Arleen Williams's Blog, page 18

The Magical World of Writing

When I entered the world of writing 13 magical years ago, I figured writers were fairly creative folks - I mean, they sort of have to be, right? What I didn't realize was how generous, thoughtful and supportive they are. I am grateful for the encouragement and camaraderie of many fellow writers, both in person and on line. One of these special people is author and illustrator, Jennifer L. Hotes. I feel fortunate to have met her through our shared publisher, Booktrope.

Jennifer is currently running a blog series spotlighting the work of fellow authors. She's encouraging her readers to take advantage of the fall weather to read more now that the busy months of summer are coming to an end. In her own words, posted September 4th: 
As the leaves outside tinge with reds and yellows, life slows down a tad and I find time again to read.  In that spirit, I hope the books and authors I share with you this month will coax you to do the same.
Yesterday Jennifer graciously shared these words about my own work:
On a personal note, if I had one literary wish to grant, it would be to see New York Times Book Review pay attention to Williams' work. She handles complicated, tumultuous and diverse subject matters with literary grace and expertise. She deserves national attention.
I am touched. Thank you, Jennifer!
You can read more of her post or follow as she spotlights other authors HERE. And while you're visiting, you might want to check out Jennifer's Stone Witch series.

What Are You Working On ... Judith Works?

Today I'm happy to welcome Judith Works to share her writing adventures and travels.

Judith Works, a graduate of Lewis & Clark law school, is now back in the Pacific Northwest after spending ten years in Italy working for the United Nations. She is the author of Coins in the Fountain, a memoir, and City of Illusions, a novel set in the expat world of Rome. 
http://alittlelightexercise.blogspot.com/

*****
I’m a morning writer so every day around six (well, almost every day) I’m at my keyboard with coffee and classical music playing in the background. I usually have several projects going at once. Right now I’m concentrating on a new novel, my second. I haven’t got a title yet but the story involves a woman, Nora, who is married to a much older widower, Martin. They have been living in Rome for twenty years. When he is murdered on the eve of his retirement, she must confront both his and her own secrets in her struggle to reunite an estranged family.

Unlike City of Illusions, which is set almost entirely in Rome, the new one moves between Rome, the Etruscan tombs north of the city, and Vashon Island near Seattle where Nora moves and must learn to navigate life in the U.S. as a young widow.
Since I often write about Italy but no longer live there, I have to do research. Although there are dozens of books about Italy on my bookshelves for advice there are often questions that still need to be answered. For this book I need to know how the Italian authorities investigate the death of a foreigner and what role the US Consulate plays. And I’m also going to need someone with knowledge of a soldier’s life during the Vietnam war. I may have to do “field research” in Rome (always an excuse) but I hope to find helpers here, too, like a retired FBI agent and consular official.
I find writing both a challenge and an opportunity to express my creativity. It is a challenge because for fiction both character and plot must move together to effectively tell the story.
For non-fiction I love the chance to tell colorful stories, especially on my blog. I’ve done a lot of traveling and met interesting people and had many experiences along the way. Although some travel is local my favorite stories come from Italy or from little-visited spots like Guyana and Suriname on the north part of South America, as well as Cambodia right after the fall of the Pol Pot regime. My last travel was only a short distance: the lovely Port Townsend on the northern end of Puget Sound, that will probably be my next blog subject and then I’ll return (at least in my words and photos) to Italy where I spent three weeks earlier this summer, most of the time in Sicily.
So many stories to tell, whether fiction or fact. How lucky we all are to be able to write and share with old friends and new thanks to the printing press and the internet. No need for a bard with a harp!
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Book (Blog) Tour (Interview)

My latest novel, Walking Home , was on a blog tour from September 4th to 13th. Book blog tours are the inexpensive alternative to driving from city to city with a box of books in the trunk of my car or, of course, to flying first class. The interviews are not conducted on stage or in real time. For this recent blog tour, the blog tour host emailed me various sets of interview questions in advance. I wrote my responses and submitted them. The great thing about doing blog tours for me is that I have the opportunity to think about the questions and respond, hopefully, somewhat articulately in my favored form of communication: writing.

