English: Illustration of the pain pathway in René Descartes’ Traite de l’homme (Treatise of Man) 1664. The long fiber running from the foot to the cavity in the head is pulled by the heat and releases a fluid that makes the muscles contract. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is in response to the Community Story Board Prompt for this week: Tomorrow by Julian Froment. You can see Julian’s here; http://goo.gl/ujGp3c
“I said I can’t believe you forgot about picking me up.”
“Aw honey I didn’t forget.”
“I don’t know what you call it then. I waited at the airport for an hour and no you.”
“I know, I know. It’s just─”
“Just what you dead beat?”
“Well it’s just I made a mistake that’s all. I thought your flight was tomorrow. ”
“Mistake. I would say leaving your wife at the airport so she has to call a cab cause your sorry ass can’t answer the phone is more than a mistake. I told you when I left when the flight was. Here’s the damn schedule right on the table where I left it.”
“I wasn’t home to answer the phone.”
“Tell me something else I don’t know. Who were you with? That slut of a sister-in-law of yours?”
“Naw I was not with Teresa. I was at the doctors.”
“The doctors? What the hell you doing at the doctors.”
“This pain in my chest is worse.”
“Pain what pain?”
“I told you I had a pain.”
“You mean that pain you mentioned a month ago?”
“Yeah that’s it.”
“You said it was cause you got hit on the job. What did the doctor say?”
“Tumor.”
“What? What ya mean tumor?”
“Yeah he said they need to operate tomorrow. If not I would have to wait a month and he thought that might be too late. I told him I couldn’t tomorrow cause you needed to be picked up from the airport.”
“No wait. Call the doctor and tell him you can do it tomorrow.”
“Too late. His office called and told me before you came in that they had another in my place.”
Readers are fundamental to what we do. Without them there would be little reason to spend the long hours propped up to a key board pounding out the words that make a story. It is the words that make a story not the brainstorm that created the concept. So with that in mind I have a question. Do you take care of your readers? I don’t mean do you house and feed them, I am really asking if you actually write for your readers? In writing for your readers do you do everything possible to make certain they are okay as they read what you have written?
You can’t query your readers as they move through your book (unlike the old high school smart assed trick on a long report, “if you have read this far check the box.”) so you must think ahead about pleasing them. How do we do that? (BTW Thanks for asking) Here are five simple things to think about and try as you are writing:
Think about your reader as a real person sitting in the room with you and you are reading your story to them. This will allow you to have personal contact with the reader and if you are a good writer you will be able to detect questions that your reader might have about what you have written.
Don’t leave your reader in the dark about some key points of plot that will help them come to some resolution about what you intended in the story. Nothing is more discouraging for a reader than to have invested their time in a story only to wonder what happened in the end. This can be as simple as a question about the rationale for character actions or as complex as a plot twist that comes out of left field with no preparation.
Think of some of the habits of your reader. If you are writing in a particular genre and that genre has some fast rules, your reader will not expect deviations from those rules. You as an artist may want to deviate from these rules to demonstrate your multi-dimensional talent, but your reader may be left in the dust of the experiment. If there is a question about artistic freedom and genre conventions you should side with the reader. There are a number of break out genres that the reader expects rebelliousness. This would be the more proper place for your grand statement.
Try to understand the demographics of your reader. In this way you can keep your story true to form. Age, sex, income and education all make up who your readers are in life. If your readers are highly educated and more affluent then you can use more sophisticated sentence and plot structures. If your reader is more like the population norm then the writing style should be geared to be most understood by the largest number. You may have the desire to use your story as an educational tool or literary statement, but if your readership cannot understand what you have written, you may lose the interest of a wide segment of readers doing so.
Think about how your readers live and what they want to think about when reading your story. Doing this will allow you to create some amazing scenes that may actually carry your reader away from the mundane and into the special world you have created. In this special world, all the worries and concerns of your reader’s everyday life can be washed away for the time spent reading. If you are able to build a story that transforms the reader even for a few hours you will have won the reader over to a loyalty factor that will last a lifetime.
I hope you find these tips useful. Let me know what you think.
Wednesday is upon us again. The mid-week always gets me into a mood to do something different. This week is no exception. I thought it would be fun to think of some new pitches for possible query letters on some very popular Favorite Fiction. The way this will be done is to take a book title and use it to make a new plot to be pitched to an agent or publisher. I do not mean to disparage any of the work that has been produced, but to have a little fun while I take a break from the edit chore.
