Chris Goff's Blog, page 42

WINTER IS A WRITER'S FRIEND

Our front yard.  Yep. By Gayle Lynds :  It’s true that winter can drive some of us writers into dark metaphorical caves, but then we escape the despair and boredom by throwing ourselves into our writing.  Whew.

Or instead, winter invigorates us, and we head outdoors to challenge the snow, bask in sunshine beneath crystal blue skies, and wallow in sport ranging from shoveling the sidewalk to skiing downhill at blistering speeds.  The result?  We return to our desks with adrenaline rushing and nowhere finer to put it than into our latest book.  Fun!

I’m always suspect of those who find winter little different from any other season. Yes, those crazy folks exist, especially in California and Florida.  Since I lived in Southern California for a few decades, I get to say it: The subtlety of the seasons is often lost in the day-to-day beauty, although there’s graphic evidence of change.  For instance, bottle brush bushes, prickly pear cacti, and poinsettias blossom at different times.  On the other (confusing) hand, roses bloom all year round. 
That's me, bundled up & out for a brisk hike on our driveway.
No wonder so many writers of murder mysteries live there — they’re drumming up emotional excitement.

In Maine, winter gives us plenty of thrills.  Think how much fun it is to write about blood steaming in the snow.  Or about tromping through a humid jungle while an Arctic snowstorm blasts past our windows. 

John and I find winter swings both ways for us, with periods of lassitude and meandering minds, and long stretches of focus and work.  This is my seventh winter here, and I’ve discovered a lot of joy not only in the challenges of the elements but also in their visual feast. 

I watch the mountains beyond my office windows the way I used to watch the ocean in Santa Barbara.  Shadows and storms, sunrises and sunsets ... all feed my writerly soul.  Our isolation here in a forest is new for me — I’ve always lived in cities, concrete as much a part of my life as the daily buzz of electrical wires, the drone of traffic, and the cadences of different languages as I walked to a theater or the grocery store. 

But here in our forest, deer pause to look at the house as if they can see me at work, and I smile.  When I spot a fox running near the treeline, my heart skips a fluttering beat.  There’s nothing like the array of birds who partake of our birdfeeder — chickadees, cardinals, bluebirds, blue jays, red-headed woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, and pileated woodpeckers.  And of course there are the hawks and bald eagles.
Dawn.... I'm sitting at my desk & glorying in this view.
Much of life is decided for us.  But not all.  We can choose how we see what we see, how we experience it, whether we want feast or famine.  I had no idea how I would feel about Maine until I got here.  Imagine my joy in the adventure of it all.     

So take heart all you writers and nonwriters.  Winter is our friend. 

A DATE WITH DESTINY

by Chris Goff
Background image created by V.ivash - Freepik.comEvery year people across the world celebrate the New Year by making resolutions. I’m no different, but this year I decided to keep it doable.
Gone are things like: Lose 200 pounds. In are things like: Join a Fitness Club and find one activity that you enjoy.
Done!
Not only did I join the club, but I found one activity I love and one I really hate. I may do both. The first is DEEP POOL, the second is BARRÉ. The first is exercise that is water-resistance weight and aerobic training. The second is 60 minutes of pure torture.
Gone are things like: Stop Volunteering. Learn to say “No.”  In are things like: Choose carefully what you agree to do. Limit the number and scope.
Done!
For years I have taken on more “jobs” than I can effectively do. I sat on the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America’s (RMMWA) board for twenty years, helped or ran various conferences, judged numerous awards competitions. For a number of years, I’ve accepted every opportunity that’s come along to appear on panels, teach workshops, sign books and meet readers.
This year I’m committed to serving on two new boards. In October I began a four-year term on the Executive Council of the North American Chapter of the International Association of Crime Writers, and I just recently agreed to sit on the Education Committee of Sisters in Crime administering a new scholarship program for members. Both are exciting opportunities. And I’ve limited the number of conferences I plan to attend. Come say hello if you’re going to Left Coast Crime 2018 in Reno, ThrillerFest 2018 in New York City, and Bouchercon 2018 in St.Petersburg, FL. Otherwise, I’ve planned only a few local appearances spread out in the year.
Gone are the lists of things I must accomplish in 2018. In is one edict: Shoot for more balance in life, which means HAVE MORE FUN.
Done!
This year I’ve already taken a spontaneous, impromptu trip to Hawaii to visit Daughter #4 and frolic in the sand with she and Daughter #3, who invited me along on her “sister visit.” We’ve been having a blast! Next up in the fun category, a three week trip to Sweden and a cruise on the Baltic Sea with the husband. Can’t wait!
And, finally, gone is the finish a book in “blank” number of days or months. In is: write your best book.
Done!
For most of my writing career (8 books), I have written on deadline. The one book I wrote on my own timeline, DARK WATERS, was the best received—nominated for three awards (a Colorado Book Award, a Colorado Author’s League Award and the Anthony for Best Crime Fiction Audiobook Award), published internationally, well-reviewed and sold to numerous book clubs. Currently I am out-of-contract. RED SKY was published in 2017, and received lots of critical acclaim. It’s too early to know if it’s been nominated for any awards or what may happen in the next year, but I am not finished with the Raisa Jordan series. Stay-tuned for book number three. Meanwhile, I’m working on a standalone thriller for my publisher at Crooked Lane Books. It’s in its baby stages, and I’m getting excited about it. Working title: BLACK ICE. I’m taking my time, because I want it to be my best book to date.

