Gregory S. Lamb's Blog, page 18
August 17, 2012
Second Installment for “Celebrating Community”
My definition of community includes the act of acknowledging our differences and embracing our similarities. As one, we are stronger than the sum of every individual. Oh, and if we were all the same, life would be pretty bland; colorless, tasteless, and without human energy and spirit.
The Indie Exchange: #FlashFiveFriday – Rules and Prompts
The Indie Exchange: #FlashFiveFriday – Rules and Prompts.
It’s that time again. Today’s prompt: Graveyard
My 5 minutes of writing resulted in the following:
“I don’t want to go in there. Cemeteries creep me out,” said Michael
“It’s a graveyard, not a cemetery. Come on. It’s just a short-cut and you’ll see it might even be interesting.”
Heather led hear boyfriend through the iron gate of the graveyard adjacent to the ancient village church. The worn gravel pathway wound along a low moss covered stone fence toward another iron gate similar to the one they’d both just passed through. Heather stopped about half way down the path and turned to Michael.
“Take a look at this,” she said pointing to a pair of modern looking headstones. “There is always a story in places like this.”
Reluctantly Michael looked over and noticed what grabbed her interest. There was a pair of small headstones cut from polished granite. On one of them was the inscription:
“Jonathan Marcus Jacobs”
Loving Father
16 June 1972 – 30 March 1996
Beside the first one was an identical headstone with the engraving:
“Alexander Scott Jacobs”
3 February 1991 – 30 March 1996
There was a small collection of rusting “matchbox” cars lined up on the small strip of cement below the headstone.
“Whatever it is, I’m not sure I like this story,” said Michael.
“Probably a car accident. So sad,” said Heather as she turned and slipped her arm around Michael’s waste. “Let’s get out of here.”
In the evening Michael was sitting at the kitchen table with his laptop. “Listen to this,” he said to Heather with a tone suggesting he had a point to prove.
Michael read from the obit he found on line. “Jonathan M. Jacobs was found dead of a self inflicted gunshot wound at his residence in Godmanchester, Huntingdon Cambridgeshire. It is presumed the single parent took his own life shortly after learning that his only son succumbed to leukemia earlier that morning.”
“Did it say if he left a note?” asked Heather.
“No. Would it matter?”
“No, I guess not. I wish you hadn’t looked that stuff up,” she said.
“I wish you hadn’t insisted on a detour through the graveyard.”
August 15, 2012
The Next Big Thing: “The Young Cypriots: A Generation of Hope”
By Gregory S. Lamb on August 15th, 2012
Thank you David M. Brown for tagging me on The Next Big Thing last week!
The Next Big Thing: Week 8
What is the working title of your book?
The Young Cypriots: A Generation of Hope
Where did the idea come from for the book?
The theme from my first novel, The People In Between: A Cyprus Odyssey, dealt with the consequences of unfinished conflicts that took place in Cyprus in the previous century. That story ended on a note of hope, but without a clear picture of a future for the Cypriot people.
This past summer, I attended a round table forum along with a group of teens visiting from Cyprus. Dr. Birol Yeşilada and Dr. Harry Anastasiou, from Portland State University, facilitated the forum. Birol is a Turkish Cypriot and Harry is a Greek Cypriot. Both of them are best friends. During the forum, they shared their experiences from their youthful days on Cyprus during the turbulent past.
Birol described the suffering of Cypriots in a generational context, suggesting that the people in his parents’ generation represented the generation of violence. He referred to those that suffered the loss and endured the turmoil of becoming refugees as the generation of pain. Then he went on to define this next group of Cypriots as the youth who grew up in a country divided. Both professors turned to the Cypriot teens and identified them as members of the generation of hope for the future of their country.
Throughout the forum, my mind was in high gear and by the time it was over, I knew I had to write a sequel to The People In Between: A Cyprus Odyssey. One of my previous blog entries dated 21 July 2012 covers additional details regarding this forum.
What genre does your book fall under?
Historical Fiction
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
This is a difficult question. I want this story to be told through the voices of the young Cypriots. There has been a Cypriot youth program in place since 2008, so the ages of the main group of actors would have to range from 17 – 22 years old. Ariel Winter and Sarah Hyland from Modern Family might be good candidates, as would Shia LaBoeuf and Josh Hutcherson.
Of course the youth will need the guidance of adults and George Clooney is the perfect age and versatile enough, that he could easily pass as a Cypriot. One of my dear Cypriot friends is a professional educator and an elegant woman of a slightly older age group. Hers is definitely a role that needs to be played by Helen Mirren.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Young Cypriots come of age and take charge of their failed government and transform their nation into a model exporter of peace.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I’m hooked on “indie” and want to play an active part in busting the old paradigms of traditional publishing. My first novel was self-published and it was a learning experience that I’m more prepared to capitalize on this time around.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
To be honest, I don’t have a draft for this one yet. Along with the gist of the story, I have the framework and the character roles put together. I also have a preliminary set of human-interest stories I’ve garnered from my work with Cypriot youth here in the United States.
