Carlene Havel's Blog: Carlene, page 14

Hero or Villain?

Writing is something I enjoy. I like developing characters, describing scenes, crafting stories. The most fun of all? A thoroughly nasty villain. I can't say why--maybe it's something I don't want to know. Could be similar to debates over whether a pizza should be topped with anchovies, pepperoni, or nothing but pizza sauce and cheese. Everybody has an unshakable opinion. I'm not saying I like the bad guys, just like writing about them. 'Cuz I know somewhere in the stories I write, this guy is gonna be taken down.

Individuality

How do you treat money? I'm talking about temporary storage, not use. This subject comes to mind because of two women I knew who had quite different approaches to this issue. Both had wallets; however, one never used hers for money. Coins and bills alike were dropped into the great yawning maw of her oversized handbag. When it came time to pay for lunch, she would have to go on a mini-treasure hunt. All kinds of unusual things would emerge from the depths--paper clips, lipstick, a Swiss army knife--eventually including wadded-up currency. She would finger press bills and put them in stacks by denomination. When there was enough money on the table to cover lunch and a generous tip, the remaining detritus would be scooped over the table's edge and back into the purse. If a napkin or plastic fork went along, oh well. Another friend ironed her paper currency. No kidding. Then it was arranged by denomination--largest in the back, graduating to ones in the front--in the appropriate place in her wallet, of course. Needless to say, each bill was right-side up and all faced the same direction. I don't have to tell you what their closets looked like. Nor is it any mystery which one could go to the movies on the spur of the moment and which had to have at least a day's notice (preferably more)to plan an outing. Both were interesting people, engaging conversationalists. It's all part of life's rich pageant of diversity.

ePublishing

The phenomenon of epublishing has broken down so many barriers. Once upon a time, an author had to work very hard to obtain an agent, because none of the big prestigious publishing houses dealt directly with writers. The unsolicited manuscript submitted by an author was destined for deletion or the trash can, whichever was suitable for the method of submission. The agent and a host of editors and assistants all had to approve a work for it to move forward in the long, drawn-out publishing process. It was much safer to reject a manscript than to take the risk of approving it. Now, small independent publishers have sprung up everywhere, and they welcome direct submissions. The down side is that some junk is offered to the reading public. In my opinion, that's a small price to pay for the gems that now get published, when even ten years ago they would have had zero chance. It's a great time to be an author!

Co-Author

Despite my love for telling stories, I dislike research. In school, history and social studies were my most dreaded subjects. Please! If we must bring up 1492 again, couldn’t it be in an algebraic equation? Here’s my problem: I’m totally hooked on the Bible, every book, every, chapter, every verse. I feel compelled to write about some of those wonderful characters. Solution: link up with a writing partner. How’s this for a miracle? My best friend for a couple of decades is a history buff who writes exceptionally well. Sharon loves nothing better than surrounding herself with a bunch of thick, musty books about any given period of history. She can rhapsodize about Roman eating habits, knows when various weapons came into use, and what kind of houses were constructed when and where. Challenge her, and she will whip out authoritative references to back her up. She even knows when to turn me loose and say “use your imagination because nobody knows”. We had some passionate debates writing “Daughter of the King”, but in the end we were both satisfied with the result. It’s the story of Princess Michal who lived centuries ago—Sharon could tell you the dates. Prism Book Group is releasing our co-authored novel this autumn. I hope everyone enjoys the story about a high-born woman who dared to fall in love. Oh yes, and all those interesting details about her food, clothing, and jewelry.

Suspension of Reality

Here's the whole text of my blog from http://www.prismbookgroup.com on August 30th. It was followed by a wonderful interactive chat with readers. Check the website to see all of the comments
Suspension of reality…a willingness to believe. A three-legged dog walks into a wild west saloon. Putting his six-shooter on the bar, he says… Can you laugh at this kind of joke? Or do you miss the punch line because your mind is still grappling with the idea of a dog striding into a bar, packing heat? Most of us choose to bypass our mental reality check and be amused by what the dog says.

All story-telling depends to some degree on the amazing human ability to ignore the improbable aspects of a book, movie, or play while immersed in an alternative reality. I can cry over a “person” in a book, even though she’s physically nothing more than a string of letters arranged into words, created by an author in a fuzzy pink robe tapping on a keyboard. It seems there is an unspoken agreement between author and reader (or viewer) that defines what is realistic. This “contract” is probably unique to different people and in each work of fiction. While more obvious in fantasy, sci-fi, or time travel, suspended reality always lurks, setting boundaries for characters, action, and dialogue. Any violation of those mental parameters can bring the framework of suspended belief crashing down. Then, the offending scene, page, or book lies rejected in the ruins.

I recently saw this in a book review: “There was plenty of intrigue, but I had a hard time suspending disbelief because there seemed to be too many coincidences and improbable connections.” A different book, different reviewer: I love the more dated words she substitutes into her dialogue. It gives a sense of life to her historical characters.”

