"MAMA SAID THERE'D BE DAYS LIKE THIS."

"Bad moods become bad days, which become bad weeks, which become bad months and years.  Before you know it you're living an unhappy life and you probably think this is normal."  Brenda Anderson

I was looking for a quote about grouchiness when I found this dismal and depressing statement by Brenda Anderson.  My curiosity was piqued and so I did some research to find out who this Miss Susie Sunshine was.  Turns out she has a Ph.D. in Psychology and her work involves the biological basis for the effects of exercise and stress on mental health and cognition. Hmmmmmm....at least she is not a counselor.

Anyway...I am in a bad mood.  I freely admit it.  This is not the norm for me...so I notice it.  I think it must be something wrong with the planets, or stars, or whatever weird astrological forces are lurking in the atmosphere.  It seems like everything I set out to do is involved, complicated, or impossible.  Everything I pick up - I drop...everything I reach for - I can't find...you know how it goes.

Things are coming down to the wire for our move...and there are so many little details to take of.  Everything that is done by faxing has to be done at least three times.  Important emails seem to disappear into the black hole of the Internet, and things that I have been trying to get settled all summer (like getting a new wheelchair) just keep getting more complicated. 

So - I suppose I am grumpy for a reason.  Still - it doesn't feel like me.  Even writing this blog is like pulling teeth.  Yes, I know that is a dreadful cliche...but it's the best I can do for now.  No one wants to read my whining...yet, here I am...recording it all for your reading "pleasure!" 

I guess we all go through days like this.  The only thing I know for sure is that my sense of humor is still intact...even though it may be a tad dark and skewed.  I have to keep laughing...or I may turn into Brenda Anderson!  

HOW HOT IS IT?

Most of the country has been suffering through an incredible heat wave lately.  Triple digit temperatures for days and days.  I have never been a huge fan of summer because I do not like the heat.  So I know it's been really hot when I go outside on a 96 degree day and announce, "Well, it's not too bad out here!"  Anyway, I started wondering about the crazy expressions we have that refer to heat.  Of course, there are the obvious ones...hot as hell...hot as fire...hot enough to fry a frog on a lily pad (I'm not too sure if that is a common expression, or one my Dad made up.  He was always doing that to make me laugh.)

So - with a little research, I came up with a list that has some more "original sounding" expressions:

• It is so hot the birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
• It's hotter than a billy goat in a pepper patch.
• It's hotter than two cats fighting in a wool sock.
• It's so hot that I tied my mule in a field of corn, and the corn started popping and the mule thought it was snow and froze to death! (Ok...really lame.)
• It's so hot I saw two trees fighting over a dog.
• It's hotter than a hoot'n poot. (I have no idea what that means!)
• It's so hot that the trees are creeping around looking for shade.
• It's hotter than the devil's underpants.
• It is hot enough to cure tobacco.
• It's so hot that it makes me want to take off my skin and sit in my bones.

Language is amazing.  We are not content with simply saying it is hot...we have to reach inside our imagination and come up with wild and woolly explanations to communicate with one another.  We want to make someone else actually "feel" the heat, just by using our words. 

Or, perhaps there is a little bit of my Dad in all of us.  We want to make each other laugh.  Humor makes everything more bearable - even the hottest of days.

Now...if I could just figure out what "hoot'n poot" means.

WHERE IS YOUR PLACE OF WONDER?

"I shall always be haunted by thoughts of a sundrenched elsewhere."  Isabelle Eberhardt

There are places on this earth that simply make your heart sing.  For some people, it is the beach - the sound of the ocean and the white sand -  can send them to a personal nirvana where they are refreshed and restored.  Not me.  The ocean has never held any attraction for me...too much sand and grit, and I was always afraid of things in the water. 

But - the mountains hold magic for me.  Recently a Facebook friend posted about their trip to Mt. Rainier...and my mind immediatedly returned to my visit there last year...to what I refer to has one of my very best days ever. 

