The Sprint or the Marathon

The "Sprint" is my definition of either a short story or a story that

spans a short amount of time as in the day or week

of the characters - sometimes just hours.

The "Marathon" is not necessarily a long story as much

as it spans years during the telling.

Both have issues that must be addressed to be enjoyable.

A sprint requires very in-depth yet drawn out

details for you must learn about the characters and the purpose

of their story.  I am both fascinated with this style of writing

because it is intense even if it is not a drama.

When I wrote "When the War Was Won" it started

as a story spanning years and during the editing I decided

that I needed to shorten the timeline

and concentrate on my main character.  In changing the story

I found that I enjoyed the action, the emotions

and the twists to a greater degree. 

The only Marathon I have written was "The Visitor".  This was

not intentional but initially was just a way to cope with

issues in my life.  I have said frequently that writing is a form

of counseling.  I believe that when you swallow a problem or a feeling

that it sits in your stomach and boils at a low temperature.

I don't think counseling is anything more than an

avenue to release those things you have buried.  Talking about

your feelings and problems lessens their hold on you.

It is not that a counsellor can solve anything but it can give you

the ability to solve things in your own way.

I love "The Visitor" the way I love an old song

that brings back memories of emotional times in my life.  It is

a story that saved me, pulled me up and made me stronger.

I wrote a little every night for one full year.  It rambled, it stalled, I deleted, I cried

I drank a lot of great wine while sitting in a dark room in front

of the computer.  I am happiest in front of my computer which

is not really healthy but it is the way I am.

"The Visitor" should probably be re-edited but

the thought is like trying to remake yourself into a better self.

I enjoy the quirks, the moles and the problems because they are part

of real life.  "The Visitor" was broken up because it was too

long.  The editing left a lot of the original story on the floor of the cutting

room.  A story that spans seventy years is easier for you

become the characters and as one brain creating many characters

who are individual in every way is difficult.

Stepping outside of myself is the greatest challenge.

It's not that I can't create new characters as much as I need to

create different characters.  Drawing from life

is limited - drawing from the unknown, reaching down into your gut

and pulling up the difficult things that hurt or sooth is difficult.

I work better when I am healing than when I am

happy.  I work better with evil than with goodness.  I love killing

characters once I feel they are well rounded.  A story should have an emotional

hook to make me happy.   It is the evil that creates a better life

for otherwise we become complacent.

barb

Skimming Is a Horrible Habit

It is a cold overcast morning that begs me to enjoy my second cup of coffee

I have a horrible habit of skimming when I read and one would think that I took some course on speed reading.  It is really an anomaly between my brain and my eyes that at times I don't control and other times I put a lot of energy into slowly down.

This is particularly bad when my mind is going in other directions instead of taking a deep breath and enjoying the moment of time.  I ran a law office for most of my career and rose to that position because of my innate ability to organize and simplify every aspect of my job.  Fast and simple was my motto.  Speed reading or skimming is a valuable asset if you are able to pick up the information that allows you to determine whether or not you need to go back and read it thoroughly.

I have stopped myself after realizing that I have read a page without even knowing what I have read.  I have given this habit of mine thought and realize that when I am reading there is too much stimulus in the background.  In my youth, I spend hours in the library reading books.  I did check out a lot and was sometimes thankful that there was a limit on the books you could take home.  My best reads were sitting on the floor of a library reading a book that I just couldn't put down.

My library card was my entry into the world beyond my town.  There was no skimming, no distractions and the librarians never objected to my presence in the quiet corner.  The skimming came later in life.  I have decided it is time to break bad habits and to give a book my full attention.  So I shall start 2017 with being more mindful of my love for stories, books and authors.  I owe them my attention.

barb

Is it A Series or Not?

Writing Series is popular mostly because if you create one book it would be thousands and thousands of pages long.  Breaking it up [creating a series] allows you to concentrate on part of the story, allows you to leave a cliff hanger and gives the reader something to look forward to.  The bigger issue is you can avoid ending the story for a while.  Ending is hard because you have to wrap up so many things or you don't want it to end but it is time.  "The Visitor" is a 6 book series that starts with the life of a young woman at the beginning of the civil war and takes you through her adventures over her lifetime.  It is a character rich story.

Another definition of a series is using characters but not story line.  Namely, you write stand alone books that share a time and space or characters.  The "John Ellery Series" is not the same as "The Visitor".  The three books listed under this series shares characters but each book completely stands alone as a story.   Additionally, each book focuses on a character that might have been a minor part of another book.  "When the War Is Over"  focuses mainly on minor characters of John Ellery's story.

