I had big plans for myself this year - how about you? But then sometime mid-February, life as we all know it started to change. And one month later we wonder if it will ever be the same. Not a day goes by where the name COVID-19 is not spoken as one news program after another is dedicated to reporting the illnesses, the deaths, the hospitalizations, and the lack of tests and medicine that have turned this virus into a pandemic.
But this is a perfect time to move forward with my writing and my reading, just as I had planned. For some reason, it isn't working that way. In particular, since the beginning of March, I have felt myself sink lower and lower into depression. Most days I sit in front of the television watching mindless program after program. I don't want to think, I just want to be distracted by something other than the depressing statistics that greet us each morning on the news. Many are trying to cheer us up showing how creative folks are doing their best to entertain the rest of us, particularly musicians and others in the entertainment industry. They are in their home studios or living rooms, trying to stay connected to the world that has crawled into its cave, see you in the fall, maybe.
I also had, for me, a rather significant birthday at the beginning of April: my last year in one decade before starting the next. So I thought, with a long list of books I have started writing over the years I better get to it. My goal this year was to finish 3 books. I was disappointed that I didn't get one out the door last year. But now, with no motivation to spur me on, I'm not sure how I'm going to do it. What I somehow need to do is focus more on the positive, which is: both my husband Jim and I have not contracted the virus, we have our home, we have plenty of food to eat (as well as toilet paper!) and on nice days, we take our 3 dogs out for a walk around the neighborhood, which is rural so we never run into anyone on the 2 mile walk.
I'm hoping if I can stay focused on the positive and stay connected to all of these positives, I'll eventually fight my way out of the trash bag I've jumped into, scrape off the garbage, and put my head back where it belongs, which is taking advantage of these times and finishing the books I planned to finish this year.
And I wish all of you a healthy spring, hoping you also stay positive in your worlds.
(photo of Felix is a perfect reflection of how I look/feel most days)
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Writings & Musings
Save the Cat!
In this issue, I had planned to cover the standard story plots but instead decided to talk about the story plots as discussed in the wonderful book by author Jessica Brody called "Save the Cat! Writes a Novel." Based on the book "Save the Cat! for Screenwriters" by Blake Snyder, the book goes into great detail discussing the story plots that writers use as they create their novels. That is, the story plots that all successful writers use to create their novels.
That's right, if you aren't using one of these plots as you write your novel, your novel just won't make it. That is according to Ms. Brody. And I have a feeling she is right. She gives lots of examples of each plot and the books you can find them in - all best sellers. She herself wrote a book that went nowhere and then as soon as she started using this style, boom, best seller list.
She calls them 'story genres' and the first one I'll discuss is "Whydunit". From her book she describes Whydunit as the following: "A mystery must be solved by a hero (who may or may not be a detective) during which something shocking is revealed about the dark side of human nature." A couple of books that use this genre are: 'The Girl on the Train' by Paula Hawkins, 'And Then There Were None' by Agatha Christie, 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn, and 'The Da Vinci Code' by Dan Brown.
If your plan is to write a Whydunit novel, be sure to have the following ingredients: A Detective: Someone with a case on their hands, doesn't have to be a professional, that they aren't fully prepared to handle. A Secret: Key to unraveling the whole thing, should illuminate something about the dark side of humanity. A Dark Turn: Moment when detective is so deep into mystery that their own rules are compromised.
To find out more about the story genres, read "Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody.
There is a lot to be said for having a plan. At the end of February and my last newsletter, my plan was to go back to several books and collections of stories that needed to be completed. Since I only had a couple of stories to finish in a collection I'm working on and then read through everything before having Jim (and a couple of other people) read through and help with the editing, that is what I decided to complete first. And I'm happy to say, I finished a collection of stories. Now I'm on to the novel that I want to publish with the collection of stories. The two are related which is why I want them completed together. Typically I have either a collection of short stories or a novel but this will be the first time I have both to edit and get ready for publication at the same time. Definitely a challenge.
But the reason this will work is because I have a plan. And fortunately when I wrote my Welcome article and by the time I wrote this article I had a much better attitude - in other words, the cloud had lifted. As I told a friend, I typically don't stay depressed long. And yes, I do believe I was depressed about all the sad and hopeless news surrounding the coronavirus. First, I stopped watching all news about the virus and requested only recaps from my husband. But I also had a wake-up call from my youngest Pomeranian, Felix. I was yelling a lot and
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I know I was giving off bad juju and my Pom, who, like all dogs, is sensitive to a person's energy, felt the negative in me and thought he needed to take over as alpha dog, rearing up on his hind legs (which got him to about the height of my knees) with a look of 'kill or be killed' on his adorable face. At first I couldn't believe how he was behaving, I have had problems with his aggressiveness, but this was wild. After researching 'how to be a good pack leader' I got it. And overnight he turned back into the obedient dog I've been teaching him to be.
