Gabi Stevens's Blog, page 3

On a Serious Note . . .

I don’t usually address controversial or political topics here. I don’t want to deal with confrontation or trolls. I admit I’m a coward despite my strong opinions on some subjects (Yup, more than just about grammar). But this Cecil the lion story has angered me to my soul.

I have no problem with hunting for food–I’ve eaten food that has been hunted or freshly killed–or even to cull a herd for the health of the animals, but to kill something for sport, for a “trophy” is simply wrong. Hanging a dead animal on your wall for a decoration is morbid enough, but to take pleasure in the killing? Isn’t that one of the signs of being a psychopath?

I eat meat, and I see the hypocrisy in my stance. It’s something I’m coming to terms with, albeit slowly. But there is a difference, no matter your stance on food, between killing to eat vs. killing. Killing to eat is natural–animals kill all the time (no one said nature is kind)– and, although there has been evidence of animals killing for sport, it is rare. We humans are at the top of any food chain, not by nature of our strength but by nature of our tools. This alone places a greater moral and ethical responsibility on us. Place us without a weapon against a lion, and I’d wager the lion would win the majority of the time despite our so-called intelligence. But with weapons (and don’t give me the line about bow-hunting; it’s still a weapon meant to kill) humans have all the advantage.

What makes me the angriest is the arrogance. Arrogance that rules don’t apply to me. Arrogance that I’m better than someone or something else. The arrogance that makes someone think that because they can, they will. One of my life tenets is “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” You can speed in your car; you shouldn’t. You can steal from others; you shouldn’t. You can bully someone weaker; you shouldn’t. That’s what this incident is–bullying. Cecil the lion was weaker. He didn’t stand a chance. Not only was he lured out of his safe environment, he suffered for forty hours before being killed. He had a GPS collar on him.

Apparently this dentist has a track record of illegal hunting (He blames his guides because he paid his money and believed everything was legal–ignorantia juris non excusat). But what excuse does he give for hunting a threatened species (technically lions, with the exception of Asian lions, aren’t endangered). We humans have already encroached on, stolen, destroyed, and ruined so many species’ habitats and we haven’t stopped there. We’ve hunted, killed, eaten, or used up many animals to extinction (Just look at the passenger pigeon). I know extinction is a natural process, but not the way we’re doing it. And for those of you thinking that I should feel the same way about human life, I do, but I will also counter by saying we’re not close to being endangered. Except by our own hands after we destroy our world.

I leave you with this:

–Gabi

 

To Kill a Mockingbird (No, not the book…

…well, yes, the book, but this is my opinion on the “sequel”) In which I give you my take on Go Set A Watchman.

You may read whatever you like. Let me just put that out there. If you are waiting to read Go Set A Watchman, go right ahead. I will not be joining you. First, from everything I’ve read, it’s not clear that Harper Lee actually wants this book published. She’s in a nursing home. Her older sister/lawyer/caretaker/protector died, and SUDDENLY (bad writing form) they’ve found the long lost novel. I don’t trust that version of the story. Second, from what I’ve read, this “second book” is actually the first rejected version or rough draft where you are still figuring out who your characters are, where the story is going and what your theme is. I don’t want to read my own first drafts. They’re that bad. Third, To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all time favorites. I don’t want to ruin it.

It might be too late.

Whether I read GSAW or not, I know it’s out there and spoils the image of Atticus. I can’t pretend it doesn’t exist when it does. I know, not through first hand knowledge but from critiques and reviews that hero Atticus is no longer a hero. I can’t get that fact out of my head.It’s sort of like the reason I didn’t like the first three (as in episodes, I, II and III) of Star Wars. I already knew that Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader.* Totally spoiled the whole premise for me. It made me not respect Obi Wan as much, and I couldn’t root for Anakin because I knew he was evil (yes, yes, he gets redeemed at the end**, but it took the joy of discovery out of the whole story. I’m not even talking about the whole “too much backstory” aspect. If the book was put out there as an academic study of the evolution of TKAM (which I’m told many people are taking it as), I might have accepted it better, but it’s being marketed as a sequel, so that’s  that.

 

My dog chewed up this copy of TKAM.

I understand where the publishers are coming from. They’re all about the bottom line. GSAW will earn them a boatload of money. I’ve faced that unforgiving bottom line in my own career (maybe “butted heads against” is a better term than “faced”) and while I don’t agree with the decisions that follow looking only at the unforgiving bottom line, I do understand it. Maybe corporations should put a line in their charters about serving the public good instead of profits, but I get it.

So I’m not reading it. And I’m not sure I can go back to TKAM without prejudice either. I taught that book and it was so lovely. Now it has a bad stench associated with. At least for me. But then again, this is my blog and my opinion. I hope the rest of you aren’t as neurotic as I.

