Starting Over~Fingers on the Keyboard

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Linda Barrett

GET TO THE POINT!

Yes, that’s moi. My fingers at my messy desk.

Yesterday I typed The End on a new work that will be part of an anthology published by OnFireFiction this fall. The anthology celebrates holidays around the year, and my contribution honors Mother and Father’s Days. With a dozen authors contributing to the volume, short pieces are in order. Oh, no problem–just grab an idea and jot it down. Uhh…not so fast, my friends. I can assure you most writers acknowledge that writing short is more difficult than writing long.

In a short story, there’s no time to explore the byways and detours that might intrigue you as you write a novel. You must ignore the lure of an extra and tempting, What if…? With a very limited word count, getting from Point A to Point B is the priority, and you have to do it in as little time as possible while still providing a satisfying read.This means developing characters who readers will care about. It means creating a problem they have to resolve all within about 25 manuscript pages. For contrast, any of my traditional romance novels ran about 320 pages. Family Interrupted ran 430. So for most novelists, the challenge of the short form is…well, a challenge.

Because of the story i was writing for the holiday anthology, I started thinking about short stories, poems and songs. I looked up some of the poets with whom we’re most familiar, and an hour flew by as Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allen Poe captured me once more. How did they do it? No wonder there are so few greats.

Frost used only six stanzas to evoke the imagination as he stood before two roads and chose “the one less traveled on.” Poe used a similar amount of space to express the eternal love he held for his “Annabel Lee.” The Belle of Amherst–ah, call her the Belle of Pithy: “Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me…” In only five short stanzas–maybe a hundred words– she made friends with what we fear most and turned our thinking upside down. I’m in awe.

Many of our songwriters are contemporary poets who tell stories–and they do it within three minutes of air time. Think about “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin. A complete story about raising a child–with a moral attached. He provided us with something to think about after the song ended. It’s the same with Mac Davis’s “In the Ghetto” sung by Elvis Presley. Billy Joel has written dozens of songs which are stories and gets his point across as a poet does–in a few stanzas. In “A Matter of Trust” he’s talking about what comes after the first flurry of love. A real marriage is based on trust. Other genres to think about are country and folk music where every song’s a story, enriching our American anthology of creative writing.

The shortest form of writing today is known as Flash Fiction: a novel in six words. Perhaps the most famous example, attributed to Hemingway but not proven so, is:

“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

It’s all there. The plot, the characters, the emotion. Only the details are missing, but that’s okay. We don’t need them to feel the impact of the story. This is pithy to the extreme.

Compared to Flash Fiction, I guess my 25 page short story is a luxury! Not complaining any more 🙂

Do you read poetry? Short stories? Or do you prefer novels?

Our CONTEST WINNER for MAY is: LISA R. CLARO. She’s aready received her package of Love Me Some Cowboy and Family Interrupted.

A NEW CONTEST FOR JUNE!! Make a comment and your name will be entered in a NEW CONTEST with GREAT PRIZES. The winner will receive two of the six books shown here (your choice), all written by members of OnFireFiction as well as a $25 gift certificate to Amazon or BN (your choice).

All of these books are traditional romances in different styles. Some are funny, some more serious and evocative. Browse them at Amazon where you can Look Inside the books. You might be the winner!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by. I hope to see you for the next edition of Starting Over.

Best,

Linda

Starting Over~Breast Cancer & Me

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Linda Barrett

AND NOW COME THE CRITICS–

We’re talking about actress Angelina Jolie again.With her stunning announcement about the bi-lateral mastectomy she chose to endure because of the BRCA gene mutation in her family, she opened herself up to criticism. Unfortunately, she didn’t have to wait long before it came. Would it have been better had she remained silent? I say no. A resounding NO.

Unless we’re living on the Starship Enterprise, surgical procedures leave behind their reminders. Ever have an appendectomy? The scar stays with you for life. Ever give birth by Ceasarian section or have a traditional hysterectomy? The scars remain across your abdomen forever; leaving you without sensation there.. And if you’ve had something more dramatic…say, an amputation of some kind…then yes, the more extensive collateral damage will stick around, too. It’s to be expected. Surgery is not for sissies.

In a very informative and well written article by Roni Rabin in the New York Times last Tuesday, (5/20/13), mention was made of breast surgeons’ concerns for the public. They feared that people might misinterpret Angelina Jolie’s surgical experience as their own.That it was a quick and easy procedure. Specifically, they were concerned about the nine weeks Ms. Jolie said it took her to complete her reconstructive surgeries. For most patients, for the average patient, it takes longer than that–upwards of a year–to say the procedures are over. And there are often complications which Ms. Jolie didn’t speak about. Hmm…if she didn’t have any, why would she bring it up?

I am an average breast cancer patient. I am not what is called a previvor as Ms. Jolie is. My last surgery is a year-and-a-half behind me. I still feel the effects, and they are common, of a bi-lateral mastectomy. The tightness across my chest, the random shooting pains, the aches from stretching, and the unhappiness with that hard circle of scar tissue around the failed implant. Yes, a failed implant. Been there, done that, too. I am not Angelina Jolie. But I don’t fault her for telling her personal story in the way it happened for her. I applaud her for sharing her experience with us.

Some might point a finger and say she had access to doctors extraordinaire. Well, I did, too–in the Houston Medical Center which is second to none in this country. Some might mention her access to research. I was blessed with many doctor friends who provided me with the best intel around.