I loved my interview with Maria Grazia Spila at Fly High! She impressed me with her strong, pointed questions about the underlying issues behind Kidane's story. Her photos are terrific as well. Here's the interview: The new overwhelming flood of immigration to  Europe  is present–day breaking news. Thousands and thousands of desperate human beings are fleeing from their countries at war and coming to our countries in search of safety and freedom. Your book is a perfect chance to focus and reflect on this urgent matter. So many thanks, for accepting to answer my questions,  Arleen!
It is my pleasure, Maria. Thank you for reading my work.
My first question  is: what led you to write “Walking Home”?
I've been working with refugees and immigrants at a large urban community college for thirty years. As an ESL instructor, I find myself in frequent conversations with students dealing with the extreme hardships of leaving homelands they  may never see again while also trying to adjust to the challenges of a new culture and language.
I feel fortunate for the trust my students give me, and I am very aware of how rare my experiences are, the experiences of dealing on a daily basis with what most only read in newspapers or see on the evening news. I wrote Walking Home, and entire The Alki Trilogy (Running Secrets and Biking Uphill) to share the insights I have gained.
How much has your work as a teacher influenced your writing it?
Walking Home is directly influenced by my work with immigrants and refugees. Kidane is an amalgamation of a number of young men who have shared their stories with me both through assigned compositions and private conversations. Some of those students entered the U.S. legally, others crossed the border from Mexico after years of treacherous migration from East Africa to Europe, then Central America to the United States. Some have learned English, continued their education and found rewarding work, often in the health care services. Others simply disappeared. A few faces come to mind. Does deportation and possible death explain those disappearances or were their immigration attorneys successful? I will likely never know.
I still believe words can work magic. But, as a teacher to a teacher, do you really think tolerance and openness of mind can be taught at school? How?
I do. We teach through our words and behaviors. We model and discuss the tolerance we want our students and our children to learn. We teach by refusing to allow inappropriate behaviors - slurs or jokes, misunderstandings or ignorance - by drawing attention to them and talking them through. Ignoring something does not make it go away. We are all teachers. We teach not only as teachers, but also as parents and other family members, as neighbours and community members, as coaches, athletes and idols.
Back to “Walking Home”! Is Kidane, the protagonist of your book,  a fictional character or is his story inspired to someone you met?
All my characters are fictional. They are also created by bits and pieces of people I have known, others I would like to know, and still others I never want to meet.
How can understanding the life and tribulations of migrants help us built a new awareness?
I believe that by understanding others, we become more empathetic, more human. In the United States, we often seem to forget that we are a nation of immigrants, that the only "true" Americans were the First Peoples. Is it just that we now insist on building walls and locking the door behind us? Perhaps we need to take a deeper look at the conditions that are causing these horrific migrations and see what can be done to make life safe in homelands across the globe.
Is there any specific message you wanted to convey through your story?
I can't say I really thought about a "message." Kidane and Gemi and the other characters simply appeared and demanded that their story be told. That said, I hope readers enjoy a glimpse into worlds they might not be familiar with and become a bit more open the next time they have dealings with a sales clerk with an accent or an elder care specialist wearing a headscarf.
What can each of us do for all the Kidanes in the world?
I think we can all be more open to and appreciative of people different from ourselves. We can be curious and empathetic. And we can stop allowing ourselves to be controlled and manipulated by fear.
Let’s go back to present-day international issues. The majority of the latest arrivals come from countries deeply traumatised by dictatorship and violence. How blurred is the distinction between a refugee and migrant?
These words are very difficult, even more so when we add illegal and alien into the mix. Ruud Lubbers of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees states the distinction in this way: "Migrants, especially economic migrants, choose to move in order to improve the future prospects of themselves and their families. Refugees have to move if they are to save their lives or preserve their freedom."The challenge I see with that definition lies in the rarity of granting refugee status to anyone coming from an ally nation.
How can we overcome our prejudices and fears and see the world as a place with no boundaries? (or How can we realize that all those strangers are human being like us? )
I wish I knew. Education. Communication. I suppose I'd go back to my prior response and say that we need to teach not just tolerance, but empathy and appreciation of cultures and peoples who are different from ourselves. And hopefully we can stop allowing ourselves to be controlled by fear.
Do you think it will ever be possible to really go from borders to bridges?
My mother used to say that change begins at home. There's also the ripple effect of the pebble thrown in the pond. Cliches, I know, but perhaps some truth lies there as well. Perhaps bridges are built when each of us, individually and privately, reaches out to others. Not for fame or riches. Not to save the world, but just to make one new friendship, to make one person smile.
I read this sentence in a report from Calais,  where thousands of refugees try desperately to find a way to reach Britain every day: “However tall the fences, however sharp the barbed wire, however fierce the dogs, however hostile the public opinion, they will keep coming”.  How does such statement resonate with you? 
As absolute truth. What seems to be ignored in so many refugee/immigrant discussions and media coverage is that people don't leave their homes and cultures, families and friends, or risk their lives and those of their children without good reason. Ensconced in our comfortable lives, we seem unable to imagine the horrors of life in the worlds from which folks are desperately trying to escape. When we wrap ourselves in fear of losing the comforts that we enjoy, and we lose our humanity.
I’d love to make my students work on your book. I teach English as a foreign language to Italian teenage students. Any suggestion on which pages/excerpts to use? (they are not proficient enough to read a whole book yet!) Any suggestions in general?
Thank you for your interest in using my book in your classes! I hope all my books provide plenty of stimulus for meaningful conversation.
Walking Home is Book 3 of The Alki Trilogy, which also includes Running Secretsand Biking Uphill. All three books deal with cross-cultural, multi-generational friends, and redemption. Each novel is a stand-alone, but I connected them by character, setting and, of course, theme.I would suggest using the opening chapter of Walking Home in your classes. Who knows, your students' interest may inspire them to try more!
Another idea would be to take a look at the books and curricular materials at NoTalking Dogs Press. My writing partner, Pamela Hobart Carter, and I have written a dozen short books in easy English for adults (and young adults!). These are not textbooks. They are easy to read, inexpensive, mini novels that my ESL students truly enjoy! 