So far, 2018 is going well. I haven’t broken any of my resolutions, and I’ll let you hold me accountable. Here’s to making 2018 the best year ever!
What have you resolved to do this year? Keep it real.

TEN QUICK TRICKS TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE TODAY

by Sonja Stone
BABY STEPS.
I'm such an all-or-nothing thinker that the thought of 'baby steps' immediately prompts a bout of eye-rolling. However, having recently completed my new year's goals, I realized that simply rewriting last year's goals onto this year's calendar doesn't seem to be getting the job done, as I have been doing this since 2009. 

Rather than revamp every area of my life all at once to become my ideal physical-mental-emotional-spritual-occupational self, perhaps I should try something new. Maybe if I add a few actionable items to my daily life I'll begin to see small changes. Perhaps this will inspire further change. Maybe drastic change.



Here are a few things I've decided to add to my daily routine:

10 MINUTES OF MORNING YOGA
My favorite routine (available on my iPad) is Exercise TV's Meaghan Townsend's am yoga. This link takes you to YouTube, but if you like it, please purchase the video from a legit site (I bought mine on iTunes). I'd like to do this at least five days a week.

AN EVENING GRATITUDE LIST
Each evening before bed I pledge to jot down three things I'm grateful for. I used to do this on a regular basis, and I found that throughout the day, I'd keep a running list in my head of items to add to my journal. I think it helped me look for the good. This morning, for example, I went outside in the freezing cold (50 degrees) and admired my crocus bulbs poking up through the mulch. I can't express how excited I am that my little bulbs are growing! I worried for months that I'd planted them incorrectly, hadn't fed them well, supplied too much (or maybe not enough) water, and here they are, despite my lack of gardening skill!

EAT A VEGETABLE EVERY DAY
Yeah, you read that right. Not 'eat seven to ten servings of veggies every day.' I'm committing to eating one. Hopefully I'll have more, but if I can consume one serving of leafy greens a day, I'll be well ahead of 2017.

For those of you who like the idea of small, daily steps, here are a few more suggestions that might resonate with you. (They are listed separately because I feel that three commitments are enough for me to pledge right this second. :))

LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE IN TEN MINUTES A DAY
There are so many free apps that offer quick language lessons. One of my favorites is Duolingo. It's available for desktop or mobile devices, and they have over a dozen languages from which to choose. Lessons are completed in minutes, so you can study for as long as you'd like. I've read over and over that learning a foreign language later in life staves off mental decline. (So maybe I should add this to my list of commitments.)

EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN
My boyfriend uses the Luminosity app on his iPhone. He has the free version, which allows for three free games every day (the app assigns the games based on his performance on past games). Luminosity is also available on your desktop, if you prefer. With time, his game performance has improved--as would be expected--but he's also noticed his general recall in day-to-day activities is better.

BE HELPFUL
Sometimes I'm in a crappy mood. Like, miserable to the point where I'm sick of myself--if I could ditch me on the side of the road, I would. The fastest way for me to stop feeling sorry for myself is to help someone else. It doesn't even have to be someone less fortunate--calling a friend to see how's she's doing, offering to help someone load their groceries in the parking lot, waving someone in on the freeway (this is actually a pretty big deal in Arizona, where most drivers think a blinking indicator from the motorist beside you means "speed up and block them out"). Not all of us have the time (or inclination) to sign up for a regular volunteer commitment, or are able to mentor someone on a regular basis. But I can certainly find a few minutes in the day to spread a little kindness.

PRACTICE THE FOUR AGREEMENTS
Almost everyone has heard of the book The Four Agreements , by Don Miguel Ruiz. The four agreements he identifies are: 1) Don't take anything personally, 2) Be impeccable with your word, 3) Always do your best, and 4) Don't make assumptions. Integrating these principles into my core has been life-changing. For example, the agreement not to take anything personally. Not everyone will enjoy my writing--it's not personal. I don't love everything I read--even when other people do. My father, for example. I love and respect him (and his opinion), but we rarely like the same books. And the agreement to be impeccable with my word--to speak with truth and kindness, to not gossip. I'm pretty good about practicing this agreement in real life, but on Twitter? I might need to revisit that chapter...