The difference is when you start a series that is a continuing story you are committing to the entire series.  When it is only the characters that continue you can pick and choose.  A good example of character series is Agatha Christies detective series Hurcule Poriet.  Every story is solving a mystery using the same detective.  Another is Kerry Greenwood's novels about "Miss Fisher".  There are many well known authors who prefer the same character.  Patterson, Connelly, Cornwall.  The list goes on and on. 

As a reader, I sometimes become addicted to a series and sometimes I don't.  I actually have about 20 books on my Kindle that I want to read but I don't read as much as I want.  In the height of my devouring books, I would go to the used book store off the 17th Street Causeway and buy four or five softbound used books every week.  This is a great way to find books you generally wouldn't read.  My greatest find was The Gunslinger series.  It was 3 books by Stephen King under another name.  I fell in love with all of the characters.  I still prefer the first 3 books to the books that he later added to the series.  I would have to check but I believe this is his only series.  The other famous author is JK Rollin in the Harry Potter series.  I recently went to the theater to see her new story and I think it will be a very good series but I haven't read the book which is a screenplay.

I like both types of series both when I read and write.   I also like that random story that is all by itself.  "Yesterday's Gone" and "My Wild Irish Rose" are both stories that start and end in one book. 

Melting glass and writing romance is my world.  Barb 

Missing In Plain Sight

 

The real world has captured me and sent out ransom demands but no one is willing to let me back into my safe place of fiction.

Holiday time is one of my favorite and yes I will wish you a very Merry Christmas because I am old and it is something from my childhood.  I do also wish everyone who is taking time to celebrate a happy holiday.  I would wish for Peace on Earth but I will spare you my thoughts on the world today which is anything but heading toward Peace.

The weather is cold and the birds are hungry.  So I wear thick socks and feed the birds.  This year we were vendors at the University of New Mexico Craft and Art Show which caters to the college students and faculty.  A portion of my art was sold to support the Water Protectors at Standing Rock and part to support the art students at the university.  Artists would always support artists except artists are usually struggling to make a living leaving little to use for support.  I did my share by buying all of my Christmas presents at the show.

Saturday and Sunday [Dec 10th and 11th] three books will be free for download.  John Ellery's Daughters, Secret of the Isles and When the War is Over will be free.  Kindle Books by Barbara Svetlick

Today is a torch day since I have new glass rods of pink.  First I must go clean off my work bench.  Life is good when you have warm socks, hot coffee and love being an artist.  May your weekend be wonderful.   Barb

 

The Visitor - 6 books Free on Amazon

The Visitor Series

The six books of the Visitor Series is free to download

on Amazon on Veteran's Day and

Saturday

A romantic story of a young girl caught in the midst of the Civil War.

Filled with twists and turns - love and hate a she

accepts the life of the men who accept her into their world

of death and surprise.

Ode to the Elephant Seal

Oh me oh my

the waves broke happily on the shore

white foam stirring up the sand

as the elephants

played happily in the blue beyond

Elephants you say

why they have no legs and a floppy tail

scooting across the wet sand

ah they are seals

with long elephant noses I see

A little treat

of small creatures and smelly sardines

bellies full and hooded eyes

upon the sand

a well deserved nap it shall be

sleep quietly

wallow in the sand until satisfied

lined up like worn out soldiers

in the warm sun

enjoying some time sleepily.

barb

Living in Fiction

My love of ghost stories started at such an early age when I would

order a twenty-five cent soft book from school

every time they had a book drive.

The last one I ordered I never got for some reason or whatever

even though I inquired diligently as to its arrival

school ended with no book.

Why a fascination with ghosts?

It is easier to imagine a ghost, good or bad

then to admit that maybe you are a few crayons short

of the large box.

I love certain spooky stories like when I was

seven and would lay in front of the television watching

the monster movies on Saturday night

I could handle Frankenstein and the Mummy

far easier than the eighties when they unveiled hatchets

and Freddy what's his name.

Ghost stories are simple and the things that cause goosebumps

they are lost souls, horrible mean souls

sometimes they are benevolent but they are always

a mystery and not a fear of something

under the couch that is going to grab you dragging you into

its lair.

I usually write about horrible ghosts

but frequently the ghosts who haunt my stories

are in one's mind.

Ghost stories are my favorite.

barb