My Memoir is Published

I'd like to share a link with you, but first let me tell you why.  

Writing about the death of a loved one is a very difficult thing to do. It took me over two decades to finally sit down and pen a memoir about the loss of my mother. The process was taxing, yet surprisingly cathartic. Reliving the memories of those days brought me to tears, but also helped me revisit the warm, happy moments shared.

Now my memoir is published. The Summer of '82, is featured on the homepage of The Cuckleburr Times, An online magazine created for writers, by writers. I'd love for you to take a look. If you leave a comment on their site, I'll do a happy dance for you and send lots and lots of virtual hugs. :)

Thanks, fellow wench-ies and -os!

Wench Nic

(aka C.E. Hart)

Sunday PicNic ~ Unforgettable Characters

Have you ever read a book and after a week or two, found it difficult to remember much about it? Sigh…

As writers, we don’t want to pour our passion into a manuscript of forgettable pages. We want our readers to drink in our story, savor its flavor, and remember it. How do we do that? By asking questions.

Think of a favorite book you’ve read; a novel that stands out in your mind. Is it a favorite because it’s written with a unique flair? Do you cherish it for its exquisite scenery, crafty dialogue, shocking twist or ending? No—more than likely, you love the book because you love the people who dwell inside it. 

Characters make a book memorable.

As a teenager, I reluctantly began reading William Golding’s Lord of the Flies for a school assignment. Soon after being introduced to Ralph and Piggy, I unsuspectingly became invested in this symbolic classic.

The British choirboys became real to me. I became sympathetic to Ralph, the protagonist. He tried to establish order and focused on the rescue of his fellow plane crash survivors; displaying humanness while others became frenzied, animalistic jungle hunters. I was also sensitive to the welfare of Piggy, an intellectual orphan boy, teased for his pudgy frame and thick glasses. He was an outsider to the others, yet became a confidant and sidekick to Ralph’s leadership role. They both shared their inner selves with each other, and developed a true friendship. They developed a relationship with me too. I shook in fear and cried with them; and now, decades later, I remember them.

As writers, we need to ask questions. We must explore the characters we create. What makes them different? What makes them vulnerable? What faults do they have? Are they happy, grumpy, smart, or overweight? Do they have particular goals? Do they walk with a limp? Did they have happy childhoods? Are they wealthy? These are questions, among hundreds of others, we should ask our characters. We need to learn their distinctive physical traits, establish their inward and outward personas, and share their qualities (good and bad) with our readers. The more we reveal about our characters and why they do the things they do, the easier it is for readers to connect with them, and the more memorable they will become. If we fall in love with our characters, chances are, our readers will too.

~Nic

Sunday PicNic ~ Rain's Reign (Poem)

There’s nothing like the taste of rain;
the sprinkling drops delight my tongue.
Beyond the biting wintry days,
the long awaited spring has sprung.

The sprinkling drops delight my tongue
and splash upon my upturned face.
I’m bathed with heaven’s cloud cascade
and clothed in glistening liquid lace.

Beyond the biting wintry days,
when waking earth is vernal-kissed,
the warming clouds spill beads of joy.
I relish in the mist I’ve missed.

Sunday PicNic ~ Dreaming in English (Book Review)

Dreaming in English

by Laura Fitzgerald

Tamila (Tami) Soroush leaves a repressed life in Iran to find opportunity and freedom in the United States. Her plans to find a husband on a visitor’s visa change drastically when she desperately escapes an arranged marriage and rushes into a Las Vegas wedding with Ike Hanson; an American man she truly loves.

Uncertainties build as life in America becomes weighed down with stress and fear. She longs for her parents, who are dominated by fear and won’t leave Iran, worries about her sister’s high-risk pregnancy, is discomforted by her husband’s frustrations, and angered by her mother-in-law’s refusal to accept their marriage as one of love. To top it off, an ominous immigration interview is approaching with a mountain of evidence against her.

Through her struggles, Tami continues to appreciate the freedoms that are hers to grab, liberties never afforded her by Iran’s regime. Yet her dreams of starting a business and a family with Ike turn into a nightmare. She questions if she has the strength it takes to live out her dreams when she discovers living in the land of the free comes with a price and never without a fight.

PROS:  As an American, this book illuminates the things I too often take for granted. Walking in Tami’s shoes clarifies the dreams and struggles of those who weren’t born here. Being born into freedom is a gift we should cherish. Not only does this story demonstrate the struggles for freedom, but entices us to search within ourselves for our strengths, our passions, and our dreams… before it’s too late.

