Maranda Russell's Blog, page 104

Happy Halloween!!! Now get to writing!

First off, Happy Halloween to all of my fans, readers and fellow lovers of everything spooky! Halloween is probably my favorite holiday, and not just because my birthday falls close to it. I love creepy, dark and dreary stuff, so maybe that explains why my favorite authors are Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson.

Anyhow, Halloween is a great time to sit down and let your imagination run loose as well. If you love to write, feel free to take one of the following Halloween-themed writing prompts and make it your own! You can use these prompts to write a story, poem, journal entry, Tweet or anything else your little heart desires. Have fun!

*If you could be anyone or anything this Halloween, who or what would you be? Why?

*Use your senses. Brainstorm a list of all the Halloween sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings you can think of.

*Pretend you are a symbol of Halloween. Describe Halloween from the point of view of a jack-o-lantern, bat, witch, spider, candy bar…or anything else you think of!

*Do you agree with schools banning the celebration of Halloween due to the religious or spiritual roots of the holiday? Why or why not?

*What is the best trick you have ever pulled on someone? Or the best trick pulled on you?

*Make your own witch’s brew. What would go into it? What would the concoction do?

*What really scares you? Write about it.

*How has Halloween changed since you were a kid? Do you miss the way things used to be?

*Should adults be allowed to trick or treat?

I am an award-winning author!!! Yay! Woo-hoo!

I got some very exciting but unexpected news recently! The first children’s ebook I ever published, “In Memory of Dad”, published a little over a year ago has been named a finalist for the Literary Classics International Book Awards! Although the award levels and categories won’t be announced until October 15th, I do know that my book placed in at least one of the categories!

What made this a real surprise is that I don’t remember entering my book in this competition, so I assume someone else did for me! Whoever did, I want to say I am most grateful and thrilled! For those of you who haven’t read “In Memory of Dad”, please consider doing so! This ebook is a short story about a girl dealing with the loss of her father. It is a positive story about grief, loss, friendship, healing and being able to move on after a tragedy. The suggested age range for this ebook is 8-13, but even adults have found it moving. You can read “In Memory of Dad” on the Kindle for only $0.99!

“The World of Fairy” Art Book Review

“The World of Fairy: A Sketch Book & Artists Guide to Fairies”, written and illustrated by Ty Hulse, is fun, interesting and colorful. I immensely enjoyed this book, not only because I have always had an interest in fairies and other magical creatures, but because I learned things I have never read in any other book about fairies. For instance, did you know that in some cultures fairies acted as poltergeists? Or that it was once believed that humans that died at sunset might become fairies because they are caught forever between the living and the dead?

Pretty interesting stuff, huh? One thing that I really like about this book is that it weaves many different types of fairy folklore and mythology together. Some attention is given to the fairies from the British Aisles that we are most familiar with, but there are fairy stories from many other lands included as well. It is fascinating to see the similarities and differences in how various cultures view the world of fairies.

Of course, this book is above all, an artist’s sketch book. The illustrations included are obviously drawn by someone who loves the subject and does their best to visually depict the various types of these creatures. Some of the pictures are in color and some are black & white, but you kind of expect that when you get a glimpse into an artist’s sketch book. This is the kind of book that you could study for hours and hours and still find new details to notice. I would highly recommend this book for fairy lovers, mythology buffs and art enthusiasts everywhere.

To find out more about this book and other fairy tale projects by Ty Hulse, please feel free to visit his fascinating website, http://zeluna.net/. If you would like to purchase your own copy of “The World of Fairy”, it is currently available on Amazon.

Interview with Poet T. James Edward

Poetry book written by T. James Edward.

Because I often feel that poetry is overlooked and underappreciated here in America, I have decided to start featuring interviews with some of my fellow poets. So without further ado, here is an insightful and quirky interview with poet T. James Edward.

Poetry-related questions:

1. Q: How long have you been writing poetry? What first drew you to this literary form?
    A: I’ve been writing for somewhere between 15 and 20 years. What drove me to poetry is when I wrote in holiday cards as a kid, I’d write a few things from the heart and my mother said I had a very unique way with words.