MEDITATE FOR FIVE MINUTES A DAY
I'm so embarrassed that I'm not ready to commit this to my daily list at the top of this post. I KNOW the health benefits of meditation. I KNOW that I have high cholesterol, and that my parents both had ischemic strokes at young ages, and that I have an intimate relationship with anxiety. I have two apps on my iPhone for guided meditation (Meditation Studio and Headspace), a book entitled 8 Minute Meditation , by Victor Davich, AND a very expensive desktop meditation program called the emWave Pro by Heartmath. I know that a daily practice of meditation rewires the brain, so that in times of stress it becomes easier to access the previously-developed state of calm. I can't for the life of me figure out why it is so difficult to commit five minutes a day for the purpose of meditation. At this point, I have no explanation other than I'm belligerent.

CARDIO
Everyone knows vigorous exercise elevates mood and increases energy. People who do cardio burn more calories at rest than those who don't. The key to sustainable cardio is finding an activity that you enjoy. Martial arts? Hiking? Zumba? I'm not a gym person--I know this about myself. I'm barely motivated to walk into the next room and get on my elliptical, so signing up for spin classes would set me up for failure.

DO ONE THING EVERY DAY (or week) THAT BRINGS YOU JOY
I'm not very good at playing. I love puzzles, but putting together a puzzle feels like a frivolous waste of time. Did you hear what I said? DOING SOMETHING FOR THE SHEER PLEASURE OF IT FEELS LIKE A WASTE OF TIME. I don't know where I developed that attitude--my parents weren't taskmasters. I've probably passed the same attitude along to my kids, which is really unfortunate. If you're not sure where to start, consider an adult coloring book--they're everywhere these days (I mean a coloring book for grownups, not an x-rated coloring book). Here's one by Sasha O'Hara called Calm the F*ck Down . Don't forget to order your colored pencils and a sharpener!


It's mid-January, so I still have excellent intentions for the coming year. I'll try to remember that a late start (or a few missed days) doesn't mean I have to throw out my whole self-improvement plan. Life is NOT all-or-nothing. Life is a series of 10-minute blocks of time. I can do anything for ten minutes...

What do you do on a regular basis that lifts your mood or improves the quality of your life? Please leave your tips below!

Photo by Josh Felise on Unsplash

Christopher Reich Goes Rogue

...Submitted by Karna Small Bodman

Please welcome our friend, New York Times bestselling author, Christopher Reich, dubbed "The John Grisham of Wall Street" in a New York Times review in their Business Section.   Born in Tokyo, traveling the world, including summers with Outward Bound on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, graduating from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown then adding a Masters at the University of Texas Business School gave Chris incredible experiences that he has woven into his terrific financial thrillers. In fact, a job at the Union Bank of Switzerland gave him the inspiration for his first novel, Numbered Account. 
We asked Chris to tell us about some of those travels and especially the foreign operatives he met along the way, many of whom ended up as characters in subsequent books.  Here's his story:


