Stranger than Fiction. Part 2

This post is another strange thing that happened to me while I was in Sweden.  I had been living on a farm in the small town of Holmestad, near a little bit larger town called Gëtene.  Every day I would ride my bike into the town, crossing a main highway with two way traffic, and attend the language school.  The school consisted of many people from all over the world who didn’t speak Swedish.  But that is another story. 

This particular day, I went to school as usual.  After school, I don’t remember why but I needed to get back to the house quickly.  I started on my bike, and when I got to the main highway I stopped until traffic cleared, then proceeded on.  The first thing I noticed upon crossing that main highway was a deer on the other side of the road in a field.  He was eating grass when he looked up at me.  He was big and beautiful, but seeing a deer is not uncommon in the area.  The road leading to the farm is a two way road and the cars are driving on the opposite side of the road.  I was on the right going against traffic.  The farm itself was situated on the right side of the road. 

I have my books tied to the back of the bike and I was speeding along, the wind in my hair and my legs pumping.  I was admiring the surrounding area with its amazing simplistic beauty, the green grass, and yellow mustard flower fields, the small farms here and there. 

I looked down for a moment and when I looked back up, my head jerked to the left.  There was a deer, the same one that I saw earlier.  He was running along side me, but not on the road, on the grass.  He had his eyes on me as a rival for speed. We were running together neck and neck.  Why he was following me I cannot say.  But what happened next was unexpected.  Somehow the deer tried to cross onto the road.  I’m not sure what he was doing, but he moved towards me, like he was going to run with me.  Just as he was about to cross, a car was in his way and he swerved.  The deer turned towards me in an effort to avoid it but the deer didn’t realize its consequences.  The deer slammed into me at a great speed.   Me, the deer and the bike went airborne.  A small yelp was all I was able to get out.  We landed in the ditch in a great big heap. 

This all happened in a split second. 

The bike was on top of me and the deer on top of the bike.  The buck quickly got up and took off unhurt.  But my right leg and knee hurt.  Pain filled my body, but I was too stunned to do anything. 

The driver of the car was out in a flash and at my side.  He spoke quickly, his face concerned as he lifted the bike off me.  In those moments I was unable to form anything coherent.  It registered that I better say something. “I’m okay.” I said. 

He stopped for a moment then switched to English.  He gave me a barrage of questions.  I shook my head.  “No don’t call for an ambulance, I live up the street.  I’m sure I can get there in a few moments.”  The man waited until I was able to get on the bike and was peddling away before he left. 

Back at the farm I told my friend who invited me to Sweden what happened.  He looked at me stunned, and then he started laughing.  I could have killed him.  Here I was hurt and beat up, bruised and still in shock, and he was laughing.  I had a big black and blue mark on my right knee and surrounding area.  No broken bones, thank God. 

My friend had a good time telling all of his friend and anyone who would listen about my little bout with a deer.  I think him laughing hurt more than the bruise.  What Americans think is funny is different from the Swedish people. 

Until next time. 

Stranger than Fiction.

I thought I would write something funny today. 

You’ve heard the adage, life is stranger than fiction.  A few weeks back I saw one that I thought was strange.  Well, not really, but it was cute.

I’m taking the bus now since my car broke down about a month ago and the amount to fix it is beyond me at the moment.  So I’m walking home from the bus stop down an ally to get to my house on the cul-de-sac.  When I first entered the ally I heard dogs barking, easy since the sound is echoed throughout the entire ally.  I’m minding my own business, watching my step, because if I didn’t I would trip and fall.  I was thinking about all I had to do that night when I arrived upon the loud barking.  Mind you this was before the time changed and it was still light out.

That’s when I noticed a rooster walking along the rooftop of a building in the back of a yard.  the  dog that was barking at it was the one I heard upon entering the ally.  The rooster went from one side of the roof to the other and the dog was keeping pace with it.  I started laughing.  Know why?  Because the poor rooster just wanted to get back to his home, the chicken coop, and be with his hens, and the dog wouldn’t allow him to do that.

One thing about chickens and roosters, they do get out once in a while.  But the easiest way to get them back in is to leave the door open.  How do I know this? Well I had the opportunity to spend some time in Sweden back in 1994.  While I was there I took care of chickens and sold the eggs.  I also taught line dancing.  The Swedish people loved it. Well my students did.  Anyway I gained first hand knowledge about chickens and a rooster getting out of the coop. 

