Read A Good Short Story

Today, I'm featuring a writer, who is also my friend. Or is she my friend, who is also a writer? Either way, Lenore Skomal is a person I admire. She is a member of my online critique group (writersandcritters).

Earlier this week, a story of Lenore's was published at Fiction365. I hope you will read "Mother Dance" and take a look around this website for fiction writers afterward. They publish a new story every day of the year. I think Lenore's story will rank in the top ten of this year.

I say that because the story is filled with emotion, which is something I've talked about on this blog more than once. The author wrote from her heart, and the emotion comes through in a big way. As you read, notice that she doesn't tell the emotional parts. Instead, she shows the reader the emotion of what is happening. It's what all writers strive for but not everyone is able to achieve it. The other day, I asked you what a good book is. I can honestly say that "Mother Dance" is a good short story.

As you read, note the numbers at the bottom of the page. Click to turn to the next page. Note the submission guideline box on the right-hand side of the website. This is a paying market. Read a few more of the stories at Fiction365 to get a feel for what they like and then consider submitting to them.

My friend, Lenore, is an accomplished writer with 16 books to her credit. She is a columnist for the Erie Times News in Erie, PA where she lives with her husband. She was a professor of journalism.. Her daily blog, Gut Check, is listed in blogs I read on the right side of this blog page.

She's also one of the warmest, funniest, people I know as well as being a talented writer. And guess what? She loves shoes. Good writers are real people.

Your Librarian Is Not Extinct

A friend posted the sign above on her facebook page this week. She is, in fact, an ex-librarian, so I'm sure she was delighted when she found it. 

Cute but also quite true. Think back to the days when your school or local public library was your main resource. The technical world has changed that dramatically. Think of all the resources we now have to find information via the internet. Search engines, the wikipedia site (which comes with mixed reviews)), content sites and more have horned in on the librarians' territory. Even so, the librarian has not become extinct. 

Before the techie age, we asked the librarian for help in finding information. I don't ever remember one of these patient people saying "I don't know."  Most of the time they did know where to look, and on the slim chance that they didn't, they soon found out. Yes, it is their job to help patrons, but most of them like being able to help others.

Even with all the technological advances, we still have libraries who still employ librarians. Their job is not quite the same as it was a hundred years ago. The tiny file drawers in the card catalog are gone. There was no Technology Room or computer stations in the childrens reading room in 1912. You didn't have a section for DVDs or music CDs or large print books. There was no such thing as inter-library loans. Most tasks were done by hand in the library of a century ago. 

We still need librarians to help us in finding information and using the equipment to find it. I like having a smiling face to turn to in my library when I am not sure where to look for something. 

Your librarian is not extinct. She/he is a twenty-first century personal search engine who serves patrons with a touch of human warmth that google will never be able to match. 

Maybe we should consider thanking our local librarians. It's easy to take a service for granted. We all like to be shown a bit of appreciation now and then. So,next time you go to your library, stop and say thanks. 

A New Market--Do You Have A Good Dog Story?

Kathleene S. Baker is a writer who is also passionate about dogs. She is the co-creator of a new anthology on canines.. Kathleene's call for submissions is below. She has written many stories about her pets and other people's animals as well. Visit her website, appropriately called The Yellow Rose, since she lives in Texas, although she is Kansas born and bred. As with all possible markets, read the guidelines carefully. It's a great book cover. Wouldn't you like to be part of this new book?

Call For Dog Stories

   Nancy, thank you for the opportunity to introduce your followers to a new anthology series!  I believe the following information will answer most all questions.  I encourage everyone to be part of something new and fresh...so dig through your files, or write something new, and submit, submit, submit. 

Publishing Syndicate invites you to submit your non-fiction stories to a new ground-breaking anthology--Not Your Mother’s Book (NYMB). Currently, there are 30+ subtitles needing stories.  Stories are coming in rapidly so please get yours in as quickly as possible.  Subtitles are being added frequently; there is something for everyone!

I am co/creator, with Ken McKowen, for the book on dogs and would love to read some of your work.  It appears the dog, cat, and horse books may be some of the first to be published.  Submissions are coming in like wildfire...and we want yours.  Also, please share this information with your writer groups, etc.  Spread the word...we appreciate you doing so.

What makes this series different is that stories will be fresh, fun, upbeat and even edgy. No sad or death/dying stories in the NYMB series!

Payment: Royalties for one year and one copy of the book (or the option of 10 copies of the book, no royalty). And contributors can buy additional books at 50-percent off of the cover price.

Subtitle list and submission guidelines: www.PublishingSyndicate.co

So, What's A Good Book?

