Jan Notzon's Blog, page 27

October 27, 2017

Title

I recently finished a rewrite of my first novel "The Dogs...Barking" and it is now in the publication process.
I'm in the fourth edition of my fourth novel (which I hope to complete on the fourth of some month!). As usual, the title I wished to give it, "A Voice in the Wilderness," is already taken. It is set in Appalachia and concerns a relationship threatened by a crisis of faith and the resultant conflict it creates. A lullaby sung by one of them figures prominently.
I've been toying with other titles, and I would appreciate any feedback as to which would pique your interest:

"To Get You To Sing"
"A Mountain Canticle"
"Fissure of Faith"
"Song of the Forsaken"
"To Teach You To Sing"
"Sing for the Forsaken!"
"A Cry From The Wilderness"
"In Praise of Doubt"
"Hymn Of The Forsaken"

I would appreciate any and all feedback.
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Published on October 27, 2017 11:39

October 19, 2017

Hurricane Harvey

It was quite a surprise how people deal with hardship. I'm quite astounded at how people keep their faith in the face of so much trial and tribulation. It seems to give them a strength I truly envy. And I find myself embarrassed at my own complaints with the tragedy and destruction I saw down there.
Samaritan's Purse truly does astonishing work with disaster victims. The faith and generosity of the people who volunteer is nothing short of awe-inspiring. I wish all victims could benefit from their gifts of help and caring.
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Published on October 19, 2017 15:03

October 15, 2017

Hurricane Relief

Boy, Samaritan's Purse doesn't fool around when it comes to helping people recover from disasters. I go home to my brother's (who happens to live in Victoria, Texas where I'm helping) absolutely dead. Knocking out walls, spraying and brushing, digging at bits of drywall that has to come out, cutting trees and stacking wood, cleaning, emptying, etc, etc,
It's been quite an experience and I have all kinds of souvenirs as in scratches, scrapes, neck cricks, blisters, and wonderful people I've met from all over the country (so far from the plain states eastward. Very friendly and kind--such a giving group.
Is it that people who are naturally loving and optimistic tend to become religious, or is there something in some religions (obviously not all) that makes people that way?
Interesting question.
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Published on October 15, 2017 12:02

October 7, 2017

Crossing My Fingers

I finally more or less satisfied a quite demanding beta reader. Whew!
One of the complaints about my first novel (and not just from her) was that it was excessively over-written (if there actually is such a thing. As an actor I was taught that there's no such thing as overacting; there's only good acting and bad acting.)
I mean basically that I was trying too hard--same problem I had as an actor--and alienated some readers. Most reviews were favorable, but I think the unfavorable ones told me much more concerning the steps I needed to take to improve.
I've re-written it and this particular beta-reader said it was infinitely better, except for the prologue: "Too many adjectives!" Fair enough. That's a tendency of mine. I too much love playing with words. I need to remind myself (or have someone like her to remind me) that I'm not writing for myself. (Well, I am. But I do want to be read!)
Anyway, it's absolutely crucial to get these kinds of responses. Looking forward to many more.
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Published on October 07, 2017 13:35

September 23, 2017

The Harder You Work

I remember one successful businessman remarking that it always seems that the harder you work, the luckier you get.
I've found that to be true with writing. I needed two characters to come together and an idea was not forthcoming on how to make it believable. I just kept plugging along writing other parts and voilà, it came to me. (I do hope it will be believable for the reader.)
Then, I had a revelation scene to write with one of those characters and a different character. I thought and thought about how I could make that revelation come about in a believable and, at the same time dramatic, manner. I thought about it as I ate, as I waited to hear Beethoven's 9th symphony in concert here in Charlotte, I went to sleep thinking about it. Ironically, I found a way to make my original scenario work just fine, I believe. (Again, I can only pray it works for the reader.)
At any rate, both instances provided great relief.
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Published on September 23, 2017 15:11

September 14, 2017

"Yesterday's People"

