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Susan Gabriel's Blog, page 23
June 25, 2013
What Kind of Fiction Is It?
In your work, do you fit into a “box”? Do you do just one kind of thing? Or do you have diverse interests and talents?
As a writer, I am not very consistent. My first novel was contemporary fiction. My second was historical fiction and southern. Some might even call it southern gothic literature. Others might insist it’s literary fiction.
I write for children and adults.
Some of my stories are humorous and more commercial. Some have a mystery at the core. Some have a romance. A lot of them have secrets.
Most are stories about characters who come-of-age in one way or another, even if they are in their forties. Most of my characters also have courage and the ability to transcend or transform their situation. Perhaps it comes from being a psychotherapist for so many years and wishing that for my clients. As far as I know, there isn’t even a name for that kind of fiction, but I like to think of it as Transformation Lit.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, I can’t be pinned down and labeled easily. Can you relate?
I’ve written novels, short stories, flash fiction, poetry and even a play. This is how my creative process plays out. It’s a wild and wonderful ride and I wouldn’t change a thing.
“They” say it’s better to specialize, have a niche, stick to one thing. So, perhaps in the long run, I won’t be as successful as the writer who writes mystery novel after mystery novel or romance after romance.
What I will have been successful at is being true to myself and my creative process. And I hope you are able to do and be the same.
Thoughts? Comments? As always, I’d love to hear from you.
———————
UPDATE: The Secret Sense of Wildflower AUDIO version is now a vailable on:
Amazon.com Also available on iTunes.
LISTEN TO A FREE SAMPLE on Audible, Amazon or iTunes.
June 11, 2013
10 Reasons Not to Be A Writer
Meet Matt Haig, a writer in the UK, who worries sometimes that his blog posts go on a bit too much about the wonders of being a writer. Now he gives the other side of the story.
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Posted 24 May 2013 by Matt Haig
Here are just the first ten reasons not to be jealous of writers.
1. They have bad backs. Maybe not the debut writers, but by the time of their third or fourth novel, they can hardly walk. This is why Margaret Atwood has to be winched everywhere with the aid of a helicopter. It is why Salman Rushdie is eight inches shorter than he used to be. It is why Julian Barnes always clenches his jaw.
2. They are depressed. Writers are miserable. Think of some of the saddest people in history – Woolf, Plath, Hemingway, Sexton, Poe, Tom Clancy – and ninety per cent of them are writers. They write because they are depressed. Even Dan Brown is depressed. Every single person you pass in the street has happier brain chemistry than Dan Brown. Probably. That’s why he has to hang upside down like Bruce Wayne between paragraphs. Possibly. And why he believes life is a kind of Countdown Conundrum designed by Dante or Da Vinci or albino priests. Possibly. And look, US website health.com says that writing is one of the top 10 professions most likely to lead to depression. So be jealous of happier people, like undertakers and debt collectors. Being a writer is deciding to live your whole life as if it was soundtracked by Radiohead.
3. They are lonely. Ever wonder why a disproportionate number of writers are on Twitter and Facebook? Because they are the loneliest people in the universe. Some days, if there is a delivery, I will feel elated for having spoken to the man from DHL about the weather. I occasionally even try and keep him on the doorstep and pretend I like football.
4. Financial uncertainty. Writers don’t get fixed wages. They have no idea when their next cheque is coming in, or how much it will be. Generally, it takes a long time. For instance, I am still waiting for a third instalment of an advance I signed for in 2003, and which I spent in 2002.
5. Other writers. One of the very worst things about being a writer is the existence of other writers. There are literally thousands of writers out there, and many of them will have better Amazon rankings than you and be placed in more prominent places in bookshops. Other writers win prizes and climb bestseller lists and are photographed at all the right events. Other writers are probably having a whale of a time, naked, rolling around on the floor, glugging absinthe with other naked people while they scream Beat Poetry up at the ceiling.
6. Self-importance. If you are a writer you are spending weeks at a time burrowing deep into your own psyche, shining a flaming torch into its cobwebbed corners. And so there is a severe risk of being a bit of a shy, self-important tosser that no-one wants to speak to at parties.