2. Q: Who are some of your favorite poets? Are there any poets you credit for inspiring you to be a poet?
    A: In grade school I read the likes of Poe and Twain. I also remember reading “Where the Sidewalk Ends” and “Superfudge” in school. I’ve read a few books in my lifetime but not too many. I have always wanted my thought processes to not appear dogmatic to me. I find that things I have said or written are similar to what something like Hemmingway has said, just worded a little differently. Nothing against reading because it’s great, I just want my ideas about life, death and truth to be my own and not based on anybody’s theory. Not that that’s how I see books being used by others.

3. Q: Have you written any poetry books? If so, please share a bit about your latest release and where it can be bought.
    A: I have one self-published book titled “Verses of a Dead Hero”, released in April 2010. It can be found at the publishers website: http://Xlibris.com/VersesofaDeadHero or at Amazon.

4. Q: Do you have any tips or wisdom you would like to share with fellow poets?
    A: Yes. No matter who you are, whatever walk of life you’re from or whatever you write about, if the ink on the page is your blood you will always be considered a poet. Never let anyone tell you what you should or shouldn’t write about. Nobody is a “better poet” than another. As long as you’re writing what’s in your heart and mind, we are all poets of equal significance.

Fun questions:

1. Q: Why did the chicken really cross the road?
    A: Either to meet the little piggy that went to market or because the chicken’s nest was over there. Maybe it was merely curiosity. Or maybe there was an evil chicken on the other side who created a tempting illusion to lure her to her death.

2. Q: If you could be something other than a human for a day, what would you choose?
    A: A bird. So I could experience flight. Or, a cure for any/all diseases.

3. Q: Cat person or dog person?
    A: Dog, most definitely. I love both but dogs are the truest friend one can find. Cats are fun and independent.

4. Q: Favorite movie of all time?
    A: Not a big movie person. I live by music. But some of my favorites are The Shawshank Redemption, Heat, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Star Wars. My favorite might be Boondock Saints.

5. Q: Are there any foods you absolutely despise and wouldn’t eat even if you were starving to death?
    A: Monkey brains. Or any brain for that matter. I don’t know how some cultures can do it.

6. Q: If you could travel anywhere, where would you most like to go?
    A: Australia.

7. Q: Star Trek – Totally cool or totally nerdy?
    A: “Next Generation” with Captain Picard is great and very philosophical. The original with William Shatner is more comical to me because I personally think Shatner is a jackass. Funny, but a jackass. I think it’s totally cool, for nerds.

8. Q: If you do poetry readings, where is the weirdest place you have done one?
    A: Not that it’s too weird or anything, but probably at a second-hand clothing shop that was just a little hole in the wall.

9. Q: Do you have a favorite word?
    A: I’m not sure about a favorite word. Maybe onomatopoeia, just because it sounds funny to me. My favorite 2 words combined are “Reasonable Facsimile” because when I was a kid, I grew up watching Looney Tunes and in one episode Bugs Bunny was speaking to Elmer Fudd in a condescending manner and called him a Reasonable Facsimile. Those are the first words I remember having to look up in a dictionary.

10. Q: Favorite Cartoon character?
      A: That’s a real tough question. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Peter Griffin, Stimpy, Homer Simpson. Probably Bugs Bunny because he’s the original.

New school year starting! Author visit time!

I am thrilled to see the start of another school year because that means I get to do what I love best, visit schools and share my love of literature with kids and young adults! This year will be especially happy for me because I am visiting my old stomping ground. Although most of the school author visits I conduct are close to the Dayton, Ohio area (where I currently live), this year I will be going back to my hometown of Muncie, Indiana!

Why does this excite me so much? Well, some of it is plain, old-fashioned pride. I loved growing up in Muncie and am excited to return there to share my two published books. I am also thrilled to get the chance to be the featured author and speaker at Muncie’s Young Author’s Conference. This is pretty much a dream come true for me since I went to the Young Author’s Conferences myself as a child and dreamed of someday being an author just like those I met there…and now, I have achieved that!

