Matthew Dicks's Blog, page 577

Guest post: An essay on the power of getting to know an author personally

One of the unexpected joys of publishing a book is the connections that you make with readers around the country. 

A middle school student in a suburb of Chicago reads your first book, for example, and then writes an epilogue for the book as part of class assignment.

Then she sends you the epilogue, curious about what you think, and two years later, the two of you are still exchanging emails from time to time.

You've never met this person and probably never will, but you've found yourself a pen pal, and you are the better for it.

In this case the middle school student is now a high school freshman, and her name is Rachel.  Recently she wrote an essay for class about the power of getting to know an author personally.  She sent her essay to me, and with her permission, I have posted it here.

It served as a good reminder to me about the power of sending my stories into the world. 

_______________________________________ 

Authors Found Through E-Mail

Authors have always held a high place in my views. As someone who likes to write, authors have always seemed like magical beings who were able to create masterpieces. Being able to connect with an author was an opportunity for me to experience the power the story possesses. Personally, I get so affected by books and stories that sometimes their authors get lost. They don't always get the credit they deserve for writing, because the story gets in the way a little. This is why I know that story can connect people. Having reached out to an author, he has become a real person in real life.

Realizing the power of story for me began with reading one book. I read Something Missing, by Matthew Dicks. This book was more than just a story. It was an experience. The characters came to life, and I was absorbed in the story. But then it ended. No closure, no complete resolution, just the end of the book came. I was devastated. I couldn't let go of the story until it was done, and it wasn't.

So when I was in 8th grade, my teacher gave us the idea to write an epilogue to a book that we read. After thinking about what to write, I stuck with that idea and thought of a book. The first one to come to mind was Something Missing.

Since reading the book, I had thought of many different ways it could end. Many of them were similar, but with one or two minor differences or changes. I eventually ended up with what I thought was the best idea and started to write.

Since I knew Matthew had a blog, I decided to see if his e-mail was on it. I wanted to e-mail him to tell him about what I was writing. I found Matthew's e-mail, and the very next day, I got an e-mail back. He liked that I was writing an epilogue, because his publisher had wanted him to write a sequel. He didn't really want to, but was curious to see how others would see the story as it continued. But what surprised me the most was that he said he wanted to read my epilogue when I was finished writing it.

The fact that a published author was going to read my writing amazed me. I made sure that every word was just right and made sure that every detail or fact made sense. By the time I was finished, about eight people had read and revised it. I was absolutely sure that it was ready, and I sent my epilogue to Matthew. Not only was I proud of my writing, I was nervous to hear what he would say about it. I couldn't wait to get a response.

A few days later, after constantly checking my e-mail, I got an e-mail back. This time, when I got the e-mail, I hesitated before opening it. I wasn't sure if I should open it. The whole idea that I was e-mailing an author was something I couldn't quite grasp at the moment. But I opened the e-mail. He liked my epilogue, and after that, we just kept e-mailing.

Now we still write to each other and talk about life and writing in general. He even said he might need my help with a character he is coming up with. He also keeps me up to date with his progress on his new books.

Not only was I able to communicate with an author, but I also got to connect to other people who read the book. Living through the same character creates a bond between people. Both people experienced the problems and conclusion of the character's story, and it becomes common ground for communication.

Since my mom recommended Something Missing to me, it has become a common discussion point and debate. My aunt read the book too, so it's something we all share and use that as a way to connect. When I received the first e-mail from Matthew, I called my aunt to tell her, since she loved Matthew's books. My mom, aunt, and I talk about the e-mails along with the story. This has made the story so much more important and powerful for us.

The whole situation shows that story can connect people. This is why story is so powerful, because people can relate to each other over that story. For me, story has the power to connect people. If it wasn't for story and books, I wouldn't have contact with an author. I also wouldn't be able to connect as easily with people who have read the story.