And now, perfect timing, I heard from our printer who was contacting their clients to let them know they are open for business. I let them know we are in the throes of editing and two new books would be forthcoming.
I am excited at the prospect of completing at least three of my books this year. Even though the news around the world is worrisome and so negative, I am choosing to focus on the positive and the stories I will be sending out into the world.
The plan is....just keep moving forward. It's a good plan.
"And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt."
— Sylvia Plath
Story in 6
"Same on the Inside"
Jason loves his mustache. At a costume party where his friends are all dressing up as their favorite movie character, he decides he’ll dress up as the Joker. He colors his long-handled mustache red, using a product that ‘rinses out with water’ and adds enough goop to keep it stiff so that it looks like the Joker’s painted-on smile. Jason is a huge hit at the party and his red mustache looks just like the Joker’s smile. The next morning Jason showers and finds that his mustache is not only still red but the color seems to have increased in intensity. Sadly Jason trims his mustache off and looks positively clean-shaven and respectable when he heads to his job as Banker at the local Community Bank and Trust.
Authistpreneur
author/artist/entrepreneur
Someone who is an author, an artist, and an entrepreneur. Any person who writes or has a published novel, who paints fine art/illustrations, and also has established businesses using the combination of artistic talents. - DJ Geribo
What I'm Reading
I'm not reading as many books as I had hoped so far, but still, I'm way ahead of last year's total number of books read. I'm still impressed with Richard Russo and did manage to read two of his books. I also squeezed another children's book in, which I haven't read for sometime but still like to read occasionally. They certainly are a faster read than novels and they are also very entertaining. But I can only read one occasionally and then I need to read something for grown-ups! Here is a brief review of the books I read in March and April.
Mohawk - Seems I'm on a kick, a Richard Russo kick. I can definitely relate to his work, he writes about life as do I. Regular people, typical lives, some sad and stressful, others boring and not worth living. The town of Mohawk is the setting for his first novel. Although he won the Pulitzer for his novel "Empire Falls" I thought I'd start at the beginning, read his first novel, and then compare it to his future novels/stories. I'm always curious about what makes a novel a Pulitzer winner so most likely that will be my next read. But Mohawk is a complex story that kept me coming back for more. Many of the characters were memorable and I wanted to know what happened to them. For many, it was a sad ending, which you would expect from such strong characters.
The House at Pooh Corner - I haven't read a children's book in awhile so thought, since this one is a classic and also a short read, I would read this one. Who doesn't love Pooh, Eeyore, Kanga, Piglet and all the other characters created by A. A. Milne? The book, based on A. A. Milne's own child, Christopher Robin and the characters he created from his toys, is just one of the many books we have to enjoy. Each of the characters has a story in this little book that tells us about their lives at Pooh Corner.
The Whore's Child -Another Richard Russo book this collection of short stories is classic Russo. Several have stayed with me long after reading them, particularly the ones that were told through the eyes of young boys. Their observations, distorted as only those of a child can be, are innocent and in a way, more accurate than those of an adult. One story follows a mom and her son across the country on an adventure that the boy believes is to escape the dad but years later finds out it was to remove him from a situation that could have landed him in reform school. In my other favorite story, a boy is out of place in a baseball team where he fears being hit by the ball and then ends up being a hero of the game.
This Is How You Lose Her - Although I tried to read the Pulitzer winning 'Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao' and was too frustrated with so many words written in Spanish (which I don't read or speak) that I gave up on the book I thought I would give Junot Diaz another chance and read this collection of short stories. Although it was difficult to read it wasn't for the same reason as the Oscar Wao novel. The difficulty was in the lives of the people Junot portrayed - mostly uneducated, poor, living paycheck-to-paycheck lives. Strangely, these are close to the same people I write about but looking at it from a different perspective gave his work new meaning for me. I might have to make another attempt at his Oscar Wao book.
had planned. For some reason, it isn't working that way. In particular, since the beginning of March, I have felt myself sink lower and lower into depression. Most days I sit in front of the television watching mindless program after program. I don't want to think, I just want to be distracted by something other than the depressing statistics that greet us each morning on the news. Many are trying to cheer us up showing how creative folks are doing their best to entertain the rest of us, particularly musicians and others in the entertainment industry. They are in their home studios or living rooms, trying to stay connected to the world that has crawled into its cave, see you in the fall, maybe. 
