Author: Stephanie

Friday Fun-Day Writing Prompt: The Pilgrimage

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well with the summer heat or whatever you have to tolerate where you live. Today’s writing prompt, in honor of The Beauty of the Fall by Rich Marcello, will involve a pilgrimage. Not a geographical pilgrimage, mind you, but one of the mind and imagination.

Travel seems to have a strong effect on human beings. I don’t know the science behind it, any neurological effects or evolutionary benefits, but I’ve noticed that people become different when they travel, no matter how slight that change is. My mother and I become happier, more relaxed. My father gets even more stressed and cranky during the actual travel and, depending on the destination, he can either get slightly happier or even worse once we arrive. No matter how our attitudes change when we travel, they do, and that seems to be why people travel so often when they take a vacation (and when they can actually afford it).

Some people even find spiritual benefits to traveling. That’s where the pilgrimage comes in. While a pilgrimage is often considered religious, it doesn’t have to be. According to dictionary.com, a pilgrimage can be “any long journey, especially one undertaken as a quest or for a votive purpose, as to pay homage”.

In The Beauty of the Fall, Dan Underlight embarks on such a pilgrimage to Fortune 500 countries across the U.S. He’s looking for inspiration and to find himself, and he at least achieves the first half of that goal. I think everyone, especially the creative types, could do with a pilgrimage like that.

My pilgrimage would include Sin City. Good luck figuring that one out.

Image retrieved from Business Insider

What if you can’t afford a pilgrimage? What if traveling that far for that long is just out of the realm of possibility due to money, work, family, and other commitments? Well, that’s what today’s writing prompt is about, going on a pilgrimage without having to leave the house or office.

This prompt involves a lot more writing than usual but I’m sure no one will object to that.

I want you to imagine that you have all the resources and time you need to take on your perfect pilgrimage. Meditate on the matter for about ten minutes and jot down notes. Where do you go? When do you go? What landmarks do you visit?

After these ten minutes of note writing, I want you to step away from the notes for a while, perhaps an hour. Let it all sink in. Then return to your notes and reread them.

Once you’re finished reviewing your ideal pilgrimage, write a story about taking it. I would suggest doing so in the form of journal entries or a log book but do whatever feels natural for you. I want you to imagine that you are currently taking that pilgrimage, not just planning it. Is everything as you expected it to be? Do you experience any bumps in the road? Meet anyone interesting?

Don’t think too hard on the matter or research the locations. Just free write, record whatever pops into your head.

This exercise isn’t so much about accuracy or plot but emotions and character development. You can check the accuracy later and a plot will probably emerge from your subconscious. What’s important is to focus on how you feel during the pilgrimage and what you think would change about you along the way.

I know that this prompt sounds rather complicated and more jumbled than what I usually present to you. I think that it will help you to not only think more about character but to also stretch your imagination by trying to picture places you may not have even been to before.

When you’re done, feel free to talk about your experience in the comments or even post an excerpt from whatever arises from the exercise.

Don’t forget to check out The Beauty of the Fall and read my review of it here.

Enjoy your journey and have a lovely weekend.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Book Reviews: The Beauty of the Fall by Rich Marcello

Trigger Warning: This novel deals with abusive and controlling relationships, a grieving parent, and self-harm. If you or a loved one have suffered through an abusive/controlling relationship, the loss of a child, and/or self-harm, proceed with caution.

Grab some tissues for this one. Today I’m reviewing The Beauty of the Fall by Rich Marcello. Spiritual, inspirational, and modern, I haven’t been so emotionally affected by a book since Flowers for Algernon. In fact, Marcello’s book has affected me more, making me sad and hating certain people but also inspiring me and making me hopeful for the future.

Image retrieved from Amazon
The Beauty of the Fall follows Dan Underlight, an engineer and co-founder of RadioRadio, as he copes with being fired and the lingering guilt and sorrow from the loss of his son. As he comes to grips with losing his job, Dan undergoes multiple life-altering events: he finds new love in poet and advocate for women’s rights Willow, embarks on a pilgrimage to Fortune 500 companies across the U.S., and initiates a startup directed at changing the world, ConversationWorks. Yet every time Dan’s life appears to get better, something goes wrong. Sometimes his troubles stem from forces outside of his control, and other times they result from his own self-destructive behavior. In both cases, the universe seems bent on thwarting Dan’s efforts—or, perhaps, it’s trying to teach him a lesson about life. With the help of friends, colleagues, his therapist Nessa, and the guiding spirit of his dead son, will Dan finally get and keep his life on track? Will he ever discover what it takes to make him feel genuinely happy and fulfilled?

Marcello explores a unique twist on an increasingly-popular story, i.e. how successful companies come about and thrive in the tech industry. Rather than following a company that started when computers and mobile phones were still in their infancy—which he could have done with RadioRadio—Marcello follows an engineer trying to rewrite his place in the world and start a company which challenges both technological limits and the moral grounds of big business. I rooted for Dan the entire time and every curve-ball thrown at him made me want his happiness even more.

Mind you, Dan is no saint. He’s a workaholic and a hypocrite as well as incredibly self-destructive. I often wished I could shake his shoulders and snap him out of it. Nevertheless, I understood his actions and emotions and, much like Nessa and his friends, wanted to help him.