Private Spies, Porky Pies, and Government Lies


Could it be ten years ago that I found myself walking down Bond Street in Mayfair, London looking for a certain discreet office advertised only by its street address and tucked in between a “wonderful art gallery and a perfectly awful rug merchant?” (My host’s words, not mine.)
            At the time, I was in England doing research for the second in my “Rules” series, the novel that became “Rules of Vengeance.”  I’d spent the past week meeting with officials from both, appointments set up by friends in the law enforcement community back home in the USA.  I’d spent a day at Scotland Yard and a day at the “murder center” in north London.  The one anecdote I remember from my afternoon with the homicide police came after I’d asked if they were ever horrified by what they discovered.  In films and movies, one so often sees a detective rush outside to empty his stomach after finding a particularly grisly corpse.  One older policeman gave me a side glance and shook his head.  “Get sick?  At the scene?  You kidding me? We tend to take a look and have a laugh. Mostly criminals killing each other anyway.  Always amusing to see how they do each other in.”   So much for the movies! The first half of the story took place in London and involved MI5, the British domestic security service (similar to the FBI) and Scotland Yard.
Scotland Yard
As for MI5, authors don’t get invited into the headquarters proper, so I’d met with two of their agents in an Indian restaurant not far from Harrods.  I think I filled two notebooks with all the fascinating information they imparted.  Anyway, as we left the restaurant, my tongue still burning from the five-alarm curry, one of the officers from “Box” (which is the inside baseball term for what they themselves call MI5) offered to introduce me to a colleague who’d gone over to the dark side…the private sector.  His friend had joined a small group of former MI5, MI6 (the British Spy Service…think James Bond), and Scotland Yard officers who’d set up shop as freelance investigators. He called them “private spies.”  And so it was that one rainy fall afternoon in London, I was admitted into the offices of “Grosvenor Associates” on the second floor of a building tucked in between an art gallery and a rug shop.  The man I was to interview was named Tony, and for the life of me I can neither remember his last name or find his business card.  Tony was in his fifties and looked as if he’d been sent over straight from central casting.  Tall, slim, dignified, gray-haired, quiet with an air of steely strength.  I’m a John LeCarre fan and Tony looked exactly as I’d pictured the character of Peter Guillam, George Smiley’s acolyte.  His offices were spare and modern, gray carpets, sleek desks, hardly a soul to be found.  It was Tony who told me not only what he did presently, but all about his time in MI5.  Apparently, you can’t talk too much about the job when you’re still working there, but once you’ve left, you’re free to let loose…to an extent.But while Tony’s career at MI5 was of great interest, (domestic counterterrorism investigations), it was his job as a private spy that really captured my attention, mostly because I’d never heard about the profession. Who exactly did he spy on? Tony told me his job was to “collect information” for his clients.  I had two questions.  Who were his clients and what kind of information?  His answers were “everyone” and “everything.” But primarily, he admitted after a prolonged silence, he worked for banks, politicians and political parties, and large corporations. If you suspected your wife was cheating on you, Tony was not the man to contact.  His bag of tricks did not include a camera with a large telephoto lens.   He did, however, have contacts with all the major banks and insurance companies, with his former colleagues at Box and MI6, as well as across the pond, and with his counterparts on the continent.  Of course, Tony spoke fluent French, German, and Arabic.  We talked for three hours straight. Flash forward ten years and the whole world knows about private spying and one private spy in particular.  His name is Christopher Steele and he is the author of the so-called “Russia dossier” which is certainly in the news today. Whatever Steele collected and put in that dossier, my sense is that the information came from sources he’d vetted over a long career.  Steele was a collector, not a creator.  He was an archaeologist digging up bones, and as devoted to his craft as Richard Leakey. And so, it was because of Tony, and, later, Christopher Steele, that I created my own private spy to star in my new series of books.   His name is Simon Riske.  He’s an American living in London, a former banker, secretly an ex-con, who runs an automotive repair shop restoring Italian sports cars in between doing jobs for banks, politicians, and large corporations.  And, of course, the odd intelligence agency that can’t be seen to be getting its hands dirty.  By the way, the title of the book is “The Take.”  Good fun!
                                                _________________________________
This new thriller, The Take,  will be out January 16 featuring that Simon Riske character who has been described as "One part James Bond, one part Jack Reacher."  I've already pre-ordered my copy...hope you will too as I'm sure it will be a great read. Now, thanks, Chris, for being our guest here on Rogue Women Writers! ..... Karna Small Bodman

Four Life Management Tips from the Pros with Suggested Books

My new planner and flowers to brighten up the day
1. Time management counts--no matter what your profession or goalsI'm always looking for ways to increase productivity.  Sometimes my to do list is so long that I don't keep to my tried and true routine and then things fall through the cracks. (Thank god for Gayle Lynds. Don't know what I'd do without her. She usually plans far ahead and then gives me a kindly nudge,"What about that upcoming panel in July?" I'll bet she has some excellent tips).

I love time management tips and read just about every book or blog post on the subject that I can find (which some would argue is not a good use of time).  I like Stephen Covey's (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People) and am preparing to read Eat that Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time, by Brian Tracy.

I have a timer on the table when I log into Facebook or Twitter, because I enjoy hearing from my friends and if I didn't time myself I'd stay online forever and no books would get written.

2. Conquering clutter helps tremendously (but we all know this and still have our junk drawers).For this project I'm delving into Throw Out Fifty Things, Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life, by Gail Blanke. I'll let you know in a later post if I find my life, but this book comes highly recommended.

And then there's Marie Kondo's The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Kondo is the Japanese organizing guru who thanks her socks for their service. As a runner I know from socks, and while I don't talk to mine, I spend an inordinate amount of time searching through the laundry to try to figure out where they disappear to when I'm not looking. If anyone has a tip for keeping laundered socks together have at it in the comment stream because I swear the washer is ingesting them.