Fifty Shades of Grey – Action packed story of a pack of color challenged wolves who are seeking their own identity in a confused and competitive world of wild animals.
Game of Thrones – Amusing romp through the wonderful and rock ‘em sock ‘em life of professional musical chair players on the ultimate tour circuit.
Doctor Sleep – Taut tale of sleeping beauty and her personal physician as they work together to overcome her sleeping addiction.
The Longest Ride – A compelling thriller that has an unwitting bystander being the only one to save an entire village trapped on a runaway roller coaster.
Gone Girl – Tear wrenching tale of a young hopscotch champion’s battle with chalk addition and the team of loved ones who try to help her.
Moby Dick – Thrilling story of a rock band’s foray into the dark world of private investigation to find the lost jewel of the Opera.
Inferno – An epic story of a match and its struggle to be recognized in the difficult world of petroleum accelerates.
Lord of the Rings – The round by round depiction of the struggle of a rope supplier to the world of boxing.
Thankless in Death – Sad story of a young man who took care of and loved a herd of elephants at the zoo, but continued to eat his lunch on the spot where the big bull liked to sit.
Angles and Demons – The step by step struggle of a new writer to gain acceptance for a novel that tells the story of the comparative strength of a tyrannosaurus versus King Kong.
Here we are to Wednesday and like I have been doing for a week I am still editing my second book. There is still no word on launch date on the first from the publisher. I continue to press to finish the next novel and hopefully I will be ready to market the first without having to worry about what is going to follow.
Like most of us know, the editing process is filled with pain, amazement and sometimes downright embarrassment. When I come across a pleasing line I am always amazed that I actually wrote it. The embarrassment comes in when a line has obvious faults or blazing amateur signals. It is a blessing that the mistake was caught but then the pain of doubt creeps in. “How many others did I miss?” is the question of the moment.
Here is a conversation I had with myself on Monday.
“WTF John. You know that dialog tag doesn’t work.”
“What do you mean? You think putting “he asks with a puzzled look on his face,” after a question is wrong?”
“Wrong has nothing to do with it. You look like a third grader. The question mark is enough. The rest can go into a sentence.”
“Good point. It does look silly.”
“Also that so-called prose written about your character discussions should be dialog.”
“You mean relating what two people said to each other should be in the form of dialog and not a description even though my descriptions are glorious.”
“Duh. Your readers will fall asleep on that crap. If not they will skip the part and lose some pretty impactful interaction by your characters.”
“You are right. I have a number of these and it can get a little boring.”
“Dump the deep character descriptions as well. Let your readers get an image of the characters in their mind by relating to what they do not how they look.”
“You are starting to question all my meticulous character development?”
“No I am telling you to develop them in action not literary pap. What is up with that mirror description anyway?”
So it went on and on. I wonder sometimes why I do all the bad things that I know are out-of-place, clumsy and often confusing. I put it down to an evil hack trying to get out and take over. That could be another discussion for another blog, but for now I’ll just keep editing while I tear my face off.
I did a post last week on Fiction Favorites titled Dialog is as Dialog Does where I attempted to demonstrate some of the principles necessary for good dialog. The piece is a bit of flash fiction that contained only dialog and really no context with the idea that the reader could figure out the story with just the dialog and no tags. You can read it here http://wp.me/p2Qoij-s5 if you would like to contrast it to what I am about to cover. This post will take the dialog from the last which had no tags and add tags that are totally inappropriate. By inappropriate I don’t mean offensive or derisive but really unnecessary to either the story or the conversation.
The reason I am doing this is to hopefully point out some of the glaring mistakes that new writer’s make in wanting to over explain the situation in a dialog setting. The true test of good dialog is the ability of the writer to separate conversations so that the reader knows exactly who is talking. Also good dialog should move the story along without causing the reader to be forced to stop and think about what the writer has laid out. So here we go.
“Can I help you young man?” the woman behind the desk asks.
“Yes I am here to see the president,” I reply with a bit of urgency.
“Is he expecting you?” she says with an eyebrow raised.
“He should be. I sent him a letter and said I was going to stop by,” I respond back with a note of irritation in my voice.
“A letter?” she says with surprise in her voice.