The cast of characters are diverse and relate-able. The only characters I had a problem with were Olivia and Jason, but not because they were poorly written. Quite the opposite. Marcello depicts them as real human beings but, at the same time, has readers wondering when the shoe will drop if these two are around. I despised these characters as people and feel that Dan maintains his composure around them much better than I would have.

The relationships among Dan, his lovers, his friends, and his deceased son become the heart of the book, even more so than his technological/business ventures. They have their ups and downs; Dan makes stupid mistakes and acknowledges them and appropriate rifts occur, but closure occurs. I felt such an emotional investment in their lives that when things fell short of the best-case scenario—which, realistically, was often—I empathized strongly with all involved.

The most satisfying relationship is between Dan and Zack, Dan’s deceased son, even after Zack’s premature death. It’s sweet and sad but, most of all, fulfilling. It serves as a prime example of our loved ones staying with us even after they have died.

Marcello breaks up the pain and growth with humor and times of joy. As I read the novel, I felt that I was more than reading a book; I was experiencing this man’s life with him. Marcello lays out the good, the bad, and the ugly of Dan and leaves his readers to either judge him or empathize with him, or a little of both.

Rich Marcello: author, poet, creative writing teacher

Image retrieved from Amazon

If you don’t want a book that makes you think and feel simultaneously, The Beauty of the Fall is not for you. If you don’t want to engage with liberal viewpoints or face the harsh realities behind productive conversation, this book is really not for you. For me, it’s nearly perfect, the bittersweet and engaging read I didn’t know I needed.

This novel handles many hot-button issues, including corporate greed, self-harm, and domestic violence against women. While traveling to Fortune 500 companies, Dan encounters struggling U.S. citizens, namely workers in Detroit who can’t afford water and a millennial in Northern California who’s down on his luck. The driving force behind the plot, ConversationWorks, rounds out the list with the incredibly controversial issue of climate change.

The final chapter becomes rather preachy, more so than the rest of the book, and depicts a future which is the most optimistic vision for the future I’ve encountered in well over a year. I wish change could be initiated as easily in real life as it is in the book. Of course, there’s always the possibility that it could be. Dan’s whole purpose behind ConversationWorks is to start productive, worldwide conversations on today’s top issues. Perhaps that concept is not unrealistic; we only need our own ConversationWorks.

The narrative also slips into a fair amount of exposition, especially in the final chapter. Still, Marcello utilizes this exposition and the aforementioned preachy-ness to the story’s advantage. It left me sad but uplifted and inspired.

Tiny grammatical errors appear throughout the book but not very often. If I weren’t hyper-aware of such details, I may not have even noticed them. They did not detract from the novel’s overall quality.

I highly recommend Rich Marcello’s The Beauty of the Fall. I have a lot to think about, both personal and big-picture. Writers, artists, engineers, creative people of all disciplines will appreciate Dan’s vision and those looking for spiritual relief will find a release in following his struggles.

If you’d like to read The Beauty of the Fall, you can follow the ad below and buy it on Amazon.

Marcello is also offering a chance for his readers to give back to the community. He’s donating the first $25,000 in profits from The Beauty of the Fall to Bridges, an organization which helps domestic violence victims. For more information and to donate to this worthy cause, please follow this link to the donation page.

For more information on The Beauty of the Fall, Rich Marcello, and his other works, check out his website.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

An Argument for Writing Diversely

The week I launched this blog, I talked about genres of literature and the genre-based elitism which still exists among writers today. I want to return to that idea, particularly the issue of writers crossing genres. I have always sung the praises of reading diversely; now I want to discuss writing diversely.

Most writers are best known for certain genres. However, many of these writers also dabbled in other genres. Edgar Allan Poe wrote mainly Gothic horror short stories, yet he is also famous for his poem “The Raven”. He composed one novel outside of the Gothic horror genre, but that book did not go over very well at the time. Ian Fleming’s claim to fame are his novels about secret agent 007, but he also wrote Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car, which inspired the classic film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. (Fun fact: Roald Dahl co-wrote the screenplay with Ken Hughes. Bonus fun fact: I love this movie!) More recently, J.K. Rowling dared to step out of the fantasy and children’s books genres twice, once to mixed reception (The Casual Vacancy) and another to raving reviews (Cormoran Strike series, written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith).

                 

Based on these examples, writing diversely seems to yield mixed results. An audience maintains certain expectations for a writer and when he/she drifts away from these expectations, not one sort of reaction is guaranteed. Some may be thrilled that a writer they like is branching out; others may insist (rather angrily) that he/she stick with the tried and true.

For a writer, writing diversely may be a long-awaited release from the mundane or a horrifying plummet into the unknown, or both. Whether you embrace it, fear it, or approach it with caution, crossing genres can benefit your writing in many ways.

I will discuss four of these benefits in this post.

