue organizations, largely because I love horses (I like TB Friends and Lifesavers, but there are many others). In these hard economic times, there have been so many people who have had to give up their beloved horse companions. They just didn't fit into their bottom line. So where do unwanted horses go? Unfortunately, too many end up being starved, abused, and neglected.
Not Beauty. No siree. I'm hanging on to her--not giving up my 'baby.' It's hard, but I know things will get better.
But it is bad for so many other horses, ponies, and donkeys, not to mention the mustangs that still struggle to run free in the high plains states like Nevada.
In April, I wrote a letter to our local newspaper to highlight what goes on in our community (Solano County) that few people know about--horse tripping. Oh, I know there is so much other stuff going on: Puppy mills, dog fighting, abused farm animals, oiled birds and wildlife, feral cats running and breeding amok, drowning polar bears, whaling, entire wolf families being mowed down just to leave the cubs parentless orphans, and just plain cruelty (Google "Buddy" the dog who was dragged to death or 'crush videos'). Sometimes it is just more than I can bear, and I mean that literally. Sometimes I cry at the fundraising letters I get. If I could, I would open my arms and hasten each and every animal inside, but I cannot. I want to protect them all, but I can't.
So what do I do? Well, I try to send $10 or $20 now and then. It's not always easy. But then I tell myself, if everyone only sent in $5, it would add up, and it would help--a lot. And I don't mean to send it to just ANY charity. Check them out. Send only to those charities that put their money where their mouth is. When in doubt, go to http://www.charitynavigator.com/.
In the meantime, here's the letter on horse tripping I published in the local paper. I hope it did some good, but it was published when the local political campaigns were running hot and heavy... and, hey, who cares when teachers and police officers and fire personnel are being laid off? Who cares about horses when the state is bankrupt...? Sometimes I think my letter was a mere squeak given all that was going on. Maybe a dozen people read it and paid attention, maybe more. I'm hoping the latter.
"Greed, frustration, anger, sexual thrills, whatever the ‘reason,’ defenseless animals are being tortured, starved, injured, and maimed in our community. Looking the other way when you know what is happening is not only inhumane, it adds to the violence in our society.
"Even now, men of a certain ethnicity are practicing for their upcoming ‘rodeos’ (these are not the sanctioned PRCC American rodeos, but non-sanctioned rodeos that abuse horses). One of the things they do is called ‘horse tripping.’ This is a barbaric ‘sport’ where people pay to watch as these cowboys chase an innocent, unsuspecting horse and when it reaches approximately 25 mph, they abruptly lasso the legs and yank viciously, causing the horse to fall head over heels. This usually results in broken teeth, broken legs, and all too frequently, broken necks. Unfortunately, pregnant mares are particularly singled out for this cruel practice. And this is supposed to be a show of bravery?
"There is a strong documented connection linking animal abuse and domestic violence. Studies have shown that 88 percent of families where there had been physical abuse of children, there were also records of animal abuse. In four out of five cases, battered women reported that their abusive partners had also been violent toward pets or livestock (Wisconsin). Other studies show that The Chicago Police Department’s Domestic Violence Program took a look at the criminal histories of animal abusers. Of these, 30 percent had domestic violence charges on their records. See the ASPCA website for more information.
"Please help by not attending these rodeos. If you see a horse that has been abused in any way, please call the authorities. This ‘sport’ is fueled by greed and perpetuated by blood-thirsty spectators. Horse tripping condones violence that all too often ends up on the domestic front. Watching horses crash head first into to the ground just to watch it break it’s neck is abhorrent and grotesquely inhumane. For those of you who subscribe to this brutal, sadistic practice, I sincerely hope that you truly get what’s coming to you on Judgment Day."
That's it. That's the best I could do given the word count they allowed.
But, come to think of it, if everyone wrote a letter and sent $5 to the ASPCA or Defenders of Wildlife or Humane Society, wouldn't that make a difference? To what cause, you ask. I don't care. Pick one. Horse rescue (there are hundreds), oiled birds (Audubon Society and others), Polar Bears (Defenders of Wildlife and many others), dogs and cats (ASPCA or HSUS), circus animal sanctuaries/rescues (again, there are so many to choose from).
That's it; just $5 to charity and a letter to the editor of the local paper. (I suggest doing it monthly). That adds up to maybe a half hour of your time and $5 + 44 cents for the stamp. It is still 44 cents, isn't it? (That's $65.28 per year--tax deductible, too!)