7. Dan Brown. Dan Brown. Dan Brown. Dan Brown. Dan Brown. Dan Brown. Dan Brown. Dan Brown. E L James. Dan Brown. Dan Brown. Dan Brown. Gillian Flynn. Dan Brown. Dan Brown. Dan Brown. Bookshops.
8. Writer’s block. I was going to add to this point but I couldn’t think what to write.
9. A writer gives up having a life for twelve months and comes out at the end of it with nothing to show for it but a one-star Amazon review written by someone in Idaho called JesusRainbowUnicorn who doesn’t like the reference to ‘acts of a sinful nature’ on page 439, third paragraph, second line.
10. Other people are not happier than you. This is especially the case with writers. Writers are never happier than you. Writers are always worrying about deadlines, editors, agents, royalties, book covers, public readings, blog reviews, whether they should move to NW1, lack of invites, the future of the book, unanswered emails, that retweet they shouldn’t have posted, updating their website. They are paid to be misery guts. Paid to wallow and absorb into themselves on gloomy voyages towards the ego. So yes, this weeks tip -don’t be a writer. If anyone has to be self-important and miserable and paranoid then I think it should be me. Now, if you’d like to excuse me, I’ve really got to go and stare out of the window for five hours. And maybe cry some pompous, Keatsian writer tears.
To read the original post by Matt Haig go here.
———————-
Like all good humor, there is an element of truth to all of these. Dan Brown. Dan Brown. Dan Brown. Dan Brown……
Thoughts? Questions? Please post your comments below and I’ll reply personally.
You can also visit me here: www.susangabriel.com
77 Things to do When Stressed or Uninspired
As a result, we can get easily distracted from the things that really matter and, without needed rejuvenation, life loses some of its meaning and sacredness.
With that in mind, I decided to brainstorm a list of things to do when life gets hard.
Sometimes small suggestions can offer big results.
As always, I’d love to hear what you think. I also invite you to add your own ideas in the comments section. Here goes:
77 THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU ARE STRESSED OUT OR UNINSPIRED
1.take a walk by a body of water: river, lake, sea, stream
2.plant a small tree
3.unplug from all electronics for 24 hours
4.sit in a quiet room and close your eyes
5.make a salad of fresh fruit and eat it slowly
6.read a good book
7.write a really bad poem
8.walk barefooted in grass
9.practice laughing
10.sit on the floor cross-legged and hum
11.sit in the sun for 15 minutes
12.have a deep, meaningful conversation with a friend
13.massage your hands and feet, or have someone do it for you
14.drink a tall glass of water and think about what a gift it is to be able to swallow
15.find a swing and swing in it
16.listen to live music
17.take a novelist to lunch (I’m available on weekends :-))
18.go outside and listen to birdsong
19.plant flowers and encourage them to grow
20.yodel badly
21.hug a tree
22.let yourself cry
23.write down every cuss word you know using colored pencils
24.smile for 5 minutes without stopping (set a timer)
25.do not shop or buy anything for 24 hours
26.go to an art gallery
27.pull a random book from the fiction section of the library and read the first chapter
28.perform an anonymous and random act of kindness
29.take a mental health day at work and begin your hero’s/heroine’s journey
30.sing an Elvis song in the shower
31.write a letter to someone by hand and snail mail it
32.give someone flowers
33.breathe deeply 4 times: slow inhale, slow exhale
34.tell a friend 3 things you appreciate about them
35.write all your resentments on a sheet of paper and then burn them
36.go to your favorite coffee shop and speak to at least 2 people other than the barista
37.take a slow drive on a country road you’ve never been on before
38.make yourself your favorite meal
39.look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself: you are good enough
40.volunteer one afternoon in a soup kitchen
41.contact an artist (writer, poet, short story writer, novelist, painter, etc.) and tell them something you love about their work
42.count how many times you say “thank you” in one day and then double it
43.find a porch to sit on
44.donate money to an environmental or wildlife protection agency
45.play with a small child (no television allowed)
46.sit under a tree and read for 30 minutes
47.go to a farmers market and buy homegrown, fresh vegetables
48.keep a gratitude journal
49.sing a song that you used to sing as a child
50.feel blue, touch green
51.watch clouds for 30 minutes and name their shapes
52.read a fairy tale
53.listen to an audio book (after doing number 3 above)
54.make a phone call to an elderly person and tell them how much you appreciate them