  1. You can strengthen different aspects of your writing. I’ve discussed this benefit at length before. Different genres teach us about different aspects of writing. Fantasy and science fiction teach about world building but horror and thrillers teach about suspense; with nonfiction, writers learn how to develop characters as real people readers can relate to, but fiction lends more to plot construction; writing novels necessitates sustaining consistent narration across many pages, and flash fiction weighs the importance of each word. When writing diversely, you develop more tools for better writing, no matter which genre you frequent most.
  2. You may discover a new genre you didn’t know you would love or for which you have a knack. You know the saying: you never know if you don’t try. You might love a genre you’ve never tried before because you’ve heard bad things about it. Maybe you thought nothing new could be brought to the genre but something in your writing could revolutionize it. Perhaps you’ve avoided writing a genre you love to read because you didn’t think you could do what your favorite writers do. If something inspires you to write in that genre, if you seem to get a sign from the universe that says now’s the time to try this, do it. There’s no harm in trying.

    If you’re ever in doubt about crossing genres, follow J.K. Rowling’s lead and write under a pen name. It’s an age-old tradition and you may like living a secret double-life and creating a persona for your “other self.”

    (left picture: cover of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, art by Mary GrandPré and published by Scholastic; right picture: cover of The Cuckoo’s Calling, unable to find artist but published by Sphere)

  3. You may discover that you despise writing a particular genre. Sometimes you love to read a genre but can’t write it. I really enjoy poetry but, frankly, I can never tell when my own poems are any good. This process frustrated me to the point that I decided I will continue to read poetry but that I should keep my poetry for myself and, occasionally, to share on this blog. By trying various genres, even if you end up hating the experience, you still get the benefits from #1 while also learning what you don’t want to do with your writing. It’s like they say, you regret the things you didn’t do more than the things you did.
  4. Writing diversely recharges your imagination. Are you feeling in a rut? Can’t get your creative gears going? You may need to switch genres for a while. Maybe you’ve run low on good ideas for your favored genre and need to shake things up. Maybe you’re bored with writing the same kind of thing all the time. And maybe you just have the sudden inspiration to write something you’ve never done before. Go ahead, knock the dust off and try the new, the unknown. It might be all you need to put your writing back on track.

Writing diversely can strengthen your craft and help you learn who you are and who you want to be as a writer. We may prefer specific genres but that doesn’t mean we should restrict ourselves to them. Better to branch out and grow as writers than to remain stagnant.

You have any thoughts on writing diversely? Ever discover you loved a genre you never thought about trying? Learn that you’re tired of writing in the same genre time after time? Drop a line the comments.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Book Reviews: Of Cats and Sea Monsters by Wren Cavanagh

Trigger Warning: The book reviewed mentions, although does not directly depict, abusive relationships for one of its female characters. While only the most basic and necessary images are very briefly painted to show readers the nature of these relationships, survivors of such situations should proceed with caution.

For this post, I’m going to review Of Cats and Sea Monsters, book two of the Cat Daddies Mysteries by Wren Cavanagh. This novella, brought to us by the author of “Goblin’s Amends”, consists of magic, mystery, and traces of gruesome monster action. Cavanagh graciously sent me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review and, as with Summer of Magic, I was more than happy to read it.

At 162 pages, this story carries quite the eclectic symphony of plot threads. To give you a proper idea, here’s a rough recipe for Of Cats and Sea Monsters:

  1. Start with one cup of That Darn Cat
  2. Add a pound of Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island and All Dogs Go to Heaven
  3. Sprinkle a pinch of reverse- Dolittle
  4. Finally, stir in sea monsters, demonic creatures, and human greed until your heart pounds.
Image retrieved from Amazon

The book starts by introducing readers to Pekkala “Pekkie” Kobold, a worker from Urchin Cove’s local library, as she prepares to take pictures of two merman-like sea monsters at Green Waters Marina. Instead of capturing images that would’ve made Ripley jealous, Pekkie finds herself documenting one man murdering another in cold blood on a nearby boat. Fast forward two weeks and her beloved cat, Macaroni, is brought into Dr. All L. Medley by the chief of police. With the cat starved and injured and the Kobold home thrashed, one question is on everyone’s minds: where are Pekkie Kobold and her husband?

What ensues is a tangled web of mystery, crime, red herrings, and one cat determined to solve it all: Jericho, Dr. All’s cat sent by the Almighty to protect the residents, both human and animal, of Urchin Cove.

Cavanagh skillfully releases hints throughout the novella that let the reader determine who is responsible for Pekkie’s disappearance, but you won’t be entirely sure until close to the end. I thought I knew about halfway through but I still questioned myself until a couple chapters before the epilogue.

This story contains more mystery than this one disappearance. Added to the mix are a third missing person, a priceless watch that’s nowhere to be found, and the sea monsters Pekkie tried so hard to capture on camera the night she witnessed the murder.

More enthralling than the mysteries are the characters themselves. Cavanagh gives readers All, the new and reckless (with his own safety) vet with a thing for Chief Gallia; Rain, the crooked and secretive mayor; Edith, the elderly guardian of the town; Ness, the flirtatious rookie officer, and her crush Ray Black Otter; and Morgana, a small, innocent kitten taken in by All and Jericho. Last but certainly not least we have Jericho himself, a wise—and occasionally wise-ass—cat who knows just which strings to pull in order to solve all the mysteries and combat the numerous negative influences threatening the small Oregon town.