You wouldn't think that a mountain retreat would be ideal for a wheelchair.  It certainly would have been fun to explore the trails and hike, but I have learned to appreciate all that I am able to do, and so my limitations were not a big deal for me.  I was simply overwhelmed by the immense beauty of the place.  It was a deeply spiritual experience for me...and as strange as it seems, I felt like I was "home." 

In that place, my creative mind was alive and teeming with ideas for stories and poems and works of art...and all I could do was breathe the sweet air deeply and immerse myself in the awesome wonder of this place.

I remember sitting on the deck of the lodge drinking a cup of tea.  It was in the low 70's...perfect weather.  I had on a hot pink shirt...and suddenly this little hummingbird hovered about 10 inches from my face for the longest time (that is, for a hummingbird!)  I held my breath. It was a mystical connection like nothing else I could remember experiencing before.  Of course, I guess the reality was that the hummingbird thought he had discovered the world's largest flower!  But, even now, as I think about it, I can feel that "zing" deep inside myself ...that wash of gratitude for being alive in that moment.

As a writer, it helps to nurture those moments in my life.  It helps to seek them out...to take the time to just appreciate the miracles around me, particularly in nature.  And in the richness of those experiences, I remember the way it feels when I tap into the treasure trove of imagination that already exists inside me...it just takes a few seconds with the memory of that hummingbird and once again, I find my creative wings and fly.

IF THE SHOE FITS...

"Creativity often consists of merely turning up what is already there.  Did you know that right and left shoes were thought up only a little more than a century ago?" Bernice Fitz-Gibbon.

This started out to be a blog about creativity...but the above quote stirred my curiousity and away I went on a tangent.  First I wanted to know who Bernice Fitz-Gibbon is.  Or was, actually.  She was an American advertising executive who became a pioneer in the retail industry, and who was inducted into the Advertising Hall of fame in 1982...the year she died.  Typical that a woman would have only been honored after she was dead....sigh...but, I digress.

So, after finding out who she was, then I felt confident that she probably knew what she was talking about when it came to the right/left shoe thing.  I did some research and was amazed how many websites there are that are devoted to the history of shoes!  Since I love shoes,(sneakers, actually)  I can completely understand the fascination.  As late as the 1830's all shoes were made straight - no allowance for right/left - and were in two widths: slim and fat...sometimes called stout -which I find is equally offensive...who wants to be told they have stout feet?  Breaking them in had to be quite an uncomfortable chore. 

By 1841, the U.S. military was using left/right shoes, and by 1851, most shoes could be ordered this way.  Except for ladies shoes, which were still straight as late as 1880.  Again...typical.  Couldn't let the men have feet that hurt. And, dear God, whose idea was it to make high-heels???  That requires research for another day.

I have quite a collection of sneakers...every kind and color...high-tops, mostly.  So I was interested in the history of sneakers...and guess what??? There are sites for that bit of info, too!  In 1908, Converse shoe company was started and produced shoes for professional atheletes...and in 1917, Keds, owned by Goodyear, had the first mass-marketed atheletic shoes.  But, it wasn't until the 1950's that sneakers became the preferred footwear of teenagers and the symbol of rebellion.  Fashion officially sanctioned the sneaker when James Dean was photographed wearing Levi's and white sneakers.  Thank you, James Dean.

Now - all of that had nothing to do with creativity...but maybe it did.  I think I read a quote that said the creative mind is seldom tidy.  Creativity requires curiousity..and sometimes letting your curiousity roam free among the fantastic realms of the internet, you can come up with great ideas.

I bet you look at your shoes a little differently after reading this.  And - I, for one, am grateful that I have a right shoe, and a left shoe...and not one of them is listed as "stout".

