C. Lee McKenzie's Blog, page 77

Monday Moods--Adventurous & . . . still Crafty

"BREAKTHROUGH: “THE ADVENTURES OF CHASE MANHATTAN" BY Stephen Tremp, will be free for (2) days on Amazon June 18th - June 19th. Be sure to download your copy! You can visit Stephen’s Website Breakthrough Blogs for more synopses and reviews.



This looks adventurous, doesn't it? Thanks for the visit, Stephen and good luck on your book.




***

 

Last week I returned to the CRAFT of writing, specifically DESCRIPTION. I love description in a story when it's done right and creates the reality of the place and the people in it. But getting it right isn't easy.  It takes a lot of practice and, I believe, a lot of reading.




One element in description that I love is figurative language: the simile and metaphor. The biggest mistake I've made and that others also make is falling into the lazy cliché trap. "He fought like a madman." OR "Her eyes were deep blue pools." 

 

Here's some description that fell into that trap and, therefore, doesn't work--at least for me. I'll let you decide how you react to it. It will be interesting to find out if you agree or disagree with me.

 

He stood dead center in the field and listened to the mixed warbling of birdsong and the rustling sound of a breeze blowing through the tree tops. In the distance he heard the hum of traffic coming from the busy highway.

 

Whoever created the phrase "dead center" did so a long time ago. Any freshness vanished before I started reading books. So is there another way to say someone has arrived in the middle of something? How about, "He'd come half-way across the field." Not terribly exciting, but all description doesn't have to be exciting; it only has to put the reader into the place with your character(s), right? 




"Listened to" as it's used here is one of those overused/abused filter words that I find dotting my first drafts all the time. I hate them, but I can't seem to avoid them when I'm setting down a story. Thank goodness someone invented REVISION and gave writers a delete key. Take out those filter words and free your prose.




I always like a bit of detail in my description, and I don't like having to figure out too much of the setting or where the character is located in that setting. In the example above, we have a field, but then are there trees in this field? It seems as if there are, so why not give that bit to us? And why not give us the kind of tree. That's easy and it changes the feel of the setting. 



 

Why do birds have to "warble" and breezes "rustle" through tree tops? Couldn't birds sounds come to the page differently? Could they just be birdsongs? Could leaves in a breeze just be that? I think letting the reader fill in what they sound like is a better choice here.

 

So now that I've deconstructed this bit of description, it's only fair that I put it back together. This is one way I'd do it.


He'd come half-way across the field and stopped under the shade of an oak. The muffled drone of traffic coming from the highway was overlaid with birdsong and the fingers of a breeze playing through the tree top.




Okay, your turn. Maybe you'd like to DECONSTRUCT my version. There's more than one way to build a good descriptive moment.

 

 





Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12

Monday Moods--Thankful and Crafty

My thankful Mood is all about my Mr. Linky experience. It has been great, and I'm now feeling as if I'm on my way to organized. I've set my book launch ahead a bit since there was a delay in production, but the delay won't be long. Thanks to those who signed up to give me a hand and thanks to MPax for all her help with Mr. Linky as well the emails of encouragement. Lee at Tossing It Out, Rachael Harris and Alex Cavanaugh will still be hosting me, but in August.  Julie Muslie will host me in late July.


***


Now on to my Crafty Mood. I've been so tied up with the business of writing that I feel as though I've neglected the craft. I need to return to that and remember that launches are not possible without actual writing.



One thing I've been doing a bit more of is reading and paying close attention to how the stories I really enjoy pull me into their characters and the worlds these characters inhabit. I love the fast-paced action and the tight dialog, but I also like those quiet moments when the author DESCRIBES the characters and the setting for me.



Description is an important piece of a story, and to bring that story to life on the page requires such skill on the part of writers. They have to translate the sight, sound, smell and feel of the people and  places so the readers have access to them, have a sense of what the characters look like, how they're experiencing something or being affected by it. And they have to do it without resorting to clichés--the bubbling brook, the attractive woman, the bustling city, the stinky socks or the meow of the cat.



Appealing to all the senses adds depth and reality and allows the reader more of a chance to really lose himself in the prose. Here's one passage I love because it tackles two of our senses to deliver up the character.