Even the two sea monsters serve an intriguing role beyond their pivotal parts in the plot. In a way, these creatures act as a symbol for Pekkie’s husband and ex-boyfriend. They seem kind and tamable at first but are quick to turn into ravenous, blood-thirsty beasts once they trick you into getting too close to them. The parallel works in other ways but, due to the possibility of spoilers, I will leave my analyses at that. Suffice to say that whether or not Cavanagh consciously constructed this symbol, it raises the intelligence of the narrative to a level it may not have achieved otherwise.

This book grabbed me from page one and ripped me through a heart-racing narrative that makes me want to read more. Sometimes I was a little lost as this is the second book in a series. However, Cavanagh immediately catches new readers up without having to read the first book and without bogging down the story too severely. Of course, I still plan to read the first installation. It’s just nice to be able to pick up whichever book I come across and understand what’s happening.

Vivid imagery and not-so-subtle socio-politico-economic commentary piqued my interest early on, and these elements continued to captivate me throughout the story. Cavanagh handles the action scenes with a much better mastery of pace than in “Goblin’s Amends”. They are gripping, heart-pounding, and quick but not too quick.

Still, the story is not without its flaws.

I noticed several grammatical errors, including oddly-fragmented sentences, run-on sentences, and missing commas. I tried but could not justify these errors based on writing style or the context of the narrative. As a fellow writer, the editing issues distracted me. As a reader, however, I had to continue; Cavanagh depicts such an engaging world and relatable characters that I simply had to find out what happened.

The dialogue for the humans comes across rather stiff as well. There is, sometimes, an awkward lack of contractions. Nevertheless, these speech patterns work for animals like Jericho and Macaroni. I can’t put my finger on it but the formal speech for Jericho and the broken speech for Macaroni fit their respective speakers, a trend which continues for all the domestic and wild animals.

I had a hard time suspending disbelief for some events of the story, such as when a character had a “feeling” they should go somewhere. While that does happen in real life, it can be too coincidental in fiction. Cavanagh also introduces so many characters that, at times, I got confused as to who was whom. Not all the players maintain a significant role in this novella, though I caution against judging the story for it as it is part of a series. We all know that in one book a character will seem inconsequential but will then become the hero of the next. All we can do is wait and see what Cavanagh does with this vast population in upcoming installations.

The ending bewildered me. It got my blood pumping and I can’t wait for the next book. Still, the section titled “1935” felt out-of-place and I was confused about who most of the characters were. This issue is cleared up by the final paragraph, but I scratched my head for a while and had to re-read that section. I can’t discuss anything else without giving crucial plot points away, so I’ll let you read the book and assess the end for yourself.

If you love mystery, magic, sea monsters, and cats, I strongly recommend Of Cats and Sea Monsters. You’ll be glad it’s a quick read; you won’t be able to put the e-book away until you’re finished. I can’t wait to see what else Cavanagh has in store for All and Jericho.

To snag your copy for only $0.99, follow the ad below.

Here’s a bonus: the e-book concludes with a free copy of “Goblin’s Amends” from Summer of Magic.

Image retrieved from Help Grey Beat Cancer! GoFundMe page

Want another bonus? All of the July proceeds are going to the campaign “Help Grey Beat Cancer!” You don’t have to buy Cavanagh’s novella to support this cause. Just follow this link to the GoFundMe page and donate directly.

For more information about Wren Cavanagh, Notch Publishing, and future Jericho books, be sure to visit their website.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Writing and Religion

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Samantha Ryan Chandler’s A Love Story: How God Pursued Me and Found Me, an Impossibly True Story. Later this summer I also plan to read and review Anne Rice’s Memnoch the Devil. For that reason, I think it’s time for me to broach a controversial subject: writing and religion.

Before I start, I should cover a couple matters. The first is a reminder to all my readers to conduct themselves civilly and maturely in the comments. I have not experienced any problems yet but I know that we are treading on uneasy ground with this topic, so I want people to remember that we encourage conversation and debate as long as everyone remains respectful.

Secondly, I want to provide a brief overview of my religious background and beliefs. I feel I should give you an idea about my beliefs so that you’ll understand where I’m coming from with this post. I’ll try not to ramble so bear with me:

My mother is non-religious but had many religious Southern relatives, so she has some knowledge of the Christian religion. As a child I had a children’s Bible, and Joseph’s story was my favorite in it. I knew it as “Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat”.
Image retrieved from this website
I grew up in a non-religious household within a county dominated by Christians. My parents wanted me to be open-minded, at least my mother did, and so I have learned about as many religions as I can since I was a child. I attended religious release at a local Christian church in elementary school. I have also studied the Bible as literature and I find parts of it interesting. I have also read about other religions such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and other polytheistic religions, etc. Through self-reflection and deep thought, I decided, as my parents did, that Christianity does not encompass my beliefs, nor does any other religion.

I call myself “agnostic” because my beliefs do not fully fall under any established religion. There’s no accurate term for my beliefs. The best way to describe me would be to call me “spiritual” rather than “religious.” I believe that there is something greater than us which has a plan for everyone, even if we do not understand what that plan is. I call this thing the “universe” but I’m not sure what exactly it is. I also believe that other deities exist within the universe, deities generated by our individual beliefs, and they are real for those whom believe in them. I think every religion has its good and bad points, its values and hypocrisies, and so they are all simultaneously right and wrong.

