On The Passion of Writing

As I read the work of other new authors, bestsellers, and classics, it’s not difficult to see that all writers pour a part of themselves into their work.  This could be stated about doing almost anything, especially with creativity.  To me, writing, be it genre fiction, confessional poetry, inspirational novels, horror, or suspense thrillers, every author reveals something from inside not only from his/her head, but the soul as well.

I’ve written before about how writing helped me find closure following the death of my sister due to a domestic violence incident.  Time, faith, and loved ones get us through traumatic life events, and creative outlets channel our emotions into something that can be shared with others. 

Interviewers asked me in the beginning if any characters were represented based on the death of my sister.  Answer:  No.  I’m not ready to write about what happened; I can only say it happened.  Instead, as a long time fan of dark fantasy, I created a story with elements of dark fantasy that I like:  A dark, strong female lead character (Shevata), a horrific but humorous antagonist (Zermon), and a fallen city (Gastar) that re-grows as the people find their direction following a prolonged war.  I always state for my readers that Zermon’s personality is based on my older brother, now a family joke.  I like mythical creatures, and dragons are my favorite, so they’re part of the story (Harathgus).  All of my books are dedicated to my sister, not just as a remembrance, but also as an acknowledgement of where my passion for writing originates.

I appreciate how authors are so variable in the way they channel their passion through their work.  For example, some write moving prose, bringing the reader inside the emotions of the characters.  Others set up brilliant character-to-character relationships that we can relate to in our own lives.  Dark fantasy is often inspired by the work of Tolkien, so the world is created with visuals of detailed maps, and many follow a geographical journey (this is also in George R. R. Martin’s work as well…”Game of Thrones”).  My own non-epic dark fantasy work is focused more on what I call “character dynamics” meaning instead of detailing a new world, the plot is carried by the characters interacting together, to make a fast paced, dialogue-driven action story.

To me, what’s great about writing is what’s great about reading.  We see what other authors teach us through their work and create our own based on our life experiences.  It doesn’t take a biography/autobiography to tell your story.  By gathering the courage to expose your inside passion, all writers have something to contribute.

On Breast Cancer Awareness

So many have their stories about the hideous disease of Breast Cancer.  I applaud the survivors, and with their strength, courage, and promotion of awareness, many get proper screening these days.

In my small world, a couple of years ago, I left work on a Friday.  I drove home through the cold and rain, hoping to get horizontal as soon as possible from a severe cold with body aches, with a bottle of Nyquil at my bedside.  I lay in bed for the next two days, drenched in sweat and feeling like I was going to die.

On Sunday at noon, I sat up, taking a deep breath, realizing my fever finally broke, and I wasn’t dying.  As I sat up on my bed, turned on the TV to Lifetime, and relaxed, my telephone rang.

It was my best friend, who lives out of state from me, weeping over the telephone.  We’ve known each other long enough when something was wrong when we spoke, and she’s almost never one to cry.  She told me the words: “I have breast cancer.”  My fever sweat dried, and my cough stopped, and my runny nose became a non-issue.

She needed to find a doctor to help her.  Being in a large city full of top hospitals, when one is left to her/his own devices, it’s like being on the South Pole.  I have a lot of medical contacts, and after some searching, I found a Breast Cancer Specialist within a few minutes.  Before two hours passed, my friend was on the telephone with someone who could help her….on a Sunday afternoon.

The year was hard, but she never complained.  I accompanied her for the initial testing and consultation of results.  It was hard for me, so describing the difficulty she faced is beyond imagination.  But she charged forward, was given sound options, and with the help of her family, made well thought out decisions, leading to an excellent outcome.  She didn’t even take off much time from her job.  Her courage amazed me, as I’m not sure if I could have kept going the way she did.

But that’s what brings us back to the point; none of us know what we can do until we’re pushed against the wall.  Breast cancer, like other illnesses, is serious business, and the efforts to keep women (and men, in rarer cases) informed of the updated recommendations for screening and treatment.

In one hour, my life changed lanes from my cold to her cancer. It’s amazing how quickly little things get thrown aside when a real problem arises.   She is thankfully doing well today.

On Author Laurie Bellsheim

It is my pleasure and privilege to present Laurie Bellsheim, author of "Surviving Emily."  This moving story is based on her personal experience with sudden death due to epilepsy, and the healing of tragic events through love.  I can relate to this as well, as my late sister was stricken with this disease in the prime of her youth, indirectly leading to her death.  For those looking for an inspiring read, and those with loved ones with epilepsy, I recommend checking out Laurie's book.  In the complex world some events cannot be explained and writing brings closure to many of us.

 2011  New Fiction Release

Surviving Emily 

For further information contact: Ray Robinson at 317-228-3656, via email at RayR@DogEarPublishing.net,
or through the website at: www.dogearpublishing.net
Surviving Emily
Laurie Bellesheim Dog Ear Publishing ISBN: 978-145750-562-1    312 pages    US
Available at Ingram, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and fine bookstores everywhere.

On Resolution and the New Author

Thank goodness I’ve stopped whining about my earlier events of the week.  I thank my family, friends, and virtual friends that support me, listen (read) my rants, and help me remember that the long term is what’s the most important.  My Tweeps were great to me, reminding me that the writing industry is tough for us all, and to get over myself and move on.