What Are You Working On ... EC Moore?

I usually share guest posts on Thursdays, but I'm heading up to the San Juan Islands for a few days of cycling with my husband, so you get to enjoy EC Moore's post a day early! Can you imagine working on two novels at the same time? 

EC Moore is the author of Incurable, published through Booktrope. Look for her second novel, Every Big & Little Wish OctoberWebsite: http://www.ecmooreauthor.come-mail e.c.moore@earthlink.netTwitter @ecmooreauthorFacebook author page https://www.facebook.com/e.c.mooreauthorAmazon link http://ow.ly/RIB3Y
*****
I never thought I’d write a sequel, and I’m not writing a sequel, not really. But I am working on a companion book to my historical fiction novel, Incurable. My WIP is titled Insatiable, The Incurable Saga (Book 2). Even the title intimidates me. How did I get myself into this mess anyway? 
Detective Reg Hartman, the male protagonist from Incurable, along with a feisty secondary character named Doris Wilson began to appear in my dreams, weaving an intricate pattern of intrigue I couldn’t very well ignore or dismiss. The trouble with all that, I was already knee-deep in re-writes on another novel titled Letters from La La Land. So here I am—working on two books at once—jumping back and forth between 1959 and 1976, in and out of mystery and suspense and into a family drama.
To my astonishment, I am managing to hold up under the pressure. Both novels are complicated in a dissimilar fashion. Both require tons of research and ground work. The tone and settings couldn’t be more different. I have formulated a process, I spend three days on Insatiable and then switch gears and spend the next three days on Letters from La La Land. The plan is to take the seventh day off, but that’s when I usually work on blog related stuff, my own blog and various guest posts.
When do I relax and take a break? Not very often. Each day, after my early morning walk (sitting all day is not good policy, so I break it up with movement, walking, my exercise bike, some light stretching and weight-lifting), I spend an hour or so answering e-mails and keeping up with social media. Then I write. During lunch I pop in and check on social media again. Then I write. Late afternoon I work out in the garden,Oh, did I mention I freelance, writing scripts and treatments? Until I earn a living as an author, I must squeeze in real-life projects to pay the bills.