CONS: The story is good, but I found the dialogue tags very distracting.

Sunday PicNic ~ My Roman Holiday

Just as actors Audrey Hepburn (Princess Ann) and Gregory Peck (Joe Bradley) did in the 1953 movie Roman Holiday, I’m jetting to Italy. Though I’m far from being a princess, I’m certain to fall in love just the same—not with a tall, handsome American (I did that over a quarter of a century ago) but with the beauty of Italy.

I have three reasons to be molto eccitata (very excited) about this trip.

1. It’s Italy, baby! Throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain, walking the Spanish Steps, giving a ‘thumbs down’ in the Colesseum, holding up the Tower of Pisa, gondola-ing through the Grand Canal, finding a fig leaf for the statue of David, chasing pigeons in Piazza Navona, and seeing the hand of God in the Sistine Chapel—that’s a lot to be excited about.

Italy is full of ancient ruins, museums, and stories. I can’t wait to take a stroll through the historical path of millenniums. My mind, heart, and camera will fill with Italy’s fabulous beauty.

2. A mother daughter trip! Any trip is more fun when you’re traveling with someone you love. Our mother-daughter trips to California, Niagara Falls, picturesque Savannah, and even the quick jaunts to the Blue Ridge Mountains, have blessed us with fun, laughter, and irreplaceable memories. I know Italy will do the same.

Street-corner gelato cafés by day and cool Chianti evenings will no doubt bestow us with a pound or two, but we’ll still look hot wearing the fake designer bags and nine-dollar Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses purchased from street vendors.

3. A novel in the making! Shortly after planning this trip, my mind flooded with story ideas. I frenetically jotted down an outline for a new novel, (and I never create outlines) and soon had a romance-in-the-making. With an amendable plot, I proceed to Italia to participate in my characters’ adventures. Okay, if you’re not a writer, you probably think that sounds insane, but the author-heads out there understand.

With all that said, I still have to pack my bags. Other than the adorable chic red raincoat I purchased the other day, I don’t have a clue what I’m taking. I’m not too worried about details though. As long as I have my journal, my daughter, and comfortable shoes, I’ll be fine. I’ll come back with a treasure of memories to last a lifetime, photos to share, and a story to write.

Ciao!

Sunday PicNic ~ The Writers Dance

The Writer’s Dance

"You can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart." ~Unknown

I’m a mega-fan of the television show, So You Think You Can Dance. It’s a fabulous platform for young dancers to showcase their diverse styles, dreams and desires. (This pertains to writing, I promise. Stay with me… hee hee)

Some dancers are confident, with years of training behind them, while others are searching for guidance to improve their skills. Whether their strength lies in experience, performance, technical training, or a blend of these factors—they all expose their souls on the stage. Each dancer is unique, yet they all share a common bond. Passion.

Writers understand a dancer’s passion. We don’t express it with technical steps, precise gestures, or flexible movements. We use words. Writers have different styles, strengths and abilities; yet, like dancers, we share the bond of passion.

Below, I’ve listed several styles of dance and their parallel writing styles. Which dance-writing styles fit you?

Lyrical Dance

"It takes an athlete to dance, but an artist to be a dancer." ~Shanna La Fleur

Dancers are slow and rhythmic, conveying a precise theme throughout their arrangement.

As a writer, do you write at a deliberate, fluid pace? Is there usually a central theme behind your story?

Crunk

"Dancing can reveal all the mystery that music conceals." ~Charles Baudelaire

Dancers are pumped up, electrical performers. Their performances focus on their athleticism, and their interpretation to bass music rather than lyrics.

Are you a crunker? Are your stories Action-driven rather than character-driven? 

Modern Dance

“Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.” ~Unknown

Dancers concentrate on expressing their inner feelings, and defy the strong rules of classical ballet. They delve into deep emotions and display a dramatic and personal presentation.

Are your characters incensed at wrong-doings? Do they survive catastrophic incidences, or are they searching for inner-strength to overcome tragedy?

Folk Dance

"Dancers aren't made of their technique, but their passion." ~Unknown

These dancers have little or no professional training. They learn by observing others. Although they may evolve into public performances, folk dancers aren’t seeking to be center stage.

Have you dabbled with prose through the years and thought about taking the plunge into authoring a book? Are you a new writer who’s trying to stay afloat in a sea of inexperience, information, and insecurity? If you’re testing the waters, so-to-speak, you might relate to the folk dancer.