EAVESDROPPING IS BETTER THAN PROZAC

"If I didn't try to eavesdrop on every bus ride I take or look for the humor when I go for a walk, I would be depressed all the time."  Lynda Barry

To be a writer - it helps to be a great eavesdropper.  Listening in on other people's conversations can provide you with a wealth of material that slips easily into your work - and you don't have to add a footnote to give credit for stealing the idea, phrase or situation.  It is perfectly legitimate plagiarism. 

I suppose this activity can go hand and hand with people watching...another source of ideas...especially for developing characters.  And - there are always the people and situations from our childhood.  Anne Lamott said that anyone who survived childhood has enough material to write a dozen novels.  True. 

Airports are like gold mines for observing and listening...and it takes your mind off waiting.  I find myself making up stories about the people I see...giving them fictional travel itineraries, and relationship dramas.  Keeps my mind busy - my imagination active - and boredom at bay.  I just have to remember to jot these ideas down so I can use them when I need to jump start my sluggish writing muse.  

So, on these hellishly hot days - take a trip to the mall where it is cool, and have a seat.  Try not be too obvious.  You don't want anyone to think you are a weirdo, so maybe use a book as a prop and keep your sunglasses on.  Who knows what marvelous treasure you may come away with to use in writing fiction.  Plus, it will keep you from sweating...my absolutely least favorite thing to do! 

DID YOU HEAR THAT?

"True silence is the rest of the mind.  It is to the spirit what sleep is to the body; nourishment and refreshment."  William Penn

Yesterday I had the dreaded task of setting up new phone/internet/TV service for the new house.  You know how it goes...blah,blah,blah,PRESS 1...blahblahblah, PRESS 3...blah,blah,blah, PRESS 7. On and on and on until you are absolutely certain that there are no humans left on the planet.  We have been overtaken by Automatons.  AND - when you finally get to speak to a person...they put you on hold, where you have to listen to more automated voices giving you all the information about fabulous offers that you are not interested in.  At least that was my experience yesterday.  The thing is - that when you are on hold - you still have to be listening in case the voice changes to that elusive live person that you have clawed your way through the automated maze to find.  So - while I was waiting/listening on hold, yesterday, Marilyn was asking me questions, and I was checking my email - and suddenly I realized that I was suffering from "input overload."

We are constantly infused with noise...at least, I am.  I cannot chew unless the TV is on...I sleep with a "sound machine"...I feel restless without the continual whirrrrr of the ceiling fan circulating air.  When the electricity went off recently, I sat up straight and wondered, "What was that?"  Oh yes...silence.

My son recently went on a hike up Mt. Hood (I think that was the one) and he said that the thing he noticed when he stopped to rest - after huffing and puffing - was the silence.  The absolute stillness.

There is a reverence in silence.  It cuts us off from the manic activity of our brains and jolts us with a powerful sense of awe.  It also serves as fertile ground for creative thinking.  In the quiet, we can actually hear that inner voice we have all read about.  Ideas pop into your head - answers to question you didn't even realize you were asking. 

I read this little haiku-like poem by Dr. Sun Wolf:

unplug iPod
music stops abruptly
cricket song instead

Nice.  Maybe I will try to sleep tonight without the sound machine.  Who knows what wondrous dreams may find their way into my night.  I think Stephanie Meyers got her idea for the Twilight series from a dream.  Perhaps I can conjure up a dream for the next bestseller.  It's worth a try.

I CAN SEE IT NOW....

"Writers must read and read some more, so that your bloodstream is charged by the alcohol of fiction and you come, at last, to feel and see and believe in the visions that fill your head."  Hallie and Whit Burnett

I have always loved to read.  Always.  This Sunday, I read an article in the paper about Marguerite Henry's novel, Misty of Chincoteague.  Instantly I was catapulted back to my childhood and my dog-eared, beloved copy of that book.  I read it over and over...imagining the wild ponies on that island.  I carried a desire to go and see for myself for many years, until someone told me they had huge mosquitoes big enough to carry you off...so I crossed that adventure off my list.