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Walking Home is on Tour!

I'm very pleased to announce that Walking Home is on a blog tour and garnering some nice reviews! Here's the schedule of appearances and the links:

September 4th The Book Adventures of Emily ~ REVIEW
September 6th Hogwash ~ REVIEW
September 7th Celtic Lady's Book Reviews ~  BOOK SPOTLIGHT
September 8th Indy Book Fairy ~ BOOK SPOTLIGHT
September 9th Literary Lunes ~ INTERVIEW
September 10th my name is Sage ~ REVIEW
September 11th Fly High! ~ INTERVIEW
September 13th The Gal in the Blue Mask ~ INTERVIEW
And here's the latest review from Bradley Knox at Hogwash:
This is a story that is close to my heart, for a number of reasons. The story takes place around the lives of two immigrants to the pacific northwest from Eritrea / Ethiopia. One is Muslim, the other, Christian. They both find themselves at a crossroads in their new lives in Seattle separately and together. The richness of the descriptions of their homelands, their tragedies, and their lost families is complex, beautiful, and sad. Despite these losses, they look positively to the futures that they have created and are creating in this new, completely foreign frontier. I love the history in this book, as the African region that our key characters hail from is one of the oldest in the world. And how Gemi & Kidane look at and embrace the new worlds that they find themselves in just keeps you wanting to continually get back to their lives! This is a world class read, and I am anticipating many more fine books by Arleen Williams. Easily, five stars!

What Are You Working On?

I've been asking myself this question since starting this blog series on August 6th. Maybe before. It's taken me a week since I returned from vacation in California to get back into writing mode, but that's not to say I haven't been working. It's all in the definition of work.
A writer's work involves a whole lot of staring out the window at the trees dancing in the wind and the gray rain falling over Seattle. Writing memoir involves revisiting the past, retracing old paths, remembering what is forgotten. It includes lying in the guest bedroom of a friend's home in California remembering the handful of years in the mid-1970s when I was a UCSC student after a day of wandering Santa Cruz and the campus. My mind was also at work while breakfasting with friends I last saw 36 years and 6 months earlier in Mexico City.
On October 17, 1989 the 6.9 Loma Prieta Earthquake rocked California at 5:04 p.m. The news coverage focused on the devastating damage in San Francisco, but I wasn't acutely aware of the destruction in Santa Cruz until last week when I went in search of my favorite two haunts from the 1970s: Cooper House and Bookshop Santa Cruz. The first no longer exists. The second is in a new location. From George at the new Bookshop Santa Cruz I learned that downtown Santa Cruz was leveled and it took almost ten years to rebuild. Only a deep hole remains where the Bookshop Santa Cruz I knew and loved once stood. Now back in Seattle with my journals, I'm struggling to read the scribbles of a young woman in her mid-20s, thoughts expressed sometimes in English, others in Spanish, sometimes a mix. I'm typing what I might choose to include in this memoir-in-progress, as I piece together fragments of memory in hopes of creating a whole. The memoir is there. It demands to be told. I just have to work my way through the dust of memory: work is not done at the computer.

The series continues this Wednesday with a guest post from Elizabeth Moore. Don't want to miss it? Subscribe by entering your email address in the box in the upper right To read the prior posts, go to the posts listing in the left side bar. If titles are no longer visible, just click on "August" to select.

The Book Adventures of Emily: Review: Walking Home by Arleen Williams

The Book Adventures of Emily: Review: Walking Home by Arleen Williams: Walking Home By Arleen Williams Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction Book Description: Walking Home is a compelling glimpse into...

What Are You Working On ... K. Williams?

After a brief hiatus while I enjoyed the coastal beauty of central California, this blog series continues. Today I pleased to invite K. Williams to share her story.
Born in Saratoga Springs, New York, K. Williams has enjoyed a now twenty year career in writing. K attended the State University of New York at Morrisville, majoring in the Biological Sciences, and then continued with English and Historical studies at the University at Albany (home of the New York State Writer’s Institute) gaining her Bachelor’s Degree. While attending UA, K interned with the 13th Moon Feminist Literary Magazine, bridging her interests in social movements and art.

