Elizabeth Engstrom's Blog, page 17
September 16, 2009
I've Been Arrested. Again!
This time every year, I go to jail for the March of Dimes. I support this organization because they do so much for the babies. Al and I have three healthy (adult) kids and eight (count 'em!) healthy grandkids, and we're making a donation in gratitude for each of those eleven healthy bodies. If you have healthy children or grandchildren, won't you consider making a donation, too? The March of Dimes is working tirelessly on behalf of the children. Consider this: 1 in 10 babies is born...
September 10, 2009
September 7, 2009
Edna's Fabulous Zucchini Relish
Okay, so I went out to look at the zucchini plants — way too many zukes this year — and found a ball bat. I try to keep up with them, but it seems like I turn around twice and there's a five pound zucchini out there. What to do? Make relish.
This recipe came from my dear grandmother, Edna Gutzmer. It's a sweet pickle relish, using zucchini instead of cucumbers. Please share it.
Edna's Fabulous Zucchini Relish
10 cups zucchini
4 cups onion
Grind together (I shred it with the Cuisinart) and let...
September 5, 2009
Want to Write Short Science Fiction?
Registration opened yesterday for Science Fiction Story Weekend at the Coast, and the class is already half full, so if you're planning on it, better get registered.
Come join us! We'll have a great time wreaking havoc with the space/time continuum with our alien pals.
August 31, 2009
The Art of the Essay
An essay is a short nonfiction piece told in the first person point of view. It is about the author and the author's insight, precipitated by a simple thought, event, or experience.
It is about insight.
The purpose of an essay is for the author to coalesce the initiating experience into words on paper, so the reader may learn something about him/herself by reading the essay. In other words, the essay must have its genesis in something fairly normal, but have greater, broader, meaning and value. Th
August 26, 2009
What if We All Got Along?
I'm serious.
What if we were nice to each other? What if we put cynicism and snideness aside and saw beauty and possibility in everything?
What if we all treated each other as we wanted to be treated? What if we loved our neighbors and acted toward them with affection and understanding? What if we respected the earth and contributed to it? What if we paused to consider the consequences of our actions as they will affect everything years into the future?
What if we acted as if we had the spirit of G
August 24, 2009
Two Keys to My Kingdom
Many years ago I read an essay that said, "If you have more than two keys on your key ring, your life is too complicated." At the time, my key ring was so heavy I was afraid it was going to damage the ignition of my car.
Today, for the first time ever: Two keys. One for the house and one for the car.
And I have to say, my life is a lot less complicated.
I've had keys to storage lockers (the last one surrendered this afternoon), to my mother's home, to post office boxes, to other peoples' houses, t
August 13, 2009
Science Fiction Story Weekend
I'll be teaching Science Fiction Story Weekend at the Oregon Coast on October 23-25 this year.
A maximum of thirteen of us will gather at the mysterious Siltcoos Station for a weekend of speculation and writing of outlandish, otherworldly stories. We'll engage in world-building and species-building exercises and then write a complete short story in twenty-four hours. Tuition includes instruction in the short story form, particularly science fiction, lodging and simple pot luck meals.
This workshop
August 7, 2009
The Best Zucchini Bread
I'm a gardener, so I grow zucchini. Lots of it. More than we can eat, and I have lots of zucchini recipes, but I've never found the consummate zucchini bread recipe until now. This one is good. This one may be the best ever. I may stop searching.
It comes from Rockford, Illinois, and is the generously-shared, blue-ribbon-winning recipe of Britt-Marie Knoblock.
To be fair, I did not include the pecans, and I used olive oil instead of canola or other vegetable oil. The rest is as written.
Zucchini b
August 3, 2009
A Simple Approach to Plot
Fiction is about character growth that comes as a result of people in trouble. When the trouble is resolved, when the character has learned something about himself, or changed something about himself, the story is over.
Writing fiction is a balancing act of character and plot. Too much character can corrupt the pace of the story; too much plot, and the reader loses anyone to care about.
Remember this: the reader must have a rooting interest in the central character (the protagonist). We must ca
