Anny Cook's Blog, page 76

Floating Your Boat...

By rights, this post should be about floods...but actually, it's not. It's about the variable tastes of our readers vs. the books authors are producing. I can't tell you how many notes I've received from my readers asking for a new Mystic Valley book. Or a new Flowers book. Or the sequel to Alpheli Solution. Or...but you probably get where I'm going with this.

As a reader with my own favorite series, I completely understand. As an author, I also understand the view from the author's chair. It's kind of like eating tuna every day. I like tuna. Really, I do. But sometimes I have a taste for something different.

The reader reaction is not always favorable. There's nothing so disheartening or sad as a fan letter that lets you know the reader wasn't impressed with your new endeavor because it was different. In other words--it didn't float their boat.

I say, try it. You just might like it! After all, the new story/series/etc., came from the same pen and writing skills as the stories you like so much. Give it an honest un-biased try. Yes, I know it requires more effort to get to know a new set of characters, but they really are a great bunch of people. I like them. You might grow to like them, too.

You just might find the new stories really do float your boat!

anny

Fall...

It's that time. Colorful leaves. Cool temps. Kids go back to school. Life settles down.

Except this year. This year we have floods. Or wildfires. Tropical storms. Drought. Searing temperatures. Earthquakes. Hurricanes.

Maybe we should skip fall and go directly to winter...

anny

Weekend!

Have a great weekend!
anny

Top 10 Research Facts

Research is an on-going by-product of writing. Sometimes you learn something unexpected when you trot off for a bit of impromptu research. My philosophy is all knowledge makes your life more interesting. I like knowing things for the sake of knowing them, which can make things difficult when I get side-tracked from writing by the research.

Take that little jaunt having to do with processing acorns. I started out just looking up information about how to process acorns so they would be edible. Then one thing led to another. If you'd like to know more about the great acorn hunt, check out the tab on my blog that has that story.

Anyway, I thought I would tell you about the top ten things I've learned through research (other than the Great Acorn Hunt).

1) Before there were archeologists, there were antiquarians. Back in 1812 the American Antiquarian Society was established in Massachusetts. It's still ticking along as a fabulous place for research. Check it out by clicking on the AAS above. Since my current book takes place in the 1830's, I needed to know what an archeologist was called back then. And I discovered the AAS by happy accident.

2) In the book before my current one (Shadows on Stone) I needed a medium sized cargo plane. After extensive research, I settled on a Skyvan for it's size and maneuverability. And then I stumbled on THIS IMAGE which gave me a wonderful idea for the Skyvan in my book. But aside from the way I painted my own plane, I also learned all sorts of interesting things about this very versatile airplane.

3) Before packaged yeast, how did people make bread and other yeasty products? Did you ever wonder? Well, I discovered a wonderful book titled Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz. Until I started delving into the subject, it didn't occur to me that yogurt was fermented. You learn the most amazing things sometimes.

4) In a particular survival scenario, I wondered if regular Superglue could be substituted for medical glue. I happen to belong to a SURVIVAL FORUM. I tossed the question out there for general discussion and received a picture via e-mail from one of the members showing a very long slash on his leg which he'd repaired with regular Superglue when he was injured while hunting. Several other members directed me to appropriate sites for other discussions on the same subject.

5) For another book I wondered what kind of house could you build with minimal tools AND minimal wood? For much of the world, the answer is mud. But where to go to find out about making such a dwelling? One of the finest books I found on the subject was The Hand-Sculpted House by Ianto Evans, Michael G. Smith, and Linda Smiley. It's a great book about how to build a cob cottage. And just for your info...there are cob dwellings from the 1500's that are still in use in Great Britain.

6) While researching RV's and other small homes, I stumbled on a site for the TumbleweedTinyHouse. And I instantly fell in love. This was a house I had to use in a book. I even knew exactly which book I would use it in--Phantom's Rest. I don't own a tiny house myself, but someday down the road, I would like to live in one. In the meantime, I enjoyed working out how to use it in my story.

7) In our extremely water-wasteful, germaphobic culture we've moved away from the realities of dealing with human waste. We use that nice shiny toilet and flush, using zillions of gallons of potable water to deal with the end result. But for most of the world, that isn't the way life works. In the process of writing several different books, I've acquired quite a library of books dealing with how to dispose of or use human waste. I have everything from books on waterless toilets to composting human manure. One such book is The Humanure Handbook by Joseph Jenkins. For those of you holding your nose with your lips curled back in a "Ewwwww," I would remind you that one of the first things to breakdown in a disaster is the plumbing.

