Tracy Shawn's Blog

How to Write for Readers

Please Note: This piece was first published in Women Writers, Women’s Books on May 4, 2025 When we writers create with readers in mind, we can craft our stories into more vivid, engaging, and, well…readable works. Why? Because writing for readers keeps us more engaged in the process, increases awareness of how our writing will resonate with […]

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The Grace of Crows, Second Edition: A Novel that Sheds Light on Anxiety

Note: First Published by 24-7PressRelease on April 3, 2024   After reconnecting with a childhood friend, who has since become homeless, an anxiety-ridden woman learns how to face her darkest fears. The Grace of Crows, Second Edition is a novel that illustrates the struggle through anxiety and the capacity to heal. LOS ANGELES, CA, April […]

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Accepting my Wrinkles: And, Yes, You May Call Me a Crone!

by Tracy Shawn   Fear and malice of the older woman has a long and ugly history. In fact, the origin of the word hag, which has often been used as an insult describing an older woman, originates from the old English word for witch. And the image of the old crone in fairy tales […]

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Inspiration for the Discouraged Writer

Please Note: This piece was first published in booksbywomen.org on April 22, 2022 by Tracy Shawn under the Title: Writing Through Depression, Pushing Past Doubt: Inspiration for Discouraged Writers No matter our profession, no matter our situation, a great many of us are dealing with depression. In fact, current research shows that the elevated rate […]

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Tracy Shawn Interviews her Protagonist Paloma Leary from Newest Novel, Floating Underwater

Please note: This piece was first published in booksbywomen.org under the title “Authors Interviewing Characters by Tracy Shawn” on October 3, 2021 Character Interview with Paloma Leary from Novel Floating Underwater by Tracy Shawn Author Tracy Shawn Interviews Paloma Leary: Protagonist from Floating Underwater         Tracy Shawn: Paloma, you’ve experienced visions your entire life, […]

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Book Club Discussion and Reader Questions for Floating Underwater

  by Tracy Shawn Below are ten book club/reader questions that are included in my new novel, Floating Underwater. Please know there are no spoilers, so potential readers may check them out before reading the novel! Paloma feels she is a “hostage of her own mind” while experiencing a vision. Do you think you’d feel […]

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Why I Wrote Floating Underwater

  by Tracy Shawn What Inspired Me The idea for my second novel, Floating Underwater, came to me from personal history, past work experience (when I was younger, I interned at a psychiatric center), and to a much greater extent, sheer imagination. I knew I wanted to write about a woman named Paloma who was […]

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Finding Your Writing Muse: Interview with the Wise and Witty Gabriel Lucatero

 

Photo of Author Gabriel Lucatero

 

Tapping Into the Writing Muse

 

Tracy Shawn: I can see that you’ve definitely tapped into your writing muse! You’re a prolific author, as well as a very eclectic one, having published books under the genres of gothic fiction, ghost fiction, erotica, and psychological fiction. What is your favorite genre to read? And to write? Why?

 

Gabriel Lucatero: I often say that gothic fiction is my favorite genre. It combines all those elements (or sub-genres) I like to read most of the time: ghost fiction, erotica, and psychological fiction all in one. I’m afraid I can’t give you a good answer as to ‘why’ I do it. The closest thing to a response would be that these are the kind of stories I grew up reading, watching, and hearing. In other words, it was love at first sight.

 

The Crazy Creativity of Writers

 

Tracy Shawn: Under your “Deep in Thought” section on your website you wrote: “The life of a writer is complicated. We are the kind of people who found a way to walk on the edge of sanity.” I can relate! Please explain to fellow writers—and readers—what you mean by this.

 

Gabriel Lucatero: It means we’re crazy. Not everyone, of course. Only fiction writers. But it is a good kind of crazy, a creative kind. It allows us to take multiple stories and scenarios from the people around us and create our own stories. But here is the kicker: we have to remember they’re just stories. That’s what I mean when I say we walk on the edge of sanity. If we start thinking of fictional characters as real people, well, I guess that’d do for another good story about a writer who can’t see the difference.

How to Increase and Maintain Productivity 

 

Tracy Shawn: You work full time, write novels, short stories, book reviews, and blog posts, as well as producing your own podcast and YouTube channel. How do you do it? And…what’s your advice on how to increase—and maintain—productivity?