Story has so much more to offer us than just education or entertainment. Story can connect people who would have never met, or strengthen bonds between people who already know each other. Story is very important to me because it is so powerful. If story wasn't powerful, with the ability to connect people, we wouldn't have walls lined with books or feel the need to reach out to the story's creator.

My first marquee!

I'm more excited than I thought I would be.

Forgive me.

The awaiting-a-proper-title To-Do List #1

Three weeks ago, I challenged myself to publish a clever, creative, subversive to-do list every Friday in the spirit of this best-ever to-do list:

 

Then I completely forgot about the challenge until this morning. 

I've since added this goal to my Google calendar and set reminders, so I shouldn't forget again.  

I'd like to ultimately write my lists on a white boards and photograph them, like the anonymous people who inspired me did, but I have no white board at the moment, so a digital list will have to do. 

If you'd like to send me a white board and some markers, let me know.  

So here you go.  This week's to-do list:

Convince the cashier at the post office that you went to high school with him or her, and then admit that you always admired and respected him or her a great deal. Rent a bouncy castle and have it set up on the grounds of a nursing home for the afternoon.  See what happens. Tie tin cans to the rear bumper of a married friend's car with a sign that reads: NOT JUST MARRIED BUT MARRIED NONETHELESS! 

Comments, critiques and compliments welcomed. 

This list also needs a name of some sort, so suggestions would be appreciated.

And if you're ever ambitious enough to attempt one of these things, PLEASE let me know. 

I may attempt the first one this afternoon, and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that I could do the third at some point as well. 

The second one would require cash that I cannot part with at this time. 

A mystery wrapped in an enigma, and thats only the beginning of this oddity

There is so much about this video that fascinates me.  So many small, inexplicable elements coming together to create this symphony of utter strangeness.

I feel like I am missing something.  That there must be greater meaning hidden within this video, obscured by the sword or the birdhouse or the mop or the dog or the motionless old woman in sunglasses.

I've watched it three times but have yet to find it. 

But each time, it becomes more fascinating to me.  

But most of all, I simply want to know these people. 

Uncover the origins of this… thing they do. 

Understand the motivation behind this… hobby?

I am convinced that they are either remarkably compelling and complex human beings or incredibly annoying and cognitively-limited individuals.

And I want to know which one with every fiber of my being.  

Three principles to live by

I live my life by three core principles that have served me well:

1. Happy wife, happy life

A man who had been married to his wife for 75 years offered this bit of wisdom to me years ago, and he couldn't have been more right. 

If a man's wife is happy, he will be happy.  It's that simple.

I cannot attest to the inverse, but since it doesn't rhyme, I suspect that it does not hold up. 

If you find that you cannot make your wife happy, or that your wife's happiness is not making you happy as well, then you married the wrong woman.

Sadly, many men do. 

2. Procrastinate in al that you do unless an important window of opportunity is closing. In these cases, act immediately regardless of circumstance or consequence. 

I believe in waiting until the last minute to complete any task that does not bring me enjoyment or make my life more efficient, productive or simple.  I honestly believe (through unfortunate personal experience) that every day could be my last.  Knowing this in my heart in a way that I suspect most do not, the last thing I want to do is spent my final hours completing mundane chores, filling out needless paperwork or tackling a meaningless assignment that I could complete three days from now.

However, I am also keenly aware of closing windows of opportunity and act accordingly.  For example, I have always wanted to be a firefighter. At the age of 40, I fear that the window for fulfilling this dream might be narrowing quickly.  Therefore, despite my already overloaded plate, I intend on looking into the process of becoming a volunteer firefighter for my town on a very part-time basis. 

For many, many reasons, this is not the right time to pursue this dream. In fact, there could not be a worse time. But if I wait much longer, the window may close and my childhood dream may become a regret, which is something I attempt to avoid at all costs. 

Procrastinate always. 

But don't allow procrastination to lead to regret.

3.  Make decisions based upon my four favorite words: I told you so.

In making a decision, I attempt to evaluate the "I told you so" nature of both sides of the argument.  I calculate the probability of each side achieving an "I told you so" moment, as well as the severity of the potential "I told you so".

