R.J. Crayton's Blog, page 4

Summer fun

Summer is in full swing, particularly the heat. Here in the D.C. metro area, it’s been sweltering lately, another sign we are in the throes of summer.

Even though I’m working steadily, I have been able to enjoy a few breaks for the typical summer things. I spent a week at the beach in June, enjoying relaxation in the sun. It’s a nice trip because my in-laws are there, as well, and they entertain the children (the ones who amazingly are never bored in the presence of extended family; if I didn’t know any better, I would think I inspired boredom).

I’ve also gotten a chance to see some movies. Really enjoyed Yesterday, Toy Story 4, Spiderman: Far From Home, and Shaft. I saw a couple of the other big blockbusters but didn’t enjoy them, so they’ll remain nameless.

I’m also getting a little reading done. Finishing Michelle Obama’s Becoming and going to start a book my daughter bought, but she’s going to lend me: The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind (Gotta give the author points for title creativity).

We’ve still got half the summer left, and I’ve got a little travel coming up (boo to flying, but I should get to see John Legend perform, so yay to that!).

How is your summer coming along? Anything exciting happening?

Is it better to tell a story or create a story?

Since I’ve returned to doing more journalism, it got me thinking more about the difference between what journalists do and what fiction writers do.

While there is a lot of overlap, and sometimes both are considered telling stories, there’s really a difference. The journalist usually tells someone else’s story, whereas the fiction writer is creating a story.

The joy of journalism is that you get to talk to so many different people about a wide variety of subjects. You can learn about things that you never thought you would, and, depending on your beat, you get an inside view of an industry that you wouldn’t be exposed to. Yet, when all is said and done, a good journalist never really gets to tell their own story. You’re always listening to people to find out what the story is. Even if you think you know what the story is when you start, you could listen to what your source is telling you and find out you had no clue what the story was. But now that you listened you know.

That can be a pitfall in journalism–believing you know the story ahead of time. Believing it so much that you ignore what is being said to you and craft a story with people who support your notion, even if they are not a true representation of what is going on.

And presuming you have a deadline, you often don’t have the ability to improve your sources. They are who they are and they said what they said. While it would be nice if they said super scintillating things, many time that isn’t the case. You’re stuck with their words, their story, which you can try to frame a little more excitedly, but it’s still their story.

Yet, on the other side of that is creating a story. Yes, you’re telling it, but you’re the driving force. You don’t have to take the words the sources are telling you and be stuck with them. You can craft fantastic quotes, willing your characters to say the most amazing, witty, comebacks, or pithy retorts. Or your characters could be kind to a fault. Or mean as vipers. And it is all up to you.

Sure, there are some constraints. Your world has to make sense internally. Even if people can do magic, the world you created must follow rules, just like there are rules that the real world follows. But, the canvas is as wide as you want it and the color choices limited only by your imagination and ability to incorporate them. If you write the quote and it’s not spicy enough, you are not stuck with it. You can make it better, improve it so it touches just the right note. It can be a zinger or sensitive support. Whatever you need is what it can be, and there is freedom in that.

I am fortunate to be able to both tell stories and create them. While they are each different, they each bring a joy that I’m glad to have experienced. I’m particularly glad to get to learn about so many new subjects from those who are experts in their fields. The pleasure with having that knowledge is when you get to sprinkle it into worlds you create. It is, in fact, the best of both worlds. I think real stories from real people are wonderful, as are made up stories, so I’m not sure that one is better than the other. I do think, each serves a purpose and can be better in the moment. Sometimes we need to escape, when other times we need to empathize and understand what is happening in our world.

What about you, dear reader? Do you have a preference for reading true stories or fiction?

 

What Brings You Joy?

With the flare-up in popularity of decluttering guru Marie Kondo, there has been a lot of talk recently about joy in one’s life.

For those unfamiliar with Kondo, she has been popular ever since her 2011 book on decluttering thrust her into the spotlight. Her popularity spiked recently as she was introduced to a new audience through her Netflix special where she helps families clean up their lives (literally AND figuratively). Her central philosophy about keeping an object is whether or not it sparks joy in you. If it doesn’t spark joy, you thank it for its service and toss it.

