Michael Embry's Blog, page 57
June 1, 2012
Clean and Shine
I’ve written the 10 stories for my short-story collection. Now the real work begins. It’s time to get them ready for publication. For some authors, this is a difficult and painful part. For others, the fun and games aspect of writing.
I have mixed feelings.
I love the creative part of writing stories, of making something out of words and my imagination. As mentioned in a previous blog, my writing process is to write the story -- just let if flow, warts and all -- and then go back and clean and polish the manuscript.
For my five novels, I did about 10 rewrites on each one. I generally do a rewrite, then sit on it for a week or so before going over it again…and again…and again…
While the story doesn’t necessarily change, some of the words do as well as the structure, dialogue, and characterization. And I check grammar, spelling, and all those rudimentary things that authors should do when they put on their editor’s hat.
I’ve already completed one edit of the stories. For me, it’s always an eye-opener to look at a manuscript after a brief layoff. Some parts read very well, and some not so well. And parts that looked fine on a fourth rewrite may make me cringe on a seventh read. That can be frustrating.
By the 10th rewrite, I must admit that I’m ready to send the manuscript on to publication. Enough is enough.
Until the next time...
I have mixed feelings.
I love the creative part of writing stories, of making something out of words and my imagination. As mentioned in a previous blog, my writing process is to write the story -- just let if flow, warts and all -- and then go back and clean and polish the manuscript.
For my five novels, I did about 10 rewrites on each one. I generally do a rewrite, then sit on it for a week or so before going over it again…and again…and again…
While the story doesn’t necessarily change, some of the words do as well as the structure, dialogue, and characterization. And I check grammar, spelling, and all those rudimentary things that authors should do when they put on their editor’s hat.
I’ve already completed one edit of the stories. For me, it’s always an eye-opener to look at a manuscript after a brief layoff. Some parts read very well, and some not so well. And parts that looked fine on a fourth rewrite may make me cringe on a seventh read. That can be frustrating.
By the 10th rewrite, I must admit that I’m ready to send the manuscript on to publication. Enough is enough.
Until the next time...
May 28, 2012
Story Songs: A Boy Named Sue
We all know folks who don't like their names. There's not much they can do about it unless they want to have it legally changed but that often seems like too much trouble. Some simply go by nicknames or stage names to avoid any embarrassment.
The legendary Johnny Cash sang about a guy getting stuck with a sissy name by a deadbeat dad in Shel Silverstein's hilarious "A Boy Named Sue." It won a Grammy Award for Best Country Male Vocal Performance in 1969.
In the story, the boy suffers taunts and teases while growing up because of his name. When he gets older, he sets out to find his father and seek revenge for the personal injustice.
"Well, he must o' thought that is quite a joke
And it got a lot of laughs from a' lots of folk,
It seems I had to fight my whole life through.
Some gal would giggle and I'd get red
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head,
I tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named 'Sue."'
He finally finds his father in a bar in Gatlingburg, Tenn., and it turns into a knockdown, dragout fight. And when it's over, the son discovers why his father named him Sue.
"And he said: 'Son, this world is rough
And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
And I knew I wouldn't be there to help ya along.
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye
I knew you'd have to get tough or die
And it's the name that helped to make you strong."'
While the son gains some respect for his father in the end, that doesn't mean he likes the name as he proclaims in the last two lines:
"And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him
Bill or George! Anything but Sue! I still hate that name!" For more about Johnny Cash, visit www.johnnycash.com. To learn more about Shel Silverstein, a noted children's author, cartoonist, and poet, go to www.shelsilverstein.com.
The legendary Johnny Cash sang about a guy getting stuck with a sissy name by a deadbeat dad in Shel Silverstein's hilarious "A Boy Named Sue." It won a Grammy Award for Best Country Male Vocal Performance in 1969.
In the story, the boy suffers taunts and teases while growing up because of his name. When he gets older, he sets out to find his father and seek revenge for the personal injustice.
"Well, he must o' thought that is quite a joke
And it got a lot of laughs from a' lots of folk,
It seems I had to fight my whole life through.
Some gal would giggle and I'd get red
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head,
I tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named 'Sue."'
He finally finds his father in a bar in Gatlingburg, Tenn., and it turns into a knockdown, dragout fight. And when it's over, the son discovers why his father named him Sue.
"And he said: 'Son, this world is rough
And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
And I knew I wouldn't be there to help ya along.
