Space: A Love Affair

Post by Doris McCraw

It is in our genes. The desire to explore to know what’s there.  From ‘Star Trek‘ , ‘Star Wars‘ and Arthur C. Clarkes “2001, A Space Odyssey“, space is a part and parcel of our dreams and thoughts.  Who hasn’t spent time looking at the stars and wondering what was up there?  As a child my love of space was to stand outside, look up and pick the stars I wanted to visit. I even used to plan my trip, as long as it didn’t involve flying.  I can hear you laughing. I know, space ‘flight’ is part of the package. You are probably wondering where all this is leading.  The Space Symposium!

What is the ‘Space Symposium’? It is the premier gathering of the global space community, which is how they describe it. This one was the 29th year.  Even though NASA didn’t make it this year it was still a great event. To wander the displays, the booths and talking with the people is heaven for anyone who has the slightest interest in space. For me, one of the greatest parts of the event: the young people who attended. They showed interest, asked intelligent questions and overall gave a person a good feeling about where these young ones will take us in the future. If you would like to see an overview of the week you can visit http://www.astronaut.com. and then the link to the 29th Space Symposium.

This image was selected as a picture of the week on the Farsi Wikipedia for the 8th week, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I also realized that this event could be seen as the story and characters of a book. You have the main characters, that would be the larger companies that attended, and then the secondary characters, the smaller companies.  Each has a part to play, but not all are in every story, just like not all the companies are a part of each others final product. However, everyone needs to be seen and their specialties evaluated, just like we do when composing our stories. Who knows when the contact you make at a symposium will be a part of the final product.  Sometimes we just meet characters that will not leave our consciousness until we find a place for them, even if that is in a future story.

Maybe some day I will write a story about this amazing event, but I would have to make it a space story or a mystery about satellites, space travel or…  That is for another time. In the meantime, look up, enjoy the stars, the Milky Way and the sky.  Follow your dreams or as Smashmouth sang at the opening ceremonies “You might as well be walking on the sun.”

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Technology – Love It and Hate It

Blog by Kate Wyland

Our internet was out for over two days this week. Some vandals decided to attack the phone system for our area, and although we didn’t lose phone service like many others, we did lose our DSL. My husband and I were so totally frustrated. Couldn’t get on to check and respond to email, except by smartphone, which isn’t the most convenient way. Couldn’t keep up with Facebook and Twitter, couldn’t schedule my blog or respond to comments. Couldn’t check the news, do research or check the spelling of a word the easy online way. Couldn’t send out the last two entries I was judging for a writing contest. We were totally lost. Finally we drove 30 minutes away to another town to get access.

For someone who grew up long before the internet, cell phones and GPS, it was amazing to be hit again with how dependent we are on our modern technology. When we tried to actually talk to a real live person at the phone company to get more info than the canned “The internet difficulties will be fixed in 24-48 hours” message, they wanted our account information. Since I use auto-pay online, I didn’t even have a recent copy of the phone bill and couldn’t give them that number. Scream and pull the hair! Eventually we did get a human being, but got the same canned response. It took three days to get our DSL service back.

This experience reminds me of an incident that happened with our first computer—pre-Apple and PC days. We had a MSAI-8080 made from a kit, which had a whole 16K of RAM and two 8” floppy disk drives that held a total of 128K of data. We also had a hand-assembled Heathkit monitor and an old telex machine for printing. Talk about a dinosaur! But it had something quite new at the time—word processing software. Wordstar, the grandmother of them all.

I soon grew enamored of a system that allowed me to correct mistakes easily and even move text without re-typing everything. Then one morning I couldn’t get to my file. It had disappeared. Frantically, I tried everything in my limited repertoire, but no luck. I was devastated. All my work was gone. I’d only been using the computer for about a month and I couldn’t believe how dependent I’d become on it. The thought of going back to the typewriter was totally unacceptable.

Despondent, I turned the computer off and went on with my day. That evening, when my husband came home, he flipped it on and wonder of wonders my file was back! (I’ve since learned that turning the computer off and on can solve a multitude of problems.) From that day to this, computers have become a bigger and bigger part of my life. I literally don’t know how I’d function without one.