A facebook friend posted the poster/quote above. I read it and smiled, and then I read it a couple more times. I could not help but think that Elizabeth Barrett Browning was a wise woman. She lived in a time when books were higher on the list of things to occupy our leisure time than they are today. Simply because we have far too many other things calling to us--television, movies, DVDs, ipads, computers, and more. But she knew the love of God and the joy of a good book.

Can you make a list of your ten favorite books you've read in your lifetime? You obviously consider each one a good book. If not, you'd never have included it on your list. A writer friend, and faithful reader of this blog, posed a question on facebook recently. She asked what was a favorite book read in 2011. I could not list just one as I found several that came to mind when thinking back over my list of books read last year. 

Note that Ms Browning says good books. I fear there are more books that don't qualify for that category than we can count. Then again, what may be a good book to one person might classify as fodder for a trash can to someone else. I'd like to think that she meant books that are well-written, engage the reader, and are hard to put down. I hope she meant books that linger in our memory for a very long time. 

A good book might be one that warms your heart. Or it could be one that makes you cry or even laugh until you cry. A good book should bring emotion of some kind tothe reader. 

A good book is one that you want to read again someday. I consider a book good if I hate to see the end but want it to continue on. A good book can be one that makes you grow in some way--whether it's knowledge or perception. A good book is satisfying.

In summary, a good book is:

1. well-written

2. engaging

3. hold your interest

4.  one that brings out emotions

5. memorable

6. one that helps you grow as a person

7. satisgying

What good books would you recommend to our readers? 

Words To Live By

The quote above is just another variation of If you're going to do it, do it right. As writers, we put a lot of time and effort into writing a story, essay, article, poem or a novel. Some have even said we do it with blood, sweat and tears. 

By sending our work to an editor in hopes it will someday be published, we take a big chance.  If our words are seen in print by myriad readers, we've put our soul on display. We're telling the world to listen to our words. This is who I am. If you write dark, negative pieces, readers will get a glimpse of your outlook on life. If you're always upbeat in your writing, chances are that's the personality you have. 

But it doesn't matter. There's a place in the world for both kinds of writers. There's a place for writers who choose one genre over another. Whether it is science fiction, horror, paranormal, romance, mystery, religious or humor doesn't amtter a twit. You should write whatever makes you comfortable. You should write about things that you know and understand. 

The one thing that does matter is that you do it well. Be a good one as the quote above tells us. Strive for excellence. If you do a half-hearted job in your writing, it will be very apparent to the world. You might even get it by an editor and see your work in print, but readers figure out pretty fast that it is not your very best work. 

More than once, I've read reviews that flatly declare that the book was not up to the writer's usual standards. If I were the writer who had been criticized, I think I'd squirm a bit (after I ranted for a few minutes in anger) but then I hope I'd ask myself if I'd done the best job on that book that I could. 

This is reminding me of something my mother often told me when I was growing up. She'd show me how to do some household task, then she'd leave me to try ti with a warning --"Do it right, or you'll have to do it over again." I heard it often enough that it's stayed with me through these many decades til now. 

Strive for excellence. Whatever you are, be a good one. Methinks they are good words to live by in our writing world and the rest of our lives, too.

Writing Prompt #5

This is the final writing prompt in the week-long series. We've looked at a picture to spur writing ideas, worked on characterization, written  about a situation and worked with colors. Today, the exercise involves verbs. 

We're going to look at action verbs. Forget those passive ones like is, was, and are. We know that active verbs create more interest and visual images. 

Look at the list of action verbs below and freewrite a paragraph or two for each one. What comes to mind for each one? Maybe something from your past will pop up. Or perhaps a limerick or poem. Maybe you'll start a story or essay with ideas spurred by the verbs in the list.  Do one each day or several--your choice. You can use present tense or past.

Action Verbs

1.  ski

2.  vault

3.  embrace

4.  slam

5.  shoot

6.  pray

7.  write

8,  cook

9.  run

10.  hit    

Writing Prompt #4

Color is a part of our life that we sometimes take for granted. I'm old enough to remember the days when movies were done in black and white except for the musical extravaganzas which made them so very appealing. 

My friend, Annette Gendler has used a color exercise on her blog a number of times. She uses one color per month, but today, I'm going to give you a list of colors. For each one, list as many words as you can that indicate the color. Writers need to be wary of repetition. Why keep telling the reader something is blue when there are many other ways to convey that message? 

I'll add a couple of words for the first couple colors. See how many more you can add and then on to the other colors. Do them all in one fell swoop, or save the list and do one color per day.  Keep your list and add to it. Then use some of those many descriptive words in your writing.

COLORS:

1  Yellow

       sunny

       golden

2.  Pink

        blush

        rose

3.  Black

4.  Brown

6.  White

7.  Green

8.  Blue

9.  Orange

10.  Purple