I hate it when I feel hurt.  But when it improves, it’s like a flower opening to the sun, throwing off those bad feelings and looking up at the sky to feel the magnificence of the world we live in. 

Being told ‘no’ as I’ve written before, is unpleasant as best.  But that’s the better route than ‘yes’ and not meaning it.  In the field I work in, many people have to do what I tell them.  Part of that is if he/she cannot do as I request, please say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ So far, the workplace moves much more smoothly as long as the message is clear, there’s no argument.

New authors, when you feel hurt by the many avenues of this industry, it will get better.  Why?  Like before, it is not personal.  Sleep on it.  Go out and get a margarita.  Or, if you’re like me, get a migraine and forget what you were hurt about (that’s a joke, I’ve never wished migraines on anyone in the writing industry, not editors, agents, publishers, no one). 

I admit to my own flaws.  While coming home from an outing one night, I knew I was being a jerk.  A friend called me an “A-hole.” (But spelled out).  I burst out laughing for the next half hour.  He couldn’t believe I thought it was funny.  But he was right, and pointed out my ill behavior.  I make fun of myself, and all too often, I end up with egg on my face.  It happens.  Just admit it and move on.

On Pain and the Writing Industry

The biggest non-secret in the writing industry, be it traditional or self-publishing, is that it’s a tough business.  I’ve always known this.  I’ve had a few bad reviews.  Earlier in my writing journey, agents all living “The Villiages” rejected me as I’ve written before.  I’ve been repeatedly reassured that Every Agent and Editor are the busiest on the planet; you’d think they could pay the US debt.  (That’s an exaggeration, and I understand that editing is tedious work.) I don’t understand agents.  That explains why I don’t use agents.

Nobody likes rejection; it hurts.  I’ve experienced it many times, and I don’t get used to it, and if other authors say otherwise, I’d say either “congratulations” or “be honest with yourself.”  Examples:  The Agent:  No, thanks for submitting.  The Editor:  No, you suck.  Reviewers/other outlets:  We don’t take self-published books.

But there’s another rejection out there…the rejection of omission.  This is when someone you think you have a virtual friendship with, financially and support his/her books, get an offer to have your work featured, then you hear you didn’t make the cut on Twitter!  Hey, nice timing!  To be fair, there’s an effort to right the wrongs, but I’m going to be careful this time and not hold my breath. 

Why does everything go wrong on the same day?  A blog syndicator I support with articles and donations left me out of a list of examples of articles.  Where was mine?  Especially, where was the one I wrote in support of the site?

I couldn’t even get a much-needed cup of coffee today.  So today has been rotten.  We all have these.  With big things I usually pull myself together.  Little things make me upset.  Yes, it’s stupid, can’t be helped.

But the real pain arises not from any of the above, including agents and editors.  Instead, it comes from a “no problem” reply, then as I think about it, get more hurt as the day devolves into time where nothing seems to be going right.

OK, enough whining.  People have a lot of bigger problems than the above.  I realize that.  Things are going to happen, and most of the time it isn’t personal.  I believe this brings home that when we feel hurt or angry, many times we can track our feelings back to ourselves.  We play a part (or at least, I admit to it).  Nobody’s perfect, these things happen, and as writers, we must deal with it.

I believe in looking at the bright side of things.  I’m coming with great inspiration for Shevata to clean up the bad guys!  Will I work with the people above mentioned again?  Probably.  But my memory is long.  That can’t be helped either.

Review of "Children Of Discord" by Wiliam Butler

http://williambutlerblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/children-of-discord-second-book-of.html?spref=fb

I want to thank William for featuring me on his blog.  He and I met seemingly ages ago when I picked up his debut novel "Bang" at random from Twitter. Since then, my cyber-universe continues to expand, and while William and I support each other's books, we support other authors as well.  Like the groups below, it's about writers helping writers find readers.  

Many thanks to William, and do go to amazon, and pull up William Butler.  He's got a great collection of short stories and his books "Bang" (for grown-ups, excellent Noir) and his recent "House of Balestrom."

On Orangeberry Books

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Orangeberry-Book-Collective/253204804725698
http://www.orangeberrybooks.com/
http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/2011/09/book-launch-festival-2011.html

On Facebook, I met another group of ace authors who’ve also created a new site, Orangeberry Books.  Over the past few weeks I’ve witnessed the very hard work put in by writers Brian Bianco and Niamh Clune, Pandora Poikilos, amongst others and have created a very beautiful site, blog, and access for a virtual book tour.

Like “The Collaborates” it’s about authors helping authors.  In a relatively short period of time, “Orangeberry” developed from a idea on Facebook to a sophisticated organization.  I’m a new member, but have been following its growth; I applaud the efforts of these talented people coming together.

Is there a difference between “The Collaborates” and “Orangeberry Books?”  I don’t see the need of a comparison.  At least two of us belong to both groups; and the big picture is, authors giving and receiving, though done in different ways. 

In the future, I’ll be featuring at least five of the talented authors from Orangeberry Books.  I highly recommend readers/writers to look at the sites.  A lot of ongoing hard work is being put behind both groups, and it’s great to network with them.