One of my roosters got out of the coop.  Not knowing what to do, I went chasing after it. 

That thing was fast. Those little legs can move and boy did it ever, clucking the whole time.  I chased the darn thing while it ran -- well, like a chicken with its head cut off.  After a while I finally sat down, too tired and defeated.  I’ll be darned that darn rooster after a few minutes strolled back into the coop and cozied up to his hens.  I could have killed it.  But he was in, and I could then get to my day.  So never again will I chase a rooster or chicken. 

All you have to do is open the door.   

Oh and another funny thing happened while I was there. Well, that’s for another day.  

Until next time. 

Pictures from Pictures.com royalty free. 

Inspiration. What Inspires You to Keep Writing?

Today I received My Writers Digest Monthly Magazine and saw an article on James Lee Burke.  Reading the article, he had so many really good things that can inspire writers to keep on. 

What I love about James Lee Burke is his no nonsense approach to writing.  He just does it everyday, no matter what.  He doesn’t accept any kind of rejection other than how it can help him become better.

James had three books published then went thirteen years of nothing.  That had to have been hard.  However he kept writing.  He developed a system and stuck to it. He said he  keep submitting to agents. 

James said. “Don’t compromise your work.  Submit your work anyway and go onto the next project.  Suddenly you find that you’re not interested in the fame, applause or silence.  You don’t hear any of them.  Never listen to the naysayers.  If you do, you will stop.  Don’t ever stop.” 

Work at it everyday, seven days a week.  No days off.  Keep perfecting your weaknesses. 

James says his nemesis is fatigue.  I can understand that.  What is your nemesis? What keeps you from writing?  Keep writing no matter what. Do it because you love it.  Find something or someone that inspires you and then write some more.  I will also.

On a side note:  JR.Ward author said in her Black Dagger Brotherhood Guide book, when her writing dried up she went in a whole other direction.  That was the best thing she could have ever done. 

Until next time.

All pictures from Pictures.com.   

She’s a Little Older and Wiser

I just published one of my short stories. This is a short story about an older women. She has a dilemma. Let me know if you like it. Just remember I'm still learning to write.


She’s a Little Older and Wiser

I think they call it Scatterbrained.

Being a writer I’ve always been a dreamer.   Now I have a new name to call myself.  Scatterbrained.  That’s what I feel like lately.  I had a few errands to run before I went to work, but I just drove by the place I needed to stop.  When I got to work I was so upset.  Now I have to wait one more day.  Darn. 

Writing a list so I can stop off after work, but what I was going to do after work now is not going to happen.   Double darn.  

What has me so scatterbrained.  Health issues.  I mean major health issues.   I ignored the thing, thinking that it would go away.  It’s been three years and it’s not going away.  Plus it’s getting worse.  It’s time I faced the fact and find out what it is.

It started with just a small itch.  But the itch persisted.  I tried many ways to stop it.  Sometimes it would almost go away only to flare up again.  Day after day, year after year.  It still itches, but now there is pain.  When I bump it or rub against it.  Ouch.

A few weeks ago I was watching Dr. Oz the TV show.  There was a panel of doctors as guest.  One of the female doctors said something that stunned me.  She said there is a not very widely know type of breast cancer called Inflammatory Breast Cancer.  She said it was where the breast would itch and would not go away.

I did some research, looking at photos and reading the internet. Finally I went to the Cleveland Clinic emergency room.  I was seen by a doctor practitioner but there is just no way to know.  I need further testing.  Another reason I’m scatterbrained. I forgot the phone number to the follow up doctor.  That’s the most important thing of all of the things I forgot.  Drat, Drat, Drat.

Well I will try again in the morning and will update on my health issue.  It may be absolutely nothing…

Until next time.  

The Diligent Writers Critiquing Group, September 2011 meetings.

I founded The Diligent Writes Critiquing Group because I couldn't find one.  After 7 months of groups and some success I'm having a problem. 

I’m trying to figure out a way to motive the writers of my critiquing group.  I have 32 members but only about 15 have shown up to a meeting at least once or more. 

There are a few who are consistent and committed, of which I am grateful. 