The truth is that sometimes stuff happens. Unintended consequences. Collateral damage. Unforeseen circumstances. Call it what you will. Physicians try to be prepared for anything, But often, a patient’s body reacts in a way that even the very best of doctors don’t and can’t foresee.

I respect the surgeons’ concern for their patients as discussed in the article by Roni Rubin. I know their intentions are good. They wanted to warn the public that this procedure is not as easy as it might have appeared when Ms. Jolie revealed her story. I’d like to remind the good doctors, however, that they don’t have to worry. They are the ones in charge of their patients’ care. Educating patients is their job. Analyzing the risks and benefits for each person is their job. Explaining that these surgeries aren’t a “breeze” is their job.Discussing each viable option is their job. Helping patients make decisions is not the job of a celebrity.

In my humble–or not so humble–opinion, Angelina Jolie has saved lives. We won’t ever know how many. But you can’t argue with the number of women who are now asking questions about the BRCA1 and BRCA 2 gene mutations. The phone lines at FORCE, an organization specializing in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, were ringing non-stop after Ms. Jolie’s announcement. Women were taking note about their own family’s pattern of cancer. About their own chances of finding a cancerous tumor in their breasts or on their ovaries. And they wanted more information.

Education about a painful subject is a slow process. Who wants to think about cancer? Who wants to admit they could be at risk? It’s a scary proposition. So the word goes out and is sometimes not heard. Not at first. But it will. The more people who speak up like Angelina Jolie did, the sooner knowledge will resonate. And then.,..just watch the hereditary cancer death rate drop.

Isn’t that the goal?

Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered or FORCE, is the only foundation in the country that focuses only on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. They provide support for women at risk and for members of families in which the risk is present. I’m proud to support its mission.

For more information, go to: www.facingourrisk.org

I welcome all opinions! So if you’d like to continue this conversation, please leave a comment below.

BOOK NEWS! I’m so excited!! Family Interrupted is now available IN PRINT as a trade paperback. Check it out at Amazon. Here I am, holding the actual book in my hot little hands:

DON’T FORGET – you’ll be entered into this month’s drawing for a fabulous book package: LOVE ME SOME COWBOY — five novels by five different authors — AND a copy of my own book, Family Interrupted. All you have to do is: Leave A Comment!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by. I hope to see you for the next edition of Starting Over.

Linda

Starting Over ~ Life in the Day Camp

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Linda Barrett

A SLICE OF LIFE–AMERICAN STYLE

We hit the pause button yesterday in our day camp for adults. My golfer guy didn’t golf. The mah-jong players didn’t mix their tiles. The pool players hung up their sticks. But at nine o’clock in the morning, we all stood at attention–together–in a Memorial Day tribute to the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. We also thought about the men and women serving in our military right now. They were not drafted, but are part of a volunteer force. They and their families have sacrificed a “normal” life to serve their country. Our country.

You and I are the beneficiaries of their sacrifices. We’ve been given the opportunity to raise our voices without fear “and let freedom ring.” To stand in silence in unthinkable when the cost of freedom is so high.Whether our heroes lay in Flanders Field, Normandy or in Arlington National Cemetery, we honor our fallen. We grieve. We remember. And we celebrate them as well.

I find there’s an extra benefit in taking time to pause and remember. It centers us. Reminds us who we are and what we are about. We remember that the umbrella under which we all live is a broad one. It’s a strong one. And there’s room beneath it for those who “yearn to breathe free.” For those whose hearts pump love when glimpsing Lady Liberty in New York’s harbor.

The community I live in is only a few years old, but I can see that traditions are being born in that short time. Our Memorial Day started with a dedication of a Circle of Honor (see above) to our fallen heroes. In that circle are engraved bricks with individual names on them, including that of my own dad, who served in the U.S. Army during WWII. The Color Guard presented the flag. Speech makers inspired us. And then the games began.

The ping of bat hitting ball enticed everyone to stick around and watch our co-ed home grown softball teams. Yes, indeed. Whether baseball or softball – it draws a big crowd. Then came bocce ball, pickleball, horseshoes, shuffleboard. (A day camp needs lots of activities). Hot dogs, hamburgers and plenty of soft drinks. And wait…there’s more. The doggie park had a grand opening 🙂

A crowd pleaser

In my humble opinion, life in the day camp doesn’t get any better than what we all shared yesterday.

Now, about today…the pause button’s been released and life is back to the norm. I’ve got my fingers on the keyboard, social media visits to make, and well…I think there’s a hot mah-jongg game coming up this evening. I’ll be there.

How did you spend Memorial Day? With family? Friends? Or quietly at home?

Post a comment and your name will be added to this month’s drawing. LOVE ME SOME COWBOY was just released yesterday! This is a fabulous package of five books from five terrific authors: Jean Brashear, Ginger Chambers, Day Leclaire, Barbara McMahon and Lisa Mondello. And I’m giving it away along with my own novel, Family Interrupted, as this month’s prize.

BTW – Family Interrupted is now available in print from Amazon as well as for your Kindle, Nook, Kobo or iPad. I am so-o happy about this. Many readers have asked for a “real” book to hold in their hands. So, here it is!

The PRINT edition is here!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by. I hope to see you again for the next edition of Starting Over.

Linda