“Yes,” I counter with a sense of superiority
“When did you send a letter?” she questions with some doubtfulness.
“I guess it was about a month ago. The letter asked that my correct name be used since there has been a computer error and the University keeps calling me Howard instead of Howell,” I say almost running out of breath.
“Did Dr. Hannah respond to the letter?” she asks with an interrogator’s tone.
“Yes he did. I got a nice letter back. Here is a copy read it for yourself,” I say handing her the letter.
“Humm. Dr Hannah specifically thanked you for your correspondence and indicated that he would look into your problem. You say that your name is Howell and not Howard?” she says while looking over her glasses.
“Yes it has been Howell for the last nineteen years,” I reply with a certain air of smugness.
“Yet the letter from Dr. Hannah is addressed to John Howard,” she points out handing the letter back to me.
“This is why I need to see him,” I say forcibly.
“Wait here Mr. Howard. Let me see if I can find someone to help,” she says and then turns to go.
“It’s Howell,” I call out to her back.
“Excuse me?” she questions as she stops and slowly turns around to look at me.
“My name is Howell not Howard,” I repeat directly to her.
“Oh yes that is what I said. Howard,” she says and continues to move away.
“Howell,” I say even louder as she gets further from the room.
“I said Howard not Howell,” she calls back to me.
“I know,” I say and sigh loudly.
“Very well Mr. Howard, I will be right back,” she says and begins to move again.
“Howell,” I raise my voice
“I am only trying to help,” she says with an expression of irritation on her face.
“I’m sure,” I sort of blurt out sarcastically.
“I think you should call for an appointment. Good day Mr. Howard,” she says and disappears through the door way behind the desk.
If you found this dialog off setting and somewhat clumsy you are probably on the right track to great dialog in your writing. In my mind (although not an expert) this entire scene did not benefit from any of the stage directions that were added into the tags. I also believe the story itself lost some of the power of authoritarianism and tension that was present in the original.
There is a Winter Texan writing group in which I have the pleasure of participation. This group meets during the months of December through March ( all go back up north) and each week we would do a writing prompt. Most of the prompts are flash fiction and carry a theme. The one below was to be less than three hundred words and include only dialog. I thought maybe you would enjoy this fiction favorite prompt. It is titled John Howard.
“Can I help you young man?”
“Yes I am here to see the president.”
“Is he expecting you?”
“He should be. I sent him a letter and said I was going to stop by.”
“A letter?”
“Yes.”
“When did you send a letter?”
“I guess it was about a month ago. The letter asked that my correct name be used since there has been a computer error and the University keeps calling me Howard instead of Howell.”
“Did Dr. Hannah respond to the letter?”
“Yes he did. I got a nice letter back. Here is a copy read it for yourself.”
“Humm. Dr. Hannah specifically thanked you for your correspondence and indicated that he would look into your problem. You say that your name is Howell and not Howard?”
“Yes it has been Howell for the last nineteen years.”
“Yet the letter from Dr. Hannah is addressed to John Howard.”
“This is why I need to see him.”
“Wait here Mr. Howard. Let me see if I can find someone to help.”
“It’s Howell.”
“Excuse me?”
“My name is Howell not Howard.”
“Oh yes that is what I said. Howard.”
“Howell.”
“I said Howard not Howell.”
“I know.”
“Very well Mr. Howard, I will be right back.”
“Howell.”
“I am only trying to help.”
“I’m sure.”
“I think you should call for an appointment. Good day Mr. Howard.”
Since this is a blog about fiction favorites I thought I would take a little detour. Rather than discuss a particular piece of fiction I would like to take you on a small journey and tell a story that is real but sounds like fiction. The key difference between a fictional story and reality is fiction remains under the author’s control as to the outcomes. In real life, however, stories unfold and are seemingly under the pen of fate. We witness happy, sad and horrifying stories every day and many without satisfying resolution.
I would like to tell you a little story about a Boxer and it is not fiction and does have a satisfying resolution.
My wife got a call from Austin Boxer Rescue to see if she could drive to Kingsville (Texas. Home of the King Ranch) and pick up a boxer from the Kingsville animal shelter. The Boxer’s name was Macie. It seems the owner needed to move and asked a friend to take care of Macie. The so-called friend for unknown reasons chained Macie in the backyard where she had little access to food, shelter or water. The authorities finally came to investigate and seeing the horrible conditions took Macie to the shelter. The mother of the owner came to the shelter and surrendered Macie to the city. The city called Austin Boxer Rescue because Macie was a boxer and so Macie came to stay at our house until a foster home could be found.