8) Do ya wanna know about guns? Shooter's Bible will tell you everything you ever wanted to know. Of course, there are things you'll never know (how heavy that weapon is in your hands or what kind of kick it has when you pull the trigger) unless you shoot it yourself. There isn't any other way to know that. And I have to tell you, it's nothing like on TV or the movies.

9) Speaking of guns--there is a rifle peculiar to the American frontier--sometimes called the Kentucky or Pennsylvania long rifle. I needed some very specific information regarding this rifle. The American Longrifles site was one of many I utilized for my questions. I must say every single man I spoke to about this subject--whether from this site or another--was a patient gentleman. They answered the dumbest questions without lifting an eyebrow.

10) Finally, early clothing and weapons utilized leather. That involved tanning--so called because of the use of tannin. For a nice comprehensive article on TANNING I turned to Wikipedia. Surprised? Oh, I didn't stop after that, but I found it to be an excellent starting point.

So what have you learned inadvertently while researching? What's your most interesting research adventure?

anny

Just Because...

Some days there's no reason for our actions except, "Because I can..."

Dancing in the rain. Eating ice cream in a snow storm. Chucking work to read all day. Wallowing in bed until noon.
I've decided most people need a bit more spontaneity in life.

When's the last time you had a picnic on the living room floor? Ate cereal for dinner? Went to a movie in the middle of the week? Balanced a can of soup on your head?

What will you do today--just because you can?

anny

Postmortem...

From the earliest stories of natural disasters, there have been naysayers. There are always people who criticize the tough calls made by those in charge. And after the storm/earthquake/fire/flood is over, there are always people who declare the tough calls were unnecessary/too sweeping/just plain wrong.

Personally, I believe we coddle people too much. Instead of begging people to leave, I think the powers-that-be should state the facts, make transportation available, and when the cut-off time is reached, close down and find someplace safe until after the storm is over.

As one official said, "If you're going to stay in your home, make sure you have some identification so we know who to notify when we locate your body."

In most natural disasters, under the best of circumstances people die. Trees fall on them. A flash flood washes away the building they're sheltering in. A tornado destroys their home. It is sad enough that people die when they're making an effort.

What angers me are the naysayers...the people who refuse to use common sense and then expect someone to show up to rescue them. Rescuers die. They risk their lives--and possibly the future lives of their families--to save people who wouldn't be in danger if they followed the advice of their governing officials.

Every time you read about a forecast disaster, you also read about stubborn goats who refuse to leave their homes. Hello! Things are replaceable. Once a human is dead--they don't pop back up as though on a video game. They're gone.

In the most recent event--Hurricane Irene--there are already people commenting about how they believe the officials over-reacted. Tell that to the families who lost their homes. Tell that to the families who lost loved ones. Tell that to the families sitting in homes without power, water, or cut off from the areas around them. Tell it to the flood victims in New York, Vermont, and New Jersey.

There will always be ignorant people who won't believe until they're in danger. There will always be idiots who place themselves at risk because of their own behavior. I say let 'em reap the consequences of their own actions. We have enough risks just saving those who are willing to cooperate.

anny

Storm Games

 
Every parent knows the agony of keeping the kids busy on a stormy or snowy day. Of course, when a hurricane comes to town, it's worse. Even adults get antsy as they wait for the storm to actually arrive, pass, and move on.
So here are some ideas to pass that time...
1) Clean out the refrigerator/freezer. While there's still time to toss stuff in the trash and clean all those empty containers. Then consolidate everything so stuff stays cold longer if you lose power.
2) Carry all that trash out to the dumpster. Really. Who wants to smell stinky garbage during a storm?
3) Watch the repeating loop on the weather channel. It's sort of hypnotizing. If all else fails you can just zone out.
4) Rearrange all the bookshelves. After all, you have plenty of time. And who knows--you might find something to read?
5) Read. Read those books you've been putting off because you're too busy. Well. You're not busy now. 
6) Bake a cake. You'll need something to snack on when the wind is howling around the corners of the building. 
7) Sort through your old pictures. Put the piles in big Ziploc bags so you can scan them into the computer after the storm. Our box of pictures is huge. It should keep us busy for a couple days.
8) Play Go Fish. Any number of players and any age can be accommodated by this old appropriate game.
9) When everyone is sick of each other play Solitaire. One deck of cards. It's harder to play with real cards as opposed to the computer game.
10) Cook. Make a big pot of chili. Or some chocolate chip cookies. Or a pot of pea soup. 
11) Clean your dresser drawers. Pack up clothes to take to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. 
12) If you have younger children, play dress-up. Kids love to dress up in old clothes.
13) Pray. I know it's considered old-fashioned, but I find comfort in prayer. 
14) Take a nap. Sleep is good...
anny