In 2014, K completed the MALS program for Film Studies and Screenwriting at Empire State College (SUNY), and is the 2013-2014 recipient of the Foner Fellowship in Arts and Social Justice. K continues to write and is working on the novels of the Trailokya Trilogy, a work that deals with topics in Domestic Violence and crosses the controversial waters of organized religion and secularism. A sequel to OP-DEC is in the research phase, while the adaptation is being shopped to interested film companies.
Connect with K on Facebook, Goodreads, Tumblr, Twitter, and on her photography and writingDeviantArt profiles.

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What are you working on now is a loaded question. An author’s job is never done. I remember a continuing thread in college around discussions of editing and how the greats handled the process. Nuances of the same can be found in memes. Looking back, I don't know many writers who weren’t simmering several pots, completing concoctions, and presenting goods—all at once.
This fall, I turn from reading to research. I’m not certain I will use any of my findings, but I need to start somewhere. My focus is the economic struggles during the period of the East India Company’s (EIC) operation. As usual, the work is social justice focused, social stratification and all that happens to those caught in the mill.
This spring, I finished the sequel to OP-DEC. There are two scenes to smooth out yet. Letting the work sit while I move on ensures fresh eyes. Then, there is the matter of further Trailokya books, my fantasy/scifi series. Readers won’t see the sequel until 2018 and EIC will arrive even later. Why so long? Development, editing and other work will take months. Tack on design and marketing, and we're at mid-2017. I haven’t written anything for EIC, so you see it coming in 2019.
It’s amazing how much goes into a book! But, there won’t be a lull between works. I planned these delays. Why go through that? Planning a couple lulls gives needed space to put out new content, and still have time to live and craft effectively.
That said, these things take a life of their own. The best planning must carry soft dates. Any step on the track can fall apart: missing research, writer’s block, no editor, or rejection by the publisher. Whatever happens, a delay is fine as it gives time to improve. Embrace that time positively: work on the next thing. I’m never planning just my next book.

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What Are You Working On ... Pamela Hobart Carter?

It is with great pleasure that I welcome writing partner and friend, Pamela Hobart Carter, to share her thoughts today.
Pamela Hobart Carter and Arleen Williams founded No Talking Dogs Press which features short books in easy English for adults. With Lynne Wiley Grant, she wrote  Brace Yourself , a survival guide for adults undergoing orthodontia. For thirty years she taught science and preschool and a few other things. She lives in Seattle.

My Tangled Place of Figuring Out by Pamela Hobart Carter
I am working on a snarl of a novel.
Many years ago I wrote a story featuring Marcella and Rook. The year after, I wrote another with the same characters. A couple of years after that, I wrote a 10-minute play, Rook and Marcella Test the Waters (read at LiveGirls! Theater). When I quit teaching, it was for the larger chunks of time in which to focus on longer works, so I strung together these, and other Marcella pieces, as the basis for a novel. I wrote links and extensions. I wrote and wrote and wrote. Now I’m ensnared in a weed-choked, 300+-page-long marsh of Marcella.
How do I exit the marsh? This is my tangled place of figuring out.   Ever since learning about timed writing practice, as described by Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones , But it’s the old stuff that’s an issue. It’s the unfamiliar larger scale that’s an issue. It’s the big thinking required that’s an issue.
Natalie reminds me to keep my pen moving because timed writing practice also helps meta-writing: I write to figure out my writing. Writing clarifies thought. (Ta-Nehisi Coates has a wonderful description of this in Between the World and Me. His mother made him write essays when she saw he needed to think something through.)
Natalie Goldberg and her timed writing practice are wonders, but so too are other folks and their practices. I am working on learning which resonate most for me and Marcella.



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If you'd like to participate by sharing your own guest post, please contact Arleen at aw@arleenwilliams.com.

And finally, comments, likes, and shares are, of course, always welcome. Thanks for reading!

Enter to Win WALKING HOME!

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Giveaway ends September 15, 2015
           
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