I could write an entire book on my beliefs and maybe I will someday. For now, I’m going to continue with the original point of this post, writing and religion.

If you look at the ALA’s most frequently challenged books lists, you’ll see that many books have been challenged for “religious viewpoint.” This reason has been used for everything from the Bible to Twilight.

It’s so common to challenge a book on this basis because everything ever written is going to violate/offend at least one person’s religious beliefs. Honestly, it’s unavoidable. Not everyone believes the exact same thing so odds are you’ll offend someone if even a shred of your beliefs leak into your writing.

With that in mind, should we as writers try and avoid including our beliefs in our work? Should we separate writing and religion?

My answer, as I often say with questions of censorship, is no.

Religion is a part of the human experience. For thousands of years it’s helped us navigate the world, first to explain natural phenomenon and then to answer philosophical questions such as why we’re here. We may now be able to hear the voices of more religions–and those with no religion at all–but that doesn’t mean religion overall will leave any time soon. We’ll never have a definitive answer to everything and so humans will continue to use religion to make sense of the chaos.

Does that mean it should appear in writing?

Writing and religion are as intertwined as writing and politics. Religion makes writing interesting. Writing conveys and critiques religion. Hints of the writers’ religious beliefs, or at least religious beliefs which have held any influence on them, appear in poetry, non-fiction, and fiction. Even fantasy can be heavily influenced by the writer’s beliefs. (Just read some analyses of C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia.)

Rick Riordan’s children books is based on Greek and other mythologies but, as far as I know, he is not polytheistic.
Image retrieved from the Percy Jackson wiki
I don’t think writers could remove everything that might be interpreted as religious influence even if we tried. Frankly, we slip in religious references without realizing it. I’m not Christian but it’s one of the religions I’ve encountered most, so it’s no surprise that once in a while I make subconscious symbolism based on the Holy Trinity or the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I also draw heavily from polytheistic religions in my writing, especially fantasy pieces.

We can’t control what people see in our work. There’s an argument for Christian influence on Harry Potter, influences which could also easily be interpreted as coming from older mythologies and beliefs that predate Christianity. (The power of three is such an influence.) We may not intend to use certain religious references in a story but a reader may see them anyway. After all, it doesn’t matter what we mean to say so much as what people actually take from our writing.

I don’t think we should use writing to force our beliefs on others. There’s a difference between conveying/critiquing religion and violating another person’s right to their beliefs by shoving yours down their throats. That’s one reason I like Chandler’s book. It delivers the word of God without trying to force conversion, using scripture to raise people up rather than tear them down and make them feel miserable for existing.

Writers don’t need to exclude religion from writing. In fact, we shouldn’t. Religion, like politics, can add tension, obstacles for our characters, and deeper levels of meaning. However, it doesn’t mean that we have free license to violate other people’s rights. Freedom of expression and freedom of religion are important, so long as we do not harm others in the process.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

The Writer Contest: Let There Be Light

Happy Friday! The weekend is almost here; I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Speaking of “light,” I have an interesting contest to tell you about that also serves as a writing prompt. It’s a contest presented by The Writer magazine called “Let There Be Light.”

I first learned about the contest from an ad in the August 2017 edition of the magazine. Information about the contest is also available on their website.

For now, here’s the basic rundown:

  • The short story you enter must be based on this prompt
    • “Write a 2,000-word fictional short story using any nuance, definition, or understanding of the word ‘light’.”
    • Some examples from the magazine include “I saw the light,” “Lighten the load,” and “Give the green light.”
  • Stories must be 2,000 words or less.
  • Entry fee: $25
  • Deadline is midnight Eastern Standard Time on August 21st, 2017.
  • Entries are only accepted through their entry form (see the link provided above).
  • First place prize: $1,000 and publication in The Writer
  • Second place prize: $500 and publication on their website
  • Third place prize: $250 and publication on their website
  • International (non-US) writers are allowed to enter.

The prompt sounds easy enough, right? Open-ended and leaves room for creativity?

Just be careful not to trick yourself into thinking it’s too easy. Writers are notorious procrastinators. While some of us thrive under pressure, not leaving ourselves enough time because we think something will be easy can kill our writing.

You should also remember that the most open-ended prompts are often the hardest. Without strict parameters, the imagination may try and wander down several different paths, leading to a story which is scatter-brained, incoherent, poorly-executed, and incomplete.

Don’t be deterred, though. Any one of you could submit a story and win. I’m looking forward to seeing a familiar name printed in The Writer.

Good luck to all who enter.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Book Reviews: Summer of Magic Anthology

Today I’m returning to familiar territory for my review: fantasy. However, I’m travelling down an avenue with which I haven’t had much experience, i.e. urban fantasy. I’m no stranger to fantasy which incorporates technology and other modern elements, namely Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl and Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but Summer of Magic is arguably for more mature audiences.

An author of the anthology gave me an advanced reader copy of Summer of Magic in exchange for my honest review, and I’m happy she did. My imagination had departed from fantasy for far too long, and this collection helped bring it back.