Kondo suggests attacking clothes first and leave photos for last because they are the hardest to cull. So, true rebel that I am, I started with photos. Mostly because I stumbled over boxes of them while heading to get the Christmas ornaments out of the basement closet. The photo boxes went flying as did the photos. Four hours and two garbage bags later my husband came home and stared in astonishment as he looked at the throw away pile. I explained that we're not the greatest of photographers and all those "2 for 1" specials over the years made for a lot of boring photos and duplicates. Lovely man that he is, he immediately made a cup of coffee for me and dove in to help. We tossed them that day because our youngest is very sentimental and if she had seen the bags would have been horrified that we threw away those duplicate blurry photos of the cat. (See one of the hundreds that we kept below).
3. A word count requirement is your friend.This one is for writers. My word count requirement is 1000 words per day at least five days a week, but not consecutively. Why not consecutively you ask? Because I work on weekends as well and those days count. I would shoot for seven days, but I just don't have that many words in me every week and running is on the list as well and that takes time. Plus, I hate shopping in most every form and I use Friday am to grocery shop and to do those things I dislike. (Target now has free delivery and I'm ordering more and more online from them. Peapod grocery service is nice, but I've become a big fan of Aldi too, so I trudge there often with my recycling bags in tow).
Sahara or just "kitty"4. Enjoy the present because the future is uncertain.Okay, this is my tip. My mother got things done, but often claimed that "when things settle down I'm going to...." fill in the blanks here. She spent a lot of time trying to learn how to live in the present, but she was raised in an often chaotic environment and she said that she had to learn to block it out in order to be able to get things done. I agree that living in the present is important and wish I could follow this advice more, but like most I find myself thinking of or planning for the future. I'm working on the balance.

That's all I've got for now. If you have any tips and/or books you love please mention them below. I'll add them to my "to be read" pile and thanks in advance!

Happy New Year! Jamie

How prescient are you?

...by Karna Small Bodman

Here we are in a new year when I like to look ahead, not look back.  I have to admit I've  never been a fan of those articles highlighting "The best headlines of the past year" -- I prefer to think about what the next headlines might be and then analyze whether I could be "prescient" and create a new thriller that is, shall we say, ahead of the game.  
There are many great writers who have predicted important events in a novel. I recall a thriller by one of my favorite authors, former CIA operative, Charles McCarry, described by The Boston Globe as "One of the best writers of intelligence and political novels in the world." (Of course, I would include my Rogue Writer colleagues in that category as well). Some 30 years ago  McCarry penned a terrific thriller, Better Angels,  about militants using passenger airliners as tools of terror.  At the time, who would have believed such a premise? He was prescient indeed.


Now let's look at what the headlines might be in 2018 and perhaps you can help me fashion a new thriller involving a prediction.  Checking the calendar we see the following events --let's imagine what might occur in and around them:

February -- South Korea hosts the Winter Olympics midst controversy over whether North Korea will be sending athletes to compete in the games, along with their coaches and handlers. Could one of them end up as a defector, joining some 30,000 others who have escaped from that brutal dictatorship to live free in South Korea or emigrate to other countries offering a better life?


March -- Speaking of dictators, the one holding the country of Venezuela in an iron grip will supposedly stand for re-election  again. That is, if it could be called an election and not another ballot stuffing exercise. I used Venezuela as a setting in my third thriller, Final Finesse, when the previous dictator ran the place.  I've had to edit and revise that story (since it will be reissued this summer)
 to bring it up to date and reflect the dire condition of a nation that was blessed with the world's richest oil deposits, but cursed with the mismanagement and corruption that has left that once beautiful country with the highest inflation rate and dire shortages of food and medicine. Can you come up with a scenario surrounding that "election" that could be turned into the next thriller?
Also in March -- looks like the season of dictators because Russia will hold its Presidential election, and does anyone doubt that Vladimir Putin will win -- again?
There are many thrillers written about this ubiquitous character including Putin's Gambit, by Lou Dobbs  and James O. Born, along with Palace of Treason and Red Sparrow, by Jason Matthews --winner of International Thriller Writers "Best First Novel" award and soon to be made into a movie starring Jennifer Lawrence.  That one features a female Russian spy trained in the art of seduction. Now with Putin's continuing reign, who would be a great hero or heroine in a new story?
July -- NATO holds a significant meeting in Brussels. Let's think about how a major conference involving so many world leaders could be the setting of a novel involving NATO's military commanders and a new challenge.  What would it be? An advance on Estonia or Lithuania? Shall we speculate about a particular major or lieutenant racing to ferret out such a plan?
So, my fellow authors and readers, I'm just reviewing an exercise I go through myself when gathering ideas and research for the next book. Now, let's all look ahead to this new year - and while coming up with creative scenarios for novels, let's also think about other new beginnings -- as my Rogue colleagues K.J. Howe and Gayle Lynds wrote in the previous blogs below -- try something new, inspire someone, step outside your comfort zone and learn a new skill.  Perhaps that skill will be  the ability to plot out a novel, sit down, start writing it - and yes, being prescient! Now thanks for visiting us here at Rogue Women Writers.

Submitted by Karna Small Bodman 

BRING JOY TO 2018!

by K.J. Howe

At the start of every year, reflection and change feature prominently in our lives.  We assess how the last year has gone and what adjustments we might want to make.  Why not kickstart 2018 by doing something exciting and new--as there are many benefits to doing so:

*If we learn a new skill, our brains and bodies are challenged.  Those stagnant neurotransmitters or muscles are reignited, ready for action again.  And we'll feel better by putting them into practice.