Robot Dance

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” ~Japanese Proverb

Those who robot dance are specialists in short, stop and go movements.

If you’ve stopped writing long enough to have forgotten your characters names, or have several unfinished stories boxed up in the back of your closet, you might be a robot-writer.

Jitterbug

"You can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart." ~Unknown

This dance is fast, fun and exhilarating. It has swift bouncy movements that stimulate an enlivening, heart-pounding, sensation.

All writers fit the jitterbug. We write because we love that jitterbuggy feeling of being inspired and moving others.

Dance-Writer

"To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak" ~Indian Proverb

So, you think you can write?

If you’ve postponed going to bed by ‘five more minutes’ to finish a sentence, and suddenly find it’s time to eat breakfast…

If you’ve had the ‘staring at a blank document until your eyes bleed’ kind of writer’s block…

If you’ve re-written your re-re-re-written manuscript…

Then you might be a dance writer.

"We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams." ~Unknown

~Nic

Sunday PicNic ~ I Loathe my Novel...Now What?

If you’re an author, I’m sure you’ve experienced the startling fearful place you reach in your novel writing, where you suddenly and fiercely loathe your story. Why does that happen? How does a magnificent idea blossom into the creation of amazing, much loved characters that bring so much fulfillment to our lives as writers, unexpectedly become a full-fledged load of crap?

I experienced this loathing while participating in the 2010 Nanowrimo. I began writing about a young girl who tries to silently cope with many hardships at home while her father spends a tour in Vietnam. In my writing style, the setting of a story oftentimes becomes a vital character; so having grown up during the Vietnam War era, I delved into my memories of that nostalgic time and infused some of my own experiences and emotions into Maddie, my main character. Reminiscing of the early 70’s was enjoyable, and my affection for this little girl turned into love. I became so invested in what happened to her, what she was feeling, and how she dealt with her hardships, that I wrote at a frenzied pace, quickly discovering new highs and lows in her life. Maddie disclosed secrets and longings that surprised even me—her creator! But half way through, the whirling love affair with my story came to a screeching halt.

“I hate my story,” I told my sister, who was also participating in Nanowrimo. “I’m thinking about scrapping the whole thing and writing a romance instead. Something light and fun. Maybe even humorous. This story is dark and sad and… I hate it.”

My sister insisted my story was good, and loved my characters, but was ineffective at changing my frame of mind. Neither the praise nor encouragement altered my aversion. What finally succeeded were her five words of guidance… “Just shut up and write!”

With loads of resistance, I wrote. I came to a fork-in-the-road in my novel and decided to take the path I’d previously decided was a dead end. This brought a new life and love to the story and characters I’d nearly abandoned. The loathing dissipated. 

So, where does our loathing come from? Why does it appear like a sudden summer storm, and cloud our thoughts? I suppose it is fear. Fear that our readers won’t love our characters like we do. Or that they won’t become as invested in our story as we have. “What if the readers of my book think my story is stupid. What if they just can’t get into it? What if they don’t understand my characters? What if….”

We can what if ourselves until we’re blue in the face, but it won’t solve anything. Indeed, when we write, those annoying shadows of doubt and clouds of loathing will creep into our heads. They’ll seep into the smallest crevices of our imagination and try to convince us our labor is in vain. But if we keep our backs against the winds of doubt and allow them to propel us forward, our novels and our sanity will persevere.

To put it simply, we just need to shut up and write!

~Nic

Sunday PicNic ~ I Hear Voices

I hear voices.

There are hordes of voices in my head, mumbling, chattering, even screaming—demanding I divulge their stories. Sometimes they talk fast and all at once; often at the most inopportune times. That might explain the recurrent incidents where I drop everything and frantically hunt for a pen, pencil or lip liner…anything that allows me to jot down words, ideas or remarkable quotes.

Sometimes the voices only whisper. They don’t reveal their tales so freely, so I’m forced to do grueling research into their pasts, eavesdrop on their private conversations, and wrench out their stories while they’re kicking and screaming. They make me work hard to acquire their dribble, so I retaliate by displaying their secrets for all to read (muaaah).

I’m telling you, the voices are relentless, exhausting, and make me look and act bizarre. In reality, I’m sane. No really! The head-babbling din triggers my occasional lapses of good sense and makes me forget to do the simplest tasks…such as eating, sleeping and going to the bathroom. My idiosyncrasies and blunders are all due to the distracting voices in my head. Nevertheless, telling their stories is gratifying.

To state it more simply, I'm a writer.

~Nic