Simple enough philosophy, though not entirely practical (the IRS will not, during an audit, accept “it didn’t bring me joy” as a substitute for a receipt). And while there are some impractical elements to this, the basic reasoning behind it is a good foundation for many endeavors. It, of course, got me to thinking about joy in my own life.

What really sparks joy in my life?

The answers are pretty simple. The things that bring me joy are a good joke, time with friends and family, time with my kids when they’re being pleasant and engaged, a good book, a good movie, or a thing checked off my To Do list. Yes, I love making To Do lists and checking things off. It brings me joy to accomplish things on my list, even if the actual thing done was not enjoyable.

Sometimes, not having to do stuff brings me joy. And that’s not the same as doing nothing. Not having to do something is a freedom that we rarely have. Often, we have to go to work, or go to the grocery store, or take the kids to a soccer game or take a kid to the orthodontist. It’s nice to look at a day and say, there is nothing that I have to do. It’s all wide open for things I want to do.

As I look back on my list, there are very few things that actually spark joy. Perhaps the actual book or the actual DVD of the film. But, very few physical items. And this is probably the greatest part of Kondo’s mantra: things in our lives rarely spark joy. Therefore it should be easy to toss away the clutter and get down to the meaningful things that will bring you joy.

So, how about you folks; what sparks joy for you?

I’m Baaack!

I feel like I’m just crawling out of a nice warm hidey hole.

WOWSA! And no, I don’t mean the world open water swimming association (yes, that’s a real thing!) Wowsa, as in it’s been way too long since I’ve written a blog post. Almost seven months, in fact.

As such, I just wanted to say howdy and let you know that I’ll be posting to the blog more regularly — a short post every couple of weeks.

Today, I’m just getting back in the swing of things. So, saying hello. I’ve been distractingly busy the last few months as my work life got in the way of my writing life. Now, I plan to carve out a few minutes regularly to reach out, as well as to write.

Book Festival

In addition to writing, I’ll be appearing, too. I’ll make my annual stop at the College Park Book Festival next Saturday, March 23. It’s a fun, local event, so anyone who is around should definitely stop by. It’s from 1:30 to 4:30 pm at the College Park Community Center, 5051 Pierce Ave. You can find more details here. They have some children’s story times for kids, lots of authors hocking books, and freebies from various organizations (candy, pens, etc.). Definitely stop by if your local.

A silly quiz

If you’re in the mood, feel free to take my silly quiz. They’re questions that won’t change the world, but whose answers might amuse me. I won’t be doing a quiz regularly here on the blog, but it is something I’m doing as part of my monthly newsletter. Since I just got back into the swing of things with the newsletter, I thought I’d mention it here in case anyone wanted to subscribe.

Also, and as I look at the little frog there, I realize it’s St. Patrick’s Day, so happy day to all those who celebrate. As one of my former teachers used to say in the lead up to St. Patty’s, “There are two kinds of people in this world: those who are Irish and those who wish they were Irish.”  However, I discovered he was wrong, as someone recently told me, “On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is Irish.” That’s certainly a nicer way to think of it.

 

Added Book Club Questions for Scented

Bonjour!

I hope everyone is doing well. I’ve been quite busy and haven’t been able to update the blog. However, I did want to write a quick note to let you know that I added book club questions for the novel Scented. If you’re interested in reading it for a book club, there are some great discussion questions available now.

Here’s the direct link: http://rjcrayton.com/books/scented/book-club-questions

My Secret Life as a Cover Hoarder

I’ve never really thought of myself as a hoarder, but as I look through my files, I feel like maybe I am. What am I hoarding? Story ideas, for sure.  Most authors have more ideas than they actually write.

About a year ago, maybe even two years now, I’d seen several popular authors mention that they start on the covers before the books are even finished, commissioning high-quality covers before they’re even done writing. They said it helped them with the writing process. I found that interesting but didn’t really do much with it, except file it in the back of my mind.