What is this world coming to? Where will the earth be when all its diversity is gone? When the whales are gone, when the mustangs are gone, when the wolves are gone, when people turn away from starving, abused, and neglected animals. Are we becoming less humane? Sometimes that's exactly what I think, and it upsets me--a lot.
I'm an 'older' woman--upside of 60, not yet succumbing to the 'old' tag just yet! But if it wasn't for us 'old' and 'older' women, who would look out for the animals? For sure there are a lot of us, but we can't do it all ourselves, ya know. I also know that there are many, many other people out there who do care, but who simply feel too overwhelmed to do anything about it; like whistling in the wind or crying in the rain. Who'll notice? What difference will it make?
Are you one of those people? If so, maybe you can help change the world with $5, a stamp, and a letter. Don't just sit on the sidelines. Don't turn away. Get involved. A $5, a stamp, and a letter to the editor. That's all. A pittance? Yes, but every journey begins with one step. Step up. Every little bit helps.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Words and Writing and Golf
I admit, I'm carrying on a love-hate relationship and have been for many, many years. But it's not with a 'who,' it's with a 'what.'
What?
Writing, that's what. I love it and I hate it.
Let me explain.
I love words, and when put together and arranged just so, how they form phrases and sentences that blossom into ideas. I also love that there are infinite possibilities and combinations of words that can ultimately culminate into something wonderful, like the Great American Novel.
The challenge, then is this: To select the best possible word for the half finished sentence on my computer screen. I constantly ask myself: Is this the best possible word for this sentence? Is there another, better, more succinct word? Is there one more meaningful, colorful, or one that brings a clearer picture to mind? Do I want "he walked to the store" or do I want sauntered, skipped, or ran to the store? Or at the other end of the spectrum, depending on who my audience is and what I'm writing, do I want a fuzzy, vague, or general word that will help to obfuscate the meaning?
Whoa. Back up.
Obfuscate?
Yeah, that's right. "Obfuscate" means "to confuse." Hey, I used to write for the government, and I know a good, obfuscating word when I see one!
And then there are phrases. A phrase is a group of words set off with commas and semi-colons. Pretty little phrases pile on the information, one atop the other, creating a sandwich effect (as in Dagwood), ultimately building on each other until the end period.
Here's a phrase-packed sentence that I just love. It's the first sentence from Kate Dicamillo's new book, "The Magician's Elephant":
"At the end of the century before last, in the market square of the city of Baltese, there stood a boy with a hat on his head and a coin in his hand."
The reader can literally 'see' the boy standing in a busy city market. Kate's skillful and precise use of words and phrases build a picture and set the mood and the scene, right up until that handy-dandy, all-powerful sentence stopper: the period.
Sometimes I wish I could write as well as Kate, but I don't. (Here's where the hate part comes in). Writing is kind of like target practice. I keep trying to hit the bull's eye, keep trying to make my words shine on the page and light up the reader's imagination. (Maybe that's why I edited Desperado Moon 36 times!) I've written lots over the years, but it's never as good as Kate's. So I keep trying!
I've been told--and I've read--that one has to consistently practice the craft in order to get better at it. So I do. Every day. But I'm content knowing that I will never write like Kate because I am not Kate. I have my own voice, as does Michner, Rowling, Maugham, Meyer, and others. I select words based on my inner voice, my experience, my interpretations. I always strive to improve my writing technique. I practice. I read.
Words fascinate, amaze, and confound me. I love them. I love that they can both entertain and inform. I even love putting them together to form sentences, and, depending upon my writing goal, to select the exact word necessary that will best convey the intended meaning, feeling, or visualization. Sometimes, after I get all my words on the computer screen, they just don't gel and I have to scrap the whole thing. The sum of the parts just don't add up the way they should. That's the part I hate, when my selection of words, sentences, and phrases end up taking me off in a different direction. That's when I start over, select different words, assemble different phrases, and create better, more meaningful sentences.
But writing is not just words. Or phrases. Or sentences. Writing is much, much more. It is communicating ideas and telling stories, yes, but it is also having a plan. Without a plan, words are just words. With a plan, they could be anything. Look at it this way, without a plan, the Great Pyramids could just as easily have been the Great Wall . (It makes one ponder ...)
Writing is a little like playing golf. (Yes, I play golf, too. Not well, but well enough to have bested my husband a couple of times). There's a lot going on in the game: One has to keep the elbows in, keep the head down, transfer their weight properly during the swing, and follow through. All these things have to happen at the same time or the golfer will end up in the rough. It's the same with writing. There's more to it than just putting words on a page.