But - the story had such an impact on me.  I read Henry's other books, too, like Stormy, Justin Morgan Had a Horse, and King of the Wind.  The illustrator, Wesley Dennis, came to my elementary school for an assembly and sold packets of his illustrations on tables in the gym.  I kept that packet on top of the old upright piano in our house forever.  Actually, I guess my parents threw it out when they moved to a new house after I was in college.  The town of Warrenton, where I grew up, was in the middle of horse country...almost everyone either had horses or rode horses.  I even took riding lessons for a while - keeping the visions of Misty in my head.  I soon discovered, however, that horses are really big - and when you fall off, it hurts!  So - that ended my equestrian dreams. 

Henry's books had the ideal effect on the reader.  At least, on THIS reader.  I could see that horse in my mind...I could picture that island...I could smell the sea spray and watch the wild ponies swim...visions so clear and believable.  Her written words created a world I could know - without ever being there. 

That is how I want to write.  That is what I strive for.  It isn't about using big words, or writing long descriptive passages...it is about simply telling a story and making it real.

Oh course, now that I am older, I realize that Marguerite Henry knew it was best to leave out the part about the blood-sucking mosquitoes.  A wise choice. 

PARDON ME, MY ACCENT IS SHOWING!

"Being a Southern person and a blonde...it's not a good combination.  Immediately when people meet you, they think of you as not being smart."  Reese Witherspoon

I must admit that I have been giving this subject a little bit of thought, since I am getting ready to move north...or "up nawth" as I suppose I might say.  My accent is natural...but my blonde hair is not - still the effect is the same.  When Jimmy Carter was elected President, there was an elevated interest in southern speech.  I remember those books that you could find by the cash register of all the Stuckey's, Denny's and Cracker Barrel Restaurants on "How To Speak Southern" and "More How to Speak Southern".  I'm not sure how many volumes of this drival were actually published, but I remember watching people pick them up and laugh - and read them aloud to their companions.  I assume these people were not from the South - because they really weren't that funny.  To me, they should have been entitled, "How to Sound Ignorant."

Accents matter.  I know this.  The late, ( and much missed) Erma Bombeck said, "I will buy any creme, cosmetic, or elixir from a woman with a European accent."  Perhaps she was referring to someone like the Gabor sisters who peddled glamour and beauty with shameless disregard for intelligence.  Now we have Penelope Cruz as the spokeswoman for hair color..or "kol-ler" as she says.

I find that I am lulled into strange fascination when I hear a British accent - perhaps this is what accounts for my obsession with Masterpiece Theater. I am not alone in this - just notice those ads about buying gold coins....or purchasing a Lexus...the spokesperson always has a somewhat snooty English accent.  I guess it is supposed to give the buyer a sense of security in the purchase. 

And - to be fair - it probably wouldn't be as effective if Jeff Foxworthy tried to sell gold. 

Still, I am proud to be from the South (as long as that is not synonomous with being a right-wing wingnut)...and I find the accent musical.  So, I will choose not to worry about it and hope that the people I will meet in Pennsylvania will forgive an occasional "y'all".

BACK TO SCHOOL

"The human mind is like an umbrella.  It functions best when it is open."  Max Gropius

I stumbled upon this little quote today and it resonated inside me like a chinese gong.  Lately, I have been complaining about the fact that the world seems to have become just plain mean.  I don't know when we stopped having good manners...listening to each other with respect, even though we had different opinions.  There is this blanket of nastiness that covers our country - and the sad thing is that we have lost the ability to learn from one another.  No one is listening anymore.  It seems we hide out in a safe place...with a safe group of people who think exactly like we do so that we can feel like we are right and everyone else is wrong.

Cowardly, actually.  And - arrogant.  I am weary of hearing arguments.  No one is convincing anyone to change their minds.  If you listen to one TV station - you get the "Progressive" arguments.  If you change the channel - you get the "Conservative" arguments.  And there is always plenty of time on both channels devoted to putting each other down...to pointing fingers, blaming and even name-calling.  Sounds like a bad day on the kindergarten playground.