My first novel took 18 months to complete an initial draft. Most of that time was spent on research and historical mapping of characters and events. It took another 6 months to complete the editing and publishing process. I’ve learned that writing historical fiction is very hard work. This story will involve a lot more interviewing and observation. I’ve already planned another trip to Cyprus to complete this project.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I’m so leery of comparisons given the talents of the authors that I like to read. I liked the structure of The People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks more than anything I’ve read in the past year. I liked the story arcs from Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese, so maybe some hybrid cross of those stories…we’ll just have to see.
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I wasn’t planning to write anything more related to Cyprus until I digested the importance of a common question coming from the first readers of “The People In Between: A Cyprus Odyssey.” I was asked what is happening to the Cypriots today and what do you think the future of their country holds? In short, readers wanted to know what was going to happen next.
Additionally, I was pleased to discover that many readers of my début novel said they became choked up while reading it. Some said it made them cry. I’ll admit that it made me very happy to hear the story had the ability to touch some hearts. Now I’m motivated to capitalize on that momentum and finish what I started.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Cyprus is a country rich in history, both ancient and modern. It has been at a crossroads of cultural evolution since the beginning of recorded history. It is also a wonderful place to enjoy a holiday for those with an itch to travel. Both The People In Between: A Cyprus Odyssey, and The Young Cypriots: A Generation of Hope, contain rich place descriptions but not so heavy that they come across as a travel log.
Next Big Thing:
Tag you’re it!
Phantom Author #1
Phantom Author #2
Rules
***Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress) ***
Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them. It’s that simple.
Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing
What is the working title of your book?
Where did the idea come from for the book?
What genre does your book fall under?
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
August 14, 2012
Celebrating Community
One of my blogger colleagues put forth a suggestion to celebrate community this week as the season of Ramadan comes to a close. In support of this wonderful suggestion, the following is the first installment of four that I will be posting between now and Sunday:
My favorite recipe – Sourdough Bread
Sourdough is pretty simple and straight forward. You can see for yourself by taking a look below. The magic isn’t in the simplicity though. The magic is in the “sourdough starter.”
Sourdough bread:
1 cup of Sourdough Starter
1.5 cups 110F water
1/3 cup dry non-fat milk powder
1 cup of Flour
1 Tsp Sugar
Mix together and let ferment 24-48 hours until bubbly. Then add Flour and 2.5 tsp salt and turn out/kneed let rise before baking.
I was given some sourdough starter by an older widower who lives in an intentional community called Trillium Hollow up in the West Hills of Portland, Oregon. At Trillium Hollow, everyone shares almost everything. When I was visiting awhile back, this topic of Sourdough came up. The idea that a sourdough starter like the one I use to bake bread could have it’s origins dating back more than a hundred years having been passed from the environs of an Eastern European kitchen and eventually landing in Portland sparked my imagination.
It wasn’t until I was preparing my first batch with it that it occurred to me that it was possible to make a mistake with the recipe, which I did when activating the starter for the first time. I tried to fix it and believe I was successful. However, I’m also sure that I may have altered the character of that 100 plus year old starter. That is when I considered the possibility that before I received my starter from the older woman that it may have been altered while passing through the hands of others over the course of it’s life.
I think sourdough can hold it’s own against the most elaborate dishes as a communal recipe.
August 10, 2012
#FlashFiveFriday: #1 – Success
#FlashFiveFriday: #1 – Success.
I just discovered Flash Five Friday and my 5 minutes of writing came to me as a piece of fiction and brief dialog. Here it is:
“OK, OK, my turn. Here’s my question for you,” said Roger. “How would you define success?”
Billy Banyon’s definition for success was simple. “Living life on my own terms,” he said to Roger, his best and oldest friend.
“I’ve heard that before but I’m not sure I know what that means,” said Roger.
“I’m not sure either. I got it from a movie. Titanic I think. Anyway, what did you mean by asking such a weird question?” Billy shot back.
The conversation wasn’t exactly typical for a couple of twelve year old boys spending the night in the tree fort Billy’s dad helped the boys build in the Banyon’s back yard.
Eavesdropping on a youthful conversation can be insightful!
August 8, 2012
The Next Big Thing: Ansel’s Remorse
The Next Big Thing: Ansel’s Remorse.
Next week is my turn to post and answer the same questions as my fellow “indie” author, David Brown did this week.
August 6, 2012
Book Reviews
To support other “indie” authors, I’ve been reading their work and posting reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and Smashwords. My thought is, “what goes around comes around.”