 

Gabriel Lucatero: I wish I had more time, to be honest. I work with what I have and always look for opportunities rather than limitations. It also comes down to priorities and planning. I like to take a sort of pessimistic outlook and tell myself that I’m going to die soon so I’d better use every minute of my time wisely. For example, I’m working on a new book right now. That’s the main plan. I am always thinking about it and writing a sentence or two at all times, including when I’m at my full-time job, and even at the gym when I’m working out. I also read about a book a month, because, you know, we writers have to do that. As of now, I think of the blog, the podcast, and the YouTube channel as hobbies. I can’t focus 100% on them. But it’s good to have them. One day I’m sure I will do that as a full-time job instead.

 

How Adversity Shapes a Writer

 

Tracy Shawn: How has adversity shaped your writing life?

 

Gabriel Lucatero: I’d like to think that writing saved my life. If you read my memoirs from the start (link here), you’ll see what I mean.

 

Entertaining Readers

 

Tracy Shawn: Lastly, what would you like your readers to feel or say after reading one of your works?

 

Gabe Lucatero: Entertaining others is the ultimate goal. People feel all sort of emotions while reading my stuff, or when they hear me talk. A good friend of mine said it best, “You’re full of surprises. I can’t never know what you’re going to say until you say it.” This is good, I think. Because it frees me from trying to please everyone.

~~~

Bio for Gabe Lucatero: Gabriel Lucatero is a self-published writer who is, like everyone else, looking for his very own American Dream. He has a passion for stories and loves to share with his readers his experiences as he continues fulfilling his destiny, looking to become a full-time writer. Gabriel Lucatero – Writer & Editor 

 

Bio for Tracy Shawn: Tracy Shawn lives and writes on the Central Coast of California with her husband, two mischievous cats, and loyal pit bull. Her debut novel, The Grace of Crows, won several indie book awards. Tracy Shawn’s short stories have appeared in Literary Brushstrokes, Psychology Tomorrow Magazine, and Steel House Review Literary Journal. She’s written numerous articles for print and online publications, and is excited to announce that her second novel will be released in summer of 2021.

 

 

 

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Are Deathbed Visions Real?

 

 

The Meaning of End-of-Life Visions

 

by

Tracy Shawn, M.A.

Ancestors by Tracy Shawn

 

Hospice workers across the world note that deathbed visions are a common occurrence. Loved ones and friends are often in awe when the dying share that they’re being visited by long-lost relatives, religious figures, and even beloved pets, who have long since passed. Scientists theorize that these visions could be the brain’s own self-induced opiate to ease the fear and pain of dying. Perhaps various meds, as well, may produce these seemingly hallucinatory states.

Research on Deathbed Visions

However, many people—including a number of hospice workers—believe that these visions are real. An article titled “What Do We Know About Deathbed Visions?” by Stephen Wagner for Liveabout.com, notes one of the first scientific studies of this phenomena was by Sir William Barrett, a Professor of Physics at the Royal College of Science in Dublin during the 1920s. Barrett came up with some fascinating results. One of the most perplexing was that many of these visions involved people who the dying person thought were still alive—yet (as it was later discovered) had actually passed on.

Later studies also corroborate that sometimes the dying person did not know that their “visitors” were already dead. The question, then, is why would the dying brain only create visions of people who had already died—whether the person knew they were dead or not?

Wagner also talks about how these spirit visitors are sometimes seen not just by the dying, but also by relatives and friends who are gathered around the patient. A case documented in the Journal of the Society for Psychic Research notes that a dying woman—and her three relatives—all saw the same apparition.

When researching this further, I came across a blog piece from a hospice site  (crossroadshospice.com) that matter-of-factly states: “These visions are not hallucinations or a reaction to medication.” In my own personal experience, the hospice caretakers who so tenderly helped care for my mom in her last days were also very clear that it wasn’t at all unusual for her to be visited by relatives who had passed on. These very same caretakers also explained that these spirits come to help the dying pass over to the other side, as well as help them let go of their present life.

How End-of-Life Visions Help the Dying—and the Living

Although my mother experienced horrible side effects from her pain medicine, including severe hallucinations in the months leading up to her death, there was an otherworldly moment that I’ll never forget. About four days before she died, she turned her gaze toward the top of her bookshelf. I wondered if she might be looking at an old photo of her glamorous self—but even at that time I noticed that it seemed so much poignant than that. A sense of peace enveloped the whole room, and her eyes widened with utter wonderment as a beatific smile crossed her lips—the very same description that I’ve since read over and over again about what dying patients look like when they are seeing long lost relatives and friends. Of course, I don’t know whether this was a truly spectral experience—or my own grieving brain hoping that my mother found some peace toward the end, and, wishing as well, that we’d somehow see each other again.