–Gabi

*First, if this was a spoiler, too bad. It’s been common knowledge for decades. Catch up. And second, I misspelled Anakin and didn’t capitalize Darth on the first attempt at typing. They were flagged as incorrect words by spell check. Once I corrected them, they weren’t flagged at all. What does that say about the integration of Star Wars into out culture? Pretty cool, I’d say.

**Really? Watch the damn movies.

Books I’m reading now:

The Lost Key by Catherine Coulter And JT Ellison

Something for writers

I haven’t posted for a while and I’ve been occupied (preoccupied?) with stuff  so I thought I’d pop in a post this handy little chart for writers searching for just the right word:

 

image by Tom Drummond, North Seattle Community College, in the public domain

And then there’s this one:

You’re welcome.

–Gabi

Books I’m reading now:

David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

The Lost Key by Catherine Coulter and JT Ellison

Romance Gets a Bad Rep

… In which I ponder why Romance has a bad rep and rant just a little.

In today’s paper I read a book review for a book I will never read. It’s by a male, and I imagine the book is doing/will do fairly well since it’s being reviewed in major papers. It’s described as a “sweeping, romantic novel.” In the brief description of the book describes the main characters, “once married and now divorced, who encounter one another after decades of mutual avoidance. The fight that ensues–and the subsequent fall to their deaths from a rocky ledge–occurs in the novel’s opening pages.” (ABQ Journal, Sunday, June 7, 2015, Book page)

There’s a storm brewing…

How is that at all romantic? Apparently the story then proceeds in flashback to how this couple became a couple and what happened. The author of the article even calls it an “ill-fated romance.” Yeah, I’d say.

Look, if you like to read stuff like this, more power to you. You’re allowed to read anything you please. And the author is allowed to write anything he pleases. But seriously, don’t call this a romance or romantic. That would be like calling Psycho a romance because Norman has feelings for Marion. I could name the book in question a family saga or relationship drama, but not romance.

I admit I like my endings happy, or at least satisfying (I love a worthwhile tearjerker and am not above killing a few characters myself. I’ve sobbed more than once while writing some of my books.). Give me the endings I can cheer for–in movies: The Avengers, Notting Hill, Shawshank Redemption, Jurassic Park (which I just watched again on Friday–great film, great characters), The Princess Bride; in books: Harry Potter, To Kill A Mockingbird, Bewitching, Ready Player One. Call my tastes plebeian; I don’t care. I’ve read my share of literature and seen most of the highbrow films too. I don’t enjoy them. There is enough horrific stuff in the real world that I don’t have to have it in my entertainment. So help me, if Game of Thrones doesn’t give me that satisfying ending at the conclusion of the series (the books first, and then the TV show), I will be more than angry. Right now I don’t care how many characters have been killed because I trust the author will give me that ending that makes all the suffering worthwhile (Hear that, George?)

It’s called reader expectation. I know what I expect from my fiction. That’s why I avoid books like the one I opened this blog with, or what used to be called Oprah books, or those about which everyone mentions a surprise ending (Those books/movies are the ones I always go to spoiler website to “cheat” because I won’t waste my time on an ending that will piss me off. [Are you listening, George?] And no, it doesn’t spoil the experience for me. I always read the end of a book before I finish it anyway. And there’s a study that says spoilers actually enhance the experience.)

Enough. I know I’ve written about this before, but that book review just set me off. Again. Back to my deep breathing exercises.

–Gabi

Books I’m reading now:

The Talon of the Hawk by Jeffe Kennedy

 

 

Ten Quick Tips About Writing Fantasy . . .

. . . In which I examine my own thoughts about writing fantasy.

I am trying to switch genres from Romance (though I still love it and am currently working on one) to fantasy (Although my next manuscript will be more science fiction–it’s the process of “throw everything out there and see what sticks”). I love fantasy and have since I was a child. I am currently shopping a fantasy romance (which I love!) and a straight fantasy (which I also love–two books of the heart) So here are my top ten quick tips about writing fantasy.

Read in the genre–there are all kinds of fantasy. Read, read, read. (That’s true for any genre)
You can’t just throw in a dragon– although dragons are great, right?
You must build a world–as the author, you have to know the rules of the world and stick to them.
Logic must still prevail–just because you’re making up a world, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to make sense. (Almost the same thing as 3, but not quite)
The characters are more important than the flash and decoration– a reader still wants and needs to identify with at least some of your characters.
Writing rules still apply–If you’re going to be wordy, you’d better have a good reason to be so. (Like not using contractions–works great as a characteristic for Data, but not so good for other characters)
Know where you’re going–especially if you plan several books. You have to know the destination.
Avoid story clichés–they’ve been done to death.
Actions have consequences– don’t forget to show them. Rarely is anything black and white. Gray can be a much more interesting shade.
Research is essential–yes, even for a fantasy, you must do your research.