I would like to show you a picture of how Macie looked when she arrived, but the WordPress police would give me a citation. Let’s just say her condition brought tears to our eyes. Macie at one time was well taken care of and has great heart. She survived in spite of the abuse at the hand of a very cruel and ignorant person. When she first came to us we bathed her and removed the fleas and ticks. Macie was clearly relieved to be at the hands of those who cared. She never stopped wagging her tail and loved being patted and hugged.
Macie was transported to Austin where she received medical care and exposure to a number of willing adoptive people. One person, a little girl even drew a picture of Macie after seeing her on the Austin Boxer Website www.austinboxerrescue.com
Drawing of Macie
At the same time, the organization was running out of funds to help Macie and it asked friends and members through a Facebook feed to donate as little as five dollars to help Macie receive the care she needed. To date; over $60,000 has been raised. Obviously Macie touched the heart of many. Where is Macie now? As someone once said a picture is worth a thousand words. Macie and the little girl who drew her picture are now together in their forever home. Here is a picture of the two of them right after Macie was adopted.
Macie forever home
The final picture is of Macie as she looks now with only one month of care.
Macie today
Oh one more thing; you may wonder why the title of this post is Ruby is as Ruby Does? Well that is Macie’s new name given to her by her little sister.
Café les Deux Magot – Boulvard Saint-Germain – Paris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I was reminded by the WordPress elves that I have received 500”likes” from you lovely people as of last Friday. I just want to thank you all for taking the time to signal an approving gesture and will take these approvals as a vote to continue along the same path. If you have an opinion that is contrary please express it. *silence* Okay well I guess I will continue along the same path.
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I was wondering the other day if there was such a thing as a top ten list of literary cities. The reason for this wonder? I wanted to publish an informal travel suggestion (since summer is almost here) for those who want to take in the sights and sounds of places that have some fiction favorites literary interest as well as the obvious destination appeal. Well…I went to my trusty Google search machine and came up with the Top Ten Literary cities according to National Geographic Traveler writers. I am telling you there is nothing we can’t find in this wide digital universe. So without further ado; *drumroll* *cymbal* *rim shot* here they are directly from the September 2011 issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine and I quote:
Edinburgh, Scotland
It’s practically mandatory that visitors to Edinburgh travel by the book. The atmospheric city—which has inspired more than 500 novels—passionately keeps its written tradition alive, from the verse of 18th-century bard Robert Burns (who even merits an iPhone app) to the works of modern-day writers like Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith. On tap are two different pub crawls, a walking tour, and excursions specific to Rankin’s Inspector Rebus and Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting.
If you’re short on time, head straight to the Writers’ Museum located in a 17th-century building reached by a narrow stone passageway. Exhibits are devoted to a powerhouse literary trio: Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson. For more adventures in Edinburgh and beyond, VisitScotland.com offers “A Traveller’s Guide to Literary Scotland.”
Dublin, Ireland
In the Irish capital, the written word is as celebrated as a pint of Guinness. Join the revelry on the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl as spirited actor-guides serve up entertaining facts in taverns where James Joyce and other scribes sought sustenance and found inspiration. Follow famed Joycean character Leopold Bloom through the city with VisitDublin.com’s “In the Steps of Ulysses” self-guided tour (audio or print).
The Dublin Writers Museum celebrates the spectrum of the country’s literary heritage, beginning with its roots in Irish poetry and Celtic storytelling. The Abbey Theatre, founded by poet W.B. Yeats in 1903, is still going strong with productions by classic and contemporary playwrights. Don’t leave town without being dazzled by the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript from the Middle Ages housed in the Old Library at Trinity College.
London, England
Listing London’s literary-related sites and pastimes could fill a book even lengthier than Harry Potter’s seven wizardly adventures combined. For starters, get out and about on one of London Walks’ lively jaunts. More than a hundred are offered every week, among them Shakespeare’s and Dickens’ London and the Literary London Pub Walk. Be sure to get an up-close look at the Bard’s First Folio at the British Library, unusual in that its literary gems are on display and not tucked away in a vault.