A good writer has to know the English language and grammar and punctuation; she has to know what she wants to communicate (to inform or to entertain), she has to know the feeling or she wants to evoke in the reader (theme); she has to know her characters inside and out; she has to know transitions and other writing techniques.
But even if a writer isn't able to remember all this stuff at the same time, she can do what golfers cannot: Edit. (Well, golfers get a Mulligan now and then, but it's not quite the same thing).
Writing is definitely challenging. It's right up there with golf as being one of the most frustrating of endeavors. And to think we do this stuff for fun!
Who knows? Maybe one day I'll get the bull's eye or the hole in one. Or the best seller. I do think I have a few things under control: Grammar? Check! Punctuation? Check (sort of). Plan? Check!
But there is one more thing. The One Basic Rule in Writing. It, sometimes, is the hardest of all: BICHOK (Butt in chair, hands on keyboard). Like Nike says--"Just do it!"
Fore!
What?
Writing, that's what. I love it and I hate it.
Let me explain.
I love words, and when put together and arranged just so, how they form phrases and sentences that blossom into ideas. I also love that there are infinite possibilities and combinations of words that can ultimately culminate into something wonderful, like the Great American Novel.
The challenge, then is this: To select the best possible word for the half finished sentence on my computer screen. I constantly ask myself: Is this the best possible word for this sentence? Is there another, better, more succinct word? Is there one more meaningful, colorful, or one that brings a clearer picture to mind? Do I want "he walked to the store" or do I want sauntered, skipped, or ran to the store? Or at the other end of the spectrum, depending on who my audience is and what I'm writing, do I want a fuzzy, vague, or general word that will help to obfuscate the meaning?
Whoa. Back up.
Obfuscate?
Yeah, that's right. "Obfuscate" means "to confuse." Hey, I used to write for the government, and I know a good, obfuscating word when I see one!
And then there are phrases. A phrase is a group of words set off with commas and semi-colons. Pretty little phrases pile on the information, one atop the other, creating a sandwich effect (as in Dagwood), ultimately building on each other until the end period.
Here's a phrase-packed sentence that I just love. It's the first sentence from Kate Dicamillo's new book, "The Magician's Elephant":
"At the end of the century before last, in the market square of the city of Baltese, there stood a boy with a hat on his head and a coin in his hand."
The reader can literally 'see' the boy standing in a busy city market. Kate's skillful and precise use of words and phrases build a picture and set the mood and the scene, right up until that handy-dandy, all-powerful sentence stopper: the period.
Sometimes I wish I could write as well as Kate, but I don't. (Here's where the hate part comes in). Writing is kind of like target practice. I keep trying to hit the bull's eye, keep trying to make my words shine on the page and light up the reader's imagination. (Maybe that's why I edited Desperado Moon 36 times!) I've written lots over the years, but it's never as good as Kate's. So I keep trying!
I've been told--and I've read--that one has to consistently practice the craft in order to get better at it. So I do. Every day. But I'm content knowing that I will never write like Kate because I am not Kate. I have my own voice, as does Michner, Rowling, Maugham, Meyer, and others. I select words based on my inner voice, my experience, my interpretations. I always strive to improve my writing technique. I practice. I read.
Words fascinate, amaze, and confound me. I love them. I love that they can both entertain and inform. I even love putting them together to form sentences, and, depending upon my writing goal, to select the exact word necessary that will best convey the intended meaning, feeling, or visualization. Sometimes, after I get all my words on the computer screen, they just don't gel and I have to scrap the whole thing. The sum of the parts just don't add up the way they should. That's the part I hate, when my selection of words, sentences, and phrases end up taking me off in a different direction. That's when I start over, select different words, assemble different phrases, and create better, more meaningful sentences.
But writing is not just words. Or phrases. Or sentences. Writing is much, much more. It is communicating ideas and telling stories, yes, but it is also having a plan. Without a plan, words are just words. With a plan, they could be anything. Look at it this way, without a plan, the Great Pyramids could just as easily have been the Great Wall . (It makes one ponder ...)
Writing is a little like playing golf. (Yes, I play golf, too. Not well, but well enough to have bested my husband a couple of times). There's a lot going on in the game: One has to keep the elbows in, keep the head down, transfer their weight properly during the swing, and follow through. All these things have to happen at the same time or the golfer will end up in the rough. It's the same with writing. There's more to it than just putting words on a page.