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye
I knew you'd have to get tough or die
And it's the name that helped to make you strong."'
While the son gains some respect for his father in the end, that doesn't mean he likes the name as he proclaims in the last two lines:
"And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him
Bill or George! Anything but Sue! I still hate that name!" For more about Johnny Cash, visit www.johnnycash.com. To learn more about Shel Silverstein, a noted children's author, cartoonist, and poet, go to www.shelsilverstein.com.
May 26, 2012
Ramblings: Prompt Attention
Ramblings: Prompt Attention: There are times when writers need prompts to get their creative juices flowing again. For some, that...
Prompt Attention
There are times when writers need prompts to get their creative juices flowing again. 
For some, that’s when they’ve taken a break from writing for various and sundry reasons and need a spark to get their fingers dancing on the keyboard again.
As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, I think it’s important to write every day – whether it’s journaling, letters, a work-in-progress – anything that involves putting words into some format.
But, dang it, there are times when our brains seem to freeze when thoughts turn to writing. Burn out. Writer’s block. Stressed out. Brain dead (metaphorically speaking).
There are a plethora of websites offering writing prompts such as Writingforward.com, OWL, creativewritingprompts.com, and creativewriting-prompts. Simply type “writing prompts” in a search engine and you'll find more than you can imagine.
Go to your library and check out the numerous books and magazines that provide advice for breaking through the writing barrier.
Another way is by brainstorming, in critique groups, with other writers, and readers.
And finally, since writers are notorious for offering advice, what prompts would you suggest if asked by a suffering writer? Now, take your own advice and start writing!
Until the next time...
For some, that’s when they’ve taken a break from writing for various and sundry reasons and need a spark to get their fingers dancing on the keyboard again.
As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, I think it’s important to write every day – whether it’s journaling, letters, a work-in-progress – anything that involves putting words into some format.
But, dang it, there are times when our brains seem to freeze when thoughts turn to writing. Burn out. Writer’s block. Stressed out. Brain dead (metaphorically speaking).
There are a plethora of websites offering writing prompts such as Writingforward.com, OWL, creativewritingprompts.com, and creativewriting-prompts. Simply type “writing prompts” in a search engine and you'll find more than you can imagine.
Go to your library and check out the numerous books and magazines that provide advice for breaking through the writing barrier.
Another way is by brainstorming, in critique groups, with other writers, and readers.
And finally, since writers are notorious for offering advice, what prompts would you suggest if asked by a suffering writer? Now, take your own advice and start writing!
Until the next time...
May 24, 2012
Ramblings: Story Songs: Taxi
Ramblings: Story Songs: Taxi: Harry Chapin was one of the finest story songwriters, penning such wonderful tunes as "Mr. Tanner," "W*O*L*D," "Cat's in the Cradle," "I Wan...
Story Songs: Taxi
Harry Chapin was one of the finest story songwriters, penning such wonderful tunes as "Mr. Tanner," "W*O*L*D," "Cat's in the Cradle," "I Wanna Learn a Love Song," and many others before his untimely death in a car accident in 1981. He was only 39.
My favorite was his first big hit, "Taxi," a song that brought him national attention back in 1972. It's a story about the reunion of two lovers and their unfulfilled aspirations. The narrator is a taxi driver and the woman is in an unhappy marriage.
"You see, she was gonna be an actress,
And I was gonna learn to fly.
She took off to find the footlights,
And I took off to find the sky."
They chat briefly about their lives as he drives her to her fancy home in San Francisco. He drops her off, and unashamedly keeps the change from a $20 bill as a tip on a $2.50 fare. And then they go their separate, lonely ways.
"And here, she's acting happy,
Inside her handsome home.
And me, I'm flying in my taxi,
Taking tips, and getting stoned,
I go flying so high, when I'm stoned."
Chapin continued the story in a song called, appropriately, "Sequel."
"Taxi" lyrics
My favorite was his first big hit, "Taxi," a song that brought him national attention back in 1972. It's a story about the reunion of two lovers and their unfulfilled aspirations. The narrator is a taxi driver and the woman is in an unhappy marriage.
"You see, she was gonna be an actress,
And I was gonna learn to fly.
She took off to find the footlights,
And I took off to find the sky."
They chat briefly about their lives as he drives her to her fancy home in San Francisco. He drops her off, and unashamedly keeps the change from a $20 bill as a tip on a $2.50 fare. And then they go their separate, lonely ways.