If all your electronic gizmos stopped working, which would you miss the most? Computer, cell phone, e-reader, mp3 player or something else? What can’t you live without? Or would it matter to you at all? Several friends and family are virtually electronics-free, except for TVs. I’m sure the fiber optic sabotage didn’t bother them at all.

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Learn more about Kate Wyland:
Website: http://katewyland.com/
Blog: http://katewyland.com/blog

Checkout her book:

Wyoming Escape

Two dead bodies. One dirty cop. Is she next?

Also her short story:

Images – A Love Story
She’s learned to hide from life.
Should she hide from him?

What Happened?

This post is by Doris McCraw

What makes your muse sit up and take notice? When the fickle lady decides she wants to go somewhere other than by your side, how do you get her back? Believe it our not, I go read. Yes, you heard or should I say read correctly, I read. From there it is all easy sailing, with a major dose of work.  You thought I was going to say it was easy.  You still have to do the work, I write as I smile.

From those readings I can find so much to make me wonder, WHAT HAPPENED?  Let me give you some examples that I found fascinating. Maybe you will too.

1. From the poem Emigravit by Helen (Hunt) Jackson

With sails full set, the ship her anchor weighs.
Strange names shine out beneath her figure head.
What glad farewells with eager eyes are said!
What cheer for him who goes, and him who stays!

As someone who loves tall ships I wonder who went, who stayed and how were their lives changed.  What about you? How do you see the people involved?

2. A man was recently hanged for taking vengeance on one who had practically disputed his property in a girl.

I just found this statement so odd and somewhat disturbing.  Still working on this one.

3. The new road though the Ute Pass is completed, and is now alive with traffic.

Imagine using this as your first line. What kind of traffic? When was this opened? This simple statement can take you anywhere.

Summit of Ute Pass, by Chamberlain, W. G. (William Gunnison) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4. Another mystery, discovered the remains of a man near the head of the gulch. They were found under a pile of rocks. Two bullet holes were found in the skull. They were about forty feet from where the remains of another man was found six weeks ago.

Although this incident took place in 1872, the crime itself is timeless. Who are the victims? Were they related? Is it the work of a serial killer or in the case of the Old West, outlaws?

5. And finally my last and favorite are the last lines to the poem “Last Words” by Helen (Hunt) Jackson

And when, remembering me, you come some day

And stand there, speak no praise, but only say,

“How she loved us! T’was that which made her dear!”

Those are the words that I shall joy to hear.

Helen Hunt Jackson portrait (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I hope someday to use these words as the ending to a story.  I know they remind me of my mother and her love of her family, her friends and those whose lives she touched.

Whatever you do to bring the muse into your life and writing, know she wants to help you tell the story of What Happened, so listen. Hear the call? She is whispering in your ear. Now sit down and write, I say with a smile.

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Visit the Helen Hunt Jackson Live page on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Helen-Hunt-Jackson-Live/110440582339080?ref=hl

Related articles

• In Praise of Short Shorts (writingwranglersandwarriors.wordpress.com)
• Ramona Pageant celebrates 90-year-run with special events (swrnn.com)
• Finding His/Herstory (writingwranglersandwarriors.wordpress.com)

The Rest of the Story

This post is by Doris McCraw

As a child Paul Harvey‘s radio show “The Rest of the Story” fascinated me. Mr. Harvey would tell a story with pieces of information that most people had forgotten or never knew.

Tonight I chanced to find the rest of the story.  While waiting for the murder mystery show I was in to finish  ( I died at the end of the scenes while the suspects had to stay to be questioned) I found a book of German Stories published in 1898.

Now I can hear you ask, what does that have to do with Paul Harvey and his radio program?  I counter with the question, how many know the full story of William Tell? Yes, that William Tell of arrow and apple fame.  The “William Tell Overture” became part of “The Lone Ranger” theme song along with “The Charge of the Light Brigade“.

Paul Harvey, 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But back to the William Tell story.  Yes he was to have shot the apple off the head of his six year old son. Do you know why the incident even happen? He had failed to bow to the hat of the king. As punishment he had to complete the feat we now remember him for.  What you may not know is he had two arrows and when the king asked what he had the second arrow for he said “if I had killed my son, then I would not have missed when I shot this arrow through your heart.”  You can imagine how the king felt about that. He then ordered him bound and taken to the dungeon at the castle.  That is not even the rest of the story. There is more.