A good writer has to know the English language and grammar and punctuation; she has to know what she wants to communicate (to inform or to entertain), she has to know the feeling or she wants to evoke in the reader (theme); she has to know her characters inside and out; she has to know transitions and other writing techniques.
But even if a writer isn't able to remember all this stuff at the same time, she can do what golfers cannot: Edit. (Well, golfers get a Mulligan now and then, but it's not quite the same thing).
Writing is definitely challenging. It's right up there with golf as being one of the most frustrating of endeavors. And to think we do this stuff for fun!
Who knows? Maybe one day I'll get the bull's eye or the hole in one. Or the best seller. I do think I have a few things under control: Grammar? Check! Punctuation? Check (sort of). Plan? Check!
But there is one more thing. The One Basic Rule in Writing. It, sometimes, is the hardest of all: BICHOK (Butt in chair, hands on keyboard). Like Nike says--"Just do it!"
Fore!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Beauty Update
Beauty, my black Morgan mare, was retested for her glucose and insulin levels, and they are down--way down. Her glucose level is normal, but her insulin levels are high normal. That's good, but we aren't out of the woods yet. Her vet, Dr. Wendy Weiberg, said that she expected to see Beauty's insulin level drop more over time. Hallelujah!
The other night, when I was out at Little Wing Stables (where I board Beauty), Brenda, the barn manager, said something startling.
"Beauty looks a little poufy."
What?
I looked at Beauty. She looked fine to me--trim and slim and sleek. Not poufy. Anywhere.
Brenda said she couldn't put her finger on it--it was more of a 'feeling' (that Beauty might relapse into another episode of laminitis). I didn't doubt her, not one little bit. That's because Brenda channels horses like some people channel the dead. I don't know if it was a certain way Beauty looked at her with those big brown eyes of hers, or if Brenda picked up on something the rest of us couldn't see.
"Take her off the grass hay in the evening," she said.
We've been feeding Beauty LMF Complete feed (12 pounds a day). She really didn't need the extra half flake of hay at night. Even though it was only a little bit, I still soaked it (to reduce the sugar content), and gave it to her as an extra 'filler', kind of like a pacifier one gives to a baby, or gum to a teenager.
Brenda bent over and felt Beauty's front feet. "She's got pulses," she said, "Faint, but they're there."
Darn! That was enough for me. No more hay--not even soaked. This horse simply cannot handle carbs.
Now a couple of days before Brenda's 'poufy' comment, the vet, Wendy Weiberg, came out and floated (filed) Beauty's teeth. She hadn't had her teeth floated for maybe 5 years. Geez, she should have had it done 3 years ago. I guess I just lost track of time. Horses' teeth grow continuously, and if not filed down every couple of years, they can grow so long it prevents them from chewing and digesting their food properly.
My bad. (And I did feel really, really bad!)
I had been so involved with Beauty's other health problems--taking preventive measures against or treating her laminitis episodes--that I completely forgot about her dental work.
Big mistake.
Dr. Wendy said Beauty had abscesses in her cheeks where her teeth had begun to dig into them. Poor baby.
Did I mention how awful I felt? That maybe my negligence might have contributed to her laminitis problems? ("It all starts in the gut and manifests in the feet," so says Lynn Seeley, her farrier who specializes in the laminitic horse).
So after Dr. Wendy took care of Beauty's dental work, she turned to Brenda and said, "Watch her feed now that she can eat better. You may have to cut it down."
Really? I didn't think Beauty had a problem with eating. Heck, she was maybe 150 pounds overweight when she had her first laminitis episode!
Everyone at Little Wing knows that Beauty is an 'eating machine.' She LOVES to eat and will eat everything in sight. She'll stick her nose into anything that even remotely resembles a pail, sandwich her head between the skinniest of fence boards, and even try to sneak a snack at a full trot when I'm exercising her in the round pen. Lately she's been trying to eat the grass on the other side of the fence, getting down on her knees (and putting her head under the fence) to get a single blade of errant Spring grass. She's even rubbed a 3-inch section of her mane completely off, leaving a raw spot where her mane used to be.
Whether or not Beauty was about to fall off a very dangerous cliff into another laminitis episode, I don't know. But her feet don't lie. Pulses. Damnable pulses--a telltale sign that laminitis still lurks within, waiting to rear its ugly head again.
Beauty will never be completely well. Like diabetes, it is a chronic condition controlled by diet. A snatch of grass here and there, a crunch or two of hay, or an apple once in a while isn't a big deal, but a continuous, steady intake of carbs would throw her delicate system off balance.