It isn't just politics...it is religion, and race...it's anything that can be made controversial.  I wish we could return to that place of common ground.  That place where it wasn't necessary to point out what makes us different because we would be too busy noticing all the things that make us the same.

I think maintaining an open mind is a barometer for intelligence and compassion.  And it is certainly necessary for creative imaginings.  In kindergarten we were taught not to be mean, and we were also encouraged to share and learn from others.  And we sat side by side while we colored and had lunch and rolled out our rest mats.  We were taught to be gentlemen and ladies and tea parties were kind affairs where everyone was invited.  Such simple concepts that, if practiced, would make a big difference in our country today.

I remember reading a book a few years ago entitled, All I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum.  At the time I thought it was cute...a little like something out of Reader's Digest.  Now I think it should be required reading for all adults.  We need a reminder of the days when the world was a nicer place.  And when functioning with an open mind was considered normal and decent behavior. 

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT GET YOU!

"Writing is easy:  All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead."  Gene Fowler   "There's nothing to writing.  All you do is sit down at the typewriter and open a vein."  Red Smith

I know...there are two quotes, but I couldn't choose between them because they express what it feels like for me today.  Only I have not been staring at blank paper...but at the blank computer screen.  My mind is not blank, however.  I think that is the problem.  My mind is filled with all the irritating minutia that can choke the life out of the imagination.  At least, that is what it does for me.

There is that overused concept of writing what you know...writing from your own experience.  If I were to do that today...I would write reams of paper about dealing with my health insurance company over acquiring a new wheelchair.  My insurance covers the cost of a new wheelchair...just not the kind of wheelchair that anyone who really NEEDS a wheelchair would use.  This situation is filled with drama, tension, and a little bit of dark humor...but it does not make a great springboard for fabulous writing.  Great bitching material, however.

I could write about paying the bills - another task for today and another sparkling topic that falls flat - even though most of my readers can identify with the fact that it is a completely joyless experience. Good old Ross Perot said, "Once you pay the bills, money is the most over rated thing in the world."  There is a little bit of truth to that - but I am sure Ross Perot had someone else pay his bills, so I don't believe he was truly speaking from personal experience. 

Then there is laundry, and decisions about dinner, and sorting the mail..etc.etc.etc.  Just everyday stuff that fills my brain like knots made of Silly String, choking creativity and the clock keeps ticking away the hours and minutes...and I have nothing "blog-worthy" to show for it!  I have no idea how people actually Tweet!  What do they say??? 

So - this is my life today....just ordinary...just normal....but, hey!  I filled up the blank page with words - so that has to count for something!!!

A CHANGE OF VENUE

"A good home must be made - not bought."  Joyce Maynard

Forgive me for a little diversion from my usual topic of writing.  I have just returned from Pennsylvania - soon to be my new home.  I spent several hours, taking pictures of every room - every closet - every little space so that I could begin to tell the movers where to put the furniture. 

I have mixed feelings about moving.  Since I have lived in Virginia all my life - it will be a big change for me.  I keep reminding myself, however, that it is only 6 hours away - and I can come back and visit often.  We are moving to the beautiful Lehigh Valley area - which reminds me a little bit of Warrenton, where I grew up.  Lots of farm land, rolling hills, and a view of the fabulous Blue Ridge Mountains all around.  I spent a few days scoping out the area - found all the important places: grocery store, malls, Sam's Club...and of course, Barnes and Noble and Borders! 

I have been spoiled, living in Chesterfield.  While I enjoy the "feel" of country living here - I am only 10 minutes away from EVERYTHING.  It is quite different where we are moving.  I am only 5 miles from the grocery store...and only 6 miles from CVS pharmacy....and only 15 miles from a mall....and 19 miles from Target...etc.etc.etc. - BUT none of these places are close to each other!  I have been used to running out for milk - or groceries every day...but now I will actually have to PLAN.  OH NO!!!