55.write down your dreams
56.dance naked (your should probably do this one at home)
57.walk in the rain
58.be vulnerable with someone you can trust
59.make your own list of things to do when you feel uninspired
60.pray/meditate or walk your meditation
61.feed the birds
62.read a story to someone small or someone convalescing
63.take 4 more deep breaths and thank your body for keeping you alive
64.let your imagination run wild
65.take your intuition out for a spin
66.draw something very badly and without judgment
67.put together a box of things to give to Goodwill or another agency
68.take a nap
69.go on a news fast (no bad news) for 24 hours
70.search out stories and people that inspire you
71.play a musical instrument
72.write a song about yourself
73.go on a pilgrimage
74.attend a play
75.have a delicious dessert for dinner one night
76.while sitting quietly, ask your soul what it needs and then do it
77.read this blog and comment when you feel moved
So there it is. It took me about an hour to brainstorm these 77 things. At first I thought I’d aim for 50, but I had more to say than I realized.
It’s incredibly easy to get stressed these days, but it’s important to take action as soon as we realize we are anxious, bored, discouraged or distracted.
Nobody will do these things for us. We have to do them for ourselves.
What’s one of your favorites from my list?
Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comment section! I’ll respond to you personally.
(For those of you who subscribe by email, click the name of the post and it will take you to the blog and then click on “comments.”)
————————
If you haven’t already, please consider checking out my latest novel: The Secret Sense of Wildflower.
May 28, 2013
77 Things To Do When Stressed or Uninspired
As a former psychotherapist and a current professional writer, I am well aware of how stressed, burnt out, restless, bored and uninspired this world can make us, especially if we are sensitive or creative types. Things get to us. Not because we’re bad, wrong, stupid or crazy, but because we’re human.
As a result, we can get easily distracted from the things that really matter and, without needed rejuvenation, life loses some of its meaning and sacredness.
With that in mind, I decided to brainstorm a list of things to do when life gets hard.
Sometimes small suggestions can offer big results. You may even want to send this to anyone you know who is struggling right now.
As always, I’d love to hear what you think. I also invite you to add your own ideas in the comments section. Here goes:
77 THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU ARE STRESSED OUT OR UNINSPIRED
take a walk by a body of water: river, lake, sea, stream
plant a small tree
unplug from all electronics for 24 hours
sit in a quiet room and close your eyes
make a salad of fresh fruit and eat it slowly
read a good book
write a really bad poem
walk barefooted in grass
practice laughing
sit on the floor cross-legged and hum
sit in the sun for 15 minutes
have a deep, meaningful conversation with a friend
massage your hands and feet, or have someone do it for you
drink a tall glass of water and think about what a gift it is to be able to swallow
find a swing and swing in it
listen to live music
take a novelist to lunch (I’m available on weekends :-))
go outside and listen to birdsong
plant flowers and encourage them to grow
yodel badly
hug a tree
let yourself cry
write down every cuss word you know using colored pencils
smile for 5 minutes without stopping (set a timer)
do not shop or buy anything for 24 hours
go to an art gallery
pull a random book from the fiction section of the library and read the first chapter
perform an anonymous and random act of kindness
take a mental health day at work and begin your hero’s/heroine’s journey
sing an Elvis song in the shower
write a letter to someone by hand and snail mail it
give someone flowers
breathe deeply 4 times: slow inhale, slow exhale
tell a friend 3 things you appreciate about them
write all your resentments on a sheet of paper and then burn them
go to your favorite coffee shop and speak to at least 2 people other than the barista
take a slow drive on a country road you’ve never been on before
make yourself your favorite meal
look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself: you are good enough
volunteer one afternoon in a soup kitchen
contact an artist (writer, poet, short story writer, novelist, painter, etc.) and tell them something you love about their work
count how many times you say “thank you” in one day and then double it
find a porch to sit on
donate money to an environmental or wildlife protection agency
play with a small child (no television allowed)
sit under a tree and read for 30 minutes