*When we try new things, it brings us perspective.  We see life differently, perhaps allowing us to notice avenues we previously missed or ignored.  New possibilities abound.

*By attempting fresh and exciting activities, we step outside our comfort zones, and this can broaden our ability to recognize fresh opportunities in our lives.

*A change of routine can also stimulate our biorhythm, jolting us intellectually, emotionally, and physically.

*It feels good to make a choice to try something new, even if it is intimidating to you.

*Set a good example for your family and friends.  If you're brave and try something new, maybe you'll inspire someone you love to take a positive step.

*Trying something brand new will decrease the chance you'll be bored--and who wants to be bored?  Life is about living, enjoying.

*If we start the habit of trying new things, we learn to be more open to life, new experiences, and a new future.

The "new" thing doesn't have to be monumental.  Take baby steps by trying a different recipe or activity.  And know that taking up a hobby is beneficial for your health.  Studies show that people who take part in leisure activities--whether it is cross-stitching, running, or reading--became 34 percent less stressed and 18 percent became happier, and the calming effect lasted for hours.

Now that we know the benefits of adding something fresh and different to our lives, I hope I've inspired you to give it a try.  I have a list of items I'm going to try in 2018, and I'd love to share in this exhilarating experience with you!  Would be delighted to hear about what you might try...

New beginnings: rules

S. Le Manning: It’s New Year’s Eve, the end of 2017, the beginning of 2018.Once again, we celebrate that everything is starting new, that things in the coming year will be different, that we will be different.

So, it’s a perfect time to talk about new beginnings. The beginning of a year always brings self-examination and the hope of change. Do you want to lose weight? Start a new career? Find a relationship? Improve a relationship? Get out of a relationship? Stop talking about relationships?
It doesn’t even have to be a big, life shattering change. Starting a new hobby: learn to ski, golf, shoot, speak French. Travel somewhere new. Join a club.  New Year’s Day operates as something of a start line. Ready, set, welcome 2018, yahoo, something new.
It’s also a terrible time to talk about new beginnings – because it’s expected, because there’s too much pressure, because it’s easy to interpret a lapse as a failure and give up, because everyone’s talking about change in the new year and it feels a little conformist and maybe a little boring. How many damn columns are there now about resolutions and how to keep them and yada yada, which means you’re probably as fed up as I am even though I’m writing this– and which is part and parcel of my general loathing of New Year’s Eve. (See last year’s blog.)
But giving in to the mood of the season, and because I have to write something, this post is my personal list of rules for new beginnings. (I like to make lists – maybe part of the ADHD thing – or obsessive compulsive thing. Whatever.)
So here we go:
Rule 1. Don’t set an artificial deadline for starting. New Year’s Day is a perfectly okay day to start something new – but there’s a whole 364 other days in the year that’ll work just fine. I know this sounds kind of simplistic, but the day you start whatever it is you want to change, that’s the perfect day to do it. Don’t get stuck on starting in the new year or on your birthday or on Valentine’s Day, especially not Valentine’s Day, because it’s another stupid holiday that just gives restaurants an excuse to jack up prices.
Rule 2. You’re never too old, or too young to start something new. There are, however, some limitations based on physical ability – and it helps to be realistic. If your eyesight is failing, I suspect you might want to reconsider taking up target shooting. (Maybe not – but do let me know when you’re going to be at the range so I can hide.) Maybe ski jumping isn’t a great idea at 92 – but then again, I’m not going to rule it out based just on age. I wouldn’t do it myself, but then, I’m not 92. I’m also terrified of heights and ski lifts and clowns – none of which is relevant here, is it?
Rule 3. For many new beginnings, focus not on the end goal but on what you’re doing every day to achieve it – and make it something reasonable to do. You want to give up the law and become a New York Times best seller? You want to give up writing, become a lawyer, and argue before the Supreme Court? (Okay, give me a minute to stop rolling on the floor.)  We’re talking new beginnings here, not a reality show. So, you can become a lawyer or a writer or a teacher – and if in the course of doing so, you become a best seller or win the Pulitzer Prize, terrific. But don’t have that as your goal. And don’t effing tell me about it, either, because I won’t take it well.
Rule 4. Have a positive reason for the change. If you’re only starting something new just because it’s a new year and you feel you should, maybe you should rethink. Do it out of love or excitement or wanting to be part of a community. Take up exercise because it makes you feel good, not just because you have been pressured by your kids or your partner or your doctor and you just want them to shut up. Silencing the nagging voices may be a side benefit, okay a really big side benefit, especially if it’s your husband who is older than you but can outwalk, outrun, and outclimb you –  you get the picture. Still, you need a positive reason to keep going – and this leads into …
Rule 5. Find other people who are also writing or skiing or exercising or leaving bad relationships. Starting something new can be difficult – but sharing that new start with other people makes it more likely that you’ll stick to it. Community is important for all of us, even those of us – like most writers – who are essentially introverts and have a tendency to hide under tables at parties.  However, brief and infrequent it may be, even if it’s over the phone or on-line or at conferences twice a year, having someone to cheer you on can make all the difference. Just make sure that you pick the right person – and not someone who wins the Pulitzer Prize with her first novel, because, well, just because….
Rule 6. Okay, this is the last and most important rule – to hell with rules. What I wrote above might work for some people. It might not work for you. Whatever works is whatever works.  Rule 5 could have been the whole post – but it would have been on the short side, and you would have missed all the side snide comments, which is the real reason I’m enjoying writing this post and maybe the reason you’re reading it as well.