Summer of Magic comprises seven short stories: “Uprising” by Andrew Dobell, “The First Imprint” by Lee Hayton, “Gypsy’s Ghost” by Andrea Drew, “Monster” by Art DeForest, “How to Fuel Your Revenge” by Nicole Zoltack, “Born of Ashes” by Jamie Davis, and “Goblin’s Amends” by Wren Cavanagh. From a secret society of magic-wielders in London to magical creatures working at a hospital, the anthology represents the entire gamut of possibilities offered by urban fantasy today.

Magic, action, and everyday social interactions play prominent roles but the humor became my favorite part of the collection.

 

Are you, like, a…Death Eater? –Andrew Dobell, “Uprising”

Zeus sniffed at the corpse, snarling slightly, and then raised a hind leg in a timeless salute. –Art DeForest, “Monster”

I have to admit that I take a special guilty pleasure in crossing off every one of those Cowboys-fan vampires. What can I say? I’m a Washington Redskins fan. –Nicole Zoltack, “How to Fuel Your Revenge”

I saw how you were looking at him, hey whatever rings your bell…panties damp yet? –Wren Cavanagh, “Goblin’s Amends”

 

This humor keeps the stories engaging, grounds them in today’s (first-world) society, and enhances the writers’ individual voices. It doesn’t hurt that any references to Harry Potter make me chuckle.

The anthology could do with some workshopping but it’s definitely worth a read for all urban fantasy fans.

Image retrieved from Amazon (link below)

The worlds depicted in Summer of Magic boast imaginative energy. While the stories take place in our world, the writers weave fantastical elements into the ordinary, sometimes in new ways and sometimes in manners more familiar to the reader. Whether it’s new magic like the coven in “Uprising” or retellings of old creatures like “Born of Ashes,” the treatments of these subjects capture the imagination and make you want more.

“Goblin’s Amends” brings a fascinating twist on mythical/legendary creatures. The story throws readers right into the magic with the unusual theft of a gold necklace. Next thing the reader knows, an injured harpy visits the ER and surprises all onlookers except for Dr. Sidra Luna and Nurse Cara Garay. As the narrative progresses, Cavanagh exposes more and more characters for the magical creatures they are. I started looking for the next to join their ranks—trust me, you’ll be guessing until the very end.

I would love to see Cavanagh continue developing this world and the interactions among its inhabitants further. From adoption to magical creature support groups and sociopolitical commentary, she hints at a much larger, complex universe in which any fantasy fan will easily get lost.

Unfortunately, that world-building also serves as the anthology’s downfall. For many of the stories, too much is attempted in a short amount of space. “Uprising” in particular has an issue with ambitious world-building leading to extraneous exposition and the sacrifice of good pacing.

“Uprising,” which takes place in modern-day London, follows a semi-celebrity magic-wielder, the coven she encounters, and the attacks launched against them by a group of murderous Nomads. This story, although rather lengthy, is merely a slice of the world which Dobell creates in The Magi Saga. At first, “Uprising” maintains a quick pace which matches the danger the characters face. The world and people who populate it kept my attention fairly well, especially the fan-boying coven member Richard, but the progression disappointed me. The plot is strong but between the exposition regarding characters’ backgrounds and the lack of suspense during later action scenes, I felt incomplete. In a way, I want to read more of The Magi Saga just to gain a more fulfilling view of Dobell’s world.

Other stories in the anthology have similar problems. “How to Fuel Your Revenge,” a heart-racing narrative about a vampire hunter, ends on a cliché. “Monster” only partially resolves the enthralling narrative of cunning, nature, and the struggle of man vs. werewolf. “Goblin’s Amends,” which reminds me of Gabriel García Márquez’s surreal “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” disappointingly rushes through the final action scene. “Gypsy’s Ghost,” which I was excited about because Gypsy is a freelance copywriter/medium, also wraps things up too quickly.

That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy these stories. Rather, I know these stories have a lot to offer and I don’t know if they’ve reached their full potential yet.

There are two stories with which I had few problems, “Born of Ashes” and “The First Imprint.”

“Born of Ashes” depicts two paramedics’ efforts to rescue and treat Unusuals—i.e. magical creatures—from a horrible car crash. It comes as part of Davis’s Extreme Medical Services series, and, as with the other stories, the author occasionally overuses exposition to help readers understand the world. Nevertheless, “Born of Ashes” stands as a gripping story on its own while also baiting the reader to check out the rest of the series.

“The First Imprint,” on the other hand, is a fully-fledged, self-sustained narrative. It takes readers on Bretta’s first solo job reading an “imprint,” which we would call a ghost or residual energy. While the plot is simple and straightforward, the emotional struggle it explores is not. The social dynamics among Bretta, her father, the widow, and the widow’s husband grabbed hold of me from page one and refused to let go. The ending left me very satisfied while also leaving open the possibility of more stories should Hayton choose to pursue this world.

Some Amazon reviews mention typos. However, these errors have since been corrected and, in all honesty, they didn’t detract from the storytelling in the first place.

