A Life In Writing

The marker says, “Gold found here July 4, 1862.

I searched one of author Angela Hunt’s blog sites and found this quote: “The things that enter her life sooner or later find their way into her books, hence a life in pages.” Of course, I immediately thought about what I’ve put into my manuscripts. How what I’ve experienced has made what I write.

My father always said to invest in real estate. In the summer of ’96 my husband and I looked across the state of Oregon for affordable river front property and bought some acreage in northeast Oregon between Baker City and Sumpter. We spent every chance we could four wheeling amongst the junipers, pines, firs and rocky crags of the area. My husband’s interest was in panning for gold, while I was enamored with the decaying buildings, the caves, or equipment left behind in the mining districts and still visible today.  Fine, I had my location. Since I have some experience with writing, the hero in my first published book became a writer with a fan base similar to author Dean Koontz. All famous mystery author Stanton Black wanted was to leave the flashbulbs of Hollywood behind. Hiding out in the wilds of northeast Oregon seemed like the perfect way to get over the attempt on his life while researching his work. His latest novel would draw on the history of his ancestors and the lore of gold country.

I am a licensed speech language pathology assistant so the heroine in Maya’s Gold became a teacher. Now, all my hero needed was a suitable tour guide. Special education teacher Maya Valentine was no tour guide. After the death of her parents, Maya has come home to Salisbury Junction for the summer only to have an ailing friend (a historian) talk her into escorting Stanton around the area. As a pattern of crime around her and the newfound gold on her property leads to a real-life mystery. I also threw in a crazy Viet Nam veteran, which I may or may not have known in real life.

For A Place to Land: Some years back I lived next to two Russian families and I learned something about coming to America and the cultures that many brought with them. So when Uli’s (my heroine) impoverished family left Russia for America, she was only ten years old. From that point on, she’s been determined to make the American dream hers. When Headline Magazine offers the perfect story with which to launch her new writing career (okay, so I can’t let writing go), Uli travels across Oregon to find out exactly how wolf and cowboy mix. I imagined what it would be like to find a successful young rancher with acres upon acres of land set against the Eagle Cap Mountains of NE Oregon. Jackson Holt, my hero, owns one of the largest ranches in eastern Oregon and like most ranchers, is none too happy with wolves crossing over the Idaho border near his livestock. The last thing he needs is a semi-environmentalist, journalist wannabe dogging his footsteps. I also gave Jackson a well-behaved German Shepherd (I had two at the time, but maybe not well-behaved). I added a villain, but not a crazy one this time.

For Wanting Moore: I now own two lots on Main Street in the ghost town of Bourne. It is an old gold mining town in Northeast Oregon. It is a place you can sit and listen to the creek and think about what must have gone on there from 1862 through the early 1900s. Thus came the idea for my third book, a novella. The second step in putting this story together came from two Asperger’s syndrome students that I’d taught. Both had an interest in the Civil War and as the story was coming together in my mind, I asked them questions.

My father had five brothers and one sister. Some families cherish their only girl and treat her like a princess (like my aunt) and other families have a kick-butt kind of girl that tries to keep up or outdo her brothers. My heroine, Isabella Moore, is mostly the latter and a fun character to write. Independent beyond what’s good for her, she leaves her brothers and parents in Prairie City in search of her true calling. Traveling to Haines, Oregon, by way of the historic Bourne-Haines Stage Road, she runs across the type of people from whom she’d been sheltered, leading to an accident. The hero, blacksmith Gabriel Stone saw enough of death during the Civil War to last him a lifetime. Isabella is in need of his care-but caring for her may bring back unwanted memories of his former life as a doctor. And dare he entrust his heart to a woman filled with ideas of gold mining and adventure?

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Are you that type of writer, too?

www.maryvine.com

 

A Dog Tale

When my husband and I were children in Washington State, we encountered a lot of stray dogs. Sometimes our families kept them, other times we weren’t allowed to feed them in hopes they would wander on. At the time, I really only remember one friend who had an inside dog. There wasn’t as many fenced yards and dogs were kept outside on a chain next to a dog house. It wasn’t uncommon to see a neighbor dog get loose and come to your yard from time to time. Occasionally, we would see a dog in the back of a truck, but it was unusual to see a dog riding in a car compared to every other vehicle we pass these days.

Yes, over the years there have been changes in the role of the pet dog, they’ve become an important part, or member, of the family and an emotional support to their owners. Now, I rarely see a dog on a chain as most dogs are inside with some time spent in a fenced yard.

Research says having a dog for a companion can help improve your health and psyche. When compared with those that do not have a pet, dog and cat owners have better mental and physical health and are less likely to be on medication.  If you own an animal you are more likely to exercise as well. Pet ownership has even helped with coronary artery disease, making the patient less likely to die within a year of surgery compared to those without pets. They calm our anxiety, give us social support and can help make social connections with others.