"And here, she's acting happy,
Inside her handsome home.
And me, I'm flying in my taxi,
Taking tips, and getting stoned,
I go flying so high, when I'm stoned."
Chapin continued the story in a song called, appropriately, "Sequel."
"Taxi" lyrics
May 21, 2012
Ramblings: Stayin' Power
Ramblings: Stayin' Power: With the passing of Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees last weekend, I thought about the group and their im...
Stayin' Power
With the passing of Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees last weekend, I thought about the group and their impact on music -- and me.
I must admit that I wasn’t a big fan of the Bee Gees when they burst on to the music scene back in the 1960s. I purchased “Spicks and Specks” in the mid-‘60s and thought it was a bunch of fluff.
A year or so later they released “Bee Gees’ 1st,” which contained the hits “New York Mining Disaster 1941,” “Holiday,” and “To Love Somebody.” Their sound just didn’t appeal to me with the high-pitched harmonies and an unusual phrasing of lyrics in a few songs. I was more into groups like The Beatles, The Doors, The Moody Blues, The Rolling Stones, Buffalo Springfield, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Yardbirds, and various blues artists.
The Bee Gees produced a few more hits including “Massachusetts,” “Words,” “I’ve Got to Get a Message to You,” and “I Started a Joke.” I still wasn’t impressed. Too soft for my tastes. I was getting into heavy metal.
When my sister Sheri bought their “Trafalger” album back in 1971, I recall telling her that group’s days were numbered even though they scored more hits with “Lonely Days,” and “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.”
And then came disco, and the Bee Gees were back, bigger than ever this time, with songs such as “Stayin’ Alive,” “You Should Be Dancing,” “Jive Talkin’,” and more. You guessed it. I wasn’t much of a disco or dance fan so I kind of tuned them out. But I have to say they were catchy tunes that even a non-dancer like me could tap his toes to. And still do.
I rediscovered the Bee Gees in the late ‘80s with a song titled “One,” and later, in the early 2000s, with the minor hit “Man in the Middle.” I thought their music had grown and matured and I liked it -- a lot.
A few years ago I rented the DVD “One Night Only,” and I was blown away by their performance.
Another thing about the Bee Gees that impressed me was their songwriting ability that resulted in songs for other performers such as Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton (“Islands in the Stream”), Barbara Streisand (“Guilty”), Dionne Warwick (“Heartbreaker”), Frankie Valli (“Grease”), Samantha Sang (“Emotion”), and Yvonne Elliman (“If I Can’t Have You”). And there are more hits.
The group I didn’t think had staying power more than 40 years ago is now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1997), sold more than 200 million albums, and winners of numerous music awards.
The Brothers Gibb -- Barry, Robin and Maurice (who died in 2003) -- are true rock ‘n’ legends and their music will live on for many years. Until the next time...
May 19, 2012
Ramblings: Story Songs: Ode to Billy Joe
Ramblings: Story Songs: Ode to Billy Joe: One of the first story songs that caught my attention was Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billy Joe" back in summer of 1967. It was unlike anything ...
Story Songs: Ode to Billie Joe
One of the first story songs that caught my attention was Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe" back in summer of 1967. It was unlike anything I had ever heard and stood out on the airwaves, being dominated at the time by Motown artists and the second wave of the British Invasion.
The song has a haunting melody and draws on her rural upbringing in Mississippi. The family had been working out the fields and came in for dinner, where at the table, the mother casually mentions that "Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge."
Wow!
The conversation between the mother, father, son and daughter (the narrator of the story) goes back and forth from the mundane to the young man's mysterious action. There is Gothic suspense to the tale as Gentry weaves in subtle clues as to what happened on the "third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day."
And near the end of the song she throws in this revelation:
"That nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today
"Said he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday, oh, by the way
"He said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge
"And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge."
What a great story and song!
Ode to Billie Joe lyrics
The song has a haunting melody and draws on her rural upbringing in Mississippi. The family had been working out the fields and came in for dinner, where at the table, the mother casually mentions that "Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge."
Wow!
The conversation between the mother, father, son and daughter (the narrator of the story) goes back and forth from the mundane to the young man's mysterious action. There is Gothic suspense to the tale as Gentry weaves in subtle clues as to what happened on the "third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day."
And near the end of the song she throws in this revelation:
"That nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today
"Said he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday, oh, by the way
"He said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge
"And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge."
What a great story and song!
Ode to Billie Joe lyrics