For many of us, myself included, we stop short of finishing the story.  When developing a character we skim the surface of their lives and for some reason stop short of the true story.  Much like the legend of William Tell the whole story is so much more. The layers and moral are that much stronger. The story becomes more than just one incident and the character deeper, more interesting.

Now hopefully you are asking, what is the rest of  Tell’s story. Here it is.  As they are crossing the lake to the castle a storm comes up and everyone, including the king are unable to navigate to safety.  They release Tell from his bonds to save their lives.  He leads the ship to a rock and at the last moment he jumps ship.  The king and his men manage to arrive on shore safely. Then to finish the story Tell follows the king, who was an evil man, and uses the arrow to pierce the king’s heart.

So as Paul Harvey would say, you now know ” the rest of the story.”

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Old is New Again

This post is by Doris McCraw

I am filling in today and thought it might be fun to post a piece, edited of course, from the local paper, Gazette, dated July 19, 1873.  I have taken the liberty of adding comments and hope you all enjoy.

EASY DIRECTIONS TO YOUNG WRITERS OF MUSIC, POETS, ETC.

1. WRITE MUCH

All the old masters wrote much; otherwise they would never have obtained what you and I so much desire – immortality. (How may of us have heard this over and over?  It seems that history repeats itself over and over.) The article than uses as one of its examples reading a single paragraph of Mark Twain and then stopping. It then continues with: No, my dear young (or old)  friend, with the voluminous Beethoven, the prodigious Mozart…for your illustrious examples, write, write, WRITE!!!

2.THINK WELL OF YOUR OWN

Nothing can be more unnatural in a young author, poet, etc., than lack of self-appreciation.  …Your reputation at home and abroad, nine times out of ten, will be no “Freak of Fortune” bestowed by fairy hands, or thrown gratuitously at your feet by an indulgent public, but will begin and end with yourself.  ( I think this is one of the best pieces of information from the past.  We’re told to not toot our own horn, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t appreciate our work.)

3. LIVE AND DIE POOR

Here a great many fail. ‘Tis so hard to continually and effectually turn a deaf ear to the seductive wiles of earthly riches.   Remember Edgar Allan Poe, who, in spite of “marble bust” –his “velvet sofa” and “purple lining”–was poor as a raven. (This one took a bit to understand, but I think they are saying don’t write for the money, write what feeds your soul.)

4. GO WEST

Doubtless up0n this more than anything else, depends your future greatness. …Where would the Mayflower have landed, had she pointed otherwise than West?  ( I think they are saying go where others haven’t gone, follow your own star and see where it leads.)

The article ends with a long paragraph including this line…Remember the great undeveloped future.

I hope you enjoyed the trip to the past…the advice really hasn’t changed much, just the wording.

You can find my own pieces of writing at the following:

http://fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com

http://angelarainesshorts.blogspot.com

http://renawomyn.blogspot.com

http://www.dorismccraw.net

Finding His/Herstory

Victors write history;Vanquished write legends; The Papers tell stories

This post is by Doris McCraw

The above quote is an amalgamation of something I heard and thought was interesting. As a sociologist and student of history it just made good sense to me.  Let me explain.

The classic example: the Civil War to those in the north, the War of Yankee Aggression to those in the south. Grant became great and Jackson a legend. (My opinion is they both are fascinating, and who knows what might have happened if Jackson not been killed, but that is another story).

As I dig into the stories of the women I am writing about in the current book it becomes necessary to try to find the truth hidden in all the pages of history I find.  Women before 1900 were rarely written about and if you are lucky enough to find one, their names are not given.  There are three women doctors listed  in the 1879 city directory as Dr. Mrs. then initials and last name.  They are not mentioned in the local papers. At least not until they died.  One passed in 1880 and her full name is in her obituary.  If I had not found that little piece of information I would have lost a lot more time trying to find her story.