Suspension of disbelief is as fragile as it is essential. Since it’s a triumph of feeling over logic, something as small as a poorly chosen word can break the mood of long ago and far away.

Sharon Faucheux and I co-authored “Daughter of the King” which is set in Biblical times. We knew from the outset Princess Michal could not have a cell phone, a dishwasher, or a skirt with a zipper. Sharon did the historical research, digging into reference materials to authenticate everything from modes of transportation, clothes, and food to the kind of flowers that bloomed in ancient Israel. As the book took shape, we occasionally split hairs over wording. One passage included a reference to a bedspread, and Sharon went berserk. “They wouldn’t have used that word,” she insisted.

“Of course not,” I agreed. “They didn’t speak English.”

Never try to be clever with someone who has a black belt in sarcastic one-liners. We finally settled on “blanket” and “coverlet”. While neither of those words was in use 3000 years ago, Sharon’s right--they fit more comfortably into the mood of antiquity.

For a final observation on suspension of disbelief, I’ll quote that noted philosopher, the Queen of Hearts:

“I can’t believe that,” said Alice.
“Can’t you,” said the Queen in a pitying tone. “Try again; draw a long breath and shut your eyes.”
Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said; “one can’t believe impossible things.”
“I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
(Lewis Carroll, “Through the Looking Glass”)

The Queen would be royally amused when the three-legged dog says, “I’m looking for the man that shot my paw.” Would you?

It Pays to Advertise

Why market the book you wrote? Shouldn’t a well written work with an intricately developed plot stand on its own merits? Maybe it should, but the reality is it won’t. Suppose you needed to find one specific person in New York who wants to give you a nice gift. No name? No address? I don’t know about you, but I’m not making any travel arrangements, because I wouldn’t know where to start looking for my gift. Amazon claims to have eight million books in their inventory, plus one million ebooks. That’s roughly equal to the population of New York City. A person would have carpal tunnel syndrome long before accidentally locating any book that’s not already a best seller. Smaller numbers, but same predictable morass inhabits the library or a bookstore. If the reader doesn’t have my book in mind going in, chances are slim it will be in his/her hand upon departure. It is nothing short of a miracle when someone finds my little needle in the Amazon haystack. As authors, let us thank God for miracles--and advertise!

Suspension of Disbelief

A three-legged dog walks into a wild west saloon. Putting his six-shooter on the bar, he says... Go here http://prismbookgroup.com/blog/ to read the rest of the story. Suspension of Disbelief is the discussion topic today on Prism Book Group. So what does that have to do with the dog in the bar? Check it out on the Prism web site!

Exciting Book

What can make a book special? Lots of things for me. Good research skillfully woven into historical fiction, detailed biography, words that transport me from where I am into the story the book tells. Websites that sell books seem to operate on the premise they know what I like - they're always offering up recommendations for my reading pleasure. Generally, their selections do appeal to me. But now and then I step over the line to read something completely different from my list of "already read" books. Big Horn Storm is one such book. It's an adventure romance set in the Big Horn Mountains. I knew I was hooked when I had to read past midnight one night. Today I have my ereader at the ready so I don't waste a minute of free time not reading. A couple of times I've had to put the book away because I was so tensed up by the reality of the adventure. Had to stop and remind myself - it's fiction! It's imaginary! Calm down! Don't you love it when an author grabs you that way? Good show, Kim McMahill!

Free Short Stories

"Lightning Strikes" and "After the Storm", two free short stories, are a gift to readers of Christian romance from Prism Book Group. One distinctive feature of these stories: each chapter is written by a different author. My segment of After the Storm will be added today. You can start reading here: http://prismbookgroup.com/blog/?p=22 at the beginning of "After the Storm". The prequel "Lightning Strikes" is also a free download on the prism site. You can read either one or both in any order. The round robin approach is fun. Each author puts his/her stamp on the story, and the next writer has to take it from there. Just when the hero is most lovable, the author in front of you throws a monkey wrench into the story and you have write your guy out of the mess - another case of art imitating life. Check it out. And enjoy, gentle reader!

Here But Gone

For most people, we know the essential boundaries of their lives. Born on this date, died on that one. With my dad, this doesn't work. I know when he was born, but it's hard to say exactly when he left us. His departure has been a process more than a moment. His body is still present and functioning fairly well, but his mind is mostly gone. Sometimes he knows who I am. More often he does not. On a good day, he can converse lucidly about his childhood. He can sound so convincing when he mentions being visited this morning by his own father, a man who died decades ago. Some information he simply cannot process. For example, he believes himself to be much younger than he actually is. I like to think he has retreated mentally to a happier time--when he was vigorous, my mother was beautiful, and he could do things he enjoyed. Now instead of building things--his passion--he sleeps most of the time. Rest peacefully, Daddy.