The collection is worth a read for fans of urban fantasy. If nothing else, the variety of worlds shown will help budding writers learn what they do and do not want to explore when tying together magic, 21st-century technology, and modern sociopolitical struggles.

I look forward to reading more from these writers, and I plan to continue with the series represented in Summer of Magic.

To learn more about this and other books or contact Notch Publishing, you can follow this link. If you would like to read Summer of Magic and access its worlds for yourself, please click on the ad below.

What do you think of this anthology? Praise? Ideas for improvement? Have any suggestions for books I should review next? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

The Importance of Naming Characters

What’s in a name? In literature, a lot. Naming characters involves layers upon layers of consideration: time period, ethnicity, race, religion, geographic location, personality, themes, hidden meanings, the character’s role in the story, etc. You must research name meanings, origins, and sometimes how people react to certain names. You even have to consider how the name sounds. That’s a lot of work for something that seems so trivial, right?

Yes and no.

We walk through our everyday lives, meeting new people and learning their names, without ever thinking about all the thought that their parents/guardians put into naming them. Nevertheless, people usually name their children with purpose.

That barista at Starbucks named Angela? Her parents were told that they couldn’t have kids and she was their miracle child, their angel. Your coworker Hugo? His mother loved the works of Victor Hugo and he was named after the author; he grew up to have a love for Hugo’s novels and secretly wants to be a writer himself. That boy in your son’s class who only goes by Junior? The paternal side of his family has a long tradition of sons named after their fathers with the sons called “Junior” and the fathers referred to as “Big Al.”

The same is true in literature. When I reviewed Anna James Watson’s Blackmail, I pointed out that “Tristan” and “Julian” both have roots in romantic literature. People best know “Tristan” for the Arthurian romance Tristan & Isolde, and “Julian” shares a root with one of the most famous female leads in tragic romance, Juliet.

Writers can use names to direct people’s views of a character or reveal a deeper meaning behind a narrative. J.K. Rowling is rather infamous for all the thought and creativity she puts into naming her characters.

Image retrieved from Pinterest

At the same time, though, you have to be careful. Sometimes attempting to add meaning while naming characters can have unrealistic, and often bitterly humorous, results. No Potterhead will ever overcome the urge to laugh at “Scorpius Malfoy” and “Albus Severus Potter.” Watson’s Tristan has a surname that I can’t get over: “Masters.” Considering he’s a rich boy with a need to feel in charge at all times, it’s too on-the-nose for my taste.

You also have to remember that sometimes people have the names they have for no special reason, and the same can be true for naming characters as well.

I recently named a character “Angie.” I didn’t put any real thought into it, it just popped onto the page as I was typing. Then, for whatever reason, I couldn’t get myself to think of a more “meaningful” name. Something inside me said that it was just this character’s name, that’s it. And you know what? Sometimes naming characters happens that way.

Some character names are best when they have a special meaning, some are best when they don’t, and often you have to straddle the line, giving the names meaning without going overboard. The process can be quite the headache but, if handled correctly, it will raise your writing to the next level.

Writing is a very personal endeavor, changing from writer to writer and from story to story, so I would like to know other writers’ opinions on this matter. Please share your thoughts on and experience with naming characters in the comments below.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Dealing with Writer Envy

Happy Monday. Today I’m going to talk about dealing with writer envy, an issue I’ve struggled with time and time again.

The other day I received the August 2017 edition of The Writer. In it is an article by Ryan G. Van Cleave titled “Little Green Monsters: The 411 on Writer Envy”. Van Cleave gives a brief overview of his own experiences with envy, provides advice from four professional writers, and finishes with his own advice on “defeating the little green monster.” I suggest grabbing a copy and reading the entire article.

So, what is writer envy? It’s when we, as writers, see others succeed and feel bad because those other writers seem to be accomplishing more than we are.

It’s a dog-eat-dog world, just ask these two.

Image retrieved from SlayMyBoredom

If you were to tell me that, throughout your entire writing career, you’ve never felt writer envy, I’d likely huff at you. Even the most selfless, altruistic human is susceptible to greed and jealousy. And let’s face it, all markets–including the writing market–encourage competition which, in turn, cultivates a needless “dog-eat-dog world” mentality.

I know I’ve had this issue. It doesn’t make me mad at the other person and I don’t blame them for it. Rather, I start to wonder why I’m not successful like they are and if I’m not good enough to be a writer. I’ve gotten somewhat better about not having this reaction lately. However, I still have moments when I see that a writing friend has won a contest or been published and I feel a twinge and question my ability to succeed.

How do you stop this self-destructive attitude? Well, there’s no way to entirely eliminate it. Nevertheless, you can curb it, either by turning it into something productive or adjusting your thinking to have more positive reactions.