Pack 'n' Go

Earlier today the hunk and I made our usual "get ready for bad stuff" run to the store. There are things we normally do to prepare for possible disasters--and we don't wait until chaos is staring us down the throat.

1) Fill the gas tank. Don't count on gas availability is you decide you want to leave the area where you live. ATMs might not be working. Gas stations might not have power.

2) Make sure you have potable water to drink. Fill the bathtub so you have water to flush the toilet. Grab a couple packets of baby wipes so you can at least keep your face and hands clean.

3) Keep all your important papers in a notebook/folder/etc. so you can grab them quickly if you must leave. My daughter keeps hers in a three ring binder filled with plastic sheets. Everything goes in that binder. The plastic sheets make it easy to organize AND helps keep the paperwork dry.

4) We keep a bug-out bag with two days clothing, important toiletries, and an extra toothbrush packed and ready. Tossing in the meds at the last minute is a matter of seconds. We also keep at least three copies of a list of our meds...one copy in the bug-out bag, one copy with our important papers, and one copy in our wallets.

5) Make sure the electronics are all charged up on a daily basis. You just never know when you'll need them...and that includes rechargeable flashlights.

6) Discuss (and formulate) a plan for where you will go if you must leave. Make sure your out of town relatives know what your plan is so they don't worry. It's easy enough to make sure everyone is on the same page and save a lot of anxiety and stress.

Disasters or bad weather don't always give us warnings. Everyone should be prepared year 'round for whatever might come up. Are you ready???

anny

PS: Today is the house hunk's 65th birthday. I just want to give him a big hug and wish him many, many more!

Shake it baby!

For several days we on the East Coast of the U.S.A. have been obsessing about a Hurricane named Irene. Where was she? Where was she going? How fast was she going to get there?

Little did we know the true danger would smack us out of left field. In the middle of a sunny afternoon, our world shook. For most of us, it was a new experience. For a few seconds we shook, rattled, and rolled with the best of them.

And then most of the sensible ones were appalled when they realized this was a really small earthquake. In our defense I would like to point out any earthquake on the East Coast is unexpected.

There was some sporadic damage, but not the horrendous stuff seen after other, bigger earthquakes. It did serve the purpose of taking our minds temporarily off Madame Irene. After all the excitement wore off, we went back to the weather guys and discovered Irene has shifted focus and is now taking aim a little farther up the coast to say...Baltimore/Washington, D.C. and points north.

Just in case that's the real destination, I'll be off, preparing for the next disaster. One thing I can't complain about is a lack of excitement.

anny

What the Blog???

Is blogging over? I've been pondering this question for several weeks. Except for "professional" blogs, I'm thinking a blog is mostly...personal. As I've traveled around the interwebs, I've noticed the formats are falling into several distinct categories.

A) Unrelentingly professional. Regardless of the writer of the blog, it's entirely about writing, publishing, editing, etc. Many of them could be pubbed in a newspaper or magazine (and that's not necessarily bad) but if I want to read professional articles...I'll go to professional sites.

B) Author informational. "This is what I'm doing....Title blah-blah-blah will be released on the 17th...I'm working on the third book in blah-blah-blah series..." For my own information, I usually check the author's website.

C) Author personal TMI. I try very hard not to fall in this category. My own blog borders on folksy without dispensing personal (REALLY PERSONAL) information. I think. Most of the TMI blogs are really aimed at friends and family--not readers. Again--I think that's how it's supposed to go.

D) Just friendly observations on life. Here's what I'm wondering--does anyone care anymore? I remember when Erma Bombeck was one of the first pages I turned to when I opened my newspaper in the morning. But do we take time to read that sort of stuff now? Is there still a place for it?

What do you think? I'd be interested to know if the friendly blog is a thing of the past...

anny