I also plan to visit my old elementary school and my old high school (among other school visits). I just can’t imagine how it will feel to be back within those walls of the schools I once loved so much. I really hope to be able to inspire the kids there and show them that we all have the potential to make our dreams come true!

What makes a good poem?

Poetry is an intensely personal thing, so opinions abound regarding what makes a poem truly good. I’m not here to tell you that I know the magic formula or to try and pretend that I am some literary genius that has it all figured out, but I would like to share my opinion of what makes a poem stand out above the rest. Undoubtedly, some of you will disagree with my criteria, which is fine. In fact, I would encourage you to post a comment with your own opinion on the matter if you wish to do so.

So without further ado…my list of poetry must-haves:

1. Honesty – is this one really a surprise? After all, I named my recently published poetry book, “Not Afraid to Be Real”. And to me, that isn’t just a clever title. I strive in all my writing to be honest and present life realistically. Of course, since poetry tends to focus more on thoughts, feelings and images, the honesty in my poetry tends to be more about the inner life than about the outer life. However, both elements are involved.

2. Clarity – I choose this as second, because I really don’t like poetry that doesn’t make a lick of sense. That is probably my number one turnoff when I choose a poetry book to read or buy. If I flip through and find several poems that are overly ambiguous, I put it back down and keep looking. I should make it clear that there is a difference between random humor and pointless confusion. After all, I love the show Family Guy, and that humor is about as random as you can get.

3. Description – most writers know that poetry falls under the category of descriptive writing. Description is extremely important if you want to write a poem that really moves a reader and makes them feel a part of the experience. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to describe every single little thing you see, hear, taste or touch. Pick a few details that really give the vibe you want. Try to make them as specific as possible (instead of tree, use oak, instead of ice cream, use chocolate chip cookie dough, etc.)

4. Spelling and grammar – maybe a bit of a bummer, but writing poetry doesn’t mean abandoning ALL of the writing rules. Yeah, you have a lot more leeway with poetry as far as sentence structure and form goes, but please check your spelling and grammar. The only time a word should be spelled wrong in a poem is if the poet did it on purpose to introduce some clever word play.

5. Make a point – it doesn’t have to be revolutionary or mind-blowing, but poems are a lot more fun to read if they actually have a point and don’t just ramble on about nothing. You don’t have to make the poem preachy or moralistic or anything like that, but make sure you know what you are trying to say. If you don’t know what your poem means, then it’s highly unlikely that anyone else will either.

6. Don’t overdo it – some poets layer on image after image after image until their writing is so bogged down that it becomes dull and boring. Sometimes simple really is better. Know what you want to say and how you want to show it, then figure out the best way to share that with your reader. If your poem has you yawning halfway through, your reader probably won’t even make it that far into it. If you bring your readers to tears, you want it to be from a deep emotional reaction to your words, not from boredom.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little list. You might have noticed that I didn’t include typical poetic devices, such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, repetition, rhyme, rhythm or form. That isn’t because those aren’t important at all, but because I don’t think they are absolutely necessary to create great poetry. However, if you already have a great concept, adding some of those poetic devices to your poem might make it even better, so do consider using them.

Judge not lest you be judged – quotes about true tolerance

Ok, I normally don’t get all political on my blog posts, but all this stuff going on lately is really bugging me. All the hate between the liberals and conservatives, all the hate between those in favor of Chick-Fil-A’s stand against homosexuality and all those who think it is prejudice, all the namecalling and mudslinging that goes on in election races…all this stuff really bugs me.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion and God gave us free will and the choice to make our own decisions for a reason. BUT, does that mean we have to be filled with so much anger and hatred towards those different from us or who (gasp!) don’t agree with our beliefs? Both sides talk about love and tolerance, but you don’t see much of either of those attributes when people fight. The truth is, when you start tearing others down, true tolerance goes out the window. Tolerance DOES NOT mean you have to agree with what the other person thinks, but it DOES MEAN that you show them the courtesy and respect every human being deserves.

So in the hope of furthering true tolerance and unconditional love, here are a few quotes I thought we might all need to consider, starting with a couple from Jesus himself.