So, you know anyone interested in a fantasy?

–Gabi

Books I’m reading now:

Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Names–or–A Little Known Fact About . . .

Temptation’s Warrior

Names can be trouble. When I had finished writing Temptiation’s Warrior and was getting ready to send it out for possible publication, I came across a review of a medieval set novel (like Temptation’s) by a big name author whose main characters were names Elf and Ranulf. I almost screamed. Those were the names of my hero and heroine too. My characters were Elfrieda and Ranulf. Hers were Eleanor and Ranulf. It wasn’t fair. Elf isn’t even a nickname for Eleanor. My Elf was also a running joke because Elf was freakishly tall for a woman. So I decided I had to change one name. I couldn’t change Elf (running joke and all that), but I did decide to find a new name for a hero.

Usually when you write a book you start thinking about those characters with those names and somehow they become those people. Stormy (in Wishful Thinking) was a silly name, but that’s how she introduced herself in my sub conscious and the name stuck. I even joked about it in the text. But she was  Stormy. Changing a name can be traumatic. A rose by any other name is NOT as sweet. I thought changing Ranulf would be just painful. (Ooo, a pun. You’ll see why.)

I did research on medieval names and discovered that the name Payne was fairly common. And when I found that name, suddenly I forgot all about Ranulf and discovered the hero’s real name was Payne. It sounds like such a modern name, but it isn’t. So instead of being painful (Ha!) the name change made me like this book even more. And I really like this medieval romp that I wrote. It won a prestigious contest before it was published (The Molly).

Serendipity.

–Gabi

Books I’m reading now:

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Little Known Fact About . . .

Wishful Thinking

When my heroine, Stormy, escapes from the magical Council in my book, she ends up on Black’s Beach in San Diego.

Photo by Ian Britton

Black’s Beach is notorious for being an unofficial nude beach. It requires a hike down a cliff or access by boat. It is also the closest beach to UC San Diego, my alma mater. I admit to visiting Black’s Beach in my younger days, and I admit to exposing some parts of my body. But hey, I had just returned from my junior year abroad in Germany where such things are common.

By the way, Stormy appears there at midnight, dressed in a swanky red cocktail dress and high heels. Not the best beach attire or prime body viewing hours.

–Gabi

Books I’m reading now:

The Glass Magician by Charlie N Holmberg.

Little Known Fact About . . .

A Matter of Honor.

Bradley Doll, not Loraina.

My heroine, Lorane, was named after one of my favorite childhood dolls, Loraina. She was one of those big eye Bradley dolls that weren’t meant to be given as toys. A bachelor friend of my parents presented both me and my sister one for Christmas–he didn’t get that these weren’t playthings–and I did end up ruining her by giving her new makeup on her eyes with markers. But I still kept her. In fact she made it into my children’s childhoods. Loraina sat in my daughters’ closet, probably creeping them out.

I don’t know where the doll ended up. She’s either in my garage somewhere in a box, or I finally threw her out because her legs got broken and she was old (And am I the only one who doesn’t like to think about throwing out toys because I’m afraid I’ll hurt their feelings? And this is from before Toy Story.), but whenever I think about Lorane from A Matter of Honor, I remember that doll.

Lorane, the character, looks nothing like Loraina, though.

–Gabi

Books I’m reading now:

The Glass Magician by Charlie N Holmberg

Little Known Fact About . . .

The Wish List

I’m not a huge fan of chocolate, but I love flour based sweets (doughnuts, cake, danishes, etc.) When I make chocolate chip cookies, I leave out the chocolate chips and only add a few, two or three, to each one once they are on the baking sheet, but I always leave half the batch totally naked with no chips whatsoever. My biggest complaint about store bought chocolate chip cookies is that they have too many chips, so I usually make my own.

So when the fairy godmother Rose makes Kristin a treat in The Wish List, she bakes her chocolate chipless cookies. They’re Kristin’s favorite cookie. And mine too.

Lest you think I’m totally without the chocolate gene, I will eat Swiss chocolate (Lindt) with hazelnuts. My chocolate must have lots of stuff in it. But no fruit. That’s just wrong.

–Gabi

Books I’m reading now:

The Tiger Queens by Stephanie Thornton

Little Known Fact About . . .

A Matter of Convenience

I started this book by turning to a blank page in a spiral notebook while sitting in one of my college courses. I filled that notebook and then another. Yup, this book’s first draft was entirely longhand. I have since gone back to writing in longhand because it’s a different experience and one that I find more freeing (Try it sometime), but this one started them all.  When I had transcribed it into the computer, I threw out those notebooks. My husband yelled at me for that.

–Gabi

Books I’m reading now:

The Tiger Queens by Stephanie Thornton