To date, I’ve written five manuscripts. Of that number, four have included a pet in some way or another. In my first two manuscripts, one character longed for a pet, while another had a dog for protection and comradery. My story, A Place to Land, had a well-trained German shepherd at the hero’s side. In Maya’s Gold, I included an old pet collie, named Wonder Dog (which was anything but).  For Wanting Moore, I didn’t include a pet, but the story really did not call for one.

I’ve always been fond of German shepherds; I think it goes back to watching Rin Tin Tin as a young girl. I’ve owned 3 purebreds over the years. My current shepherd is growing old, so we decided to take on another dog in hopes of bringing back a little youth, and for the new dog to take on some good habits already formed in our home. We certainly didn’t want to start with a puppy, so did our search at two animal shelters. We ended up with a nine-month-old shelter dog that’s been trained for two months in a prison program connected with the shelter. He is part German shepherd and part malamute, knows fourteen commands, and loves both people and dogs. We really couldn’t ask for more.

Our new dog, Jack, inspired my current manuscript. Somehow the first part of the story, where the hero meets the heroine… Well, something is missing in the conflict between the two and I know that Jack’s personality thrown into the mix would be believable and add a little humor to the story, too. After all, as I said above, pets can help make social connections with others.

Do you put pets in your stories?

www.maryvine.com

 

Inspired By Music

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination
and life to everything.”
― Plato

My father’s family was very musical and each played some type of instrument. His mother pumped the organ with her foot as she played for Sunday church service. My sisters and I learned how to play a musical instrument in our childhood. I learned to read music to a certain degree and can still sing a mean alto.

Music can take me back to another era. About the only time I think back to my teen years is when I flip through the radio channels and hear a song from the past. A love of music really hit me then and I used to be able to tell the name of the song and the group who sang it, as well as connect it to an event that happened during the time the song had hit the top twenty charts.  I still can, but after all the years that have gone by, I draw a few blanks.

“I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. Life seems to go on without effort, when I am filled with music.”- George Eliot (1819 – 1880)

Personally, I would find it extremely hard to live without music. Music can change my mood from sad to happy. I heard this week that if you are sad, don’t listen to sad music. Also, a friend told me that her job setting is very stressful, so she listens to Adele to get her in an upbeat mood. Music energizes and inspires me when working and helps me relax when needed, but I’m sure many people use music to set the mood for the task in front of them. I’m learning that listening to music for inspiration is not just for writers.  Listening to music helps visualize where you want to go, whether you are an artist, a web designer, clothes designer, an inventor or writer.  My number one writing tool is music.

Movies use a soundtrack to enhance the visual and the script, to create or develop a mood. Ballets use music in combination with visual cues of movement, make-up, costumes, or props to set the mood. They create a story without words, which goes outside of the box of normal storytelling methods and relies on other senses and tactics to let the story be told for them.

Music and Visuals are the perfect combination. Relying on senses other than your vision can evoke a greater comprehension for what feeling must be conveyed through your work. But maybe the best type of advice would be to use music that your end buyers could relate to while designing a website, writing a book, painting a picture or doing something creative.

“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”
― Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein also said that he was nourished by music, particularly Mozart. It was at the core of his creative life. I wish I had a broad taste in music, from very classic, to very minimal, to alternative, country to pop, but I’m not wired that way. Not every type of music or beat draws me, some I literally don’t even hear.  I used to think that an appreciation for all types of music shows intelligence, but certainly that’s not always true.

While writing Maya’s Gold, I listened to a Jim Brickman album that included a Martina McBride hit called, My Valentine.  When I wrote A Place to Land, I enjoyed country music. For Wanting Moore, I listened to the Eagles and Lady Antebellum. Of course it was not only the phrases that may have given me ponder, but the mood I felt when taking it in. Recently, Whitney Houston’s Run To You, made me sit up and take notice. Look at these lyrics:

…Each day, each day I play the role
Of someone always in control
But at night I come home and turn the key
There’s nobody there, no one cares for me
What’s the sense of trying hard to find your dreams
Without someone to share it with
Tell me what does it mean?

For me, add in the tune to the words, plus Whitney’s passion while singing and the combo really gets the wheels turning in my brain for story thoughts and ideas. If I’m not mistaken, a few of you remember this song and it’s got you thinking story ideas, too.

“If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC”
― Kurt Vonnegut

www.maryvine.com

 

CAN’T YOU JUST PICTURE IT?

The Armada Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, c.1588.
George Gower. Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire, UK. http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/elizface3.htm

About once a year I try to sit down and read a writing reference book. This year I picked, The First Fifty Pages by Jeff Gerke since I have the hardest time putting together the first part of a manuscript, but once I get through this section my characters come alive and I sail through the rest of the story. Below I share some of Gerke’s thoughts.