For Sherlock Holmes fans, VisitLondon.com has an itinerary for following in the sleuth’s footsteps. If your style is more suave James Bond, stop by Dukes Bar, where the martinis inspired Ian Fleming to make it 007’s signature drink. Before strolling the city’s streets, download the Get London Reading app, or check out the interactive map version, featuring more than 400 books associated with specific locales around town.
Paris, France
Pucker up and leave a lipstick print on Oscar Wilde’s tomb in Père-Lachaise Cemetery. The Irish playwright, whose grave is a magnet for zealous mourners, was one of many expatriate writers who sought inspiration and joie de vivre in the City of Light. Would-be Hemingways can polish up their own masterpieces at a sidewalk table at Les Deux Magots, a St. Germain café he frequented, or explore the literary side of the Latin Quarter, his onetime home, with Paris Walks.
French writers, though, have pride of place here with house-museums devoted to Victor Hugo and Honoré de Balzac. Bibliophiles will feel right at home at the hotel Le Pavillon des Lettres, where each of the 26 rooms is dedicated to a letter of the alphabet and represents a famous writer.
St. Petersburg, Russia
This vibrant baroque- and neoclassical-style city in western Russia has a dark side to its literary history. Trace the route of Crime and Punishment’s murderous Raskolnikov from his abode to the unlucky pawnbroker’s storefront with Peter’s Walking Tours (by private booking; there’s a forum for finding fellow travelers to split the cost). Visit the residence of the epic’s author, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, where he spent his final years and penned The Brothers Karamazov.
The Aleksandr Pushkin Memorial Apartment Museum marks the spot where the 37-year-old author died in the study and plunged the country into mourning. Like an unfortunate character in his most famous work, Eugene Onegin, Pushkin was fatally wounded during a duel. At the nearby Literary Café, he dined for the last time before meeting his tragic end.
Stockholm, Sweden
Inventor Albert Nobel put Stockholm on the international literary map a century ago with the Nobel Prizes, which laud the achievements of writers along with those of scientists and peace activists. Head to City Hall, site of the annual December awards banquet and an iconic landmark in its own right. In the on-site restaurant Stadshuskällaren, savor the cuisine served at the most recent Nobel dinner.
For a not-so-highbrow thrill, take the Stockholm City Museum’s guided Millennium Tour to see places depicted in Stieg Larsson’s bestselling crime novel The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and its two sequels. Before tattooed computer hacker Lisbeth Salander turned up, spirited children’s book character Pippi Longstocking was Sweden’s most famous fictional lass. A statue in Tegnérlunden park honors her creator, Astrid Lindgren.
Portland, Oregon
If it weren’t for a color-coded map, customers might get lost among the stacks at Powell’s City of Books. Spanning an entire city block, it’s the largest new-and-used bookstore in the world and stocks more than a million volumes.
Nearby Heathman Hotel’s “Books by Your Bedside” package includes a personal tour of the lodging place’s 4,000-volume library, made up entirely of signed books by author guests (other package perks are a hardcover tome, a travel reading light, overnight lending privileges, and a donation to a children’s literacy organization).
For more literary immersion, see what’s scheduled at the renowned Portland Arts and Lectures series (September through May). A Portland tradition, it’s one of the biggest lecture events in the country and draws heavyweight headliners like Annie Proulx and Sebastian Junger.
Washington, D.C.
Start uncovering the capital city’s bookish side at the Library of Congress, founded in 1800 and still the world’s largest library. A free guided tour of this grandiose edifice illuminates its literary and architectural significance and offers a look at the opulent Main Reading Room with its stained glass, marble, and murals.
A gratis audio walking tour by the Poetry Foundation visits sites associated with Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, and other bards who found inspiration in the city. At indie bookstore Politics and Prose, sit in on a book group discussion or attend one of the regularly held author events. Kramerbooks and the adjoining Afterwords Café and Grill are open 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays. Pick up some bedtime reading such as The Camel Club or another one of David Baldacci’s D.C.-set thrillers.
Melbourne, Australia
Founded as a frontier outpost in 1835, Melbourne flourished during a gold rush and has since blossomed into Australia’s cultural capital. Check out the State Library of Victoria, constructed in the mid-1800s and declared by its founding president to be free to everyone over age 14 “if only his hands are clean.” View exhibits in three different galleries, attend a talk at the Wheeler Centre in the south wing, and marvel at the domed, octagon-shaped La Trobe Reading Room adorned with quotes by famous writers.