"Zalatnick led me into the shop not as if I was a fellow looking for a job but as if I was a friend of a friend. I was sure the men in the shop could smell the difference."



Here's Stephen King on DESCRIPTION: "Thin description leave the reader feeling bewildered and nearsighted. Overdescription buries him or her in details and images. The trick is to find a happy medium."



How true, Mr. King. The craft is all about knowing what to include and what to leave out. If the writer includes just the right amount, the left-out portion allows the reader to interact and become one with the story. This is such an incredible skill that I think I'll be focused on it for a while, so if you visit here for the next few weeks, I'll be writing about what I'm learning about DESCRIPTION.



What brought this post on were these pictures of spider-webbed trees, an unexpected side-effect of the flooding in parts of Pakistan earlier this year. It seems millions of spiders escaped the rising waters and stayed among the branches, creating these surreal images. When I saw them I wondered how I'd put something like this into words. My first try was to call these trees captured by smoke. How would you describe what you see if you were writing a description of these trees?















Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12

Insecure Writer--Me

This is a perfect time to post about INSECURITIES as a writer. I'm undertaking two new adventures this year: my first middle grade novel and Indie Publishing. Both scare the beejeebers out of me.



I feel very comfortable writing YA novels and dealing with YA readers' reactions. Not so with the middle grade. Even though I enjoyed writing this story about two boys on a swampy adventure, I'm edgy about how young readers will react. Will they like a story about saving alligators or think that it's too wacky? I mean, we're not talking fluffy kitties or puppies here. Will they find the "out-of-practice" witches humorous or too bizarre? You can see where the INSECURITIES have me springing all over the place.



And about Indie Publishing . . . I've been warned by one agent. "Don't do it!" I've been cautioned by one editor. "Don't do it!" That's a bit

INSECURITY-producing, don't you think? I was grateful to find this post by Nathan Bransford on the subject. It was so sensible. Still as I'm going through the process, I'm experiencing a whole other set of INSECURITIES. Will the cover work? Will it be ready on time? Have I done the edits right? Will I open page one and find a glaring grammar error? What happens if  . . .



I could go on and on, but I'm into short and punchy posts. I need time to nurture my INSECURITIES.



Anyway, I'm really grateful for the Insecure Writer's Support Group this month; it's therapeutic to be able to share all of this.



And if you'd care to lend a hand in my effort, I'm asking interested readers to sign up on the Linky below. I'll be in touch with anyone who wants to help me out. Did I mention I'll have a presents? Yes. I will.  



Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12

Monday Moods--Very Appreciative & Launch Party Nervous

About Being Appreciative




For some reason my stars lined up this year, and I won lots of things. Lisa Gail Green at Paranormal Point of View was wonderful and gave me a chapter critique during the RAOK Blitz. I so appreciated that.  Julie Musil gave me a wonderful book, Plot and Structure that seems to be chock full of great information. I'm already on Chapter 4, and I just started it. Thanks Julie. Then Stacia Kehoe bestowed Possession, Possess, and The Audition (her own book) on me. I have so much great reading to look forward to this summer. Now pass the hammock, please.




During that super A to Z Blogging Challenge, I had a lot of fun writing min-crazy fiction on Rach Writes Blog and she's given me a slot on her blog, so on July 9 I'll be posting an article on the category called New Adult. I must have been on a roll because I also garnered a guest post on Arlee Bird's Tossing it Out. So on July 16, I'll be there, too.




About Being Launch Party Nervous





I'm in that waiting room that writers hate. The book cover is almost done. The book is almost formatted and edited. The book trailer is almost ready.





The problem is that the writer isn't . . . ready, that is. Here's my list of To Do's:



1. Organize a launch (Notice how simply put that is.)

2. Buy aspirin.





That should take care of it.





Oh, and here's where I beg for help. If you have it in those writerly hearts to help me get this book out and about, I'd love to have you sign up on this Linky. I'll contact those who want to post about my book and give you all the links etc. If all goes according to plan, I'm looking at the last week of July for blast off, but from my past experience with this publishing business, I may have to slide the launch into August. I'll be sure to check with you as far ahead as I can.



I can offer cookies or cyber love. I'm also great at dog walking and cat sitting. I do windows, but they always streak, so don't take that option in payment. I will have a few presents to give, of course, and I guess that's item #3 on my To Do List--find presents.





Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12

Monday Moods--Thoughtful

Memorial Day Thoughts










The first Memorial Day (Decoration Day) was observed in 1868, and for 144 years Americans have honored those who've died in the service of our country.



My family has been lucky. While several of them served in two world wars, we've lost only one family member in combat. When I think of him, when I pause to remember all those I never knew who gave their lives, I also give thanks to those who fought and survived. While they didn't pay the ultimate price, they often sacrificed other things: youth, health, time with those they loved, and often their potential for becoming who they were once destined to be.



Each Memorial Day I hope that peaceful negotiation will replace the destruction of war and that we won't add more men and women to the list that we honor on this day.









Some quotes that plead the case for PEACE.


We must be prepared to make heroic sacrifices for the cause of peace that we make ungrudgingly for the cause of war. Albert Einstein





The days, the weeks, the years out here shall come back again, and our dead comrades shall then stand up again and march with us, our heads shall be clear, we shall have a purpose, and so we shall march, our dead comrades beside us, the years at the Front behind us: – against whom, against whom? All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque



The fight was lost. The dragons were coming with invincible strides. The army, helpless in the matted thickets and blinded by the overhanging night, was going to be swallowed. War, the red animal, war, the blood swollen god, would have bloated fill. The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane




Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12

Monday Moods--Experimental Shorts

Last year I wrote a short story to be included in an anthology called The First Time. I hadn't written one of these for the young adult category before, so I had to give it  a little . . . some . . . one heck of  a lot of thought. And my biggest hurdle was getting started.




I only had a maximum of 5, 000 words to tell a whole story. Yikes! How was I going to do that? I much prefer a comfortable 60 to 80K to develop my characters and let them work through their challenges. But I'd signed on to write the story, so I decided I'd better stop worrying about the limited number of words and get on with it.





I went through some of my favorite short story writers and reread James Thurber, Kingsley Amis and William Faulkner. All very different writers, aren't they? Yet their stories grabbed me when I read them the first time years ago and kept me reading when I returned to them this time. 






So why were these old stories still interesting to read?




The answer popped up the minute I asked that question. The Characters. In Thurber's  "The Catbird Seat"  it was Mr. Martin, the mild-mannered, cunning man with murder on his mind.  I never could shake the character of Jim Dixon in "Lucky Jim" or fail to shudder every time I thought of  Emily Grierson, shuttered inside that dark house in "A Rose for Emily." 




Each of the characters in these stories are memorable. First they have a unique voice. Their word choice is theirs. The way they put these words together in dialog or thought is their way of expressing themselves, and the cadence of their language belongs to each of them and can't be confused with any other characters in the story. 




Then they're plunged into a situation--AKA a tight spot--and the reader must find out what they will do to get out of it. Will Mr. Martin kill Ulgine Barrows? Will Jim Dixon overcome his first and very bad impression he made at his school? Will Emily keep Homer . . . forever?  As we read how each of these characters act and react, we have a plot to keep us engaged in the action, action that's all about the character.








With all of this information whirring in my writer's brain I set out to write Premeditated Cat. So far it has been reviewed well, so while I can't hold myself up to Thurber, Amis or Faulkner, I can thank them for their wonderfully written stories and their inspiration. And since I had such a great time writing the first short story I submitted a second one. It will be published this year in Two and Twenty Dark Tales, and I'm really excited. Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

The Three Billy Goats Gruff was one of my favorite stories when I was young. There was something very appealing about those three. I guess I admired their determination to cross that bridge and escape being eaten by the Troll. Sort of like me and the writers I know these days. If we can just get across that bridge, we'll reach the side where that lovely grassy hillside lies. In this rather creaky metaphor that would be the world of successful publication. 












I still enjoy the story and so to make it a little longer and extend my enjoyment, I adopted a baby goat--actually my neighbor's baby goat. I couldn't resist. Now I can say there are four Billy Goats Gruff: a baby, a small one, a large one and a very LARGE one. I'm rather partial to this littlest addition. He's only a week old, but he sure gets around.












Do you have a favorite very young book that you remember from childhood? Did it have a message that stuck with you?
Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12

Random Acts Of Kindness BLITZ! 3 More Days

I'm amazed at how RAOK keeps escalating. Check out The 




Book Shelf Muse today for 




some very special prizes. If you 




write, you'll want to enter to 




win one of these.