Brenda, as usual, was right. No one in their right mind would argue with the 'horse channeler,' because, in the end, it's what's good for the horse that matters. Where horses are concerned, it's always better to err on the side of caution. And to follow Brenda's directives.
Beauty is doing really great today. She gets her daily round pen exercise to help build her muscles back up from so many months of inactivity. The LMF Complete (the only thing she eats) is a Godsend, as is Brenda, who I dearly love and appreciate for all her knowledge and know-how. Thanks to her, I'm thinking of hitching Beauty up on Sunday and taking her for a spin around the arena. Who knows, maybe we'll drive down the road apiece and check out the neighbors.
See y'all!
What?
I looked at Beauty. She looked fine to me--trim and slim and sleek. Not poufy. Anywhere.
Brenda said she couldn't put her finger on it--it was more of a 'feeling' (that Beauty might relapse into another episode of laminitis). I didn't doubt her, not one little bit. That's because Brenda channels horses like some people channel the dead. I don't know if it was a certain way Beauty looked at her with those big brown eyes of hers, or if Brenda picked up on something the rest of us couldn't see.
"Take her off the grass hay in the evening," she said.
We've been feeding Beauty LMF Complete feed (12 pounds a day). She really didn't need the extra half flake of hay at night. Even though it was only a little bit, I still soaked it (to reduce the sugar content), and gave it to her as an extra 'filler', kind of like a pacifier one gives to a baby, or gum to a teenager.
Brenda bent over and felt Beauty's front feet. "She's got pulses," she said, "Faint, but they're there."
Darn! That was enough for me. No more hay--not even soaked. This horse simply cannot handle carbs.
Now a couple of days before Brenda's 'poufy' comment, the vet, Wendy Weiberg, came out and floated (filed) Beauty's teeth. She hadn't had her teeth floated for maybe 5 years. Geez, she should have had it done 3 years ago. I guess I just lost track of time. Horses' teeth grow continuously, and if not filed down every couple of years, they can grow so long it prevents them from chewing and digesting their food properly.
My bad. (And I did feel really, really bad!)
I had been so involved with Beauty's other health problems--taking preventive measures against or treating her laminitis episodes--that I completely forgot about her dental work.
Big mistake.
Dr. Wendy said Beauty had abscesses in her cheeks where her teeth had begun to dig into them. Poor baby.
Did I mention how awful I felt? That maybe my negligence might have contributed to her laminitis problems? ("It all starts in the gut and manifests in the feet," so says Lynn Seeley, her farrier who specializes in the laminitic horse).
So after Dr. Wendy took care of Beauty's dental work, she turned to Brenda and said, "Watch her feed now that she can eat better. You may have to cut it down."
Really? I didn't think Beauty had a problem with eating. Heck, she was maybe 150 pounds overweight when she had her first laminitis episode!
Everyone at Little Wing knows that Beauty is an 'eating machine.' She LOVES to eat and will eat everything in sight. She'll stick her nose into anything that even remotely resembles a pail, sandwich her head between the skinniest of fence boards, and even try to sneak a snack at a full trot when I'm exercising her in the round pen. Lately she's been trying to eat the grass on the other side of the fence, getting down on her knees (and putting her head under the fence) to get a single blade of errant Spring grass. She's even rubbed a 3-inch section of her mane completely off, leaving a raw spot where her mane used to be.
Whether or not Beauty was about to fall off a very dangerous cliff into another laminitis episode, I don't know. But her feet don't lie. Pulses. Damnable pulses--a telltale sign that laminitis still lurks within, waiting to rear its ugly head again.
Beauty will never be completely well. Like diabetes, it is a chronic condition controlled by diet. A snatch of grass here and there, a crunch or two of hay, or an apple once in a while isn't a big deal, but a continuous, steady intake of carbs would throw her delicate system off balance.
Brenda, as usual, was right. No one in their right mind would argue with the 'horse channeler,' because, in the end, it's what's good for the horse that matters. Where horses are concerned, it's always better to err on the side of caution. And to follow Brenda's directives.
Beauty is doing really great today. She gets her daily round pen exercise to help build her muscles back up from so many months of inactivity. The LMF Complete (the only thing she eats) is a Godsend, as is Brenda, who I dearly love and appreciate for all her knowledge and know-how. Thanks to her, I'm thinking of hitching Beauty up on Sunday and taking her for a spin around the arena. Who knows, maybe we'll drive down the road apiece and check out the neighbors.
See y'all!
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