Explore “Melbourne by the Book” on a walking excursion with Hidden Secrets and browse at the sizeable weekly book market on Saturdays in Fed Square. When you need a respite, Narrelle M. Harris, author of the Melbourne Literary app, recommends the Drunken Poet, where portraits of Oscar Wilde and other scribes line the walls.
Santiago, Chile
Revered “people’s poet” Pablo Neruda, best known for his romantic verse, secretly rendezvoused with his mistress and muse at his home, called La Chascona. The bright blue-and-yellow domicile is located in the hilltop Bellavista neighborhood, which can be explored with La Bicicleta Verde tours. Chile honors another Nobel Prize–winning bard, Gabriela Mistral, with an elaborate mural in Cerro Santa Lucia Park—and with her visage on the 5,000 peso note.
The exorbitant cost of new books in Chile has resulted in a robust market for secondhand publications. Peruse the offerings at the weekend market on Lastarria Street near the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, or visit the numerous merchants in the small shopping center near the intersection of Providencia Avenue and Miguel Claro Street. Java-seeking bibliophiles should head to one of several branches of the library Café Literario, including an outpost in Balmaceda Park that has 30,000 books.
So pack your bags and let us all know how it went. Oh by the way a round trip ticket will set you back over 10,000 bucks which is a lot of royalties.
I was again surfing the net (sigh) looking for Fiction Favorites material and stumbled on to the following blog written by the staff writers at http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog. I thought the blog was the kind of thing that needs to be republished since it was originally put up in July 2010. You can click on the various holidays for more information
IRELAND, COUNTY LIMERICK, 1997 —LICENSE PLATE (Photo credit: woody1778a)
if you have interest. So here it is and I hope you enjoy.
Eleven Literary Holidays That Every Book Lover Should Know
If you’re a literature lover, you should take every opportunity you can to revel in your love of good books. Luckily, there are a few days or weeks set aside in the year that promote doing just that. Here are some fun and educational holidays that will let you appreciate great works of literature, spend time at your library and even help you create some writing of your own.
Bloomsday, June 16th: This holiday celebrates the life and work of Irish author James Joyce. On this holiday, participants relive the events of his most famous work, Ulysses, which take place on the same day. Bibliophiles will recognize that the holiday is named after the novel’s main character, Leopold Bloom. While you can celebrate at home, the real party takes place in Dublin with pub crawls, cultural activities, readings and a generally good time.
Hemingway Days, Third Week of July: To properly celebrate the beard and books of Hemingway on this week-long holiday, you’ll need to head down to Key West Florida. There, you’ll find everything from Hemingway look-alike contests to rounds of drinks served at Hemingway’s favorite Key West bar, Sloppy Joes. The celebration culminates with a party on Hemingway’s birthday. The celebrations aren’t all in jest, however, as there is a serious literary award, The Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition, held as well.
Hobbit Day, September 22nd: If you can’t seem to get enough of Middle Earth, spend this fall day celebrating the book and its author, J.R.R. Tolkien. The date was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of hobbits Biblo and Frodo, and often celebrants mark the day with feasts, going barefoot and general merriment in true hobbit style. Hobbit Day takes place during Tolkien Week, so you can spend the whole week enjoying the author and his works.
Great Poetry Reading Day, April 28th: Are you a poetry fan? Why not take advantage of this spring holiday then, and read some of the world’s best verse out loud. The holiday offers a great chance to hold a poetry reading party, listen to the poetry of others and perhaps write and read your own great works.
Tom Sawyer Fence Painting Day, July 1st- 4th: You don’t have to be in Hannibal, Missouri, hometown of the fictional Tom Sawyer, to appreciate this holiday. The celebration, which takes place during the Fourth of July, offers participants the chance to indulge in frog jumping, Tom and Becky contests, parades, and of course, fence painting. If you can’t make it out to Hannibal, have your own Mark Twain themed party at home.
Clerihew Day, July 10th: A clerihew is a type of four-line verse that is generally biographical, beginning with the subject’s name and is always humorous. You can celebrate this type of poetry, invented and named after Edmund Clerihew Bentley, throughout the day. Write short poems about your friends (or enemies), fictional characters or just about anything to have a few laughs and gain a greater appreciation for writing at the same time.