So Happy New Year. Happy new beginnings.  Catch me on-line and at conferences for writing encouragement and power walking. Or not.

YES, YOU SHOULD WRITE THAT BOOK

Gayle Lynds:   Years ago my mentor was Robert Kirsch.  A growly sort of man with a big heart, for some 25 years he was the lauded Los Angeles Times literary critic.  He was also brilliant and astute.  As I began to publish, he advised me, “Make many mistakes right now.  Later on when people know you and your work, it’s a lot more embarrassing.”

And of course he was right.  I still make the occasional mistake no matter how hard I work to be accurate, and I'm always embarrassed.  Still, I wouldn’t have missed this ride called “writing books” for anything. 

And that leads me to you.  If you’re reading this, it’s likely you’ve considering writing.  Your mother, spouse, friends, or coworkers may have said you should write.  The books could be works of fiction or about your business, your life, your values, a hobby, or research subjects that fascinate you.

When someone affirms what's already in your mind, it's time to pay attention.  I'm approached at almost every event by someone who says to me, "I've always wanted to write a book, but I don't know how to begin."
Here I am in college, dreaming of writing
If you can dream it, you can do it.  Really.  I can't promise you publication with a major New York house, but I can promise you the intense satisfaction of fulfilling a goal that's important to you, and an adventure you'll never regret.

Writing Is 10% Inspiration, 90% Perspiration.  Creativity is like a muscle.  The more you use it, the stronger it becomes.  If you carve out time to write at regular intervals — whether it's an hour before work in the morning, or two hours on Saturday and Sunday — be sure to show up. In other words, put your butt in the chair, whether it's a rocking chair or a desk chair.  If you show up, you'll start writing.

The Journey Is All.  We live in a highly literate country, but there's a downside to it:  People often think that since you can read, you can write, and after three years you'll finish your book, it'll sell, and you'll instantly be rich and famous.  They seldom stop to think that just because all of us can listen to and enjoy music, after three years of piano lessons no one is going to be so accomplished he or she can solo at Carnegie or the Royal Albert Hall.  So give yourself a break.  To write a book, you're learning a challenging and complex new skill.  There's a lot involved.  What's more important — and rewarding — is to do it. 

No One Can Teach You To Write, But You Can Learn To Write.  Most of us learned by going to writing classes, workshops, and conferences.  Many city colleges offer extension or adult ed classes for free or very little cost.  That's how I started, with a 13-week free city college class taught by a published author.  If possible, also attend weekend workshops or conferences where you live in residence.  And form a writing group of people who are at about the same level as you, to read and critique each other's work.  It's important for you to be around those who share the same dream, and to immerse yourself in writing, editing, and studying.  If you do it, you'll get better and better.

Be Kind To Those You Love — It Can Be Tough To Live with a Writer.   When your eyes glaze over because you've just had an idea for a scene ... when you wake up in the middle of the night to jot a note to yourself ... when you excitedly rip an article from the newspaper while forgetting no one else has had a chance to read it ... remember your family likely can't go in their imaginations where you can.  Living with a writer — just being friends with a writer — can be lonely and intimidating.  Be kind and understanding, because you're going to want those you love to be there to celebrate with you when you finish your book.

The years are going to pass anyway.  How much better it is to spend them doing something you really care about.  If your dream is to write a book, 2018 is a great time to begin.

Wishing all of you a very Happy New Year! 

BEST CHRISTMAS EVER

by Chris Goff


When I sat down to write, it seemed like a tall order to pick out the worst Christmas or best Christmas or the best present. For me, every Christmas has its special moments, and I've had a lot of great presents.

Christmas is my favorite holiday. It was my mother's favorite holiday, too. I love everything about Christmas from the muzak that plays in all the stores to the cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies played non-stop on TWO Hallmark channels all the month of December. I love the preparations—buying just the right gift, wrapping presents, baking cookies, and decorating the tree.