I can't top that generosity, but 




I can pass on an offer to read 




the first three chapters of a




WIP. Just leave me a comment 




and I'll pick one at random, 




starting from this date.









A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community. 

Take a second to think about writers you know, like the critique partner who works with you to improve your manuscript. The writing friend who listens, supports and keeps you strong when times are tough. The author who generously offers council, advice and inspiration when asked.



So many people take the time to make us feel special, don't they? They comment on our blogs, re-tweet our posts, chat with us on forums and wish us Happy Birthday on Facebook.








Kindness ROCKS!


To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I'm participating too!



I had a darned hard time deciding who to BLITZ, I'll tell you. But I finally settled on Nan Marino, author of Armstrong is My Uncle.  We have a very special connection and she's one of the best story tellers I know. I can't offer to read a chapter for her because I do that already. I can't offer to send her one of my books; she's bought them already. I can't offer to do much except continue to be there if and when she needs a writer who "gets" what she's experiencing. Oh, and I can offer to give her lots of space on my blog when her new book comes out in 2013! I hope all of you who pop into my blog will give her a shout out and pass on more RAOK.



Do you know someone special that you'd like to randomly acknowledge?
Don't be shy--come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round. :)



Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.



Have you ever participated in or been the recipient of a Random Act Of Kindness?  Let me know in the comments!


Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12

Random Acts Of Kindness BLITZ! 4 More Days

I'm amazed at how RAOK keeps escalating. Check out The 




Book Shelf Muse today for 




some very special prizes. If you 




write, you'll want to enter to 




win one of these.




I can't top that generosity, but 




I can pass on an offer to read 




the first three chapters of a




WIP. Just leave me a comment 




and I'll pick one at random, 




starting from this date.









A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community. 

Take a second to think about writers you know, like the critique partner who works with you to improve your manuscript. The writing friend who listens, supports and keeps you strong when times are tough. The author who generously offers council, advice and inspiration when asked.



So many people take the time to make us feel special, don't they? They comment on our blogs, re-tweet our posts, chat with us on forums and wish us Happy Birthday on Facebook.








Kindness ROCKS!


To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I'm participating too!



I had a darned hard time deciding who to BLITZ, I'll tell you. But I finally settled on Nan Marino, author of Armstrong is My Uncle.  We have a very special connection and she's one of the best story tellers I know. I can't offer to read a chapter for her because I do that already. I can't offer to send her one of my books; she's bought them already. I can't offer to do much except continue to be there if and when she needs a writer who "gets" what she's experiencing. Oh, and I can offer to give her lots of space on my blog when her new book comes out in 2013! I hope all of you who pop into my blog will give her a shout out and pass on more RAOK.



Do you know someone special that you'd like to randomly acknowledge?
Don't be shy--come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round. :)



Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.



Have you ever participated in or been the recipient of a Random Act Of Kindness?  Let me know in the comments!


Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12

Random Acts Of Kindness BLITZ!

A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community. 



Take a second to think about writers you know, like the critique partner who works with you to improve your manuscript. The writing friend who listens, supports and keeps you strong when times are tough. The author who generously offers council, advice and inspiration when asked.



So many people take the time to make us feel special, don't they? They comment on our blogs, re-tweet our posts, chat with us on forums and wish us Happy Birthday on Facebook.








Kindness ROCKS!


To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I'm participating too!



I had a darned hard time deciding who to BLITZ, I'll tell you. But I finally settled on Nan Marino, author of Armstrong is My Uncle.  We have a very special connection and she's one of the best story tellers I know. I can't offer to read a chapter for her because I do that already. I can't offer to send her one of my books; she's bought them already. I can't offer to do much except continue to be there if and when she needs a writer who "gets" what she's experiencing. Oh, and I can offer to give her lots of space on my blog when her new book comes out in 2013! I hope all of you who pop into my blog will give her a shout out and pass on more RAOK.



Do you know someone special that you'd like to randomly acknowledge?
Don't be shy--come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round. :)



Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.



Have you ever participated in or been the recipient of a Random Act Of Kindness?  Let me know in the comments!


Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12