At least that’s what I thought I did with it, but something about that stuck. And I have been commissioning my covers long before the book is finished.  Recently, I’ve gotten a couple that have made me go, “Wow.” And part of me is dying to share, but the other part of me is saying, “Nah,  it’s best to just wait until it’s closer to release date.” (Or at least until I have a workable first draft.)

Now, I’m not sitting on dozens of covers. I don’t have the expense or the idea bank for that, but I did realize I’ve got four covers in my files for books that aren’t released yet, and I’m about to commission one more (also for a book that’s nowhere near done).

The good news is, having these covers is actually inspiring in the writing process. The bad news is, it’s no fun to have something you want to share, but can’t. And perhaps can’t is too strong a term. I’m an Indie. I can share whatever I want (technically), but I don’t think it’s a good idea. I’d like to firm things up before I go sharing. I am super excited about my next release, What He Deserves, especially after seeing the cover, which I adore.

So, speaking of things that have folks excited. What’s going on that’s got you excited right now?

Every Story Needs a W’Kabi’s Horn

Like so many people, I saw the movie Black Panther and loved it.

One of my favorite parts of the movie was the use of W’Kabi’s horn. W’Kabi is the character played by Daniel Kaluuye, and anyone who’s seen the movie understands how awesome this character’s horn turned out to be. I thought I’d take a moment to talk about this cool storytelling device and why every story needs one.

But before we get into that, let’s talk give the warning. If you haven’t seen Black Panther yet, and don’t want spoilers, turn away. As Black Panther is currently approaching the billion-dollar sales mark worldwide, I’m hoping there are fewer and fewer people who haven’t seen it.

Now, to W’Kabi’s horn. For those of you haven’t seen the film but don’t mind spoilers, I’ll go over what makes the horn so great as a storytelling device. Essentially, the horn is a great device because it gives such great payoff that the story watcher (or reader) didn’t know they needed or wanted.

In the movie, the horn is actually not really seen in any real way until we see it in the climax battle. However, we are given clues as to what it does, but clues that are so minimal, you don’t put it together until you see the horn in use. In the early part of the film, King T’Challa  (aka the Black Panther) visits his friend/ally W’Kabi at what appears to be his workplace. He’s some type of farmer and happens to be keeping rhinoceroses. W’Kabi feeds a rhino as he and T’Challa have an important conversation about finding the villain Klaue. The audience knows Klaue is an issue, and while a rhino as a pet seems unusual, they are in Africa, in an untouched paradise, so why not. We don’t think anything of it. It wasn’t the focus of the scene.

A ram’s horn. (Source: Wiki Commons, uploaded by Olve Utne)

But then, when the battle at the end takes place, W’Kabi now fighting against his king, the tide seems to be turning in T’Challa’s favor. Suddenly, W’Kabi climbs a large boulder and blows on a ram’s horn. T’Challa screams out “Nooooooo” as if the world is ending.  The director waits just long enough for the audience to go, “I don’t get it. So what if he blew a horn.” And then the ground starts to shake, and there is rumbling, and then you see a cavalcade of armored rhinos heading toward the battle, all at W’Kabi’s command. Called to battle by that horn. And it’s just awesome. It’s unexpected but oh-so fulfilling. It’s the moment you didn’t know you needed, but can’t imagine not having now that you’ve seen it.

Every story needs a moment like that. Something that’s had an unnoticeable build. Small things that seemed inconsequential, but in looking back, are so important to understanding this cool scene.

Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther is actually quite good at this. Even in one of the earliest scenes in the film, the viewer thinks he knows the significance of what is happening, but later in the film Coogler takes us back to that scene to reveal elements that he hadn’t earlier. Part of the reason the film has enjoyed critical and commercial success is it just excels at storytelling.

But getting back to that horn, I think our favorite stories all have that horn. That element that, when you look back on it and say, wow that’s awesome when that seemingly small thing turns up and turns out to be very important. JK Rowling’s Harry Potter is filled with such moments. That old tiara Harry moves in the room of requirement.  Or the locket no one can open when they’re cleaning 12 Grimmauld Place.  And when you see them for what they are, finally, it so enriches the story and makes you fall in love with the tale that much more.

Book Emergencies & Other Oddities in My Family

Hanging out under the tree in the children’s section as my daughter deals with her “book emergency.”