This year, four of our six kids will be home for the holidays. They'll bring their spouses and offspring and fill the house with laughter and joy. Friday evening, the grandchildren asked where the ornaments on the tree came from, and I realized that each one conjures a cherished memory. There's the small wooden skier (one of the first ever given to me), the golden pecan shell ornament made by my grandmother 90 years ago, the glass chile ristra from my son and daughter-in-law gave us to commemorate one of the best Christmases ever. We have handmade ornaments from each of the kids, a Murano glass Santa that one daughter brought home from Italy, and a Christopher Radko blowfish I bought in honor of our Christmas in Hawaii. For me, Christmas is a time for miracles.
The worst Christmas ever (and even it turned out pretty well).My dad was building us a new house, across the street and up the mountain from where we were living in Evergreen, Colorado. I loved to go and watch him and this helpers working, and they had been banging away on that Christmas Eve. The next morning I awoke with a very sore eye. It was red and swollen, I was whining and complaining, and the folks were concerned. Evergreen being a small town back then, had one doctor. He often made house calls, but that morning he told my folks to meet him in his office downtown on the second floor above the old Mountain Pharmacy. I remember being upset when I was whisked away before I could open my stocking or see what Santa had left for me under the tree. I was even more upset when it was discovered I had a sliver of metal embedded in my eye. It was a quick fix. Dr. Youberg numbed my eye, my dad held my head still, then the doc extricated the small metal shaving. After putting some goop in my eye, he covered it with a patch to protect it, wished us Merry Christmas and sent us one our way. At the time I didn't realize the gift he had given us. If Dr. Youberg hadn't come out on that Christmas morning, leaving his own family at home, it would have meant an hour-long trip to Lutheran Hospital, the closest emergency room. And who knows how long we would have sat in the waiting room and waited for treatment. Instead, Dr. Youberg was my Christmas angel. In less than one hour I was home, opening my stocking. That was the year Santa brought me a Thumbelina doll.The best Present ever.I learned to ski when I was three-years-old, in the time of lace-up boots and cable bindings. At five I was skiing in Aspen and taking lessons from the great Stein Erickson, the Norwegian Olympic gold medal skier, who became the first alpine skier to snare triple gold at a World Championship. I don't remember much about him,  except he scared me. He would yell, "Bend zee knees," then he would smacking the back of my knees with his ski pole. It's a miracle I still like to ski. The year I turned thirteen, I found no presents waiting under the tree. My mother and dad had presents. Even the dogs had presents. Finally, my dad handed me a card with a cryptic message—a clue. It took me a little while to decipher the message and find my present, which was well hidden. That was the year I got new poles, a pair of leather buckle boots, and a pair of 195 cm Head 360s with buckle bindings. Best skis ever!
The best Christmas ever.Photo by Sara Wright - click on picture to follow link to her blog

We had rented a house in Santa Fe big enough to house our entire family—kids, spouses and grandchildren. We totaled twelve at the time. The house was pink adobe and decorated with lots of Native American, Southwestern and Buddhist art. The owners had a Wii machine with Rock Band on it, and we broke into teams of three, held rehearsals, and had an epic Christmas Battle of the Bands (my son, husband and granddaughter won). We played White Elephant Bingo, worked on jigsaw puzzles, hiked and shopped the downtown outdoor markets. We did the Christmas Eve Faralito Walk on Canyon Road, enjoying the caroling and traditional New Mexican Christmas decorations. But I really wanted to go to one of the Pueblos holding a Christmas Eve service. No one else was interested, but as I headed out the door alone, my husband and one daughter fell in beside me.

The church was near the center of the Pueblo. We lucked out and found a parking space. Most of the streets were blocked off, each intersection staked with wood. Winding our way to the church, we arrived to find that we were one of only a handful of Anglo families in attendance. Warmly welcomed, we were ushered to a pew in the back of the church and for the next hour watched with fascination the "Dance of Los Matachines." First introduced by Spanish missionaries as "The Dance of the Moors and Christians," it was meant to show the superiority of Christians. The dance was adopted by the people, and Indian and Hispanic influences were added. It's said that there are as many as 44 versions of the dance, but it's most basic symbol is good versus evil, with good prevailing.

In this dance, the Matachines weave and swirl at the front of the church. Then a young girl dressed in white appears, chaperoned by mysterious figures. She represents the virgin, or the moon, or light and she moves among the Matachines, drawing everyone's eyes and hearts. She is hope. She is adoration. She is the future.

At the end of the dance, the Matachines dance out of the church, a wave of worshippers in tow. As they reach each intersection of the road, the stacks of wood are set ablaze, ground fireworks are lit, and the dancers swirl and dance in place for a moment, before leading the crowd further.

We followed for a while, mesmerized. Then, realizing that the ritual would continue until the dancers and the followers wove throughout the pueblo and all the fires were lit and they had returned to the church, we slipped quietly away, forever changed. It was magical!

Here's wishing you and your loved ones all the blessings of the season.