 Everything is lovely, though - so I think we will be happy here.  It is very peaceful - and quiet...away from the constant roar of traffic and the glow of electric lights.  I think I might actually be able to see a sky full of stars - something I don't believe I have seen since childhood.  And, I am continually reminding myself that change can be a good thing.  I will have a fabulous place to write - and I hope to connect with a community of writers there. 

So - I have about four weeks until the move...lots and lots to do....but I will try to keep up the blog during all of the activity.

MINI-VACATION

A quick note to let you know that I will be away for a few days.  Going to Pennsylvania to check out the new house and the area.  It would be nice to know where the grocery store is!!!!!  I will write again next week.  Have a great weekend!

GOING POSTAL

The difference between e-mail and regular mail is that computers handle e-mail and computers never decide to come to work one day and shoot all the other computers."  James Cascio

I am sure that you heard the news about raising the price of stamps, yet again, in January.  I feel a lot of nostalgia for the struggling postal system.  My Dad was the last presidentially-appointed postmaster. He served in Warrenton, where I grew up.  I can still remember people knocking on our door and asking him if he knew where so and so lived.  He probably did, since at that time, Warrenton was not as populated as it is now. 

As a society, we have become completely reliant on technology.  I type so much on the computer, that my handwriting is truly illegible...and the worse part about it is that I don't really care!  In my mind, I romanticize handwriting...I must own 50 empty journals (and probably 20 more that have a few pages with actual ink on them.)  And I am not going even count all the fabulous pens that are gathering dust on my desk. I have the best intentions...I start off with a marvelous and neat first journal entry - several pages long, but within days, I have succumb to producing a boring, messy, scribbled paragraph that compels me to simply give up. 

The same is true of letter writing.  I have some terrific stationary...in a Rubbermaid container...in the closet.  In other words - it is never going to happen.  I am never going to sit at a lovely desk, with a hand-crafted fountain pen, and express my heart to any of my friends or loved ones.  Alas, they are lucky if they get an IM from me!

Writing is old fashioned...and yet - I think we are missing something valuable.  We miss the time it takes to really connect with someone.  All that time we would spend forming the words with a pen on paper...thinking about what we want to say...thinking about the recipient.  We would actually be placing more value on the person...really letting them know we care. 

I don't remember the last time I received a hand-written letter.  Do you?  Maybe I was a child.  Who knows.  Oh well...perhaps I will pull out one of those journals...or fish around in my closet for a box of stationary.  The nightly news reported that the Queen spends $458,000 on stationary!  Can you believe it????  I think she must be solely responsible for the fact that the postal system still exists!   

PERFECTIONISM: PUBLIC ENEMY #1

"If one of the characters in my first draft wants to say, "Well, so what, Mr. Poopy Pants?" you let her. No one is going to see it."  Anne Lamott

One of the recommendations about writing that I have fully embraced is what writer Anne Lamott refers to as the "shitty first draft."  It is that wonderful free zone when I just write without editing...just write to get the bare bones of the story out and on the page so that I can look at it later and see what works and what doesn't.

It is not ALWAYS easy for me to do this...but I am getting better at it.  I have been a perfectionist from birth, I think.  When I sang - it had to be the best...when I did public speaking - it had to be the best....even when I started doing art - I studied and studied and read every book and tried to make what I was creating be the best example of the technique I was learning.  At some point I realized that even though I could do these things well (not necessarily great) - I was not enjoying any of them.  And of lot of my life was tied up in simply trying too hard. 

With age comes wisdom...at least someone wise once said that.  It think it is true.  All the things that I thought were so important in my youth have slipped away unnoticed somewhere - and what is left is the ability to find an appreciated awareness in each moment.  Bringing this to my writing is what creates the joy.  I write because I want to...and maybe, after several drafts of a story, I can produce something that someone else will enjoy reading. 