Final Thoughts

Perhaps we will never know for sure whether end of life visions are real or not—that is until we ourselves pass from this life. Regardless, researchers and caretakers alike agree that these visions provide a sense of peace, bringing healing and comfort to both the dying and the living.

Tracy Shawn lives and writes on the Central Coast of California with her husband, two mischievous cats, and loyal pit bull. Her debut novel, The Grace of Crows, won several indie book awards. Tracy Shawn’s short stories have appeared in Literary Brushstrokes, Psychology Tomorrow Magazine, and Steel House Review Literary Journal. She’s written numerous articles for print and online publications, and is excited to announce that her second novel will be released in summer of 2021.

 

 

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Why I’m Not Sorry for Still Saying “Im Sorry!” (And Why You Shouldn’t be Either)

 

by

Tracy Shawn, M.A.

 

 

 

 

A dear friend (whom I’ll call Nancy) recently had to delay two of our agreed-upon meeting times, which, then, had to be ultimately canceled. She had good reason: she was in the middle of a move and was tending to all the last-minute packing, appointments, and phone calls that can leave anyone overwhelmed and distracted. Still, there were no apologies. Nancy, I have to say, is a whip-smart go-getter, a forthright person whom I greatly admire. I told myself that she deserved a pass since she had so much on her plate—yet I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard Nancy apologize.

 

I’m guessing that Nancy, along with many others, who strive to be assertive, may have too readily taken up the advice that saying “I’m sorry” can often be construed as unnecessary, too self-deprecating, and weak. And I agree—but not across the board—nor across personalities.

 

For instance, you don’t need to say you’re sorry if someone else’s cart at the market bangs into yours, especially if that knee-jerk response undermines your confidence. It’s perfectly reasonable to simply smile and move on. Yet I often apologize when things like that happen. It’s my way of smoothing things over in case the other person is in such a foul mood that just one more stressor is going to throw them overboard. For me, I don’t feel as if saying sorry for simple mishaps—no matter whose “fault” it is—lowers my confidence, yet for someone else it may. So, it’s important to check in with yourself to see if those unnecessary apologies make you feel better or worse about yourself—and then act accordingly.

 

On the other side of unnecessary apologies, you may want to take a look about how it affects other people’s perceptions of you. Yes, we all know that we shouldn’t worry what others think of us—yet, again, this is another blanket statement that doesn’t always hold true. For instance, if you apologize too much in the work place (or even amongst your friends and family), other people may not take you or your ideas as seriously. As an example, you may have gotten into the habit of saying something like: “I’m sorry, but I’d like to interject…” (which may make you think as if you appear more accommodating, yet undermines other’s confidence in you), instead of simply stating: “I’d like to add…” when you’re in a group situation.

 

Being aware when the urge to utter an unnecessary apology is stemming from simple politeness or whether it’s a self-sabotaging habit that needs to be curtailed can help you decide your “I’m sorry” quota. You may still want to say you’re sorry, then, for something that others could consider annoying, such as eating too loudly at a meeting, but you don’t need to apologize for your own needs. So, instead of saying, “I’m sorry, but may I have an extra day to finish this assignment?” could be phrased instead as: “May I please have an extra day to finish this assignment as I need more time to research.”

 

Then, finally, we get to the necessary apologies. What are those? Apologies are necessary when whatever we’ve said or have done affects someone else in a negative way. It’s those times when we forgot a friend’s birthday, spat out something hurtful and mean in a fight, broke a promise to a loved one, and, yes, screwed up another person’s schedule by having to delay and/or cancel a meeting time—the list goes on.

 

The real apology involves expressing both responsibility and regret, and at times, a request for forgiveness. Therefore, it’s not something like: “I’m sorry if what I said made you upset.” It’s more like: “I was being insensitive. I’m sorry and I feel badly about it. I hope you can forgive me.” Real apologies, then, show others that you value your relationship with them, as well as respect them enough to acknowledge their feelings and worth. In turn, real apologies do not diminish self-esteem nor make one less assertive; rather, they can increase self-worth by helping one maintain healthy relationships with others. So, please, no matter how “fashionable” it’s become to not say sorry, don’t let good, old-fashioned manners fly out the window. For your sake and others, it’s still more than okay to apologize—especially when it’s necessary!

 

Author and speaker Tracy Shawn lives on the Central Coast of California. Her debut novel, The Grace of Crows (Cherokee McGhee, 2013), won awards for Indie fiction, including the 2013 Jack Eadon Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama and Second Place for General Fiction from Reader Views. She’s written numerous articles for print and online publications and has had three short stories published in literary journals. Ms. Shawn is currently revising her second novel. You can visit her website at: www.tracyshawn.com and follow her on Twitter at @TracyShawn