Once these factors have been properly considered, I make my decision.   

For example, during the recent winter storm that devastated so much of Connecticut, a tree came down in our backyard, just missing our home.  At least one other tree and several large branches were still overhanging parts of our home, and so my wife decided that we should sleep on the first floor, fearful of what might happen if the roof was actually struck by one of these large trees or branches.

I thought this was a knee-jerk reaction, and I was annoyed.  I wanted to sleep in my bed, and I thought that there was very little chance of our house being struck by a falling tree. 

But in the end, I agreed to sleep on the couch.  Though I was almost certain that I could have spent the night in my bed and said "I told you so" in the morning, the potential severity of my wife's "I told you" was be considerably higher.

In my case, I could've said, "See? I told you so. Sleeping in bed was perfectly safe."

In Elysha's case, she could've said, "See, I told you so. That massive tree came right through our bedroom ceiling and now you are dead."

Though my "I told you so" was considerably more likely, Elysha's was much more severe in terms of overall impact, and therefore I slept on the couch.

And though I could have rightfully said, "I told you so" in the morning, I did not. 

Just because I evaluate decisions based upon the probability of being able to say "I told you so" doesn't means I always say it.

Not with my wife, at least.

Doing so would violate Rule #1.  

Two Whales

This is the first picture that my daughter has drawn that matches, albeit vaguely, the objects she claims it represents. 

"Two Whales" is the title she has given this piece, and it is not difficulty to see (with a little imagination) the whales and the blue line representing the ocean that they are swimming in. 

Never did I think I could be so proud of two lumpy, poorly colored blobs of green and black.

Translation

I found this recent tweet by the West Hartford Police Department (@WestHartfordPD) related to the ongoing power outages in my section of Connecticut fairly amusing:

Treat all traffic lights out as a 4 way stop sign and be especially careful for those who don't follow this.

Translation:

Use common sense and watch out for idiots who have none.

I dont love sweets.

People who prefer sugary snacks actually seem to be more kind, so says a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

I don't even like chocolate all that much.

Stupid parents doing stupid things.

Halloween was cancelled in my town this year, and rightfully so considering the number of live power lines still all over the road. 

Certain parents are outraged over this development, but I have pointed out to these individuals that if they want to take their children trick-or-treating, simply drive fifteen or twenty minutes to a town less affected by the recent storm and trick-or-treat there.

Trick-or-treating is hardly geographically restricted.

What I would prefer these people didn't do is ignore the ban and trick-or-treat in my neighborhood anyway, which is exactly what one family chose to do. 

And because Halloween was cancelled, my wife and I never told our two-year daughter that it was Halloween, and we never prepared her for the costumes she would be seeing out and about.

So when she looked out the window and saw a ghost approaching the door in the company of some other kids, she naturally panicked and ran to the back of the house, telling us that she had seen a ghost.

Which she had.

Two days later, she is still talking about it.  And she is still nervous about it.

And every time I tell her that the ghost was just a kid in a costume, she says, "Yeah, and there was a ghost with them."

I'm not the biggest rule–follower in the world, but when it comes to my child and possible electrocution, I tend to err on the side of obedience. 

I wish others would've been smart enough to do the same thing.  

Resolution update: October 2011

With just two more months to complete my New Year's resolutions, I have started crossing off those items that are complete. 

The following is my progress through October. 

1.  Lose 23 pounds, bringing me down to my high school track and field weight.

I was two-tenths of a pound away from my goal as of this morning. 

If my gym hadn't been closed for the last two days, I would've probably reached or beaten my goal already.

In an effort to avoid such problems in the future, I renewed my Bally's membership this morning.  $64 for a year in order to have access to two different gyms within 10 minutes of my home.  This will be especially helpful in January and February when the gyms fill up with people who join for as month or two in hopes of fulfilling their own New Year's resolutions before fading into the sunset by March. 