So far I have tried to be fair and positive. I usually say something about what I liked in the novel and I try to be gentle with the feedback that a reasonable author would accept as constructive criticism. On one occasion, I even posted a rationale for not being able to finish the novel I was reading.
Recently I received my first and only scathing doozy of a comment from a review I posted to Amazon. The book I reviewed was very short and sold for .99$ on Kindle. It had a great description and several 5 Star reviews. When I was finished reading it, I felt I owed the reading audience and more importantly the “indie” publishing community some honesty and objectivity. The rating and the description didn’t add up to the story I’d finished reading.
I gave the book 1 Star and tried to say something good about it. The author’s comment about my review was a defensive stab that must have made him feel better. Clearly he didn’t know that a weak review is almost as valuable as a strong one.
I still don’t know what to make of it, but I’m not letting it interfere with my desire to support the “indie” writing community with objective reviews.
The Next Big Thing
This past month I spent most of my attention on marketing my first novel. As a distraction, I’ve been participating in several on-line forums for “indie” authors/publishers. There is a lot of advice out there and I’ve discovered that some authors have done an amazing job with their blogs and websites.
I’ve also noticed that authors who have the most positive reviews also have more than one book on the market. In fact this seems to be a common theme in the blog-osphere.
As a result of these findings, my next order of business is to get going on my “next big thing.” I also think I’ll need to modify my Website and the header for this blog so that I can include the other novels I hope to have published this year.
July 21, 2012
Will there be a sequel? A Generation of Hope?
I’ve been asked if there will be a sequel to the novel, “The People In Between: A Cyprus Odyssey.” The answer wasn’t clear to me until recently. Last week a group of teens from the Cyprus Friendship Program (CFP) met at Portland State University with Turkish and Greek Cypriot professors who guided a lively conversation among the teens.
There were 7 pairs of teens from Cyprus, each including a Greek speaking and Turkish speaking Cypriot. These 14 high school aged students were selected from over 150 candidates of which 30 pairs all together came to the United States this summer to further develop their relationships across cultural and political historical borders. The 7 pairs hosted in Portland are staying the entire month of July and are studying sustainable living while they are here.
Harry Anastasiou a Greek Speaking Cypriot from Portland State University’s “Peace and Conflict Resolution” Department said, “There is no reason that Cyprus cannot become a country where every vehicle on the island is powered by solar electricity.” He went on to say that in order for Cyprus to move forward with technology investment and sustainable improvement, the country will need to become whole instead of the divided status quo.
Professor Anastasiou’s colleague and best friend, Professor Beril Yeşilada, a Turkish speaking Cypriot referred to these groups of paired teens from the Cyprus Friendship Program as the “Generation of Hope.” He went on to say that this generation of hope could in the future be the exporters of peace in a region of the world that has experienced thousands of years of conflict.
The core of my ideas for a sequel came to me shortly after that discussion last week. Hearing the CFP students articulate their views and experiences related to how they see them selves contributing to an alternative future for Cyprus was nothing less than inspiring!
July 18, 2012
The Whole Shabang! How does it work?
Wow! I’ve published and sold a few books. Cool! Reflecting back, what were the key aspects of the experience of writing, the editing, engaging trusted agents to edit, accepting/rejecting feedback, processing inputs, and finally taking the leap of faith. Here is what I think happened:
1. I had this idea for a story. I loved the setting. I lived in Cyprus and embraced the history of the people and the trials they endured.
2. I wrote. I took an adventure into the past and created characters to help me tell a story about a place, its people and its future. I brought what I thought was passion into the telling of this story and relived the experiences I had with the people of Cyprus.
3. I took some advice from some successful authors that I admire and I wrote…the way I thought they would have and the way that I knew I could.
4. I discovered that my writing and my imagination didn’t match patterns of good grammer and continuity of tense. I learned to respect the talent of the authors I admire even more.
5. I took a break…but not long enough. The story wasn’t ready. I had trusted agents tell me what I should do and I was impatient.
6. I accepted feedback. Sometimes it was painful but I respected the honesty of it and attempted to adjust what I thought the story needed to be to reach a broad audience and still convey the messages I thought were important.
7. I must have read what I’d written entirely too many times as I incorporated the suggested edits of my trusted agents. I probably even mixed up versions of the edited copies and will someday discover that the “real” final version was not the one that I published.
8. I remained impatient and wanted to move on. I wanted to move forward in a way that I wanted the setting for this story to find a foothold to move forward from. I had and still have hope that a reading audience will be able to look past the shortcomings of a freshman “Indie” author and grasp the core of what is possible for a better future.
9. I learned that once you actually publish what you labor over as an “Indie” author, that there is nobody but you to promote the fruits of that labor.
10. Finally, I learned that what one writes and publishes is like a son or daughter. We can only hope that we raised them right.
Happy reading!
