Happy Mother's Day!

Mothers come in many shapes and forms. There is the traditional mother and there are step-mothers, mothers with adopted children, mothers with animals that are like children (I personally know one) and many other ways to be a mother.
To all these people, or mothers, I wish you a happy mother's day!

File Corrutped!

I'm very upset today because my entire manuscript (not complete - 46,000 words) was on a thumb drive and when I went to retrieve it, the message was "File corrupted - unable to open."
Needless to say, I was beet red and ready to delete my computer! I've tried many different ways to recover this file, however, it seems it's a lost effort.

So much for back-up!

I don't relish the thought of starting over, but the one good thing is it'll be a complete re-write. Maybe the second time will be better than the first...who knows? I feel honored to be in the company of people like Hemmingway and others who have lost manuscripts. But it's a crummy club to belong to.

Time to stop and whining get busy! Either I start again on this or I start a completely new story. We shall see!

Thanks for listening to my rant!







The Extraordianry Butterfly

 

Butterflies go through a “complete metamorphosis.” There are four stages to adulthood and depending on the type of butterfly, it may take anywhere from one month to a whole year.

 Stage One: A butterfly starts very small as an egg. It incubates and gets ready to hatch into a caterpillar.

 Stage Two: The caterpillar only stays at this stage for a short time and all they do is eat. Instantly, while they eat, they start to grow and expand.

 Stage Three: This is the coolest stage of a butterfly’s life. As soon as the caterpillar is done growing, they form themselves into a chrysalis. From the outside, the caterpillar looks as if it’s only resting, but inside it is rapidly changing. The old body parts are undergoing a remarkable transformation known as “metamorphosis.” After this is finished, it’s now ready for the final stage of the butterfly.

 Stage Four: When the caterpillar is completely changed, an adult butterfly will emerge. At first, both wings are soft and folded against its body and the butterfly is, as yet, unable to fly. After resting, it will pump blood into its wings in order to get them stronger and able to flap. The butterfly will usually master flying in about three to four hours and then off they go to give the world around them beauty and elegance.

 This cycle is much like the stages of growth in my life after my crisis and when I found hope through Compass House. I started out very small like the egg. My thoughts were “incubating” or changing as I started to grow.

Soon, I was like the caterpillar, where all I could do was eat (or seek and gain knowledge and understanding). This growth caused the most amazing change. This was an inward change, not seen by others. I was experiencing that “metamorphosis” where my entire thought process was rejuvenated. I became an individual who was looking forward to life. It’s really the best change because I was getting ready to become a butterfly. A shimmering example of my growth from beginning to now. Emerging from my cocoon and flapping my wings, I’m getting ready to explore my world while I allow those around me to see a new, positive and confident me. This is truly a “complete metamorphosis.”

(Compass House is a member of Clubhouse International, a place where those with a mental health diagnosis can go to experience hope, acceptance, non-judgment, empowerment, diversity and friendship. Compass House can help a person find dignity and growth at any level of their potential. It also helps fight the stigma that surrounds a mental health diagnosis. People from all walks of life have experienced symptoms of crisis, but because of this stigma, it prevents them from seeking the help they need. These people suffer greatly without some kind of uplifting assistance. This what Compass House is there for.)

New Beginnings

My blog has been silent for quite some time now. I have spent this time learning about myself and how I can write about these experiences. So far, the story is germinating in my mind and I believe it will begin to reveal itself to me in the next few months.


So many times, as authors of science fiction and fantasy, we shy away from writing autobiographical stories. Unless, of course, they are included in our main genre. I hope to break away from my usual writing and find a new voice that will embody the essence of what I have experienced.


So, to all those who are still listening to this blog, I wish you well.


Working Title:   A Long Walk Through Hell


Mental illness is a topic that, unless you're writing non-fiction, has been portrayed as some crazy person attacking people and trying to kill them or some such ideas. The idea that a toned down version where people are portrayed in a more sensible vein sounds boring. But anytime anyone experiences the pangs of acute anxiety, the highs and lows of bipolar disorder, the personality break of schizophrenia or the desperation of terrible depression there is a big yawn and the reader waits for the big scene where there is a desperate break from reality so there can be an adequate resolution.


I say there is a balance that can be reached where the story doesn't have to be outrageously overwritten or mind-numbing boredom on the other side. What I'd like to write about is a journey from crisis to self-realization from our protagonist. Of course there will be at least one antagonist and a few non-believers to the character.


Like I said at the beginning of the post, the story is still germinating. But I think I'm ready to at least start sketching it out.

Blind For A Season

A new story is in the making. It's about a doctor who is blinded while operating on a nefarious character. Was it really an accident? Or planned by an assasin aimed at revenge. But who was the real target?


Dr Shayne Stromberg deals with the realities of being a patient and being blind. How will he succeed with his new friend Mack, a seeing eye dog. Together they solve the mystery of what is happening to the OR staff, who one by one meet tragic circumstances. And, what happened to his operating partner, Gerry? An outspoken doctor determined to see Shayne recover.


I started the new story before I found out about the difficulty with my eyes. This makes the story much more intimate to me. I still have a long way to go to finish it, but will keep you posted.

Conflict and Suspense In Literature

Creating conflict and suspense in your stories can be hard work. One author stated: "It takes 10% talent and 90% hard work to create conflict and suspense...". If that is the case, then we'd better role up our sleeves and get to work.


It begins with grammar. How we use our words. When writing a scene needing a fast pace, the sentences need to be short and clipped. If you write in lazy sentences that are long and flowing, the reader will relax and not feel the tension. For example:


He walked into the dark room and saw blood pooled on the floor.


-or-


The room was dark. He edged forward. Blood glistened in a pool in front of him.


Which do you prefer? One is plain and straightforward and rather bland. The other gives more tension and the character edges into the room.


It takes more effort and hard work to create tension. What I do is first write what I want to portray and then take it apart to re-create the best scene possible. How do you create tension and suspense? Please share your thoughts with us.

A Tech-Whiz Day

Being a writer, I do a lot of reading in my spare time. Because of this, I decided to do myself a favor and invest in a Kindle Fire to do my reading on. I've been able to carry a whole library around with me as I go about my day. Not only will I have my entertainment with me, but I have reference books and the internet where wireless is available.


But when I'm at home, I like to wrap my hands around the pages of a real book where I can dog-ear the pages or flip back and forth or even ( heaven forbid) underline passages. You can't do this  with an electronic device.


Which do you prefer? Book or electronic device? Are you a tech whiz or do you love the rough feel of paper pages?


I tried to put a picture here, but it was rejected! So much for MY technological ideas!