Actually I finished this over a week ago. It's mixed in with the other five books I've read on Appalachia now. It was written by a minister and is a compilation of his observations of the character of the southern highlander.
I found it insightful and it pretty generally squares with the other books I've read on the subject.
I get the feeling from it that there is an inherent assumption that the mountaineer needs to change. While it's certainly true that there is poverty (although there is also affluence) and certain assumptions and habits may be detrimental to their well-being (as who among us has no such habits), if people are happy with their lot in life, then they might very well be way ahead of me!
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Published on September 14, 2017 15:49

September 3, 2017

Patience

This week I had an interesting experience while writing my current novel. I hope to learn the lesson, or to take it to heart, more fully in the future.
On Monday I wrote for about seven hours (that is, I sat at my computer that long), at the end of which I had only written a little over a page. I kept moving around paragraphs, deleting portions that were unnecessary, rewriting, etc, etc.
The happy difference is that this time I didn't panic (which I have an unfortunate tendency to do). The benefit is that at the end of that somewhat grueling day, I came up a new avenue to pursue and the rest of the week went quite swimmingly.
Nobody ever said it was going to be easy, but it's damn fulfilling!
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Published on September 03, 2017 15:39

August 26, 2017

Adaptations

I'm currently adapting a play I wrote into a novel. I started with what takes place before the play starts. Of course, all story-telling is challenging (at least it is for me!). But I thought the parts taken from the play would be easy to adapt; I thought they would flow more readily than the other parts.
Interestingly, I'm finding this not to be the case. In a play, one depends on the actors to supply subtext, emotional tension, etc. In the novel, what the characters are thinking and feeling must, to some degree, be related to the reader. (Of course, one must be judicious in determining just how much to include and how much to let the reader intuit hi/herself. After adapting just half of the initial scene of the play, I found myself exhausted! The amount of concentration it required was quite a challenge. But, it keeps life interesting.
I suppose that dialogue comes easy to me because I was, in another life, an actor. But I realized that I often think in dialogue. If I'm trying to decide some issue, I tend to have a dialogue in my mind.
I imagine some would call that strange. And to them I say, "Guilty as charged!"
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Published on August 26, 2017 14:42

August 20, 2017

Busy

Haven't posted in a while; been busy writing and researching (and, ugh, marketing, but I'm learning a bit about how to use social media, bit by agonizing bit). The Id Paradox is now available on kindle and paperback will be soon.
Here's a tease:
After disastrous experiences in law and education, Jacob Kazmareck tries to disappear into a job picking melons on a farm in Texas.

An estranged friend tracks him down, however, with news that their bosom buddy is not dead but rotting in a Mexican prison. The stage is set for his rescue.

Jake, Connors McClain and Artie Cavazos’s friendship was forged during an almost fatal canoe trip in which only Artie’s genius for survival kept them alive. That brush with death unleashed a primitive beast in Jake that has never stopped plaguing him.

The rescue attempt is successful, but Artie’s experiences in captivity have effectively destroyed his spirit. Jake and Connors now reconciled, they enlist the help of psychiatrist Judith Neuwirth to try to piece together Artie’s shattered self.

In the process, Jake is again confronted with the beast in himself. Will he learn to accommodate it, or will it destroy him? Is it an essential part of us, or must it be fought to the death?
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Published on August 20, 2017 15:36

July 9, 2017

Engineered Society

I just finished Jo Walton's "The Just City". For those of you versed in classical philosophy, I would love to hear your reactions to it.
I think Ms. Walton does a heroic job of making the issues involved in trying to "engineer" a society quite accessible to the average reader (that being myself).
My own particular bias is that such efforts always end in tyranny (e.g. The Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, Communist China, North Korea, Cuba and present day Venezuela, et. al.).
The author has inspired me to become more conversant with the subject (I've tried reading Aristotle (Nicomachaean Ethics) and Plato). Perhaps I will go back and give it some more effort. Thanks, Ms. Walton!
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Published on July 09, 2017 13:45