Z is for Zee, or is it Zed? Overcoming the language barrier

I live in New York close by the Canadian border. When my children watch education programs Z is said two ways; Zee and Zed. It’s a small thing, but it represents a much bigger issue. Even though Canada is less than 30 minutes away from me, it’s a whole different country with its own language and culture. And that’s Canada, what about say Japan?

That’s where research comes in. Books are good, the internet with Google earth is better, but actually going to the place is best. I like to stay in small bed and breakfasts; it helps me to get to really know the people better.

A hotel is so impersonal. I remember a trip I took once to Ithaca with my husband. It was ok, but just that, ok. A few years later I went back and stayed with someone who lived there. It was like seeing the place for the first time. Did you know that in Ithaca there are waterfalls everywhere you turn and some of them you can dive over the edge into a deep pool below? I do now.

That’s why I love traveling almost as much as I do writing. It helps me to get to the heart of things and be as authentic as possible.

X and Y chromosome; the difference between men and women

I don’t care what people say, men and women are different.

I don’t know this because I’ve been married for sixteen years, although that certainly helps. I don’t know it because I’m a psychiatric nurse and intimately involved in the details in peoples lives.

I know it because I’ve spent my entire life watching people.

This isn’t a complaint session about either of the sexes, instead I simply want to point out some observations I’ve made over the years. Now it's time for my disclaimer: Please note this is a general observation, not intended to imply that all people are the same. There are vast differences amoung people, no matter what their sex is. That being said, these are my observations.

Men need respect, even more than love. Although I really believe men love very deeply, possibly even deeper than their female counterparts. Men need to be needed. The worst thing you can say to a man is that you don’t need him. Men tell you what they’re thinking. If you want to know what a man is thinking, just as him. Men feel good when their woman is happy.

Now to women. Women need love, even more than respect. They need to be cherished and adored by their man. They need their man to be strong, to know that he will put her first always, to take care of her before himself. A woman doesn’t necessarily tell her man something hoping he’ll fix it; most times she just wants him to listen and support her.

These are a few of the observations I’ve complied, but I’m always looking for more. If you have any to add, or want to dispute my claims, I welcome your comments.

Until then,

Melanie

W is for Words

Which words are the right words? That is the question. As writers we know what we want to say, but how to say it? I’ve often found that a single word can change the feel of an entire paragraph.

I didn’t start out intending to write Young Adult. I had a story that I wanted to tell and I wrote it. It just happened to be happening to a sixteen year old. Because of that, the voice of my character ended up sounding rather, well, not like a sixteen year old. But as time has passed and the story has been revised, I’ve chosen other words to tell the same story. I didn’t “dumb it down”, I spent time watching and listening and I enlisted the help of the most wonderful Alpha in the world (thanks Matt). In other words I wanted the words, the voice, to be authentic. How else would my readers give a crap about what happens to my MC if they can't relate to him?

V is for Voice

When I first started writing I didn’t know what this meant. Often other writers would allude to it, but they could never quite explain what it was. Two SCBWI conferences and almost two years later, I think I’m finally beginning to figure it out.

The reason the other writers had such a hard time describing it is because it’s indescribable. It’s just that certain something, call it charisma, call it It, it just is, or it isn’t…

We’ve all met people like that, you don’t know why you’re drawn to them, but you are. And so is everyone else. It’s the same thing with voice, you don’t know what it is unless it’s there, but you do know when it isn’t.

Now I am joining the plethora of writers who are trying to describe something totally intangible. I guess it just took a little time, a lot of reading, and even some writing thrown in on occasion.

U is for UFOs, or ramblings with some loose ties to UFOs

I’ve never written a science fiction novel, or anything like it. After reading all of your lovely blogs over the last month, I must say I’m tempted.

I have read a few science fiction novels in the past; DUNE, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, and a lot of Ray Bradbury. I enjoyed them all. It’s just not what I’ve gravitated towards as a writer. On a blog I read recently (don’t ask me to remember which one, I’ve read too many to keep track) the person writing said for science fiction you needed either aliens, UFOs, or machines. Is that true? 

And what about hybrids? I read a book the other day called ELEMENTAL by Emily White; it’s coming out in early May. In her book there was a bit of fantasy mixed in with the science fiction, in that there were fairies. But they were teleporting fairies, so maybe that counts as only science fiction after all. But there also was a war between planets and lots of space travel.

Is there more crossing over of such different genres now?

I know I personally had a hard time choosing a genre for my novel. I ended up just calling it YA Fiction because it would have looked rather wordy to say it was a paranormal romance, militaristic young adult rural fantasy thriller.

And I know that almost none of this had to do with UFOs, but U is a hard word to come up with a word for, especially since I did Utopia last year.

Have a great night everyone, Melanie

T is for Timing

T is for Timing

In my life things have not worked out on my personal time clock. I got married young (19), and my husband and I thought we were way ahead of the game. We would have children young and be laughing at everyone else who was struggling with young ones as we enjoyed our forties as empty-nesters.

We thought we were being so smart. And then something completely unexpected happened.  I wasn’t able to have children right away. In fact it wasn’t until after our third anniversary that we had our first child. And that was only the beginning. Our next one didn’t come for another eight years. Eight years of trying, fighting, crying, and struggling with just about everyone, God included.

And then our third came, a little over two years ago.

I laugh when I think about that, as some of my friends who are empty-nesters are watching me chase after our toddler. I don’t laugh because I wish I was them. I laugh because I wouldn’t have it any other way.  

R and S are for Sweet Revenge

I’ll pretend I didn’t forget to post on R and did this simultaneous post on purpose.

Actually it worked out rather well, because there are lots of different types of revenge (I’m speaking strictly literary here).  There is the unfulfilled revenge and the revenge gone wrong.  But that’s not what I’m discussing here. I’m talking about the Sweet Revenge, like in the Count of Monte Cristo, and Shawshank Redemption. I love both of these stories. Both protagonists were wronged, and both came out victoriously in the end in such a satisfying way. 

Imagine if the ending had been different. In the case of Shawshank Redemption, imagine that Andy didn't have his genius plan come to fruition.  The story wouldn't be even half of what it could be, what it should be, as the following video clearly shows.