Winnie the Pooh Day, January 18th: Travel back to your childhood with this holiday that commemorates the honey-obsessed bear and his pals. Observed on the birthday of author A.A. Milne, this holiday invites celebrants to read the classic stories to them or to share them with the next generation of book lovers.
Reading is Fun Week, Fourth Week of April: While this holiday was created to share the love of reading with a child, there’s no reason that adults can’t celebrate it on their own as well. Buy yourself a new book, spend some time alone reading, or promote reading in your local community. However you choose to celebrate, this weeklong holiday is a great chance to geek out on reading.
Dictionary Day, October 16th: Created to honor Noah Webster, best known for his creation of the well-known Webster’s Dictionary, this holiday asks readers to improve their vocabularies and appreciate the importance of the dictionary. Celebrate this holiday by learning a few new works, doing a crossword puzzle or just paging through a dictionary.
Library Week, Second Week of April: Most book lovers couldn’t do without the services of their local library. This week is a chance to celebrate all that libraries do and all that can be learned from the materials they hold. Created by the American Library Association, National Library Week is the perfect time to pay a visit to your library, check out books and hear what others have to say about the value of libraries.
Limerick Day, May 12th: English writer Edward Lear helped to make the Limerick, a five lines, rhyming poem, popular. This holiday commemorates the often silly or bawdy type of verse he held dear. You can celebrate by creating your own limericks or reading those of others.
Have a great Weekend and don’t be tempted to start your Limerick with: “There once was a man from Nantucket…”
The wind has been whipping the Gulf of Mexico into frenzy. Gusts have been up to sixty miles an hour which will lift the old toupee. (If you have one) Being outside is not the best; with sand and salt coming at you like it was made in a factory. Our little Silky Terrier did a yeoman’s job of staying on the ground but she did resemble the appearance of what you would imagine a Dallas socialite in a wind tunnel to look like. Her hair was everywhere and I could tell she knew it was not right. The boxer did her best to keep her wet nose downwind so to speak. Since the sand was sticking to anything moist she needed to keep pointing to avoid an eventual clog.
The weather is not the best, but it is sure a good time to get some of those writing chores out-of-the-way. I say chore because sometimes working on a novel day in and day out leads one to a case of the shaking bores. I don’t think this is an actual medical term but for me the symptoms are as follows:
I want someone else to do the typing. I already know how the thing is going to come out so the typing part is like changing a flat tire. It is necessary but unless you are a paid Indy 500 pit crew member NO FUN AT ALL.
I have the strong urge to kill and eat every carbohydrate I can lay my hands on. Chips, pasta, Fritos, Cheetos, Kettle corn it doesn’t matter. It does not even need to be thawed or heated. In fact, my neighbors always know I am having trouble. They have told my wife the tell-tale signs are there: crumbs on my mouth, slurred speech, and the ever-present smell of chips on my breath.
I go outside and look at the lawn. I don’t need to cut it this time of year, but I think it has a real need to be checked. Checked for what I have no idea but, when the bores hit checking the lawn seems like a real good idea. It is up there with wash the car….BOOOOWAAAHAHAHAHHHAAAAHHHHHHH (someone please slap me). Wash the car? Who does that anymore? My car is so small (how small is it?) when it gets dirty I put it in the recycle bin. Burrump Bump.
I start trying to think of humorous things to write about for Fiction Favorites. That last point was not a good example. I think more like; who was the first person to actually eat an oyster? Was it a truth or dare kind of event? Did the person actually keep the oyster down? Did all his friends tell everyone at cave school the next day that he ate it? Stuff like that.
I begin to wander. I don’t mean like away from the house or anything, I mean wander away from the work I am supposed to be doing. (or at least what I think I am supposed to be doing) I do e-mails, research the net, surf the net. I write short stories. I go to writer group meetings and read my stories. WAIT A MINUTE HERE. This doesn’t sound like wandering, it sounds like more writing things.
So I guess eventually when I get all the bores out-of-the-way I really do return to writing. This is a very good thing and I’ll bet all of you do the same. Sometimes we need to give ourselves permission to goof off knowing full well that we will return to the thing we love, (Crabmeat..just kidding) WRITING.
So if you must, give yourself a little slack and go kill a frozen pizza. You’ll be better for it.