Until then, Mr. Poopy Pants, shitty first drafts are reasons for celebration!

FINDING PRIME REAL ESTATE BETWEEN THE COVERS OF A BOOK

"You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend."  Paul Sweeney

I absolutely love to read.  I keep several books going at a time - and it is wonderfully convenient now that I have a Kindle.  It is a rare experience, however, to find a book that haunts me long after it is over.  When you go into a bookstore - you pass rack after rack of reduced books...books that were once best-sellers and are now available at bargain basement prices.  I was in Barnes and Noble the other day, and I was amazed by how many of them I had read...and couldn't really remember.  They had been interesting enough when I was reading them...I kept turning the pages...but they didn't stay with me. 

There have been books that I carry inside me forever.  Some that come to mind right now are:  Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life Of Bees, Markus Zusak's, The Book Thief, Kathryn Stockett's, The Help, and Jodi Picoult's, My Sister's Keeper (the book is FAR BETTER than the movie.) 

And, there is the ever-popular series format.  The Harry Potter books certainly paved the way for readers and writers to remain attached to their favorite characters for quite awhile.  Two other great series of books are the Pendragon Series by D. J. MacHale, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan.  I could also include the Twilight Series here...but that has received enough publicity!

There is a huge difference between reading a book and writing one...besides the obvious.  For a reader, no matter how engaging the book is, a reader will finish it and put it down - and find another book to read.  For a writer, we may be living with our characters and their story for weeks, months and maybe years.   So we better be sure it is a place we really want to be, since we will be taking up residence there for quite some time.

So, how about you?  What books have you read lately that you had wished would never end? 

ARE GHOSTS MORE THAN JUST BUMPS IN THE NIGHT?

Do you believe in ghosts?  What do you think about the afterlife?  Is it possible for someone to communicate with the dead?

Okay - strange subject for me.  But, see, one of the characters in my new novel is a ghost.  I suppose we have been conditioned by countless movies and main-stream TV shows to accept the reality of ghosts for entertainment purposes.  But, what about the real thing?

I have read several books about near-death experiences - and they aren't all the familiar "tunnel of light" stuff.  There is actually a scientific foundation committed to the study of NDE's. It is aptly called, The Near Death Experience Research Foundation.  They have thousands of documented cases of people who have detailed accounts of what life after death may hold for us.  Interesting, at least.  And there have always been psychics who claim to be able to communicate with dead loved ones - or even assist in solving crimes.  The results, while not conclusive, are compelling enough to cause us to think about the possibilities. 

There are two books I have seen recently that have different perspectives on the same subject.  One is entitled, 23 Minutes in Hell, by Bill Wiese and the other is, 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper.  The obvious distinction here is the difference in time spent in each place!  Also - it is fascinating to note that the Amazon rankings show that the book about Hell is far more popular than the one about Heaven!  I guess we all have a curiousity about the dark side. Similar to the compulsion we feel to rubber-neck at the site of an accident.

Dr. Sandy Kalaora lives in Richmond, VA, and I have met her briefly.  Her work is quite intriguing.  Check out her website: RIP Ghost Hunters.  The photos are amazing. 

So - let me know what you think.  Of course - I am writing fiction...but I can't help but be curious about reality.  Part of being a writer means asking yourself the question: "What if.....?"

PRIMING THE PUMP

"Get to the desk regularly.  The writers we admire...might be geniuses whose talents dwarf ours, but more often, the truth is that they are people who show up.  If you want to write, you must begin by beginning, continue by continuing, finish by finishing.  This is the great secret....Tell No One."  Jack Heffron

If I was thinking logically, this was not the ideal time for me to begin this blog - or my third novel.  I am in the middle of a move.  Every day seems to bring some new piece of paper that needs to be signed and faxed immediately...or notarized first...or the real estate agent calls and wants to show the house, etc.  We are not simply moving across town - we are moving to Pennsylvania...a big deal for me since I have lived in Virginia all my life.  But, I have learned that if I do not make myself put my ample-sized butt in front of the computer with my fingers on the keys - then I don't write.  This is not profound, I know - but it tends to be difficult. 