During the Renaissance period a person’s portrait included items that conveyed much about his interests, background and life. For example, look at the picture above of Queen Elizabeth I.  See the globe, and her hand resting upon it? Perhaps she wants to rule other countries besides England. Is she pointing at a particular land that she wants to have? Why does her crown sit beside her and not on her head? Look out the window on the left. Looks like the queen is in favor of a large navy or, perhaps it symbolizes her power. What’s out the right window? I’m thinking maybe it symbolizes the fate her opponents faced in battle. Your guesses are probably as good as mine.

I started to think about myself. What would be a representation of me? A typewriter or computer, a cat, my books, a teacher’s bell, something like a rosary to symbolize my faith in a higher power, a picture of my family on the table and a pecan mud slide from Diary Queen. My setting would probably be in a forest, or at least be out of one of the windows. Think about all the things that make you who you are and put them in your picture (at least mentally).

If your hero had a portrait done such as this, how would he want to appear? How about your heroine? What would be the setting? What will he/she wear? What would be in his hands? On the table? Out the window? If you know your hero in his essence you can figure out how to display it.

Further, if your hero/heroine could be anywhere else in the world what would she be doing, wearing, or talking about? How about putting her/him into a different time? How would your character get around if there wasn’t a car? What would be the ultimate-for-him activity?

Designing this portrait will help you figure out who your hero is. When he is tossed into trouble how will he handle it? Come back to this picture and look for clues.

Gerke says the most important thing to consider: Why would this be what the character chooses? How is this the ultimate expression, or revelation, of the person’s core?

What would be in your portrait?

More about Jeff Gerke:

He says, “Please point people to www.fictionacademy.com, which will be my site for online video training when we go live later this month.”

You can find Jeff’s book at: http://www.amazon.com/The-First-50-Pages-Editors/dp/1599632837

www.maryvine.com

 

Book Signing Part II

Hastings Entertainment is a regional retail chain that sells books, music, movies, and video games. It also rents movies and video games and buys used books, music, movies and video games for resale. I knew about the new Hastings in Nampa, Idaho, before they even broke ground and I hoped one day that I’d get a chance to do a book signing there. The store agreed to have me sign in February and I was able to choose the weekend before Valentine’s Day.

In my past experience, book stores in general ordered/bought copies of my book, put their sticker on the back, and then I sold the books at the book signing. The books that were left were put on the store shelf. Because of the economy and/or e-book success, my last signing at Powell’s books in Oregon had to be books I personally brought in. Hastings did something a little different, too. They took two of each of my titles on consignment and then I brought additional books in to sell at the signing. I received a contract explaining the percentage the store would receive. They displayed the consignment books in the local author section. I produced a page that contained my book signing information and the store posted it in the coffee shop. I had the opportunity to bring in a poster to display at the counter a week before the signing.

A table was provided, but I didn’t know what size it would be until the day of the signing (it depended on what was available). I ended up with a square card table and a table cloth. At the table, I was given sales stickers to put on the back of the book(s) to be sold and the shopper took the book through the store’s checkout line.

I’d often wondered what a good display for my table should look like. I’ve since learned you can buy a disposable plastic table cloth at a dollar store. It’s a good deal, but I find myself using a white table cloth most of the time (if one isn’t provided). I own a square card table, but I prefer to use a rectangular shape for more space to set up books, a vinyl poster, postcards, bookmarks, rack cards, and objects that have to do with my story or setting. The picture above is an excellent display by multi-published author Paty Jager. My sister made the shadow box in the photo to the right, which includes my three books. I think it’s a nice visual to add to my table.

I do try to say good morning, or afternoon, to those that cross my path, and I’ve learned there’s something about someone wishing you a good morning that puts a smile on your face.

I am an ace at remembering/naming stars when they appear in reruns, but after several people pass by my table they all start to look the same. It’s a problem when they stop and you’ve talked, then they come back to purchase and you introduce yourself again.

It’s lonely out there and you can feel awkward and self-conscious if you’re new at this. I can push those feelings aside and I’ve come to enjoy talking with people going by. If a person likes to read and/or write they will stop and look. Many people don’t choose to read, whether due to time restraints or they spend their time with all that technology has to offer these days. Hastings has several other products to compete with. I enjoyed seeing the variety of things offered at Hastings.

A book signing is not always the best marketing ploy a writer has. Some authors don’t feel it’s a good use of time. It matters if you know anyone in the area where you’re signing. At Hastings, four of my writing friends stopped by and it made my day.

Remember to support your local author by showing up to say hi. You don’t have to buy a book to be remembered fondly.

You can find Book Signing Part I here:http://gemstatewriters.wordpress.com/author/maryvine/page/4/

www.maryvine.com