Van Cleave has his own advice for handling writer envy, which I think every writer should read. Here, though, I’m going to discuss my own ways of dealing with it:

  1. Raise the bar for yourself. Instead of whining and moaning “why didn’t it happen to me”, make and meet your own goals. Do you have an edited manuscript in your drawer gathering dust? Start querying agents! Learned of a contest you want to enter? Get on it! Jealousy, to a certain point, can be a good motivator; you just have to make yourself use that motivation. You can’t expect an agent to randomly e-mail you saying “You didn’t query me but I’d love to represent your book.” (If you do, that’s a huge red flag for a scam.) The only way things are going to change is if you push yourself harder and do the work.
  2. Channel the envy energy into something productive. Whether it’s writing-related or an expenditure of energy in another area of your life, I’m sure you can find some good use for the pent-up aggression and agitation. Write a new story. Edit your manuscript. Query a magazine or blog. Heck, you could even clean your house and it would still be a better use of this energy than stewing on someone “doing better” than you.
  3. Remind yourself of your accomplishments. Van Cleave hints at this coping mechanism by suggesting that, if you feel the need to compare yourself to someone, you should compare your work now to your old work. I’m not going to lie, depending on the mood you’re in that may not be the best idea. I’ve depressed and embarrassed myself enough to know that you have to choose the right time to revisit old writing. You should, however, remind yourself of how much you have achieved. Won a contest a few years back? Had an article or short story published in a magazine? Finished a book-length manuscript during the last NaNoWriMo? All of those are great feats to achieve. You need to remind yourself of that and remember that you’re not in competition with anyone but yourself.
  4. Think of another writer’s success as a sign that you can succeed. If you’re suffering from writer envy, you’re probably already thinking “I’m just as good and/or as experienced as they are, why haven’t I caught a break”. Flip that mindset. Instead of complaining that you haven’t gotten a break when you’re like this other writer, think about the fact that another writer like you has succeeded. Since they’ve succeeded, that means someone like you has the potential to make it in the writing market. In other words, this other writer’s success means that you can succeed, too, if you put in the effort.
  5. Also remember to subscribe to The Writer for more great advice, news, and writing prompts.

    Remember that everyone grows at their own pace. Just because you seem to be “falling behind” doesn’t mean that you actually are. You remember in high school when you complained because you weren’t tall enough, weren’t strong enough, weren’t maturing quickly enough, whatever, and then your parents (or other trusted adult) told you not to worry about it because everyone grows at a different rate? The same is true for everything else in life, including writing. Progress is not the same from person to person. Everyone has to work and live at their own pace. As I said in #2, stop comparing yourself to everyone else. All that matters is that you’ve grown in comparison to your old self. Any other comparison will only depress you and/or drive you crazy.

 

I know this is all easier said than done. We’re taught from an early age that we have to be competitive or we won’t survive. It’ll take a lot of unlearning and conscious reconstruction of your thoughts to help you overcome the hurdle of writer envy. Don’t give up. You’ll feel a lot better about yourself when you get past it and you’ll be able to enjoy your fellow writers’ success, perhaps even helping them along the way.

Any thoughts on writer envy or how to get over it? Suggestions for future topics? Drop a line in the comments or e-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com.

And don’t forget to sign up for e-mail notifications and my newsletter, both of which you can find in the menu below the blog statistics.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Friday Fun-Day Writing Prompt: Bad Poem

For this Friday Fun-Day writing prompt, you’ll be writing a bad poem.

For my American readers, today through Tuesday will probably be spent on barbecues, trips to the lake, drinking, movies, a night spent watching the fireworks, anything we can claim is to celebrate our independence but, deep down, we know is mostly just an excuse to goof off. I’m not saying that everything everyone does around Fourth of July has nothing to do with our independence; some of what we do truly is to honor our country, but I’ve always found barbecues and drinking odd ways to show patriotism. Anyway, odds are we’ll be nowhere near a keyboard or a pad of paper, and our writing might gather a little dust over the next few days.

This writing prompt is all about shaking off that dust and getting ourselves loose enough for “real” writing. Whether we take some time off for celebrations, have personal emergencies, or just don’t get around to writing for a while, we all hesitate to return to the drawing board once we get the time. We’re excited at first but as soon as we sit down, we freeze.

Why? We’re afraid that the first thing we write is going to be horrific. And you know what? We’re probably right.

That’s exactly why we have to dive in and start writing immediately. The more we write, the more cobwebs we knock out of our minds, and the better we write. And what better way than to go at it knowing you’re writing something bad, rather than trying to write something good?

I want you to write the worst poem you possibly can. Make it silly, make it cheesy, make it cliché, make it a parody, whatever you need in order to lose your inhibitions and just write.

Here’s an example of silly bad poem my mother and I put together for our dog, Lexi, that we recite after she gets groomed:

Ode to Squishy

Fuzzy Wuzzy is our Lex

Fuzzy Wuzzy is perplexed

Fuzzy Wuzzy has to pee

Fuzzy Wuzzy’s bugging me

Fuzzy Wuzzy is so needy

Fuzzy Wuzzy is so greedy

Fuzzy Wuzzy won’t do a trick

Fuzzy Wuzzy, thick as a brick

Fuzzy Wuzzy is so sweet

Fuzzy Wuzzy sure looks beat

Fuzzy Wuzzy loves to howl

Fuzzy Wuzzy, hear her growl!

 

See what I mean? Bad but hilarious, especially since we weren’t trying to write something good.

So go, write a bad poem. Keeps those writing gears greased. And post your bad poem in the comments. I would love to see what everyone comes up with!

Any suggestions for future writing prompts? Leave them in the comments or e-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011