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Matthew 7:1

“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” John 8:7

“When we judge others we leave no room to love them.” ~ Mother Teresa

“We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It’s one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it’s another to think that yours is the only path.” ~ Paulo Coelho

“Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others.” ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it hardly becomes any of us to talk about the rest of us.” ~ Edward Wallace Hoch

“All we see of someone at any moment is a snapshot of their life: there in riches or poverty, in joy or despair. Snapshots don’t show the million decisions that led to that moment.” ~ R. Baach

“We are all stumbling towards the light in varying degrees of grace at any given moment.” ~ Bo Lozoff

“God Himself, sir, does not propose to judge a man until his life is over. Why should you and I?” ~ Sammuel Johnson

Download the Kindle version of my newest book for FREE this weekend!

Just wanted to post a quick note to let all my fans and friends know that my brand new young adult poetry book, “Not Afraid to Be Real”, is currently available as a FREE Kindle download today, tomorrow and Saturday (July 26th-July 28th). This is a great chance to try the book out without having to lay any money down! If you do download and read the book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or sharing the book link with all your friends and family on Facebook & Twitter! I appreciate all the support you guys have given me in the past and hope you enjoy my latest creation!

PS. Not only did I write all the poems in “Not Afraid to Be Real”, but I also took the photos that are included in the book and even came up with the idea for the cover design. So in many ways, this truly was my baby!

Proud to present my newest release, “Not Afraid to Be Real: A Poetry Collection”

This promo might be coming a bit late since my new young adult poetry book, “Not Afraid to Be Real” has been available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble since July 11th, but things have been kind of hectic here. Anyhow, I am really proud of this book. I took the photos that accompany the poems, wrote the poems and even came up with the idea for the book cover image (although my publisher liason, Neal Wooten, was the one who had the artistic talent to turn my idea into artwork).

The idea behind “Not Afraid to Be Real” was simple. I wanted to write poetry that has real heart, real literary value and above all, actually makes sense to people. I have always been turned off by poetry that is confusing or long winded, so I didn’t want to put my readers through that. The finished product is a down-to-earth collection of meaningful poems about life, love, grief and inspiration, with a dash of humor and weirdness thrown in just for fun.

Of course, I think the best way to decide if you want to buy a book or not is to sample it, so feel free to check out this FREE SAMPLE from my Facebook fan page, containing four full-length poems from “Not Afraid to Be Real”!

A warning for those who want to be published writers

Currently I am reading a book entitled Bird by Bird – Some Instructions on Writing and Life, written by Anne Lamott. This book is considered a classic as far as books about writing go, and now I can see why. It is full of truth, wisdom and encouragement for novice or even experienced writers. There is one passage in the introduction that really struck me, one that I think any beginning writer should be told -

“…I tell my students that the odds of their getting published and of it bringing them financial security, peace of mind, and even joy are probably not that great. Ruin, hysteria, bad skin, unsightly tics, ugly financial problems, maybe; but probably not peace of mind. I tell them that I think they ought to write anyway. But I try to make sure they understand that writing, and even getting good at it, and having books and stories and articles published, will not open the doors that most of them hope for. It will not make them well. It will not give them the feeling that the world has finally validated their parking tickets, that they have in fact finally arrived. My writer friends, and they are legion, do not go around beaming with quiet feelings of contentment. Most of them go around with haunted, abused, surprised looks on their faces, like lab dogs on whom very personal deodorant sprays have been tested.”

Honestly, I’m not sure truer words have ever been spoken about the writing life. Don’t get me wrong, I love to write, I would never quit…but sometimes the actual business of writing and publishing can make you as miserable as it makes you happy. Bad reviews, marketing failures, endless editing, lonely book signings (where you feel ignored), low sales…all of these things can bring a writer down quicker than you might imagine. Plus, for 99% of us (or more), it seems to be a struggle to pay any of our bills with what we make writing, let alone live a comfy lifestyle.

So why continue to do it? Why not throw in the towel and quit or just write for yourself? I can’t answer for every writer, but for me it is because…

A) I love to read & write

and

B) I really want to share that passion and my own creativity with others.

Next to those reasons, all the small stuff doesn’t seem quite as important. At least not to me.