Once you find your information, especially in the non-fiction realm, it becomes necessary to verify everything. In the case of one woman, a nugget of knowledge says she came to the area to set up a clinic to treat  ‘consumption’. This may or may not be true. She did practice in the area. The area is known for those who came for the cure of  ‘consumption’. Normally you could put two and two together and get four, but not always. So far the local information does not bear out that she had a clinic.  That she had a medical practice in the 1800’s has been verified, but otherwise the rest of the story does not hold up, so far.

Now comes the time of digging through old newspapers, the ones that tell stories, to see if there is any mention of her and her work.  It could be a fools errand, for as noted above, women are not included in the news. Still it is important to try to get at the truth to make sure the stories of history are as factually as possible.  Whether it is the women or the men in our history, if we are to tell the true story we need to look past the victors version and the vanquished legends. Read the papers but verify the stories they tell.  That way you can find his/herstory and tell that true one. Just remember, all history is told through the eyes of those seeing it, and the victor has their version, the vanquished their legends and the papers their story.

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Everyday Life punctuated by moments of sheer terror

   This post by Mike Staton

The twisted hunk of metal lay in Interstate 40’s medium. It no longer looked like a car. A man stood beside the wreckage, leaning forward, perhaps speaking words of reassurance to the driver, if the poor soul still lived.

I have my doubts. The wreck looked lethal.

In the southbound lanes, a man carrying a blanket walked from his vehicle toward the crumpled metal. Another man kicked debris away from a demolished trailer. Conspicuously absent were emergency vehicles and Highway Patrol cruisers. The accident must have happened just a short time earlier.

As traffic slowed, motorists were waved off the pavement and into the grass. Once past the wreck, I maneuvered my Saturn back onto one of the southbound lanes and continued down the road. As I pressed the gas pedal, I found myself reflecting on how detached I had been as I drove past the wreck. That really wasn’t surprising … I’m a newspaper reporter and over my career have covered my share of bad accidents. I would have stopped to take photographs of this one, except the accident was outside our circulation area.

The first fire truck, lights flashing, raced up the interstate’s northbound lanes, followed by an emergency squad, another fire truck and a second squad. More thoughts – these ones disturbing – percolated to consciousness. Soon loved ones would get jarring news that would perhaps change their lives forever. Tears wet my cheeks.

It struck me that authors strive to show scenes of drama like the tragic accident. Whether you’re a writer specializing in romance, mystery, westerns or – like me, fantasy – you weave together the elements of plot, characterization, dialogue and description, hiking up tension as you tell a story designed to reveal an aspect of the human condition. On a few occasions tears have wet a page of a novel held in my hands.

Sometimes that means unexpectedly killing off a main character, springing a gut-wrenching surprise on the reader. Like real life, a plot can’t become predictable. A critter reviewing one of the early drafts of “The Emperor’s Mistress” told me I was killing off too many palace guards. Palace guards are easily disposable and making them the only casualties of action scenes doesn’t prick the reader’s emotions. Readers could care less if a minor, forgettable character lives or dies.

Someone once said the American Civil War was mostly marching and bivouacking punctuated by moments of sheer terror. That describes life as well – and a good plot in a fiction novel.

What things in life give you pause? 

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Look at his Book Website and his Live Journal Blog

His novel available on Amazon 

Credits: Wreck and Fire truck photos from the Morgue Files 

Writing Prompts

This post is by Doris McCraw

 

I love writing prompts.  I confess they have gotten me out of many a jam when writing.  Sometimes I use photos, sometimes I will look at quotes.  For me there is a prompts for any problem I have.When I am writing my haiku the ideas may come from one of my photos or perhaps I have read something that grabs my attention. It could be a first line of a poem or a random sentence from a book that I open.  The point is, when I  have a ‘writers block‘ there will be a way to kick-start my writing.

When I was working on my novel, my character would not always give me anything to work with.  Since I was on the clock to get this written, I would go to a daily horoscope and see what should be happening that day.  True to form, I would find something that would set the juices flowing and create more conflict.

Sometimes I just need a little extra color to a piece.  My favorite go to is the old newspapers.  They are gold mines of information that could be just what I need to add just that extra something to bring the world to life.  I remember reading about a gentleman who would try to find gold by using a metal divining rod. What a great add to my short  story set in the gold fields of the 1890’s.