go to a farmers market and buy homegrown, fresh vegetables
keep a gratitude journal
sing a song that you used to sing as a child
feel blue, touch green
watch clouds for 30 minutes and name their shapes
read a fairy tale
listen to an audio book (after doing number 3 above)
make a phone call to an elderly person and tell them how much you appreciate them
write down your dreams
dance naked (your should probably do this one at home)
walk in the rain
be vulnerable with someone you can trust
make your own list of things to do when you feel uninspired
pray/meditate or walk your meditation
feed the birds
read a story to someone small or someone convalescing
take 4 more deep breaths and thank your body for keeping you alive
let your imagination run wild
take your intuition out for a spin
draw something very badly and without judgment
put together a box of things to give to Goodwill or another agency
take a nap
go on a news fast (no bad news) for 24 hours
search out stories and people that inspire you
play a musical instrument
write a song about yourself
go on a pilgrimage
attend a play
have a delicious dessert for dinner one night
while sitting quietly, ask your soul what it needs and then do it
read this blog and comment when you feel moved
So there it is. It took me about an hour to brainstorm these 77 things. At first I thought I’d aim for 50, but I had more to say than I realized.
It’s incredibly easy to get stressed these days, but it’s important to take action as soon as we realize we are anxious, bored, discouraged or distracted.
Nobody will do these things for us. We have to do them for ourselves.
What’s one of your favorites from my list?
Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comment section! I’ll respond to you personally.
(For those of you who subscribe by email, click the name of the post and it will take you to the blog and then click on “comments.”)
————————
If you haven’t already, please consider checking out my latest novel: The Secret Sense of Wildflower.
May 16, 2013
Why You Love a Great Story
So I’m very excited to announce that the audio book of The Secret Sense of Wildflower is finally ready to download to your computer or MP3 devices!
If you’re like me, you hate the sound of your own recorded voice, but people who have already listened to the audio book have given me great feedback, so I have to trust them. What I enjoyed most about the process was literally breathing life into the characters and falling in love with them once again.
You can listen to the AUDIO first chapter free on my website. http://www.susangabriel.com
With novels, do you prefer reading or listening to the audio version? As always, I'd love to hear from you.
January 24, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Announces Best Books of 2012
Then, earlier this week, Kirkus Reviews announced that they have named my book, The Secret Secret Sense of Wildflower, one of the Best Books of 2012. In the midst of all the bad news, it’s not always easy to celebrate life’s little successes. But I’m going to try.
I’ve been writing fiction for over fifteen years–day in and day out–and I’ve been rejected a zillion times (or at least it feels that way). I’ve had an agent retire. I’ve had executive editors who were about to offer contracts to me get fired. I’ve had other editors at major publishing houses who were interested in my work unexpectedly leave their job. And this isn’t just bad luck, folks. This kind of thing happens to A LOT of writers in such a volatile publishing environment.
So, after learning of this great honor for my book, I’m sending off a few fireworks. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support. Please celebrate with me!
August 15, 2012
July 16, 2012
Some Book Reviewers I Just Love
Thanks so much for sending me The Secret Sense of Wilflower and for signing it! It was here waiting for me when I got home from my trip and tonight I finished reading and reviewing it. It was such a powerful novel, I couldn't put it down. And I, who rarely ever cries at books, found myself crying right along with Wildflower. I didn't mention this in my review because I thought it might be spoilerish, but I really admired that even though Wildflower was handed crappy hand after crappy hand in life, the novel ended with such a sense of optimisim on her part - I thought that really demonstrated what such a strong person she was. I have no doubt that she and Lily, while maybe having troubles in the future, would ultimately lead a happy life. Look at me, gushing about her as if she were real!
Anyway, here's the link to my blog review: http://pandareads.blogspot.com/2012/0...
And on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/R14J3R6N...
Again, thank you so much for sending this along!
Sandra