I can find a zillion other things that need attention - things I would not even think about unless I had made a commitment to write.  They clammer to the front of my mind...like the fact that I really need to clean out the hall closet, or perhaps I should go through the drawers in the desk in the front room and sort through the papers there...or, my personal favorite...I need to clean out the refrigerator.

I have some distant memory from my childhood of using an old water pump.  I can clearly recall lifting and lowering the handle and hearing gurgles and whines and hisses before the water gushed out, cool and clear.  I think writing something everyday is a lot like that.  I sit here - often with no clear idea of what I want to share in this little space - but slowly with gurgles, whines and hisses, the words start flowing and I am having a conversation on the page with you, my readers. 

And, once I have started, then I feel ready to move forward.  My creative self has been lifted from its lethargy and begins to spin and weave and dance its way through writing another chapter, or reworking a character.  I cannot wait for inspiration to fall on me like some divine force; I have to just start out on my own and trust that the muse will catch up and find me ready to work.

WANTED: A NOVELIST

"Thou shalt infect thy reader with anxiety, stress, and tension, for those conditions that he deplores in life he relishes in fiction." Sol Stein

The fun thing about writing is that you get to live someone else's life without really experiencing any of the nasty consequences.  You can become a murderer without ever facing jail time, a medical examiner without ever touching a dead body, a detective without the boring hours of a stakeout, and, my personal favorite, a beautiful heroine with a killer body and great hair!

You get to play God, actually.  Putting your characters in life and death situations and then letting them stew a bit before you come to the rescue and write their way out of imminent peril. What a great job description. 

Of course, there is the down side.  The hours of sitting before the computer, agonizing over each word, worrying incessantly about people who don't really exist - and all this for little to no money.  Hmmmm...why would I do this?!

Because it is incredibly fun...and there is something deeply gratifying about seeing the words in my head spill out on a page - filled with the hope that someone somewhere will feel what I am feeling and be glad they spent the time reading.

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

"The most important advice I would suggest to beginning writers:  Try to leave out the parts that readers skip."  Elmore Leonard (In Snoopy's Guide to the Writing Life)

The current book series that is topping the best seller list is the late Stieg Larsson trilogy:  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.  The books have been translated from Swedish to English, and while they are very captivating stories - they were filled with pages and pages of stuff that I skipped.  At first I thought it was because I was simply an impatient reader - and then I thought it was because there were too many details about the police force, etc. in Sweden, but then, I decided that it was simply a matter of the author choosing to put every bit of research he had done onto the page. Okay - and maybe it was also because he had a bazillion characters with names I could not pronounce.

That said, I understand the temptation to include too much detail.  As a writer - we must visualize everything so clearly that we can see tiny details in a scene or in a character, but including all of this is not necessary to convey what our reader wants most from us....to simply tell a damn good story.

When I was in college, I had to memorize the life-cycle of the fluke worm.  I do not even know what a fluke worm really is - and I have never been able to work that bit of info into a conversation.  It was simply useless...that is, until now when I can use it as an example!  When doing research for a book, I studied reams of material about body decomposition...about the various bugs that appear to assist in the process, etc.  For a few weeks, my mind was filled with some of the ickiest details ever - and when it came time to put them in my story, I realized that a tiny bit of information goes a long way.  Yet, I believe that all that research was time well spent.  It enabled me to have confidence in my writing.  I was certainly not an expert, but I had knowledge that helped me pinpoint time of death with a moderate degree of confidence. 

My objective in writing is not to impress anyone - but to entertain...to tell a good story...as simply as possible - and hope that the reader doesn't feel a need to skip over any of my words on the page.  If you do, don't tell me.