So, the other night, we apparently, according to my daughter, faced a “book emergency.” Never had one, say you? Well, it seems I’ve had them occasionally but hadn’t chalked it up as an emergency (silly me!)

It appears that if you finish a book and would like to read the next book in that series, but don’t have it, it is a book emergency. (Yes, who knew? Certainly not I.)  To quell this emergency, after dinner, I drove her to the library to get the book she “needed.”  The branch that was open didn’t have book 3 in the series, so I put that on hold, and discovered that the ebook version of book 3 was available.

Me: you could read it on your Kindle.

Her: I like regular books to read at school

Sigh. Fine. I’ll head back to the library to get this book when it comes in. Hopefully, it won’t be an emergency trip.

And in other odd news, on my mailing list, I offered readers a chance to get added to a special list that gives them first crack at advanced review copies. They had to fill out this form and provide a link to a review they’d written. Well, I was going through the form responses and saw my mother had responded. And I just started laughing. I love my mom, and I guess it’s nice that she reads my emails and gets excited and fills out the form. But, umm, mom, I’ll give you any book you ask for, at any stage of its inception. Just pick up the phone and call me, or text me, or holler my name, like you did when I was a kid.

Anyway, what an interesting week. And February has just begun. I can’t wait to see what’s in store next.

Here’s to a Great New Year!

It’s 2018, already.

2017 was really a crappy year for me, so I’m glad to have that one in the books. New Year’s Eve with the kids is always fun, as they’re not staying up until midnight, and at bedtime, I get to say to them, “See ya next year!”

Now that the year is here, I’m planning to make this a year of joy, one where I try to find joy in all things. I plan to read more, write more and travel more. So, here’s to making those things happen.

What’s on tap for you in the new year?

When Do You Know You’re Hooked?

Happy Thursday the 12th to you.

I’m in good spirits this week because my favorite TV shows are finally back on. I’m a huge fan of CWs The Flash and Arrow and they just started back this week (as opposed to two weeks ago, when most networks started).

My daughter decided to binge watch Arrow on Netflix in anticipation of its return, and I told her to give it through episode 3, because I remember being uncertain about whether I’d continue with the series until episode 3. It was at that point that I said, yep, this one is a keeper. Interestingly, as I watched episode 3 with her, I realized that is the first time Felicity Smoak appears (hmmm). She is such an integral part of the show now, that I hadn’t realized she wasn’t in the first couple of episodes.

For the TV show This is Us, which premiered last year, I fell in love on episode 1, and at the “twist” at the end of the episode, I knew. I just knew. It’s such a good, heartfelt, show that it had that quality immediately for me.

Switching over to books, some I’ve loved from the first pages (The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe when I was child; Room or Maze Runner more recently), while others I had to slog through until a switch hit, and I was all in. Don’t hate me, but I really didn’t like the first Harry Potter book. I read it after it was quite popular through books and film, thought, meh, and didn’t give it a whole lot of thought. But as I constantly saw stuff about them, I thought, I have to be missing something. So, around book seven’s release, I decided I would read the entire series. I was deep inside the Chamber of Secrets, reading the section that explained the Tom Marvolo Riddle anagram, when I said to myself, “Oh, I kinda get it.”  And for a while, book 3 was my favorite, because it was the first time I relly looked forward going in, and was truly delighted. And now the rest is history. While I love the series, the first books are still my least favorite.

While the hook for me can happen later, I have to see something intersting at the outset to stick with a show or a book long enough for the hook to grab me and reel me in. And when I’m hooked, that means, I just totally want more. I am in love with the story and am waiting for the next episode (or page). I think the things that hook me most are just a compulsion to know more about these people, about who they are and what’s going to happen to them. For me, that means the characters have to be likable (yes, I need likable protagonists, generally; I have made a couple of exceptions) and compelling. But, I don’t know what magic formula makes it work. Of course, everyone is different. Some people hate stuff everyone loves and vice versa.

How long do you give a book to hook you? What about a TV series? What makes you decide to go back if you were on the fence? Is it easy to point out or more nebulous in your own mind?