I thought of sending surveys to the group by email, but wonder what kinds of questions to ask.  I typed up two surveys but each time I chicken out and deleted it.  I kind of feel that if the person was motivated they would do what needs to be done.  Then again, I can remember a time when I had dreams and didn’t do anything about it.   

You may ask in what ways I have catered to the groups needs.  Well we have a main critiquing group that meets on Saturdays once a month.  I just added an evening time for the individuals who cannot make the weekend meeting. We have a smaller group for writers who have a finished draft and working on revisions, we meet twice a month.  Then we have a Fiction Writers Workshop.  We do a chapter each month during which we do 15 to 20 writing exercises to boost our writing techniques and knowledge.

In answer to this dilemma: I’m not going to try and motive the members who haven’t taken the time to come.  I’ve decided to promote the group to find other committed writers. 

Members will come and go, it’s the ones that stay that are the ones I’m interested in.   

I did a little bit of research and will start to pass out flyers and contact other writing group on line and off.  And I will ask the members who are active to spread the word.

This is just the beginning stages.  I’m stepping way out of my comfort zone but I’m willing to do it to help other writers and get the group off the ground.  

Update to come up soon.  Until next time. 

The Diligent Writers Critiquing Group.

I have to admit this particular meeting was a bit nerve wrecking for me. I was to give a critique on one of the member’s novel.  After one month of having it in my possession I was now going to give him both good news and bad news. 

The good news: for a first draft it was quite good. My immediate concern was, was this a first draft? If it wasn’t then I had bad news to convey. 

Upon asking him, this wasn’t the first draft and he did a considerable amount of revisions on it.

Drat, I said under my breath. 

The bad news: “The manuscript was not written with the reader in mind.” I said. 
Explaining what I mean to someone who doesn’t understand writing techniques was very difficult. 

I told him, “as I read, I couldn’t get close to the characters, to know what was going on, what they were seeing, feeling or thinking.  It didn’t make any sense to me.  I was hovering over the situation not in it, and it was so annoying.” I couldn’t even get through the Prologue, and it was the beginning. Of course I didn’t tell him that.  

I tried to explain a few more things about writing techniques and possible better ways to write it but he just looked at me. I could feel his confusion and disappointment. 

Oh gosh, the last thing I wanted to do was critiquing his novel under the table so much that he would stop writing all together.  Honestly his writing wasn’t bad.  It had great ideas and his tone was extremely well done.  However the execution of the writing was lacking.

How do I proceed here? I asked my friend if he had taken any writing classes.  He shook his head.  That explained a lot.  In order to understand how to make the most of your writing you/ the writer, need to understand how to write.  And believe me its not just putting pretty words on a page.  It involved technique.   

My first manuscript I didn’t have any clue how to write.  And it shows.  I read it to my girlfriend, who is a writer and a good one, and got some feedback that baffled me.  I tried to explain my thinking and she just told me it didn’t work.  I was so perplexed at the whole thing I just didn’t know what to do.

“Start reading books on writing.”  She said. Like that was the answer to all.  I was so overwhelmed I didn’t even know where to start. 

“I started with The Fiction Writers Workshop book.” She said.  We were talking over the phone.  The name of the book was familiar to me.  I looked on my bookshelf and guess what I saw.  The Fiction Writer Workshop book.  It was one of the first books I bought on writing.  In reality I thought I didn’t need it.  But being so overwhelmed I decided to go through the books and do the exercises. 

So back to my friend: I explained to him, when I started writing I had no clue either.  But the more I read books on writing techniques the better I understood what I was doing wrong.
So my advice to him was to start classes or reading books on how to write.

To be honest I’m not sure how he took my critique or my advice.  My only hope is that he doesn’t stop writing because of it.  He did tell me that he sent out seventeen query letters to agents and received nothing back, just rejection letter. 

If there was any kind of potential on the manuscript he would have received some kind of hand written message on the rejection letter.  He didn’t. 

I told him if he kept writing the way he was without knowing how to write it would take three times as long to get his writing where he wanted it to be.

If writing is your passion, please get some kind of education on it.  Either by taking classes or reading books on the art of writing.  There are many really good ones out there. Please remember that to achieve something takes time, passion, talent and practice.  Do you think a violist, or athletes or anyone achieves success without blood, sweat and tears.  It is the same with writing.   So write and do it because you love it. 

Until next time.