Betty Adams's Blog, page 146

What Makes You Smile

This is a momma and a baby Marmot. They are pretty cute and smile worthy. :) 
#WhatMakesYouSmile is doing the rounds on the internet and in dark times it can be something nice to dwell on. Someone told me that they gifted "Dying Embers" to a young family member and that made this author smile. Then there are the usual suspects: Puppies, kittens, baby alpacas, and watching someone get pushed into a pool. 
So what makes you smile? 

Make the 80s Christmassy

For anyone who was born in (or lived through) that most peculiar decade that saw the fall of the Berlin Wall and some of the most outlandish fashion of the century now is an interesting time to live. The nostalgia goggles of the mainstream media are solidly focused on those years as exemplified by the now trending #MakeThe80sChristmassy. Now (hopefully) most of the folks who lived through it are glad too see the big hair gone and endure or enjoy the seemingly perennial resurgence of one cartoon or the other. Perhaps the best way to make the 80's christmassy is to give a nice 80's book?
One classic work that came out of that madness was of course "There's a Light in the Attic" by Shel Silverstien. 
This is one flight of wit and whimsy that left many a child convinced that black pepper was a hair product and fantastical creatures lived under every rock. 

Imagine If There Was

Today's, or rather this hour's, "trending hashtag" happened to catch this author's eye. To be perfectly honest this author was looking for something to write a blog about and #ImagineIfThereWas was actually a perfectly acceptable topic. 
From the context of the posts from the whimsical wishes for a beer and cheese holiday to the serious social yearning for improvements in life expectancy. The idea seems to be to take a wish or an idea and postulate it happening. 
Of course this is what authors do every day for a living. It is nice to have some company in our madness for a day (or hour).

Let Sleeping Rough Drafts Lie

Outside the windows of one Pacific Northwest home (actually all of the at the moment of writing this) the wind is lashing the trees in  a wild dance and the rain is coming down in buckets. In short it is perfect weather! Perfect that is for editing. Nature had forbidden any effort out of doors and a warm cup of tea tempts an author from the counter. 
However patience is advised. When the last chapter of a work is finally wrapped up it is often tempting to start editing immediately.  However many authors find that it is best to put some head space between the wild rush of creation and the meticulus dissection of editing. Drawing artists have a similar system where they wait to judge their pictures until twenty-four hours have passed not looking at it. This author certainly finds that the editing process goes more smoothly when there is sufficient lag time.
It is speculated that this is caused by the image that the creator has in mind when the story is still fresh. An author knows what the finished product should look like and that is what the author sees whether or not that is reflected in reality just yet.   Giving it some time allows the ideal memory to fade a bit and makes it easier for the author to gauge the end result on  its own merits. 

Deadlines Looming

Yes, it's kind of like that. 
Today will be devoted to getting that commission done. Type, typity, type, type. 

Beauty is Found in the Smallest of Places

Perfecting Your Voice in Writing

An interesting perspective on written tone.
 
My fifteen year old little brother was just beginning to express himself on a popular social media site on adult issues. He had moved a step beyond liking the adorable puppy photos our uncle posted and was joining in long political discussions with his peers. I was quite frankly very proud of his debut. He had an engaging style, precise grammar, and a factual knowledge of the issues that most adults couldn’t boast of. However he knew this as well and it showed in his tone. Mom decided to approach him with some constructive criticism.
Mom:  “You have been making some great posts on the site lately! I am very proud of you.”
Me:*Dutifully minding my own business like a good big sister.*
Little Brother squints at Mom:  “… but….?”
Mom: “But your posts are a bit too arrogant for constructive debate Sweetie.”
Little Brother frowns: “What do you mean? I never call people names, or say that their ideas are just stupid, even when their facts are just wrong.”
Mom: “Well Sweetie, it’s like this. The words you are using are fine but your tone is –“
Little Brother tilts his head in confusion: “But my tone is fine. I never use all caps!”
Me:  *Breaks into gales of laughter *
Mom: *Glares at me while trying not to laugh*
 
Sweet “Sense and Sensibility” what kind of authors will the next generation be? 

Bugs and Time

Sometimes when a bug gets an author down it can be a boon to writing. It can free up wide swathes of time that would otherwise be unavailable for the author to work. However sometimes it just sucks the creativity out of  the author like some predatory creature or the parasites that is causing it. 

Fare Thee Well NaNoWriMo Until Next Year

For those who are not in the know November has for some reason been dubbed National Novel Writing Month. This was shortened to NaNoWriMo and is a pretty big thing. The goal is to write 50,000 words in the course of a month. That usually works out to somewhere between 1600 and 2000 words a day. There are support groups nationally and locally. All in all this author finds it a very useful support system, especially when one needs inspiration to just knuckle down and write.
Even if an author does not finish the 50,000 it often gets the creative juices flowing and can lead to surprising twists.

 An author sits in the cab of a truck that has seen more years than most human have by the time their children are in grade school. The afternoon sun slants through the trees and lights the surrounding fields with a warm golden glow. A half grown cow tosses its shaggy black head and lowes, sending a fog of glittering breath into the November air. The author's fingers flicker over the keyboard of a laptop in fits and starts as the muse shivers in the cold air. 
"Rev it up Sam!" The shout comes from the bulky youth standing next to a man in an oxygen mask beside a yellow barn. 
The author sets the laptop to the side of the spacious cab and settles firmly into the drivers seat. A hand reaches out the window to smack the door repeatedly.  A brief flurry of hand signals is exchanged with the youth. The powerful engine roars to life and the trailer backs smoothly up to the barn door.
"Laryngitis," the youth explains to the confused farmer as they start to load the hay. "But I can't back a trailer so we both had to come anyway."

​True story!

Anne of Green Gables-A Childhood Classic to Revisit as an Adult

As the google doodle so helpfully reminds the casual internet surfer, today is the anniversary of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Birthday. For those English speaking readers who never were a small girl and don't know she was the author of "Anne of Green Gables" (That is Anne with and 'e' thank you very much.) It is the story of an orphan girl who grown up under the stern care of and old maid and her brother on Prince Edward Island as the nineteenth century wound to a close. The story (and its seven sequels) has been loved by children for over a century now. It is rare indeed to meet a girl who did not at some level connect with little Anne, whether they met her in one of the many, many reprints of the books or one of the many film versions. For this author the works of Montgomery were a major influence in both story telling style and voice. 

Remember it is Cyber Monday! A perfect day for book buying. Head on over and check out the deals on "Dying Embers"