There are also great online sources for prompts. The following are some of my favorites and you can easily access them also.

http://www.writersdigest.com/prompts

http://www.brainyquote.com/

Since committing to writing and posting five days a week, prompts have been a major part of my writing life. There are times when just a word or idea is enough, other times I need a little extra push.  When that happens a writing prompt will show up and save the day.

Here is to all the writers out there, happy writing and don’t forget to use the tools that the world has to offer.

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Cat and Mouse

 This Blog  by Cher’ley Grogg

When I think of cat and mouse I always think of Tom and Jerry.  When I was young they kept me entertained for hours and they kept my children entertained as well. I still enjoy Tom and Jerry Cartoons

Other animals that helped to shape my childhood were Flicka, Black Beauty, Rin Tin Tin, Tweety Bird & Sylvester, Foghorn Leghorn, Trigger and Bullet.

We always had our own animals when I grew up too. Of course we had the Royal family—Duke, Queenie, and Prince, and then there was the chickens, rabbits, hogs, birds (mostly parakeets), a cow and a pony, an occasional frog, and skunks, but my favorite was my cat Tom.

I loved Tom with all my heart. He was the first thing I looked for in the morning and the last thing I looked for at night. Maybe that’s why in “Stamp Out Murder” James, the main character and his love interest, Carolyn save some abandoned kittens and their mother. In Chapter 17, Pedro, a favorite character of many readers, yelled in a fearful voice, “Diablo el gato. Es malvado.”  Carolyn responded to him. “Pedro, they are not devil cats, and they are not wicked.” She and James encouraged him to hold one of the kittens. James finally got him to hold one and he settled down, but he still didn’t completely trust the new mama and babies.

Many people may feel the same way, after all the feline family came from the home of a murdered man.

Pets rank high in our lives. We never get over the thrill of the first time we saw them, the first time we held them, or the first time we touch them. We never get over the loss of our fur and feathered babies, when they pass on. They are part of our family and our lives. 

 Even the animals in nature are important to us. Who hasn’t been entertained by birds, squirrels or deer? Or frightened by one when we are going for a relaxing walk, we hear a noise, our heart rate quickens, our hands sweat, a scream rises in our throat, and then a deer runs through the bushes. There are a few other animals we encounter that we must use a little caution in approaching.

How has an animal affected your life? What was your favorite TV animal? 

Stamp Out Murder”.

“The Secret in Grandma’s Trunk” This is an especially good book for your Tween Children and Grandchildren.

And please join me on my Facebook Fanpage, that’s managed by one of my most faithful fans: Cindy Ferrell

Finding Your Character

A post by Doris McCraw

Actors have ways of finding their character when preparing for a performance.  As an acting coach it is my job to help them learn the easiest way for them to access that information. Many of the tips and tricks used by the actor translate to writing also.

Let’s start with how you find your character.  Some actors create by finding what the psychological make up of the character they are to play.  What makes them tick? How do they think and react to those around them? How does the character sound, is their voice low or high, soft or strident?  Many times clues are found in the script itself.

Other actors find their character from the way they perceive how the characters body moves.  Is it stiff or fluid in movement?  Do they dress conservatively or bohemian? Do they march when they walk or glide as if on a cloud? What kind of shoes to they wear?

Once the actor makes their choices it is on to delivering the lines. Many new students believe that you just say the lines as written with emotion and clarity.  They don’t understand the depth that they are capable of bringing to those lines.

If you want to be believed it is necessary to understand what has happened before even saying your first line. If it is the first line in the script why are you saying what you are saying?  What is the subtext? What is your biography?  The audience may never or need to know, but it will inform your whole performance.

Now you may ask yourself how does any of this relate to my writing? Take a look at some of the questions actors  ask themselves when preparing for a performance. If in your writing you answer those questions you may find that your characters and story take on a life of their own.  The stories become more than just lines and settings, they become flesh and blood.  If they do that for you, imagine what they will do for your readers.

If you would like to study more about the actors process the following books are a good read.

“The Technique of Acting” by Stella Adler

“Acting on Film” by Michael Caine

“The Power of the Actor” by Ivana Chubbuck

“Getting Into Character” by Brandilyn Collins

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