Bally's is not the cleanest or most well equipped gym in the area, but it has a pool, and more importantly, it has power right now.  My gym could be without electricity for another week.   

For about $5 a month, how could I go wrong?

Stupid October snowstorm.   

2.  Do at least 50 100 200 push-ups and 50 100 sit-ups a day.

I did not miss a day in October.

3.  Practice the flute for at least an hour a week.

I practiced a total of an hour for the month of October, which is an enormous improvement over previous months but still not near my goal. 

4.  Find a wine that I can drink every night or so.

Did not drink any wine in October.   

5.  Complete my fifth novel.

I have returned to my half-finished novel after deciding (with the help of my agent) that my new idea was not working. 

It will eventually work, and I remain excited about it, but I was forcing things. The book hasn't had the time to ferment in my mind. 

The good news is that I am suddenly much closer to finishing my fifth book.  Halfway there!  And my wife and agent like it a lot.  A positive sign.    

The bad news is that I lost a month trying out my new idea.

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), so perhaps like many hopeful novelists, I will complete my book before December.  

6.  Complete and submit one children's book to my agent.

Still done. Revisions of both of my stories continue, and a new story underway, based upon a dream I had earlier in the month. 

By the end of the year, I should have three children's books in various states of revision, with at least one back in the hands of an agent.         

7.  Complete the book proposal for the non-fiction collaborative project that I began last year.

My photography partner and I have ironed out our differences and are ready to move forward.  Unfortunately I am devoting most of my writing time to the new book.  But I still hope to have a proposal written before the end of the year.  Still possible but less likely.     

8.  Complete an outline for my memoir

Done. The writing of the memoir continues.  

9.  Convince my sister to write on http://107federalstreet.blogspot.comat least once a week and do the same myself.

Done!  My sister wrote four entries in the month of October and seems quite enthusiastic about the project.  In fact, she's writing faster than I can respond. 

I couldn't be more pleased.  

10.  Drink at least four glasses of water every day.

Done.

11.  Complete at least one of the three classes required for me to teach English on the high school level.

As I stated last month, I originally needed to complete three classes in order to receive my certification, but after jumping through some administrative hoops and providing the state with some documentation, I only need two classes now.  Therefore, resolution accomplished.

I also take my English certification test in two weeks.  I have opted not to study for this test, hoping that I remember enough from college to earn a passing grade. 

My friends think I'm crazy to attempt this difficult test without studying, but I took the LSAT a few years ago without any preparation and scored in the 89th percentile.

Maybe I'll get lucky again.

12.  Try liver.

Nope.  But damn it, it will be done. 

13.  Publish an Op-Ed in a national newspaper.

I am submitting the piece that I have written for The Millions, an online magazine offering coverage on books, arts, and culture, this week. 

14.  Participate in The Moth as a storyteller, at a live show or on their radio broadcast.

Done.  I placed third in the Moth's GrandSlam last month.  I also plan on participating in one or two more StorySLAMS before the end of the year. 

15. See our rock opera (The Clowns) performed on stage as a full production or in a dramatic reading format.

Our reading is scheduled for November 5 and 6.  You can read all about it and find out how to purchase tickets on the theater's website by clicking here.

16.  Organize my basement.

Progress continues.  I am actually approaching the finish line.  I'll likely be wrapping up work this week (we now have the week off due to massive power outages in the area) or during December break.

17.  Land at least one paying client for my fledgling life coach or professional best man business.

Done!

18. Rid Elysha and myself of all education debt before the end of the year.

We paid off one of our four student loans in October, and it looks as if we will have one or two more paid off before the end of the year. 

19. Replace the twelve ancient windows on the first and second floor of the house with more energy efficient ones.

Still waiting on the funding.

20. Make one mortgage payment from poker profits.

No poker in October (but a live game tonight!).  I remain stuck on a little less than 25% of a mortgage payment so far.

21. Post my progress in terms of these resolutions on this blog on the first day of every month.

Done.